1. Annoyed Over 'Tone and Timing' of Fake News Order, PM Modi Cancels I&B Minister's Punish-Journalist Directive
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 3 April, ordered the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to withdraw its order laying down new guidelines punishing journalists for fake news after widespread criticism that these norms were an attempt to intimidate and muzzle the free press in an election year.
Soon after, the I&B Ministry issued a statement, saying its press release regarding fake news put out by it last night “stands withdrawn”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Changes in SC/ST Act: Apex Court Doesn't Stay Its Order, Says 'We're Not Going by Any Agitation'
Making clear “we are not going by any agitation”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an interim stay on its 20 March order which forbids arrest without prior permission for an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The judges said the Centre’s review petition, filed Monday when Dalits staged protests across the country against what they called dilution of the Act, will again be heard after written submissions are filed. The hearing on Tuesday was in open court, as desired by the Centre.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. CAG Points Out Corruption in Delhi, Kejriwal Government Calls for CBI Probe
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged a slew of irregularities in the financial administration of the national capital, prompting the Delhi government to say on Tuesday that a federal investigation will be sought in at least 50 instances of government resources being swindled.
Some of the important findings of the CAG, tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Assembly on Tuesday, included untracked funds amounting to Rs 7,270 crore and instances where ration shop owners cornered subsidised grains meant for the poor.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. NIRF India Rankings 2018: IISc Bangalore Best University, Miranda Top College
The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Delhi’s Miranda House are India’s best university and college this year, according to the countrywide government ranking of educational institutions on Tuesday.
Union Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar released the India Rankings of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in New Delhi under nine categories – overall, universities, engineering, colleges, management, pharmacy, medical, architecture, and law this year.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. CBSE Decides Against Holding a Retest of Class X Maths Paper
The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) decision on Tuesday to not hold a retest of the Class X Mathematics paper was based on the evaluation of 1,000 randomly selected answer scripts from examination centres in Delhi, Panchkula and Patna regions, School Education Secretary Anil Swarup told The Indian Express.
“The board compared the pass percentage of these (1,000) students to the corresponding figure for last year and found that there was no unusual spike or change in performance. In fact, the pass percentage of this sample size is less than that of last year”, he said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. US Designates 2008 Mumbai Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed's MML as Terror Organisation
The United States of America on Tuesday designated 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed’s political front Milli Muslim League (MML) as a foreign terrorist organisation, as per ANI. The US State Department also brought amendments to the designation of Pakistan-based banned terrorist organisation Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT) as well as Tehreek-e- Azadi-e Kashmir (TAJK) under the list of terror organisation.
Besides, the US also designated seven members of the MML as foreign terrorists for acting on behalf of Lashkar-e-Taiba. A press statement released by the State Department dated 2 April says that the changes have been done to designate LeT as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224. The designations accorded to the Pakistan-based organisations deny the resources it needs to plan and carry out further terrorist attacks.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Commonwealth Games 2018: IOA Arranges Accreditation for Saina Nehwal's Father After Her Pull-Out Threat
A day after shuttler Saina Nehwal lashed out at the authorities for cancelling her father’s accreditation for the Commonwealth Games, the Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday sorted out the issue. “It’s our duty to help the sportspersons. They should focus on winning medals. Yes, Saina had written to a senior official. But we don’t want to make an issue out of it. As it is, we have solved her problem. We wouldn’t like to comment on the tone and tenor of the letter,” a senior IOA official said.
Thanking IOA in a Twitter post, the shuttler said, “Thank u so much @ioaindia for the support and help sorting out my father’s accreditation card in such short notice ..Hopefully it will b great for the matches ahead ..and I m sorry for all the trouble. #CommonwealthGames2018”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. In Rajasthan, Houses of Dalit MLA, Ex-Minister Set Ablaze
A day after Dalit protests triggered violence in different parts of the country, fresh violence broke out in Rajasthan as a mob set ablaze the houses of a sitting MLA and a former MLA – both Dalits – in Hindaun, in Karauli district, about 160 km from Jaipur, during counter-protests on Tuesday morning. Police said the mob also tried to attack a Dalit settlement.
“Yesterday (Monday), a crowd of about 15,000-20,000 protesters, who were in favour of the Bharat Bandh, created a ruckus in several areas like Gangapur in Sawai Madhopur and Hindaun in Karauli. Today, traders, businessmen and non-Scheduled Caste people took out a rally against yesterday’s violence,” said Inspector General of Police, Bharatpur range, Alok Kumar Vashishtha on Tuesday.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. SC to Hear Cauvery Case on 9 April
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear, on 9 April, the Centre’s plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement its 16 February judgment in the Cauvery water dispute.
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said the Centre’s application would be heard along with a contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu.
(Source: The Hindu)
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