1. Arun Jaitley’s Response to Yashwant Sinha’s Attack: ‘Job Applicant at 80’
The political slugfest over the economic slowdown escalated on Thursday, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hitting back at BJP dissident Yashwant Sinha as a "job applicant at 80".
A day after Sinha accused him of making a mess of the economy, Jaitley defended his track record and repeatedly suggested that NDA was taking decisive steps, in contrast to UPA's "policy paralysis".
He also pointed out Sinha was the FM when India was staring at default in loan repayments with foreign exchange reserves of less than $4 billion in 1991. Similarly, Sinha was finance minister in the Vajpayee government when non-performing assets of banks were at 14-15 percent of their loans.
Source: The Times of India
2. Sinha Hits Back: Jaitley Wouldn’t be There if I Had Been a Job Applicant
Shortly after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, without taking names, described him as a “job applicant@80”, senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha responded on Thursday saying “if I was a job applicant, he (Jaitley) would not be there in the first place”.
Jaitley took a swipe at Sinha over his opinion piece, published in The Indian Express Wednesday, in which he blamed the minister for the “mess” in the economy.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Sinha maintained that the government “completely misread” the situation on the economic front and “kept chipping away at the margins”. He said that instead of acknowledging “there was a problem”, “they kept singing praises of themselves, patting their backs”.
He also slammed what he felt were efforts by the government to pit his son Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, against him on the issue of the handling of the economy.
Source: The Indian Express
3. No Dress, Alcohol Curbs For Girls on Campus: BHU’s 1st Woman Proctor
Banaras Hindu University's (BHU) newly appointed chief proctor Royona Singh – the first woman to hold the post in the institute's 101-year-old history – is named after a French town, and is categorical that there should be no restriction on dress and alcohol for female students at BHU, or ban on non-vegetarian food in the messes.
I was born in Europe. I frequently travel to Europe and Canada. Putting a dressing restriction on girls would be like imposing it on myself. You start your day at 6 am and end at 10.30 pm, and if you still can’t wear what you feel comfortable in, then it is a shame in this era. I find it strange when boys use the words ‘skimpily clad’. If a girl feels comfortable in what she wears, what’s their objection?Royona Singh, BHU Proctor
Source: The Times of India
4. Tarun Tejpal Charged With Rape by Goa Trial Court
Tarun Tejpal, founder and former editor of Tehelka magazine, was formally charged with rape and wrongful confinement by a trial court on Thursday. Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague inside the elevator of Hotel Grand Hyatt in Goa on the night of November 7, 2013.
The trial court booked Tejpal on all the rape charges – 376 (rape), 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 376(2) (k) (rape of a woman by a person being in position of control or dominance over the woman), 376 (2) (f) (person in position of trust or authority over women committing rape of such women) and
Section 354-B (disrobing a woman), along with other charges under Sections 341 and 342 (punishment for wrongful restraint).
Source: The Indian Express
5. A Padma Shri Had Quit Council in Protest Over Appointments in BHU
On Tuesday, a member of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) executive council objected to a move by its Vice-Chancellor to regularise the appointment of Dr OP Upadhyay, who had been convicted of sexual harassment by a Fiji court, as Medical Superintendent of Sir Sunderlal Hospital on campus.
It has now emerged that another member, a Padma Shri awardee, had resigned from the council two years ago in protest over “appointments” to institutions on the BHU campus.
French author and historian Michel Danino submitted his resignation from the council headed by V-C GC Tripathi in an email dated 7 November 2015.
Source: The Indian Express
6. Kejriwal Wants Metro Fare Hike Rollback
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called plans to increase metro fares from next month "anti-people" and said on Thursday his government will attempt to stop it, setting up a confrontation with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) that stood firm on its decision.
The DMRC, metro's operator, is set to hike fares for those travelling more than two kilometres by Rs 5-10 from 10 October, the second increase in eight years. The metro is regarded as the national capital's lifeline, carrying 27 lakh passengers every month.
"Metro fare hike is anti-people. Have directed transport minister Kailash Gahlot to find a solution to stop the fare hike in a week's time," he tweeted.
Source: Hindustan Times
7. Grief, Anger at Home of Constable Killed in J&K: Why Are You Here?
There is complete silence under the shamiana as they wait for his body to arrive. Until a wail breaks through. “Why are you all here? Have you come for his wedding?” cries a woman, who has entered the courtyard of this one-storey house at Parray Mohalla in Hajin, Bandipore.
Habla Begum, her left arm wrapped in a bandage, is still in shock. On Wednesday night, she was one of those injured as a group of suspected militants stormed the house, dragged her nephew out and shot him dead. Mohammad Ramzan Parray was 30.
Not many in Hajin are ready to talk about what happened to BSF constable Ramzan. And those who are willing to, do so in worried whispers and on the condition that they should not be named.
Source: The Indian Express
8. Collegium Flip-Flopped on Justice Patel's Transfer
In a twist to the mystery behind the sudden transfer of Justice Jayant Patel from Karnataka high court days before he was to take over as the acting chief justice, it turns out that the Supreme Court collegium had decided to transfer Patel to Bombay HC but suddenly changed its mind and shifted him to Allahabad HC instead.
The collegium headed by CJI Dipak Mishra had, at a meeting early last week, decided to transfer Justice Patel from Karnataka HC. The meeting saw some members of the collegium, which also comprises Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, question the CJI on the timing of the transfer.
According to sources, the posers were tough but failed to lead the CJI to spell out the specific reason for Patel's transfer.
The judge had shot to limelight when he ordered a CBI probe into the “encounter“ of Ishrat Jehan, along with alleged LeT terrorists, in Gujarat during Narendra Modi's chief ministership.
Source: The Times of India
9. Goyal: Work on GE's $200m Loco Factory in Bihar on Track
Railway minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that work on GE's $200 million diesel locomotive factory in Marhaura (Bihar) was “on track“, rejecting reports that the government may terminate the contract with the US giant as the transporter seeks to speed up electrification of tracks.
“Our government does not make any sudden chang not make any sudden changes in policy... we take considered decisions. The Marhaura factory is being set up and I think it's on track,” Goyal said at a press conference.
The minister's comments came a day after GE vice-chairman John Rice flew down to meet him and other stakeholders in a bid to ensure that the project was not derailed due to the railway ministry's change of heart.
Source: The Times of India
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