Justice Mishra Praised PM
Justice Arun Mishra of Supreme Court on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and termed him as an “internationally acclaimed visionary” and a “versatile genius, who thinks globally and acts locally”. Delivering the vote of thanks at the inaugural function of the International Judicial Conference 2020 — ‘Judiciary and the Changing World’ at the Supreme Court, he said challenges faced by the judiciary at the national and international levels are common and the judiciary has a “significant role” in the ever-changing world.
MP Sterilisation program: The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday scrapped a controversial circular that set sterilisation targets for male multi-purpose health workers (MPHWs) and warned of salary loss for not meeting goals. The circular asked MPHWs to get at least one man sterilised in the current financial year, which ends on March 31 or else their salaries would be withheld and they would be given compulsory retirement. The Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the Kamal Nath government saying the circular reminded of the time of Emergency clamped in 1975-1977, in which family planning was allegedly carried out forcibly.
RBI: Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has said four banks under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework are making efforts and they are being monitored. Currently, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Central Bank of India, UCO Bank and United Bank of India are under this framework, which puts several restrictions on them, including on lending, management compensation and directors’ fees.
Trump Visit: US President Donald Trump will raise the issue of religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India next week, the White House said on Friday, noting that the US has great respect for India’s democratic traditions and institutions. “President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private. He will raise these issues, particularly the religious freedom issue, which is extremely important to this administration,” a senior official told reporters in a conference call.
Law Minister: There is a sinister trend by populist elements in India and globally to mount campaigns against the judiciary to try and influence court verdicts and the same should be reined in to ensure independence of judges is not affected and the rule of law is maintained, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday. Prasad who was speaking at the international judicial conference organized by the Supreme Court of India said such populist elements seek accountability from courts on how cases should be decided and unleash “all forces of criticism” if judgments do not go according to their expectations. Such populism, he said, violates well-settled constitutional principles.
A day after the second complaint against deposed Bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mullakal surfaced, Kerala nuns fighting for justice for the victim asked church authorities not to shield him anymore and take action against him under Canon laws. “We are happy another nun has come out to narrate her plight. We want the church authorities to take action against him under relevant Canon laws. It is time for the church to stand with the victim, not the perpetrator,” said Sister Anupama who led the month-long fast in Kochi seeking the arrest of Mullakal in 2018. Five nuns of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation had come around the nun who raised rape charges against the bishop.
Sonvadra Gold: A day after reports claimed huge gold deposits being discovered in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Saturday denied any such discovery. The GSI said no discovery of any over 3,000-tonne gold deposit has been made in the state as claimed in various media reports. “Such data was not given by anybody from GSI…. GSI has not estimated such kind of vast resource of gold deposits in Sonbhadra district,” news agency PTI quoted GSI Director General (DG) M Sridhar, as saying.
President Trump’s Delegation
President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump will be accompanied by a 12-person official delegation including US ambassador to India Ambassador Ken Juster, Secretary Wilbur Ross, of Commerce Department; Secretary Dan Brouillette, of the Energy Department; Mick Mulvaney, Assistant to the President and Acting Chief of Staff National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien; Ivanka Trump, Assistant to the President and Advisor to President Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President; Stephen Miller, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Policy; Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Digital Strategy; Lindsay Reynolds, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady; Robert Blair, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Telecommunication Policy and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff. Stephanie Grisham, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary and Director of Communications for the President and First Lady, will be part of the delegation.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2020
New Delhi 18 °C
