LIVE: Rajya Sabha passes bill to hike FDI in insurance sector to 74%

By raising the FDI limit to 74%, the current provision of control being vested with Indian companies had to be dropped. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

4:12 PM

Jai Kisan Andolan launches 'MSP loot calculator' to show losses incurred by farmers

The Jai Kisan Andolan on Thursday launched an "MSP Loot Calculator", which will calculate the losses incurred by farmers when forced to sell crops below the minimum support price. According to Avik Saha, the national convenor of Jai Kisan Andolan - a nationwide movement dedicated to farmers' rights, the calculator would be sharing new data every day showcasing the losses faced by farmers in different parts of the country in association with the sale of the variety of crops that they grow.

 

"Its purpose is to expose the false propaganda of the government that the farmer is getting the MSP announced by the government," Saha said.

 

New findings by the loot calculator about different crops in different states and the losses incurred by farmers will now be shared daily on Jai Kisan Andolan's social media pages, he added.

3:34 PM

Rajya Sabha adjourned again amid uproar over Insurance bill

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned briefly on Thursday amid Opposition uproar over the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021.

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved a bill in the Upper House to consider for further amendment of the Insurance Act 1938.

 

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the insurance amendment bill 2021 will put people in trouble. The Insurance Act 1938 is being amended for the third time.

3:07 PM

Five killed, 46 injured as mini-truck overturns in MP

Five people were killed and 46 others injured after a mini-truck carrying members of a marriage party overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district on Thursday, a police official said.

 

The accident took place near Potla village around 11 am when the victims were on their way back to Dev Dongri village from Chandera after the wedding, district Superintendent of Police Yashpal Singh Parihar said.

 

The deceased included two women and three men, the official said. The injured persons were referred to hospitals in Mandla and neighbouring Jabalpur, he said.

2:43 PM

Jio, Vodafone Idea make upfront payments for spectrum, says report

Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have paid Rs 15,019.84 crore and Rs 574.65 crore upfront to the telecom department for the spectrum bought in a government-held auction, the Economic Times reported Thursday.

 

Bharti Airtel's payment is awaited. The government sold airwaves worth Rs 77,814 crore in 4G spectrum auction that ended on March 2.

 

Business Standard reported two weeks ago that Reliance Jio had emerged the highest bidder in the auction, beating Airtel and Vodafone Idea by a wide margin. The government would get Rs 77,815 crore from the two-day auction — one of the shortest in a decade. While the amount has exceeded the government expectation, the total mop-up is far below the Rs 3.92 trillion worth of airwaves put up for sale. READ ON...

2:01 PM

Vehicle scrapping policy will be 'win-win' policy; to help reduce pollution: Nitin Gadkari

The vehicle scrapping policy will be a "win-win" policy that will eventually help in improving fuel efficiency and reduce pollution, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. Making a statement regarding vehicle scrapping policy in the Lok Sabha, the Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister said the policy will also lead to an increase in the country's automobile industry turnover to Rs 10 lakh crore from the current Rs 4.5 lakh crore.

 

Announced in the 2021-22 Union Budget, the policy provides for fitness test after 20 years for personal vehicles, while commercial vehicles would require it after the completion of 15 years.

 

Gadkari has also issued an advisory to automakers, advising them to provide an incentive of a five per cent rebate for those buying a new vehicle after producing a scrapping certificate. Noting that the policy will be a "win-win" policy, the minister said it will help improve fuel efficiency, reduce pollution and GST income will also rise due to the purchase of new vehicles.

11:42 AM

IPS Rajnish Seth, currently DG Anti-corruption Bureau, Maharashtra takes additional charge as DGP of the state

10:54 AM

Arvind Subramanian resigns from Ashoka University

Noted economist Arvind Subramanian has resigned as professor from Ashoka University, citing the circumstances involving Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s exit and the fact Ashoka, even with its private status and private capital, can no longer provide space for academic expression and freedom, The Indian Express reported.

 

10:44 AM

Karnataka Waqf retracts circular restricting loudspeaker use in mosques

The Karnataka State Board of Auqaf (waqf) withdrew the circular restricting the management of mosques and dargahs from using loudspeakers between 10 pm to 6 am during namaaz.

 

Earlier, on March 17, the board, in a circular, had restricted the management of mosques and dargahs from using loudspeakers between 10 pm to 6 am during namaaz citing the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, and had said loudspeakers used during daytime shall adhere to ambient air quality standards in respect of noise. Read on...