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9:46 PM

Demand for giving pension and insurance benefits to journalists

Speakers at a national conference on media here Sunday demanded that journalists be given facilities of pension and insurance.

They stressed that media has to thrive for democracy to prosper.

Journalists should be given the facility of pension. Scribes should also get insurance, given the fact that they have to cover difficult situations, said Chandreshwar Prasad Singh, a veteran politician and former Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly.

He was addressing the National Conference on Media as an Actor in Democracy' hosted by the Federation of PTI Employees Unions.

The Press Council of India should act as the guardian for the independence of journalists, said Ashok Updhayay, a veteran editor.

Supriya Shrinate, national spokesperson of the Congress, noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists worked relentlessly to put out reports.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kailash Soni, who chaired the conference, said without the media, democracy cannot stand on its own.

"Media provides the leaders with a direction. Media also plays a constructive role as the opposition in a democracy... Responsible and reliable action is of the greatest importance, he added.

Indian Federation of Working Journalists president K Vikram Rao and the Federation of PTI Employees' Unions general secretary Balram Singh Dahiya also spoke on the occasion.

9:38 PM

States too can declare religious or linguistic community as minority: Centre

State governments can declare a religious or linguistic community as a minority within the said state, the Centre has told the Supreme Court.

The submission was made in response to a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay which challenged the validity of section 2(f) of the National Commission for Minority Education Institution Act, 2004.

Upadhyay, in his plea, challenged the validity of section 2(f) alleging that it gives unbridled power to the Centre terming it "manifestly arbitrary, irrational, and offending".

The Ministry of Minority Affairs in its response said: It is submitted that the State governments can also declare a religious or linguistic community as a minority community within the said state.

For instance, the Maharashtra government has notified 'Jews' as a minority community within the state. Moreover, the Karnataka government has notified Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Tulu, Lamani, Hindi, Konkani and Gujarati languages as minority languages within the state of Karnataka, it said.

"Therefore in view of the states also notifying minority communities, the petitioners' allegation that the followers of Judaism, Bahaism, and Hinduism, who are real minorities in Ladakh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Manipur cannot establish and administer educational institutions of their choice is not correct."

The Ministry submitted that matters concerning whether followers of Judaism, Bahaism, and Hinduism can establish and administer educational institutions of their choice in the said states, and those related to their identification as minority within the state, may be considered at state level.

The affidavit said that the Parliament has enacted the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, under Article 246 of the Constitution read with Entry 20 in the Concurrent List in Schedule 7.

"If the view that the States alone has the power to enact law on the subject of a minority is accepted, then in such a case, Parliament will be denuded of its power to enact law on the said subject and this would be contrary to the constitutional scheme," it said.

9:37 PM

Chhattisgarh logs 20 Covid-19 cases, death toll unchanged

Chhattisgarh on Sunday reported 20 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 11,52,070, an official said.

The death toll remained unchanged at 14,034 as no fresh death was reported due to the viral infection, he said.

The positivity rate, or cases detected per 100 tests, stood at 0.42 per cent, in Chhattisgarh, he said.

The recovery count rose to 11,37,881 in the state after one person was discharged from hospital and 11 people completed their home isolation during the day, leaving the state with 155 active cases, the official said.

Balrampur recorded four cases, followed by three in Raipur, two in Durg and one in Bilaspur, among other districts. No new coronavirus case was reported in 19 districts on Sunday, the official said.

With 4,754 samples examined during the day, the tally of tests carried out so far in Chhattisgarh went up to 1,74,73,030, he added.

Chhattisgarh's coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases 11,52,070, new cases 20, death toll 14,034, recovered 11,37,881, active cases 155, today tests 4,754, total tests 1,74,73,030.

9:32 PM

Six fresh Covid-19 cases in J-K, no new deaths

Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded six new COVID-19 cases that pushed its tally to 4,53,658, while no fresh death due to the viral disease was reported, officials said.

The death toll stands at 4,750.

Of the fresh cases, two were reported from the Jammu division and four from the Kashmir division of the union territory, the officials said.

Jammu and Srinagar districts recorded the highest number of fresh cases at two each. Sixteen of the total 22 districts of the union territory did not report any fresh cases.

There are 134 active COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir. So far, 4,48,774 people have recovered, the officials said.

9:01 PM

MP govt to start AI course in schools, vet telemedicine facility: CM

The Madhya Pradesh government will start a course in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for students from class 8, which will be the first such initiative in the country, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.

The government will also launch a veterinary telemedicine facility so that livestock keepers can get advice on the phone regarding diseases of cows and other animals.

A similar facility will be launched for farmers so that they can consult experts over the phone regarding agriculture-related problems and diseases of crops, the chief minister told a press conference at Pachmarhi, the lone hill station in MP, located 210 km away from Bhopal.

The two-day brainstorming session of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet held at Pachmarhi ended on Sunday.

The state cabinet also took several other decisions including setting up Sanjivani clinics in urban areas and regarding transportation policy for rural areas.

