The Delhi government’s Women and Child Development and Health departments on Wednesday issued public notices clarifying that they are not associated with the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) proposed initiatives to provide Rs 2,100 to women and offer free healthcare for senior citizens. This announcement has sparked controversy ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The notices warned the public against sharing personal information under the pretense of registering for “non-existent” schemes, emphasizing that any individual or political party collecting such information is acting fraudulently and without proper authorization.

This announcement followed a recent registration campaign led by AAP leaders for the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana, which has left AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal angry.

Kejriwal accused the BJP of being unsettled by these programs, suggesting that Chief Minister Atishi might be targeted with a “fake” legal case in the near future. “They are completely rattled by the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana. They have devised a scheme to fabricate a case against Chief Minister Atishi and arrest her soon,” he asserted on X, alleging that raids would also be conducted against senior AAP officials prior to Atishi’s potential arrest.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj claimed on Tuesday that she had spoken with the health secretary of the Delhi government, who confirmed that no Sanjeevani Yojna currently exists.

Both schemes were announced by Kejriwal in advance of the Assembly polls scheduled for February next year, with AAP actively promoting the registration process. Party leaders are optimistic that these initiatives will attract voters, as similar programs have reportedly helped ruling parties maintain power in various state elections.

The notice from the Department of Women and Child Development stated: “Media reports and social media posts have brought to our attention that a political party is claiming to provide Rs 2,100 per month under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana to women in Delhi. It is clarified that no such scheme has been officially announced by the Government of Delhi.”

The department indicated that should the scheme be initiated, a digital portal would be created for eligible individuals to apply online according to established guidelines. The notice further stated that since no such scheme exists, there is no basis for any physical registration forms.

It also cautioned the public that sharing personal information—such as PAN account numbers, phone numbers, or Voter IDs—in connection with this non-existent scheme could expose them to various crimes, including cyber and banking fraud. Individuals were advised to disregard any misleading claims about the scheme and to be vigilant about sharing personal details.

The Mahila Samman Yojna was proposed in the AAP’s budget for 2024-25 to grant Rs 1,000 per month to eligible women over the age of 18 in Delhi. Kejriwal has recently pledged to increase this amount to Rs 2,100 if AAP is re-elected.

The Health and Family Department also issued a notice warning about the purported Sanjeevani Yojna, which was meant to provide free medical treatment for senior citizens over 60 at both government and private hospitals. The notice revealed that some political volunteers had begun a door-to-door campaign to collect information from elderly residents for this scheme, providing them with documents described as “Health/Sanjeevani Scheme Cards.”

The notice indicated that these volunteers were requesting personal details such as phone numbers, addresses, Aadhar numbers, and bank account information. Many elderly citizens had begun inquiring about the scheme at government hospitals and offices.

The Health and Family Department reiterated that there is currently no recognized “Sanjeevani Yojna” and emphasised that no individuals or political parties have been authorized to gather personal information from seniors on behalf of this scheme.

In a shocking incident, a man from Delhi was arrested on Sunday for stabbing a girl multiple times with a knife in the Mukherjee Nagar area in broad daylight. The incident was captured on CCTV and has been shared widely on the internet.

According to reports, the incident took place on March 22. The passers-by intervened and tried to stop and catch the accused. Although, the girl did not suffer grievous injuries in this attack and is out of danger.

The police have identified the accused as Aman. In the CCTV footage, the 22-year-old could be seen stabbing the girl with the knife several times.

It has been known that students in Mukherjee Nagar used to make fun of the accused, Aman, and call him mentally ill as he used to keep roaming in the area, without doing anything.

The woman he targeted would visit Mukherjee Nagar to study in a library. In the surveillance video, the man can be observed sprinting towards the woman, forcefully knocking her down, and subsequently striking her several times.

The man who is under arrest told the police that she ridiculed him, causing him to take a knife from a nearby vegetable vendor and launch an attack on her in a fit of rage.

Last year in April, another incident was reported from Northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar where a man killed his live-in partner and dumped her body 12 lm away from a house with the help of his sister.

Police, later, found the body of Rohina Naz alias Mahi, a resident of Uttarakhand’s Mirajpur, lying near Krishna Public School. The police arrested the sister of the accused in this case.

According to the police, the accused, identified as Vineet, was on the run while his sister Parul was arrested for helping him conspire the murder and hide the body.

The 25-year-old Mahi and Vineet eloped four years ago the date of the crime and were living together in Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey had said that Mahi was pressuring him for marriage and because of this, the couple used to fight frequently.

Delhi Metro services will begin at 2:30 pm from terminal stations on all lines on the occasion of Holi, March 25, and will continue normally thereafter.

The Delhi Metro on X, said that the metro train services to start at 2:30 pm on the day of the Holi festival, March 25 (Monday), adding that it said metro services will not be available till 2:30 pm on all Lines of the Delhi Metro including Rapid Metro/Airport Express Line.

Earlier on March 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of two additional corridors of Delhi Metro’s Phase 4 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday. The cost of these 2 corridors of the Delhi Metro Phase 4 project is Rs 8,399 crore. These 2 lines will be 20.762 km long. The construction of these projects is slated for completion by March 2026.

