Five must-read stories—February 24

Probe against 3 firms for illegal use of Aadhaar biometrics

In a first, three firms—Axis Bank, Suvidhaa Infoserve and eMudhra—are being probed for attempting unauthorised authentication and impersonation by using stored Aadhaar biometrics in what the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has said is a clear violation of the law, reports The Times of India.

Kalikho Pul's widow withdraws letter after allegations

Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul's widow made sensational allegations against Chief Justice of India JS Khehar in the Supreme Court on Thursday before withdrawing her letter to him seeking a CBI probe into her husband's 60-page suicide note which allegedly accused judges and politicians of corruption. A Times of India report.

Bihar lays claim to 'fastest-growing' tag

Bihar, with 7.6% growth, on Wednesday claimed to have vaulted to the top of the league tables for economic growth in states after rejigging the yardstick for measurement through a base year change. But the assertion ran smack into a competing claim from Bengal, reports The Telegraph.

Minister Nadda’s false claims on India's infant, maternal deaths

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda had said on February 18 that India’s infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio were declining at a faster rate than in other parts of the world. A fact-check by IndiaSpend found his claims to be false.

Note ban taking heavy toll on not-for-profits

Not-for-profit organisations often work with people not linked to the formal banking system and therefore the government’s demonetisation drive has seriously disrupted their work processes. While the government advocates online transactions, missing infrastructure and linkages pose a big challenge, reports Mint.