1. PM Modi to Visit US on 25 June, Hold Talks With Trump
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Washington DC on 25 June and hold talks with President Donald Trump, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. This will be his first visit to the US after Trump became president earlier this year. Contentious issues such as the Paris Climate Change Agreement and H1-B visa are likely to figure in the talks between the two leaders.
Announcing the visit from 25 June, the External Affairs Ministry said the Modi-Trump discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders, the ministry added.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. States Will Have to Bear Farm Loan Waivers From Their Own Coffers: Jaitley
The States going in for farm loan waivers will have to generate funds from their own resources, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday after a meeting he had with public sector bank (PSB) chiefs, where among other things, the situation on bad loans was discussed.
Jaitley's comments come in the backdrop of farmers' agitations across the country as well as state governments, such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh – both BJP-ruled – announcing farm loan waivers.
There are also similar demands for farm loan waiver in States, including in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana (both BJP-ruled), Punjab (Congress-ruled), Tamil Nadu (AIADMK government).
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Farmers Wilfully Defaulting on Loans in Hope of Waiver
Expectation of loan waiver has prompted farmers across states to stop repayment of money owed to financial institutions. This adds pressure on banks that are already grappling with a record pile of bad corporate debt.
Several bankers Times of India spoke to confirmed that there was a rising trend of farmers refusing to clear dues, an issue that was also flagged at a meeting on Monday convened by the Finance Ministry. The total farm loans are estimated at a little under Rs 10 lakh crore.
While it is early to quantify the extent of loan delinquency by farmers, bankers say that in some states, the default rate has increased by up to 50 percent in recent months.
(Source: Times of India)
4. Darjeeling Turmoil: Govt Offices Vandalised on Day 1 of GJM Bandh
In the wake of the ongoing turmoil in the northern West Bengal hills, Gorkhaland supporters on Monday vandalised government offices in Darjeeling as the GJM-sponsored indefinite bandh (shutdown) kept tourists out of the picturesque hill station owing to the threat of violence.
On the opening day of the shutdown, suspected GJM activists caused damage to a panchayat office and a PWD office in the hill and did picketing at some places in Kurseong and Kalimpong. The agitating protesters also burnt down furniture, smashed window panes and broke computers at the PWD office in Darjeeling.
Police said eight GJM activists were detained for allegedly attempting to set ablaze the Block Development Office at Phulbazar in Bijanbari block.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Karnan First High Court Judge to Retire While on the Run
Justice CS Karnan of the Calcutta High Court has earned another dubious distinction: he is the first HC judge to retire while on the run. Monday was his last day as a judge. Born on 12 June 1955, the judge is facing arrest and has been missing since 9 May when a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court passed an unprecedented arrest order against a constitutional court judge. He became a judge of the Madras High Court in March 2009.
Though he had arrived in Chennai early on 9 May and was seen chatting with visitors and journalists at the state guest house till a couple of hours after the apex court's arrest order, he went underground soon after, without the knowledge of his personal security and protocol officials.
(Source: Times of India)
6. Nitish Dares BJP to Hold Snap Polls
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday dared the BJP to not only hold fresh Assembly elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh simultaneously, but also bypolls to the Lok Sabha seats held by NDA members in both the States. Kumar blamed the Central government for the farmers’ protests in different parts of the country.
“If they [the BJP] have the courage, then hold simultaneous polls in UP and Bihar… I don’t have any problem… I’m ready for it tomorrow if they want it. But it should be held along with byelections to all the Lok Sabha seats held by the NDA members in both the States,” said Mr. Kumar.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Vigilantes Attack Truck Taking Cows From Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu
A mob of at least 50 people intercepted five trucks near Rajasthan’s Barmer late on Sunday, attacking drivers and attempting to set fire to the vehicles carrying cows purchased by Tamil Nadu under a project to protect cows.
Rajasthan is one of several states where vigilante groups claiming to be working for the protection of cows have attacked people ferrying cattle, often accusing the animals were being taken for slaughter. On 1 April, cattle trader Pehlu Khan was assaulted by similar vigilantes, who left him with injuries that claimed his life two days later.
Sunday’s attack on the National Highway-15 in Barmer led to the arrest of four people and the suspension of the seven police officers from the local station for “not taking the matter seriously and arriving late at the scene”.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. Amit Shah Sets up Panel to Discuss Presidential Poll With BJP Allies, Other Parties
BJP president Amit Shah authorised on Monday three senior ministers to negotiate with political parties a consensus candidate to succeed President Pranab Mukherjee, who demits office on 24 July.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and information and broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will seek to navigate not only testy ties with the opposition but also some of the government’s own allies to find a common candidate.
Should they fail, presidential elections will be held on 17 July. Nominations for candidates close on June 28.
The president is a largely ceremonial post, but in an increasingly polarised domestic political climate parties are seeking influence over an office that yields power when it comes to close elections or giving assent to controversial legislation.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Explain Sanjay Dutt's Early Release: HC Asks State
The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the state government to explain its decision to grant Sanjay Dutt early release from prison in the 1993 serial blasts case, a development that could create fresh complications for the star. A division bench of Justices RM Sawant and Sadhana Jadhav sought to know the factors that officials weighed while arriving at the decision that Dutt deserved leniency.
Dutt was handed down a six-year jail term in October 2007 for possession of arms, which were a part of the consignment used in the 1993 blasts. He appealed against the verdict, but surrendered in May 2013 after SC upheld his conviction. The court, however, reduced the sentence to five years. The actor was freed in February 2016, eight months before his term was due to end, on account of his good conduct in Yerwada Central Jail.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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