‘Very Positive Talks': Allahabad HC Bar Association Delegation Meets Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal

Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s widely used digital payment system, experienced a significant outage today evening, leaving users struggling to complete transactions. The disruption, which affected multiple payment apps, led to a surge in complaints from users unable to process payments.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI, acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the system has now been restored.

Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is down for several users across India. The disruption led to numerous complaints from users attempting to make digital payments through various UPI-supported apps like Google Pay, Paytm , and the State Bank of India’s platform.

A delegation from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association met Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal inside the Parliament. The meeting, which lasted for a couple of hours, was described as "very positive" by sources.

Anil Tiwari, a key member of the delegation, confirmed the development and said that discussions were held on various issues concerning the judiciary. "We met the Law Minister today. It was a very positive meeting," he said.

The discussion also reportedly included reforms to ensure a corruption-free judiciary.

Tiwari further informed that representatives from 14 to 15 bar associations were scheduled to meet in Delhi tomorrow to deliberate on similar concerns. "We all want a corruption-free judiciary," he emphasized.

Allahabad HC Bar Association delegation met Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal inside the parliament today.

The meeting went on for a couple of hours. 

As per the sources, it was a very positive meeting.

Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) tweeted, "The party has expelled me for 6 years for speaking against dynasty politics, corruption, reforms within the party, remove one man upmanship & request to develop North Karnataka. The party has rewarded me for 'Calling a Spade, a Spade'. Certain vested interests have played their part in furthering their agenda successfully. The decision to suspend me will not deter my fight against corruption, family politics, development of North Karnataka & Hindutva. I will continue to serve my people with the same vigour & tenacity. I thank all the Karyakarthas, well-wishers, friends, acquaintances, Swamijis, Media, my Family which has been a pillar of support & the almighty..."

A plane carrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was forced to return to Agra's Kheria Airport shortly after takeoff on Wednesday due to a technical glitch.

The aircraft, which had just departed from the airport, made an immediate return upon encountering the issue. Reports suggest the incident caused a stir among UP officials, who quickly rushed back to the airport to assess the situation.

Presidents of the Bar Association from different states are going to reach the Supreme Court tomorrow at 10 am. BJ Trivedi, President, Gujarat HC Advocates Association along with the president of Karnataka and Kerala Bar Association will be reaching Delhi.

A fire was brought under control after it broke out in three shops in Pune's Keshav Nagar, officials said.

Visuals from the site showed smoke billowing out of three shops.
After receiving information, a team from the Pune Fire Department reached the spot and extinguished the blaze.
 

Ahead of a possible missile testing from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha's Balasore district, around 32,000 people living in the vicinity were on Wednesday shifted to safe shelters, officials said.The people residing in six hamlets within a 2.5 km radius of launch pad -3 of ITR have been evacuated to nearby three shelter centres on early Wednesday ahead of a missile test, they said.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Stops Mid Flyover, Instructs Authorities On-Cam to Find Shelter for Stray Cattle

New Delhi DCP and ACP Arrive Justice Yashwant Varma's Residence

JP Nadda met Jairam Ramesh on Justice Varma issue. Leader of the House to meet RS Floor leaders to seek consensus for discussion 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Uttar Pradesh Police not to arrest two journalists for four more weeks in connection with four FIRs registered against them for writing an article and making some posts on X.

A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal extended its earlier order asking the state police not to take any coercive steps against journalists Abhishek Updhyay and Mamta Tripathi for four more weeks.

The bench said, in the meanwhile, the journalists can avail legal remedies for seeking quashing of the FIRs lodged against them at several places in Uttar Pradesh.

Upadhyay had published an Article on "caste dynamics of the general administration" and identified people of a particular caste who were deployed in responsible positions in Uttar Pradesh.

Several FIRs were lodged against Tripathi in relation to certain posts by her. 

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice regarding a petition challenging the election of AAP leader Atishi from the Kalkaji constituency in the recent Assembly elections, alleging her involvement in corrupt practices.

Atishi defeated the BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 3,521 votes.

According to the petition, Atishi is accused of engaging in the corrupt practice of "bribery" as defined under Section 123(1)(A) of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

The bench of Justice Jyoti Singh, after noting the submission, sought responses from Atishi, the Returning Officer, the Election Commission of India (ECI), and the Delhi Police in the matter. 

