SC permits passive euthanasia: Now, with the new order in place, a person under medical treatment can decide when to give-up life support. The apex court, while stating its order, noted that a person must be given the However, the five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, also maintained a few regulations on passive euthanasia. Notably, certain guidelines will be in force till legislation is passed by Parliament to deal with the issue. So, here is all you need to know about the case and passive euthanasia in particular. All about The reason behind the SC verdict – The bench observed that a person cannot be allowed to continue suffering in a comatose state when he or she doesnThe order came on a petition seeking recognition of living will made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. 2. The case – The bench was hearing the PIL filed in 2005 by an NGO, which said that when a medical expert is of the opinion that a person afflicted with a terminal disease has reached a point of no return, he should be given the right to refuse life support. 3. Past verdicts – While reserving the order…
Month: October 2015
Delhi sealing drive: Hard decisions needed to make national capital a livable place, says Hardeep Singh Puri
As the AAP-led Delhi government continues to oppose the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said hard decisions need to be taken to make the city a livable place even though the measure may attract brickbats from some quarters. Reacting to the demand of an ordinance by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop the drive, Puri said there was a tendency to highlight victimhood as part of populist politics in a democracy. The Union minister said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had every right to amend the Master Plan 2021 to solve the problems of Delhi, even as he held the previous governments at the Centre and state responsible for such a situation in the national capital. Sealing or rectification of violation of master plan would not be necessary if the concerned authorities had been doing their job.We have every right to frame policies and we have every right to revise the master plan, he told PTI in an interview. The housing and urban affairs minister said the master plan had already been amended around 248 times. We have analysed the problems which have arisen as a result of sealing as well…
PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Delhi End TB summit today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Delhi End TB Summit at Vigyan Bhawan today. The Summit is being co-hosted by the Health Ministry, World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office and Stop TB Partnership. The Prime Minister will also launch Tuberculosis Free India Campaign, which will take the activities of National Strategic Plan- NSP for TB elimination forward in Mission mode. With the funding of over 12,000 crore rupees over the next three years, the motto of the NSP is to ensure every TB patient has access to quality diagnosis, treatment, and support. The Prime Ministers vision to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals has galvanized the efforts of the Revised National Tuberculosis Program, which has treated over two crore patients since its inception in 1997.
Embarrassment for Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann resigns as AAP’s Punjab unit chief over CM’s apology
Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann has resigned from his post of Aam Aadmi Partys Punjab unit President. Manns resignation comes a day after it was reported that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has apologised to former Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. I m resigning as a president of AAP Punjab .but my fight against drug mafia and all kind of corruption in Punjab will continue as an Kejriwals apology has created a storm within AAP with the partys Punjab unit leaders reportedly miffed with Kejriwals step and have termed it a meek surrender and a letdown. Following Kejriwals apology, SAD leader Majithia withdrew a case he had filed against Kejriwal. A copy of the apology letter signed by Kejriwal made rounds on social media on Thursday. In the letter, the Delhi chief minister said he had learnt that his allegations were unfounded. In the recent past I made certain statements and allegations against you regarding your alleged involvement in drug trade. These statements became a political issue. Now Ive learnt that the allegations are unfounded. Hence there should be no politics on such issues. I hereby withdraw all my statements and allegations made against you and apologise for the same,…
More trouble for Nirav Modi! CBI registers fresh Rs 321 crore case against diamond czar
The CBI on Thursday said that it has registered a fresh case against diamantaire Nirav Modi for causing a loss of Rs 321 crore to Punjab National Bank (PNB) by availing different credit facilities between 2013 and 2017. According to a Central Bureau of Investigation official, the case was registered after the bureau received a fresh complaint from the PNB on Sunday. Former finance president of Nirav Modi Firestar Diamonds International Ltd. Vipul Ambani, chief finance officer Ravi Gupta, other directors and officials of the company, and unidentified public servants of the bank were also named in the complaint, they said.A This is the second CBI case in which Nirav Modi has been named by the investigating agency. In its complaint to the CBI, the bank alleged that during its internal investigation it had spotted circular transactions between the diamantaire promoted partnership firms namely – Solar Exports, Stellar Diamonds and Diamond R Us – and Firestar group of companies. The head office of the bank had declared the accounts of Firestar Diamonds and Firestar International as fraud and reported it to the Reserve Bank of India on Sunday, it said. Nirav Modi, along with his uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali…
