GS-II

May defends Brexit deal

May defends Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May repeated her stand that Britain would not be able to get a better deal from the EU but declined to say whether she believes the controversial withdrawal deal would make Britain better off than it would without any deal.Earlier in the day, former Brexit Secretary …

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MPs challenge Rajapaksa in court

MPs challenge Rajapaksa in court

As many as 122 Sri Lankan lawmakers on Friday challenged former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the court of appeal, asking on whose authority he occupied the ffice of the Prime Minister, after being voted out in the legislature.The case is likely to be heard early next week, legal sources told …

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Delhi gets new CS

Delhi gets new CS

Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Dev has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary in the Delhi government, according to an order of the Union Home Ministry.Mr. Dev, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, takes over from Anshu Prakash, a 1986-batch officer of the same cadre, the …

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RTI request to see RTI Amendment Bill denied

RTI request to see RTI Amendment Bill denied

The Centre has denied a Right to Information (RTI) request for a copy of the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2018, which had been notified for introduction in the monsoon session of Parliament.The Bill sought to give the Centre power to set the tenure and salaries of State and Central …

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India protests denial of consular access to pilgrims

India protests denial of consular access to pilgrims

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan on Friday after an Indian consular team was prevented from meeting pilgrims visiting Nankana Sahib, where a Sikh festival is now being celebrated. Sources said Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the …

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Collector withdraws Section 144 in Erumely

Collector withdraws Section 144 in Erumely

With Erumely remaining largely peaceful during the first week of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season, the Kottayam District Collector on Friday decided not to continue with the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the pilgrim town.Collector B.S Thirumeni said a decision to this effect was …

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Trump spars with U.S. Supreme Court chief

Trump spars with U.S. Supreme Court chief

U.S. President Donald Trump has become embroiled in an extraordinary row on Wednesday with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, claiming “shocking” bias against his policies in parts of the judiciary.He singled out the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, whose jurisdiction includes left-leaning California, tweeting that its …

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Term of OBC panel extended again

Term of OBC panel extended again

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the extension of term of the commission examining the issue of sub-categorisation of other backward classes (OBCs) in the Central list till May 31, 2019, according to an official statement.This is the fourth extension of term given to the commission formed in October last …

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Fresh rift in civil-military ties in Ministry of Defence

Fresh rift in civil-military ties in Ministry of Defence

Civil-military relations in the Defence Ministry are strained once again, this time over the issue of junior officers staying in hotels and not Army guest rooms when on temporary official travel.Expressing concern at the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) asking for a Non-Availability Certificate (NAC) and rejecting refund claims …

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Not consulted on changes in RTI Act: CIC

RTI Act CIC

The government had planned to introduce the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2018, in the Lok Sabha in July this year. But the Bill was not tabled following protests from civil society and the Opposition. The Bill proposes to give the Centre the power to decide the tenure and salaries …

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Horse-trading was going on: Governor

Horse-trading was going on Governor

Under attack from the Opposition for his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday claimed that “extensive horse-trading” was going on in the State and dismissed allegations that he was acting on the Centre’s directions.Maintaining that it would have been impossible for parties …

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India, Pak. commit to Kartarpur corridor

India, Pak. commit to Kartarpur corridor

The move was described by a Pakistani Minister as the “victory of peace lobbies” in both countries.Officials of both countries will meet soon to discuss the logistics of the corridor and the point of border-crossing where the roads, which pilgrims on the Indian side will take from Dera Guru Nanak …

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Prohibitory orders at Sabarimala extended by 4 days

Prohibitory orders at Sabarimala extended by 4 days

District Collector P.B. Noohu has extended the prohibitory orders clamped on Sabarimala, Pampa, Nilackal and Elavumkal under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure by four more days, till November 26 midnight.The prohibitory orders clamped on these places for seven days on November 15 midnight were to end on …

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Allied with PDP to safeguard J&K’s special status: Omar

Allied with PDP to safeguard J&K’s special status Omar

The National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik for dissolving the Assembly and BJP general secretary Ram Madhav for his remarks alleging Pakistani support to the alliance.NC vice-president Omar Abdullah justified his …

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