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Fri, 30 June 2023

Parl panel to discuss UCC on July 3: Sushil Modi

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23:50 UP: Man in interfaith relationship thrashed to death

A 23-year-old man was beaten to death, apparently over an interfaith relationship with a minor girl, police said on Friday.

The police have arrested three people -- the girl's father and her two cousins -- for the murder on Thursday of Parvez, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Trans Hindon) Vivek Chandra Yadav said.

"Parvez had gone to the girl's home in Ghaziabad's Khoda area from Loni.

When her father found the man there, he and his nephews allegedly thrashed him with iron rods.

"They also narrated a false story to the police that Parvez was a thief who had broken into their home," Yadav said.

Parvez was taken to the district hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Investigations based on the call records of the girl and Parvez revealed that they knew each other for a long time and talked on the phone regularly.

The minor girl's family members allegedly beat up the man after coming to know about the relationship, the police said.

The police registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by Parvez's brother against the girl's father and her cousins, Yadav said.

They were arrested on Friday and an investigation is underway, he added. -- PTI

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Sushil Modi on Friday said the panel will seek the views of all stakeholders on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in its meeting on July 3.

Talking to reporters in Patna on Friday, Modi said that the meeting of the committee is non-political as the panel has members from all political parties.

"We will discuss the Law Commission's report on the UCC on July 3. If required, we will call another meeting to discuss the matter further. The committee is completely neutral," he said.

Members of the committee have been informed that their inputs on UCC will be sought and considered during the July 3 meeting.

According to the schedule of the standing committee, the panel will hear the views of representatives of the law panel and legal affairs and legislative departments of the law ministry on a public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code under the subject 'Review of Personal Laws'.

Till Tuesday evening, the law panel had received nearly 8.5 lakh responses on its public notice.

UCC refers to a common set of laws governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, among others, of all citizens.

"In more than a dozen cases, the Supreme Court has said that the UCC should be implemented as soon as possible. The court has repeated this time and again," Modi said.

"I don't understand why the same age for marriage can't be fixed for all. It is being propagated that the UCC will affect religious customs and rituals. If criminal law is the same for all people in the country, then why can't civil law be that way?" Modi said.

The prime minister had on Tuesday made a fresh pitch for UCC at a rally in Bhopal, evoking criticism from the opposition, which has claimed it was 'polarisation' tactics.

Reports suggest that the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre may introduce a bill on implementing the UCC during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, set to begin in the third week of July. -- PTI

22:25 BJP ally Sangma says UCC against idea of India

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday claimed that the 'Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in its present form' is against the idea of India.

Addressing a press conference in Shillong, the National People's Party supremo asserted that diversity is the strength of India.

"NPP feels that UCC will go against the idea of India being a diverse nation, with diversity being our strength and identity," he said.

Sangma said the Northeast has got a unique culture and society and will want to remain that way.

The NPP chief, however, said it will be difficult to go into the details without seeing the actual content of the UCC draft.

Noting that Meghalaya has a matrilineal society and there are different cultures in Northeast, he asserted, "These cannot be changed." -- PTI

22:01 Normal monsoon likely in 'warmer' July: IMD

The monsoon is likely to be normal in July across the country, barring parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and south Bihar, with above normal temperatures expected throughout the month, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

Addressing a virtual press conference in New Delhi, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the July rains will help wipe out rainfall deficiencies witnessed in June.

As many as 16 states and union territories received deficient rainfall in June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting large deficits at 69 per cent and 60 per cent below normal respectively.

Large states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also received less rainfall than what is normal for June, the first month of the south-west monsoon season.

"The monthly rainfall averaged over the country as a whole during July 2023 is most likely to be normal (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) and most probably within the positive side of the normal," Mohapatra said.

The long period average (LPA) of rainfall over the country during July based on the data of 1971-2020 is about 280.4 mm.

The phenomenon of warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, called the El Nino conditions, are expected to develop in July.

El Nino is known to suppress monsoon rainfall.

Mohapatra said during most of the recent El Nino years, June rainfall has been within the normal range.

"In 16 of the 25 years when June rainfall was below normal, July rainfall has been reported normal," he said.

He said 377 weather stations across the country reported heavy rainfall events - 115.6 mm-204.5 mm per day - in June, while 62 stations reported extremely heavy rains, amounting to more than 204.5 mm.

Mohapatra said the March-to-June summer season saw heatwave conditions across 281 meteorological sub-division days (MSD), the third highest after 578 MSDs in 2010 and 455 MSDs in 2022.

If one meteorological sub-division reports heat wave conditions, it is considered as one MSD. The weather office said during July, normal to above normal maximum temperatures were likely over most parts of the country except some areas of northwest and peninsular India.

It said normal to above normal minimum temperatures were likely over most parts of the country except some areas of northwest India. -- PTI

21:10 Downturn in ties created by China: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday said that the present downturn in bilateral relations was created by China and not by India, maintaining that it takes two hands to clap for a relationship to work.

The minister said this after delivering the Shyama Prasad Lecture on 'New India and the World' in Kolkata.

"It finally takes two hands to clap and China too must have the belief in a workable relationship," he said when asked whether the two Asian giants can have a working relationship.

If there has to be a decent working relationship, China needs to observe the agreements made in 1993 and 1996 on the Line of Actual Control, Jaishankar said. -- PTI

Senior advocate Tushar Mehta was re-appointed as the Solicitor General of India on Friday for a term of three years.

Mehta was appointed as Solicitor General on October 10, 2018 and since then he had been granted extension twice.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, besides Mehta, six Additional Solicitors General for the Supreme Court were also re-appointed for a period of three years.

Six ASGs who were re-appointed for the top court are Vikramjit Banerjee, K M Nataraj, Balbir Singh, S V Raju, N Venkataraman and Aishwarya Bhati.

The names of Additional Solicitors General Madhavi Goradia Divan and Sanjay Jain, whose tenure came to end on Friday, did not feature in the list of re-appointed law officers.

Additional Solicitor General Jayant K Sud, whose tenure came to end on Thursday, also did not feature in the list.

Additional Solicitors General Chetan Sharma for Delhi high court, Satya Pal Jain for Punjab and Haryana high court, Devang Girish Vyas for Gujarat high court and Krishna Nandan Singh for Patna high court were also re-appointed for a period of three years. -- PTI

The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party has served notices to eleven party men so far for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party activity' during the assembly election, and also to those causing embarrassment by making public statements against it and its leaders.

The party has decided to inquire into the anti-party activities and take disciplinary action against those involved.

The decision was taken at a meeting of BJP leaders attended by state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel and former chief minister and parliamentary board member B S Yediyurappa among others on Friday.