Punjab government to provide debt relief to six districts
The Punjab government would provide debt relief to the tune of Rs 200 crore to around 50,000 beneficiaries in six districts in the next phase, a spokesman said today. The state government has also assured that eligible farmers under this scheme would get debt relief and no eligible farmer to be left out, he said. The spokesperson of the Punjab cooperative department said the roll out of the Debt Relief Scheme-2017 would be a continuous process. He said about 50,000 beneficiaries of six districts – Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Amritsar and Tarn Taran – would get relief of around Rs 200 crore and a function would be held next month in Gurdaspur. Reiterating the resolve of the state government to fulfil its commitment of debt relief to farmers, he said the scheme has been amended to obtain a self-declaration from eligible beneficiaries, thereby, simplifying the disbursement procedure. The spokesperson said that under the scheme relief up to Rs 2 lakh would be provided to marginal and small farmers who have crop loans from cooperative institutions, public sector banks and other commercial banks as on March 31, 2017. Under the scheme, cooperative institutions and banks would upload Aadhaar based data…
UN chief Antonio Guterres expresses concern over deaths of Indian journalists
UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the deaths of two journalists in India and the violence against mediapersons across the globe. We, of course, are concerned about anything that would suggest the harassment or violence against journalists, anywhere in the world and Haq was responding to a question on the UNs response to the recent deaths of two Indian journalists in the line of duty. Sandeep Sharma, 35, a reporter for a local television channel in Madhya Pradeshs Bhind district died after he was mowed down by a truck. Sharma had complained about threats to his life after he carried out a sting operation on illegal sand mining. In Bihar, Naveen Nishchal, a journalist who worked for a Hindi daily, was among two persons killed when an SUV rammed into their bike in Bhojpur district, with the family alleging that it was a case of murder and that a former village head was behind it. Advocacy group The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the killings, and called on the Indian authorities to determine the motive and bring to justice those responsible for Sharmas death. Sharmas colleague Vikas Purohit, who witnessed the collision, told the CPJ that he…
Ministry of Defence website hacked; displays Chinese character
The website of Ministry of Defence appeared to have been hacked today, an official from the Defence Ministry said. There was also a Chinese character on the website. This indicated that the Chinese might be involved in the hacking of the website. The homepage showed the message The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later Spokesperson of the Ministry told the media that he has seized control of the situation and is working with the National Informatics Centre to resolve the matter. It was also reported that the Chinese may have been involved in this crisis. Earlier in February, the Ministry of Home Affairs official website became the victim of cybercrime as its web portal was hacked. In April 2015 TRAIs website was hacked. ISRO and CBI have also been victims of cybercrime in the past. (Further reports awaited)
Indu Malhotra to be sworn in as SC judge, 1st woman to make it from Bar
Senior advocate Indu Malhotra would be administered oath of office by Chief Justice Dipak Misra tomorrow morning at the Supreme Court, making her the first woman lawyer to enter the top judiciary directly. 61-year old Malhotras name, cleared by the government, was one of the two recommended by the collegium to be elevated to the apex court bench. The list of the business of the apex court mentions that Malhotra will be sworn in tomorrow. Earlier in the day, a Law Ministry communique said: In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Ms Indu Malhotra, to be judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office. Her name was approved by the SC collegium on January 10, with a resolution of the apex court saying, In our considered opinion, at present, Indu Malhotra, Senior Advocate, is eminently suitable for being appointed as a Judge in the Supreme Court. While Malhotras name was recommended by the collegium for elevation along with that of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph, the Centre has sought reconsideration of…
Asaram’s daughter distances herself from disgraced father
Distancing herself from her father and his empire, the daughter of convicted self-styled godman Asaram, stated on Friday that she had taken a different path a long time back. The world outside believes that I am very much involved in the daily affairs of the ashrams, whereas the ashram management believes that I have been independent of the ashram for over 17 years, Bharti told the media outside the Gandhinagar court. Bharti was at the court for a hearing where she and her mother Lakshmi have been named as accomplices in yet another rape case against Asaram. A Surat-based woman has accused Asaram of raping her multiple times between 1997 and 2006 at his centre in Ahmedabad. Four other women followers – Dhruvben, Jassi, Nirmala and Meera – have been named in the chargesheet for abetment of rape. A Jodhpur court sentenced Asaram this week to life imprisonment on charges of raping a minor. Claiming ignorance of Asarams future legal action, Bharti said: The legal team in Jodhpur does not consult us. Whether they would go to High Court or not, they would take a decision. I have no knowledge.
