LIVE! PM Modi likely to attend Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony

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Wed, 26 July 2017

PM Modi likely to attend Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony

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23:41 PM Modi likely to attend Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony

Prime Minister Narender Modi is likely to attend the oath taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar on Thursday evening."PM Modi will attend oath taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar here," a BJP leader said.

According to BJP leaders in Bihar, Modi along with several union

ministers will attend the oath taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar

to send a big political message that BJP has finally won Bihar.

Interestingly, BJP workers have shouted "Jai Sri Ram" at Chief

Minister Nitish Kumar's official residence after BJP announced

support to him.

-- M I Khan reports from Patna

In the wake of death cases due to falling of trees and potholes, author Shobhaa De today took to Twitter to mock the administration in her style.

"Mumbaikars are confused whether to look down for potholes or look up for falling trees," De tweeted.

The 'journalist, columnist, social commentator, opinion-shaper and author of 18 books', was referring to recent deaths involving a

falling tree and potholes.

Last week, former Doordarshan anchor and yoga instructor Kanchan Nath, while returning home from work in Chembur, became the third casualty of a tree collapse incident this year in the city.

This is not the first time that De has taken to

Twitter to express her views against the administration.

In 2015, the Shiv Sena moved a breach of privilege motion in the Maharashtra assembly against her for allegedly insulting the Legislative assembly, Marathi language and people.

De had criticised on Twitter the decision of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government to make it compulsory to screen Marathi films in multiplexes at prime time.

22:55

Meeting of BJP-JDU MLAs & leaders at Nitish Kumar's residence in Patna. Merely four hours after he resigned as chief minister, Nitish Kumar was elected as leader of JD-U and BJP MLAs in the joint meeting.

22:44 Congress to stage 'vishvasghat diwas' protest against Nitish

Congress will stage a protest in Bihar on Thursday as "vishvasghat diwas" against Nitish Kumar and will burn his effigy for joining hands with BJP .

"Congress leaders and workers across Bihar, from district headquarter to block level will stage a protest against Nitish Kumar and will burn his effigy as he joined hands with BJP," a Congress leader said.

Nitish Kumar along with RJD and Congress defeated BJP-led NDA in 2015 Bihar assembly polls."Mandate for Mahagathbandhan was against BJP but Nitish Kumar has decided to join hands with BJP," said the Congress leader.

Two hours after Nitish Kumar resigned as CM on Wednesday, BJP has announced its support to Nitish Kumar to form the next government.

Most of the BJP's MLAs reached 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of chief minister Nitish Kumar for a joint meeting with JD-U MLAs on late Wednesday night and Nitish Kumar is likely to submit a list of support of MLAs to the governor.

BJP has already sent a letter of support to Nitish Kumar to the Governor.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that Nitish Kumar will be elected leader at the joint meeting late tonight.

Nitish Kumar's party the Janata Dal United has 71 lawmakers in the 243-member Bihar assembly. With the support of the BJP's 53, he will have 124, just over the halfway mark he needs.

Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar jolted the Grand Alliance when he announced that he was quitting as the chief minister.

22:18

And this coming in amid all the political changeabout that Bihar Governor Kesrinath Tripathi has been admitted to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science hospital in Patna.

21:43 Nitish Kumar thanks Modi for praise on Twitter

Nitish Kumar's bonhomie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the forefront again with the former Bihar CM thanking Modi for his praise.

Taking to Twitter, Kumar who resigned as CM just hours ago, wrote, "Whole heartedly thank PM Modi for response through his tweet about our decision."

Earlier when Kumar announced that he had quit as CM, the PM praised him saying that 1.25 billion citizens of India support and welcome this act of honesty.

21:30 BJP to support Nitish Kumar as next Bihar CM

Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday night announced support of BJP to Nitish Kumar after he resigned.

"BJP samarthan karegi Nitish Kumar ka," Modi said.

Modi said BJP has decided to support Nitish Kumar to form the next government.

Modi said BJP will join the Nitish Kumar-led government."MLAs of

JD-U and NDA MLAs will sit together in a joint meeting and will elect Nitish Kumar as their leader".

