Junior Digest

July 09,2022:At least 16 people have died in the flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, news agency ANI reported Saturday. The victims were camping near the Amarnath cave shrine, when the cloudburst occurred around 6 pm Friday. The flash flood washed away a part of the camp.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson in Delhi said that the 16 bodies have been shifted to Baltal.

Rescue operations are underway. IGP Kashmir, and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir reached Amarnath holy cave early Saturday to supervise the rescue operations. A Mi-17 chopper of the BSF’s air wing has been pressed into service apart from similar assets of the Army.

June 21,2022:Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha will be the consensus presidential candidate of several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party, the parties said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Opposition leaders, who gathered at the Parliament annexe for the meeting convened by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar to decide on a consensus candidate for the presidential election, unanimously agreed on Sinha’s name.

“In his long and distinguished career in public life, Shri Yashwant Sinha has served the nation in various capacities — as an able administrator, accomplished parliamentarian and acclaimed Union minister of finance and external affairs. He is eminently qualified to uphold secular and democratic character of the Indian republic and its constitutional values,” the statement said.

“We regret the Modi government made no serious effort to have consensus on a presidential candidate,” said Jairam Ramesh who spoke for the group.
Five regional parties considered non aligned to this group- Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Biju Janata Dal. Aam Aadmi Party, Shiromani Akali Dal and YSR Congress Party – stayed away. These parties had also stayed away from the June 15 meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

June 08,2022:Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has risen the benchmark lending rate by half a percentage point to 4.90 per cent on Wednesday. The top bank has decided unanimously to keep the policy stance of ‘withdrawal of accommodation.’

“The MPC unanimously decided to raise the rates on the back of inflationary pressures and higher supply shocks,” said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.

Inflation is likely to remain above 6 per cent in the first three-quarters of the current fiscal. “Our steps will be calibrated, focussed on bringing down inflation to the target level,” he said.
Last month, in its off-cycle monetary policy review the central bank hiked the policy repo rate by 40 basis points or 0.40 per cent to 4.4 per cent. This was the first increase in the policy repo rate in nearly two years. The repo rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to banks.
Inflation has been above the RBI’s 2-6 per cent target band since the beginning of this year. As per the latest available data, India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation surged to an eight-year high of 7.79 per cent in April. It has been above 6 per cent since January 2022.

In April, the RBI revised upward the inflation forecast for the current financial year to 5.7 per cent from its earlier projection of 4.5 per cent announced in February.

June 24,2022:The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 63 others in the 2002 riots in the state and dismissed a plea by slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri’s wife Zakia Jafri. A three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar upheld the magistrate’s order rejecting Zakia Jafri’s protest petition against the closure report filed by the SIT in 2012.

The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, said her plea is devoid of merit. She had alleged a larger conspiracy in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Congress leader and former MP Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed at Ahmedabad’s Gulberg Society during violence on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning. Zakia Jafri had challenged the SIT’s clean chit to 64 people, including Modi who was Gujarat chief minister in 2002.

Her petition had challenged the high court’s October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT decision. On December 9 last year, the apex court had reserved its verdict on the plea.

Except for Zakia Jafri’s petition, nobody had raised a finger against it for the probe conducted in the 2002 Gujarat riots, the SIT had said during the hearing in the top court. Her counsel had earlier said her complaint of 2006 was that there was a larger conspiracy where there was bureaucratic inaction, police complicity, hate speeches and unleashing of violence”.

On February 27, 2002, 59 people were killed when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra, triggering the riots in the state. On February 8, 2012, the SIT filed a closure report giving a clean chit to now Prime Minister Modi and 63 others, including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.

Zakia Jafri filed a petition in the apex court in 2018. The plea also maintained that after the SIT gave a clean chit in its closure report before a trial judge, Zakia Jafri had filed a protest petition which was dismissed by the magistrate without considering “substantiated merits”.

The high court in its October 2017 order had said the SIT probe was monitored by the Supreme Court. However, it had partly allowed her petition as far as its demand for a further investigation was concerned, saying she can approach an appropriate forum, including the magistrate’s court, a division bench of the high court, or the Supreme Court seeking further investigation.

June 29,2022:Amidst the amplifying political turmoil, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking him to prove his majority in the assembly session tomorrow. In the letter, the Governor has informed the CM that a special session of the Vidhan Sabha will be convened for a floor test at 11 AM on June 30 wherein a trust vote will be carried out against him. Governor Koshyari has also flagged concern over the political scenario unfolding in Maharashtra currently and called it ‘very disturbing’.
Further, he informed that as the Leader of Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis had visited him personally yesterday and he had been briefed about the situation and presented a letter which stated that the Chief Minister has lost the majority in Vidhan Sabha.

