
Parents’ credit score may hit education loan hopes of children
The Madras high court on Thursday ruled that banks may deny education loans to students if the credit history of their parents is bad.
Justice S Vaidyanathan, who was hearing a petition filed by a nursing course aspirant, said in his order, “Rather than running behind defaulters, a loan can better be rejected at the threshold by identifying a person’s credentials. In this case, the bank has rightly done so, as the petitioner’s father has defaulted several loans.”
According to the petitioner, State Bank of India branch in Nagapattinam had rejected an education loan of Rs 3.4 lakh explaining that her father was a loan defaulter. Deepika, in her affidavit said that despite submitting relevant documents, her loan application was rejected.
In its reply, the bank, explaining the grounds for rejection, said the student failed to observe the minimum marks required (60%). Further, the nursing course does not come under the ambit of existing educational loan schemes with the bank, it said. It also noted that her father was a defaulter and there were several suits pending against him. The judge also observed that, “Banks and financial institutions are giving a loan to several persons under various political pressures and ultimately public money is being misappropriated and defaulters flee from the country... Whether the loan amount is small or huge, it needs to be recovered ...”

Jagan Reddy announces cash incentives for unanimous polls to gram panchayats
- As part of the strategy, the Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday issued an order announcing hefty cash incentives to be given to gram panchayats where sarpanches and ward members are elected unanimously without any contest.

PM Modi to address World Economic Forum's Davos Agenda Summit tomorrow

Rajnath Singh speaks to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin
- The defence ministry said Rajnath Singh received an "introductory telephone call" from the newly-appointed US Secretary of Defence Austin and that the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together to strengthen defence cooperation and the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Multimedia exhibition on Netaji at Victoria Memorial

NCP to launch Rashtravadi Parivar Samwad Yatra on Thursday

Rajasthan: 90 urban local bodies to go to polls on Jan 28

India extends restrictions on flights from UK till February 14
- On December 21, India joined a growing list of countries to seal off access to people who have been to the UK, suspending all flights to and from the country between December 23 and December 31 in order to stop the spread of a new strain of the coronavirus.

RJD eyes Bengal, Assam assembly polls, considers pacts with TMC, Congress-AIUDF
- The RJD is looking to contest seven to eight seats in West Bengal and 12 seats in Assam.

Congress stoking unrest due to poor show in polls, says Javadekar
- A day after violence broke out in the Capital when a section of protesting farmers marched to the Red Fort, Javadekar said, the government has already held 10 rounds of talks with the farmers and offered to put in abeyance the farm laws for 18 months, but the Congress does not want a resolution.

Govt extends restrictions on flights between India and UK till Feb 14

Cong sharpens attack on Centre for violence in Delhi. Amit Shah is the target
- The Congress said the violence during the tractor parade in Delhi was a concerted conspiracy, aided and abetted by the government to malign the entire farmers’ movement against the three farm laws

Congress, Rahul Gandhi instigated farmers protest, claims Prakash Javadekar

Congress to field mix of youth and experience for Kerala polls: Rahul Gandhi
- On a two day visit to his constituency, he will kick-start the party’s election campaign in Kerala and meet many local leaders.

Odisha govt fails to file charges, IFS officer, son get bail in corruption case
- The Odisha Vigiance Department which had accused teh IFS officer of amassing disproportionate assets worth ₹9.35 crore had claimed that it was the biggest case of disproportionate assets in its history.