-- M I Khan from Patna reports

21:18

A look at the important numbers emerging from Bihar.

21:03 Amit Shah, Smriti Irani to contest Rajya Sabha polls

BJP President Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani will contest Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, BJP leader JP Nadda said on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media after the parliamentary meet, Nadda said that the BJP president would be contesting for the polls.

Amit Shah who was elected as an MLA from Sarkhej in four consecutive elections in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2007 was instrumental in scripting BJP's victory in 2014 Assembly elections.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today termed as "correct and brave" the resignation by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "On the way of corruption-free Bihar, it is a correct and brave decision on the part of Nitish Kumar. Congratulations to Shri Nitish Kumar,' Das said in a statement.

Stating that corruption had made the country "hollow", he said Kumar would get the support of the country in his fight against corruption.

20:26

The Congress reacts to the developments in Bihar. The Congress is the third party in the Mahagathbandan alliance in Bihar along with the Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Reacting to the news of Nitish putting in his papers, Randeep Surjewala of the Congress said, "We are deeply disappointed by the news of Nitish Kumar's resignation. Mahagathbandhan was given a five year mandate by people of Bihar. We shall continue to strive the mandate given is fully respected."

20:07 Nitish Kumar has murder charge against himself: Lalu hits back

Lalu Yadav, the chief of the RJD chief, addresses a presser shortly after Nitish Kumar dropped a bombshell of resigning from the post of chief minister.

Lalu hit back at Nitish saying:

>> Nitish Kumar asked us to comment on the corruption charges in public domain but no resignation was demanded

>> The matter was discussed with NitishKumar last night and it was conveyed to him that the corruption charges were baseless

>> Nitish Kumar has many criminal cases against himself, how is he commenting on 'zero tolerance'

>> Nitish Kumar has a murder taint on him. We knew but never highlighted it

>> Nitish Kumar has done this in collusion with BJP and RSS

In a surprise move, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to the state governor, plunging the Grand Alliance into a crisis.

Sushil Kumar Modi, the Bihar BJP leader said, "BJP does not favour midterm elections in Bihar. We have set up a committee to find a way forward."

Praising Nitish for his stand of resigning, the BJP leader said, "For the future of the country and especially that of Bihar, rising above politics and working together against corruption is what the moment demands."

The comments are being seen by many as BJP's way of extending support to Nitish and his party with many hinting that the two -- the BJP and the JD-U will now join hands to stake power.

19:35

Nitish-Lalu alliance was a mismatch. This had to happen: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Nitish Kumar's resignation

19:14 Will BJP now join hands with Nitish?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets within minutes of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's resignation. The PM writes, "Congratulate Nitish Ji on joining fight against corruption. 125 crore people welcome this welcome and support this honesty."

The tweet can be considered as an indication of an alliance being formed between the BJP and Nitish Kumar.

Clarifying his stand outside Raj Bhavan, Nitish Kumar says, "It's not possible to work in this environment, I tried. Tried to found out a solution."

He added that he hadn't asked for the resignation of anyone but only wanted a clear explanation of the allegations of corruption levelled against them, said the CM in regards to Tejashwi Yadav, his deputy chief minister.

Nitish Kumar submitted his resignation to the Bihar governor shortly after holding a meeting with his ministers.

His stunning move came after Lalu Yadav reiterated earlier today that his son, Tejashwi, would not quit as No 2 in the government despite being caught in a corruption scandal. Through the day, events pointed to a climax of the political drama that has raged in Bihar for weeks.

18:45 Nitish Kumar quits as Bihar Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar has submitted his resignation as the chief minister of Bihar to the governor.

Earlier today, Tejashwi and his father, political veteran Lalu Yadav, said that the 28-year-old will not quit as Deputy Chief Minister on the basis of that they claim is a fake case filed against him by the CBI.

On July 7, Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav were named in a corruption case by the CBI which searched their Patna home. The Yadavs have attributed the case to a get-even attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who they allege is "scared" of their concerted opposition to him.

