LIVE: 47th meeting of GST Council to be held on June 28-29 in Srinagar

The panel of ministers on GST rate rationalisation is scheduled to meet on June 17 to discuss possible tweaking in tax rates

1:54 PM

SC on UP demolitions: Authorities should strictly follow due process under law

Stating that "everything should be fair" and authorities should strictly follow due procedure under the law, the Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Uttar Pradesh government and its authorities three days to respond to pleas alleging that houses of those accused in last week's violence were illegally demolished.

There must be a sense among the citizens that rule of law prevails in the country, a vacation bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Vikram Nath said,

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

1:41 PM

Protests against Agnipath scheme, Gurugram-Jaipur highway blocked

Hundreds of young people on Thursday took to the streets in Bilaspur and Sidhrawali areas of Gurugram and Rewari, some 50 km away, against the 'Agnipath' scheme unveiled by the Centre earlier this week to recruit soldiers largely on a short-term contractual basis.

 

The scheme involves recruitment of the jawans into the army, the navy and the air force for a four-year-period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

The protesters laid a virtual seize on bus stands and roads, crippling traffic on the Gurugram-Jaipur highway, and held a protest at Bilaspur Chowk.

1:24 PM

SC seeks replies of UP govt, authorities on demolition of houses of accused of violence

Stating that authorities should strictly follow due procedure under the law, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought replies from the Uttar Pradesh government and its authorities within three days on pleas alleging the illegal demolition of houses of those accused in last week's violence. 

 

There must be a sense among the citizens that rule of law prevails in the country, a vacation bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Vikram Nath said, “Everything should be fair. We expect the authorities to strictly follow the due procedure under the law,” it said. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

1:19 PM

'Agnipath' may prove fatal for the country's future; youths: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at the central government over the Agnipath scheme, calling the move “negligent” and potentially “fatal” for the country's future.

 

As announced, 'Agnipath' or 'Agniveer' is a scheme for recruiting soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air force, to be hired for a term of four years on contract.

 

The scheme was announced by Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.   

1:16 PM

French, German, Italian leaders arrive in Kyiv

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania arrived in Kyiv on Thursday in an apparent show of collective European support for Ukraine as it tries to resist Russia's invasion.

 

The French president's office said President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Premier Mario Draghi had traveled to Kyiv together, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will join them in the Ukrainian capital.

 

The European leaders are expected to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the highest-profile Western visit to Kyiv since Russia sent in troops to Ukraine Feb. 24.

1:16 PM

Gradual rise in COVID-19 cases in Kerala; fresh infections cross 3,000 mark

Kerala is seeing a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases with 3,419 fresh infections reported, bringing the total active cases to 18,345 and the caseload to 65,89,307 till June 15.

 

On Tuesday, according to data provided on the Government of Kerala dashboard, the number of fresh cases was 3,488, the highest in the state in the last 2-3 months.

 

1:02 PM

Protests against 'Agnipath' scheme continue in Bihar; road, railway traffic disrupted

Protests against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme for hiring jawans on a short-term contractual basis continued across Bihar for the second consecutive day on Thursday as aspirants preparing for jobs in defence forces disrupted railway and road traffic in Jehanabad, Buxar and Nawada districts.

 

Protestors blocked the movement of trains on Patna-Gaya and Patna-Buxar routes by lying down on the railway tracks in Jehanabad and Buxar districts. However, Bihar Police along with their railway counterparts immediately removed the protestors from the tracks.

Hundreds of agitators blocked National Highway 83 in Jehanabad and burned tyres demanding the scrapping of the scheme. Angry protestors took out processions in the three districts and other parts of the state. Protestors had disrupted railway and road traffic in various parts of the state also on Wednesday.

1:01 PM

Covid impacts brain of people with no prior neurological problems: Study

Covid infection also affects brains of people with no pre-existing neurological conditions, finds a study.

 

While many people showed improvement, the majority still had some neurological symptoms six months after a Covid infection. But some individuals also exhibited significant coordination and cognitive issues, which had not been previously described, said researchers from the University of California-San Diego.

 

None of these individuals with persistent symptoms at six months had any history of pre-existing neurological conditions prior to their SARS-CoV-2 infections.

12:58 PM

Getting education is a fundamental right: Allahabad HC

The Allahabad High Court has observed that receiving proper education is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21-A of the Constitution of India.

 

The bench comprising Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Subhash Vidyarthi further observed that educational authorities must ensure that the grievance relating to the admission to an institution is redressed with promptness and does not remain unattended.

 

The bench was dealing with the case of one Tanishk Srivastava, a Class 8 student.

 

He appeared in the entrance test held on March 20 for admission as a resident scholar in the La Martiniere College, Lucknow, in Class 8.

 

12:57 PM

SEZs to play vital role in Pakistan's development: PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the special economic zones (SEZs) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will play a vital role in the country's economic development and prosperity.

 

The government has been focusing on establishing SEZs across the country which would boost industrialization and exports while generating employment, Sharif said during his visit to the Rashakai SEZ, which is being developed under CPEC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

 

A total of nine SEZs have been identified under CPEC where joint businesses and ventures from Pakistan, China and other countries will be set up to boost industrial progress and uplift the national economy, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

12:31 PM

'Agnipath' will give rise to more disaffection in youth: BJP MP Varun Gandhi to Rajnath Singh

Questioning various provisions of the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme that envisages recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis, BJP MP Varun Gandhi Thursday said it will give rise to more disaffection among the youths and asked the government to make its stand clear.

 

In a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Gandhi said the young population has shared their questions and doubts with him about the radical changes in the soldiers' recruitment process which also proposes that the 75 per cent of the recruits under the scheme will retire after four years of service without pension.

 

12:03 PM

UP demolition case

Singh argues that demolition keeps happening again & again, it's shocking & appalling. This wasn't during Emergency, not during pre-independence era. These are houses standing for more than 20 years and sometimes not even belonging to the accused but their aged parents, he argues

 

12:03 PM

UP demolition case

Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing for petitioners, tells Supreme Court that the reason cited for demolition was that the action is being taken against protestors who had indulged in violence.

 

12:03 PM

Supreme Court begins hearing of a plea against demolitions in UP

Supreme Court begins hearing of a plea filed by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh authorities to ensure that no further demolitions of properties are carried out in the state without following the due process.

 

11:08 AM

Protest against Agnipath Recruitment scheme

"We work hard to get inducted into the Armed forces. How will the service be for 4 years, with months of training and leaves? How will we protect the nation after getting trained for just 3 years? Govt has to take back this scheme," said a protestor.