Relief for Rajinikanth and Kaala makers, Madras High Court dismisses plagiarism charge against the film
The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition which levelled plagiarism charges against Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala. Justice C V Karthikeyan in his yesterdays order rejected the contention of petitioner K S Rajashekaran, a film producer, that the story of the under-production Rajinikanth flick was developed by him. The petitioner had claimed that the producers of Kaala had also plagiarised the title, saying he had registered the plot and the title with the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. He had prayed for a permanent injunction restraining the producers of Kaala from going ahead with the shoot for the film. The Judge in his order said the petitioners claim for exclusive right over the film title cannot be conceded by the court primarily because its registration had been cancelled. There was no existing registration to claim any right over the title, he said. Also, names of movies had been repeated and used as a convention in Tamil film industry, he said listing some films, including Billa, a Rajinikanth-starrer in 1980, that was reproduced in 2007 under the same name with another popular star Ajith doing the lead role. Kaala, produced by actor Danush, Rajinikanths son-in-law, and directed by Pa Ranjith was scheduled…
Congress hits out at PM Modi for not bringing in women’s quota bill
The Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP for not bringing in the womens reservation bill despite having a majority government and the issue having been a part of the partys manifesto in the 2014 general elections. The bill has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha and is to be passed by the Lower House before it becomes a law. It will ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev hit out at the BJP, saying the ruling party claimed that there was no consensus on the issue and asked if it had brought about a consensus before implementing demonetisation and the triple talaq bill. Congress MP Rajana Patil claimed that the prime minister talked too much, but he does not have the political will to bring this bill and get it passed in the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite his majority, is deliberately and intentionally not bringing the womens reservation bill, she told reporters. The prime minister will only highlight his jumlas, he will not highlight the problems women are facing in our country, Dev claimed and asked, What excuse does the…
Setback to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah! Centre says no precedent of granting separate flag to states
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had unveiled the proposed states official flag He had said that his government would send the proposal for Centres approval. The flag unveiled by the CM is in hues of yellow, white and red, and at its centre, it has the state However, referring the Constitution of India that does not provide for or against it, a government official said that there is no precedent of any state in India having a separate flag, except Jammu and Kashmir which enjoys a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. The official said that there is no mention of any other flag in the Flag Code of India and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, but it only refers to the tricolour. It is because of Article 370 of the Constitution, under which Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a special status and has a separate flag for it. The official added by saying that India as a nation has only one flag. If tomorrow some states or some districts or some villages start seeking separate flags, there will be chaos in the country. While another minister said we are one nation, one flag and…
Telephone Exchange Case: Justice has prevailed, says Dayanidhi Maran