"It has been decided to inquire into those who have indulged in anti-party activities during the election, and take disciplinary action. We have personally spoken to those who are making statements that have caused embarrassment to the party. Notices have been issued, and they have been clearly told not to make such statements in the future," Kateel told reporters after the meeting.

Asked details about who has been given notice, Kateel, without revealing names, said, "We have given notice to 11 people so far."

Yediyurappa said that the party men have been instructed that none of them should make statements that will cause embarrassment to the BJP.

"We have called those who have made such statements and spoken to them. They have been told to be cautious and ensure that such a situation doesn't arise, else appropriate action will be taken. A decision has been taken in this regard," he said.

Karnataka BJP on Thursday issued notice to former Honnali MLA M P Renukacharya for his 'anti-party' remarks.

He has been given one week's time to give a written reply to the show cause notice issued by the state disciplinary committee of the party. The party had officially released the notice served to Renukacharya, but not others.

Renukacharya on Thursday said the party's state president Kateel should have resigned from the post, taking moral responsibility for the assembly poll debacle.

Targeting party leaders without taking any names, the former minister alleged that the BJP office has been turned into a 'corporate office', and urged them to introspect and work towards strengthening the party and boosting the morale of the workers for the Lok Sabha elections and the zilla and taluk panchayat polls, among others.

Several BJP leaders have recently come out in the open criticising their own colleagues, following the assembly polls debacle, with statements that 'adjustment politics' (with a section of the Congress leaders) contributed to the party's rout in the assembly elections, sparking off a political debate.

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha and BJP national secretary C T Ravi were among those who had alleged adjustment politics'. Though they had not named anyone, it was largely seen as comments directed at former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting today, Yediyurappa said it has been decided that he along with other leaders will lead the protests on July 4 both inside and outside the Legislature, demanding that the Congress government in the state implement poll guarantees in full, as promised.

"Congress had gone door to door and had given guarantee cards signed by Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar (Deputy CM and state Congress chief). We have discussed demanding full implementation of those guarantees without fail. On July 4 in front of Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, hundreds of our party workers will stage a day-long protest Satyagraha," he said.

Inside the Legislative Assembly and Council, BJP legislators will stage protests on the same issue, Yediyurappa said, adding, that the Congress government, as promised, should give 10 kg of free rice to the poor, Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduates, Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders, 200 units of free power without conditions to households, Rs 2,000 to women per month.

It should also withdraw the power tariff hike, he added.

Kateel too urged the government to fulfill the promises made ahead of the polls.

He said, "Along with 5 kg of rice provided by the BJP government at the Centre, the state government should give 10 kg as promised by the Congress. Congress is now saying that they will give only 5 kg and that too not rice, but will give money instead. We will fight demanding that the state government give 10 kg of rice in addition to 5 kg by the Centre." -- PTI

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke on phone, and reiterated their commitment to further strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership, the Kremlin said.

'The conversation had a meaningful and constructive character. The leaders reiterated mutual commitment to strengthening privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and agreed to continue communication,' it said.

'Russian President Putin informed Modi of Ukraine's categorical refusal to settle the conflict through diplomacy,' the Kremlin press service said.

'The two leaders discussed the situation around Ukraine. The Russian president assessed the current situation in the special military operation zone, pointing to Kyiv's categorical refusal to take political and diplomatic steps to resolve the conflict,' the statement said.

They also discussed their countries' cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the G20.

Special attention was focused on cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the G20, where India holds the presidency, as well as within the BRICS format, the statement said. -- PTI

The Uniform Civil Code will soon be implemented in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Friday after a committee of experts set up by the state government announced a draft is ready.

In a tweet, he said, 'As per the promise made to the people of the state, today on June 30, the committee formed to prepare the draft of the Uniform Civil Code has completed its work.'

'Soon #UniformCivilCode will be implemented in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand,' Dhami said in the tweet in Hindi.

Earlier in the day, Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, who heads the panel, told a press conference in Delhi that the draft of the proposed UCC for Uttarakhand is ready and would soon be submitted to the state government.

Desai said the panel has drafted the code taking into account all shades of opinion and looking into various statutes and laws, including the statutory framework in select countries. -- PTI

Tomato prices are expected to cool down in the next 15 days with increase in supplies from producing centres and reach a normal level in a month, a top government official said, as retail prices of the kitchen staple shot up over Rs 100 per kg in major cities.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, in a media briefing, also said the retail prices of tomato in the national capital will come down immediately on improved supplies from Solan and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh.

"The phenomena of price rise in tomato happens every year at this time. Every agriculture commodity in every country goes through a seasonality in the price cycle. In June, prices reached a high level," he said.

Tomato is also a highly perishable commodity and weather vulnerability, which has become prevalent in the recent times due to climate change and other issues, has disturbed the supplies, he added.

The secretary further said, "You cannot store tomato for a long time and transport it for a long distance. There is an inherent vulnerability in the commodity. Transportation is also a big issue."

June-August and October-November are also lean production seasons and prices in this period normally see a sharp increase, he said.

All India average retail price of tomato on June 29 was ruling at Rs 49 per kg as against Rs 51.50 per kg in the year-ago same day, he said, and added, "I am not justifying the rate. This also proves seasonality."

Stating that it's a complex problem, the secretary said, however the government is handling it and finding a solution to streamline the supplies throughout the year.

"For this, a Grand Tomato Challenge was launched on Friday. It is like a hackathon where ideas are being invited from students to industry stakeholders on primary processing, storage and valorisation of tomato," he said.

According to the data maintained by Department of Consumer Affairs, the average retail price of tomato on an all-India basis is Rs 56.58 per kg on June 30.

The modal price is Rs 100 per kg while the maximum price is Rs 123 per kg.

The retail price of tomato in Delhi is Rs 80 per kg, Mumbai (Rs 48 per kg), Kolkata (Rs 105 per kg) and Chennai (Rs 88 per kg). Among other major cities, the prices stood at Rs 54 per kg in Bengaluru, Rs 100 per kg in Bhopal and Lucknow each, Rs 80 per kg in Shimla, Rs 98 per kg in Bhubaneshwar and Rs 99 per kg in Raipur. -- PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday slammed the Union government over halting of Rahul Gandhi's convoy by police in Manipur, calling the act 'wrong' and an indication of 'total failure' of law and order in the northeastern state.

Gandhi was stopped on Thursday when he was on his way to Churachandpur to visit relief camps.

Police termed the stopping a precautionary measure to prevent eruption of violence.

Gandhi later travelled to a relief camp in a helicopter and interacted with people.

"It was wrong to stop Rahul Gandhi in such a manner," AAP national spokesperson and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj told PTI.

He said the opposition party leaders shall visit wherever there is strife.

