Despite continual protests by retired defence personnel, the Centre notified its new version of one rank one pension (OROP) for retired soldiers and war widows on Wednesday, reports The Telegraph. This will cost the exchequer Rs 7,500 crore at current rates annually.

OROP, a formula that grants retired defence personnel and war widows the same pension to all personnel of same rank irrespective of the year of their retirement, was announced by the Modi government in November. However, protesters are unhappy with the Centre's provision that the pension will be revised only once every five years.

Just two days before the 12 South Asian Games open in Guwahati, residents of the city are seeing more security than they have ever seen before, reports The Hindu. This is the first time that an international event of such magnitude is being held in the North-East, which has been politically unstable for many years. About 11,600 security personnel are guarding the 12 venues and 86 hotels and guest-houses in Guwahati and Shillong that will host the athletes and officials of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India. Local police and central paramilitary are at the core of the arrangements, while Army and Air Force personnel are on the alert.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has issued "shoot-at-sight" orders at all its airbases under the Western Air Command, reportsThe Indian Express. "In light of the intelligence inputs received post and during Pathankot attacks, all the air force stations within WAC have been on high alert. Thus, there are shoot-at-sight orders in place for trespassers," said an IAF official. The IAF has also asked the government to clear a Rs 8,000 crore security proposal for all its 54 airbases.

The schedule for the upcoming Budget session was announced on 4 February after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Parliamentary Affairs - which is headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The first part of budget session of Parliament to be held between 23 February to 16 March, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu announced after the CCPA meet. The second part of budget session of Parliament to be held from 25 April to 13 May. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present his third budget in a session that will also see the ruling NDA pushing for the Goods and Service Tax Bill. The Union budget will be presented on 29 February while the Rail Budget will be presented on 25 February and the Economic Survey on 26 February.

After a three-day meeting of the RSS in Uttar Pradesh, 2,000 sadhus from the Dharma Jagran Vibhag wing of the Sangh demanded that the BJP declare Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath as their chief ministerial candidate for the assembly elections next year, reports The Telegraph. This is despite the fact that the sadhus had already been informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the centre of the BJP's campaign in UP.

"Akhilesh (Yadav) is a young man. We also need a leader of the younger generation whom we can project as a CM candidate. Adityanath is a perfect candidate," said Swami Chinmayanand, a former union minister.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi have moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Delhi High Court rejecting their plea to quash charges against them in the National Herald case. The Gandhis were granted bail by a Delhi court on 18 December in connection with the National Herald case.

Criminal proceedings are on in the Patiala House Court against the duo based on a case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda also challenged the Delhi HC order

The Bengaluru Police have filed an FIR against some unknown persons in connection with the assault on a 21-year-old Tanzanian student. The student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman.

Tanzania ambassador to India, John WH Kijazi told ANI that the incident reeked of "an element of mob justice and racism". Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara told reporters on Thursday that the woman had not been stripped and paraded naked. Parmeshwara revealed the name of the victim and claimed the police had registered the accident at the time of the incident.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked the Karnataka Government to explain the incident and send the report immediately.

The Karnataka Government today denied that the mob attack on the Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru was a racial incident.

State Home Minister G Parameshwara held a detailed press conference apprising the press about the steps being taken by the state government to ensure justice in the case.

He said that five people have been arrested in relation to the case and more people would be arrested soon. However, he made it clear that it was only a case of assault not of molestation. The victim had claimed that she was stripped by the mob. While condemning the attack he added that had the Sudanese man not killed someone in the accident maybe this incident wouldn't have happened.

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in connection with the Adarsh Housing Society corruption case.

CBI had approached the Governor last month to seek permission after it reportedly got 'fresh evidence' against Chavan in the case. Chavan has been booked under section 197 of Criminal Procedure Code for offences under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code.

The senior Congress leader was amongst the 12 who were charge-sheeted by the investigation agency. The CBI allege that Chavan approved additional floor space in Adarsh in exchange for flats for his relatives in the high rise apartment. The society, which is meant for war veterans, is located in Colaba. Chavan was forced to quit his post after the scam surfaced.