NEWS,

• Supreme Court to pronounce its verdict in a Disproportionate Assets case involving AIADMK leader VK Sasikala today; Ruling may decide her political future; security stepped up across Tamil Nadu.

• Elaborate arrangements for polling tomorrow for assembly elections in Uttarakhand and second phase in Uttar Pradesh; Election Commission bars publishing of advertisement without prior approval till tomorrow.

• Countdown begins for the launch of  ISRO's PSLV C-37 carrying a record 104 satellites.

• UN Security Council unanimously condemns North Korea's recent ballistic missile launch; threatens further action against Pyongyang.

• Evacuation of nearly two lakh people ordered in California state due to a breach in US's tallest Oroville dam.

• Maiden International Table Tennis Federation World Tour event in India to kick of in New Delhi.

<><><> 

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict in a 21-year-old Disproportionate Assets case involving AIADMK leader VK Sasikala today. Cause list of the apex court has listed the matter for pronouncing the verdict at 10:30 AM. A bench of justices PC Ghose and AK Roy will pronounce the verdict in the case in which former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is also an accused. Karnataka High Court had overturned a trial court’s verdict and exonerated both Jayalalithaa and Sasikala in the case in May, 2015. Karnataka government challenged the High Court verdict in the Supreme Court.

If convicted, Sasikala will be barred from contesting polls for six years. She will be ineligible to be the Chief Minister as the Constitution mandates election to the assembly within six months of assuming office.

Sasikala, a long-time aide of Jayalalithaa, is locked in a bitter power struggle with acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam over government formation in Tamil Nadu. Sasikala was elected as the AIADMK’s legislature party leader last week, paving the way for her to become the Chief Minister. Panneerselvam, however, revolted against Sasikala saying he was forced to resign.

In a related development, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has advised Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao to hold a composite floor test in the Assembly to ascertain the strength of the two claimants to the throne.

We have a report from our correspondent:

"In the ongoing political power struggle within the ruling AIADMK, an MLA SS SAravanan representing Madurai South seat defected to O.Panneerselvam camp last evening. He said he managed to escape from the Kuvathur resort in disguise. The development came hours after the pubic prosecutor told Madras High Court during a hearing on a batch of habeus corpus petitions that 119 MLAs are staying in the resort voluntarily. Ms VK Sasikala is also staying with the MLAs in Kuvathur resort since last evening. Amidst the volatile political situation in Tamil Nadu, the police have stepped up security in sensitive places across the state. Combing operations were held in lodges and marriage halls to prevent any suspicious congregation of people. JAYASINGH, AIR NEWS, CHENNAI."

<><><> 

The Election Commission has barred political parties and candidates in Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Assembly polls from publishing advertisement in newspapers  today and tomorrow without its prior approval. The Commission has asked them to get the advertisements pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels before their publication. The poll body said the decision has been taken in view of past instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature in print media on such occasions which vitiate the elections.

Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made for free and fair  polling tomorrow for the assembly elections in Uttarakhand and second phase in Uttar Pradesh. In Uttrakhand, our correspondent reports, one lakh 35 thousand 193 youth will exercise their franchise for the first time in the State.

"The highest number of youth exercising their votes is from Rudrapur, whereas the lowest number of youth is from Vikas Nagar assembly seat. A total number of 82 thousand 732 male voters and 52 thousand 461 female voters in the age-group of 18 to 19 years are eligible to cast their votes this time for all assembly seats in Uttarakhand. Besides, 10 lakh 54 thousand 662 voters in the age group over 60 years will also participate in the election.  SANJEEV SUNDRIYAL, AIR NEWS, DEHRADUN."

Now, the election to the karnpryaag seat which fell vacant following the death of a BSP candidate will be held on March 9th.

In Uttar Pradesh, nearly 2.28 crore voters will excercise their franchise to elect 67 members of the Assembly in 11 districts in this phase. The  political fate of several bigwigs including Cabinet Minister Mohammad Azam Khan from Rampur, Former Minister Jitin Prasad from Tilhar,BJP legislature party leader Suresh  Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur  and  Minister Mahbool Ali from Amroha will be decided in the poll.   

As many as 618 candidates have been left in the fray for 52 assembly seats after the last date of withdrawal of nominations for the fifth phase ended yesterday. Polling for the fifth phase will be held on the 27th of this month.

<><><> 

The 28-hour countdown for ISRO's historic launch of PSLV C-37 carrying 104 satellites began from 5:28 this morning. The rocket carrying India's principal payload Cartosat-2 Series and 103 other satellite will lift off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta at 9.28 AM tomorrow. Our correspondent reports that this is considered to be the world's highest number of satellites to be inserted into space in a single launch.

"This will be the first time that more than hundred satellites are to be inserted into space in a single launch by ISRO. PSLV. C 37 will carry Cartosat - 2 series satellite and two more nano satellites weighing below ten kilogram in satellites from other countries, the maximum are from  96 from the United States and one each from Israel, Kazhaksthan, the Nederland, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.  Through this mission, India will be second to none in the world beating all records.  Cartosat-2 series satellite will have a high resolution camera to monitor the border.  JOY, AIR NEWS, CHENNAI."