Nitish Kumar indicated the defence did not wash with him, stressed that his "zero-tolerance to corruption" policy is unwavering, and amply hinted that Tejashwi Yadav should rise to the occasion by opting out of the government.

Shortly after the Janata Dal-United met this evening to decide their next step over the CBI FIR against Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy CM, Nitish Kumar has sought a meeting with the Bihar governor, sparking speculation that he may be quitting as the CM.

Novak Djokovic has announced he will not play again in 2017. The 12-time Grand Slam champ announced his decision on Facebook.

Djokovic retired injured during his Wimbledon quarter-final match against Tomas Berdych on July 12 citing an elbow injury.

The 2011 and 2015 US Open champion said at the time he had suffered an elbow problem for over a year and a half.

This means that Djokovic will miss the US Open which begins on August 28.

Continuing their tirade against India, the state owned Chinese media has warned New Delhi that China can enter Kashmir on Pakistan's invitation.

An opinionated piece by John Gong titled "Time for a second lesson for forgetful India" published in the Global Times said, "No matter what vassalage relationship India maintains with Bhutan, it baffles this author that India has the courage to transgress another country on its behalf. And in this case, Indian troops even entered into Doklam from the China-Sikkim border. Well, if this kind of logic holds, a third country can certainly enter into Kashmir, including India-controlled Kashmir, upon Pakistan's invitation."

The op-ed accused India of transgressing China's borders and trying Chinese people's patience in the on-going standoff, adding that no government in the world can stand still doing nothing while its borders are being violated.

The opinion piece said that it is time that India is taught a second lesson as it continues down this intransigent path.

Describing India's logic of reasoning on the border standoff as feeble as its troops on the ground, the opinion piece said that New Delhi's claims Doklam to be a territory in dispute between China and Bhutan, and it has been invited there by Bhutan, its protectorate state.

17:24 President Kovind condoles deaths due to floods

With heavy rains and floods causing widespread devastation in several states, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday expressed grief and condoled the death of the families affected.

President Kovind took to Twitter saying, "Nation condoles deaths due to heavy rains and floods in Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other states. Stands by families affected".

Looking at the flood fury increasing in parts of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of those killed in Gujarat floods, and Rs 50,000 to those injured. He had also conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Gujarat.

Several villages in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Assam have been put on red alert. Food packets and water bottles have also been dispatched to villages surrounded by water.

China today reiterated that no meaningful dialogue can be held with India until it "unconditionally" withdraws troops from the disputed Dokalam

area and said Foreign Minister Wang Yi has authoritatively made Beijing's position clear on the issue.

Wang, who is the first top Chinese leader to have commented so far on the Dokalam impasse, yesterday claimed that India "admitted" to entering Chinese territory. He said that India should "conscientiously withdraw" its troops from the area.

"The remarks of Foreign Minister Wang Yi are authoritative and has made our position clear. I don't have anything to explain," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing.

Lu, however, declined to react to reports that both sides have deployed over 3,000 troops each at Dokalam, saying that the question should be referred to the Chinese Defence Ministry.

16:23

JUST IN: Centre tells SC that right to privacy may be considered as a fundamental right, but all aspects of privacy cannot be put under the fundamental rights category.

15:57 Nifty closes above 10k points for first time, Sensex hits new high

The benchmark BSE Sensex today climbed 154 points to end at an all-time high of 32,382.46 while the NSE Nifty closed above the 10,000 mark for the first time on heavy buying in pharma, banking and oil and gas stocks amid rally in global markets.

The broader Nifty gained 56.10 points, or 0.56 per cent, to end at 10,020.65, closing above 10,000 mark for the first time.

The 30-share Sensex rose by 154.19 points, or 0.48 per cent to close at new high of 32,382.46.

It touched a record intra-day high of 32,413.63 during the trade as investors flocked to bluechips ahead of expiry of derivatives contracts for July tomorrow.

In a shocking incident, a lizard was found in a meal served on the Poorva Express.

A passenger who ordered a vegetarian biryani found the reptile after consuming a few bites.

