1. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Dies at 93
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Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first non-Congress leader to serve a full term in power and who ordered nuclear tests to make India a nuclear weapons power, died on Thursday, 16 August, the Delhi hospital where he was admitted said in a statement.
“It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Former Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at 05:05pm on 16.08.2018,” said the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in a statement in Delhi.
Renowned for his powerful oratory and poetry, Vajpayee, 93, one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), served as prime minister for 13 days in 1996, 13 months (1998-99) at the head of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and then for a full five year term (1999-2004).
He had announced his retirement from electoral politics in 2005 and withdrew further from public life in 2009 after suffering a stroke that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Relentless Rain Ravages Kerala
With 91 persons killed in rain-related incidents on Thursday, 16 August, the toll in the recent rain and flood-related incidents across Kerala rose to 156. More than 1.5 lakh people have been shifted to 1,200 relief camps.
Twelve additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising about 540 personnel, are being rushed to the State, in addition to the 18 teams already deployed, apart from contingents of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. A further 23 NDRF teams will be deployed in the coming days, NDRF Director-General Sanjay Kumar said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day seeking more Central assistance, said the flood situation was “extremely grave.”
(Source: The Hindu)
3.Can’t Use ‘Creamy Layer’ to Deny SC/ST Quota: Centre to SC
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday, 16 August, questioned the logic behind granting reservation in promotion in government jobs to the creamy layer within the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC and ST) communities.
The court found it necessary to have a quantifiable data and benchmark to determine who among the “socially disadvantaged sections” should be given the benefit of the affirmative action.
Attorney General KK Venugopal, however, told a Chief Justice Dipak Misra-led constitution bench that the court should leave this question to the President, as he alone has the Constitutional prerogative to determine castes, race, and tribes for classification under SC and ST category.
Venugopal argued for “proportional representation for SC and STs” when it comes to promotion in jobs, besides entry level reservation. He said there has to be adequate representation of the communities that have remained suppressed.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Rahul Gandhi Concealed Facts, Says I-T Department
The Income Tax department told the Delhi High Court on Thursday, 16 August, that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tax assessment for the year 2011-12 was reopened as material facts were concealed.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the I-T department, made the submission before a Bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla.
The Bench reserved its order on the pleas of Mr Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, all of whom have challenged reopening of their tax assessments for the same year (2011-12).
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Will Honour Ceasefire If Pakistan Curbs Infiltration: India
The Indian Army will “abide by its commitment” to uphold the ceasefire understanding of 2003 if the Pakistan Army “initiates positive steps to control infiltration and abetment of terrorism” in J&K, Pakistan was told on Thursday, 16 August.
This was conveyed during a conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) over the established hotline, which was held on Pakistan’s request.
“The Pakistan DGMO made an assurance that Pakistan Army would take prompt action against move of inimical elements in proximity to the Line of Control and respond to information shared by the Indian side, thereby facilitating conduct of anti-terrorist operations,” the army said in a statement.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Shelter Home Case: Deoria SP Transferred, Role of Police to be Investigated
The state government on Wednesday, 15 August, transferred the Deoria SP, a DIG and former SP of the district, and the circle officer of Sadar area for laxity in the shelter home case, on the basis of a preliminary report filed as part of an investigation into the police’s role in the matter.
The report also held Deoria SP Rohan P Kanay, DIG (Basti range) and ex-Deoria SP Rakesh Shanker and Circle Officer of Sadar area Dayaram Singh Gaur responsible for not initiating action against the shelter home owner and others even after the establishment lost recognition from the government a year ago. A departmental inquiry has been ordered against the three officers.
The report also held the station house officer (SHO) of City Kotwali police station, Vijay Singh Gaur, responsible for not taking action after an FIR was registered against the shelter home owner, for which he has been suspended.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. 8 Outfits to Be Heard on NRC Claims Process
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 16 August, refused to take the views of political parties on the Centre’s standard operating procedure (SOP) and modalities for filing and disposal of claims/objections leading to the publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam.
State NRC Co-ordinator Prateek Hajela informed a Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Nariman that the opinions of various political parties on the NRC were sought by a state sub-committee in 2012-13.
However, the bench shot down the idea of involving political parties. Instead, the court directed that the SOP should be examined by stakeholders and petitioners in the current litigation.
The court then named eight of them — Assam Public Works, Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (an indigenous people’s organisation of Assam), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), Indigenous Tribal Peoples Federation, All Assam Bhojpuri Parishad, Joint Action Committee for Bangali Refugees, All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) and Jamait Ulama-i-Hind – for the purpose.
(Source: The Hindu)
8. Amit Shah Switched Off Mic Mid-Speech, Jokes Rahul Gandhi
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah when the former’s microphone went off while delivering a speech at an event in Delhi.
In a video tweeted by news agency ANI, Gandhi is seen addressing a gathering at ‘Sanjhi Virasat Bachao Sammelan’ when midway his microphone goes silent with a loud noise.
His next two sentences were inaudible. Gandhi, when the mic became functional within seconds, quipped: “Yeh Amit Shahji ne mic off kar diya hai. (Amit Shah has switched off the microphone).
Incidentally, when the mic went off, the Congress leader was accusing the BJP of building a ‘cage’ and restricting the rights of the people.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Delhi HC Allows AAP MLAs to Move EC in Office of Profit Case
The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 16 August, issued a “draft order” allowing 20 Aam Aadmi Party legislators, facing allegations of having held offices of profit, to move the Election Commission (EC) for permission to summon witnesses and asked the poll panel to decide it as per the law.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar said the draft order will be finalised after all parties gave their assent to it tomorrow.
The draft order came after conclusion of arguments on the pleas moved by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs seeking directions to the EC to permit them to cross-examine the persons who had complained to the poll panel alleging that the legislators were holding office of profit when they were appointed Parliamentary Secretaries to various state ministers.
(Source: PTI)
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