1. Time for Simultaneous Polls, say President, PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged NDA constituents to “at least start a debate” on the need for “One Nation, One Election” — his oft emphasised idea of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and State assemblies. Speaking to NDA floor leaders in Parliament, which included Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul despite his party’s recent resolution to go it alone in the 2019 general elections, Mr. Modi raised the issue of simultaneous polls.
“Prime Minister Modi said that while laws were framed in Parliament, it was important to create an environment where the people were also aware and supportive of this idea, as it was aimed at relieving the governance machinery of constantly being in poll mode. That, he said, affected development works as frequent imposition of model codes of conduct for election-bound States could affect decisions and their implementation,” said an NDA floor leader who was present at the meeting.
Significantly, NDA ally JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on Sunday declared that Assembly polls will be held in Bihar in 2020, the scheduled year for such polls.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. 7-7.5% Growth Next Year: Economic Survey
The economic survey says the worst is over and the Indian economy is poised to rebound to grow in the range of 7-7.5% in 2018-19.
It credits this recovery to structural policy fixes, including the decision to put in place a bankruptcy code to deal with the bad debt problem — which it believes had become a binding constraint on economic growth. According to the survey, demonetisation of high-value currencies, together with the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), has led to more people being brought under the tax net and the formal economy is much bigger than what it is estimated at.
Optimistic while the survey is, it makes out a case for policy vigilance to deal with downside risks stemming from rising crude oil prices and any setback to the ongoing recovery of the global economy.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. 21 Million is The Number of Girls Parents Did Not Want: First Such National Data
The Economic Survey presents the first ever estimate of the number of ‘unwanted’ girls in India — girls whose parents wanted a boy but had a girl instead — at 21 million. The number has been arrived at by looking at the sex ratio of the last child (SRLC) which is heavily male-skewed, indicating that parents keep having children until they get the desired number of sons.
The Survey points out that the huge number of ‘unwanted girls’ (in the 0-25 age group in the population currently) is a direct outcome of the ‘son meta preference’ where parents do not stop having children after having a daughter.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. CJI Paves Way for HC Judge to be Removed Over Admissions Scam
Finding substance in allegations against the Allahabad high court’s Justice SN Shukla related to the medical admission scam, a three-judge in-house committee has recommended his removal to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
Acting on the committee’s recommendations, and as per paragraph 7(i) of the in-house procedure, the CJI advised Justice Shukla to either resign or take voluntary retirement. However, Justice Shukla refused to do either. Left with no option, the CJI advised the HC chief justice to withdraw judicial work from Justice Shukla with immediate effect, a step which can clear the way for his removal and for the CBI to register a case against him in connection with the medical admission scam. Justice Shukla, while heading a division bench, allegedly defied restraint orders passed by a CJI-led bench last year to permit private colleges to admit students for the 2017-18 academic year.
5. Zero Anti-Incumbency in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah
There is “absolutely no anti-incumbency” in Karnataka, chief minister Siddaramaiah said in an interview to Hindustan Times, stressing that he would retain power in this year’s assembly elections because his government had “fulfilled all its promises” and because there were “no corruption charges” against it.
The Congress Chief Minister said he was confident the party would be able to counter the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi because the people would “compare the achievements of the state government with those of the Centre”.
“Karnataka is a different state. Voters are mature here. They know what decisions to take… The people of Karnataka are happy with us. There is absolutely no anti-incumbency,” Siddaramaiah said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Kasganj Violence a Blot on UP, Says Governor Ram Naik
Using unusually strong words, UP governor Ram Naik on Monday described the communal conflagration in Kasganj as a “blot on the state” even as the Yogi Aditya Nath government shunted out SP Sunil Kumar Singh of the troubled district.
Expressing his concern over the violence, the governor told journalists in Lucknow, “Kasganj ki ghatna pradesh ke liye kalank hai (The Kasganj violence is a blot on UP).” Naik said the state government was probing the circumstances that led to the clash. Minutes before receiving the transfer order, Singh told TOI that the violence was a “deliberate political conspiracy”.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Violence in Name of Cow: SC Notice to Three States Over Contempt Petition
The Supreme Court Court Monday issued notice to the governments of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against them for not following its order to prevent violence perpetrated in the name of protecting the cow.
Considering a plea by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, a bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud asked the three states to file their replies by 3 April. The bench said it would hear the contempt plea along with the main writ petition filed by Gandhi earlier.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Bofors Case May Finally Wind up as AG Advises Against CBI Appeal
In a major setback to efforts to reopen the Bofors payoff case that brought down the Rajiv Gandhi government in the 1989 election and long remained a political albatross for Congress, attorney general KK Venugopal has advised against the CBI filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.
The government’s top law officer said that as more than 12 years had lapsed since the acquittal of key Bofors accused by the Delhi high court, any appeal by the CBI was likely to fail on account of delay itself. He also pointed to lack of circumstances to condone the long delay.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. China Ready to Discuss India's Concerns Over Pak Corridor
China said on Monday it is ready to discuss India’s concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which New Delhi has opposed because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The CPEC is a flagship venture of China’s multi-billion dollar connectivity project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
China’s statement came in response to Indian ambassador Gautam Bambawale’s remarks in an interview with Global Times, a state-run tabloid, that CPEC is a problem that mustn’t be pushed under the carpet.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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