"You can suspend internet connectivity and prevent TV (news) channels from visiting, but you cannot silence people with the might of lathis where there is anger against the ruling party," he said.

Concurring with him, AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar told PTI, 'if a common man cannot visit a place in any part of the country, it's a total failure of law and order'.

"Be it Manipur or Delhi, the BJP is not able to maintain law and order," she charged.

Asked about the party's strategy for opposing in Parliament the Centre's Ordinance on control of administrative services in Delhi, Bharadwaj said, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh who is the party's Leader in the Upper House will take care of the floor management in Parliament in coordination with other parties.

The AAP leader described the Centre's Ordinance as anti-democratic, anti-constitution, and a direct insult to the Supreme Court.

"Our objective is to stop this black Ordinance from getting passed (in Parliament)." -- PTI

The Delhi government on Friday moved the Supreme Court against the Centre's ordinance over control of services in the national capital, officials said. Earlier in the day, the AAP had announced that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will burn copies of the Centre's ordinance at the party office in central Delhi on July 3.

The party had on June 11 organised a maha-rally against the ordinance. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a circumvention of the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.

The ordinance, which came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers.

Transfer and postings of all officers of the Delhi government were under the executive control of the Lieutenant Governor before the May 11 verdict of the apex court. PTI

Senior BJP leader and former union minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is not a religious issue but a matter of equal rights, justice and dignity for women and condemned the attitude of opposition parties objecting to its implementation.

Addressing reporters at the state party headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, he said many Muslim-dominated nations are following the practice of following a common civil code and it is "so natural throughout the world".

Indonesia, Sudan, Turkey, Bangladesh and several other countries have the common civil code, and in India, it has already been in practice in Goa and Puducherry, he pointed out.

Stating that the UCC is not a "BJP innovation", he said this is Article 44 of the Constitution written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The Constitution makers had written that, after a certain time, all directive principles should be converted into law, he said, adding that the Supreme Court also gave judgments and directions in this regard.

He also pointed out the anguish expressed by the apex court in the Shah Bano case that Article 44 of the Constitution had remained a dead letter.

16:54 AI-focused start-ups raise $31.8 million

Generative AI, a now prominent AI use case, has stolen the deeptech spotlight owing to its universal adaptability across sectors, while Web3 has been pushed to the sidelines. This has also impacted investor sentiment.

Industry stakeholders Business Standard spoke to say investors are now taking a calibrated approach to the Web3 sector in the aftermath of multiple cryptocurrency collapses and prevailing regulatory uncertainties, amid an overall decline in private equity and venture-capital bets.

Web3 as an industry covers technologies such as decentralisation and token-based economies such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens.

Currently, there are 1,367 active blockchain start-ups in the country. Of these, Indian Web3 start-ups have collectively raised just $7.1 million in funding across eight deals until June 1 this year, a 99 per cent decline over the same period last year, according to the data from Tracxn, a market intelligence platform.

These start-ups raised $904.9 million across 55 deals in calendar year 2022.In contrast, generative AI-focused start-ups have managed to raise $31.8 million across four deals so far this year. This, despite just 42 generative AI start-ups currently operational in India. Calendar year 2022 saw generative AI investments totalling $409 million across 14 deals.

One of the biggest factors in the rise of generative AI, which has largely remained immune to regulatory pangs despite uncertainty, has been its tremendous adaptability.

"The generative AI sector has seen particular investor interest due to the unprecedented rate of innovation and adoption of the likes of ChatGPT, and character-AI applications built on large language models. Other than the rapid adoption curves, this space has also seen a significant influx of talent as well recently,' said Ravi Srivastava, partner, Leo Capital, a technology-focused early-stage venture capitalist.

The primary reason for this decline in Web3 funding, experts signpost, is a dearth of regulations in the sector.

"The lack of regulatory clarity and the recent regulation-by-enforcement stance of government agencies have made it harder for investors to take an informed decision, and triggered a further slowdown in the space," said Srivastava.

Cryptocurrencies, which account for a big chunk of Indian Web3, have also suffered from this ambiguity.

"The fact that India has the second-largest crypto user base indicates how lucrative the market can be domestically," said Pearl Agarwal, founder and managing director, Eximius Ventures.

-- Aryaman Gupta/Business Standard

Aviation watchdog DGCA will conduct a special audit of grounded airline Go First's facilities in the national capital and Mumbai from July 4 to 6 before approving the revival plan for the resumption of flights, according to a senior official.

Cash-strapped Go First stopped flying on May 3 and is undergoing a voluntary insolvency resolution process.

The senior official at DGCA on Friday said that after a preliminary review of the resumption plan submitted by the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First on June 28, the regulator has planned to conduct a special audit. The audit of the facilities of the airline in Delhi and Mumbai will be conducted from July 4 to 6.

"The special audit to be conducted from July 4 to 6 shall be focused on the safety-related aspects and continued compliance of the requirements to hold an Air Operator Certificate, as well as on physical verification of the arrangements made for the resumption of flight operations," the official said. PTI

Manipur CM N Biren Singh met HM Amit Shah in New Delhi a few days ago

16:30 Will NOT be resigning: Manipur CM

Manipur CM N Biren Singh's statment: "At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify, I will not be resigning from the CM post."

His statement comes after a high-voltage drama unfolded in Imphal after thousands of demonstrators blocked the Manipur Chief Minister's convoy from proceeding towards Raj Bhavan.

However, after women leaders came out of his residence and told the crowd that the CM has assured them that he is not resigning, the mob slowly dispersed from his residence.

Unconfirmed reports said that the CM had typed out a resignation letter but was persuaded by his supporters to tear it up.

Earlier in the afternoon, hundreds of youth wearing black shirts and women sat down in front of the CM's residence demanding that Biren Singh should not resign.

Sources said there were strong rumours in Imphal since morning that the chief minister was contemplating resigning from the post after renewed violence in the state on Thursday that claimed three more lives and left 5 injured.

Benchmark equity indices scaled fresh all-time closing highs on Friday, propelled by foreign fund inflows and a firm trend in the global markets. Intense buying in index heavyweights Infosys, HDFC twins, Reliance Industries and TCS further bolstered sentiment, traders said.

Rallying for the third straight day, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 803.14 points or 1.26 per cent to settle at its lifetime closing high of 64,718.56. During the day, it zoomed 853.16 points or 1.33 per cent to reach its record intra-day peak of 64,768.58.

The NSE Nifty climbed 216.95 points or 1.14 per cent to end at a record high of 19,189.05. During the day, it rallied 229.6 points or 1.21 per cent to hit its all-time intra-day peak of 19,201.70.

