1. Time to Turn J&K Into a Paradise, Says PM Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly elections in Nashik by calling for the making of a new Kashmir and the creation of a ”new paradise” in the Valley after the effective revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) last month.
Modi also rebuked “loudmouths”, in an apparent reference to the Shiv Sena, for making comments about the Ram temple issue before the Supreme Court rules on it.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. At Jadavpur, Left Students Manhandle MoS Babul Supriyo, Governor Rushes to Rescue
Amid high drama, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Babul Supriyo was heckled and manhandled by a section of students at Jadavpur University (JU) on Thursday. The students gheraoed Supriyo for over five hours, stopping him from leaving the campus. When Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar rushed to JU in the evening, his vehicle was also blocked for about an hour, before a huge police contingent reached the campus and escorted them out.
Supriyo later alleged that he was assaulted. “I was severely thrashed, my hair was pulled, and I was punched and kicked,” he said. “This is not expected from students of JU. If they have a problem with me coming here, they should have debated the matter.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Centre Names Air Marshal Bhadauria as Next IAF Chief
The government on Thursday named Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria as the new Indian Air Force (IAF) chief. He will succeed Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, who retires on September 30. Had he not been appointed to the post, Bhadauria would have retired the same day as Dhanoa.
Bhadauria, who has been the IAF’s vice chief since May 1, is affectionately known as Chotu. He led the complex negotiations for the Rs 59,000-crore Rafale deal for 36 fighter jets and has also been closely associated with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. PM Modi Will Not Discuss Article 370 at UN, It’s an Internal Matter: Govt
Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is leaving for the US Friday, will not discuss the issue of Article 370 at the United Nations and will focus on development and other issues when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 27 morning.
Gokhale said Article 370 is an “internal issue”, and the Prime Minister will focus on issues related to development and India’s role in shaping the global agenda. “Terrorism is one of the issues, but will not be our focus,” he said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. To Bring New Customers, Camps in 400 Districts for Easy Loans
State-owned banks and Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) will jointly organise loan distribution programmes in 400 districts across the country in the next one month for retail, agriculture and MSME customers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Thursday after a review meeting with heads of public sector banks.
To provide relief to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the government has advised banks not to treat stressed MSMEs loans as Non Performing Assets (NPAs) till March 31, 2020, and instead work towards timely resolution of these, she said. The relief will be provided under existing guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. P Chidambaram to Remain in Custody Till 3 October
A Delhi court on Thursday extended by two more weeks the judicial custody of former finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the end of his first 14-day stint in Tihar jail.
Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar remanded the senior Congress politician and Rajya Sabha member to custody until October 3. He allowed Chidambaram’s request for a copy of a statement on his account in a Jor Bagh bank branch and directed jail authorities to ensure he gets adequate medical attention after his lawyers referred to his various ailments.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. Several States Supported High Fines in New Motor Vehicles Act Before it Was Passed
A bunch of states have balked at enforcing sharply higher fines prescribed by the amended Motor Vehicles Act for traffic violations, ranging from riding a bike without a helmet to driving under the influence, but it emerges that all of them had been in agreement with the Centre on the need for the increased penalties and signed off on the changes to the law before it was notified.
Some states like Gujarat that had reservations over provisions of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 had even hosted meetings for other state ministers to discuss issues related to road safety.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. Tiger Count up but Official Photos Show One in Seven Could Just Be a Paper Tiger
On July 29 this year, the government announced its quadrennial tiger survey: 2,967 tigers nationwide and as many as 2,462, almost 83 percent, of them photographed. This is a jump from the previous survey in 2015 that counted 2,226 tigers and ostensibly photographed 1,635 – almost 73 percent.
The latest photos haven’t been made public but officials pointed to photos taken for the previous survey to say that such a high share of tigers being photographed leaves little room for extrapolation or inaccuracy.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Derogatory Word Against PM is Not Sedition: Delhi Police to Court
The Delhi Police, in an action taken report (ATR) on complaints seeking the charge of sedition against Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, told a Delhi court Thursday that “mere uttering a derogatory word, without more overt act, against PM of India did not constitute an offence under IPC sections 124-A/153-A”.
While Section 124-A relates to sedition, Section 153-A is about promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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