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Alternatives to pellet guns in few days: Rajnath Singh

  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the Centre was deliberating the use of pellet guns. He appealed to the people of the Valley to shun violence as both the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre were committed to bring development in the state, particularly in the Valley. "A committee set up to look into alternatives to pellet guns will give its report soon. We feel the need to have an alternative. We have asked the forces to exercise maximum restraint and they are doing that," said Mr. Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the troubled Kashmir Valley. Declaring there is no future for India without Kashmir, Singh again invoked Atal Bihari Vajpayee's policy of 'Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat' (Kashmir's pluralist ethos, humanity and democracy) again to signal that the NDA government was ready for dialogue with anyone.    Singh said that an all-party delegation would visit violence-hit Kashmir soon. "Want to bring an all-party delegation to Kashmir. I have told CM Mehbooba Mufti to make arrangements for it," he said. Mr. Singh pointed out that he met more than 300 people besides the mainstream political parties.The Centre will set up a nodal agency for Kashmiris living outside the State. "In case of any problem, they can contact it. I have appealed to people to treat Kashmiris like their brethren and instill confidence among Kashmiri students." This is second visit of Singh in a month to the state.

Surrogacy bill passed; bars NRIs, live-in couples

  The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, cleared the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, banning commercial surrogacy in India, which many say leads to the exploitation of poor women, who agree to become surrogate mothers for money. The new bill proposes a complete ban on commercial surrogacy in the country, and will allow only legally wedded Indian couples married for at least five years to have children through surrogacy. Commercial surrogacy is banned in most developed countries, including Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand, Japan and Thailand among others. The Bill also bars foreigners, homosexual couples, people in live-in relationships and single individuals, making only childless, straight Indian couple married for a minimum of five years eligible for surrogacy.   Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj defended making homosexuals ineligible for surrogacy. “Each country has to make laws that are aligned with our values, as per a legal framework. Homosexual couples are not recognised by law in India.” she said. There are more than 50 million infertile couples in the world, and some of them head to India and Thailand to rent wombs. It turned the two countries into the world’s biggest hubs for commercial surrogacy over the past decade. The Bill approved on Wednesday will apply to the whole of India, except Jammu and Kashmir. Before being passed by the Cabinet, a Group of Ministers (GoM) had recently cleared the Bill. Taking a jibe at celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, who had children by way of surrogacy, Ms Swaraj said that, “rich people outsource pregnancies to poorer women because their wives cannot go through labour pain. We have put a complete stop to celebrities who are commissioning surrogate children like a hobby, despite having biological ones.”

Did not blame RSS for Gandhi's killing says Rahul to SC

  Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a sharp U-turn on Wednesday as he told the Supreme Court that he did not ever blame the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but had only said that a "few individuals in the organisation" were responsible for it. Rahul Gandhi has made one of the most controversial statements in his political career when he alleged role of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul had approached the SC seeking quashing of a defamation case filed by RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, who alleged that the Congress leader had said at an election rally at Sonale in Thane district on March 6, 2014 that "RSS people had killed Mahatma Gandhi."   “If he now says the RSS was not involved, but the people who were involved in Gandhi’s murder were RSS-affiliate, then he must come clean on his statement that in what sense they were associated with the RSS and what was their position and credential in the organisation,” the RSS patriarch said, seeking an explanation from the Congress vice president as to how the assassin was affiliated to the organisation. The top court scheduled the next hearing for September 1, after the RSS activist's counsel U R Lalit sought time to get further instructions from his client. On July 19, the Supreme Court told Rahul to express regret for his comments holding the RSS responsible for Gandhi's assassination or be ready to face a defamation trial.

Italy earthquake toll rises to 247

  The death toll in the Italian earthquake has risen to at least 247 as thousands of rescuers continue efforts to find survivors. Dozens are believed to be trapped in ruined areas in mountainous central Italy. More than 4,300 rescuers are using heavy lifting equipment and their bare hands to save as many lives as possible. More than 1,000 people have been displaced by the quake, and the Civil Protection agency said. The nearby villages of Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, wiped out by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck central Italy early Wednesday, killing at least 160 people, including children, trapping scores more under debris, leaving thousands homeless and setting off tremors that were felt from Bologna to Naples.   A 2009, 6.3 magnitude quake hit the Aquia region, about 90 kilometres south of this week’s event, in 2009. More than 300 were people were killed. Italy’s deadliest earthquake since the turn of the 20th century was in 1908, when 80,000 people were killed in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily by an earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami. This week, the town was getting ready for the 50th annual festival dedicated to the celebrated sauce. Luckily, most visitors had left for the night. The 6.2-magnitude quake hit at 03:36 (01:36 GMT) on Wednesday 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome.

