National - Electronic Gurudev

Aug282017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Modi Govt sanctions over 2.17 lakh houses for Urban Poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

National

The government has sanctioned over 2.17 lakh houses for urban poor in six states, including Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, taking the total tally to about 26 lakh under the Centre’s housing scheme. An official release today said in the latest sanctions, Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has given nod to over 1.20 lakh more houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to Andhra Pradesh, followed by Uttar Pradesh 41,173, Assam 16,700, Gujarat 15,222, Jharkhand 14,017 and Maharashtra 9,894. With this, the total houses sanctioned under the scheme increased to over 26.13 lakh with a total investment of around Rs 1.39 lakh crore. Central assistance of Rs 40,597 crore has been approved for construction of these houses. The 10 states–Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kar...

Aug282017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Gurmeet Ram Rahim sentenced to 20 years in jail, fined Rs 30 lakh

Haryana

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years in jail, and not 10 as reported earlier, in two cases of raping minors 15 years ago. Special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh said the two sentences of 10 years each will run cosecutively, and not concurrently. The 50-year-old Dera chief has also been slapped a fine of Rs 15 lakh in each case, with the court ordering that Rs 14 lakh be paid to each survivor of the 2002 rapes. A CBI spokesperson said, "Baba Ram Rahim has been sentenced for 20 years. He will remain 20 years in jail as per the sentencing. It's 10 plus 10 years sentence in two cases, and the sentence will run one after the other consecutively and not concurrently, plus a fine of Rs 15 lakh each in two cases."

Aug282017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

India and China to mutually disengage in the Doklam conflict

China, National

NEW DELHI: In a diplomatic victory, India and China have agreed to "disengage" from the stand-off in Doklam on Bhutanese territory. After almost 10 weeks of sustained negotiations between top-level Indian and Chinese officials, the MEA on Monday said "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going." By the end of the day, as Indian troops withdrew from their post at Doka La, Chinese troops and their road-building equipment too were removed from the face-off site. The standoff has been on since June 16 when Indian troops physically stopped the PLA from building a road on Doklam plateau. In a second statement at the end of the day, MEA confirmed that both sides had moved out "under verification." The negotiations were conduc...

Aug282017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Dera headquarters practiced their own monetary system

Haryana

At Sirsa where the headquarters of the Dera is located, there is a separate monetary system in place. The monetary system introduced by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim is aimed at tendering change to customers. Located in and around Dera premises, these shops have the word ‘Sach’ (truth) prefixed to their respective names and give out plastic ‘coins’ or tokens of Rs 10 and Rs 5 to customers if they are unable to tender change in Indian currency. These coins, engraved with the words ‘Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera hi Asara, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa’, can then be used by the customer to buy items at the ‘Sach’ shops later. In case a shopkeeper does not have any change at his disposal if a customer pays Rs 100 for an item that costs Rs 70, the latter may have to make do with three plas...

Aug282017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Parrikar wins Panaji, Vishwajit Rane wins Valpoi in Goa Bypoll for BJP

Goa

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has won the Panaji Assembly by-election, defeating his nearest rival, Girish Chodankar of the Congress, by 4,803 votes. Parrikar got 9,862 votes against 5,059 by Chodankar. Goa Suraksha Manch president Anand Shirodkar got only 220 votes, while 301 people opted ‘None of The Above’ or NOTA. By-elections were held in Goa on August 23. Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as Goa Chief Minister in March 2017 after the BJP formed a coalition government with Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and independents. Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) president Anand Shirodkar polled 220 votes, while 301 people pressed None of The Above (NOTA) button in the August 23 election. Chodankar, a senior leader of the Goa Congress, is a close aide of party v...

Aug262017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Maldives supports India in standoff with China: ex-president Mohamed Nasheed

Delhi, Maldives

NEW DELHI: Maldives and its people support India in its standoff with China at Doklam as Male values Delhi as a close neighbor, which will render assistance in times of crises, said Mohamed Nasheed, former president and principal Opposition leader of the island nation. “We should take sides and we are taking sides. If I am supporting India in its current crisis, it is in my own interest as neighbour like India supports in times of crises including natural disasters and requirements like supply of water. Maldives and India have lived with each for thousands of years. It is wrong for China to suddenly splash money and ask for support,” Nasheed told ET during his ongoing trip to India amid Chinese efforts to expand strategic outreach in South Asia including warships that would visit Maldiv...

Aug242017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

West Bengal: Despite high court ruling, Mamata Banerjee ban Durga visarjan on Muharram

West Bengal

The West Bengal government has announced that during this year's Durga puja, idol immersion or visarjan ceremony will not be allowed a day after Vijaya Dashami on October 1, due to Muharram. This comes despite such a decision being struck down by the Calcutta High Court after it was challenged by multiple Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed last year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the decision during a meeting with Durga puja organisers in Kolkata on Wednesday evening. "On Vijaya Dashami, immersion has to end by 6 PM as Muhurram processions will be taken out after that. If both happen together at the same time, there may be problems. I am seeking your cooperation on this. Some people will try to bank on this opportunity and create all kinds of provocation, using Hindus and...

Aug242017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Take speedy decisions, keep poor & ordinary citizens in minds while taking decisions, PM Modi to bureaucracy

National

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all wings of the government to work in a synchronised manner and pressed the bureaucracy to take speedy decisions, promising that honest decision-making with good intention would always be encouraged. Good governance should be a priority for the officers, he said during an interaction with a group of over 70 Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries in the central government, according to a PMO statement. Modi asked the officers to focus attention on the 100 most backward districts of India, so that they can be brought up to the national average level, on various development parameters. The prime minister said the combination of development and good governance is essential for the welfare and satisfaction of citizens, the statement said about th...

Aug242017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

In a landmark decision SC unanimously declared right to privacy as a fundamental right

National

In a landmark decision that will affect the lives of all Indians, the Supreme Court today unanimously declared that right to privacy was a Fundamental right under the Constitution. A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar ruled that “right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 and entire Part III of the Constitution”. The ruling on the highly contentious issue was to deal with a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing the benefits of various social welfare schemes. While the Centre had argued that right to privacy is not a Fundamental right, the petitioners had contended that when a citizen gives his biometrics and personal details to the government and when in turn...

Aug232017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Air India CMD Lohani has been appointed as chairman of Railway Board

National

Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani was today appointed chairman of the Railway Board after the incumbent A K Mital resigned from the post, officials said. The announcement by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet came hours after Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu indicated that he had offered his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the recent train accidents. “Necessary communication in this regard has been sent to the Ministry of Railways,” the committee said. Mital had tendered his resignation to Prabhu last evening and it was accepted today morning, sources said. Lohani, an officer of the railway mechanical service, had served earlier as the Divisional Regional Manager of Delhi. He was also ITDC chairman as well as the director of the Ra...