The Divisional Railway Manager and other officials took cognizance of the issue, inquired about the health of the passenger and provided him with medicines.

The passenger has filed a complaint with the Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through Twitter.

The passenger told the media that he was provided the medication really late.

"The thing which I regret the most is that I was given medicines really late. I was not given any medication for about four hours", he said.

The DRM of Danapur division Kishor Kumar condemned the incident and assured a detailed enquiry in the matter.

"It is a very unfortunate incident. A detailed enquiry would be conducted in the case and necessary action would be taken", Kumar said.

"A check-up was done in the Danapur Division and he was given medicine", he added.

Just In: Delhi high court imposes cost of Rs 10,000 on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failure to file a response on the second defamation suit filed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

15:24

Just In: The National Company Law Tribunal allows bankruptcy proceedings against Bhushan Steel and Bhushan Steel and Power.

15:15 Kerala SIT quizzes actress Kavya Madhavan

Arrested Malayalam actor Dileep's wife Kavya Madhavan was questioned in Kochi in connection with the abduction and assault case of a south Indian actress, the police said today.

Additional Director General of Police B Sandhya-led special investigation team, which is probing the case, quizzed Madhavan at her residence in Aluva yesterday.

Though the investigators did not divulge much details about the interrogation, Aluva Superintendent of Police (Rural) A V George confirmed that she was questioned.

"Kavya Madhavan was questioned. It is not possible to say now whether she will be questioned again in connection with the case," he told PTI.

The questioning of Madhavan, who married Dileep in November last, comes in the wake of allegations that prime accused Pulsar Suni had handed over the mobile phone, in which the crime was recorded, and a memory card to someone associated with the actor.

A senior television journalist of a Malayalam news channel has been arrested in Thiruvananthapuram on the charge of sexually exploiting a woman colleague, the police said today.

The accused, a senior news editor and anchor with the channel, was arrested last night after the woman journalist filed a complaint with the city police, they said.

In her complaint, the woman has alleged that the anchor had sexually exploited her on the pretext of marriage.

He was booked under IPC sections dealing with rape, cheating and intimidation, the police said.

When contacted, the channel authorities said the accused has been suspended from service in the wake of his arrest.

Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav today said that his son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav will not resign from the grand alliance's cabinet.

Lalu, however, said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar never asked Tejashwi's resignation.

He said that he spoke to Nitish yesterday over the issue and blamed media for trying to break the alliance.

"There is no bitterness between me and Nitish. I spoke to him yesterday. Media is trying to crack our alliance," Lalu said after meeting his party members.

14:16

Just In: 26 Afghan soldiers feared killed in Taliban attack in Kandahar.

14:15 Anurag Thakur let off for using mobile phone to shoot video inside LS

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today sent out a stern warning to members against using mobile phones inside the House after BJP member Anurag Thakur expressed regret for allegedly shooting opposition protests in the well using his mobile phone two days ago.

Some opposition members had complained about Thakur shooting a video of their protests in the well on July 24 and AAP member Bhagwant Mann had written a letter in this regard to the Speaker.

While stating that nothing has come to her notice, Mahajan said if someone had done so, then it is condemnable. "If you have done it, then you have to tender an apology (to the House)," she said.

Thereafter, Thakur gave a statement and expressed regret.

"Mobile se agar kisiko aapattee hai to ... mein khed vyakt karta hoon (If someone has objections to (my) mobile, then I express my regret)," Thakur said amid noisy protests by opposition members.

A visibly peeved Mahajan warned against such actions in the future.

"I am warning you... Dobara galti nahi honi chahiye (the mistake should not be repeated)," she told the member.

On July 24, Mahajan had suspended six Congress members from attending the House for five days after they threw papers towards the chair.

During those protests in the well, it was alleged that Thakur had shot the scenes using his mobile phone.

As the House met after adjournment at 1245 hours, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to know why action was not being taken against Thakur whereas Mann had faced suspension for two sessions for shooting a video outside the House but in the Parliament complex.

-- PTI

There is no concrete evidence that the 39 Indians abducted from Mosul in Iraq have been killed and "I will not commit the sin" of declaring them dead without any evidence, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

said today.