DMK leader and former Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, who was today discharged in the illegal telephone exchange case, said justice has prevailed and that he stood vindicated. A special CBI court here discharged him, his brother Kalanithi and five other accused in the case. Last year, a Delhi Court had cleared Dayanidhi, Kalanithi and the latters wife in the Aircel-Maxis case. Once again justice has prevailed. I stand vindicated, for the second time, Dayanidhi Maran said in a statement. He said he has been stating from day one that these cases were politically motivated and foisted falsely, out of jealousy and business rivalry against my brother and to defame me, my family and my party. In both the cases, the court has found that there was neither merit nor substance in the allegations levelled against me and discharged me from these cases, he said. He recalled he had resigned as Union Minister when these allegations were levelled against him, so that he could prove his innocence in a court of law. Now, I stand vindicated, he added. He alleged lies were spread as news and I was made to look like a villain. But, truth triumphed in the end. This…
39 Indians killed in Mosul: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says hiding facts inhuman act by Modi government
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said it was inhuman that the BJP led NDA government hid from the nation the facts about the killing of 39 Indians by ISIS at Mosul in Iraq. Making a statement in this regard in the assembly, he alleged that the Centre always attempted to hide the facts from Parliament whenever the matter was raised and it was unfortunate. This can only be seen as an inhuman action on the part of the government, he said. The House unanimously condemned the killing of the 39 Indians, who hailed from Punjab, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal. They were abducted from Mosul in Iraq in 2014 were killed by Islamic State terrorists and buried in a mass grave. The House expressed deepest condolences to their families. Referring to the statement of External Affairs But in this case, the government took a different stand and informed Parliament first, he said. Swaraj had told the Rajya Sabha yesterday that the 39 Indians were dead and their bodies had been recovered. Vijayan said the government also ignored the statement of Harjit Singh Massi, the lone The Centre not only ignored his version all these years, but also maintained…
Islamic State’s killing of 39 Indians in Iraq a letdown by Modi government? Here are 5 times Centre saved citizens
The news of central government confirming the death of 39 Indians in Iraq has cast a spell of despair among family members who waited since 2014 to get a glimpse of their dear ones. The Indians were killed by dreaded terrorist group Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq. While the families of the victims have raised questions at the government for keeping them in the dark all these years, opposition parties have latched on to the issue to corner the government. Minister of State, External Affairs V K Singh has stated that the government was looking for proof of life in a war-torn country and it was always the easier choice to have declared them dead. We are sorry that we lost them. But we do not regret trying, Singh Tweeted. While questions have been raised over the governments foreign policy and Indias ability to ensure safety for its citizen living abroad, one cannot deny that the present government has time to time achieve tremendous success in rescuing the needy ones from jaws of death. Heres a look at 5 successful missions: 1. Nurses rescued from Iraq Date of operation- July, 2014. Place- Tikrit in Iraq ISIS had held captive 46…
Power-drunk Modi government tried to destroy Congress, says Sonia Gandhi
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday tore into the arrogant, power-drunk, dictatorial BJP government, accusing it of using all means to destroy the opposition. In a hard-hitting 15-minute speech at the Congress plenary, Sonia Gandhi accused the Modi government of working to finish the Congress in the nearly four years of its rule. In the last four years, to destroy the Congress, the arrogant and drunk-with-power Modi government has left no stone unturned. There is open play of allurement, money, repression and division (saam, daam, dand, bhed) but the Congress has never bowed to arrogance of power and will never bow in the future, she said. Rather, the Congress is putting up a struggle to expose the dictatorial ways of the Modi government, its neglect of Constitution, disrespect of Parliament, false cases against the opposition and its harassment of the media. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modis 2014 slogans of development for all and no tolerance for graft were gimmicks to grab power. Sonia Gandhi asked party workers to stoutly face the challenges for its victory in the upcoming electoral battles and again make the Congress a party that sets the fundamental agenda of the country. Extending her good wishes…
