Category: NATIONAL NEWS

Demands to raise royalty on coal, roll back of steep hike in airfares between Kerala and Gulf region and government intervention to help release fishermen captured by Pakistan were among issues raised during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha on Monday.Amar Patnaik (BJD) said the rate of royalty paid to state governments on coal produced in states was last changed in April 2012 and as per rule was due to be revised in April 2015 but was not done.The issue was placed before the GST Council but is yet to…

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Refuting opposition’s claims of “misuse” of the NIA law, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the Modi government will never abuse it to target anyone but will ensure that terrorism is finished off irrespective of the religion of the accused.In an intervention during a discussion in Lok Sabha on the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Shah also targeted the Congress-led UPA government for repealing the anti-terror act POTA, saying it was not done because of its alleged misuse but to “save its vote bank”.He said terror attacks…

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Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been at loggerheads with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and was stripped off key portfolios in the cabinet reshuffle in June, has resigned from the state cabinet.The 55-year-old Sidhu took to Twitter on Sunday, making public his resignation letter, which was sent just four days after his portfolio was changed.The resignation letter dated June 10 was addressed to Congress President Rahul Gandhi. “I hereby resign as Minister from the Punjab Cabinet,” Sidhu said in the letter to the Congress chief, which he posted…

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The BJP will press Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to seek trust vote in the Assembly on Monday, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said Saturday.The former chief minister asserted that the Congress-JD(S)coalition government has lost majority and its collapse was imminent.In a surprise move amid the existential crisis faced by his government, Kumaraswamy had on Friday announced in the state Assembly that he had voluntarily decided to seek a trust vote to end the “confusion” caused by resignations of rebel MLAs and requested the Speaker to fix time…

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In a breather for the beleaguered JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka, the Assembly Speaker was restrained by the Supreme Court till Tuesday from deciding on both the resignation and disqualification of rebel MLAs, as Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in a surprise move Friday announced he would seek a trust voteAs Karnataka headed for a prolonged political uncertainty, BJP sources said the party too has decided to move its MLAs to a resort near Bengaluru amid fears of reverse poaching by the ruling combine after Kumaraswamy’s announcement. The JD(S) MLAs have…

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With his government fighting for survival following the resignation of 16 Congress-JD(S) MLAs, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy sought to know on Thursday why should he step down from the post.“Why should I resign? What is the necessity for me to resign now?,” Kumaraswamy shot back to reporters here, amidst the speculation that he could put in his papers in the wake of the crisis that has pushed his coalition government to the brink of collapse.He recalled that in 2009-10, 18 MLAs, including some ministers, had “opposed” the then chief…

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A Bill to set up an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised domestic and international arbitration was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday.The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019, seeks to replace an ordinance issued in March this year by the previous government.It provides for setting up of an independent and autonomous body for institutional arbitration.Besides, it would acquire and transfer undertakings of the International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR) to the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) with effect from March 2 this year.Replying to…

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Drought is a real problem in India as 60 per cent of its agriculture is entirely dependent on monsoon because of no irrigation facility, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Tuesday, urging people to make efficient use of water to save land from degradation.He made the statement at a press conference here with United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, where he said India will host the COP-14 of UNCCD from September 2-13 in Noida.Javadekar said he was “very happy” that India will host COP-14 from September 2-13.…

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Karnataka minister and Independent MLA H Nagesh on Monday resigned and withdrew support to the H D Kumaraswamy-led government, delivering another blow to the shaky JD(S)-Congress coalition ruling the state. Nagesh, who was recently inducted into the government as small scale industries minister, met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan here and submitted his letter of resignation and also “unequivocally” extended support to the government of BJP, if called for by the governor. The Congress-JD(S) coalition government, which is on the brink of collapse, could suffer another jolt with…

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Fourteen MLAs of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka have submitted their resignation to the Speaker, putting a question mark on the survival of the 13-month-old government.If the resignations are accepted, the wobbly ruling coalition will lose majority in the 224-member Assembly as its strength will come down to 104. The crisis, which had been brewing ever since the BJP swept the parliamentary polls in the state, deepened as 13 Congress and JD(S) MLAs reached the Speaker’s office to put in their papers and later met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the…

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