Highlights: Encounter breaks out in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama

An encounter has broken out at the Chewaklan area of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. “Police and security forces are on the job,” ANI reported citing the police. Further details are awaited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence in Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The visit comes a day after BJP's thumping victory in four states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Read more.

Delhi logs 174 fresh Covid-19 cases and zero deaths in the last 24 hours. A total of 251 fresh recoveries were reported, taking the active case count of the national capital to 860.

AAP's Punjav chief minsister-designate Bhagwant Mann has been elected as the leader of the party's legislature party

TMC leader Mahesh S Amonkar, who contested Goa assembly polls from Margao constituency, resigns from the party alleging “lack of support and negligence” from the designated AITC and I-PAC team during the elections.

Senior Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Kapil Sibal arrive at the residence of party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. They are part of G-23 leaders, and their meeting comes after the party's poor show in 2022 assembly election results.

India on Thursday ordered a high-level court of inquiry into the accidental firing of missile that took place on March 9 at area in Pakistan. Read more.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will address an important digital press conference shortly.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath reaches Raj Bhawan in Lucknow to meet governor Anandiben Patel. His party BJP registered a thumping victory yesterday in the assembly elections, with Adityanath winning by a margin of over 1 lakh from Gorakhpur (Urban) in what was his first contest.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday announced that it is stopping Paytm Payments Bank from onboarding new customers, ANI reported.

SP leader and BJP turncoat Swami Prasad Maurya's daughter Sanghamitra Maurya, who remains in the saffron camp, said on Thursday that whoever has “people's mandate is the king”. “Possible that my father, other leaders didn't live up to people's expectations...I never campaigned for my father, show me proof if I did,” she told ANI on her father's defeat in UP assembly elections 2022.

AAP's chief minister-designate Bhagwant Mann to take oath on March 16, ANI reported. He has invited party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the swearing-in ceremony. Mann will also hold a roadshow in Amritsar on March 13 with Kejriwal.

One pilot has died and another injured in Army chopper crash that happened in Kashmir earlier in the day, ANI reports citing an official. The incident occurred in the Baraum area of Gurez sector of J&K.

TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that if Congress wants, all opposition parties can fight fight the 202 Lok Sabha elections together against the BJP. “Don't be aggressive for now, be positive. This winning (assembly polls in four states) will be a big loss for BJP. This (2022 election results will decide fate of 2024 polls) is impractical,” she was quoted as saying by ANI.

Term-II examinations for CBSE for classes 10 and 12 will take place starting April 26.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Punjab chief minister-designation Bhagwant Mann meets party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the latter's residence in the national capital. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is also present. Kejriwal and Sisodia are all smiles as they hug Mann following AAP's sweeping victory in Punjab.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that his party accepts the “people's verdict” after Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made a clean sweep in the Punjab assembly polls. “We'll hold a meeting to introspect the results. We'll support Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

SAD, one of the former regimes in the border state, produced its worst-ever show on Thursday after winning only three seats in the Punjab assembly.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance post, announced in the state budget on Friday that Lata Mangeshkar Music Institute will be set up in memory of the late singer at Kalina in Mumbai. An amount of ₹100 crore has been earmarked for the same.

An Indian Army Cheetah helicopter has crashed in the Baraum area of Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The search parties of the security forces are reaching the snow-bound area for the rescue of the chopper crew, news agency ANI reported quoting defence officials.

On delay in Delhi civic body polls, Arvind Kejriwal lashes out at BJP - 'Can't put pressure on Election commission'

The Centre has appointed Justice Vipin Sanghi, senior-most Judge of Delhi HC, to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court from March 13 after the retirement of Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel.

SC agrees to hear plea seeking cancellation of bail to Union minister's son Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri case

Supreme Court seeks government response on law to make pharma firms liable for giving freebies to doctors

Mayawati, whose party won 1 seat in UP , says election results are a lesson and BSP not BJP's team B. “UP election results are opposed to BSP's expectations. We should not be discouraged by it. Instead we should learn form it, introspect and carry forward our party movement, and come back to power,” BSP chief Mayawati was quoted as saying by ANI.