Terror funding case: Statements by ‘Alpha’, ‘Charlie’, ‘Gama’ hold key for NIA
Confessional statements by Charlie, Romeo, Alpha and five others are expected to be key evidence in the charge sheet filed in a court by the National Investigation Agency against 12 people, including Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, for funding anti-national activities in the Kashmir Valley. The NIA, while submitting the charge sheet in the case on January 18 this year, appended the eight confessional statements and code named those who have given the statements as Charlie, Romeo, Alpha, Potter, Pie, Harry, Gama and an unidentified person. The NIA officials feel that the confessional statements will hold the key in nailing the culprits in the case. The probe agency, which registered a case against separatists in the Kashmir Valley on May 30 last year, managed to secure confessional statements on the flow of money, especially from Pakistan, from eight people accused in the case related to the funding of terror activities in Kashmir. A confessional statement is recorded before a judicial magistrate. The accused confirms in it that he or she is giving a statement without any pressure from the probe agency. The entire process was video-graphed and no investigation officer was present in the court premises during the proceedings when the…
Commerical Courts Act: Improving the ease of enforcing contracts
India improved its ranking in the World Bank There has been a significant euphoria in the context of recent revival of the growth sentiment in the last quarter, after absorbing the disruptive impact of demonetisation and the goods and services tax. Undoubtedly, the jump was a welcome development. Yet, at best, it remains a work-in-progress in the context of India There are evolving reforms like the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which has for once brought It is hoped that this would traverse across sectors. How effectively we implement such reforms shall go a long way. Hopefully, all these reforms will irreversibly change India India takes an average 1,445 days (nearly four years) to resolve disputes, compared to 164 days in Singapore and around 400 days in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. In this backdrop, there are three noteworthy reforms that promise to impact the way we honour our On October 23, 2015, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of the High Courts Act, 2015 ( The machinery to decide commercial disputes, at the first instance, comprises commercial courts at the district level and a commercial division in high courts, with original civil jurisdiction to deal with…
Sheena Bora murder case prime accussed Indrani Mukerjea admitted in Mumbai hospital
Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in daughter Sheena Boras murder and former head of INX media, was admitted to the JJ Hospital in Byculla late on Friday. According to media reports, doctor said that she was rushed to the emergency ward in a delirious condition. Sheena was abducted and murdered in 2012, allegedly by her mother Indrani, Indranis ex husband Sanjeev Khanna, driver Shyamvar Rai in conspiracy with Peter Mukerjea. (To be updated)
Truth catches up with people like Amit Shah: Rahul Gandhi hits out at BJP chief over SC verdict on Judge BH Loya’s death
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today hit out at BJP chief Amit Shah after the Supreme Court verdict on Judge B H Loyas death, saying truth has a way of catching up with people like him. The ruling party had accused Gandhi of being the invisible hand behind the petitions in the apex court seeking an independent probe into the judges death. Indians are deeply intelligent. Most Indians, including those in the BJP, instinctively understand the truth about Mr Amit Shah. The truth has its own way of catching up with people like him, he said on Twitter. The Supreme Court today dismissed a bunch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of judge Loya, who was handling the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, in which Shah was once an accused and was later discharged. Loya died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleagues daughter.
