LIVE: 47th meeting of GST Council to be held on June 28-29 in Srinagar

The panel of ministers on GST rate rationalisation is scheduled to meet on June 17 to discuss possible tweaking in tax rates

5:26 PM

PM Modi to visit Gujarat on June 17 for two days, launch projects worth Rs 21,000 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from June 17 to attend a number of programmes, including inauguration and foundation-laying ceremony of projects worth over Rs 21,000 crore, his office said on Thursday.

 

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement that Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped temple of Shree Kalika Mata at Pavagadh Hill on June 18, followed by his visit to Virasat Van.

 

He will also participate in Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan at Vadodara, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 21,000 crore, it added.

 

Incidentally, Modi's mother's birthday also falls on June 18. He is likely to meet her to seek her blessings as she enters 100th year of her life, sources said.

 

The PMO said beneficiaries of various schemes of the government will participate in Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan at Vadodara.

4:59 PM

Agnipath: Oppn steps up attack on govt amid protests, seeks scrapping of scheme

The Opposition on Thursday stepped up its attack on the government over the Agnipath scheme amid protests against it in several parts of the country and demanded that it be scrapped, even as official sources asserted that no change is being done to the Army's regimental system under the new initiative.

 

While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the voice of unemployed youths and not take 'agnipareeksha (trial by fire)' of their patience by making them walk on Agnipath, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the move "negligent" and potentially "fatal" for the country's future.

 

Trains were set afire, window panes of buses smashed and passersby, including a ruling BJP MLA, pelted with stones in Bihar by Army job aspirants whose protest against the short-term recruitment scheme continued for the second consecutive day.

 

Protests against the scheme also took place in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

 

Hundreds of young people took to the streets in Haryana's Gurugram, Rewari and Palwal while scores of youngsters in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr and Ballia districts staged protests against it.

4:47 PM

47th meeting of GST Council to be held on June 28-29 in Srinagar

4:09 PM

Follow zero-tolerance policy on honking, modified silencers in Delhi: NGT panel on noise pollution

A committee set up by the National Green Tribunal to monitor compliance of noise rules in Delhi has suggested the city government to follow a zero-tolerance policy against unnecessary honking and the use of modified silencers.

 

In a report submitted to the green court, the panel said the incessant traffic noise, relentless honking, pressure horns and modified silencers are a major contributors to noise pollution.

 

"Alternative measures such as planting of trees, awareness with respect to no-honking, quieter vehicles, quieter tires, speed reduction, home insulation, smooth road surface etc., could be adhered to reduce vehicular noise. The better option is to increase awareness just like in case of firecrackers and to increase prosecution.

 

"A zero-tolerance policy should be followed in case of unnecessary honking and use of modified silencers," the report read.

 

The panel told the court that the Delhi Traffic Police issued 331 challans against the use of pressure horns, 30 against honking in silent zones, 773 against modified exhausts/silencers and 59 for playing loud music in vehicles between January 1 to March 31.

3:46 PM

Contactless cards account for 16% of face-to-face transactions in Dec 2021: Visa

The share of contactless cards, which help a customer pay at a merchant by tapping the card on a device, grew to 16 per cent in December 2021, global payments major Visa said on Thursday.

 

The number of usage of contactless cards during face-to-face transactions at merchants' end was less than 2.5 per cent in December 2018, the company, which commands a big share of the market, said.

 

It can be noted that the RBI regulations now allow users to pay up to Rs 5,000 per transaction through the contactless alternative, which does not require a four-digit PIN code. The maximum limit has been capped keeping security concerns in mind, wherein just the presence of a card can result in losses to the user.

 

Visa's head of products and solutions for India and South Asia Ramakrishnan Gopalan said that availability, convenience, utility, and security are the key drivers of growth in contactless cards.

3:33 PM

Govt aims to build 40 MT coal stock at power plants to ensure supplies during monsoon

The government is gearing up to increase the stock of coal at power plants to 40 million tonne (MT) during the monsoon season, Union power minister R K Singh said.

 

Speaking to PTI, the minister said right now, there are reserves of around 22.9 MT at the power plants.