"A decision has been taken to arrange veterinary telemedicine facility so that livestock keepers can get advice on the phone in case of any ailment to cows and other animals," Chouhan said.

Similarly, telecall arrangements will be made for farmers so that they can get advice about agriculture-related problems and diseases of crops from specialists, he said.

8:59 PM

Birbhum killings: Don't defame police force for fault of a few, says Mamata

Strongly defending the state police who have been at the butt of criticism from opposition parties for alleged inaction to prevent the carnage in West Bengal's Birbhum district, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the good work done by the force cannot be negated by the fault of its one or two members.

Banerjee, who also holds the Home (Police) portfolio, said action has been taken against those who allegedly did not act in time to prevent arson and violence leading to the death of eight people in Bogtui village after the murder of a local Trinamool Congress leader.

The officer-in-charge of Rampurhat police station has been suspended, while the SDPO of the sub-division has been put on compulsory waiting following the incident on March 21.

"The state police comes to the aid of the people throughout the year, be it law and order or providing assistance to Covid-19 patients. It is not correct to blame the entire force for the fault of one or two," the chief minister said.

Admitting that the police had erred in the beginning, Banerjee said they should have apprehended that something might happen in retaliation to the TMC leader's murder.

"There is a mistake on that front, but we have taken action - the OC and the SDPO have been removed, 22 people including the TMC block president (Anarul Hossain) have been arrested," she said, adding that all the arrested are TMC supporters.

She said the state-appointed SIT had done a lot of work in its investigation which was later handed over to the CBI following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

8:57 PM

Palaniswami rules out scope for Sasikala in AIADMK after OPS's 'respect' remark

AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami on Sunday reiterated that there is no place for V K Sasikala in the party saying no one could give a new lease of life to a matter that has already been settled.

Days after his colleague and party coordinator, O Panneerselvam (OPS) said he personally had respect and admiration for Sasikala, the confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Palaniswami made it clear that there is no scope for her in the party and added that OPS's remark was personal and not that of the party.

Already, the party brass had passed a resolution against admitting her into the organisation and it was seconded by the party's district units across the state,

Palaniswami told reporters here when asked if there are chances for her being taken back into the AIADMK.

This decision of the party, as reflected by the resolutions passed by the top leadership and district units, was announced by him and OPS, he recalled. Only two party units (including one in Theni region) did not adopt such resolutions, he said.

To a question on OPS's remark that he has respect for Sasikala, Palaniswami said that politics should be separated from a leader's personal regard for another person. "We should see these things separately. Even as regards Chief Minister Stalin we have nothing personal against him. It is all at the political front. Hence, he (Panneerselvam) may have expressed his view on this basis," Palaniswami said.

Further, the leader of opposition said, "there is no chance for that (inducting Sasikala into the AIADMK) to happen. It's all over...this question has been answered several times before...no one can give a new lease of life to a decision that has been implemented".

While OPS is seen as inclined to consider inducting Sasikala again into the party, it is opposed by Palaniswami who apparently has an upper hand in the AIADMK.

Days ago, Paneersevalam, while deposing before the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry had said that personally he had respect and admiration for Sasikala. On earlier occasions too, OPS had hinted that he was in favour of considering her re-entry.

8:43 PM

Mukesh Sahani sacked from Nitish Kumar cabinet

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday sacked Mukesh Sahani, the minister for fisheries and animal husbandry, from his cabinet, highly placed sources said here.

They said the recommendation to this effect has been sent to the Governor following a written submission from ally BJP which had contended that Sahani, who is the founding chief of Vikassheel Insaan Party, was no longer a part of the NDA".

Sahani was inducted into the cabinet at the instance of the BJP which had also got him elected to the legislative council, since he had lost his assembly seat.

8:24 PM

Nitish attacked near Patna by unidentified assailant

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Sunday assaulted by an unidentified person near Patna, in an incident that has sent shock waves across Bihar.

Officials were tight-lipped about the incident though highly placed sources said it took place in Bakhtiyarpur where Kumar was meeting his old associates.

The chief minister, who has spent his early childhood in Bakhtiyarpur, was paying floral tributes to the statue of a freedom fighter from the area.

CCTV footage shows the assailant, in his late 20s or early 30s, coming from behind and landing a blow on the septuagenarian's face.

Clad in a T-shirt and trousers, the assailant is soon overpowered by the chief minister's security staff who quickly hand him over to the police.

Another footage shows the alleged assailant being dragged away by the policemen who mutter under their breath "paagal hai" (he is crazy).

The identity of the attacker, who is understood to have been taken to a police station, was not known immediately.

8:14 PM

AAP dissolves all units in Rajasthan ahead of party revamp

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday dissolved its all units in Rajasthan ahead of restructuring the party organisation in the state.

AAP's new election in-charge in Rajasthan Vinay Mishra announced the dissolution of all units, including the state executive, in a party workers' meeting at Birla Auditorium here.