Mahindra & Mahindra was the best performer in the Sensex pack, rising over 4 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Maruti, Larsen & Toubro, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Power Grid, HDFC Bank, HDFC, Bajaj Finance and Reliance Industries. On the other hand, ICICI Bank and NTPC were the laggards.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday directed officials to offer a job in his secretariat to an acid attack victim. On hearing her plight, the Chief Minister while hearing public grievances at his residence, promised employment on the spot.

According to the Chief Minister's office, the victim, a M.Com graduate, was allegedly attacked on April 28, 2022. She with her parents appealed for a job to the Chief Minister during 'Janata Darshan'.

They had also appealed to the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for employment. He only promised, but did not give a job to the victim, the CMO statement said, quoting the victim and her parents.

Hearing the plea of the victim, the Chief Minister directed the officials to give her job on contract basis in his secretariat. A case was registered in Kamakshipalya police station regarding the acid attack.

The police arrested the accused, who was hiding in the Tiruvannamalai Ashram in the guise of a "Swami", the statement said, adding that at present he is lodged in Bengaluru jail. The victim is under treatment which is supported by the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, it added. PTI

A plateful of juicy momos. File pic

15:56 Momos, tea & noodles... what PM told DU students

"Don't change everything completely, leave some things as they are," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Delhi University students and asked them to ensure the taste of delicacies at food stalls in around the university's North and South Campus remains unchanged.

Addressing the valedictory ceremony of Delhi University's centenary celebrations, Modi spoke about universities setting a roadmap for themselves with a focus on innovations and made references to some popular hangout joints for students.

"Don't change everything completely. Leave some things like they are. The tea and noodles served at Patel Chest in North Campus, Momos of Chanakya in South Campus -- you have to ensure that their taste should no change," he said amid huge applause from the audience.

The North and South Campus of Delhi University are known for their hangout spots that are frequented not only by students but also others. Prime Minister Modi took a metro ride to reach Delhi University. During his journey, he interacted with students. PTI

15:50 The Night Manager 2 Review

There is something seductive about the world of The Night Manager, the Hindi adaptation of John Le Carre's novel, which tells the tale of lies and deception as some impossibly good-looking people do questionable things.

Front-lined by Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sobhita Dhulipala, the show returns with a power-packed second chapter that steers the story in an interesting direction with more twists and turns.

Read Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com's review here

The Gujarat High Court will hear the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition seeking a review of its order in a matter related to the degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 7.

The Aam Admi supremo filed the review petition after the High Court set aside an order from the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had directed the varsity to "search for information" regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

After admitting the review petition, Justice Biren Vaishnav issued notice to Gujarat University, the Union government, the Chief Information Commissioner and former CIC M. Sridhar Acharyulu, who had passed the order.

In his review petition, Kejriwal said the postgraduate degree of Modi was not available on the website of the university or elsewhere in the public domain as claimed by the university and as submitted by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, who appeared on behalf of the university.

"While the court had recorded that PM Modi's degree is available on the varsity's website following submissions to that effect by Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the university, upon a scan of the said website...(it) is found that the said degree is not available, but a document referred to as OR (Office Register) is displayed," the review petition moved by Kejriwal said.

Pointing that Mehta had only orally submitted on the day of the hearing, that too for the first time, that the degree is available on the website, Kejriwal has pleaded that there was thus no opportunity for him to verify the oral submission and that OR cannot be considered as degree as was claimed by the varsity.

Submitting that the petitioner had not filed any application for any information and only wrote a letter in April 2016 in response to a letter by CIC, Kejriwal has added that he "never requested the CIC to treat him as an applicant for the purposes of the said information," and that CIC had instead taken up the proceedings suo motu.

Kejriwal has sought a review of the judgment and a stay on the implementation, operation and execution of the verdict until final disposal.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule on Friday said the BJP was obsessed with her father Sharad Pawar and cousin Ajit Pawar, comments coming in the backdrop of a war of words between the two parties over formation of a short-lived government in Maharashtra in 2019.

Hitting out at the BJP, which is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati said the saffron party has no vision either for the country or the state. Talking to reporters in Mumbai after meeting party workers who came to wish her on her birthday, Sule said, "I am flattered that the Centre's and state politics revolved round my father and brother (NCP leader Ajit Pawar). The BJP is so obsessed with them that they have no time to chart out a vision for the country's and the state's development. How will they reduce inflation and create jobs?"

Replying to questions on the ongoing war of words between Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the NCP over the short-lived BJP-Ajit Pawar government in November 2019, Sule said Fadnavis has no time to take measures to reduce inflation or ensure women's security. The deputy CM holds finance and home portfolios.

"He (Fadnavis) just wants to speak on issues which are not relevant in the present context. He only wants to go back in time and speak about the early morning swearing-in and gossip. This is unfortunate. A chewing gum tastes nice in the start but then it becomes tasteless," she said.

The NCP leader said the Eknath Shinde-led government, which came to power by toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ruling coalition in June 2022, is doing everything other than providing good governance in the state. The Shinde-BJP government completed one year in office on June 30. "Unless (NCP president) Sharad Pawar is targeted there is no news ," she said. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretaries and presidents of all fronts will hold a meeting on Saturday to brainstorm and prepare the roadmap for the crucial meetings with the party's regional leaders scheduled on July 6, 7 and 8, sources from the party said.

Saturday's meeting to be held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi will be chaired by BJP national president JP Nadda.

While a meeting of general secretaries will be held in the morning, a meeting of the morcha is scheduled in the evening. In the meeting, discussions will be held on which topics to talk about and how to make the next line of meetings successful, a source from the party told ANI.

The BJP will also review the month-long mass public relations campaign from May 30 to June 30, the source said.

In the meeting scheduled on Saturday morning, all the general secretaries will present their progress report of their respective areas or where they are in charge of. There will also be a discussion on the feedback from the Maha public relations campaign.

In the evening, all the BJP fronts will present their cases and hold discussions on the feedback from the public relations campaign and other programs.

The BJP, for the first time, will hold region-wise meetings of the three zones -- the eastern, northern and southern, of all the general secretaries and presidents of the Morcha on July 6, 7, and 8.

The eastern region includes the states of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Assam, apart from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The Eastern Zone meeting will be held in Guwahati on July 6. The northern regions include states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gujarat, Daman Diu-Dadar Nagar Haveli, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. This is scheduled on July 7 in Delhi.

Lastly, the meeting with the leaders of the southern region is scheduled in Hyderabad on July 8. The region includes Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar, Puducherry and Lakshadweep. -- ANI

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule on Friday described Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's move of dismissing a cabinet minister as "dictatorship".

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Sule said the governor acted as if he was the BJP's governor and not that of Tamil Nadu. The governor dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers on Thursday, days after the latter was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash-for-jobs scam.

