Video Editor : Abhishek Sharma
1. Govt Failed to Provide Jobs to Crores of People: Priyanka Gandhi
Hours after the conclusion of Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 12 March, at a rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Slamming the Modi government she said, she was saddened by what was happening in the country as “hatred is being spread.” Further, she said, the Modi government has failed to provide jobs to crores of people.
At the same event, Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel joined the Congress. Justifying his decision to enter active politics ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Patel said he could now work for the six crore people of Gujarat in a better way.
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2. Dalits, Tribals & UP Lead Pushback Against Modi, Show Surveys
If the latest opinion polls are anything to go by, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could win a second term in office, however, with a thinner majority than the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The latest State of the Nation Survey by C-Voter predicts that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance could win 265 seats, just seven short of the halfway mark, while the India TV-CNX survey gives it a clear majority with 285 seats.
The surveys indicate that support for the NDA has surged due to two main reasons: The Pulwama attacks and the subsequent air strikes in Balakot, and the BJP forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
However, the BJP is facing a serious pushback on three fronts in particular: Dalit and tribal voters across India, the SP-BSP-RLD Mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh and the Northeastern states.
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3. My Vote Chaupal: The Quint Gives a Voice to the Indian Voter
The dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 are finally out. India will vote between 11 April and 19 May 2019 to choose its next prime minister.
As many as 90 crore Indians have registered as voters for elections 2019. Almost 1.5 crore are new voters, most of them being first-time voters, in the age group of 18 to 19 years.
The Quint is overhauling the way elections have been covered in the country. Our election coverage is not going to be about the politicians and the leaders. It’s going to be about you – the voters. Through The Quint’s ‘My Vote Chaupal’, we are giving the Indian voter a voice.
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4. Only Pilots With 1,000 Hrs Experience to Fly Boeing 737 Max: DGCA
Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, China and several other countries have grounded Boeing’s 737 Max jet after an Ethiopian Airlines crash killed all the 157 people on board on Sunday, 10 March.
But the Indian aviation watchdog DGCA has issued additional safety instructions to SpiceJet and Jet Airways for operating Boeing 737 MAX planes and did not grounded them. There are about 13 SpiceJet and 5 Jet Airways aircraft operating.
The pilot commanding the aircraft should have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience, according to the DGCA directions.
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5. To Protest ‘Denial’ of Ads, J&K Papers Publish Blank Front Pages
Several newspapers in Kashmir published a blank front page on Sunday, 10 March, to protest against the decision to stop government advertisements in two dailies, Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader.
Newspapers such as Kashmir Images, Kashmir Reader, The Kashmir Monitor and Kashmir Observer published a blank front page with the message, “In protest against unexplained denial of government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader.”
The decision to run blank front pages was taken by the Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG).
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6. SC Issues Govt Notice in Petition Seeking Stay on Electoral Bonds
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the government on a petition filed by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) which sought a stay on the Central government's Electoral Bond Scheme 2018. The petition also seeks directions from the Supreme Court to strike down amendments introduced through Finance Act 2017. The Supreme Court will examine the issue on 26 March 2019.
With the announcement of the dates for 2019 general election, this is a significant development which will impact political party financing.
Appearing on the behalf of ADR, Prashant Bhushan had argued in the application that in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, it is "expected that enormous amount of corporate funding would be received by political parties in April and May and this would play a critical role in the elections."
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