 

"On April 1, our reserve stock at power plants was at 24 MT. On April 30, it came down to 19 MT and on May 15, it came down to 15 MT. However, because of (coal) imports, it has gone up to about 22.9 MT again," the minister said, replying to a question related to coal availability.

 

When asked if the government is planning to increase the buffer stock of coal anticipating production and supply issues during the approaching rainy season, he replied in affirmative.

3:00 PM

Chidambaram resigns from Maharashtra seat following election to RS from Tamil Nadu

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram resigned from his seat in Maharashtra on Thursday, following his election to the Rajya Sabha from the state of Tamil Nadu.

"Following my election to the Rajya Sabha from the state of Tamil Nadu, I am required to resign my seat from the state of Maharashtra. Accordingly, today I tendered my resignation from the seat from the state of Maharashtra," tweeted the Congress leader today.

The tweet further read, "The Hon'ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha has accepted my resignation. I was honoured to represent the state of Maharashtra. I wish the people of Maharashtra the very best in the future, peace and prosperity."

2:55 PM

89 per cent of India's adult population fully vaccinated against COVID-19: Mandaviya

Eighty-nine per cent of the country's adult population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while over 75 per cent of children in the 12-14 age group have received the first dose, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.

The cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country have exceeded 195.67 crore, according to the Health Ministry's provisional reports till 7 am on Thursday.

This has been achieved through 2,51,69,966 sessions.

2:44 PM

Wives of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, ex-PM Imran Khan richer than husbands

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former premier Imran Khan's wives have financial assets worth more than their husbands, the media reported on Thursday.

According to a statement of assets filed for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Nusrat Shehbaz, the first wife of the prime minister, is richer than her husband and owns wealth worth Rs 230.29 million.

The prime minister's wife also owns nine agricultural properties and one house each in Lahore and Hazara divisions.

Apart from the assets, Shehbaz Sharif's wife has significant investments in various sectors, but does not own a vehicle, the Dawn newspaper reported.

2:43 PM

BJP wants to erase memories of Pt Nehru, Indira Gandhi: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena on Thursday claimed the BJP not only wants to erase the memories of late Congress leaders Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, but it also wants to "destroy" prospects of the Nehru-Gandhi lineage.

An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' lashed out at the Centre over the questioning of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

By questioning Gandhi, the BJP is trying to show that it can grab anyone's collar, however powerful the person is, the Marathi daily said and dubbed this as arrogance of power.

"The BJP not only wants to erase the memories of Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, but it also wants to destroy prospects of the Nehru-Gandhi lineage," it claimed.

2:19 PM

LG launches online portal for heli services to Amarnath cave

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday launched the online helicopter booking portal for the Amarnath yatra which is scheduled to start from June 30.

 

"Launched online helicopter booking service portal for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. For the first time, devotees can travel with ease directly from Srinagar to Panchtarni and complete the holy yatra in a single day," LG Sinha tweeted after launching the portal.

 

Sinha said it was a long pending endeavour of the government to introduce the chopper services for the pilgrims from Srinagar.

2:15 PM

Telangana Congress holds protest against grilling of Rahul Gandhi by ED

Mild tension prevailed near Raj Bhavan here on Thursday, after scores of Congress leaders and workers staged a protest against grilling of top party leader Rahul Gandhi by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-AJL deal.

Police foiled the attempts by the protesters to lay seige to the Raj Bhavan, as part of a "Chalo Raj Bhavan" call given by Congress' Telangana unit. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and party MP A Revanth Reddy, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and several others were taken into preventive custody by police as they were proceeding towards Raj Bhavan. The protest caused traffic jam on Khairtabad Circle and surrounding areas.

2:01 PM

Covid: Over 7K cases in last 10 days in Delhi; big jump in positivity rate

More than 7,100 coronavirus cases have been reported in Delhi in the last 10 days as doctors and other medical experts cautioned people to not lower the guard and follow all Covid-appropriate behaviour.

