Accusing the Congress of trying to secure votes of Dalits in the name of B.R. Ambedkar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the new law guaranteeing 10% quota for the poor among the general category was introduced in tune with Modi government’s commitment to ensure development of all …
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RailTel is turning railway stations into digital hubs
The Indian Railways has one of the world’s largest public WiFi networks in RailWire WiFi. With around 2.6 crore users logins in a month, and over 9,491 Tetra Byte (TB) of aggregated data consumption, RailWire WiFi at 746 railway stations across the country is only getting stronger. The network, provided …
Read More »Aadhaar is now passport to Nepal and Bhutan
Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians under 15 and over 65 travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a Home Ministry communique. Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to the two neighbouring countries, for which …
Read More »Bill may not help many Bangladeshi nationals
Only a small number Bangladeshi nationals are likely to benefit from the Citizenship Amendment Bill, as fewer than 200 people from the neighbouring country have so far availed the long-term visas (LTVs), a senior Home Ministry official said. The number of LTVs issued by the Union Home Ministry to Bangladeshi …
Read More »Confusion over construction plan in Bandipur
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has opposed a proposal to construct elevated roads over the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The proposal had triggered outrage and protests from NGOs. The tiger reserve, spread over nearly 912 sq km, is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, constitutes an important …
Read More »EVMs become a common grouse
Mamata Banerjee announcesfour-member panel on issue Several leaders of the Opposition who participated in the rally here on Saturday, raised concern on the use of electronic voting machines (EVM). At a press conference later in the day, a four-member committee was formed to look into the malfunctioning of these machines …
Read More »Assam continues to burn
Shirtless rally in Tezpur, women’s march in Tinsukia Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill showed no sign of waning in Assam on Saturday as agitators staged semi-clad protests in Tezpur, took out a women’s rally in Tinsukia, and organised a citizens’ meeting in Guwahati. In Tezpur town of Sonitpur district …
Read More »Rural housing achieves only 66% target
States are delaying allotment of land for landless beneficiaries, says Centre With two and a half months to go for the end of this financial year, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen) scheme to provide housing for the rural poor has achieved only 66% of its target to complete one …
Read More »Centre invites feedback on draft Emigration Bill
The Ministry of External Affairs will entertain suggestions and comments on the draft Emigration Bill, 2019, giving an opportunity for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to air their views till Sunday. These can be e-mailed to dsoia1@mea.gov.in and so2oia1@mea.gov.in. Official sources said the new Bill would ensure the overall welfare and protection …
Read More »IndiGo A320neo engines failed 69 times, says DGCA
There have been 69 instances of engine failure of Airbus A320neo aircraft operated by IndiGo in 2018, according to the data available from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation. The data, contained in a January 8 note issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, show there have been 12 instances of …
Read More »Defence Ministry says all questions already answered
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday claimed that The Hindu ’s detailed story over the steep price escalation in the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets did not adduce any new arguments and that all issues had been answered in detail by the government at various fora and by …
Read More »Cabinet clears common building rules
Simplified application forms for planning permission, standardisation of development rules and elimination of the scope for discretion on the part of planning authorities are among the salient features of the Combined Development Regulation and Building Rules, cleared by the State Cabinet at a meeting on Friday. At the meeting that …
Read More »SC orders Bedi report to be given to petitioners
“The stage of acceptance of the report will come later. The report was submitted to this court as per our orders. You [Gujarat] say whatever you have to say when the report is considered later,” the Chief Justice orally addressed the Gujarat side. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who said he …
Read More »Parliament passes Bill for 10% quota for poor
The Bill fixed the following criteria for beneficiaries: an annual family income of less than Rs. 8 lakh, not owning more than five acres or a flat of 1,000 sq feet or more, land of 100 sq yards in notified municipality area and 200 yards in non-notified area. Participating in …
Read More »Quota won’t ‘steal’ from Dalits, OBCs: Modi
At Agra public meeting, Prime Minister defends 10% reservation for the poor among the general classes The 10% quota for the poor among the “savarnas” (general classes) was given “without stealing anything” or reducing the share of Dalits, tribal people and OBCs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Making …
Read More »‘Farmers are suffering, alliance be damned’
Uddhav visits farmers in Marathwada Talks of an alliance were meaningless at a time when farmers in the State were in the grip of a crisis, said Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday after dismissing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) promises of farm loan waiver as “utterly false”. “I …
Read More »SC orders Bedi report to be given to petitioners
Panel had investigated 21 encounter killings in Gujarat The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that a confidential report filed by the Justice H.S. Bedi (retired)Monitoring Committee into 21 police encounters in Gujarat, which had occurred during the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the State’s Chief Minister, be shared with …
Read More »Parliament passes Bill to provide 10% quota for poor
Rajya Sabha clears proposed law after nine-hour-long heated debate The Parliament on Wednesday cleared the Constitutional Amendment Bill providing 10% quota in education and employment to economically weaker sections in the general category, after the Rajya Sabha approved the proposed law following an over nine-hour-long heated debate, during which the …
Read More »Prime Minister-led panel removes Alok Verma as CBI Director, Rao back in charge
Mr. Verma is posted as DG Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards; M. Nageshwar Rao appointed interim Director. The high-power committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday removed Alok Verma as CBI Director, a day after he resumed office following the Supreme Court verdict restoring his position. …
Read More »Irrigation projects delay led to jump in costs: CAG
‘210 approved, only 62 completed’ Tardy implementation of projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) between 2008-2017 led to an almost threefold jump in the cost of these projects to Rs. 1.20 lakh crore, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled in Parliament on …
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