From today, the state executive, all district units of AAP Rajasthan are dissolved, Mishra, who is a legislator in Delhi, said.

He also said a membership drive will be started in the state.

We will connect people from village to village, house to house and will create a strong organisation in the state, Mishra said.

He targeted the ruling Congress government over unemployment and farmer loan waiver issues.

On the occasion, a large number of people took membership of the AAP.

8:12 PM

Trinamool criticises Centre over fuel price hike, wants discussion in Parliament

Coming down heavily on the Modi government over the frequent rise in fuel prices, the Trinamool Congress Sunday demanded a discussion on the issue in Parliament.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien wondered why the BJP government at the Centre was effecting a hike in fuel prices in such a hush- hush manner sans any discussion.

"Sunday morn. Again ! In just 2 weeks after election results, fifth #FuelPriceHike in 6 days," O'Brian tweeted.

"Mr PM and your mantris You blabber about being open to discus ALL issues in #Parliament.You won 4 States. Why be skittish & run away. Come discus PRICE RISE issue in RS next week," he posted in the microblogging site.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said fuel prices are surging in the country due to a rapid hike in global crude oil price.

"Why is the TMC government in West Bengal not effecting a roll back of surcharge on fuel, matching with the Centre's move late last year?" he asked.

8:11 PM

Mumbai sees 43 Covid-19 cases, one death, 26 recoveries

Mumbai's COVID-19 tally reached 10,57,829 on Sunday with the addition of 43 cases, while the death of one patient took the toll to 19,559, a civic official said.

So far, 10,37,981 people have been discharged post recovery, including 26 in the last 24 hours, leaving the metropolis with an active caseload of 268, he said.

With 12,344 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Mumbai reached 1,65,76,281, he added.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data showed that the city's recovery rate was 98 per cent and the caseload doubling time stood at 20,440 days.

8:03 PM

Govt seeks to change rules on vehicles' fitness testing

The government on Sunday proposed certain amendments in the eligibility criteria for setting up an automated testing station to check vehicles' fitness, rules to enable vehicle testing outside the state of registration and the norm to declare a vehicle as end-of-life vehicle.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in a statement said it has issued a draft notification dated March 25, 2022 to bring certain amendments in the rules for "Recognition, Regulation And Control of Automated Testing Stations (ATS), which were earlier published on September 23 2021.

"These draft rules propose amendments in the following aspects -- eligibility criteria for establishing these stations, automatic transmission of test results from equipment to the server, enabling vehicles registered in one state to be tested in another state, and the criteria to declare a vehicle as end-of-life vehicle," it said.

An ATS uses mechanical equipment to automate the various tests required to check the fitness of a vehicle.

According to the statement, certain new equipments have been added for the testing of electric vehicles.

8:02 PM

Piyush Goyal defends fuel price hike, says 'frustrated' Oppn blaming Centre 'on losing polls

Defending the rise in fuel prices across India, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Sunday said that the Opposition is blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government over the hike in fuel prices out of frustration as they lost assembly elections in five states.

The prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again on Sunday, for the fifth time in a week, leading to an increase of Rs 3.70 and Rs 3.75 per litre respectively since Tuesday across the nation.

"It's the Opposition's frustration for losing poll after poll that they're blaming us for the hike in fuel prices citing the end of polls... Why would PM Modi extend the PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana for 6 more months had it just been for polls," Goyal told ANI.

The minister said the fuel prices were hiked considering the international situation after the Ukraine crisis, despite the fact that the Government of India has tried to keep it under control.

"We are monitoring everything daily and regulating goods as per policy intervention. Fuel prices hiked with speed after the Ukraine crisis, despite which the government has tried to keep it under control. We didn't create this situation; it's not politics if it coincided with polls," he added.

 

8:00 PM

Centre for international trade and business laws to come up at NALSAR

The Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Centre for International Trade and Business Laws will come up at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, with the former Supreme Court judge donating Rs 1.50 crore for its establishment.

On behalf of NALSAR University of Law, the donation cheque was received by its Chancellor, Telangana High Court's Chief Justice, Satish Chandra Sharma, at an event held at Justice Jeevan Reddy's residence on Sunday.

Justice Sharma appreciated the generous donation for establishing the 'Justice B.P.Jeevan Reddy Centre for International Trade and Business Laws (JRCITBL)' at NALSAR with the objectives of undertaking teaching and research pertaining to contemporary issues in international trade and business laws and to conduct seminars, conferences, lectures and short term training programmes.

The centre will also launch and strengthen courses at undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral level at NALSAR, publish research work and collaborate with policy makers and will assist in procuring internships at various international and national organisations like IMF,IBRD, WTO, CII, FICCI etc.

Former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice P.V. Reddi, Justice S.S.M. Quadri, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, and Justice R.Subhash Reddy, the Patna High Court's former Chief Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, Telangana High Court judges Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy and Justice P. Naveen Rao, were present on the occasion.