However, he later decided to keep the dismissal order in abeyance for the time being and informed Chief Minister M K Stalin about it.

"This is dictatorship. Where is the Constitution and democracy?" Sule asked.

"If such an incident can happen in Tamil Nadu, it can happen in other states as well," the Baramati MP added.

When asked about the issue of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), she said, "It's too premature to react. Let the draft come and we will respond." PM Modi on Tuesday pushed for implementation of the UCC in the country and said Muslims were being instigated over sensitive issues. PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Manipur needs peace as violence is no solution, after meeting Governor Anusuiya Uikey in Imphal today.

"I'm ready to whatever is needed for peace. I am appealing to everybody to maintain peace, violence can never be the way out," he told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.

Congress officials said that the governor assured that steps are being taken to restore peace in the ethnic strife-hit state.

Earlier during the day, he met members of Manipur civil society organisations here and listened to their problems. Among the different organisations that he met included the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (CoCoMI), a civil society organization, representatives of United Naga Council, the apex body of Naga community in Manipur, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, and prominent personalities including JNU professor Bimol A.

Gandhi also visited two relief camps at Moirang in Bishnupur district, party officials said. Gandhi, who reached Moirang by a chopper from Imphal, met a number of affected people and listened to their plight. Party sources said both the camps that Gandhi visited shelter around 1,000 people.

Gandhi was accompanied by former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, PCC president Keisham Meghachandra Singh and former MP Ajay Kumar. He visited the INA war memorial and placed a floral tribute to the freedom fighters who raised the Indian flag here in 1944.

However, unrest continues in Manipur for nearly 2 months

14:22 Modi govt takes care of people before they face problems: Nadda

BJP chief J P Nadda on Friday said the Narendra Modi-led government was proactive as it took care of people even before they faced any problem.

Nadda was addressing a public meeting at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh on the completion of nine years of the Modi government.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is proactive. It takes care of people before they face any problem. It can be seen in central schemes like Ayushman Bharat, aimed at protecting their health, and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana," he said.

"PM Modi is concerned about farmers and therefore he announced a yearly assistance of Rs 6,000 for them," Nadda said while referring to the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

"Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is equally concerned about farmers and he has also announced Rs 6,000 annual assistance for the cultivators," he added.

Before addressing the rally, Nadda took part in a roadshow in the town that falls in the Nimar region of the state. Elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly are scheduled by the end of this year. PTI

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday said 29 of the 81 bodies of victims of the June 2 train accident in Odisha's Balasore, which were kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, have been identified.

The process of handing over the bodies has started, BMC mayor Sulochona Das said. Of the 81 bodies preserved at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, 29 have been identified based on DNA analysis.

"We have started the process of handing the bodies to their families," Das said.

The mayor said authorities of Indian Railways and AIIMS Bhubaneswar decided to go for DNA sampling analysis after there were multiple claimants over one body.

Das said the state government has made arrangements to send all the bodies to their native places.

Of the 29 identified bodies, five families have already reached AIIMS Bhubaneswar, she said.

Of the 29 bodies, one belonged to a family in Odisha while the others were mostly from West Bengal and Bihar. It took around 20 days to receive the DNA report from the central laboratory in Delhi, an official said, adding as many as 88 DNA samples were sent for identification of the 81 bodies.

Of the 293 persons killed in the accident involving Chennai-bound Coromandel Express from Shalimar, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a stationary goods train, 287 died on the spot while six others succumbed to their injuries in hospitals. The accident took place near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district on June 2 evening. -- PTI

File pic

14:04 Man booked for unnatural sex with cow in Bhopal

The police in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal have registered a case against an unidentified man for allegedly having unnatural sex with a cow, an official said on Friday.

The alleged incident took place in Hanumanganj police station area on Tuesday and a video of the heinous act went viral on social media, prompting some Hindutva activists to approach the police with a complaint, Mangalwara police station in-charge Sandeep Pawar said.

A case under section 377 (unnatural sex) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered and a case diary has been sent to Hanumanganj police station for further probe, he said. Terming the incident as highly condemnable and unfortunate, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said like we treat earth as our mother, we consider cows also as our mother. It is an evil thing.

A case has been registered and the accused, though not yet identified, will be nabbed within 24 hours and stern action will be taken against him to set an example for others, Mishra told reporters. PTI

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath hands over keys to 76 flats built for the poor, on land confiscated from slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, in Prayagraj. The CM also inaugurated 226 development projects in the city, on the occasion.

The 76 flats, built in two blocks, were allotted to beneficiaries through a lottery.

A total of 6030 applicants had applied for the 76 flats, of which 1590 were found eligible to participate in the lottery.

The beneficiaries will get a flat built in 41 square meters for Rs 3.5 lakh.

The World Bank's press service said on Friday that the board of directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a USD 1.5 billion loan to Ukraine, reported the Russian News Agency TASS.

Moreover, according to the statement, the funds "will help provide relief to households and mitigate the impacts" of Russia's special military operation, TASS reported.

The loan is guaranteed by the government of Japan as part of the Advancing Needed Credit Enhancement for Ukraine Trust Fund (ADVANCE Ukraine) initiative.

Earlier this week, at least four people, including a child, were killed and several others were injured on Tuesday evening when a Russian missile struck a bustling location in the middle of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, reported CNN citing local authorities. Soon after the strikes, emergency services were at the scene helping the injured.

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Twitter Inc., challenging several blocking and take-down orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, saying the company's plea was devoid of merits.

The single-judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit which dictated the operative portion of the judgement also imposed a cost of Rs 50 lakh on Twitter and ordered it to be paid to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority within 45 days.

Reading the operative portion, the HC said, "In the above circumstances this petition being devoid of merits is liable to be dismissed with exemplary costs and accordingly it is. Petitioner is levied with an exemplary cost of Rs 50 lakh payable to the Karnataka State Legal Service Authority, Bengaluru, within 45 days. If delay is brooked, it attracts an additional levy of Rs 5,000 per day." "I am convinced with contention of the Centre that they have powers to block tweets and block accounts," the judge said while dismissing Twitter's petition. PTI

Nina Strochlic shares this image of her press card

12:39 Nat Geo staff writer: The coolest job I'll ever have

As National Geographic magazine laid of the last of its staff writers, Nina Strochlic, a staff writer with the iconic magazine tweets, "It's been an epic run, @NatGeo. My colleagues and I were unbelievably lucky to be the last-ever class of staff writers -- certainly the coolest job I'll ever have, and possibly among the coolest to ever exist. Now onto the next thing! Open to all weird/fun/interesting ideas."

More than a century after it was first published, National Geographic magazine laid off its last remaining staff writers after a decade-long struggle to keep up with the challenges of digital publishing. The beloved yellow-bordered magazine that was renowned for its detailed content on nature and science, photography and panoramic layouts will also be taken off the racks in the United States next year, the Washington Post reported.

