Photo: Dawn
Issue Is 'Serious If Newspaper Reports Are Correct': SC On Pegasus Row
After three petitions, including one by the Editors' Guild of India, were filed against the Pegasus issue. The SC said on August 5, that the matter is "serious if newspaper reports are correct". The two-member bench asked the petitioners to submit a copy of their petition to the government as the Centre has to present a hearing on August 10. "Truth has to come out", the petition stated.
Tags: pegasus spyware, Supreme Court, Editors Guild of India, Centre, Petition
Courtesy: NDTV
Photo: Bing
Centre Imposes Curbs In Districts With Over 10% Covid Positivity Rate
With daily Covid numbers sky-rocketing in India, the Centre now wants stricter curbs to be imposed in districts with over 10% positivity rate in a bid to limit the cases. Reportedly, 46 districts show over 10% positivity rate while 53 districts display a rate between 5%-10%. "Over the past few weeks, 40,000 fresh cases are being reported every day in India", claims Balram Bhargava, Director General of ICMR.
Tags: Covid-19, corona positivity rate, COVID-19 daily cases, Centre
Courtesy: The Hindu
Photo: Science News For Students
Centre Refuses Excise Duty Cut On Fuel Products
The central government refuses to cut the excise duty cut on fuel products for fiscal concerns and a ₹10 cut may lead to a fiscal deficit of 0.58%, while it reduces inflation by just 0.2%. However, on July 20, the Centre explained that the petrol and diesel excise duty are being used for developmental infrastructure. Reportedly, additional expenditure for FY22 is expected during revised estimates.
Tags: Excise Duty, Fuel, Inflation, Centre
Courtesy: Money Control
Photo: DNA India
Cabinet Reboot: Centre Grants Rs 23,123 Cr Covid Relief Funds
Following PM Modi's cabinet reshuffle, the Centre has approved a Rs 23,123 crore package to meet the Covid-19 emergency needs. The funds allocated will be used for strengthening genome sequencing, stocking up more essential medicines, and others. In this second response package, Rs 15,000 crore will be funded by the Centre while Rs. 8,123 will come from the states. Besides, the government plans to add 8,800 ambulances under their package.
Tags: Covid-19, reshuffled cabinet, Centre, Covid-19 Relief Fund, State
Courtesy: The Times of India
Photo: BBC News
States With High Covid-19 Cases To Take Stricter Actions: Centre
The Centre has warned states with high Covid-19 cases to take stringent actions to contain the spread. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to eight states to take immediate action to decrease the number of positive cases and share the details of the steps taken as per the Disaster Management Act. Over 10% positivity rate was registered in the districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Kerala, Meghalaya, Tripura, Odisha, and… read-more
Tags: Covid-19, Centre, Rajesh Bhushan, Vaccination
Courtesy: The Times of India
Photo: DNA India
SC Distressed Over Cops; Hundreds Of Cases Filed Under Scrapped IT Act
"It is shocking, distressing, and amazing how police across the country are still registering cases under Section 66A of IT Act, " a Supreme Court bench said on June 29. However, the Act was struck down in 2015, a total of 687 cases were registered then, and currently, increased to 1307, said senior advocate Sanjay Parikh. Moreover, SC issued a notice to the Centre stating, "we will do something".
Tags: Section 66A, Informational Technology Act, Supreme Court, Cases, NGO, Sanjay Parikh, Centre
Courtesy: The Times of India
Photo: Bar and Bench
Centre Plans To File Writ Petition Against SC Under SEBCs Case
The Supreme Court on July 1 dismissed the Centre's plea seeking to review SC's previous ruling on May 5, which limits the identification of SEBCs to centres, not the states for granting quotas in jobs & education. However, the bench stated, "We do not find any sufficient ground to entertain this review petition." The decision has left the Centre with their last resort to move a curative writ petition.
Tags: SEBCS, Supreme Court, Centre, Writ Petition, State governments, Bench
Courtesy: The Indian Express
Photo: EdSource
Centre, State Government Denies To Re-Opening Of School
The centre as well as the state governments refused to the reopening of schools until COVID-19 situations are under control. Several parents have demanded the reopening of schools witnessing a decrease in number of cases under the second wave of COVID-19. However, the survey stated only 30% of the parents are willing to send their children to school while 70% declined the idea.
Tags: Schools, SCHOOL REOPEN, INDIA WIDE PARENTS' ASSOCIATION, Centre, COVID-19 outbreak
Courtesy: The Times of India
Photo: The Economic Times
Farmers Call The Present Situation 'Undeclared Emergency'
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is going to observe June 26 as "Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas" to mark the completion of seven months of disconcertment against Centre's three farm laws. Naming the present situation as an "undeclared emergency", the SKM will showcase their agitation through the protests outside Raj Bhavan on the date of emergency. Even after several rounds of talks, the issue remains unsettled.
Tags: Farmers, Farmers Protest, State of Emergency, Centre
Courtesy: The Print
Photo: India TV Hindi
Delhi CM Questions Union Over Supplies Of Free COVID Jabs To All Adults
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on June 10 questioned the Centre that from where the Centre would procure so many COVID vaccine doses to innoculate all the adults for free from June 21. He also raised concerns over the Union’s decision to export vaccines rather than plugging India’s own shortage. Recently, Delhi government opened vaccination for people in the 18-44 age-group after two weeks of hiatus due to the shortage.
Tags: Centre, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Covid-19 Vaccine, Free vaccination
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
