BJP

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend Railway laws with the government insisting that it will not lead to the national carrier's privatisation. Responding to a debate on the Railway Amendment bill, Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw said in the Lower House that a fake narrative was set afloat that the amendment would privatise railways. "Their (opposition) fake narrative on Constitution has failed... now this will also fall flat," he asserted. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after debate which could not be held earlier due to frequent disruptions of House proceedings during the last week. "A few members have said the Bill will lead to privatisation of railways, an attempt has been made to set a fake narrative. I want to appeal to them with all sincerity not to do this, their one fake narrative about the Constitution has already failed," Vaishnaw said. The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 which seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board was

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has introduced e-adjudication and e-consultation platforms to streamline legal proceedings and foster a more business-friendly regulatory environment, a senior official said on Wednesday. Addressing the ASSOCHAM-ACCA Global Summit on Responsible Corporate Governance and Sustainability Reporting, Anita Shah Akella, CEO of the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Joint Secretary at MCA, highlighted the government's commitment to balancing corporate integrity with economic dynamism. The introduction of e-adjudication and e-consultation platforms aims to simplify legal procedures, improve stakeholders' experience, and bolster India's ranking in the ease of doing business. "We are moving more towards an ease of doing business era, and an ease of exit of business doing era," she said. The corporate affairs ministry has decriminalised various offences under the Companies Act, 2013, marking a significant shift towards a ...

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Finance Minister Nirmala on Wednesday termed the allegation of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi against state-owned banks as an insult to the hardworking employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. Gandhi has a penchant for making baseless statements and the fact is that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had resulted in significant deterioration in the health of public sector banks, she said in a series of posts on X. Banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks (PSBs), have seen a remarkable turnaround under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi after meeting a delegation from the All India Banking Officers Confederation accused the government of using public sector banks, the "lifelines of the masses", as an unlimited source of funds for their "fraudulent friends". "The Modi government has turned these lifelines of the masses into privat

Government is committed to advancing digital radio technology and its integration into the media ecosystem in the country, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Secretary Sanjay Jaju said on Wednesday. Speaking at a conference organised by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), in collaboration with the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), Jaju said the government favoured light touch regulation which would enable innovative content creation in the country. "Light touch regulations will enable innovative content creation and deeper listener engagement, empowering India's creators. Radio derives its strength from localised content choice embracing diverse community interests and cultural preferences," he said. Jaju said technology adoption, even in far-flung areas must happen while developing an ecosystem to facilitate deployment of digital radio broadcasting in India. "As part of our efforts, we are set to roll out digital FM radio broadcasting

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting in view of an infiltration attempt by citizens of trouble-hit Bangladesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference here

The government is introducing reforms to remove roadblocks in the path of the country's youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told young innovators on Wednesday, asserting that the future of the world will be driven by innovation and knowledge. Interacting with the innovators during the grand finale of the 'Smart India Hackathon (SIH)', the prime minister said the youth today is developing a feeling of ownership towards finding solutions for the country's challenges. "India's strength is its innovative youth and technology power. We have introduced a new National Education Policy to nurture a scientific mindset. The government is removing roadblocks in the path of the country's youth by introducing reforms," Modi said while addressing more than 1,300 student teams via video conferencing. "The future of the world will be driven by innovation and knowledge and India's youth today is developing a feeling of ownership towards finding solutions for the country's challenges," he added. The

The use of secured messaging applications like Signal, Telegram, Viber and the dark Web besides end-to-end encrypted WhatsApp by radical elements to connect with like-minded individuals is proving to be a "major challenge" for security agencies to counter online radicalisation, government said on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said as the extensive use of cyber technology is the main tool for propagating radical ideology, cyberspace is being monitored ceaselessly. The minister said at present, apart from state police, the NIA is investigating 67 cases relating to online radicalisation. In these cases, 325 accused have been arrested, 336 accused have been charge-sheeted and 63 accused have been convicted so far. "Cyber patrolling is done on a regular basis to identify and monitor such content and entities which are targeting gullible/depressed/ alienated youth," the minister said. He said websites and accounts .

