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 "LIVE: 50,000 to stage protest in Delhi to demand hike in minimum pension")
1 min read Last Updated : Dec 06 2023 | 11:19 PM IST
11:19 PM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held "productive" talks with his Surinamese counterpart Albert Ramdin, focusing on ways to boost bilateral engagement in areas of defence, trade and capacity building.
Ramdin is currently on a visit to India.
"Concluded productive discussions with FM Albert Ramdin at the 8th India-Suriname Joint Commission Meeting," Jaishankar said on 'X'.
10:50 PM
A gang of 12 people, allegedly involved in illegally sending Nepalese nationals to Russia for recruitment in the Russian Army, has been arrested, police said here on Wednesday.
The gang used to charge Rs 700,000 to Rs 1,100,000 per person for arranging visit visas and other documents to get them recruited in the Russian Army, the District Police Circle, Kathmandu said.
After six Nepalese lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war, Nepal Police have taken precautionary measures against possible incidents of human trafficking, sources said.
10:37 PM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is part of India and hence 24 seats have been kept reserved for the region in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
Shah said this while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill.
The home minister said after the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir to redraw assembly and parliamentary constituencies, there will be 43 assembly seats in Jammu region -- up from present 37 -- and 47 in Kashmir Valley, up from 46.
10:14 PM
The Delhi government is planning to award stipends to nearly a lakh construction workers whose livelihoods were affected when restrictions under GRAP Stage-IV were in force in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday.
A file on the proposal has been prepared and a meeting on it will be held next week.
There are around a lakh workers registered with the Delhi government who are beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, the officials said.
10:11 PM
Amid a suspense over the BJP's chief ministerial pick for Rajasthan, senior party leader and former CM Vasundhara Raje was headed to New Delhi Wednesday night.
She was scheduled take a flight to Delhi.
Sources in the Raje camp said she would be meeting the party high command on Thursday.
10:11 PM
Amid a suspense over the BJP's chief ministerial pick for Rajasthan, senior party leader and former CM Vasundhara Raje was headed to New Delhi Wednesday night.
She was scheduled take a flight to Delhi.
Sources in the Raje camp said she would be meeting the party high command on Thursday.
10:03 PM
Floor leaders of 17 parties of the INDIA opposition bloc on Wednesday met at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and discussed steps to improve coordination in Parliament to take on the BJP.
It was decided at the meeting that the senior leadership would meet soon and the date will be announced in a day or two.
Kharge said in a post on X that a parliamentary strategy meeting of like-minded parties of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha floor leaders was held at 10, Rajaji Marg.
9:42 PM
The first week of the COP28 global climate talks concluded with a significant milestone with the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, pledges of over USD 83 billion and the draft text for Global Stocktake mentioning phasing out of all fossil fuels for the first time in years.
However, even as over USD 83 billion was mobilised in pledges questions persist about the voluntary nature of these commitments and the actual fulfilment by the participating nations.
8:54 PM
India on Wednesday warned global fertilisers suppliers against price cartelisation saying a steep rise in crop nutrients in recent times is unacceptable and consuming nation will look at the alternative if this is not checked.
Addressing the annual seminar of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI), Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has already innovated alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) as part of its efforts to become self-sufficient.
8:44 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described Garba as a celebration of life, unity and deep-rooted traditions, as UNESCO approved the inclusion of Gujarat's traditional dance in its 'Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'.
"Its inscription on the Intangible Heritage List showcases to the world the beauty of Indian culture. This honour inspires us to preserve and promote our heritage for future generations. Congrats for this global acknowledgment," Modi said on X.
India had nominated Garba, performed across Gujarat and in many other parts of the country during the Navratri festival, for inclusion in the list.
8:43 PM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the BJP was launching "Mission-29" with the aim of winning all the Lok Sabha seats from the state in the next year's elections.
He was speaking at a gathering during a day-long visit to Chhindwara, the home turf of state Congress chief Kamal Nath.
Chhindwara was the only constituency in Madhya Pradesh which the BJP failed to win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
8:39 PM
Members of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday staged protests in several cities of Madhya Pradesh, including state capital Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, to denounce the killing of the outfit' chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur.
Gogamedi was shot dead on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen at his house in the Rajasthan capital.
Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena activists in Bhopal staged a road blockade at Jyoti Talkies Square in MP Nagar demanding that the assailants involved in Gogamedi's killing be "eliminated in an encounter".
8:33 PM
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday before departing for Saudi Arabia in an one-day lightning tour intended to raise Moscow's profile as a Middle East power broker even as his war Ukraine grinds on.
Putin landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, that is hosting the United Nations' COP28 climate talks. It was his first trip to the region since before the coronavirus pandemic and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
8:18 PM
The BJP Parliamentary Party will hold its first meeting during Parliament's Winter Session on Thursday and is likely to felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading the party to massive wins in three assembly polls.
The BJP Parliamentary Party, which includes all its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, generally meets every week during the session. In the meetings, its leaders, including Modi, speak on different issues germane to the agenda in Parliament and also to its organisational and political campaigns.
8:14 PM
Internet connectivity in government schools in India improved from 5.5 per cent in 2017-18 to 24.2 per cent in 2021-22, with Bihar, Mizoram, Odisha and Telangana being the only states with fewer than 10 per cent government schools having Internet connectivity.
The information was shared was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi in a written reply to a question asked by the BJP's Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik in the Rajya Sabha.
According to the Union Ministry of Education, apart from the Union Territories -- Puducherry and Chandigarh, which recorded 100 per cent Internet connectivity in government schools -- Delhi is the only state in the list.