Nirbhaya Rape Convict attempts suicide in Tihar Jail

  Vinay Sharma, a convict in the December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape case on Wednesday attempted suicide inside the Tihar jail. Vinay Sharma is one of the five adult men convicted for their role in the infamous December 16 gangrape. He has been moved to a hospital where he is receiving medical assistance. According to reports he first took excessive painkillers and thereafter tried to hang himself with a towel in Tihar jail. He was caught in the act by a Tamil Nadu special police personnel on duty who stopped him. He has been admitted to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Delhi where his condition is stated to be stable. Sharma was suffering from depression and was on medication said a source.   Vinay, along with three others, had approached the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's 2014 verdict that observed their offence to be rarest of rare. The apex court on April 8 in a surprising move had appointed senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde to  argue for Vinay and Akshay (another convict). Reports said, inmates at the jail had thrashed Vinay severely in 2013.  Six men were found guilty of raping and torturing the 23-year-old physiotherapist, who was on her way home after watching a movie on a winter evening. She died in hospital 13 days later. As street protests raged through a shocked nation, the government introduced major changes to laws on crimes against women.

Jet Airways didn't hire Smriti Irani for ‘lack of good personality’

  Speaking at an awards function organised by the Air Passengers Association of India in New Delhi, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani took a trip down memory lane saying that she was rejected a job at Jet Airways for not having a ‘good personality’. "I don't know if many people know that one of the first jobs that I wanted and I lined up for was cabin crew at Jet. I was rejected because I was told I don't have a good personality. Thank God for your rejection. After that, I got a job at McDonalds and the rest is history," she said. Her comments came after she presented an award to a Jet Airways official. Smriti Irani moved to politics ending her acting carrier, by joining the BJP in 2003. The minister lost twice in 2004 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections to Kapil Sibal and Rahul Gandhi respectively.   However, she was later inducted into the Cabinet in 2014 as the Human Resources and Development minister.  In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second Cabinet reshuffle, Irani was moved to the Textiles Ministry. Speaking at an awards function organised by the Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), the textiles minister also said that she was joining the celebration as a passenger.

Man Carried Wife's Body for 10 Km With 12yr Daughter

  Dana Majhi's 42-year-old wife Amang Dei died of tuberculosis at the hospital in Kalahandi on Tuesday night. As he failed to get a vehicle to transport it from a government hospital in the backward district of Kalahandi where she died, he along with his 12-year-old daughter walked around 10 km carrying his wife's body on his shoulder. "I told the hospital authorities that I am a poor man and cannot afford a vehicle. I kept requesting them but they said they could not help," Mr Majhi said to a television crew that found him. Despite all his efforts, Dei’s husband Dana Manjhi could not get any help from the hospital authorities.   Thus, he wrapped his wife’s body in a cloth and started walking to his village Melghara in Rampur block, about 60 km from Bhawanipatna. For those in such a situation, the Naveen Patnaik government launched the 'Mahaparayana' scheme in February, offering free transportation of bodies from government hospitals to the residences of the deceased. Majhi, however, said despite his all-out efforts, he could not get any help from the hospital authorities.Under the scheme, 37 government hospitals were given vehicles to carry the dead. The TV crew reportedly called up a senior officer and arranged an ambulance for the remaining journey to Mr Majhi's village. Kalikesh Singh Deo, a Member of Parliament of the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal, tweeted, "I have already asked the local minister to verify this and take appropriate action."

India's $3.5 Billion Submarines Secret leaked

  Highly sensitive data related to India’s Scorpene submarines has been leaked, with French shipbuilder DCNS, which designed the submarine, facing a leak of documents spreading over 22,000 pages, a report in Australian media revealed on Tuesday. The data tells the submarine crew where they can speak safely to avoid detection by the enemy. It also discloses magnetic, electromagnetic and infrared data as well as the specifications of the submarine’s torpedo launch system and the combat system, the report further stated. The Scorpenes, being built for 3.5 billion dollars at the Mazegaon docks at Mumbai, are considered some of the most advanced of their class in the world. They are so silent underwater that they are extremely difficult, if not impossible to detect. But now their sonar capabilities, the noise they generate and details of the combat system they are armed with are totally exposed.   The leaked documents were marked "Restricted Scorpene India", the Australian newspaper said. Among the 22,400 pages of leaked documents were also thousands of pages on the Scorpene's sensors and thousands more on its communication and navigation systems. As many as 500 pages were on the torpedo launch system alone. The data includes 4,457 pages on the submarine’s underwater sensors, 4,209 pages on its above-water sensors, 4,301 pages on its combat management system, 493 pages on its torpedo launch system and specifications, 6,841 pages on the sub’s communications system and 2,138 on its navigation systems.