Making a forceful statement in the Lok Sabha, Swaraj said the government will continue its efforts to trace the Indians till it gets evidence that they were dead.

"This file will not close till there is proof that the 39 Indians were dead. I will not commit the sin of declaring them dead without any evidence," Swaraj said, two days after holding talks with Iraqi foreign minister on the issue.

The external affairs minister said she had never misled Parliament or the families of the abducted Indians.

"I have never misled. I want to ask the opposition what benefit will I get by misleading. What benefit my government get by misleading the people on the issue," she said.

13:49 Saurabh Shukla appointed as PS to FM Jaitley

Senior bureaucrat Saurabh Shukla was today appointed as the private secretary to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Shukla, a 2005-batch officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, would be in the post till October 19, 2019, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said.

Dubbing the separate meetings of the mahagathbandhan as a 'routine meeting' ahead of Bihar assembly's monsoon session, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal-United have rubbished the repeated barbs of a breakup, asserting that the Grand Alliance is 'unbreakable'.

Speaking to ANI, RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said, "Before Vidhan Sabha session starts, such meetings are normal. Other important thing is that we wanted to conduct a meeting before Lalu Yadav leaves for Ranchi for his case."

Birendra further added that those who are speculating that the ruling Bihar Grand Alliance of JDU-RJD-Congress is heading for a split, are living in fool's paradise.

JD-U- leader and parliamentary affairs minister Shravan Kumar echoed similar views.

The RJD and the Congress, too, will hold separate legislature party meetings today.

Fissures in the Bihar mahagathbandhan came to the fore after the CBI booked Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi in a corruption case.

Lalu has been accused of influencing the awarding of an IRCTC tender when he was the railway minister in 2005 and accepting prime land in return. The land was allegedly transferred to Tejashwi and Rabri via a shell company.

The Congress has been playing peacemaker in the standoff between Bihars two major parties.

12:59 Haryana's Rezang La war memorial vandalised

Unknown miscreants vandalised the Rezang La War Memorial in Haryana on Tuesday, a day before the 18th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Divas.

When invitees and people gathered at the war memorial on Wednesday, they found broken benches, damaged floodlights and scratched plaques.

Former army officers and members of the Martyr's Family Welfare Foundation said there is a liquor shop in front of the war memorial where people often come to drink. They claimed that the vandalism was an act of revenge for T C Rao, convener of the Rezang La Sahidi Samaroh Samiti, filing a complaint with the chief minister's office to remove the liquor shop.

"It is a very disappointing and shameful act and we have reported this to the police. Members of the foundation will meet the police commissioner and request him to shift the liquor shop at the earliest," said Rao.

He told ANI, "A battalion of 120 men of the Indian Army were surrounded by the Chinese Army during the 1962 war and out of those who sacrificed their lives, 114 soldiers were from the South Haryana districts of Gurgaon, Rewari and Mahendragarh."

The Rezang La War memorial was constructed to honour these martyrs.

Bestselling writer Amish who has entertained readers with his mythological series on Lord Shiva and Lord Rama, has announced his entry into the non-fiction genre, with his new book, Immortal India.

The book, which was launched over a Facebook Live session in Mumbai, is a collection of the author's essays and speeches, on the "burning issues surrounding the country today", peppered with Tripathi's unique perspective on them.

"Announcing a new book comes with its own sense of excitement and nervousness. I am excited to step into the non-fiction genre with Immortal India, and I am eager to see how my readers react to this book," said Tripathi.

Published by Westland and Tranquebar Press, Immortal India brings together Tripathi's captivating narrative style with his distinctively including original thoughts on a wide array of subjects like religion, LGBT rights, history and feminism.

The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to impose new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea for their dangerous and belligerent actions that undermine America and its allies.

The Russia, Iran and North Korea sanctions bill was passed with a 419-3 votes in the lower house of the US Congress yesterday.

The bill is aimed at punishing Moscow for meddling in the US presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. It also seeks to make Tehran pay a price for its "continued support of terrorism."

