Thursday, 16 May 2024
Thursday, 16 May 2024
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the union territory status of Jammu and Kashmir is not a permanent thing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government will make an elaborate statement on the future of the union territory status of J-K and Ladakh on August 31. The top court, which was hearing a plea challenging the abrogation of Article 370, asked the Centre to set a specific time frame for restoration of electoral democracy in the erstwhile state. The court said that lack of electoral democracy cannot be allowed to go on indefinitely and asked the Centre to seek instructions from the political executive and get back to the court.
The government on Tuesday announced a Rs 200 per cylinder cut in prices of domestic cooking gas, effective from Wednesday. The move is aimed at providing relief to households. The price of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in Delhi will be reduced from Rs 1,103 to Rs 903. For Ujjwala beneficiaries, the price will be Rs 703 after considering the continuing Rs 200 per cylinder subsidy. The government will also provide an additional 75 lakh Ujjwala connections, which will take the total PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crores. The decision comes ahead of assembly elections in states like Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress party has promised to give LPG at Rs 500 per cylinder if voted to power.
China has released a new map that incorporates its disputed claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, Taiwan, and the South China Sea. India has repeatedly said that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of its territory, and China's claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea are also disputed by other countries. The release of the new map is likely to further strain relations between China and India, as well as with other countries in the region. The map was released by the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday and shows China's claims over the disputed territories in a more prominent way than previous maps. The map also includes a disclaimer that says the boundaries are not final and may be adjusted in the future.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of distorting history and said that June 20 cannot be the state's foundation day. She said that the day is being observed by the BJP for political gains and to promote a narrative favored by the saffron camp. Mamata said that the people of West Bengal have never commemorated any day as the state's foundation day since India's independence. She also said that the pain and trauma of partition were such that the people of the state do not want to remember that day. The BJP has not yet responded to the allegations.
After An illegal firecrackers factory in Mochpole, Duttapukur in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district exploded on Sunday, killing nine people and damaging several houses, shattered buildings, bloodstained clothes can be seen at the blast site. The blast took place in a thatched-roofed house where the firecrackers unit was operational. The impact of the blast was so severe that several nearby houses were also damaged. The deceased include the owner of the factory, Samsul Ali, and his son. Several others were injured and are being treated in hospital. The police have denied allegations of not paying heed to complaints of locals about the illegal firecracker units operational in the area. An investigation is underway to find out how the blast took place and who were supplying raw materials to the factory. The incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of illegal firecrackers factories in the country.
In a bid to keep monkeys away from the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the city authorities will deploy langur mimics and put up cut-outs of the simians at vantage points. The move comes after the monkeys have been causing nuisance in the city, damaging plants and flowers, and even attacking people. The authorities will also be providing eatables to the monkeys at identified locations on the ridge so that they do not come out in human settlements in search of food. The monkey menace has been a long-standing problem in the city, and no method to control it has been successful so far. The authorities hope that the measures taken for the G20 Summit will help to keep the monkeys away from the event.
The Gujarat government on Tuesday announced a 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies like panchayats, municipalities and civic corporations. The announcement comes after the Supreme Court mandated that reservation for OBCs should be on the basis of their population. The reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in local bodies will remain unchanged. The announcement paves the way for holding of local body polls which were postponed due to the pending quota issue.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the conviction and three-year sentence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case. The court also ordered Khan's release. Khan was convicted by a trial court in August on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts acquired by him and his family during his time as prime minister. He has also been barred from politics for five years. Khan challenged his conviction in the IHC, which reserved its verdict on Monday. The court announced the verdict on Tuesday, saying that there were "shortcomings" in the trial court's judgment. Khan's lawyer Latif Khosa had argued that the verdict was given in haste and was full of shortcomings. He also urged the court to set aside the sentence. The IHC's decision is a major relief for Khan, who had been facing the prospect of imprisonment. It is also a setback for the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which had been hoping to see Khan convicted and punished.
Byju's Chief Business Officer Prathyusha Agarwal and two other senior executives have resigned as the struggling Indian ed-tech startup restructures its business and operations. The company, once India's most valuable startup, has been facing multiple challenges, including financial woes and legal issues. It has let go of thousands of employees this year. The resignations are the latest sign of trouble at Byju's, which is trying to regain its footing. The company is reportedly planning to file its audited earnings for 2022 by September and 2023 results by December.
Byju's Chief Business Officer Prathyusha Agarwal and two other senior executives have resigned as the struggling Indian ed-tech startup restructures its business and operations. The company, once India's most valuable startup, has been facing multiple challenges, including financial woes and legal issues. It has let go of thousands of employees this year. The resignations are the latest sign of trouble at Byju's, which is trying to regain its footing. The company is reportedly planning to file its audited earnings for 2022 by September and 2023 results by December.
