Yearly Archives: 2019

Arbitration Bills passed amid uproar

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill and the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill. Trinamool MPs walked out, with Sukhendu Sekhar Ray of the party terming the Bills “draconian”. He said the Bills were passed in haste on World Bank diktats. Union Law Minister …

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Governor sets Friday deadline for floor test

The Governor said he had not intervened in the matter earlier “having regard to the fact that the House was called and trust vote was moved.” He pointed out that “proceedings of the House on July 18 were stalled and consequently adjourned without reaching any finality” and this “cannot go …

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Give access to Jadhav, India tells Pak.

Multiple requests from India submitted earlier are pending, a source said Pakistan can immediately grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav acting upon the multiple pending requests on the matter from India, says a diplomatic source. The comment came a day after the International Court of Justice at The Hague pointed …

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Animals seek refuge on highlands

Floods drive rhinos out of Kaziranga park Kaziranga National Park (KNP)’s man-made highlands have turned into islands of relative safety for the park’s animals as large parts of Assam remain inundated by flood waters. Among the handful of species that have taken refuge in these patches of higher ground are …

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SC to reconstitute bench probing Manipur killings

Case pertains to the alleged 1,528 extra-judicial killings The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to reconstitute a Bench to continue monitoring a CBI probe into alleged extra-judicial killings by the Army, the Assam Rifles and the police in Manipur when insurgency was at its peak. The case has been on …

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Finance Bill clauses irk Cong.

‘Government introducing amendments to laws unrelated to finance in Bill’ Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday claimed that the ‘sanctity of Budget numbers have been called into question’ and strongly objected to the manner in which Finance 2019 Bill was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala …

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Pak. espoused Khalistani agenda: India

In a dossier, India mentioned 30 instances of Sikh pilgrims being subjected to anti-India propaganda In a dossier to Pakistan, India has mentioned nearly 30 instances in the past four years when Sikh pilgrims visiting the neighbouring country were subjected to “anti-India propaganda” such as espousing the Khalistani cause. The …

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FinMin expects no flight of FPIs on higher tax

Companies won’t be hit, she says The increase in tax on high net worth individuals, announced in the Union Budget, will not result in an outflow of Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The higher tax will only apply to individuals and …

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Karnataka CM asked to prove majority by 1.30 p.m. today

Govt.’s fall appears imminent as Governor sets deadline; rebels to skip session In a shock to the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government in Karnataka, Governor Vajubhai Vala has directed Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to prove his majority by 1.30 p.m. on the floor of the Assembly on Friday.With the rebel MLAs …

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Apollo 11 racing to the moon

Apollo-11 was well on target for the moon to-day [July 17] after its three-man crew had successfully fired its main rocket for three seconds – the first flight path correction of the historic mission. The spacecraft’s speed was increased by 25 KPH (21 feet per second), an essential correction if …

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Balance and tilt

SC order on rebel MLAs hands over the floor advantage to the Karnataka Opposition The Supreme Court’s interim order stating that the 15 dissident Karnataka legislators cannot be compelled to attend the House, means they are not bound by any whip relating to the trust vote moved by Chief Minister …

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Sword against pen

India needs a free and independentmedia for its own well-being Journalists are facing heightened threats around the globe, according to the 2019 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), covering 180 countries and territories. It notes that the number of countries regarded as safe for journalists is …

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The benefits of blockchain

India could take a leaf out of Europe’s book insteadof calling for a blanket ban on cyptocurrencies The Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019 has proposed stringent penalties, including 10 years of imprisonment, for holding, selling or dealing in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Given the …

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The price of a good cuppa

The lives of tea-estate workers in West Bengal have worsened in many aspects over the years The tea plantation sector continues to play a significant role in the economy of north Bengal. There are 276 organised tea estates spread over the three tea-growing regions of West Bengal: Darjeeling Hills, Terai …

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