Droupadi Murmu elected 15th President of India
Former Jharkhand Governor and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Droupadi Murmu was elected the 15 th President of India, the first tribal woman to be elected to the position and the youngest as well. She was declared elected on Thursday after four rounds of counting, although she had crossed the halfway mark after the third round of counting itself.
Troops raid Sri Lanka’s main protest site, assault protesters and media
A huge military contingent, along with police, raided Galle Face in Colombo early on Friday, where anti-government protesters have peacefully agitated for over three months in the wake of the island nation’s grave economic crisis. Several protesters were assaulted by soldiers, eyewitnesses said.
Droupadi Murmu victory | Odisha marks the big day with all the razzmatazz
The tribal heartland in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha on Thursday erupted into frenzied celebrations as National Democratic Alliance candidate Droupadi Murmu registered an impressive victory to become the 15th President of India.
India ‘watching’ developments near the LAC, says Ministry of External Affairs
India is keeping a “relentless watch” on the developments near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and will take “necessary measures” to deal with steps that may affect India’s security. Addressing the weekly press briefing, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said resolving the issues along the LAC in the western sector would help India-China relation.
Sonia Gandhi appears before ED
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, to be questioned in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper, turned into a show of strength with party leaders and workers hitting the streets and courting arrests as part of the country-wide protests.
Clarify actions taken against hate speeches, Supreme Court tells Centre, States
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre and States to clarify actions taken against hate speeches even as petitioners argued that the distinction between dissent and hate speech is getting deliberately "muddied". A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar asked petitioners to prepare a chart of instances of hate speech and provide it to States in a week. The States would in turn inform the steps taken by them in these cases.
Facebook removes Afghan media pages controlled by Taliban
Facebook has removed the accounts of at least two state-owned media outlets in Afghanistan, the company confirmed Thursday, saying it was complying with laws in the United States listing the Taliban as a “terrorist organisation”.
Gyanvapi dispute: Hindu side concludes, Masjid panel to rebut on Monday
In the ongoing Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute, lead plaintiff Rakhi Singh on Thursday concluded submissions opposing the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s application challenging the maintainability of their suit. This brought to close the Hindu side’s arguments supporting the maintainability of their suit. Following this, the masjid panel’s lawyers sought time to file their rejoinder. The next hearing is on July 25 when the masjid panel will defend their position on why the suit should be dismissed.
No citizen should die of hunger: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Thursday told the Centre and States that no citizen should die of hunger and food should reach the homes of every migrant worker. This case was originally taken up suo motu by the apex court during the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns in light of distress and problems being faced by migrant workers. The court, for instance, noticed how Maharashtra has covered only 36% migrant workers in the State.
Karnataka tops NITI Aayog innovation list
Karnataka has bagged the top rank in NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index, 2022, which determines innovation capacities and ecosystems at the sub-national level. The State has held this position, under the Major States category, in all three editions of the Index so far.
Government tells airlines to stop charging fee for check-in at airports
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) ordered airlines on Thursday to stop charging a fee from passengers who report to the airport without a web check-in. Some airlines like IndiGo, Go First and SpiceJet were charging a fee of ₹200 for issuing boarding passes to passengers who arrive at the airport without a web check-in.
Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has ‘mild symptoms’
U.S. President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus as new variants challenge the nation’s efforts to resume normalcy after two and a half years of pandemic disruptions. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was experiencing “mild symptoms” and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease.
Women have right to safe abortion: Supreme Court
Denying an unmarried woman the right to a safe abortion violates her personal autonomy and freedom, the Supreme Court held in an order on Thursday. The lower court had taken an "unduly restrictive view" that her plea for a safe abortion was not covered under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act as the pregnancy arose from a consensual relationship outside wedlock.
Centre grants ₹145 crore for Wayanad road development project
The Centre has granted ₹145 crore for the comprehensive road development project submitted by Rahul Gandhi, MP, in Wayanad under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF). Mr. Gandhi had submitted a proposal for the construction of 15 major roads in his constituency stretched over Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. But the construction of only 10 roads, including seven in Wayanad, two in Malappuram, and one in Kozhikode, was approved under CRIF.
Sonia made no request to end questioning today, was willing to return after lunch break: Ramesh
The Congress rejected claims that Sonia Gandhi's questioning on Thursday by the Enforcement Directorate ended on her request, saying she was ready to return after lunch break but the officials told her there was no need for that. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that the party’s president is ready to answer "any question, anytime".
Uranium found beyond permissable limits in 409 groundwater samples across India
The occurrence of uranium in groundwater beyond the permissible limits was observed in around 409 samples against 14,377 samples analysed in 18 states, the Jal Shakti Ministry said. Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has carried out a study to map areas with uranium contaminated groundwater during 2019.
Amid the logjam in Parliament, the Congress on Thursday said the Opposition wants Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to function but its only demand is that the first debate this session should be on price rise and levying of GST on certain food items of daily use. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have failed to transact any significant business so far since the Monsoon Session began on July 18 with the Opposition seeking this debate.
India’s GDP to grow 7% this fiscal: FICCI survey
Industry body FICCI on Thursday said India's economy is estimated to grow 7% in the current fiscal, lower than the earlier projection of 7.4%, mainly due to the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey (July 2022) also said the policy rate of the Reserve Bank of India is expected to touch 5.65% by the end of this fiscal. Currently, the policy rate (repo) is 4.9%.
2,466 trees removed for Central Vista projects so far: Govt
Over 2,400 trees had been removed to make way for the Central Vista redevelopment projects so far, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister of State Kaushal Kishore told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Minister’s reply comes just months after he told the Rajya Sabha on April 4 that 1,051 trees had been transplanted for the Central Vista projects
