Rahul Gandhi’s 150-day Yatra launches at Kanniyakumari
Rahul Gandhi launched the Congress party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanniyakumar in Tamil Nadu. Marking the launch of the tour, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel jointly hand over the Indian Flag to Mr. Gandhi. During the public meeting at Kanniyakumari, Mr. Gandhi said, “It gives me great joy to begin the great Yatra at this beautiful place. The Indian national flag represents every single state of our country. It belongs to every religion, language, state and caste. The BJP thinks this (Indian flag) is their personal property. They (BJP) think they can single-handedly determine the future of this country. They think they can frighten the Opposition through Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department and Central Bureau of Investigation.”
CBI searches West Bengal Law Minister’s residences in coal pilferage scam
The CBI conducted searches at half-a-dozen properties and the residence of West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with the investigation in the coal pilferage scam. Teams of CBI officials conducted searches at the Minister’s residence at Asansol in the State’s Paschim Bardhaman district, and in Kolkata at Alipore, Lake Gardens, and near Raj Bhavan. According to the investigation agency, the search was carried out after the Minister failed to appear before the agency despite summons being issued to him several times.
India keen to strengthen partnership with Russia on Arctic subjects: PM Modi
In an online plenary session address at the Eastern Economic Forum, being organised in the Russian city of Vladivostok and also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has been emphasising the need to adopt the path of diplomacy and dialogue since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict and it supports all peaceful efforts to end the conflict. Recalling his participation at the forum summit physically in 2019, Modi said India had announced its “Act Far-East” policy at that time and as a result of that, India’s cooperation with the Russian Far East has increased in various fields.
Constitution Bench to hear on Sept. 27 if EC can hear Shinde’s claim over Shiv Sena party, symbol
A Constitution Bench decided to hear on September 27 the question whether the Election Commission of India can hear Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s claim over the Shiv Sena party and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol even as petitions concerning the disqualification of his breakaway faction for defection are pending in the top court. On August 4, a three-judge Bench of the apex court before referring the case to the Constitution Bench, had urged the EC to desist from taking any precipitate action on Mr. Shinde’s claim over the party and its symbol.
A Constitution Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 listed the dispute between the Centre and Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for control over bureaucrats in the Capital on September 27 for fixing the dates of hearing. The five-judge Bench however said the hearing may tentatively begin from October 11. The Bench said the hearing would be completely paperless. “This would be a Green Bench. So don’t carry any papers with you. Both the Bench and the arguing counsel shall not rely on any hard copies,” Justice Chandrachud told the lawyers.
I-T department conducts survey on Centre for Policy Research
The premises of the think tank Centre for Policy Research located near Malcha Marg in central Delhi are being covered, official sources said. The exact reason for conducting the survey, where only business premises are covered by the taxman, was not known.
I-T department conducts searches on unrecognised political parties
The Income-Tax Department searches were carried out in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other States. The move came after the Election Commission of India, in June, ordered the deletion of 111 registered unrecognised political parties that were found to be “non-existent”. Information related to three of the parties was also shared with the Department of Revenue for legal action for “serious financial impropriety”.
Considering the special circumstances, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has agreed to recognise the academic mobility programme offered by Ukraine to allow such students to complete their education as the degree will be awarded by the parent Ukrainian university only.
Union Cabinet approves 14,000 PM SHRI schools
Under the ₹27,360 crore scheme, more than 14,000 schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, will be strengthened to emerge as PMSHRI schools, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said after the Cabinet meeting.
Bajrang Dal activists stop Ranbir-Alia from offering prayers at Mahakal temple in Madhya Pradesh
Confirming the incident, a Mahakal police station official said they resorted to cane-charge to disperse the protesters. Eyewitnesses said despite the cane charge, the protesters did not allow Ranbir and Alia to enter the temple premises. Bajrang Dal workers raised ‘Jai Shriram’ slogans when Ranbir and Alia arrived at the spot to take darshan.
Xi, Putin set to hold talks at Uzbekistan summit
This will be the first meeting between China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin since their talks in Beijing in February, which took place shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both leaders then affirmed a “no limits” relationship. Mr. Xi’s travels to Kazakhstan on September 14, and attendance at the SCO Summit on September 15 and 16, will be his first outside of China in close to three years. The Chinese leader hasn’t left the country since a mid-January 2020 visit to Myanmar, days before the lockdown of Wuhan where the pandemic began.
Shelling goes on near Ukraine nuclear plant, despite risks
The city of Nikopol, located on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River from Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, was fired on with rockets and heavy artillery, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. The potential peril led the U.N. atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, to urge Russia and Ukraine to establish a “nuclear safety and security protection zone” around the plant. Neither Moscow nor Kiev officials would immediately commit to the idea of a safety zone, saying more details of the proposal were needed.
U.K. PM Liz Truss appoints diverse Cabinet in shake-up of old guard
Prime Minister Liz Truss held her first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday after announcing one of the U. K.’s most diverse Cabinets, with key frontline posts going to ethnic minority members of Parliament, including Indian-origin Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary. Many senior Tories, who had backed Ms. Truss’ rival, British Indian former finance minister Rishi Sunak, find themselves without a job – including former justice secretary Dominic Raab, transport secretary Grant Shapps and health secretary Steve Barclay.
Job creation, equitable income distribution our priorities, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Job creation and equitable income distribution are our top red-letter priorities, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the U.S.-India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit. Inflation is also a priority but not a red-letter one as we have been able to bring it down over the last couple of months, she said. India doesn’t have the luxury of sequencing priorities and efforts to tackle them must take place simultaneously, the Finance Minister added.
Rohit Sharma plays down India’s poor Asia Cup form ahead of World Cup
Successive defeats by Pakistan and Sri Lanka have left India on the brink of exiting the Asia Cup but captain Rohit Sharma is not concerned about their form ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup. Just over a month out from the T20 World Cup in Australia, Rohit said there will be very few changes to the squad.
U.S. Open | Khachanov stops Kyrgios in 5 sets, faces Ruud in semifinals
Karen Khachanov stood on court, arms raised, basking in a rowdy crowd’s cheers after reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open. Not far away, Nick Kyrgios took out some of his frustration at the so-close-yet-so-far result on a pair of rackets. First, shortly after the last point of his 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 loss to Khachanov, Kyrgios cracked his piece of equipment against the ground — once, twice, three, four times. Then, for good measure, Kyrgios grabbed yet another racket out of his bag, reared back and hit that one on the sideline, too.