<><><> 

The 11th International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition - Aero-India 2017 will begin today at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru. The five-day biennial event is being organized by Defence Exhibition Organisation. Nearly 270 Indian and 279 foreign companies will take part in the expo. Fighter aircraft manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, SAAB, Dassault Aviation, BAE and others are setting up stalls where they will showcase their products. 

<><><> 

The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch and threatened to take further significant measures against Pyongyang. The Council members including China, Pyongyang's main ally, agreed on a US-drafted statement describing the test-firing of the missile as a grave violation of  UN resolutions. United States, Japan and South Korea yesterday requested the urgent meeting after North Korea announced it had successfully tested a new missile on Sunday, the first launch since US President Donald Trump took office.

At a Washington news conference just hours before the council meeting, Trump described North Korea as a big, big problem.

<><><> 

US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau have pledged to work together to defeat the Islamic State terror group after their first face-to-face meeting. After a White House meeting between Trump and Trudeau, a joint statement said that the two countries are harnessing all elements of national power to achieve the goal of degrading and destroying the IS through military operations to deny it safe havens and to build the capacity of local partners.

<><><> 

In United States, at least 2 lakh people have been evacuated from several Northern California counties after damage to a spillway at the Oroville Dam. The dam, which is Americas tallest, remains intact but the emergency spillway, which guards against the overflow of the dam when water levels are high, was eroding. The damage in the spillway prompted a mandatory evacuation for cities and counties near Lake Oroville. Residents of Yuba County have also been asked to evacuate. This county hosts an estimated population of 13 percent of Punjabi-Americans and houses several gurudwaras.

<><><> 

In Taiwan, 32 bus passengers were killed in a road accident, when their bus veered off the motorway in the capital Taipei yesterday. Police are investigating of the vehicle was speeding at that time. The National Fire Agency said 12 passengers are still being treated in the hospital.

<><><> 

BACK HOME,

In Jammu and Kashmir, an encounter between terrorists and security forces broke out in Bandipora district today. Firing was going on when reports last came in. Security forces launched a cordon and a search operation in Parray Mohalla in Hajin area of the district this morning following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. According to the police, while the forces were conducting the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired upon them, triggering an encounter.

<><><> 

On violation of Election Commission's model code of conduct implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Jagran.com's Editor Shekhar Tripathi was arrested this morning. On EC's direction a case was registered yesterday against Shekhar Tripathi including Managing Editor of newspaper Dainik Jagran and organisation Resource Development International (RDI) for violation of Model Code of conduct. The EC said, the newspaper has published result of exit polls conducted by RDI on the first phase of elections in the state, through their website. The Commission said the conduct and publication of exit polls amount to offence under Representation of Peoples Act as well as offence under Indian Penal Code. The offence also amounts to disobedience to Order duly promulgated by the Commission.   

<><><> 

In Himachal Pradesh, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has started providing free Internet facility in Panchayats. State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anil Sharma inaugurated a hotspot system of this service in Mandi town yesterday. Our correspondent reports that the facility will be provided in a phased manner to other Panchayats.

"Mandi is the first district in the state to get Internet facility in Panchayats and nearly four hundred Panchayats would be provided dongles for this purpose. The people can use the free Internet provided on any working day. This step would help in digitalization of the Panchayats. Besides this the services like E-Family Register, Digital Payment and other facilities can also be accessed easily. Later on the other Panchayats of the state would also be given Internet facility. Shishu Sharma Shantal, AIR News, Shimla.

<><><> 

The first ever ITTF World Tour event in India will begin today at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. The 1.5 lakh US dollar India Open also happens to be the biggest ever ITTF event in terms of prize money. As many as 80 players have confirmed their participation.

<><><> 

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

• "Sasi's CM hopes rest on Supreme Court ruling in assets case today " is the Times of India headline.The AIADMK chief's prospects of becoming Chief minister hang in balance as she will be either acquitted or convicted today, says the report.
• The Economic Times reports that Kolkatta tops the list of most companies registered at one address, fuelling fears of shady deals. "For launderers, Kolkatta, indeed the city of joy" it headlines.
• In a first of its kind , an Indian Company, Anil Ambani's "Reliance  Defence and Engineering" has  inked major contract with US Navy to provide Repair and Service of its ships reports the Hindu on the front page.
• There's a rape every 4 hours in Delhi is the chilling Headline in Hindustan Times. Delhi Police reveals that 3 out of 4 cases registered in 2016 remained unsolved, it says.
• "Supreme Court cancels admission of 268 MBBS students for cheating" is a Pioneer headline.This is with reference to the VYAPAM scam involving illegal means adopted through bribes also in the MBBS exam  between 2008 to 2013.
• For delaying approval to development projects, the Environment Minister has ordered  an overhaul of the portfolios of its scientists, reports  The Indian Express.
• Most Newspapers have reported the Leading Tabla exponent SANDEEP DAS lapping up the solo Grammy Awards trophy in the World Music Category. The Indian Express quotes Sandeep Das, still  an Indian Citizen saying "The west not only values merit and talent , it also treats its artists better.
• Another Indian does us proud, A wild life photogragh NAMAN KHANOLKER'S image of walking leopard found second place in Nature category in the prestigious World Press Photo contest 2017, reports the DNA.
• And finally, The Hindustan Times carries a picture of Varanasi's green women warriors. Dressed in  green sarees these police mitras who are generally illiterate have been working together to contain evils like alcohol abuse and gambling by men.