Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit landslide-affected sites in Wayanad on August 10. In a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that the state has requested the central government to declare this as a national disaster and a severe calamity. Massive landslides hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad on July 30 creating widespread devastation. "In this regard, the central government has appointed a nine-member committee to submit a report. The committee chairman visited today and we hope to receive central assistance for rehabilitation," the Chief Minister said. "We expect the Prime Minister to understand the situation firsthand and adopt a favourable stance," he added. The Chief Minister said that the post-mortem procedures of 420 bodies have been conducted so far in Wayanad and added that the search operations will continue. "Officially, 225 deaths have been confirmed. The body parts of 195 individuals have been found in various locations. DNA samples of these body parts have been sent for testing. The search is still ongoing. Post-mortems have been conducted on 420 bodies, 178 bodies have been handed over to relatives, and 233 burials have taken place," he said.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus takes oath as head of Bangladesh's interim government.
"Multiplier effect of capital spending has helped India become world's fastest growing economy," FM Sitharaman said in RS.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday that it is closely observing the situation of minorities in Bangladesh. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that the welfare of the Bangladeshi people is a priority for both the Indian government and its citizens.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday introduced The Waqf (Amendment) Bill and proposed sending it to a joint parliamentary committee after opposition parties objected to its provision. He also introduced The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024.Home Minister Amit Shah said since the Waqf Act of 1995 came into being, there was a need to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923 which had lost its relevance. He accused the opposition of "misleading" Muslims and saying that amendments had to be brought in as the present act had many mistakes and could not serve its purpose.
Opposition parties on Wednesday demanded that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill be sent to Parliament's standing committee for scrutiny after it is introduced, with the government telling the Business Advisory Committee that it will take a call after assessing the sense of Lok Sabha.
The government said at the Committee's meeting that it will not press for discussion on the Bill and its passage following its introduction in Lok Sabha on Thursday.
There is a strong possibility that the government may agree to refer the Bill, which is being opposed by some Muslim organisations, to a parliamentary panel. Sources said some parties, which have been supportive of the government's agenda, have also expressed their reservation over the proposed legislation.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said at the meeting of the Committee, which includes members from major parties and where the government discusses its proposed agenda, that the government will take a call whether or not to send the bill for parliamentary scrutiny on Thursday, the sources said.
Congress MP Gourav Gogoi and Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhya were among the opposition members who made the demand to send the Bill to Parliament's standing committee for scrutiny after it is introduced.
Incidentally, the department-related standing committees of Lok Sabha are yet to be constituted. The House may form a separate panel in the absence of the standing committee to scrutinise the Bill in case the government decides on such a course of action.
The Bill which seeks to amend the law governing waqf boards has proposed far-reaching changes in the present Act, including ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill also seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
 "News updates: PM Modi to visit landslide-affected sites in Kerala's Wayanad on Aug 10")
