Govt. rejects statement, but reaches out to OIC members
In its responses to the diplomatic storm over the comments made by BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar, the government took a stern view of the statement by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but it subsequently made a special effort at ensuring that Indian Ambassadors based in every OIC country were briefed and sent “talking points” to deal with the situation on June 5.
World Bank cuts India’s economic growth forecast to 7.5% for FY23
This is the second time that the World Bank has revised its GDP growth forecast for India in the current fiscal 2022-23 (April 2022 to March 2023). In April, it had trimmed the forecast from 8.7% to 8% and now it is projected at 7.5%.
Al-Qaeda in Indian subcontinent threatens to attack India after Prophet controversy
Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has threatened that its members will carry out attacks in India in the backdrop of the controversial statements regarding the Prophet by two leaders of the BJP. A statement purportedly by the AQIS has called for attacks in Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Govt. changes Service rules to make retired officers eligible for CDS post
Setting the stage for the appointment of the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Government has amended Service Rules of the Army, Navy and Air Force, allowing retired Service Chiefs and three-star officers eligible for consideration for the country’s top military post.
Tamil Nadu tops food safety index
Tamil Nadu topped the State Food Safety Index this year, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra this year. Among the smaller States, Goa stood first, followed by Manipur and Sikkim. Among the Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third ranks.
Yet to test negative for coronavirus, Sonia seeks time from ED
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s office has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a fresh date to appear before the agency in the National Herald case as Ms. Gandhi is yet tested negative for COVID-19, a party source said on Tuesday.
India acted under pressure from the Gulf governments: Awami League leader on Prophet controversy
The Government of India was prompted to take action on the BJP leaders who made derogatory remarks against the Prophet because of pressure from the Gulf countries, said a leading member of the ruling party of Bangladesh.
ED seizes ₹2.85 crore cash, 133 gold coins after raids against Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain
“Unexplained” cash of ₹2.85 crore and 133 gold coins were seized after raids were conducted at the premises of Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and his alleged associates as part of a money laundering probe against them, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on June 7.
Final view on changing IAS cadre rules yet to be taken: DoPT
As the Centre’s dry spell with Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers available to serve the Union Government continues, a proposal mooted in December 2021 to depute IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officers to the Centre without necessarily taking the State Governments’ nod appears to have been put in cold storage. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in a Right to Information (RTI) response that a final view on the proposal is yet to be taken and it cannot disclose the information held in a “fiduciary relationship”.
India, in a strong cross-regional joint statement on behalf of 10 nations, including China, on Tuesday asserted that developing countries need to be given an additional time frame beyond 2050 to reach net-zero emissions due to their goals of poverty eradication and development and for this developed nations should do a net-negative by middle of the century and vacate the carbon space for developing countries.
Sri Lanka seeks $55mn loan from India for buying fertilizer
Sri Lanka has sought a $55 million loan from India for the procurement of urea amidst its worst economic crisis threatening a severe food shortage, an official said on June 7.
Hiring demand up 9% in May led by telecom, BFSI, import and export sectors
Job demand continued to be on a growth trajectory in May, witnessing a 9% rise year-on-year, mainly supported by telecom, banking, financial services and insurance and import and export sectors, a report said on Tuesday.
Alok Choudhary takes charge as SBI’s MD
The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) said Alok Kumar Choudhary took the charge of managing director for its retail business and operations on June 7.
Extinct in India, cheetahs set to be reintroduced from South Africa by August
The first batch of cheetahs is expected to arrive in India’s Kuno Palpur wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh by this August, according to senior officials in the Union Environment Ministry, who declined to be identified. The timing chimes with India celebrating 75 years of independence which the Centre has been building up to, as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign.
Avani Lekhara wins gold with world record in Para World Cup
Tokyo Paralympics champion Avani Lekhara won gold at the Para Shooting World Cup with a world record score of 250.6 in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 in Chateauroux, France on Tuesday.