The bill, that notably constrains President Donald Trump's ability to waive the penalties, is now headed to the Senate, where there is support for sanctions but debate about whether to include penalties on North Korea.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said that the is one of the most expansive sanctions packages in the history.

"It tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe," he said.

House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said the bill seeks to make it harder for Russia to use that type of coercion and empower other nations to join us in standing up against Russian aggression.

"These three (Russian, Iranian and North Korean) regimes, in different parts of the world, are threatening vital US interests and destabilising their neighbours. It is well past time that we forcefully respond," Ed Royce, chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, an author of the bill, said after the passage of the legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said the House vote on this tough sanctions bill sends a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that meddling in US elections will not be tolerated.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani has quit as Arvind Kejrwal's counsel in civil and criminal defamation cases filed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley against the Delhi CM.

Jethmalanis decision came after Kejriwal denied asking the lawyer to use derogatory words against Jaitley in court.

In a letter to Kejriwal, Jethmalani has also asked that his legal fees, which are more than Rs 2 crore, be settled.

"I am not going to divulge the details of the letters," Jethmalani told The Times of India.

In his affidavit, Kejriwal said it was "inconceivable that he would even think of instructing the senior counsel to use such objectionable words."

On May 18, Jethmalani had called the finance minister a "crook" in court following which Jaitley filed a fresh Rs 10-crore suit against Kejriwal.

Four non-BJP ruled states including Karnataka and Punjab move the Supreme Court in support of Right to Privacy to be declared as a Fundamental Right.

Besides Karnataka and Punjab, Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal and Congress-led Puducherry also move the SC in favour of Right to Privacy.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend the annual UN General Assembly session in September and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will address the high-level session, according to the provisional agenda released by the UN.

According to the first provisional list of speakers for the general debate of the 72nd session of the General Assembly, Swaraj will address the high-level session on the morning of September 23. She had addressed the general debate last year as well.

The general debate will open on September 19 and run through September 25. All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump, who will deliver his first address to global leaders from the General Assembly hall's iconic green podium on September 19. The US is traditionally the second speaker on the opening day of the general debate, after Brazil.

-- PTI

A woman, who claims to be the biological daughter of the late Sanjay Gandhi, has moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the release of the movie Indu Sarkar.

The petitioner tells SC that the movie, scheduled to be released on July 28, is allegedly full of 'concocted facts' and is 'totally derogatory'.

However, the Supreme Court refuses to give any date for hearing her plea seeking a stay on release of the movie.

While on the subject, don't miss reading director Madhur Bhandarkar's rebuttal to all those opposed to his latest film.

Facing heat for not being able to back its promises of job creation, the Centre and the BJP have repeatedly cited the success of its MUDRA scheme, an acronym for Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd, meant to promote lending to small businesses.

Speaking earlier this month, BJP President Amit Shah said that in the two years since MUDRA has been in existence, 7.28 crore people have become self-employed. Separately, he said these small entrepreneurs received loans worth more than Rs. 3.17 lakh crore. (MUDRA offers loans starting at Rs. 50,000 and capped at Rs. 10 lakhs.)

These claims fly in the face of data as well popular sentiment, both of which indicate a far less rosy picture of job creation.

So what then, is the reality?

Click HERE to know!

Amid the uproar over imposition of Hindi, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued an advisory to airlines directing them to carry Hindi newspapers and magazines.

The notice has been issued to ensure that reading material in both English and Hindi languages are offered to the passengers.

"Not providing Hindi reading material on board is against Indian government's policy for official language", Lalit Gupta, joint director general, DGCA, said in a letter to airlines.

However, the decision enthralled mockery from the Congress party, as post the advisory, party MP Shahsi Tharoor took to twitter and wrote, "DGCA now wants Hindi publications served on Indian flights (together with vegetarian meals?)!"

Earlier this month, Air India decided to stop serving non-vegetarian meals to its economy class passengers on domestic flights, sparking a controversy which linked the move religious ideology which is alleged to be promoted by the Indian government.

However, the Air India asserted that the initiative was taken to cut costs.