8:09 PM
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said he has accepted the resignation of BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena from the House with immediate effect.
"I have received a letter, dated December 6, personally submitted to me by Kirodi Lal Meena, representing the state of Rajasthan, resigning his seat in Rajya Sabha. I have accepted his resignation with immediate effect," Dhankhar said in the Upper House.
8:06 PM
Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95), an association of pensioners, will organise a rally in the national capital to press the government to hike minimum pension under the scheme.
Presently, the minimum pension under the EPS-95 is Rs 1,000 per month. The EPS-95 is run by retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
"The EPS-95 pensioners are steadfast in their resolve to secure a minimum pension of Rs 7,500, dearness allowance, and additional benefits outlined in the EPFO's letter dated 23.03.2017," Rashtriya Sangharsh Samiti said in a statement.
7:24 PM
The 5G networks have rolled out in 738 districts across the country, and around 100 million subscribers are using these services, marking one of the fastest fifth-generation rollouts in the world, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Telecom service providers have also committed a total investment of Rs 2 lakh crore, including a commitment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for spectrum acquired through auction in July-August 2022, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
6:57 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 'Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023' in Dehradun on December 8 as the hill state looks to boost investment in the coming years, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Modi will also address the gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in its statement.
The 'Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023' is a step towards establishing Uttarakhand as a new investment destination and the theme of the two-day event is 'Peace to Prosperity'.
6:51 PM
Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection system, has been deployed in three sections in South Central Railway zone along with 139 locomotives, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Vaishnaw responded to questions raised by two Congress MPs from Kerala - Benny Behanan and Kumbakudi Sudhakaran - on the total number of sections and length under various railway zones that are covered by Kavach.
"Kavach has so far been deployed on 1,465 route km and 139 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on South Central Railway...," Vaishnaw said in a written response.
6:46 PM
The private sector, government and academia would have to come together and work on Artificial intelligence (AI) as it will help promote economic growth of many countries including India, Invest India Managing Director and CEO Nivruti Rai said on Wednesday.
The chief of the trade and investment promotion agency also said that there is an opportunity cost of AI.
But one has to look at issues like safety, security and privacy-related matters of AI.
"AI is important. Many countries will see about 15 per cent of their GDP growth...anywhere between 5 to 15 per cent. I hope India will be on the higher number (side)...there is so much benefit to humanity. I really think health, education, and environment needs AI," she said here while speaking at the Global Technology Summit 2023.
6:43 PM
AAP MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, on Wednesday urged a court here to grant him bail, claiming he was not a flight risk, had deep roots in society and there was no allegation against him of influencing the witnesses.
Singh's counsel made the submission before Special Judge M K Nagpal during the hearing of his bail application.
The court, meanwhile, allowed an application filed by Singh seeking its permission to put his signature on certain documents authorising his lawyer to represent him in a defamation case in Guwahati.
6:12 PM
Delhi PWD Minister Atishi on Wednesday inspected an under-construction flyover in Anand Vihar and directed officials to complete the work by April 2024, a statement said.
The six-lane flyover will decrease the traffic load on the stretch from Apsara Border to Anand Vihar.
She said the flyover is a crucial project to make east Delhi traffic jam-free. Therefore, any delay in its construction will not be tolerated.
5:47 PM
A total expenditure of Rs 4.10 lakh crore has been made under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I (BPP-I) as on October 31, 2023, and the difference in actual project cost and normative cost is due to increase in cost of raw material and land acquisition, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has made observation about the increase in cost of Phase I of the pariyojana.
"As on October 31, 2023, the total expenditure (BPP-I) is about Rs 4.10 lakh crore...There has been no diversion of funds from other schemes in the execution of BPP-I," he said.
5:37 PM
Industry chamber CII expects the country's economy to grow at 6.8 per cent in the current fiscal and accelerate to 7 per cent in 2024-25, driven by the government's continued focus on infrastructure development and promotion of ease of doing business.
In an interview with PTI, CII President R Dinesh, who is also the Executive Vice Chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, said even on a conservative basis, the expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.8 per cent will be more than the 6.5-6.7 per cent estimated earlier by the industry body.
5:29 PM
State-controlled Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plans to wheel green electricity to its installations in the Arabian Sea to replace natural gas it uses in operation of oil wells as part of its ambitious decarbonisation programme, its Chairman Arun Kumar Singh said.
India's top oil and gas producer has substantially cut gas flaring -- burning of methane gas is produced when oil is extracted from below surface -- and would look to bring it down to nil as part of its environmental commitments, he said while speaking at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, called COP28.
4:57 PM
German automaker Volkswagen India is offering priority comprehensive checks to flood-affected customers in Chennai following the havoc caused by cyclone Michaung over the past two days.
The company said necessary guidelines have been issued across dealerships ensuring adequate manpower and availability of spare parts to take up repairs.
Volkswagen India said it would also ensure timely repair of flood-related damage found in the priority comprehensive service check of their vehicles, a company release here said on Wednesday.
4:54 PM
4:50 PM
Tamang submitted memoranda and reports to the two central ministries on behalf of the state government seeking tribal status for 12 indigenous communities and reservation of seats for the Limboo-Tamangs in the Sikkim Assembly, the official said.
4:35 PM
Topics :Nirmala SitharamanDelhi PoliceKhalistan movementMizoram Assembly electionsTamil NaduZoram People's MovementMizoram state assembly electionCycloneChennaiDeath tollFloodsRajya SabhaParliament winter sessionwinter sessionIndian EconomyGaurav GogoiCongressLok SabhaDerek O’BrienTMCAll India Trinamool CongressManipur
First Published: Dec 06 2023 | 9:32 AM IST
