1. New J&K Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta Says Kathua Rape a “Small Incident”
The cabinet reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir took place on Monday, 30 April with speaker Kavinder Gupta taking over as the new deputy chief minister of the PDP-BJP combine.
Hours after the ceremony, Gupta kicked up a storm by terming the Kathua rape and murder a “minor incident”. “It is a small incident but we have to ensure that it does not happen again. We want that justice for the child but the incident shouldn’t be raked up again and again. The state has many such challenges,” he added.
Both parties sought to downplay the link between the reshuffle and Kathua, although the appointment of Kathua MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, who was part of the rally for which two of the BJP’s ministers had to resign, as cabinet minister came under criticism.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. 4 Held for Jehanabad Molestation, Cops Hunt for Allahabad Man Who Shared Viral Video
Patna police are on the lookout for a man from Allahabad who allegedly posted the video of the molestation of a 14-year-old Bihar girl on social media. Police have also arrested four persons, including a juvenile, for their involvement in the crime.
The shocking video comes against the backdrop of an increasing number of sex crimes against minors that prompted the government to pass an executive order on 21 April that said the sexual assault of girls under the age of 12 would be punishable with the death sentence.
The video, shot in Bharathua village of Jehanabad district in Bihar went viral on internet after the man posted it on his Facebook account, which was tracked down by police. The suspect has 30,000 followers, officials said.
(Source: Hindustan Times-
3. PM Event to Bring CJI Face-to-Face With Oppn Leaders Who Sought His Ouster
Days after the Opposition sought a motion for his removal, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will come face-to-face with some of those leaders on 2 May at a meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for planning celebrations on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar are expected to attend. However, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who is part of the 114-member panel constituted by the culture ministry to approve policies, programmes and guide the commemoration of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, will not attend the meeting.
The panel, in its first meeting on Wednesday, 2 May will also decide on the broad dates and programme for the celebration.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. AFSPA Will Continue in Nagaland: Kiren Rijiju
MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju said on 30 April that AFSPA, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, will continue in Nagaland as it is a “special case” and the “peace agreement” hasn’t been finalised there yet.
Nagaland, Manipur and Assam are the only three States in the northeast that continue to be under AFSPA.
Last year, the Home Ministry gave up its power and asked the Assam government to take a decision on continuing AFSPA in the State. The Act gives powers to the Army and the Central forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Centre’s sanction.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Stop Clogging Courts With Frivolous Cases, SC Tells Government
"The couldn't-care-less and insouciant attitude of the Union government with regard to litigation has gone a little too far," the Supreme Court said and castigated the Centre for repeatedly filing appeals on identical questions of law despite being fined earlier for clogging the justice delivery system with frivolous cases.
Ticking off the Centre for snail-paced efforts to streamline its litigation policy, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, on 24 April, used the NDA government's reformist slogan of ‘ease of doing business’ to make a sharp point. "Under the garb of ease of doing business, judiciary is being asked to reform. The boot is really on the other leg," the bench said.
Pointing to the collateral damage the overcrowding of the judicial system caused other litigants, besides financial liabilities of the government, the court asked when the "Rip Van Winkleism" would end.
(Source: The Times of India)
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6. Month After Maharashtra Protest, Farmers to Hit Streets Over Bullet Train Land Acquisition
A month after they organised the ‘Long March’ in Mumbai, farmer bodies led by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will stage a series of protests including one against the acquisition of land for the bullet train project in the state, highlighting the fragility of the agreement arrived at between farmers and the Maharashtra government in March.
Ashok Dhawale, who shot to fame for organising the farmer’s march from Nasik to Mumbai, said, “We want to rope in at least 50,000 people, including a large number of tribals, on 3 May in Palghar (to protest) against land acquisition for the bullet train project,” dubbing it as “elitist”.
According to Dhawale, the authorities are serving notices for acquisition to local farmers. “The move violates the understanding we had with the state government. Large tracks of land will be acquired in the blocks of Palghar, Dahanu and Talasari.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. UP Board Results: In 150 Schools of the State, All Students Failed
(Photo: PTI)
All students in 150 schools, including government aided as well as private ones, failed in the Uttar Pradesh board examinations, results of which were declared on Sunday, 29 April. In 98 schools, no student could pass Class X, while in 52, the pass percentage was zero in the intermediate exams. Ghazipur district has the highest number of such schools at 17, while nine are in Agra.
Many of these schools had less than 10 students enrolled for the two exams. Apart from this, 237 schools in the state recorded a pass percentage of less than 20. Overall, the pass percentages for Class X (75.5) and XII exams (72.4) in the state were the lowest in a decade.
The pass percentage for government schools and aided schools for Class X exam was 72.29 and 71.55 respectively.
In Class XII exams, government-run schools and aided institutions recorded pass percentages of 80.69 and 75.14 respectively.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Shiv Sena Criticises PM Modi's China Trip 'With No Agenda'
The Shiv Sena on Monday, 30 April criticised PM Modi for his recent visit to China, which it said had no particular agenda, and questioned him on what was achieved by such a trip.
In an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Sena slammed Modi for not taking up crucial issues with Chinese President Xi Jinping, such as Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh, Doklam, Uttarakhand and Ladakh, during the two-day meeting that was described as an “informal” summit.
“The foreign secretary clarified that none of the controversial topics were taken up during the meeting. So what did Modi do during his visit to China?” the editorial asked.
The editorial is the latest in a series of criticisms by the Sena of Modi and his party.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Says Iran Lied About Not Pursuing Nuclear Weapons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, 30 April that Iran had lied about never having pursued nuclear weapons and had continued to preserve and expand its nuclear weapons knowledge even after signing a 2015 deal with global powers.
“Iran’s leaders repeatedly deny ever pursuing nuclear weapons,” said Netanyahu during a prime-time televised address carried by Israeli networks. “Tonight I’m here to tell you one thing: Iran lied.”
The Israeli leader spoke in English and showed pictures and videos purporting to be of historic secret Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as Iranian documents and plans to develop atomic weapons.
“After signing the nuclear deal in 2015, Iran intensified its efforts to hide its secret files,” he said. “In 2017 Iran moved its nuclear weapons files to a highly secret location in Tehran.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
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