12:35 Heartbreaking! Rahul on displaced Manipuris

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he was left heartbroken when he met with people affected due to violence in Manipur.

In his latest Instagram post, the former Congress MP said, "It's heartbreaking to see and listen to the plight of those who have lost loved ones and homes due to the violence in Manipur. There is a cry for help in the face of every brother, sister and child I meet."

Appealing for peace in the conflict-hit state, Rahul added, "The most important thing Manipur needs now is Peace - to secure the lives and livelihoods of our people. All our efforts must unite towards that goal."

Rahul who is on his two-day visit to the state will also meet 10 like-minded party leaders, United Naga Council (UNC) leaders and members of civil society organisations in Imphal, Manipur Congress president, Keisham Meghachandra said.

"Rahul Gandhi will meet all the affected families and visit the relief camps in Moirang. After that, he will be back in Imphal. At Imphal Hotel he will meet civil society organisation leaders, United Naga Council's leaders, 10 like-minded political parties and women leaders. He is here only for peace," Meghachandra said. -- ANI

Protesters at the BJP office in Imphal

12:24 Stand firm, don't resign, Manipur women tell CM

Hundreds of women on Friday gathered at Nupi Lal Complex, some 100 metres from Manipur chief minister's secretariat and Raj Bhavan, urging CM N Biren Singh not to resign in the wake of the violence that has hit the northeastern state for nearly two months now.

Sources said there were strong rumours in Imphal that the chief minister was contemplating resigning from the post, especially after renewed violence in the state on Thursday that claimed three more lives and left 5 injured.

Kshetrimayum Shanti, a women leader said, "At this critical juncture, the Biren Singh government should stand firm and crack down on troublemakers."

The toll in exchange of fire between security forces and suspected rioters in Kangpokpi district a day before, rose to three on Friday, with one more person succumbing to injuries in hospital, officials said.

Armed rioters had opened unprovoked firing at Haraothel village on Thursday. The army said security forces personnel "responded in a calibrated manner" to tackle the situation, they said.

Members of the community to which two of the rioters belonged collected their bodies on Thursday and took out a procession to the CM's residence here, they said. The demonstrators, led by women, even dared police to arrest them, and were also seen burning tyres in the middle of the road to prevent police movement, the officials said.

As security personnel stopped them from marching to Singh's residence, the protestors turned violent, prompting police to use tear gas shells and resort to lathi-charge to disperse the mob. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.

12:17 Another image of a relief camp in Manipur

The Congress party tweeted this image saying, "A relief camp in Manipur. Our people are forced to live in these conditions. The media will not allow these images to reach you."

Inside a relief camp in Manipur. Pic: @INCIndia

12:02 Manipur is just a trailer: Cong on BJP's politics

All India Congress Committee (AICC) Incharge North East, Ajoy Kumar on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is doing politics based on religion and said that Manipur is a trailer and if the party continues to spread hatred then there could be Manipur-like situation across the country.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "Manipur is a trailer, if you (BJP) continue to spread hatred, you'll have a Manipur-like situation across the country." He also said that if the party wants to win, they can but there's no need to divide the country.

"If you want to win, you can but do not divide the country by spreading hatred," he added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari also expressed his discontent regarding the stopping of Rahul Gandhi's convoy on his way to Manipur's Churachandpur on Thursday and said that it is unfortunate that his tour was subverted in this manner.

Hitting out at BJP, Tiwari said that except for the Home Minister, no other minister has shown the courtesy to visit Manipur, if a senior opposition leader has gone there, the government should have facilitated his tour.

Talking to ANI, Tiwari said, "It is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi's tour was subverted in this manner. Except for the Home Minister, no minister in the government has even shown the courtesy to visit Manipur. If a senior leader of the opposition has gone there to provide a healing touch, the government should have facilitated his tour".

11:49 PM travels by Delhi metro and this happened...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a metro ride from Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station to Vishwa Vidyalaya Metro Station in New Delhi on Friday morning to visit Delhi University.

Passengers crowded around the PM, chatting with him as he travelled to Delhi University to attend the centenary celebrations.

The PM is scheduled to participate in the valedictory ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Delhi University. Taking to Twitter earlier, PM Modi wrote "Looking forward to joining the University of Delhi's centenary celebrations at 11 AM tomorrow, 30th June. As a premier centre of learning, DU has been nurturing talent and fostering intellectual growth for a century. Congratulations to the DU fraternity on this milestone."

During the programme, the PM will lay the foundation stone of the Delhi University Computer Centre and the building of the Faculty of Technology and the academic block which will be built in the North Campus of the University.

The PM and the Russian president in 2019

11:40 Putin calls Modi 'big friend' of Russia

Russia president Vladimir Putin has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a big friend" of Russia and said his 'Make in India' campaign has had a "truly impressive effect" on the country's economy.

Putin made these remarks on Thursday at a forum in Moscow organised by Russia's Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI).

"Our friends in India and our big friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the Make in India' initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it," the president was quoted as saying by the RT News.

Putin made a case for India as he discussed the opportunities for Russian companies due to the West's sanctions policies, and the need for Moscow to offer support tools to help our companies market their products more efficiently. Crediting Indian leadership for creating an effective model to develop local manufacturing capabilities and woo foreign investors, Putin emphasised the need to think about making our products more convenient and functional, with a modern look and properties, the report added.

Industrial and product design should become an important resource for the development of domestic business, Putin said.

This was one of the major public appearances of President Putin, days after a Russian mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion against him. The rebellion by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group on Saturday marked the most serious challenge to President Putin in more than two decades of his rule.

On Wednesday, Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev briefed NSA Ajit Doval on the latest developments in the country following the rebellion.

The 'Make in India' initiative was launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2014 and aimed to create and encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products made in the country and incentivise dedicated investments into manufacturing, it said.

Rahul Gandhi, who landed in Imphal on Thursday, returned to the state capital after local police prevented his convoy from proceeding to Churachandpur. Police said it had been done for "security" reasons and the Congress leader could go by air.

"Seeing the ground situation, we stopped him (Rahul Gandhi) from moving forward and advised him to travel to Churachandpur via helicopter. There is the possibility of a grenade attack along the highway through which VIP Rahul Gandhi is moving. Keeping his security and safety in mind, we're not allowed him," Bishnupur Superintendent of Police (SP) Heisnam Balram Singh told ANI.

The Congress leader's convoy was stopped at a checkpost near Bishnupur, which is about 20 kilometres from Imphal. Police, party workers and locals staged a protest and later, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Congress leaders accused the government of "stopping" Rahul Gandhi.