Sindhu's Silver medal win earns her almost 13 Crs

  PV Sindhu became the toast of the town when she won the SilverMedal at the Rio Olympics. Her great run at the Olympics saw an unprecedented number of governments showing prize money on the Badminton star. Sindhu has become the darling of the divided states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with both trying to generously bestow her with rewards. While the TRS government in Telangana has given her Rs 5-crore cash award and a residential plot worth a few crores in Hyderabad, the Andhra government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has presented her with a cash award worth Rs 3 crore. He is also likely to allot her a plot in either Vijayawada, or the new capital Amaravati.   The Delhi Government also announce a prize money of Rs 2 crore for her. The Hyderabad shuttler also received Rs 50 lakh each from the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the sports ministry and the state governments of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. The Olympic Association of India also gave Rs. 30 lakh while the All India Football Federation awarded her Rs. 5 lakh. The report also states that Sindhu's current employers, Bharat Petroleum Corporation also awarded her Rs. 75 lakh. Several people have also announced awards in their individual capacity, including Rs 50lakh from NRI businessman Mukkattu Sebastian and Rs 1.01 lakh from Bollywood star Salman Khan. PV Sindhu was also awarded a couple of BMWs, from Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and from the Hyderabad Badminton Association.

Nationalism is BJP's identity says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that nationalism was the identity of BJP. He told senior BJP leaders at a workshop of the party’s State Core Committees, that nationalism and patriotism are the tools to fight sectarian politics in India, and they should adhere to this agenda. "Over 80% of BJP workers are SC, ST and OBC and yet opposition parties have tried to create misconceptions about the party through concerted campaigns", Modi said at at the end of the day-long BJP national core group meeting at NDMC Hall. It should be the BJP's endeavour to counter such malicious propaganda, he said. Modi insisted on sustaining the agenda of nationalism, but also said it was time to think beyond it. In his 45-minute speech, the PM said there are many forces working against the BJP, and it is the task of every karya kartha to fight those forces and concentrate on nation building.   "Create an image of the party and government in the hearts of the poorest of poor. Emerge not just as a political force by winning polls but also as a social force," PM Modi told his party colleagues. Though the PM did not refer overtly to any political issue at the organisation meeting of his party, he cited the ongoing Tiranga Yatra as an innovative political activity for a party in power. Modi emphasised on the need for the party to reach out to every walk of society. Earlier, inaugurating the meeting, BJP president Amit Shah asked members to keep BJP's ideology central to governance in states where they are in power. He said that of 1,650 registered political parties, BJP is the only one bound by an ideology. 

Paternity leave is like Holiday for men:Maneka Gandhi

  Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has said that she really doesn't see the point in bringing a law which mandates paternity leave since men in India are likely to use it as a holiday instead of taking care of their children. She said that men in India do not utilise their existing leaves in order to take care of their child. She added that paternity leave can be considered only once the woman goes back to work after 26 weeks of leave. I will be happy to consider this proposal, but it will just be a holiday for me, he won’t do anything, said Maneka.  In light of the recent move to increase maternity leave from the existing 12 weeks to 26, women rights activists and parliamentarians have called for the government to consider paternity leave so that men do their bit in raising infants, and to break the prevalent notion that taking care of children is first and foremost the mother's responsibility.   According to a notification issued in the late ’90s under the Central Civil Services Leave Rules, men in government service  biological as well as adoptive fathers can take 15 days of paid leave, which they are allowed to merge with any other leave. There is no legislation mandating compulsory leave for fathers in the private sector, with many companies granting paternity leave for a week or two at the most. “If men gave me one iota of hope by taking sick leave for child care, then yes, we can think of mooting a proposal for paternity leave,” Maneka said. It is also argued that only increasing maternity leave will further bias employers against hiring women. 

