BackMehbooba Mufti stakes claim to form Jammu and Kashmir govt
Mehbooba Mufti says the focus of her new government will be on peace, reconciliation and development in Jammu and Kashmir
Premium
New Delhi: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti is set to become the first female chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators on Friday decided to revive the coalition government in the strife-torn state. Mufti on Saturday met governor N.N. Vohra and staked claim for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba later thanked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for extending support to her for forming the new government. Mehbooba said the focus of her new government would be on peace, reconciliation and development in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the date for oath-taking is being finalized. The leader of the BJP legislative party, Nirmal Singh, also met the governor and handed over the letter of support from the BJP to Mehbooba Mufti for formation of the next government. Read more
Uttarakhand situation: Narendra Modi holds cabinet meeting
The Union cabinet met in New Delhi on Saturday night to consider the situation in Uttarakhand amid speculation that it may consider the option of President’s Rule in the state. The cabinet met soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Assam. Ahead of the meeting, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded President’s Rule in the state, saying chief minister Harish Rawat has no right to continue after a sting operation purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party MLAs to win their support ahead of floor test on 28 March. Read more
Direct transfer of LPG subsidy has saved Rs15,000 crore: Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the centre’s policy of transferring LPG subsidy directly to consumers’ bank accounts saved the country ₹ 15,000 crore last year. “When we decided to deposit the subsidy directly to the bank accounts, we found that three to four crore consumers could not be traced. This leakage of gas connection was stopped and we saved Rs.15,000 crore in a year," Modi told a gathering of prominent citizens in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday evening. He said 850,000 people had surrendered their LPG subsidy in response to his request. Read more
Modi to go ahead with Brussels visit as Islamic State claims responsibility for attacks
Modi will not cancel his Brussels visit on 30 March for the 13th India-European Union (EU) summit, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, a day the Belgian capital was rocked by multiple blasts that claimed 26 lives and injured many more, including two Indians. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital on Tuesday.
Pathankot attack: India issues visa to 5-member Pakistan’s probe team
India on Friday issued visas to five members of a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) who will travel to the country on Sunday to carry forward the probe into the brazen Pathankot Air Base attack, blamed on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants. “We have issued visas to five Pakistani officials, who will be going to India to get evidence about the Pathankot attack," an Indian high commission spokesperson said in Islamabad. The members of the JIT are scheduled to leave for India on 27 March. The five-member probe team comprises senior officials from both the military intelligence as well as civil administration. Read more
NDA plans new push for labour reforms
The government plans to introduce five new labour bills in the second half of the budget session, resuming an effort to reform labour rules after a year’s hiatus. The move is likely to be resisted by opposition parties and unions. These bills are the Industrial Relations Code Bill 2016, Wage Code Bill 2016, the Small Factories (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Bill, the Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Bill, and Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill. Read more
Govt clears construction of 1 crore houses for rural poor
After announcing a ₹ 3 trillion scheme to build 20 million houses for the urban poor, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a plan on Wednesday to construct 1 crore houses for the rural poor in the next three years. Both schemes are part of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) or Housing For All programme that the government aims to complete by 2022. The Modi government had in June given its go-ahead for the ambitious urban poor housing plan. Read more
Tamil Nadu polls: People’s Welfare Front joins hands with DMDK
In a bid to make the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections a three-cornered contest, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) president Vijayakanth joined hands with the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), a coalition of regional forces and the Left Front. The move is significant because Vijayakanth was being wooed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as well as the main opposition in the state, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by M. Karunanidhi. Read more
Congress pitches high, DMK stands firm
Congress went into seat-sharing talks with the DMK leadership on Friday with high hopes but came out disappointed as the DMK was unwilling to part with more than 30 seats, while the national party pitched for at least double that number. Sources said former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad began the negotiations with DMK president M. Karunanidhi by citing the 63 seats allotted to the Congress during the 2011 Assembly elections. He then invoked the legacy of the national party, stating that it was the only force with presence from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But the DMK team, which included treasurer M.K. Stalin, women’s wing secretary Kanimozhi and principal headquarters secretary Durai Murugan, was unwilling to accede to the Congress’ demand. Read more
India to host eighth Brics summit in Goa
India will host the eighth summit of BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which together represent 42% of the world’s population and more than $16 trillion in gross domestic product or GDP—in Goa in October. This was announced by Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday. She also unveiled the official logo of the summit—a lotus in the national colours of the five member countries.
No change in reservation policy, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government will not change the reservation policy, assuring Dalits that job and university seat quotas will stay in place. He said that the opposition parties were trying to spread untruths about the government’s stance on the quota policy.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