 

Amid a spike in daily cases, the positivity rate too has climbed from 1.92 per cent registered on June 7 to 7.01 per cent on June 15, as per official figures.

 

Delhi on Wednesday had recorded 1,375 Covid cases, the highest daily tally in a month, and zero death.

 

On May 10, the city had logged 1,118 cases with a positivity rate of 4.38 per cent, and one death, while on May 8, Delhi had reported 1,422 cases with a positivity rate of 5.34 per cent, and zero death.

 

2:00 PM

'Country is watching', says Sachin Pilot a day after being detained briefly

A day after Congress leader Sachin Pilot was detained by the Delhi Police outside the party Headquarters here, he said the whole country was watching what the government was doing.

 

While speaking to his supporters outside his residence on Thursday, he said, "We were detained yesterday, police entered the AICC office & did lathi-charge, the whole country is watching." Pilot thanked his supporters for standing by him and also urged them to remain peaceful.

 

"It is very clear that the government is leaving no stone unturned to pressurise, demoralise, defame and show to the world that if you oppose the ideology of BJP or government, you will be put to test. The entire force of the Government of India is falling down upon his opponents," Pilot said.

1:55 PM

Agnipath anger: Govt job aspirants block railway track at outer Delhi's Nangloi Railway Station

More than a dozen defence force aspirants on Thursday stopped a train at Nangloi Railway Station in outer Delhi by lying down on tracks protesting against the centre's ‘Agnipath' scheme that seeks to recruit soldiers on short term contract.

 

According to police, around 15-20 people people gathered at Nangloi Railway Station around 9.45 am to protest against a delay in railway recruitment examinations and against the Agnipath Scheme.

 

They stopped a train which was bound for Old Delhi from Jind in Haryana, police said.

1:54 PM

SC on UP demolitions: Authorities should strictly follow due process under law

Stating that "everything should be fair" and authorities should strictly follow due procedure under the law, the Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Uttar Pradesh government and its authorities three days to respond to pleas alleging that houses of those accused in last week's violence were illegally demolished.

There must be a sense among the citizens that rule of law prevails in the country, a vacation bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Vikram Nath said,

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

1:41 PM

Protests against Agnipath scheme, Gurugram-Jaipur highway blocked

Hundreds of young people on Thursday took to the streets in Bilaspur and Sidhrawali areas of Gurugram and Rewari, some 50 km away, against the 'Agnipath' scheme unveiled by the Centre earlier this week to recruit soldiers largely on a short-term contractual basis.

 

The scheme involves recruitment of the jawans into the army, the navy and the air force for a four-year-period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

The protesters laid a virtual seize on bus stands and roads, crippling traffic on the Gurugram-Jaipur highway, and held a protest at Bilaspur Chowk.

1:24 PM

SC seeks replies of UP govt, authorities on demolition of houses of accused of violence

Stating that authorities should strictly follow due procedure under the law, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought replies from the Uttar Pradesh government and its authorities within three days on pleas alleging the illegal demolition of houses of those accused in last week's violence. 

 

There must be a sense among the citizens that rule of law prevails in the country, a vacation bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Vikram Nath said, “Everything should be fair. We expect the authorities to strictly follow the due procedure under the law,” it said. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

1:19 PM

'Agnipath' may prove fatal for the country's future; youths: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at the central government over the Agnipath scheme, calling the move “negligent” and potentially “fatal” for the country's future.

 

As announced, 'Agnipath' or 'Agniveer' is a scheme for recruiting soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air force, to be hired for a term of four years on contract.

 

The scheme was announced by Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.   

1:16 PM

French, German, Italian leaders arrive in Kyiv

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania arrived in Kyiv on Thursday in an apparent show of collective European support for Ukraine as it tries to resist Russia's invasion.

 

The French president's office said President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Premier Mario Draghi had traveled to Kyiv together, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will join them in the Ukrainian capital.

 

The European leaders are expected to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the highest-profile Western visit to Kyiv since Russia sent in troops to Ukraine Feb. 24.