‘Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit’ says Probe Panel

  In a significant development in the controversy, the one-man judicial commission, set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to probe the circumstances leading to Rohith Vemula’s suicide at the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) in January this year, has said that the 26-year-old research scholar did not belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. According to reports the one-member Commission has submitted its report to UGC officials, though there was no official confirmation. According to a report the former Allahabad High Court judge A K Roopanwal has submitted his report to the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the first week of August, in which he made these observations.     The establishment of Vemula’s caste status is important because Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and HCU vice-chancellor Appa Rao were named in an FIR lodged by the police under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act for abetting his suicide. Reached for comment, Roopanwal did not deny submitting the report, but said, “I cannot answer your questions. Please direct all your questions on the contents of the report to the government.” Roopanwal’s report was expected on August 1 but it was ostensibly delayed over fears that it may have derail the Parliament session. Rohith Vemula’s brother Raja, however, rejected the observation of the judicial commission, stating that the family ‘lived like Dalits’ and were brought up among Dalits. He claimed that the family had been discriminated against all their lives.

Feel like crying says Bihar CM

  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him of the flood situation in Bihar, one of the worst-hit states in India. Apprising the PM about the present flood situation in the state in which 95 lives have been lost, Nitish said that Bihar had suffered immensely because of the floods in the northern and southern parts of the state. Nitish said that at least 28 districts in the state were hit severely by the floods.“The very serious condition that we see today never occurred earlier. The only way to get rid of this is through desiltation. There is a need for national silt management policy,” he was quoted by news agencies as saying. He also expressed concerns that the Farakka barrage in West Bengal had led to silting in the Ganga and exacerbated the floods in Bihar.   After meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar said he feels like “crying” over the condition of the River Ganga, which has affected 22 lakh people in Bihar, and killed 22 in the last three days. The Chief Minister of Bihar said that his state has received 14% less rain than is standard for the monsoon; the devastation, he said, is man-made. While UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh remain the worst hit states, water has started receding in Gujarat and Rajasthan, raising the hope that normalcy will be restored quickly in these states. The rescue operations are underway in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

India 7th wealthiest country in the world

  According to a report by New World Wealth, India was ranked 7th, ahead of Canada ($ 4,700 billion), Australia ($ 4,500 billion) and Italy ($ 4,400 billion), which came in at 8th, 9th and 10th slots, respectively. The United States has topped the list with a total wealth of($48,900 billion), while China stands second and Japan third. The U.S is the wealthiest in the world in terms of total individual wealth held ($ 48,900 billion) while China stood second and Japan third, with total individual wealth of $ 17,400 billion and USD 15,100 billion, respectively. India came 7th on the list with a total individual wealth of $5,600 billion (nearly Rs 372.5 lakh crore). India’s ranking as one of the wealthiest countries in the world is largely because of its population.   "Australia's ranking is impressive, considering it only has 22 million people living there," the report explained. In terms of Dollar wealth growth, China has been the fastest growing wealthiest country over the past 5 years. On India, the report stated, “Australia and India also grew strongly and India, Australia and Canada have just overtaken Italy over the past 12 months.” Germany is 5th with $ 9,100 billion) followed by France (6th, $ 6,600 billion). Wealth refers to net assets of a person and includes all their assets property, cash, equities and business interests the report said, adding that it excludes government funds from its figures.

Rajnath Singh on a 2 day visit to J&K

  Home minister Rajnath Singh will visit Kashmir on Wednesday for the second time in a month as the Centre stepped up efforts to end seven weeks of violence that has left 67 dead and over 10,000 injured. He will undertake a two-day visit to the Valley to meet various stake-holders who wish to discuss the issues within the framework of the Constitution. His schedule includes meetings with J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, governor NN Vohra, top officials of the state government and security forces, representatives of various political parties as well as civil society delegations that may include school managements and Kashmiri Pandits. “There will be no separate invitation for the separatists, but if they want to come and talk to the Home Minister, they are welcome. The talks will take place within the constitutional framework.   He will be staying at the Nehru Guest House and anyone who wants to meet him can come there,” said a senior Ministry official. Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other senior officials from the ministry are expected to accompany Rajnath Singh to the valley. The visit comes as relative calm prevailed in parts of Srinagar on Tuesday, after which the government lifted curfew from the uptown areas of the city from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the first time since July 9 when violent unrest erupted in the valley after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. The focus of Singh’s visit, said home ministry officials, will be on quick employment generation through skill development schemes such as Udaan and Himayat and also through recruitment in paramilitary forces and India Reserve battalions.