New Delhi,June 04,2022: Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi on 3 June accused the Delhi government of doing less work and more publicity in the field of education.

The minister said the National Achievement Survey (NAS) is not a high-stake exam, but it was matter of great satisfaction that it has induced competency-based teaching-learning process in the country.

The comments by the MoS came after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the NAS was shifting along the same lines of the traditional examination process where getting high scores has become the priority of state education departments.

Sisodia made the comments at the National Education Minister’s Conference in Gujarat which concluded on 2 June.

“The problem of the Delhi government is that it does less work and more publicity, especially in the field of education. Self-indulgence is an incurable disease from which it is afflicted. Dust is on their face and mirror is being blamed,” Devi tweeted in Hindi.
The minister pointed out that the recently released findings of the NAS 2021 showed Delhi to be lagging behind the national average in all subjects at the primary level and that the performance has come down as compared to the NAS 2017 results.

“NAS is not an exam or a test. It is a survey to arrive at the Granth of the educational system. All children don’t take this survey. Out of approximately eight to 10 crore in classes 3, 5, 8, 10, only 34 lakh were randomly sampled. The test is scientifically designed and items of questions are based on learning outcomes. No advance preparation can be done for this survey as this is not content-based or rote-based.

“It is not an examination of the individual student but the evaluation of the process of transaction of education at the district, state and national level. A scientifically worked out sample size cannot be trained to have temporary achievement enhancement and therefore in the present form, NAS cannot change into a high-stake examination,” she added.

June 30,2022: Eknath Shinde took oath as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. In a dramatic turn of events in Maharashtra politics, the rebel Shiv Sena leader was named as the new Chief Minister at a time when it was expected that Devendra Fadnavis would be taking the post.
However, Fadnavis took oath as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, with Eknath Shinde becoming the Chief Minister of the state. Uddhav Thackery did not attend the swearing-in ceremony.

May 29,2022:Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Saturday nominated two Padma Shree awardees as candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls.
The AAP has fielded environmental activist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal and businessman-turned-philanthropist Vikramjit Singh Sahney for the Rajya Sabha polls from Punjab.
Taking to Twitter, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “I am very happy to inform you that the Aam Aadmi Party is nominating two Padma Shri awardees as members of the Rajya Sabha… one environment lover Padma Shri Sant Balbir Singh Sinchewal, the other Padma Vikramjit Singh Sahni related to Punjabi culture. … my best wishes to both.”

June 19,2022:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that modern development work being undertaken by the Centre is changing the face of Delhi and modernising the national capital.

Speaking after inaugurating the main tunnel and five underpasses of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project in New Delhi, PM Modi cited a number of initiatives, including Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, more than doubling of metro tracks in Delhi-NCR and the Delhi-Meerut highway, among other things, as steps taken by his government to solve the region’s problems.

Delhi has received a beautiful infrastructure gift from the Central Government, the Prime Minister said after inaugurating the project. Mr. Modi noted that the project will help save 55 lakh litres of fuel and cut down pollution.
Mr. Modi said his government looks at increasing urbanisation as an opportunity and has been working to boost ease of living for the people.

The inauguration of the 1.6-km-long tunnel, which will be Delhi’s first, will allow commuters travelling to India Gate and other central Delhi areas from east Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad to ditch traffic snarls at ITO, Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg, and thereby save time, fuel and money.

“Time is money,” Mr. Modi said, adding that if the government announces ₹100 for people, then it makes headlines but if ₹200 is saved, it is not talked about much.

Mr. Modi also lauded the artwork adorning the tunnel and underpasses, and suggested that they should be closed for traffic for a few hours on Sundays so that people can walk and take a look at the art.

PM Modi added that he will also ask MPs to do so.

The Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project has been built at a cost of more than ₹920 crore and is entirely funded by the Central government.

It is aimed at providing hassle-free and smooth access to the new world-class exhibition and convention centre being developed at Pragati Maidan to facilitate easy participation of exhibitors and visitors in the programmes being held there.

Jun 15, 2022:A massive recruitment drive was announced by the Prime Minister himself. There will be lakhs to be employed every month by the government of India over the next 18 months of time. This tweet comes from the Prime Minister’s office where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the status of the human resources of all departments and ministries. A big step is being taken by the Prime Minister’s office and the Prime Minister himself has reviewed all departments and ministries as well. This means that the government will hire more people in the next few years.

June 3,2022:In a tweet on Friday morning, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote, “Under the guidance of respected PM Narendra Modi ji, ‘New India of New Uttar Pradesh’ has become the best destination in the country for investment. The enthusiasm of investors towards Ground Breaking Ceremony 3.0 is direct proof of this. This ceremony is going to give flight to the aspirations of ‘New Uttar Pradesh’.”

At around 11 AM, Prime Minister will reach Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow where he will attend the Ground Breaking Ceremony @3.0 of the UP Investors Summit, the Prime Minister’s office informed.

