Khattar govt's 'rice shoot policy' is anti-farmers: Randeep Singh Surjewala

Challenging Khattar for an open debate on public issues, the chief spokesperson of the Congress said farmers in Kaithal, Jind, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts will be adversely affected by the policy

Ayushman Bharat claims slump as much as 78% in May during lockdown

• The amount claimed under the pre-authorisation also showed a similar trend, down by 38-72% from February for the four services
• For respiratory disease treatments, however, claims were down 77% even in April, and the situation continued to remain so in May as well

Mallikarjuna Kharge is Congress choice for Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka

• Mallikarjuna Kharge, among other senior Congress leaders, had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
• The last date for filing nominations is on 9 June and the polls are 10 days after on 19 June

Factions, exits make Congress jittery in RS poll-ready Gujarat

The Congress had won 77 seats in the 2017 assembly elections. But now it has only 66 MLAs owing to internal problems

Govt mulling making large firms disclose MSME dues: Nitin Gadkari

• MSMEs are considered the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing the bulk of Indian employment, manufacturing and exports
• Nitin Gadkari also said the government is looking at a specially created 'MSME Stock Exchange', which will have such small businesses listed on it

India, Australia broaden ties in key sectors, skip talks on China

• Modi and Morrison ink several pacts on mining of certain elements, cybersecurity cooperation, defence
• Both Modi and Morrison pledged mutual cooperation across a broad spectrum of issues

Final instalment of ₹500 to women Jan Dhan a/c holders from Friday: FinMin

• Instalment of ₹500 for June has been sent to the bank accounts of PMJDY women beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package
• The transfer has been staggered over a period of five days to avoid a rush at bank branches

Demand for cabinet berths rakes up dissent in Karnataka government

• Hit with one crisis after another, challenges for the Yediyurappa has grown due to politicking for the upcoming Rajya Sabha poll nominations and legislative council elections likely by end of June or early July

Ahead of Rajya Sabha polls, trouble brewing for Congress in Gujarat

• The Congress has been out of power for nearly 25 years in the state. The party’s tally in the 182-member assembly is 66 compared with BJP's 103

Covid-19 lockdown: Only a tenth of package is direct support, says Rajiv Bajaj

• The government should look at restoring confidence among people, which was critical for reopening the economy as fear poses a big challenge to recovery

Marriage on cards for DK Shivakumar’s daughter with VG Siddhartha’s son

• The prospective alliance is between Shivakumar’s elder daughter Aishwarya, and Amartya, son of Siddhartha, late founder of Cafe Coffee Day
• Siddhartha was the son-in-law of former Karnataka chief minister and India’s external affairs minister, SM Krishna

Delhi HC to Sasikala Pushpa: People have right to know who their leaders meet

• Expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala Pushpa had filed a plea seeking direction to Facebook, Google and YouTube from publishing her defamatory photographs with a man belonging to a rival political party

Shadow of uncertainty persists over parliamentary panel meetings

• A meeting of the panel scheduled for Wednesday was deferred as most members expressed inability to attend
• The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats have not permitted such meetings to be conducted via videoconferencing

Centre takes steps to bring the farmer closer to the market

• Central govt issues a set of ordinances to create a national market for agri produce and allow contract farming to protect farmers from price risks
• It is unclear how states will react to these ordinances since agriculture marketing is a state subject as per the Constitution

Travel curbs on foreigners eased

• Healthcare professionals, researchers and engineers working in Indian facilities come under ambit of the move
• Govt also included more categories of foreigners while relaxing visa restrictions

Government turns its focus on rural economy as India unlocks

• The Centre feels the move will help promote freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply
• The move is politically significant as it may be resisted by states ruled by Opposition parties

CPM holds 1st virtual polit buro meeting, calls for nationwide protest on 16 Jun

• The CPM will seek a cash transfer of ₹7,500 per month for a period of six months for all families outside the income tax paying bracket, free distribution of 10 kg food grains per individual per month for six months

Karnataka invites Intel to set up manufacturing unit in Mangaluru or Belagavi

The offer comes as part of Karnataka government’s efforts to reach out to investors to mitigate the acute shortage of cash in Karnataka after the covid-19 induced lockdown exacerbated the problems for its economy and job creation

Cabinet amends commodities act, to set up secretaries' group for investments

• The ECA will now be amended to make it in tune with the times and to attract investments into the farm sector
• Govt has been reaching out to financially weaker sections including farmers, amid growing criticism that the lockdown, while necessary, was unplanned

Cabinet approves renaming of KPT as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust

The Prime Minister had announced the renaming of Kolkata Port Trust after Syama Prasad Mukherjee at a function to mark the 150th-anniversary celebrations of the port trust