6.1 magnitude earthquake hits Italy

  A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck central Italy early on Wednesday, leaving buildings in ruins and areas without power near the epicentre Rieti. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit near the town of Norcia in the region of Umbria at 3.36am. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 6.1 and said the epicentre was north-east of Rome, near Rieti. The quake was felt as far away as Rome, about 150km away from the epicentre, as homes in the historic centre swayed about 3.30am local time. Police have confirmed that an elderly couple was killed in the disaster after their home collapsed. Witnesses told Italian media that many buildings had collapsed in villages close to the epicentre of the quake.   Residents of Rome, 170km (105 miles) from the registered epicentre, were woken by the quake, which rattled furniture and swayed lights in most of central Italy. A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the same region an hour after the initial quake. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s spokesman said the government was in touch with the country’s civil protection agency and following the situation closely. In 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the same region and killed more than 300 people. The earlier earthquake struck L'Aquila in central Italy, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the latest quake.

Those who lost lives in Kashmir, part of us: Modi

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, at a meeting with a delegation led by former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah, expressed ‘deep concern and pain’ over the prevailing situation in Kashmir. The delegation called on the Prime Minister to apprise him of the situation in the Kashmir valley. The delegation included CPI-M MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, state Congress president GA Mir, senior leaders of the National Conference and some Independent MLAs. The delegation submitted a memorandum to PM Modi seeking an immediate ban on the use of pellet guns in the state. They further requested the Prime Minister to initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders in the Valley immediately.   “Those who lost their lives during recent disturbances are part of us, our nation. Whether the lives lost are of our youth, security personnel or police, it distresses us,” a government statement quoted Modi as saying at the meeting. The Prime Minister's statement indicates that the government may be considering some political initiative on Kashmir where the over-five weeks long agitation has left some 68 people dead in clashes between pro-freedom protesters and security forces. "We need to find a permanent and lasting solution to the problem within the framework of the Constitution," the Prime Minister said. Modi emphasised on the need for all political parties to work together to find a solution to the problems of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.

Indian Athlete affected with Zika Virus in Rio?

  The threat of Zika virus was looming over the Olympics taking place at Rio. There have been pleas to shift the location of the games at the last moment because of the virus threat but the games still went on as officials made it clear that it is safe to be held there. But now it comes to light that Indian middle-distance runner Sudha Singh, 30, has been diagnosed with viral infection in Bengaluru after returning from the Rio Olympics 2016 on Saturday, with the possibility of her contracting the Zika virus not being ruled out. Singh, who returned to India on Saturday, complained of fever, joint pain and fatigue. She was first admitted to treatment at Sports Authority of India. However, when her blood pressure fell drastically, the authorities rushed her to a hospital. She had participated in the steeplechase competition.   Ms Singh's blood samples have been sent to a virology institute for Zika testing. Doctors say they want to be extra cautious since she was in Brazil where the virus is a major concern. "It is probably just a viral infection but as protocol, we are investigating to rule out Zika," said Dr SR Sarala, a senior scientific officer at the Sports Authority of India. Her blood samples are likely to be sent to a virology institute in Pune on Monday to check for Zika, the fear of which caused many athletes to withdraw from the Rio Games. Sudha is currently being treated in an isolation room in the Bengaluru hospital. Marathon runners OP Jaisha and Kavita Raut, who were Sudha's roommates in Rio, are also said to be showing milder symptoms of a viral infection. The Sports Authority wanted Jaisha in hospital too but she went home to Kerala.

Cash transactions above 3Lakhs to be banned by Govt

  In order to crack down on the black money trail in the country, the Government is looking at banning cash transactions above 3 Lakhs. A ban on cash transactions above Rs 3 lakh will ensure that credit or debit cards are used to make large payments which will ensure that the transactions are recorded and can be tracked easily. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money had recommended ban on cash transactions of above Rs 3 lakh and restricting cash holding with individuals to not more than Rs 15 lakh to curb illegal wealth in the economy. The SIT headed by Justice (Retd) M B Shah, had earlier submitted its fifth report to the Supreme Court on July 14 on methods to curb black money in the economy.   “Having considered the provisions which exist in this regard in various countries and also having considered various reports and observations of courts regarding cash transactions the SIT felt that there is a need to put an upper limit to cash transactions,” an official statement had said. Also, cash withdrawal of more than Rs 3 lakh from any bank account in a day should consider as a suspicious activity and the concerned bank should report it to Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) & the concerned Income-tax Department, it had said. he government also recently did away with transaction charges on payments made to it by credit or debit cards, to push the use of plastic money.  It wants to make India into a cashless economy too, soon.