President Ram Nath Kovind embarks on a four-day Australia tour. This is the first state visit by an Indian president to the country. During the visit, the President will meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Both the leaders will jointly unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Parramatta in New South Wales as a part of the ongoing 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Gandhiji. Kovind will also address the Australian Financial Review Business summit and will also grace the annual dinner of the Australia-India Business Council. The bilateral trade between the two nations stands at $19.7 billion.

On the Supreme Court's directive, the Bombay High Court will hear a plea of Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon bast case. He has said  that he was being prosecuted for terror charges under the stringent UAPA without any valid sanction. The apex court had, on April 20 this year, granted Purohit the liberty to raise the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute him under the Unlawful Aactivities (Prevention) Act before the trial court at the time of framing of charges. However, the trial court had rejected Purohit’s plea on sanction and had framed charges against him.

India and Australia will clash in the first T20 International of the three-match series in Brisbane. An Australia in turmoil both on and off the field has made India the firm favourites in the compelling rivalry’s latest battle. The touring side has won its previous seven T20I series, and its last defeat in the format was against West Indies in July last year.

The Bombay High Court is likely to take up for hearing a bunch of petitions on the issue of Maratha reservation in Maharashtra. Several petitions were filed in 2014 and 2015 after the then Congress-NCP government granted 16 per cent quota in government jobs and education to the Maratha community. In November 2014, in an interim order, a division bench of the Bombay HC had stayed the then government’s decision. While some of the petitions opposed the government’s decision, two petitions had sought immediate implementation of the quota. On Sunday, the Maharashtra government approved reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for members of the community.

Maruti Suzuki India will launch its seven-seater MPV Ertiga in an all-new avatar. The next gen Ertiga will be available in both petrol (1.5 litre) and diesel (1.3 litre) engine options. The Ertiga was first launched in India in April 2012.

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