Morning Brief: TN Celebrates SC Verdict; New Fund For Defence Startups; Kim Jong-Un’s Brother Assassinated

Tamil Nadu Celebrates: The Supreme Court yesterday convicted V.K. Sasikala in a 20-year old Disproportionate Assets case in which former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was also an accused. This has effectively ended Sasikala's political ambition to become the state's CM. She has no sound legal options left now and instead of Poes Garden bungalow, she will have to spend her next four years in Bengaluru's prison as a petty criminal.

Sasikala said no one can separate her from AIADMK. She meant 'power' which she intends to assert through her proxy, Edappadi K Palanisamy who was elected leader of the legislature party by the captive MLAs still lodged inside the Golden bay resort. Palanisamy met the Governor and staked claim to form the next government but the latter is yet to take a call on how to go about the floor test.

WPI Pips CPI: While the annual consumer price inflation eased to 3.17 per cent in January, its lowest level in at least five years, helped by a sharp cooling in food prices, the wholesale price inflation shot upto 5.25 per cent thanks to rising fuel prices. When WPI was low compared to CPI, many had recommended to take the former as an anchor to set interest rates as they wanted lower rates. Would they recommend the same? Guess not. Nonetheless most of our economic indicators are out of date or faulty. Here's why.

For the defence of the realm: To encourage startups in the defence arena, the centre has decided to set up an innovation fund for defence aerospace with an initial contribution from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). "The fund will support innovation and technology development in identifying areas and will be open to both Indian and foreign firms," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed.

Analyse, not demonise: Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar has said that US President Donald Trump, who is under attack from the establishment over his policies, should not be “demonised”. He rather recommended that he should be analysed. "He represents a thought process. It’s not a momentary expression," Jaishankar said.

Rogue regimes and their rogue acts: The Malaysian police islooking for two women assassins of a man who was found dead in the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur airport. He apparently died from poisoned-needle punctures or a toxic liquid splashed on his face by the two women. The victim was none other than Kim Jong-nam, the estranged older half brother of Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader known for bumping off his enemies.

Neighbour criteria faulty: The Delhi high court has decided to stay the AAP government's nursery admission notification with neighbourhood as the sole criteria. The court said that such restrictions put the right of parents and their children to apply to a school of their choice in jeopardy. Delhi government had argued that its notification adhered to the Right to Education Act but the court noted that according to Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE act, the neighbourhood criteria can only be applied to 25 per cent seats and that too for the weaker sections. For the remaining 75 per cent seats, schools are free to fill up seats with children living within or outside its neighbourhood.

Big Relief to heart patients: In a move that will benefit cardiac patients across India, the government has decided put a ceiling on the prices of coronary stents -- small metal mesh tubes used to open up narrowed or blocked arteries. The price of bare metal stents has been capped at Rs 7,620 per unit, and that of drug-eluting stents and biodegradable stents has been fixed at Rs 29,600 per unit.

Drug-eluting stents currently cost anywhere from Rs 30,000 to Rs 80,000. Dissolvable stents cost as much as Rs 2-3 lakh. And a bare metal stent costs in the range of Rs 7,000 to Rs 20,000. The reduced prices will come into effect immediately.

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We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!