1. Flood Death Toll Rises as Kerala Faces Long Road to Recovery
Rescuers struggled to reach some pockets still cut off by landslides and raging rivers in Kerala, and the government turned its focus to counting losses and launching a rehabilitation drive that could last months, officials said on Sunday as forecasts suggested the worst of the rains may be over for Kerala.
Since 8 August – the start of an unusually heavy bout of monsoon rains that led to what has been described as Kerala’s worst flooding in nearly a century – more than 700,000 people were taken to relief camps, according to figures released by the state government on Sunday.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Congress Says UPA-1, UPA-2 Govt Gave Highest Decadal Growth
The Congress-led UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments delivered the highest decadal growth since Independence, former finance minister P Chidambaram said Sunday while claiming that the management of the economy today is “not in very competent hands”.
His comments came two days after a committee, which was tasked with recommending ways to strengthen India’s data collection system, released new back series data which showed the Indian economy grew at a faster pace in two terms of the UPA government between 2004-05 and 2013-14, when compared with average growth recorded in the first four years of the NDA government.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. BJP to Immerse Vajpayee's Ashes in 100 Rivers Across India
BJP on Sunday, 19 August, modified its programme to send 18 urns carrying former PM Atal Bihari Vajpyee's ashes for immersion in various rivers of UP. Instead, the ashes would be immersed simultaneously in all rivers of the country on Tuesday.
Top UP BJP sources confirmed to TOI that the programme in UP has been rescheduled to coincide with immersion of Vajpayee's ashes in various other states. Sources said the ashes would be immersed in at least 100 rivers spread over 29 states and seven Union territories.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Muslim Man Who Converted to Hinduism Moves Court to Be Re-United with Wife
The Supreme Court has decided to examine the plea of a man, who converted to Hinduism from Islam to marry,to be re-united with his 23-year-old wife.
Thirty-three-year-old Ibrahim Siddhiqui aka Aryan Arya has challenged a Chhattisgarh High Court order to separate him from his wife, Anjali Jain, and send her back to either her parents or lodge her in a hostel. Jain is now in a hostel, according to Arya.
A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice DY Chandrachud decided to speak to Jain to know what she wants. Since the couple hails from Dhamtari district in Chhattisgarh, the Bench has directed the local Superintendent of Police to produce Jain before it on 27 August.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Time to Change Pakistan’s Destiny, Says PM Imran Khan in His Inaugural Address
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday he had spoken with the country’s neighbours to improve bilateral relations, as he delivered his maiden address to the nation that called for “peace in the region” and focused on a range of issues from corruption to reforms.
It was time to change Pakistan’s destiny, Khan said, adding that there was a need to “improve the country’s situation” after he unveiled his 21-member cabinet. He lashed out at the previous PML-N government for the current debt crisis, saying the country had not been as indebted in its entire history as it has been in the last 10 years.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Lynchings: Ministry Panel Considers Changes in Law, a Relief Fund
An informal group tasked to come out with a draft report on lynching and mob violence is learnt to have suggested amendments to the IPC and CrPC to strengthen police hands in taking action against those involved in mob violence, making the crime non-bailable, fast-tracking trial in such cases through special courts, and providing compensation to the victims from a central fund.
The draft report will be submitted to a committee headed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, that had been set up by the Home Ministry on July 23 to “deliberate” and “make recommendations” for separate penal provisions on incidents of mob violence.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Copy-paste? Punjab Filed 11,000 Similar Drug Chargesheets
A conviction rate of over 90 percent in cases of drug possession in Punjab may well be based on a copy-paste job by police in its chargesheets and their bland acceptance by special courts set up under the NDPS Act.
An in-depth study by a Delhi-based think-tank (to be released this week) on Punjab's failure to curb rampant drug abuse has revealed the police used a "common narrative" in its chargesheets and had a set of 10-12 phrases to describe investigations in 11,000 of the 13,000 chargesheets filed under the Act.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Delhi Railway Stations Unsafe, Says Audit
A recent security audit conducted by the Delhi Police found glaring loopholes in the security apparatus at all major railway stations in Delhi including the four major stations in the Capital – New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar.
The confidential audit report accessed by Hindustan Times states that parcel areas at these stations were particularly vulnerable as goods transported in passenger trains are neither verified nor scanned to ensure passenger security. The report mentions, “It (security loopholes) may lead to mass casualty including blasts, if any terrorist organisation plants explosive in any of the parcels.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Wrong of Sidhu to Hug Pak Army Chief, Says Amarinder
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said it was “wrong” on the part of Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to hug Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Mr Sidhu had gone to attend the swearing-in in his personal capacity. It has nothing to do with us. But what I think was wrong is that given the fact that every day our soldiers are getting martyred on the borders... to hug their [Pakistan] Army chief General Bajwa is something I do not favour,” Capt Singh told journalists.
(Source: The Hindu)
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