GS-II

Legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha with over a two-thirds majority on August 2 The Bill extending constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was cleared unanimously by the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The Lok Sabha had passed the proposed law on August 2 with more …

The BJP, the largest party, and the Opposition are aiming to poach MPs The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha will be elected on August 9, House Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu announced here on Monday. While the Opposition has a slight edge over the ruling BJP and its allies, the …

Regional parties ask Centre to safeguard special status, say adjourned hearing will exacerbate tensions Life was affected in the Kashmir Valley for the second day on Monday following the shut down called by separatists over the challenge to Article 35(A) in the Supreme Court. Offices, educational institutions and business centres …

Will study if it is violative of basic structure of Constitution Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday orally observed that the Supreme Court will consider whether Article 35A, which gives special status to the State and people of Jammu and Kashmir, is violative of the basic structure of …

This follows a meeting with senior judges, who opposed the change in seniority Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday met Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal on the issue of the government altering the seniority of Justice K.M. Joseph, who is scheduled to take oath on Tuesday morning as a Supreme …

Extract: A few Supreme Court judges intend to meet Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday to express dissatisfaction over the government altering Justice K.M. Joseph’s seniority, making him junior to Justices Indira Banerjee and Vineet Saran in the apex court. According to highly placed sources in the Supreme …

Extract: Minister opens Khadi Board’s Onam-Bakrid fair Minister for Excise and Labour T.P. Ramakrishnan has called upon the Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board to explore the product marketing possibilities at all possible levels in the State rather than limiting it to just rebate sales during festival seasons. Opening the …

Extract: Complete shutdown in Kashmir Valley to defend Article 35A; Amarnath yatra suspended Unease and growing anxiety was palpable in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, a day ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on whether a Constitution Bench should go into the question of Article 35A, which empowers the State …

‘India must focus on U.S. market for machinery, plastics, rubber products’ With the U.S. imposing an additional 25% duty on imports worth $34 billion from China, certain Indian products may become more competitive, the CII said. An analysis by the industry chamber revealed that India should focus on the U.S. …

‘Raw material vendors may turn wary’ The closure of the Thoothukudi facility of Sterlite Copper has put global suppliers of copper concentrates in a spot, it is learnt. In the wake of the Sterlite imbroglio, the international trading and supplier community is reportedly unsure of the wisdom of entering into …

100% stake sale on anvil as ONGC seeks to offload its 49% shareholding in helicopter services provider The government will soon invite fresh bids for 100% stake sale in Pawan Hans by issuing an addendum to the disinvestment document as ONGC is ready to sell its entire stake in the …

Indian pilgrims stranded due to bad weather Around 200 Indians on their way back home after the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage in Tibet are stranded in Nepal’s Humla district due to bad weather, a statement by the Indian Embassy said on Sunday. The representatives of the Indian Embassy in Simikot, Hilsa and …

Inspired by the Gandhian principle of ‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’, Indian-American entrepreneur Suneel Gupta is seeking to enter U.S. Congress to fight against the special interests of the corporate sector, which he believes have peaked under the Donald Trump Administration. “Our family has …

The UIDAI on Sunday said vested interests misused Google’s “inadvertent” act around its old helpline number to create fear and tarnish the image of Aadhaar while emphasising that a number stored in contact list cannot steal data from a mobile phone. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said rumour-mongers …

Official team visits island nation India has handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of the fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, who has obtained citizenship of the Caribbean nation. Official sources said a team from India was sent to Antigua a few days ago to persuade the authorities there …

Many from the northern parts of the country are excluded from the draft NRC The north Indians excluded from the updated draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam resent being called ghuspethiye , meaning infiltrator. Though NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela has said that the 40 lakh persons left …

Srikrishna panel did not consult CIC: Acharyulu Corrupt government officials will be able to escape public scrutiny if the Right to Information Act, 2005 is amended according to the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna committee on data protection, Central Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu has warned. In a letter to …

BJP president says the Opposition party should make it clear if it supports backward communities BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday dared the Congress to clarify its stand on the amended OBC Bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying it would show whether or not the party supported the backward communities. …

Protests over the move to scrap Article 35A have cast a cloud over the exuberant marriage season Fearing widespread violence, families in the Kashmir Valley have been cancelling weddings scheduled for Monday ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on Article 35A . Local newspapers and cable channels have been full …

The Supreme Court on Monday will consider whether a Constitution Bench should probe the grant of special status to Jammu and Kashmir in 1954 under the aegis of the Jawaharlal Nehru government. The special status was bestowed on Jammu and Kashmir by incorporating Article 35A in the Constitution, by an …