Political updates: Narendra Modi says practice yoga to treat diabetes

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Chandigarh on Monday to participate in the Second International Yoga Day celebrations, which were held at the Le Corbusier-designed Capitol Complex on Tuesday, while the Congress Party organized ‘Jumla Day’ on Monday and decided to boycott Tuesday’s mega event.

Meanwhile, the Congress is facing a mutiny of sorts in Karnataka after chief minister Siddaramaiah sacked 14 out of 34 ministers in a major revamp on Sunday. There’s a lot at stake for the Congress in Karnataka. Apart from being the only state in south India where the Congress is in power, Karnataka is also the largest of the six states that the party currently rules, independently or with alliance partners.

With the government’s decision to reform foreign direct investment (FDI) norms on Monday, PM Modi said that the move makes India the most open economy in the world and the most attractive destination for foreign investors.

On the issue of India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), China on Monday claimed that the issue of India’s membership was not on the agenda of the group’s meeting to be held in Seoul on 24 June.

PM Modi leads second International Yoga Day celebrations in Chandigarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday joined over 30,000 people for the second International Yoga Day celebrations in Chandigarh as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. Read more.

Mutiny within Congress in Karnataka after cabinet reshuffle

The Congress party’s Karnataka unit is facing a mutiny of sorts within its ranks after chief minister Siddaramaiah sacked 14 out of 34 ministers in a major revamp on Sunday. Angry supporters of Congress leaders like V. Srinivasa Prasad, M.H. Ambareesh and M. Krishnappa, who were either sacked or were not inducted into the cabinet, took to the streets on Monday. Congress workers, who have blocked the National Highway 212 between Bengaluru and Mysuru for the last two days, burned effigies of Siddaramaiah and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna M. Kharge on Monday, regional news channels reported. Read more.

Dropped housing minister Ambareesh resigns as Karnataka MLA

As discontent simmered over the reshuffle of his ministry by chief minister Siddaramaiah, actor-turned-politician Ambareesh on Monday resigned as member of the Karnataka legislative assembly. Ambareesh sent a one-line resignation letter addressed to the Assembly Speaker through his personal assistant. The move comes a day after Siddaramaiah dropped 14 ministers and inducted 13 others in the major revamp. Read more.

Reforms in FDI make India most open economy in the world, says Modi

With the Centre radically liberalising the FDI regime by permitting 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under the government approval route for almost every sector, including defence, PM Modi said the initiative makes India the most open economy in the world for FDI. “Key reform decisions were taken at a high level meeting chaired by the PM, which makes India the most open economy in the world for FDI. Centre has radically liberalized the FDI regime, with the objective of providing major impetus to employment and job creation in India,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. Read more.

CPM calls for all-party meet to discuss GST bill

The central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, on Monday called for an all-party meeting to try and build a consensus around the goods and services tax (GST) bill. The move follows support for the draft law by finance ministers of states, including Kerala, which is ruled by the CPM.

In another decision, the central committee said that the recent alliance struck between the Congress and the CPM in West Bengal for the assembly elections in the state was against the CPM’s political line. Read more.

NSG: India’s entry not on Seoul meet agenda, says China

In what seems to be a blow to India’s hopes of joining the exclusive NSG that controls access to sensitive nuclear technology this week, China on Monday said India’s application was not on the agenda of a plenary meet of the 48-member bloc in Seoul later this week. Meanwhile, Canada on Monday came out in open support of India’s membership to the elite 48-nation group, claiming that the group’s export controls will actually be strengthened with India’s presence. Read more.

Draft National Forest Policy proposes green tax to address forestry woes

The environment ministry has released the draft of India’s new National Forest Policy (NFP), proposing the levy of a green tax for facilitating ecologically responsible behaviour, supplementing financial resources essential to address forestry woes.

NFP is an overarching policy for forest management to bring a minimum one-third of India’s total geographical area under forest or tree cover. The proposed NFP follows the last edition in 1988. Read more.

FIR against Kejriwal and Sheila Dikshit for alleged involvement in water tanker scam

The Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday filed an FIR in the ongoing probe into a ₹ 400 crore water tanker scam, which allegedly took place during Sheila Dikshit’s tenure. The bureau said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit could be called in for questioning as part of the probe. Read more.

More delays in implementation of OROP

The tenure of the committee formed for the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme has been extended by six months up to the middle of December this year. The government recently amended the gazette notification issued last year under which the committee headed by former Patna high court chief justice (retd) L. Narasimha Reddy was scheduled to submit its report by 14 June. With the extension, the implementation of OROP may take more time as the panel can submit its report by 14 December, people familiar with the matter said. Read more.