Periscope: Narendra Modi, Nawaz Sharif shall meet

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting will see Modi and Sharif, together on the same platform

The twain shall meet  
 

India will become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the summit-level meeting in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana on Thursday and Friday. The meeting will see Modi and his Pakistan counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, together on the same platform. There are only a handful of countries in the SCO and a face-to-face meeting is unavoidable. The meeting needs to be watched for how the two leaders will use the opportunity to subdue (or inflame) feelings in their respective countries, on the back of the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and other issues.

Ready to roll
 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others in the government, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will review the work for a goods and services tax (GST) roll-out. The government wants to ensure a smooth transition to the new tax regime, for both business and consumers. The Centre is keen to implement GST on July 1, though certain sectors and states have demanded this be postponed to September 2017. The finance ministry will conduct a review on the readiness of the information technology systems of the Centre and states.

Step towards Swachh Bharat
 

The central government, in association with state governments and municipal representatives, will on Monday launch a waste management programme in 4,000 cities and towns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged this in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme last week. The central feature is colour-coded bins that will make it easier for municipalities to manage waste in a scientific manner.