2017 Gorakhpur hospital deaths: Allahabad High Court grants bail to doctor Kafeel Khan
2017 Gorakhpur hospital deaths: Dr Kafeel Khan, who was arrested on charges of negligence in Gorakhpur Khan was granted bail by Justice Yashwant Varma, Indianexpress.com reported. The doctor was lodged in a Gorakhpur jail since September 2, 2017. Initially hailed as a hero, Khan was later arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit culpable homicide and criminal breach of trust by public servants, among others. Writing a letter from jail, Khan recently claimed he was made a scapegoat along with others for what was essentially an Khan further held DM Gorakhpur, director general of medical education (DGME), principal secretary health education as responsible for the deaths of children. Khan was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). Initially, he was also removed from the post of the Nodal Officer for the Department of Pediatrics of the hospital. Khans arrest came on the recommendation of a committee formed by Chief Minister Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government. The committee included Ashok Kumar – Secretary of Health and Welfare, Mukesh Mittal – Joint Secretary and Dr Hem Chandra, Medical Superintendent. Apart from Khan, the committee recommended registration of criminal cases against former principal of BRD Medical College, Dr Rajeev Mishra and…
SC recognises passive euthanasia: Now, individuals can decide when to give-up life support
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has given its recognition to passive euthanasia. Delivering the verdict, the Supreme Court bench noted that an individual has the right to die in dignity. As per the decision, a person under medical treatment can decide when to give-up life support. The top court said that its guidelines and directives will remain in force till a legislation is brought to deal with the issue. The Bench, led by chief justice Dipak Misra, said that it has laid down guidelines on who would execute the will and how nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. The CJI said that other members of the five-judge Constitution bench have concurred on the guidelines and directives passed by it. The Supreme Court delivered the landmark verdict on a petition seeking recognition of living will made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. As per a PTI report, a living will is a document formulated by a person in his lifetime under which he can give explicit instructions in advance on the proess of medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally ill, or, is no longer able to express informed consent….
After Tripura triumph, BJP eyes Kerala’s Chengannur by-elections
Buoyed by the victory in Tripura by-poll, Bharatiya Janata Party has pulled up its shocks for the upcoming bypolls in Keralas Chengannur, a constituency with Left stronghold. BJPs rank and file in the state are taking the elections with utter seriousness as winning here will be a big boost to party cadres confidence. Considering the results of last elections, BJP seems to have a fair chance of winning this time. In 2016, BJP had fielded its then state chief PS Sreedharan Pillai from this constituency against CPMs KK Ramachandran Nair, the latter passed away this January, necessitating the elections. Back then, Pillai gave a good competition to Nair. Pillai polled 42,000 votes from this seat and was able to reduce Nairs victory margin to 7,983 votes. The Kerala NDA has already decided to field a BJP candidate from the constituency and Pillai is likely to get the ticket. Speaking to media, BJP State President Kummanom Rajasekharan had said that candidate for the by-poll would be decided soon. The BJP and NDA have a strong presence in Chengannur and we will win the by-poll, Rajasekharan had said. He added that the NDA would work out an action plan for the by-poll….
Emmanuel Macron India visit: Full List of MoUs, Agreements signed between India and France
President of France, Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Delhi on Friday. The French President is on a four-day visit to the country. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron was given a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the French President also issued a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House today. The duo discussed several areas of India-France cooperation, particularly in defence, security, trade and people-to-people ties. Many French and Indian companies have signed contracts worth $16 billion on Saturday. The nuclear agreement between the two nations is considered significant. After the discussion with President Macron, PM Modi highlighted the solar alliance and cooperation between the two countries in the fields of defense, security, technology, space, and counterterrorism. Full List of MoUs\/Agreements signed during the State Visit of President of France to India: 1. Agreement between India and France on the Prevention of Illicit Consumption and Reduction of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors and Related Offences. Purpose: The Agreement shall facilitate the two countries in combating illicit traffic and consumption of drugs and will also impact on the financing of terrorism. 2. India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement. Purpose: This…
India’s envoy Gautam Bambawale discusses more dialogue, visits with China
