Category: NATIONAL NEWS

In a major overhaul of tax administration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled faceless tax assessment and appeals to reduce the scope for corruption and overreach by officials, and said a taxpayers’ charter is being implemented to ensure a free, fair and transparent tax environment Launching the ‘Transparent Taxation – Honouring The Honest Platform’ through video conferencing, he said the taxpayer base at just 1.5 crore in India is very low and urged those who owe taxes to come forward and honestly pay their dues and contribute to nation-building…

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A special committee looking into the issue of restoring internet in Jammu and Kashmir has decided to provide 4G services on trial basis in limited areas of the Union Territory after August 15, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday. A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana was informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, that the committee has decided to hold trials for high speed internet access in one district each in Jammu and Kashmir division. The Committee has decided that access to…

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday stepped up his attack on the Centre over the draft environment impact assessment (EIA), saying it must be withdrawn to stop “environmental destruction”. Gandhi alleged that the aim of EIA 2020 draft was clear — “loot of the nation”. “This (EIA) is another dreadful example of what the BJP government has been doing for its select suit-boot ‘friends’ who loot the resources of the country,” Gandhi alleged. “EIA 2020 draft must be withdrawn to stop #LootOfTheNation and environmental destruction,” he tweeted. The draft EIA…

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Registering over 60,000 cases in 24 hours for the first time, India’s COVID-19 tally galloped past 20 lakh on Friday, while the number of recoveries surged to 13.78 lakh, according to Union Health Ministry data. The coronavirus infection tally had crossed 19 lakh just two days ago. It took 110 days for COVID-19 cases in the country to reach one lakh and 59 days more to cross the 10-lakh mark. Thereafter it took just 21 days more to go past 20 lakh. This was the ninth day in a row…

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Sixty more people, including 13 security personnel and four health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state’s caseload to 1,758 on Tuesday, a senior health official said. Of the 60 new cases, 14 were reported from East Siang followed by Namsai (13), Changlang (9), Lower Siang (6), five each from East Kameng and Capital Complex, three each from Papum Pare and West Siang and one each from Longding and West Kameng districts respectively, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. “Thirteen security personnel of…

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Dubbing the exercise being undertaken by the Union Water Resources Ministry to sort out the differences between it and Andhra Pradesh as “funny,” Telangana has decided to ask the Centre to postpone the Apex Council meeting scheduled on August 5, beyond August 20, an official release has said. The Central Water Resources Ministry has decided August 5 as the date for the Apex Council meeting to resolve water disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A high-level meeting which was held by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday decided…

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday jointly inaugurated the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius at Port Louis. Addressing the virtual event, the prime minister said that history has taught us that in the name of development partnerships, nations were forced into dependence partnerships. It gave rise to colonial and imperial rule. It also gave rise to global power blocks, Modi said. For India, the most fundamental principle in development cooperation is respecting our partners, he said. “This sharing of development lessons is our…

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The frontline troops of China and India have “completed” disengagement at most locations of their border, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday, adding the situation on the ground is easing Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made this statement at a briefing here when he was asked whether the border troops from India and China have completed the disengagement from Galwan, Gogra and Hot Spring areas in eastern Ladakh. The reference to Pangong Tso, a major friction point, was conspicuously absent in the question asked by a reporter from…

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“I am not joining the BJP,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Wednesday, asserting that the speculation about his switching sides was being fuelled by certain leaders in Rajasthan to tarnish his image Pilot’s remarks come a day after the Congress sacked him as Rajasthan’s deputy chief minister and the party’s state unit president. Two loyalists of Pilot were also dropped from the state Cabinet. “I have worked very hard to bring the Congress party back in the government and defeat the BJP,” he told PTI In an apparent reference…

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Poet and activist Varavara Rao, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, has been taken to the state-run J J Hospital here after he complained of dizziness, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Rao, 80, has been behind bars for almost two years and lodged at the Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. The activist and his family members have claimed he is unwell since sometime, and sought the jail authorities to provide him immediate medical care. “Rao was taken to the J J Hospital on Monday night after he felt…

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