At around 1:45 PM, Prime Minister will reach Paraunkh village, Kanpur, where he will accompany President Ram Nath Kovind to visit Pathri Mata Mandir.

Thereafter, at around 2 PM, they will visit Dr BR Ambedkar Bhawan, which will be followed by a visit to Milan Kendra at 2:15 PM.

The Kendra is the ancestral house of the President that was donated for public use and converted into a community centre (Milan Kendra). Subsequently, they will attend a public function at Paraunkh village at 2:30 PM.

During the Ground Breaking Ceremony, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of 1,406 projects worth more than Rs 80,000 crores.

The projects encompass diverse sectors like Agriculture and Allied, IT and Electronics, MSME, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Pharma, Tourism, Defence and Aerospace, Handloom and Textiles etc.

The ceremony will be attended by top industry leaders of the country.

The UP Investors Summit 2018 was held on February 21st -22nd, 2018, with the first Ground Breaking Ceremony being held on July 29, 2018, and the second Ground Breaking Ceremony on July 28, 2019.

During the first Ground Breaking Ceremony, the foundation of 81 projects worth more than Rs 61,500 crore was laid, while in the second Ground Breaking Ceremony, the foundation of 290 projects with investments of more than Rs 67,000 crore was laid.

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), June 1,2022: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed the ‘Shila Pujan’ ceremony and laid the foundation stone for the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
He laid the foundation stone for construction of Ram Temple’s ‘Garbha Griha’ or the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, and placed the first carved stone.

Adityanath facilitated the engineers of Ram Temple construction with ‘Anga Vastras’.

Seers and saints from across the country were invited for the occasion. Later today, CM Yogi will also inaugurate Shri Ramlala Sadan, a Dravidian-style temple, at the site.
Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya.
According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is in charge of the construction of the temple, the sanctum sanctorum is expected to be completed by December 2023.
“Work on the superstructure begins today. We have a 3-stage time frame (for completion of works) – Garbhagriha by 2023, temple construction by 2024 end and main constructions at the temple complex by 2025,” Nripendra Misra, Chairman of Ayodhya Ram Mandir construction committee told ANI.

New Delhi,June 02,2022: Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting on June 3 to discuss security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the second such exercise in less than a fortnight which comes at a time when terrorists have been carrying out targeted killings in the Valley.

Officials said Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, and senior functionaries of the central government and union territory would participate in the meeting which is also expected to take stock of the arrangements for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, being held after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the second high-level meeting in less than a fortnight on the Kashmir issue.

In the last meeting on June 17, the home minister had advocated pro-active and coordinated counter-terror operations and had asked security forces to ensure zero cross-border infiltration and wipe out terrorism from the union territory.

The meeting comes in the wake of terrorists carrying out three targeted killings, including of a woman teacher hailing from Samba district of Jammu region at Kulgam on Tuesday.

On May 18, terrorists had entered into a wine shop at Baramulla in North Kashmir and threw a grenade, killing one person hailing from Jammu region and injuring three others.

On May 24, a policeman, Saifullah Qadri, was shot dead outside his residence in Srinagar while a television artiste Amreen Bhat was gunned down in Budgam two days later.

Scores of Kashmiri Pandits, who were employed under a prime minister’s package in 2012, have been staging continuous protests threatening mass exodus since the killing of Rahul Bhat, who was shot dead by terrorists on May 12 in Chadoora area of Budgam district in central Kashmir.

After the previous meeting, an official statement had said that the home minister directed security forces and the police to conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations pro-actively.

The home minister had said that in order to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a prosperous and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir, security forces should ensure zero cross-border infiltration.

Taking stock of the Amarnath Yatra preparedness, Shah had said a “hassle-free” journey for the pilgrims is a priority of the Modi government and directed all arrangements, including additional electricity, water, and telecom facilities be made.

He had also stressed for enhancement of mobile connectivity along the yatra route as he directed that earth moving equipment should be placed at vantage points to clear the route in case of landslides.
The home minister had asked for an adequate number of oxygen cylinders, medical beds at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet and deployment of ambulances and helicopters to deal with any emergency medical situation.

During the previous meeting, it was also decided to enable WiFi hotspots to ensure connectivity throughout the 39 km of the yatra route from Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

The other route is through Baltal in central Kashmir where a pilgrim treks for nearly 15 km. The yatra could not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was cut short in 2019 just before the abrogation of Article 370. About three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in the pilgrimage that is expected to end on August 11.

About 12,000 paramilitary personnel (120 companies) in addition to Jammu and Kashmir Police are expected to be deployed along the two pilgrimage routes, one from Pahalgam and the other via Baltal, officials said. Drone cameras will help the security forces to ensure the protection of the pilgrims.