Indias Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale on Tuesday met a top official of the Communist Partys key International Department and discussed ways to step up bilateral talks and visits. After the chill in their relationship following a 73-day military stand-off in the eastern sector of the border last year, both sides have been trying to mend fences. It is apparent from Bambawales host of meetings with influential government think tanks in the past few months where the talks are largely understood to have revolved around repairing the damage to bilateral ties done by Doklam stand-off. The envoy met Guo Yezhou Vice-Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, an influential body responsible for shaping up Beijings foreign policy. The Department has more say in formulating Chinas foreign policy than the Foreign Affairs Ministry. They shared ideas for further strengthening bilateral exchanges and visits, following up on their first meeting on January 4, the Indian Embassy said here. Indias Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced her visit to China in late April. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China in June to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Summit. Between Sitharaman and Modi, more visits and dialogues are expected between both…
Supreme Court directs CBI, ED to complete 2G probe in six months
Flaying the investigative agencies for taking so long to conclude the probe, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to complete investigations into the cases linked to the 2G spectrum scam, including the Aircel-Maxis deal, in six months. A bench comprising justices Arun Misra and Naveen Sinha also directed the Centre to file a status report on the investigation into the 2G spectrum scam and related cases arising out of it in two weeks. why is this investigation taking so long and what are the reasons for delay? The bench also observed that people of this country cannot be kept in dark in the sensitive matter like this. Giving reasons for the delay, attorney general KK Venugopal told the judges that Malaysia-based businessman Anant Krishnan, against whom a charge sheet has been filed, is not cooperating in the Aircel Maxis probe and had failed to join the investigations despite several court orders. The Aircel-Maxis case pertains to the FIPB approval granted in 2006 by then finance minister P Chidambaram. The agency has alleged that the approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal was given by Chidambaram beyond his mandate. The ED also alleges that a company promoted…
Doctors take note: Parliamentary panel recommends fixing of ‘minimum compulsory period’ of working within country
A parliamentary panel has recommended that a minimum compulsory period of working within the country be fixed for doctors, asserting that a large number of medics studying in government medical colleges on taxpayers money leave the country at the first given opportunity. The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has also asked the health ministry to explore the possibility of restructuring and revamping the Dental Council of India, the Nursing Council of India and other such councils for their effective regulation as envisaged by National Medical Commission Bill, 2017. Observing that there had been a loss of credibility of the Medical Council of India (MCI), the committee has recommended that all the members of the proposed National Medical Commission mandatorily declare their professional and commercial involvements. The recommendations were made by the panel in its report on the National Medical Commission Bill 2017, tabled in Parliament last week. The Committee is also given to understand that a large number of doctors who study in government medical colleges at the cost of the taxpayers money leave the country at the first given opportunity. The committee recommends that in all such cases a minimum compulsory period of working within…
RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch urges Modi for ‘course correction’ in NITI Aayog
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a course correction in the Union governments thinktank NITI Aayog, after a member of the policy-making body reportedly termed the MSPs given to farmers inflationary. SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said in a letter to the prime minister that NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand has called the support prices offered by the government inflationary. This statement by Chand is an insult to the political leadership, which took the great decision of fixing the MSPs for crops at one-and-a-half times their production cost, he said. Government should ask Ramesh Chand to provide the empirical study, source or minutes of stakeholder consultations done to reach these conclusions, if he fails to do the same; we demand that appropriate action be taken in this regard, the SJM said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had in his budget speech announced the enhanced MSP of the farmers 5 times of the cost of production. After that (announcement) this malafide and ill-informed statement will only add to confusions in the minds of farmers, Mahajan said. There is need for course correction in NITI Aayog Mahajan said MSPs keep farmers and farming alive
Minutes after Defence Ministry website was hacked, Home Ministry, Law Ministry websites too go down
The official websites of Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Home Affairs faced technical errors and glitches minutes after the ministry of defence website was hacked. The law ministry website showed a message which said that it has been hit by an Error.. The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later. Error messagePDOException: SQLSTATE[HY000] [2003] Cant connect to MySQL server on 10.247.38.11 (111) in lock_may_be_available() (line 167 of home), the message on the website lawmin.gov.in read. The Home Ministry website displayed a message which read that the site is not available due to technical errors. Site off-line.. The site is currently not available due to technical problems. Please try again later. Thank you for your understanding. if you are the maintainer of this site, please check your database settings in the settings.php file and ensure that your hosting providers database server is running. For more help, see the handbook, or contact your hosting provider, the message on the website read. Earlier, several reports said that website of Ministry of Defence was hacked. This indicated that the website may have been hacked by any Chinese group. The homepage showed the message, Please try again later Action is…