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Daily cases of Covid-19 in India continued to stay below the numbers reported last week, with Thursday’s count falling to 2.5 lakh, the lowest in 10 days, as testing dropped due to the Republic Day holiday. However, deaths remained high with the country recording 478 fatalities on Thursday and several states reporting their highest single-day tolls in the third wave.

India logged 2,50,354 fresh cases, with data from one state awaited, down from 2,87,198 on the previous day, as per media's database. Testing dropped from 17.7 lakh on Tuesday to 14.6 lakh on account of the R-Day holiday. As a result, test positivity rate pushed up to 17% from 16.22% on the preceding day.

Five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, 94, whose candidature was announced by SAD president Aukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday, will be the oldest contestant in any election in the country. Earlier, this record was held by former Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan who had contested assembly election in 2016 at the age of 92 years.

For the last over five decades, SAD patron Badal had been an integral part of the party’s election campaign and a source of strength for it. Such is his charisma that even at 94 years of age, SAD feels the need for his presence in the electoral fight. He was reluctant earlier but agreed to contest to restore the party’s prestige.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host the first India-Central Asia Summit on Thursday (January 27, 2022) in a virtual format. During the Summit, the leaders are expected to deliberate on steps to take forward relations to newer heights as well as the evolving regional security situation.

The India-Central Asia Summit is going to witness the participation of the five presidents -- Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyz Republic.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this summit will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders. The summit is symbolic of the importance attached by the leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Choudhary on Wednesday rebuffed the BJP’s offer to join hands with it ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections. Taking to social media, Choudhary lambasted the BJP over the deaths of farmers agitating against the now-repealed farm laws. “Don’t send the invitation to me, send it to the families of those 700 farmers whose homes you’ve destroyed,” Choudhary tweeted in Hindi.

The RLD national president’s rebuff came after BJP leaders such as Sangeet Som, Sanjeev Balyan and Parvesh Verma extended an open invitation to him to join the saffron camp. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who met Jat leaders from Western UP at Verma’s house, also said that the RLD chief had “chosen a wrong home (alliance) this time, but doors are open for him still”, referring to the party’s alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP).

The railway ministry on Wednesday cancelled the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and the Level 1 exams after job aspirants in Bihar, Jharkhand and some parts of Uttar Pradesh staged massive protests and burnt four bogies of an empty train.

The ministry also set up a high-power committee to address the issues raised by job applicants over the result of the (first stage) computer-based test (CBT), held last year.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav said the committee will submit its report before March 4. “The committee will give recommendations on results and methodology used for short-listing candidates for second stage CBT without affecting shortlisted candidates,” he said.