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A bill to repeal 71 laws which have outlived their utility in the statute books was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. While 65 of the bills are amendment Acts, which were brought to tweak existing laws, six are principal laws that have become outdated. At least one law, proposed to be repealed, is of the British era -- The Indian Tramways Act of 1886. The law was brought to facilitate the construction and to regulate the working of tramways in British India. The proposed repeal and amendment Bill is not aimed at striking off colonial laws but to remove Acts which have outlived their utility. "Once an amendment is passed by Parliament, it gets subsumed in the principal law. It then only clutters the statute books. Its use has ended, but it still exists, creating confusion," an official explained. So far, 1,562 old archaic laws have been repealed. Once the proposed Bill gets Parliament's nod, the total number of laws to be repealed will stand at 1,633. Since May 2014, the Mo
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday claimed that the honour and respect Indians get abroad now were never the same before 2014. He was addressing BJP workers and leaders at a gathering in Lucknow, after announcing the name of Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary as the state party president. He said that before 2014 -- when the BJP came to power at the Centre -- the news featured corruption and major scams every day, and the law and order scenario was "very bad" in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the attendees, he said that by making Narendra Modi the prime minister and ensuring the formation of the NDA government with a huge majority, "you have been the witness to ('saakshi') and the facilitator of ('sutradhaar') the development spree it started". "In the journey from 2014 to 2025, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mindset and the way of working changed. At the international level, India's identity also changed. Today, wherever we go carrying t
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said every step of the poll process arouses suspicion and asserted that the chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners must answer how they "conspired" to take away people's voting rights. Addressing the party's 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' mega rally at Ramlila grounds here, Priyanka Gandhi said Indians must rise when the country's institutions are being crushed. She named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and said the BJP will not be able to save them, as one day they will be forced to answer for "conspiring" to take away people's vote. "I challenge the BJP to contest polls on the ballot paper. They know they will never win," the Congress general secretary said. "You should not lose heart over losing Bihar, the entire country knows BJP wins through 'vote chori'," she said. The party leader said the Election Commission turned a blind eye to Rs .
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party stands with "satya (truth)" and vowed to remove the "Narendra Modi-RSS government". Addressing the party's 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, he launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and mentioned the names of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to allege that they were working for the BJP. "We will stand with 'satya' (truth) and will remove the Narendra Modi-RSS government from power. They have 'satta' (power), and they indulge in 'vote chori'," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. Gandhi claimed that the BJP transferred Rs 10,000 during elections, but the poll panel did not take any action against them. "In this fight between truth and untruth, the Election Commission is working with the BJP government," he said. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi brought a new law to give immunity to EC; we will change this l
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government will provide a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 39 people who, she claimed, have died in the state due to "SIR-induced panic", including cases of suicide. Thirteen others who fell ill during the SIR exercise including three booth-level officers (BLOs) allegedly burdened by "excessive workload" would also be given Rs 1 lakh each, she said. The chief minister, citing government assessments, said the rollout of SIR on November 4 has triggered widespread fear and distress among sections of the public. "Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to the SIR panic, including suicides. Their families will be provided financial assistance," she said after a review of the state's 14-year development record at the state secretariat Nabanna. Banerjee added that 13 others were currently under treatment after collapsing or falling critically ill during ...
Former Union minister and Congress leader Yogendra Makwana passed away in Ahmedabad on Tuesday due to age-related issues at the age of 92, a party spokesperson said. Makwana had served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1973 to 1989. He was deputy chief whip and secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha, said Congress spokesperson Hiren Banker. He breathed his last this morning. Makwana was a member of the Union cabinets under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi between 1980 and 1988, according to a release issued by the Congress party. He handled portfolios including Home Affairs, Planning, Communications, Steel and Mines, Health, and Agriculture. Born on October 23, 1933, in Sojitra village of Anand district in Gujarat, Makwana began his political journey as the general secretary of the Kheda District Praja Samajwadi Party before joining the Congress at the invitation of Indira Gandhi. He held degrees of B.A., LL.B., and Ph.D. In 2006, Makwana was .
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday hoped for an early restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, saying it would give more powers to the elected government and enable it to fulfil the promises made to the people during last year's assembly elections. Talking to reporters in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, Abdullah said he had expected the Centre to fulfil the promise of statehood restoration made to the people of the Union territory from the floor of Parliament and the Supreme Court, but since that has not happened, he would continue pressing for it. "We are hoping for more powers and that is why we are stressing on the (restoration of) statehood, because that is a promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and that promise should be fulfilled," Abdullah told reporters in Kulgam district in south Kashmir. "Only the Centre and the BJP can state the reasons for keeping Jammu and Kashmir without statehood. But, we will not stop trying (to make efforts)," he added. Asked