Delhi minister Atishi has been given the additional charge of Revenue, Planning and Finance departments following LG V K Saxena's nod to the cabinet reshuffle proposal, officials said on Friday.

The three departments were earlier with minister Kailash Gahlot. With the additional charge, Atishi, who also holds the distinction of being the only woman minister in the cabinet, will now hold 12 portfolios, the highest among all ministers.

"Delhi LG VK Saxena has approved the proposal and the file reached the government," said the official.

A row had erupted over the cabinet reshuffle issue on Thursday with government officials claiming that the file pertaining to it was lying with the Lt Governor for four days, a charge denied by the latter's office.

Atishi along with Saurabh Bharadwaj was inducted into the cabinet following the resignation of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain after their arrest. While Sisodia was arrested in connection with excise policy case, Jain was arrested last year in connection with a money laundering case. PTI

11:06 Over 90% heatwave deaths In five states

Five states accounted for nine out of 10 heat-related deaths in the last five years for which data is available.

Bihar topped the list with 123 deaths between 2018 and 2021, according to data shared in Parliament. This was followed by Telangana (42), Andhra Pradesh (37), Maharashtra (13) and Gujarat (11) (chart 1).

Overall, there were at least 244 deaths, according to data shared in Parliament, though the National Crime Records Bureau suggests that the number was higher.

For example, the bureau recorded 374 deaths in 2021 alone, and 530 in 2020.

The heatwave in north India is said to have killed at least 54 people in Uttar Pradesh in recent days. Another 45 have reportedly died in Bihar. Higher numbers have been reported, but the government has disputed them. Heatwaves are common in India in summer months between March and June.

The number of heatwave days recorded were the maximum in Rajasthan: 47 between 2018 and 2021. Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra followed at 28 each, and Uttarakhand reported the third-highest at 25 (chart 2).

Other states that recorded at least a dozen heatwave days in this period included Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Jharkhand and Telangana.

-- Samreen Wani/Business Standard

A tree blocks a road in Thane

11:03 Intense rain expected in 4 hrs in Mumbai, Thane

Maharashtra's Mumbai, Thane and Palghar are expected to receive moderate to intense spells of rain during the next three to four hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai said on Friday.

Earlier, an official statement from the IMD said, "Due to active monsoon conditions enhanced rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at a few places over parts of Konkan and adjoining ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra during the next 2-3 days."

According to the official release, the Konkan and Ghat regions of Maharashtra experienced extensive rainfall, with isolated areas receiving moderate to extremely heavy rainfall, while the monsoon remained active across most of these regions.

"Monsoon remained active over most parts of Konkan and Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra. They received widespread rainfall with heavy to very rainfall at isolated places. Extremely heavy falls also occurred at isolated places over parts of North Konkan yesterday," the statement said.

In a major relief to cash-strapped Pakistan, the government and the IMF have reached a long-awaited staff-level agreement on a USD 3 billion stand-by arrangement to support the authorities' immediate efforts to stabilise the economy from external shocks.

Pakistan's economy has been in a free fall mode for the last many years, bringing untold pressure on the poor masses in the form of unchecked inflation, making it almost impossible for a vast number of people to make ends meet.

"I am pleased to announce that the IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on a nine-month Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) in the amount of SDR 2,250 million (about USD 3 billion or 111 per cent of Pakistan's IMF quota)," Nathan Porter, the International Monetary Fund's Mission Chief to Pakistan, said in a statement on Thursday.

The new SBA builds on the authorities' efforts under Pakistan's 2019 EFF-supported programme which expires end-June. This agreement is subject to approval by the IMF's Executive Board, which is expected to consider this request by mid-July, the statement added.

Rahul Gandhi meeting displaced people in Churachandpur

10:36 Rahul to meet like-minded party leaders in Imphal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is on his two-day visit to the state, arrived in Moirang on Friday to meet people affected due to violence in the state. He will also meet 10 like-minded party leaders and members of civil society organisation in Imphal.

Manipur Congress president, Keisham Meghachandra informed that the Congress leader will also meet 10 like-minded party leaders and United Naga Council leaders and civil society organisation members after returning to Imphal.

Earlier on Thursday, the Congress leader met violence-affected people in Manipur's Churachandpur on the first day of his two-day visit to the state that has seen ethnic violence.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet earlier said Manipur needs healing and peace has to be the only priority. "I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are very welcoming and loving. It's very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority," he said.

Benchmark equity indices hit their fresh all-time high levels in early trade on Friday, helped by foreign fund inflows and positive trends in the global markets.

Buying in index major Infosys and HDFC Bank also helped markets maintain their winning momentum. Rallying for the third straight day, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 499.42 points to reach its lifetime high of 64,414.84 in early trade.

The NSE Nifty climbed 136.1 points to hit its all-time peak of 19,108.20. From the Sensex pack, Power Grid, Infosys, Asian Paints, Mahindra & Mahindra, HCL Technologies, IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank and Titan were the major gainers. Tata Steel and Bharti Airtel were the laggards. In Asian markets, Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong traded in the green while Tokyo quoted lower. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.40 per cent to USD 74.64 a barrel. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 12,350 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

The BSE benchmark had surged 499.39 points or 0.79 per cent to settle at its lifetime closing high of 63,915.42 on Wednesday. The Nifty climbed 154.70 points or 0.82 per cent to end at a record high of 18,972.10. Markets were closed on Thursday on account of Eid al-Adha also known as Bakrid. PTI

The Congress party tweets: "Love & kindness will always defeat violence! Shri @RahulGandhi shares lunch with children at the relief camp in violence-hit Churachandpur, Manipur."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met violence-affected people in Manipur's Churachandpur on the first day of his two-day visit to the state that has seen ethnic violence.

Congress leaders, who earlier alleged that the authorities were preventing him from meeting victims, later said the administration did not permit him to come to Moirang.

BJP leaders accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to derive political benefit from his visit to the state.

Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra said Rahul Gandhi's visit to Moirang had been cancelled.

The overall flood situation in Assam is gradually improving, but over 20,000 people in Barpeta district have still been affected by the deluge.

According to the reports of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 37 villages under three revenue circles -- Chenga, Sarthebari, and Barpeta, are reeling under water.

A total of 38 hectares of crop land of the lower Assam district are currently under water. Many flood-affected villagers are taking shelter on roads, and embankments for the last week as their homes are still under water.

Kanchu Miya, a flood-affected villager of the Agdiya Pathar area said that he is living on the road for the last eight days.

Mumbai received more than 95 per cent of the rainfall recorded this month between June 24 and 29, the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data showed. Despite the heavy showers over the last six days, the city has recorded an overall deficit in rains this month.

