1. Smart Cities Scheme: 20 Which Made it and Those That Didn’t
The NDA government’s scheme to develop 100 smart cities kicked off on Thursday with the Centre announcing the names of the first batch of 20 urban centres that have made the cut. Bhubaneswar has topped the list of 20 smart cities followed by Pune and Jaipur coming second and third.
Of the 20, nine cities were selected from BJP-ruled states – Gujarat (Surat, Ahmedabad), Rajasthan (Jaipur, Udaipur), Madhya Pradesh (Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur) and Maharashtra (Solapur, Pune) – while four belonged to Congress-ruled Assam (Guwahati), Kerala (Kochi) and Karnataka (Belgaum and Davangere), reports the Hindustan Times.
Poll-bound West Bengal did not make the cut as did Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, 13 cities from Uttar Pradesh were short-listed but all of them lost the first round.
Official in LucknowSelection is one thing, qualifying for the project quite another. Population and the size of the state were cited as the two main reasons when UP got the maximum cities short-listed under the plan. I am sure our turn would come in the next round. It’s just a matter of timing.
Read the full report on Hindustan Times.
2. Modi Holds Off on Cabinet Rejig Ahead of Budget Session
Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not plan to revamp his cabinet in the “immediate future”, sources in the government told Hindustan Times, clearing speculation that ministers who have been at the centre of controversies were facing the axe.
The message to the government’s top brass came during a meeting on Wednesday in which Modi took a stock of their performance. Such meetings will be held on the last Wednesday of every month, the PM is understood to have decided, signalling a stricter eye on performances.
For the monthly review meetings, the ministries have been clubbed into three categories – agriculture & related sectors, infrastructure & related sectors, and social and core sectors. The maiden one on Wednesday had five ministries presenting their work — agriculture, rural development, water resources & Ganga rejuvenation, food and public distribution, and chemicals and fertilisers.
Read the full report on Hindustan Times.
3. Kerala CM to Appeal Order in Solar Scam: Chandy Faces FIR
With barely three months left for assembly elections in Kerala, a vigilance court ordered the registration of an FIR against chief minister Oommen Chandy in the solar scam, reports The Indian Express.
The court’s direction came a day after one of the accused in the scam, Saritha S Nair, alleged that she paid Rs 1.9 crore as bribe to Chandy. It also triggered calls for Chandy’s resignation but the Congress leader said he “cannot be ousted after being humiliated with allegations”.
“If there is an iota of substance in the allegation, I will quit public life,” he said. Later, after holding discussions with party leaders and legal experts in Kochi, Chandy said he would file an appeal in the High Court on Friday against the order of the Vigilance court in Thrissur.
Read the report on The Indian Express.
4. No Dates Fixed for Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-Level Talks
India and Pakistan have not been able to agree upon a “mutually convenient” date for Foreign Secretary-level talks so far even as New Delhi on Thursday asserted that the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case trial was a ‘test’ of Pakistan’s sincerity in combating terrorism, reports Asian Age.
“As of now, we don’t have a mutually convenient date,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. He was asked about the status of Indo-Pak Foreign Secretaries-level talks and reported remarks of Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit during an interview on the possibility of the parleys in the first week of February.
On the progress of probe by Pakistan in Pathankot terror strike, he said the two governments were in “continuous communication” regarding the matter but refused to give any further details.
Read the report on Asian Age.
5. India Gets More Voting Rights in IMF Reforms
Emerging and developing economies gained more influence in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after pending reforms came into effect on Wednesday, reports The Hindu. India’s voting rights increase to 2.6 percent from the current 2.3 percent, and China’s, to six percent from 3.8, as per the new division. Russia and Brazil are the other two countries that gain from the reforms.
More than 6 percent of the quota shares will shift to emerging and developing countries from the US and European countries.
The combined quotas – or the capital countries contribute – doubles to about $659 billion from about $329 billion.
IMF StatementThe significant resource enhancement will fortify the IMF’s ability to respond to crises more effectively. These reforms will reinforce the credibility, effectiveness, and legitimacy of the IMF.
Read the report on The Hindu.
6. HRD Ministry Names Ex-HC Judge for Rohith Vemula’s Death Probe
The HRD ministry on Thursday named former Allahabad high court judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal to probe the circumstances that led to dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide in Hyderabad, reports the Asian Age.
HRD ministry sources said Justice Roopanwal will review the entire sequence of events and its circumstances and establish facts and correctives. The one-man judicial commission has been asked to submit its report within three months.
Earlier, a fact-finding committee set up by the ministry gave its report on developments at the university, after which it was decided a judicial commission would be set up. The scholar’s death led to protests by students in several parts of the country.
The joint parliamentary committee on SC/ST welfare, chaired by BJP MP Faggan Singh, has voiced concern over Vemula’s suicide and has proposed sending a delegation to the University of Hyderabad, and also to IIT Madras to examine complaints of injustice against dalit students.
Read the report on Asian Age.
Also read:
‘Our Generation Doesn’t Believe In Caste’, Let’s Not Kid Ourselves
7. After President Sits on File, MHA Withdraws Gujarat’s Anti-Terror Bill
The Union home ministry has withdrawn the controversial anti-terror bill of Gujarat after waiting for President Pranab Mukherjee’s nod for almost five months, saying it wants to “rework” the bill and consult the state government on some contentious provisions.
In September 2015, the NDA government had given the nod to the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill, 2015 and sent it for President’s assent.
A source in Rashtrapati Bhavan told The Economic Times that Mukherjee had discussed the contentious issues of the bill, but was not convinced to give sweeping powers to the state government. Before he took a final decision, the government decided to withdraw the bill.
Read the report on The Economic Times.
8. Sarbananda Sonowal is the BJP’s CM-Candidate for Assam Polls
The BJP on Thursday named union minister Sarbananda Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam.
JP Nadda, Union Health MinisterThe (BJP) parliamentary board has decided that the Assam assembly elections will be contested under the leadership of Sarbananda Sonowal.
The decision was taken in New Delhi at the party’s parliamentary board meeting, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and Sonowal himself. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in April-May.
JP NaddaIn the parliamentary board meeting, upcoming elections of five states were discussed but the decision was taken only for Assam.
Read the report on The Quint.
9. Parrikar Asks CBI to Probe Two Major Generals
The defence ministry has sought a CBI inquiry against two serving Major Generals for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income and for links to a ‘bribe-for-promotion’ scandal in the 1.18-million strong Army, reports The Times of India.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday asked CBI to probe the charges against the two Major Generals (names being withheld since CBI is yet to register an FIR in the case) and submit its report at the earliest.
Defence Ministry SourceAs per the zero tolerance policy against corruption, action has been taken against the two based on several complaints. The minister has asked CBI to investigate all movable and immovable assets of these officers.
Read the report on The Times of India.
From The Quint:
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