1:16 PM

Gradual rise in COVID-19 cases in Kerala; fresh infections cross 3,000 mark

Kerala is seeing a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases with 3,419 fresh infections reported, bringing the total active cases to 18,345 and the caseload to 65,89,307 till June 15.

 

On Tuesday, according to data provided on the Government of Kerala dashboard, the number of fresh cases was 3,488, the highest in the state in the last 2-3 months.

 

1:02 PM

Protests against 'Agnipath' scheme continue in Bihar; road, railway traffic disrupted

Protests against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme for hiring jawans on a short-term contractual basis continued across Bihar for the second consecutive day on Thursday as aspirants preparing for jobs in defence forces disrupted railway and road traffic in Jehanabad, Buxar and Nawada districts.

 

Protestors blocked the movement of trains on Patna-Gaya and Patna-Buxar routes by lying down on the railway tracks in Jehanabad and Buxar districts. However, Bihar Police along with their railway counterparts immediately removed the protestors from the tracks.

Hundreds of agitators blocked National Highway 83 in Jehanabad and burned tyres demanding the scrapping of the scheme. Angry protestors took out processions in the three districts and other parts of the state. Protestors had disrupted railway and road traffic in various parts of the state also on Wednesday.

1:01 PM

Covid impacts brain of people with no prior neurological problems: Study

Covid infection also affects brains of people with no pre-existing neurological conditions, finds a study.

 

While many people showed improvement, the majority still had some neurological symptoms six months after a Covid infection. But some individuals also exhibited significant coordination and cognitive issues, which had not been previously described, said researchers from the University of California-San Diego.

 

None of these individuals with persistent symptoms at six months had any history of pre-existing neurological conditions prior to their SARS-CoV-2 infections.

12:58 PM

Getting education is a fundamental right: Allahabad HC

The Allahabad High Court has observed that receiving proper education is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21-A of the Constitution of India.

 

The bench comprising Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Subhash Vidyarthi further observed that educational authorities must ensure that the grievance relating to the admission to an institution is redressed with promptness and does not remain unattended.

 

The bench was dealing with the case of one Tanishk Srivastava, a Class 8 student.

 

He appeared in the entrance test held on March 20 for admission as a resident scholar in the La Martiniere College, Lucknow, in Class 8.

 

12:57 PM

SEZs to play vital role in Pakistan's development: PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the special economic zones (SEZs) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will play a vital role in the country's economic development and prosperity.

 

The government has been focusing on establishing SEZs across the country which would boost industrialization and exports while generating employment, Sharif said during his visit to the Rashakai SEZ, which is being developed under CPEC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

 

A total of nine SEZs have been identified under CPEC where joint businesses and ventures from Pakistan, China and other countries will be set up to boost industrial progress and uplift the national economy, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

12:31 PM

'Agnipath' will give rise to more disaffection in youth: BJP MP Varun Gandhi to Rajnath Singh

Questioning various provisions of the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme that envisages recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis, BJP MP Varun Gandhi Thursday said it will give rise to more disaffection among the youths and asked the government to make its stand clear.

 

In a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Gandhi said the young population has shared their questions and doubts with him about the radical changes in the soldiers' recruitment process which also proposes that the 75 per cent of the recruits under the scheme will retire after four years of service without pension.

 

12:03 PM

UP demolition case

Singh argues that demolition keeps happening again & again, it's shocking & appalling. This wasn't during Emergency, not during pre-independence era. These are houses standing for more than 20 years and sometimes not even belonging to the accused but their aged parents, he argues

 

12:03 PM

UP demolition case

Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing for petitioners, tells Supreme Court that the reason cited for demolition was that the action is being taken against protestors who had indulged in violence.

 

12:03 PM

Supreme Court begins hearing of a plea against demolitions in UP

Supreme Court begins hearing of a plea filed by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh authorities to ensure that no further demolitions of properties are carried out in the state without following the due process.

 

11:08 AM

Protest against Agnipath Recruitment scheme

"We work hard to get inducted into the Armed forces. How will the service be for 4 years, with months of training and leaves? How will we protect the nation after getting trained for just 3 years? Govt has to take back this scheme," said a protestor.