A A A Fears of a vocal section should not override the rights of NRC claimants to due process With the Supreme Court-led process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam nearing its deadline of July 31, the complexities involved in the gargantuan exercise have dawned upon the …

Trump’s racist tweets risk damagingthe fabric of American society further A visceral debate on racism and immigration has again gripped the United States, after President Donald Trump attacked four Democratic Congresswomen of colour, asking them to return to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came”. His …

Without factoring in agriculture, the vision of a $5-trillion economy will remain a distant dream India’s dream of becoming a $5-trillion economy by 2024 is now in the open with a ‘blue sky’ vision envisaged in the Economic Survey this year. The document lays down a clear strategy to augment …

The draft’s endorsement of critical thinking would have gained credibility if it had promoted liberal values A few months ago, a school principal told me about her conversation in the morning assembly with children of the middle (Grades VI-VIII) section. She had asked them for suggestions to turn the school …

The small town of Aluva in Kerala is emerging as a hub for narcotic traffic and use. The State is stepping up its efforts to curb the problem, but easy availability and access to drugs is spurring the trade, reports M.P. Praveen Dressed in a grey shirt and black trousers, …

Amid a push for electric vehicles, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said India will continue to rely on petrol and diesel for running automobiles, and needs to expand its oil refining capacity by 80%. “EV is a priority but the incremental requirement of fuel will have to be met …

Bill says 75% surplus meant for Centre In what could spark the souring of ties between the Centre and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Finance Ministry has refused pleas from the capital markets regulator to amend the provision that mandates that about 75% of its surplus …

Bank eyes presence in south, west The proposed merger with Gruh Finance will enable Bandhan Bank to achieve better geographical balance, said the bank’s MD and CEO Chandra Shekhar Ghosh. Addressing a press meet, he said that the bank was trying to increase its presence in States where it was …

Iran said on Friday it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker, Stena Impero, in the Gulf. The website of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the tanker was seized for “non-compliance with international maritime laws and regulations” and was taken to an Iranian port. The report did not say which port. Source …

Says Trump’s tweets against Congresswomen “go against what makes America great” German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday condemned President Donald Trump’s xenophobic tweets against four minority Democratic Congresswomen, saying the U.S. leader’s attacks “go against what makes America great”. “I firmly distance myself from (the attacks) and I feel solidarity …

Trump reiterates U.S. warship shot it down for coming too close Iran on Friday denied President Donald Trump’s claim that a U.S. warship destroyed an Iranian drone near the Persian Gulf. The Iranian military said all its drones had returned safely to their bases and denied there was any confrontation …

NSO told buyers it can scoop user data from servers of Apple, Google, Facebook An Israeli spyware firm has told clients it can scoop user data from the world’s top social media, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The London-based newspaper wrote that NSO group had “told buyers its technology …

Resolution passed without opposition In a rare move, the Jammu Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution to declare the birth anniversary of Dogra monarch Maharaja Hari Singh on September 23 as State holiday, days after the State paid tributes to people killed during his rule in 1931 in the Valley. …

India, China to have joint exercise in December The annual joint army exercise between India and China will be held in December at Umroi, near Shillong. “The two-week long company-level exercise will take place in the second half of December. The planning conference to finalise the modalities will be held …

An apex body of the scheduled tribes (STs) of Assam has resented the “snub” by the Centre while constituting a high-level committee on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. This clause of the Assam Accord, signed in August 1985 to end a six-year agitation for the ejection …

Ruckus prevents debate in Lok Sabha A new Bill that seeks to empower the transgender community and another legislation to crack down on Ponzi schemes were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid protests from Opposition members over the Karnataka political turmoil. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, …

Cyclone Vayu delayed advancement The Southwest monsoon has finally covered the whole country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement on Friday. That makes it four days behind its normal schedule of July 15. “Due to favourable monsoon circulations, there has been light to moderate rainfall with isolated …

“Mr. Hajela’s report says while disposing of claims, 80 lakh names have been reverified. That means at least 27% of names have been reverified, and you are asking for 20%… So, is there need for a sample reverification? If we are satisfied that verification has been done properly, then there …

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by voice vote. The Bill expedites the process of appointment of Chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and provides for, among others, including the chairpersons of the National Commission for Backward Classes, …

Centre to set service terms of panel Amid protests by the Opposition parties, a Bill to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act and give the Union government the power to set the service conditions and salaries of Information Commissioners was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The Bill …