Top 10 News @ 9 AM

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Gusoo village of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning. According to police, an army soldier was martyred in the gunbattle and a terrorist was eliminated by the forces. Meanwhile, the HRD Ministry has said that the final-year examinations in universities will have to be conducted by September-end. This and more, read top national stories at a glance.

1. Army Jawan martyred, terrorist killed in Pulwama encounter

An Army soldier was martyred and one terrorist were killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Gusoo village of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning, Kashmir Zone police said. According to a police official, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Goosu village of Pulwama following information about presence of terrorists there.

2. Charred body of minor girl found in Tamil Nadu's Trichy

Burnt body of a minor girl was found in Tamil Nadu's Trichy district on Monday. The 14-year-old girl had left home in the afternoon but did not return. Her charred body was recovered near the Bhuvaneswari Sami Mill.

3. Nehru denied inquiry into Syama Prasad Mukherjee's death, says BJP national president JP Nadda

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda blamed first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru for denying inquiry into the death of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee. Syama Prasad died under mysterious circumstances in Srinagar jail in June 1953. Nadda said that despite requests, Nehru did not launch an inquiry into Mukherjee's death.

4. Final-year examinations in universities will be conducted by September-end

The HRD Ministry has said that the final-year examinations in universities will have to be conducted by September-end. The decision by the HRD Ministry has come following a nod from the Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct the exams as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. According to revised guidelines issued by the UGC, students unable to appear in final-year exams in September will get another chance and universities will conduct special exams "as and when feasible".

5. Earthquake of magnitude 3.4 strikes Arunachal Pradesh

An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 on the Richter scale hit near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh at around 1:33 hours today, according to National Center for Seismology.This is the eighth quake to jolt the northeastern state in less than three weeks.Earlier, an earthquake of 4.6 magnitude hit Mizoram's Champhai district on Sunday afternoon.

6. COVID-19 scare: Special remand court for accused in Bengaluru

The Karnataka High Court has set up a special remand court in Bengaluru to produce the accused, including undertrial prisoners for remand or bail. When an accused has to be produced in a trial court for the hearing, the magistrate will hold sitting in the remand court. It will minimise the risk of the virus spread to trial court judges.

7. Mamata launches document scanning app made by her govt, says it reflects patriotism

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a mobile application, developed by the state's information technology (IT) department, to scan documents and said it reflects patriotism. The state government's 'Self Scan' app came days after the Centre banned 59 Chinese mobile applications and amid a call for boycott of Chinese goods.

8. Religious intolerance, majoritarian politics shouldn't be allowed to undermine India's soft power: Tharoor

The "precious pluralism" that has been a civilisational asset to India in the globalised world is "sadly" under threat today and religious intolerance and majoritarian politics should not be allowed to undermine the country's soft power, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Monday. Speaking on 'India's Soft Power: Contours of Cultural Diplomacy' at an event organised by FICCI, Tharoor said India must remain the land of the "better story" as a society with a free press and thriving mass media

9. Chennai company develops device to 'bridge gap' between corona patients, healthcare staff

A Chennai-based company came up with the idea of 'Etticos COVID-19 Patient Care System' which will bridge the gap between COVID-19 patients and healthcare staff. Through the help of this device, a patient can easily communicate with health workers by pressing a button in an emergency. The company's CEO claimed that the whole system is 'Made in India' and he also got a patent for the device.

10. Six of CPI(ML) Janashakti group held in Telangana, arms seized

Telangana Police arrested 6 members of CPI (ML) for extortion and possession of weapons. The team also recovered two country-made revolvers, five revolver rounds, six mobile phones and two bikes besides party literature.