Kerala Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan has spoken out against the colour and gender bias she has faced and how it still persists in society, sparking off a discussion on social media about the issue and support pouring in for her from various quarters.

In a Facebook post, Muraleedharan refers to how, since she was a child, she felt like a lesser person for being dark-skinned, till her children helped her see that black was "beautiful".

Muraleedharan, who succeeded her husband, Dr V Venu, for the post of Kerala chief secretary, said that recently her stewardship as chief secretary was compared with that of her husband's by someone who commented that -- "it is as black as my husband’s was white".

Hurt by the comment, Muraleedharan had put up a Facebook post about it but later deleted it because she was "flustered by the flurry of responses".

"I am reposting it because certain well-wishers said that there were things that needed to be discussed. I agree. So here goes, once again," she said in her post, which garnered over 1,000 reactions and has been commented upon and shared hundreds of times. 

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly Atishi wrote to Speaker Vijender Gupta on Wednesday and requested that the next three days be devoted solely to discussing the Budget.

"The Annual Budget Estimate 2025-26 was laid down before the Delhi Assembly yesterday by the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Mrs. Rekha Gupta. Being an experienced legislator and even more experienced public representative, you are well aware that the annual Budget Estimate is most important document to be laid down before any Assembly. After it is laid down, it is followed by several days of discussion.

The rupee depreciated by 6 paise, reaching 85.78 against the US dollar during early trading on Wednesday. This decline was driven by a negative trend in domestic equities and the strengthening of the US dollar in global markets.  

According to forex dealers, the rupee came under pressure due to liquidity constraints, apprehensions surrounding reciprocal tariff measures, and increased month-end demand for dollars from importers.  

However, the decline was cushioned by foreign fund inflows, which provided support to the rupee at lower levels.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao sharply criticized the Congress-led Telangana government for prioritizing beauty pageants over addressing the pressing issue of farmer suicides in the state.  

Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, KTR condemned the allocation of ₹55 crore for events like Miss World, highlighting the struggles of farmers who lack access to drinking and irrigation water. In a statement from his office, he emphasized the irrelevance of such events during a time of distress.  

"When farmers are taking their lives and the state is reeling under crisis, the government is busy organizing beauty contests that hold no significance or necessity," KTR said.

Allahabad HC Bar Association and 14 other Bar Associations to Discuss Judicial Collegium Flaws with Government in National Capital
 

During the Ram Navami Mangla Julus (procession) at Jhanda Chawk in Hazaribagh, tensions flared between two groups, leading to a scuffle and mild stone pelting. The conflict arose when one group played songs during the procession, which the other group objected to. However, the situation was promptly brought under control by the forces deployed at the scene. 
 

Petition Filed Against Nitish Kumar in Bihar Court Over National Anthem Row 

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said the CBI conducted searches at his residence ahead of his scheduled visit to New Delhi for a Congress meeting.

Teams of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday swooped down at the residences of Baghel in Raipur and Bhilai as well as the residential premises of a senior police officer and a close associate of the former CM, officials said.
 

Assam Police has recovered and seized 66,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 20 crore in Assam's Cachar district on Tuesday, police said.
Numal Mahatta, Superintendent of Police of Cachar district said that based on credible intelligence, Cachar District Police launched a special operation against the illegal transportation of narcotic substances at Raj Gobindpur, Baga along the Assam-Mizoram border under the jurisdiction of Dholai Police Station.
  

Earthquake of 4.4 Magnitude Jolts Andaman Sea 

The BJP will organise a demonstration outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Shimla on Thursday against the "mafia raj" and the "deteriorating" law and order in the state.The protest will highlight the growing influence of various mafia and the "mafia rule" established by associates of the Himachal Pradesh government, BJP state chief Rajiv Bindal said on Tuesday. 

The sleuths of Commissioner's Task Force, Central Zone Team and Khairatabad police station staff busted a prostitution racket being operated in a hotel in Lakdikapul, Hyderabad.
The arrest was done under the limits of Khairatabad police station where one brothel organiser, Kartik Das (29 yrs) was apprehended. He did stone fitting by occupation and was a resident of Dari Ajodhya Charminar, West Bengal.