The INDIA bloc has accused Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar of bias, citing his acceptance of BJP speeches linking Sonia Gandhi to George Soros while dismissing 11 opposition notices

Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a notice to move a motion for removing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly conducting the House in a partisan manner. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain submitted the notice to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody. The vice president is the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. The sources said about 60 opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK -- have signed the notice. However, they said top Congress leaders who hold Constitutional posts have not signed the notice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the floor leaders of various opposition parties are also not among the signatories, the sources said. The notice, spearheaded by the Congress, comes in the wake of turbulent ties between opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha chairman. "ALL parties belonging to the INDIA group have had no option but to formally submi

BJP leader Pravin Darekar on Wednesday hinted that some MPs of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) could cross over to his party if development was their priority. Many Maha Vikas Aghadi MPs, especially those from the NCP (SP), represent constituencies where the BJP-led alliance won most seats in the assembly elections, he said. "If development is their priority, with both the central and state governments controlled by the BJP-led alliance, they may consider their political future carefully," Darekar said. In her reaction, NCP (SP) leader Vidya Chavan dismissed Darekar's claims. "The Union government led by the BJP is a fragile alliance with leaders like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. They live in fear of losing their support, which is why they resort to such tactics (of wooing MPs from Opposition parties)," she said. "Our MPs are firm and will not betray the coalition," Chavan asserted.

AAP announces it will contest the Delhi Assembly elections independently, dismissing rumours of a Congress alliance

The BJP levelled allegations saying that the Nehru-Gandhi family may have compromised India's strategic interests to benefit their extended family's financial and entrepreneurial ventures

Naxalites have killed a 35-year-old BJP worker in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district while claiming he was acting as a police informer, an official said on Wednesday. This is the fifth murder of a civilian by Naxalites in the district in the last seven days. The latest incident took place on Tuesday night when the deceased, identified as Kudiam Mado, was at his house in Somanpalli village under Farsegarh police station limits, the official said. A group of Naxalites stormed into Mado's house, dragged him outside and strangled him to death, the police official said. In a pamphlet found at the spot, a national park area committee of Maoists took responsibility for the murder and claimed Mado was acting as a police informer, he said. After being alerted on Wednesday morning, a police team rushed to the spot and the body was sent for post-mortem, the official said. A search operation has been launched in the area to trace the assailants, he added. On December 4, two former sarpanchs, o

Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi has urged Speaker Om Birla to examine the party's complaint against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's "defamatory remarks" against Rahul Gandhi and remove them from the record. Gogol said after the Speaker's decision, the Congress party is keen to participate in the legislative business listed for the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. Posting the letter on X, Congress General Secretary (In-charge, Communications) Jairam Ramesh said Gogoi has written to the Speaker reiterating the Congress' commitment to ensure Parliament functions smoothly. Gogoi has suggested a way forward to resume proceedings, he said. But does the Modi government want both Houses to function, Ramesh asked. In his letter to Birla dated December 10, Gogoi said, "As highlighted in my previous letters to you on December 5, 2024 and December 6, 2024, we remain deeply concerned about the defamatory remarks made by Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey against Leader of ...

Patra said, Tahir Hussain was a conspirator behind the deadly 2020 Delhi riots and is behind bars now

The AAP Tuesday accused the BJP of having an "anti-Jat mindset" while citing the "delay" in the swearing-in of Raghuvinder Shokeen as a minister in the Delhi government. Shokeen's appointment as minister, to replace Kailash Gahlot who quit AAP and joined the BJP, was announced by the ruling party last month. In a joint press conference, AAP leaders questioned the "delay" in the swearing-in of Shokeen, an MLA from the Jat-dominated Nangloi constituency in the city. "The BJP's anti-Jat mindset has been exposed," AAP's chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar charged. Even 20 days after his nomination, Shokeen has still not been sworn in as a cabinet minister, she said. "The AAP government on November 18 sent the file to appoint MLA Raghuvinder Shokeen as a Cabinet minister but it hasn't been approved yet," Kakkar claimed. Questioning the "delay", another AAP leader Anurag Dhandha said, "Does the BJP not want a Jat leader to become a minister?" The file for the appointment of a

Speaking to mediapersons, Surya stated that inflaming these kinds of passions is not good in the interest of both Maharashtra and Karnataka

In a blistering attack against the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur Tuesday alleged that the "corrupt" Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dispensation has brought the state on the "brink of bankruptcy". Addressing the BJP's "Akrosh Rally" here, a day ahead of an event to mark two years of the Congress dispensation in the state, Thakur said, "What is the Congress celebrating on completion of two years in power when it has no achievements to show?" He said the BJP is opposing the event which he termed "celebrations of getting ruined". Alleging the state government employees and pensioners were not getting their monthly emoluments, Thakur claimed outsourced workers were also awaiting their salaries for the past four months. "The people of the state have been burdened but crores of rupees are being spent on celebrations," he said. "The Congress government has lost the confidence of the people and failed to fulfil the poll guarante