Image used for representational purposes only

11:02 Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk spar over AI

Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, among the world's most recognisable billionaires, are locked in a fight over artificial intelligence (AI).

'I've talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited,' the Tesla founder tweeted on Tuesday in response to the Silicon Valley Business Journal which reported Zuckerberg had said the doomsday scenario put forward by Musk was "irresponsible".

Musk over the weekend said AI needed to be regulated because it poses a "fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation", the Journal reported.

"I have exposure to the very cutting edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it," Musk said at the National Governors Association summer meeting on Saturday. "I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don't know how to react, because it seems so ethereal."

In a Facebook Live broadcast, the Facebook co-founder and CEO took various questions in his backyard during a barbeque, including one on AI.

Saying he was getting weary over the fear-mongering over AI, Zuckerberg said: "I have pretty strong opinions on this. I am optimistic. And I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios -- I just, I don't understand it. It's really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible."

Musk said a movie on the subject of AI was "coming soon," but didn't provide details about the film or his involvement, CNN reported, calling it a battle of tech billionaires.

The two billionaires represented two distinct groups, "those saying AI's benefits will outweigh its negatives and those saying it could ultimately destroy humanity," the BBC reported.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has also voiced concern about the threat AI poses, as has astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

Three years ago, during a talk at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Musk first warned that AI could destroy humans, calling it humanity's "biggest existential threat". He has also founded OpenAI, a billion-dollar non-profit company working for "safer artificial intelligence", the report said.

But Zuckerberg shared a more optimistic vision. In his Facebook Live session, he pointed out AI would be responsible for such lifesaving services such as diagnosing diseases and driving cars, the Journal reported.

"One of the top causes of death for people is car accidents still and if you can eliminate that with AI, that is going to be just a dramatic improvement," he was quoted as saying.

-- Business Standard

The Aadhar plea involving the citizen's right to privacy and Cauvery water dispute are among four high-profile cases that will be heard by various courts today.

1. The Supreme Court will hear the Aadhaar card privacy matter today, after all the petitioners had completed their argument in the apex court on July 20.

A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar was hearing the arguments from various petitioners and respondents in the Aadhar privacy case.

2. A Delhi court will hear the matter of administrating a lie detector test to witness Abhishek Verma and accused Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

On July 6, Abhishek Verma submitted before a Delhi court that he is ready for polygraph test on the condition that he is provided security cover.

Verma appeared before the court personally and agreed to undergo polygraph test. However, he said that he has threat perception from the accused in the case, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, and therefore, wanted security cover.

On May 22, Tytler refused to undergo lie-detector test before the court. Earlier, in April also, Tytler refused to undergo a lie-detector test in connection with the case.

In February, the CBI had sought the court's permission for lie-detector tests on Tytler and Verma.

Tytler is accused of leading a mob in the 1984 Pul Bangash case in which three Sikhs were killed. The CBI had earlier given a clean chit to Tytler in the case but re-opened the investigation following the December 4, 2015, order in the wake of Verma's allegations.

3. The Delhi high court will hear the defamation plea filed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the use of an 'objectionable word' by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's counsel Ram Jethmalani.

A notice was issued to Kejriwal to respond on why defamation proceedings should not be initiated against him.

Jaitley's application also contends that Kejriwal's intention is to delay the conclusion of recording of evidence by posing irrelevant questions, which are designed to be insulting and annoying.

His application sought directions to expedite the recording of evidence in a time bound, fair, dignified and bona fide manner in the ongoing civil defamation case for Rs 10 crore against Kejriwal.

Jaitley's application came in connection with the defamation case against Kejriwal in the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) case. In his complaint, Jaitley had accused Kejriwal and others of defaming him in a controversy regarding the DDCA and sought Rs 10 crore as damages. Jaitley was president of the DDCA for over a decade.

4. The Supreme Court will continue to hear the Cauvery water dispute involving Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Yesterday, the apex court had heard arguments in the same.

The apex court on July 11 commenced final hearing on the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, had earlier directed the Karnataka government to provide 200 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till its further order.

