Month: July 2024

Nitin Gadkari Advocates for Scrapping GST on Insurance Premiums

Manish Kumar

Gadkari’s Direct Appeal to Sitharaman In a decisive move, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging the removal of the 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on life and medical insurance premiums. The letter, dated July 28, emphasizes the need for a priority review of this tax policy, arguing that it unjustly taxes life’s inherent uncertainties and stifles the insurance industry’s growth. Burden on Senior Citizens Gadkari highlighted the undue financial burden the GST on insurance premiums places on senior citizens, making it…

Delhi HC Criticizes AAP Government and MCD Over Coaching Centre Deaths

Manish Kumar

High Court’s Sharp Rebuke The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a stern rebuke to the AAP government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants. The students drowned in a flooded basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. The court was hearing a plea for a high-level investigation into the incident. Administrative Lapses and “Freebie Culture” A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela expressed serious concerns about the administration’s role in the flooding incident.…

Congress MP Files Privilege Motion Against PM Modi for Endorsing Anurag Thakur’s Controversial Speech

Manish Kumar

Privilege Motion against PM filed by Congress’s Charanjit Singh Channi Move came a day after PM posted Anurag Thakur’s entire speech on X Remarks led to Opposition ruckus in Parliament Channi’s Privilege Motion On Tuesday, Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi escalated a political controversy by moving a Privilege Motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The motion addresses PM Modi’s decision to share expunged remarks made by BJP MP Anurag Thakur on social media. In his formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General, Channi detailed “many objectionable remarks” made by Thakur,…

Preeti Sudan Appointed as UPSC Chairperson

Manish Kumar

Transition in Leadership Preeti Sudan, former union health secretary, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A current member of the UPSC, Sudan will officially assume her new role on Thursday, August 1, succeeding Manoj Soni, who resigned earlier this month citing personal reasons ahead of the end of his tenure. Who is Preeti Sudan? Preeti Sudan, an IAS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre of the 1983 batch, brings nearly 37 years of extensive experience in government administration. She holds degrees in Economics…

Intel to Lay Off Thousands Amid Cost-Cutting Strategy

Manish Kumar

Job Cuts to Offset Declining Earnings Intel Corp is set to lay off thousands of employees as part of a strategy to reduce costs and finance efforts to recover from declining earnings and market share losses. Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, indicated that the announcement could come as soon as this week. Intel currently employs about 110,000 people, excluding workers from units being spun off. Focus on Research and Development Under CEO Pat Gelsinger, Intel is heavily investing in research and development to enhance its technology and…

Opposition Unites Over Kejriwal’s Health Concerns

Manish Kumar

INDIA Bloc Stages Protest in Delhi On Tuesday, the Opposition INDIA bloc staged a significant protest in Delhi, rallying around the deteriorating health of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently imprisoned. Prominent leaders, including NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, participated in the demonstration, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Controversy Over Kejriwal’s Health The controversy surrounding Kejriwal’s health has intensified, with his supporters alleging that he has significantly lost weight during his time in jail. However, Tihar jail authorities have…

Delhi High Court Orders Patanjali and Baba Ramdev to Cease Misleading COVID-19 Claims

Manish Kumar

Interim Order Issued Against Patanjali and Baba Ramdev The Delhi High Court has directed Patanjali Ayurved and its promoters, including Baba Ramdev, to remove claims that allopathy doctors were responsible for the deaths of lakhs of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This order was issued while promoting Patanjali’s Coronil as a “cure” for the virus. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani passed an interim order restraining Ramdev, his associate Acharya Balkrishna, and Patanjali Ayurveda from making such allegations. Court’s Directive and Rationale “I have directed the defendants to take down certain tweets…

Assassination of Hamas’ Top Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran

Manish Kumar

The Fatal Strike in Tehran Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’ Political Bureau, was killed in an attack in Tehran, as reported by Iranian state-owned media and confirmed by Hamas. Haniyeh, 62, was a prominent figure in Hamas’ diplomatic efforts and was designated as a global terrorist by the United States. He had been residing in Qatar and was active in peace talks to end the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The Incident and Immediate Reactions The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were…

PM Modi to Outline Vision for a Developed India at Post-Budget Conference

Manish Kumar

Addressing Industry Leaders Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak at the inaugural session of “Journey Towards Viksit Bharat: A Post Union Budget 2024-25 Conference.” The event, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi at 12 pm. The conference aims to outline the government’s vision for growth and the role of industry in achieving this goal. Over 1,000 participants, including industry leaders, government officials, diplomats, and think tanks, will attend in person, with many more joining virtually from CII centers…

US Lawmakers Probe Secret Service and FBI Over Ignored Threat Alerts for Trump

Manish Kumar

Senate Hearing on Law Enforcement Lapses On Tuesday, US Senate lawmakers are set to question the acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, regarding the law enforcement lapses that preceded the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. This inquiry is part of a series of congressional hearings focused on the July 13 shooting incident. Rowe assumed his role last week after Kimberly Cheatle, his predecessor, resigned following intense criticism from lawmakers during a House hearing. Cheatle struggled to provide clear answers about the communication failures that occurred before…