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.

Delhi woke up to hazardous air conditions on Tuesday as dense smog covered large parts of the national capital, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘severe’ category across several locations. Poor visibility and rising health concerns marked yet another spell of extreme pollution in the city.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the overall AQI in Delhi touching 413 in the morning, placing it firmly in the ‘severe’ bracket. Several areas across the National Capital Region (NCR) reported alarming pollution levels, indicating a widespread deterioration in air quality.

Pollution hotspots report hazardous readings

Some of Delhi’s major pollution hotspots recorded extremely high AQI levels. Anand Vihar topped the list with an AQI of 466, followed by Ashok Vihar at 444 and Chandni Chowk at 425. These areas remained in the ‘severe’ category, posing serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.

Even central parts of the city were not spared. India Gate, Kartavya Path and the Rashtrapati Bhavan area were shrouded in toxic smog, with AQI levels around 384, categorised as ‘very poor’.

GRAP stage-IV measures enforced across Delhi-NCR

In response to the worsening situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced all actions under GRAP Stage-IV across Delhi-NCR. As part of these emergency measures, truck-mounted water sprinklers were deployed to suppress dust and reduce particulate matter in the air.

As per AQI standards, readings between 401 and 500 fall under the ‘severe’ category, while levels above 300 are considered ‘very poor’, highlighting the seriousness of the current conditions.

Delhi government reviews pollution control steps

The Delhi government has reiterated its commitment to tackling rising pollution levels with strict enforcement measures. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that a zero-tolerance policy will be followed against all sources contributing to air pollution in the capital.

A high-level review meeting was held at the Delhi Secretariat to assess existing measures and take further decisions. The meeting focused on enforcing Pollution Under Control (PUC) norms without any relaxation, exploring pooled and shared electric bus services across Delhi-NCR, issuing fresh guidelines for e-rickshaws, and rationalising Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus routes.

Senior officials from the Environment and Transport Departments, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Traffic Police, along with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, attended the meeting to finalise immediate and long-term steps to address the pollution crisis.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has said that India’s institutional framework is facing a serious challenge and has been used to favour the ruling BJP. Speaking during an interaction at the Hertie School in Berlin, Gandhi questioned the functioning of key institutions and the electoral machinery, remarks that triggered a sharp political response from the BJP.

Gandhi said the Congress believes there is a problem with the electoral system and alleged that several institutions have been captured. Referring to investigative agencies, he claimed that bodies such as the CBI and the ED have been used as political tools. According to him, cases filed by these agencies overwhelmingly target those opposing the BJP, while leaders from the ruling party face none.

He also pointed to what he described as a stark financial imbalance between the BJP and the opposition, claiming a funding ratio of 30:1. Gandhi said this disparity reflects how institutions are being used to consolidate political power.

Opposition strategy and INDIA alliance

The Congress leader said merely pointing out problems in elections is not enough and stressed the need for the opposition to build a system of resistance that can effectively counter the ruling party. He added that the challenge now goes beyond electoral contests and is about presenting an alternative vision for the country.

On the INDIA alliance, Gandhi said the unity among opposition parties is rooted in their rejection of the ideological position of the RSS. While acknowledging that tactical contests between alliance partners will continue, he said they remain united when it comes to opposing laws they disagree with and working together in Parliament.

BJP hits back at remarks abroad

Gandhi’s comments delivered overseas drew a strong reaction from the BJP. Party president and Union minister JP Nadda accused him of speaking against India while Parliament is in session and claimed that he was undermining the country’s image at a time when the Prime Minister is receiving global recognition.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also criticised Gandhi, alleging that he routinely travels abroad to defame India. He accused the Congress leader of making misleading claims about the country’s institutions and economic activity while praising China.

Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi, has been entrusted with the additional charge of the post of Chairman, AICTE till the appointment of a Chairman of AICTE or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

It is noteworthy that AICTE Chairman Prof. TG Sitharam was relieved of his duties after his term ended on December 20, 2025. According to a letter issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, on Monday, Prof. Yogesh Singh’s appointment is until the appointment of a regular AICTE Chairman or until further orders whichever is earlier.

Prof. Yogesh Singh is a renowned academician with excellent administrative capabilities, who has been the Vice-Chancellor of University of Delhi since October 2021. He has also served as the Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education. In August 2023, he was also given the additional charge of Director of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

Prof. Yogesh Singh served as the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Technological University from 2015 to 2021; Director of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Delhi from 2014 to 2017, and before that, he was the Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda (Gujarat) from 2011 to 2014. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. He has a distinguished track record in quality teaching, innovation, and research in the field of software engineering.