On January 9, the Tamil Nadu Government sought a compensation of Rs 2,480 crores from Karnataka for not releasing water to the state despite getting the Supreme Court directive to do so.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A M Khanwilkar, extended the interim order in the water issue, directing Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu.

On December 9 last year, the apex court upheld its constitutional power and right to hear appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap has been arrested for the building collapse in Mumbai's suburb Ghatkopar in which 17 people including an infant were killed on Tuesday.

A four-storey building that Shitap owns came crashing down during renovation work on its ground floor.

Shitap was booked under sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).

The police said the building -- apart from the nursing home on the ground floor -- was home to 15 families.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the collapse site on Tuesday night and said, "An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days."

The runway of the Ahmedabad airport has been damaged in the torrential rains which have caused major floods in Gujarat, resulting in two Air India flights being diverted.

The Del-Ahmedabad and Bom-Ahmedabad flights have been diverted to Mumabi following the runway not functioning.

Flooding due to heavy rains in Gujarat in the past few weeks have created havoc in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Gujarat.

According to reports, 70 people have died in Gujarat due to rains till now. As many as 25,000 people were shifted, mostly in Banaskantha, as the district witnessed its worst floods in recent years on Monday.

The Army and Air Force reached the flood-hit Deesa of Banaskantha districts for rescue operations.

The Army, IAF, NDRF and local teams have intensified rescue and relief operations as several parts of the two districts are inundated.

09:15

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley with Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs pays homage to martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi.

09:15 Indian Women's Cricket team arrives in Mumbai to grand welcome

Amid cheers and enthusiasm of fans, the Indian Women's Cricket team today arrived in Mumbai.

The crowd at the Mumbai Airport could be seen cheering 'India, India', with the kin of the cricketers waiting for their daughters to arrive.

The players received a grand reception at the airport, with people putting 'tilak' on the girls' forehead and garlanding them.

Eight players including Harmanpreet kaur, Jhulan Goswami, Sushma Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Raut and Deepti Sharma landed in India early morning, whereas the rest of the players will join later in the day.

England beat India by nine runs in a thrilling ICC Women's World Cup final on July 23.

India today observed the 18th Kargil Vijay Diwas to commemorate the victory in the war against Pakistan in 1999.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to micro-blogging site Twitter to hail the Indian armed forces for their prowess and sacrifices for the country

"Remembering our brave soldiers who fought gallantly for the pride of our nation & the security of our citizens during the Kargil War," Modi said in a series of tweets.

"Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us of India's military prowess & the great sacrifices our armed forces make while steadfastly keeping India safe," he added.

The Kargil conflict in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region took place after Pakistani troops occupied Indian posts on the heights.

It took about three months for the the Indian forces to recapture the posts.

Image: Wreath laying ceremony held at Dras, Jammu and Kashmir to pay tribute to soldiers.

The death toll in Mumbai's Ghatkopar building collapse has risen to 17.

On Tuesday morning, the ill-fated Siddhi Sai Cooperative Housing Society's pillars got weakened due to ongoing renovation of a nursing home located on its ground floor, reportedly owned by local Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap and it collapsed.

The structure, located in Ghatkopar's DamodarPark area, housed around 15 families.

"Prima facie, it is revealed that the accused was carrying out illegal renovation in the building. Investigation is underway," news agency ANI quoted Mumbai's Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) as saying.

The BMC's disaster management team received a call about the incident at around 10.43 am following which fire brigade and disaster management officials were rushed to the spot.

New Communication Director Anthony Scaramucci today vowed to crack down on leaks from the White House, threatening to fire everyone, if necessary, to stop aides from leaking information.

Scaramucci, the Wall Street financier who joined the administration last week, claimed that he has "a thousand per cent" authorisation from US President Donald Trump to do so.

"I am going to fire everybody, that is how I am going to do it," Scaramucci said.

Soon thereafter Michael Short, one of the assistant press secretaries to the US President in the White House press office, resigned. His resignation came not before the media reported that Short has been fired, thus making him the first casualty of the new White House Communication Director.

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