1. Take a Pledge that You Will Not Ditch the ‘Pure’ Party, Kejriwal tells AAP MCD Corporators
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with the 48 elected corporators from his party in Delhi’s three municipal corporations on Thursday.
AAP later posted a video of the meeting online on YouTube where Kejriwal is seen laying down ground rules for the 48 corporators. AAP faced defeat in the MCD polls and after the votes were counted on Wednesday, talk of defections started emerging.
In the video, Kejriwal is seen spelling out the dos and don’ts for the newly-elected corporators. He told the new members to be vigilant and be brave.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Court: No Excuse, Set up Lokpal
The Narendra Modi government on Thursday suffered a setback on the Lokpal with the Supreme Court directing it to proceed with the Constitution of the country's first anti-graft ombudsman even in the absence of a "leader of opposition" (LOP) in the selection committee and several proposed amendments pending in Parliament.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, passed by Parliament and notified on 16 January 2014, has been hanging fire as the Centre has refused to constitute the body on the ground that there was no LoP in the present Lok Sabha and several amendments proposed to the law are under Parliament's consideration.
The Centre's intransigence has been challenged in the top court by two NGOs, Common Cause and Youth For Equality, which have sought a directive to the government to put the Lokpal in place.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. SC Trashes Govt’s Plea to Recall Verdict on Probe Into
Fake Encounters in Manipur
In a setback to the Central government, the Supreme Court has dismissed its plea to recall 2016 verdict on conducting a probe into 1,528 cases of alleged fake encounters in Manipur in the last 20 years.
“We have gone through the curative petition and the relevant documents. In our opinion, no case is made out within the parameters indicated in the decision of this court in Rupa Ashok Hurra’s case. Hence, the curative petition is dismissed,” said the bench, also comprising Justices Dipak Misra, J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur and Uday U Lalit.
The bench also junked the government’s plea to hear the matter in open court instead of deciding it in chamber – the usual manner in which review and curative petitions are decided.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Sukma Attacks in Retaliation to Sexual Violence on Tribal Women, Say Maoists
The Dand Karanya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Thursday claimed that the Sukma attacks were in retaliation to the alleged sexual violence by security forces against tribal women in the conflict zone.
The DKSZC spokesperson ‘Vikalp’ in an audio clip.
These attacks should be seen as retaliation against the sexual atrocities that are being committed by the security forces against the tribal women and girls in the conflict zone. It should also be seen as an answer to the countless incidents of sexual violence which is a blot on any civilised society. Bhejji and Chintagufa-Burkapal attacks should be seen as (retaliatory) attacks for the dignity and respect of tribal women. These attacks are being carried out to liberate the tribal people in conflict areas from the inhuman atrocities they facing from the security forces.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. EC Seeks 73,000 Central Security Personnel for LS Bypoll in J&K’s Anantnag
The Election Commission (EC) has sought around 73,000 Central security personnel to conduct the Anantnag parliamentary constituency bypoll, a demand termed ‘unprecedented’ by the Union Home Ministry.
“To conduct assembly elections in five states recently, the Home Ministry provided around 70,000 security personnel and we have been asked to provide more than 73,000 personnel for one parliamentary constituency. It is not even logistically possible to send such a large number of personnel to Jammu and Kashmir in a short span of time,” said a senior Home Ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The officer asked if 73,000 personnel are required to hold bypoll in Anantnag, would be feasible to hold elections there at all.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. His Modi's Voice? Not Always
Home Minister Rajnath Singh appears to be the lone member in the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah dispensation taking a nuanced, if not divergent, stand on multiple issues, standing out in the crowd of BJP leaders singing the dominant tune.
When Kashmiri students were attacked in Rajasthan and faced threats in Uttar Pradesh – an apparent reaction to stone-pelting by Kashmiri youths on security forces in the Valley – Rajnath had rushed an advisory to all chief ministers.
I have come to know of recent incidents of harassment and misbehaviour towards Kashmiris in some places... I appeal to everyone to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students living in other parts of the country. Kashmiris are part of our family.Home Minister Rajnath singh’s advisory
The response rang loud in the middle of the silence of other ministers, including Prime Minister Modi, on the subject.
This was not a one-off instance. In the middle of the Uttar Pradesh elections, Singh had startled many BJP leaders when he said the party should have fielded a Muslim candidate. The BJP had not picked any, considered a conscious decision, and so Rajnath was seen as speaking against the party line.
(Source: The Telegraph)
7. Now, Aadhaar Must for Getting Fellowships, Scholarships from UGC and AICTE
Students seeking government scholarships and fellowships will need to declare Aadhaar numbers by the end of June, the human resources development (HRD) Ministry notified on Wednesday, putting yet another of its benefits programme behind the Unique Identity project (UID) wall.
Wednesday’s order covers fellowship schemes implemented by the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education.
“The use of Aadhaar as identity document for delivery of services or benefits or subsidies simplifies the government delivery processes, brings in transparency and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly in a convenient and seamless manner and Aadhaar obviates the need for producing multiple documents to prove one’s identity,” the government stated in its notification.
Students have till 30 June to declare their Aadhaar numbers, or apply for one and declare the enrolment number, to their colleges.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. EC Bribery Case: Dhinakaran Taken to Chennai, Residence Searched
AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran, arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with a bribery case, was today brought here and searches were conducted at his residence in the city as part of the probe.
Delhi Crime Branch police personnel led by Assistant Commissioner Sanjay Sherawat searched the residences of Dhinakaran and that of his associate Mallikarjuna, police sources said tonight.
The police had secured warrants from a Delhi court to conduct the searches which were part of efforts to gather "further evidence" in the alleged attempt by Dhinakaran to bribe EC officials, they said.
(Source: Times of India)
9. Survey Finds Karnataka the Most Corrupt State
Karnataka occupies the first slot in a list of states perceived to be corrupt on the basis of people's experience in paying bribes for public services, a survey conducted by an NGO has revealed. Karnataka is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.
The Centre for Media Studies survey, which covered 20 states, found Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh to be the least corrupt. The report said around one-third of the households experienced corruption in public services at least once during the last one year in comparison to about 53% of households that admitted to paying bribes during a similar study in 2005.
(Source: Times of India)
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