J&K to club panchayat polls
Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for simultaneous local body elections to the posts of panch and sarpanch.
Backward Classes panel will get more powers
People belonging to the Other Backward Classes will soon be able to approach a new National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) with Constitutional status to get their grievances redressed.
PM’s intervention sought for nod to quota Bill
Telangana Chief Minister urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get early assent of the President to a Bill passed by the Telangana legislature in April last year.
‘Anti-lynching law need of the hour’
CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury hoped that the government would bring in a law to tackle crimes such as mob lynching in this session.
Centre pushes for quota in promotion for SCs/STs
Citing “1000 of years of deprivation” suffered by Dalit communities the government began its push for providing “accelerated promotion with consequential seniority” for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) members in public employment.
Social media hub plan dropped
A proposal to have hubs to monitor social media traffic and trends has been withdrawn, the Union government informed the Supreme Court.
Extend House sittings to 120 days a year’
Rajya Sabha members have sought that the sittings of Parliament be extended to a minimum of 120 days a year and suggested that the salary and allowances of members who disrupted proceedings should be deducted on that particular day.
SC frowns on plea to ban Meesha
“Banning of books chokes the free flow of ideas” the Supreme Court observed when a plea came up before it to delete portions from the Malayalam novel Meesha .
Prosecution under Benami Act stuck
The prosecution of accused persons in almost 100 confirmed cases instituted under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act has been scuttled as the special courts meant for the purpose have not yet been set up across the country.
Ban on oxytocin likely to be lifted
The Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that the ban on the retail sale of the life-saving drug, oxytocin may be lifted.