Front Page
Nine parties oppose proposal for simultaneous elections: During consultations with the Law Commission of India, political parties were divided on the issue of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. While four parties supported the move, the two major players, BJP and Congress, stayed away from the deliberations, reports The Hindu. The DMK, the AAP and the JD(S) were among those who opposed it, saying the move went against the “basic tenets of the Constitution”.
BJP holds talks with PDP rebels: A new government may be formed in Jammu & Kashmir between the BJP, ally Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference, and PDP rebels, with the hurdle being who gets the chief minister’s post. The Indian Express reports the BJP is willing to concede any demand or ministry but is adamant on keeping the CM’s post.
It’s time UP government officials pulled up their socks: Yogi Adityanath’s government is contemplating ‘compulsory retirement’ for employees aged above 50 years if they are found neglecting their duty, an order that could affect more than 4 lakh employees, reports The Times Of India.
Hardik Patel vows indefinite fast to press for Patidar quota: Calling it his “last fight”, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader, in a media statement, said he would fast to death if his demands were not met by the government, reports Livemint.
JD(U) says Nitish Kumar supreme, no seat talks yet, alliance to stay: The party asserted that the JD(U) had not merged with the BJP and had a different ideology. CM Nitish Kumar also said he had not received any proposal from the BJP so far regarding seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, but the alliance was intact, reports Hindustan Times.
Centre plans stronger defence for key data: Worried about sensitive information making its way to the internet, the home ministry is upgrading its information security policy and guidelines to secure government data and control access to it, reports The Hindu.
IAF spent Rs 29 crore to ferry banknotes after demonetisation, RTI reveals: PTI reports that the IAF used the ultra modern transport aircraft C-17 and the C-130J Super Hercules, and undertook 91 sorties to transport bundles of banknotes to various destinations across the country.
2012 gang rape verdict review today: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on petitions seeking a review of the death penalty given to the four convicts in the 16 December 2012 gang rape and murder case, reports The Tribune.
Business Class
Speaking about Sachin Bansal’s exit from Flipkart for the first time since the Walmart deal, Binay Bansal said it was a good time for the former to make an exit, reports The Economic Times. The US retail giant Walmart acquired Flipkart in a $16 billion deal in May, 11 years after the two men founded the e-tail company.
Reliance Industries is gearing up for a grand entry in the e-commerce space. Targeting a September launch, the company is readying 50 warehouses across the country, reports Business Standard.
News it’s just kinda cool to know
From next year, you may be using a ‘green straw’: If things go according to plan, bamboo straws will be in vogue by next year. A scientist from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has come out with a green alternative to use-and-throw plastic drinking straws by tapping bamboo, reports The Hindu.
There is a new reason to worry about air pollution: It’s fairly well known that a bad diet, lack of exercise, and genetics can all contribute to type 2 diabetes. But a new global study points to an additional, surprising culprit: Air pollution caused by cars and trucks, reports The Atlantic.
Point of View
Union minister Jayant Sinha feted eight convicts on bail in a lynching case. The Hindu writes in its editorial, “A release on bail, as Mr Sinha surely knows, is not an acquittal…that a central minister could have hobnobbed in such a public fashion with those convicted of murder is inexcusable.”
The sentencing of the Nawaz Sharif family has shocked many. Former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani writes in his column in The Indian Express, “Corruption is a painful reality of Pakistani politics but so is the fact that it is Pakistan’s military that decides who remains in politics and who is ousted through court judgments…For the last three years, Sharif has been the target of a relentless propaganda war and the shenanigans of Pakistan’s invisible government.”
Prime Time
BJP’s flirtation with communal politics
Athar Khan of Times Now questioned the Centre’s “inaction” against lynch mobs.
Journalist and author Saba Naqvi made a scathing attack on union minister Jayant Sinha for garlanding men convicted of lynching and said, “We have a serious constitutional issue here, by any standard, it’s not acceptable.”
Samajwadi Party leader Hafiz Gandhi, too, rebuked the civil aviation minister and said, “It is not good to garland them because they are still convicted; BJP has a habit of rewarding hatemongers.”
Speaking in defence of Jayant Sinha, BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma said, “He has condemned vigilantism and violence of any kind and has said rule of law should prevail.”
Modi’s ‘bittersweet’ Pakistan policy
Arnab Goswami of Republic TV discussed the Modi government’s policy towards Pakistan. While praising the Prime Minister’s efforts for engaging India’s neighbour in meaningful dialogues, former diplomat Vivek Katju said, “Mr Modi tried his best. It’s only after he realised it was a futile call that he gave it up.”
Meanwhile, Professor D.K. Giri slammed the central government for its “weak foreign policy” and said,”The PM has neither a charm offensive nor a structured approach to Pakistan.”