1. Govt Confident of Defeating No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha, BJP Issues Whip to MPs
The government on Wednesday said it was sure that the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament would be defeated.
“We are ready to give a befitting reply to the Opposition on the no-confidence motion. We are 100 percent confident of defeating it. The NDA is united and would vote against the motion,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted the notice for a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha will debate and vote on the motion on Friday.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. CBI vs CBI, CBI vs ED: Top Probe Agencies Caught in Their Own Fight
From the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi to the Vijay Mallya case, from AgustaWestland to the AirAsia case and from allegations of corruption against former Railway Minister Lalu Yadav to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the two premier investigating agencies of the government, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement
Directorate, are engaged in over 50 cases involving top politicians and big corporates. Most of these are at a sensitive stage given the run-up to the general elections and both agencies are locked in a squabble that threatens to undermine each one’s institutional integrity.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Jio Institute Projects Rs 100 Crore Revenue from Student Fee in First Year
In its application to the government, Reliance Foundation’s proposed Jio Institute has projected earnings of Rs 100 crore from tuition and hostel fee to be paid by roughly 1,000 students in its first year of operation.
Jio Institute is the only greenfield institution, just on paper as of now, to get the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status along with IISc, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, Birla Institute of Science and Technology (BITS) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education. It is expected to admit its first batch of students three years from now.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Why Is a Particular Section of Society Opposing Me: Kumaraswamy
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy confessed to a feeling of relief at the bountiful rainfall that the State has received this year, which also decreases the political tensions over sharing of water with neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr Kumaraswamy said that the State had enough water in its reservoirs to even fulfill next month’s requirements of Tamil Nadu.
“By God’s grace, this has been the happiest development this year. This time even our brothers and sisters in Tamil Nadu will be happy. We are already prepared to fulfill next month’s quota of water to be released.”
(Source: The Hindu)
5. If a Man Can Enter Sabarimala Temple, So Can a Woman: Supreme Court
Questioning age restrictions on the entry of women at the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, the Supreme Court Wednesday observed that “what applies to a man applies to a woman” as well and said that a “woman’s right to pray was not dependent on any law but it is a Constitutional right.”
The observations were made by a five-judge Constitution Bench while hearing a petition challenging Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965 under which the restrictions have been put in place on entry to the famous hill If a man can enter, then so can a woman, says SC bench shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. VVIP Chopper Scam Case: ED Says Ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi’s Firm Got Over Rs 1 Crore in Kickbacks
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a special court Wednesday that a company, which had former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi as a partner, received over Rs 1 crore in kickbacks in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
In a charge sheet filed under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the ED accused 34 people and entities of having played a role in the Rs 3,600-crore deal where kickbacks were allegedly paid to make AgustaWestland helicopters eligible for the India contract.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. MiG-21 Fighter Jet Crashes in Kangra, Pilot Dead
A MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near village Patta Jatian in Jawali area of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday afternoon, killing the lone pilot.
The pilot, identified as Squadron Leader Meet Kumar, took off from Pathankot air base, said Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, who visited the crash site along with the Superintendent of Police.
The crash occurred between around 1.10 pm. Some local residents, who saw the jet in flames falling down, informed the police immediately.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Bill on Death Penalty for Child Rape to Be Tabled
The Bill to award the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament, the Cabinet decided on Wednesday.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
(Source: The Hindu)
9. Delhi HC Seeks Authorities Stand on Lack of Breastfeeding Facilities in Public Places
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre, AAP government and civic authorities here on providing facilities to mothers to breastfeed in public places, observing that they were being provided all over the world.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter needs to be examined by all the land owning agencies and civic bodies and issued notice to the municipal bodies and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) apart, from the Centre and the AAP government.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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