During the press release, the government said that the Inderlok- Indraprastha corridor will be an extension of the Green Line and will provide interchange with the Blue, Violet, Magenta and Airport Line, Yellow and Red lines, while the Lajpat Nagar- Saket G Block corridor will connect Violet, Pink, Magenta and Silver lines.

Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar- Saket G Block corridor will be entirely elevated and have 8 stations, as per the reports. The Inderlok- Indraprastha corridor will have 10 stations. The Prime Minister also interacted with beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme. He distributed loans under the scheme to 1 lakh street vendors (SVs) including 5000 SVs from Delhi.

According to official records, till now up to Rs 82 lakh loans which amount to Rs 10, 978 crore have been disbursed to more than 62 lakh street vendors all over India. Speaking to the media at the event earlier, the Prime Minister said that the program PM SVANidhi Mahotsav was dedicated to those who are always around us and without whom one cannot imagine our lives.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise, asserting in the Lok Sabha that southern states will not lose representation but instead see an increase in their number of seats.

His remarks came during a heated debate linked to the implementation of women’s reservation, where opposition parties have raised fears that population-based delimitation could reduce the political weight of southern states.

Shah rejected these claims, calling them misleading, and said the proposed framework ensures fairness while expanding the overall strength of the Lok Sabha.

Seat count to rise with expansion of Lok Sabha

The government has indicated that the total number of Lok Sabha seats could increase significantly as part of the delimitation process. In this expanded House, the combined representation of southern states is expected to rise from 129 seats at present to around 195 seats.

Shah emphasised that no state will lose seats in absolute terms, and the exercise is designed to reflect population changes while maintaining balance across regions.

State-wise projections shared in Parliament

During his address, Shah also provided indicative figures for individual southern states, suggesting notable increases in representation. According to the projections:

• Tamil Nadu could see its seats rise substantially
• Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are also expected to gain additional seats
• Karnataka’s representation may increase as well

These figures were presented to counter the argument that delimitation would disproportionately favour northern states.

Political debate intensifies over linkage with women’s quota

The delimitation exercise has been closely linked to the rollout of women’s reservation, which proposes one-third seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

Opposition leaders have questioned this linkage, arguing that tying reservation to delimitation could delay its implementation and raise federal concerns. Some leaders have also warned that the move could impact national unity if apprehensions among states are not addressed.

The government, however, maintains that the reforms are necessary to ensure equitable representation and to align the electoral system with demographic realities.

Centre dismisses ‘false narrative’ on southern states

Shah reiterated that concerns about southern states losing influence are unfounded. He said the delimitation process will increase representation across regions and described the criticism as a “false narrative” aimed at creating confusion.

The issue is expected to remain a key flashpoint as Parliament continues discussions on the women’s reservation framework and related legislative changes.

A temporary halt in hostilities between Israel and Lebanon is expected to begin within hours after US President Donald Trump announced a proposed 10-day ceasefire between the two sides, amid ongoing tensions in the region.

According to his statement, the ceasefire is likely to take effect around 5 p.m. Eastern Time, although independent confirmation from both sides is still awaited.

The development follows discussions involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, with mediation efforts led by the United States.

Officials indicated that the proposed truce is aimed at creating a limited window to reduce violence and potentially pave the way for broader diplomatic engagement. The situation along the Israel-Lebanon border has remained tense in recent weeks, with escalation linked to the activities of Hezbollah.

Diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent days, with discussions facilitated by the United States, including the involvement of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, details of the agreement and the extent of coordination between the parties remain unclear.

The situation remains fluid, and the success of the ceasefire will depend on adherence by all sides involved. The conflict has already led to significant humanitarian and geopolitical consequences, including displacement and disruption in affected areas.

While the proposed ceasefire is being seen as an important step toward de-escalation, broader negotiations involving regional stakeholders are expected to be necessary for any lasting resolution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that there will be no discrimination in the implementation of women’s reservation, as Parliament witnessed a sharp debate over the proposed linkage between the quota and delimitation exercise.

During the ongoing special session, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair representation while addressing concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the timing and structure of the legislation.

The proposed framework aims to reserve 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, its implementation is tied to a fresh delimitation exercise, which is expected after the next census.

Opposition questions timing and intent

Opposition leaders have raised concerns that linking the women’s quota to delimitation could delay its implementation. They argue that the process of redrawing constituencies may push the actual rollout further into the future.

The issue has triggered a broader political confrontation, with multiple parties questioning whether the move could alter representation across states.

Some critics have also alleged that the delimitation exercise could disproportionately benefit certain regions based on population, a charge the government has rejected.

Government reiterates commitment to fair implementation

Responding to these concerns, the Centre has maintained that the reforms are necessary to ensure accurate and updated representation based on population data.

Leaders from the ruling side have repeatedly emphasized that the process will be carried out transparently and without bias. The assurance that there will be “no discrimination” is aimed at addressing fears among states and opposition parties.

The debate marks a key moment in Parliament, with both sides engaging in intense exchanges over one of the most significant electoral reforms in recent years.