The June normal for Colaba observatory in south Mumbai is 542.3 mm. This year, it recorded 395 mm rainfall, of which 371.4 mm rain was received during June 24 to 29. In the suburbs, Santacruz weather station's normal rainfall for June is 537.1 mm.

This year, from June 1 to 29, it recorded 502.9 mm of rainfall, including 485 mm received between June 24 to 29. The southwest monsoon made its onset over Mumbai on June 25 against the usual date of June 11. PTI

Pilgrims headed to Amarnath. File pic

09:50 J-K L-G flags off first batch of Amarnath pilgrims

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar camp in Jammu on Friday.

Amid multi-layer security, the first batch of more than 3,400 pilgrims left for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

The 62-day-long pilgrimage will commence from Kashmir on Saturday on the twin tracks of the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is travelling to Manipur's Moirang on Friday to visit relief camps in the town, party officials said. Gandhi will also meet intellectuals and civil society representatives in Imphal during the day, besides visiting relief camps in the capital of Manipur, they said.

On Thursday, he had visited relief camps in Churachandpur, one of the worst affected towns in the ethnic rioting, which has plagued the northeastern state for the last two months.

High drama ensued during the trip, as his convoy of cars was stopped at Bishnupur by the local police, fearing the carcade may face attacks. Gandhi eventually turned back and flew down to Churachandpur by a helicopter. The Congress leader is on a two-day visit to Manipur to bring a healing touch to local communities. PTI

09:40 Woman sexually harassed on Mumbai local train

A 24-year-old woman was allegedly sexually harassed by an unidentified man on a local train here, police said. The incident took place between Charni Road and Grant Road stations of the Western Railway on the night of June 23, said a police official on Thursday.

The woman approached the Railway Police with a complaint on Wednesday, five days later, he said.

A First Information Report was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 354-A (sexual harassment) at the Mumbai Central Railway police station.

The woman boarded the Churchgate-bound train at the Charni Road station. As it approached the Grant Road station, the man made lewd gestures at her and used obscene language before getting down, as per her complaint.

Police have identified a suspect, the official said, adding that probe was on.

Earlier this month, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man in the ladies' compartment of a moving Mumbai local train when she was travelling alone.

The incident had occurred on June 14 morning when the woman, a resident of Girgaon in Mumbai, was headed towards Belapur in Navi Mumbai where she was supposed to appear for an exam. Police later arrested a 40-year-old man for the offence. -- PTI

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend next week's virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being hosted by India, an official announcement here said on Friday.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi will attend via video conference in Beijing, the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads meeting of the SCO on July 4 and deliver important remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a brief press release.

This is the first official announcement about Xi's participation in the SCO summit being hosted by India.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

India holds the rotating Presidency of the organisation this year.

Ahead of the summit to be held for the first time under India's Presidency, India on Tuesday inaugurated an exquisitely designed "New Delhi Hall" at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing.

While the SCO's six founding members, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have their halls highlighting their cultures and unique features, India is the first to add its own.

A parliamentary standing committee has called representatives of the Law Commission and the law ministry on July 3 on a recent notice issued by the law panel seeking views of stakeholders on the issue of a uniform civil code.

According to the schedule of the standing committee on law and personnel, it will hear the views of representatives of the law panel and legal affairs and legislative departments of the law ministry "on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject 'Review of Personal Laws'".

Till Tuesday evening, the law panel had received nearly 8.5 lakh responses on its public notice. -- PTI

File image

01:00 Odisha accident: 1 more person succumbs to injuries, toll mounts to 293

The death toll in the June 2 train accident in Odisha's Balasore district mounted to 293 on Thursday as a 24-year-old Bihar resident succumbed to his injuries at SCB Medical College and Hospital Cuttack, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Manish Kumar, a resident of East Champaran district of Bihar.

He died around 1.30 pm while undergoing treatment at the central ICU of the hospital.

Kumar was admitted to the hospital on June 3 with critical injuries.

As many as 287 people had died at the accident spot, while five people later succumbed to their injuries in Cuttack and one in Bhadrak.

The triple accident took place near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district involving Chennai-bound Coromandel Express from Shalimar, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a stationary goods train. -- PTI

File image

00:48 Parliamentary panel calls meet on July 3 to hear views of stakeholders on UCC

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on Thursday called a meeting on the Uniform Civil Code during which it said it will hear the views of stakeholders.

The committee led by Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi informed all the 31 MPs and members of the committee that their views on UCC would be sought and considered at the meeting on July 3.

"Members are reminded that the next meeting of the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice will be held at 03.00 pm on Monday, July 3, 2023," read a release on the committee's agenda.

Further, the committee stated, "To hear the views of representatives of the following organisations on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject 'Review of Personal Laws'."

Putting forward a strong argument in favour of uniform laws for people across communities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the country cannot be run with "two laws" when the Constitution talks about equality for all.

"Will a family function if there are two different sets of rules for the members? How will a country run then? Our Constitution, too, guarantees equal rights to all irrespective of religion caste and creed," Modi said. -- ANI

A suspected Maoist supporter has been arrested with Rs 6.20 lakh in 2000 denomination in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.

Senior Maoist leaders had handed over the cash to him for depositing in various banks, said an official.

Mahesh Badse (24), a resident of Murdanda Komathguda village, was apprehended near a fuel station in Awapalli police station area on Wednesday, Bijapur additional superintendent of police Chandrakant Gavarna said.

He was on his way to a bank in Awapalli on a motorcycle to deposit the cash, he said.

The Reserve Bank of India recently withdrew the Rs 2000 currency note from circulation.

Badse allegedly told police that one Mahesh Mungel had received Rs 9 lakh in Rs 2000 notes from `Shankar', commander of the Basaguda local organisation squad of Maoists, and Nendra Revolutionary People's Council president Hadma Kuhrami.

The money was to be deposited in various banks and later withdrawn (in the form of valid currency notes), the ASP said. -- PTI

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00:21 UP cop in trouble as kids flash cash bundles in video

An Uttar Pradesh police officer was sent to police lines after a video of his children showing off bundles of currency notes made rounds on the internet.

In the video, the two children of Ramesh Chandra Sahani, posted as the station house officer of Behta Mujawar police station, were seen sitting on a bed with 27 bundles of Rs 500 currency notes.

The video is said to be of Sahani's house.

Taking cognisance of the matter, superintendent of police Siddharth Shankar Meena removed the SHO and sent him to police lines and ordered a probe in this regard by the Bangarmau circle officer.

CO Pankaj Singh said in the viral social media post, Sahani's family members were seen sitting with bundles of Rs 500 currency notes.

A probe is on in the matter, he said. -- PTI

Parl panel to discuss UCC on July 3: Sushil Modi

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