Karnataka finally appeals Jayalalithaa judgment
The Karnataka government has finally filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court judgment in Jayalalithaa’s disproportionate assets case. Last month, the Karnataka High Court had acquitted Jayalalithaa in the 19-year-old Rs.66.65 crore disproportionate assets case, after which she took oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu again. The Karnataka government has however called the acquittal illegal and the High Court judgment a farce.
RSS embarrasses BJP on Land Bill
Three RSS-affiliated organizations appearing before the Joint Parliamentary, Committee set up to examine the controversial Land Acquisition Bill, have opposed the changes proposed to the 2013 Act passed by the UPA, leaving the government embarrassed. In fact, all except one of the organizations that appeared before the committee expressed their dissatisfaction with the new Bill. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram were the affiliates that spoke against the Bill.
Govt. encourages electronic transactions
In an effort to check black money in the country, the government is looking to encourage electronic transfers by providing incentives such as reduced transaction costs and tax benefits. The government wants to encourage payments made through credit and debit cards, while the transaction charges levied on the use of such cards at petrol pumps, gas agencies and for railway tickets may be eliminated. Further, the government may also ban cash transactions of more than Rs.1 lakh, ensuring that these be made electronically only.
Investment outflow from India down drastically
India witnessed an 81% contraction in the foreign investment outflow, from $ 9.4 billion in April-March 2013-14 to $1.75 billion for the same period in 2014-15, indicating that the slump is not only in India’s goods exports but in capital investments, too. The biggest fall was in the FDI going out of the country, which fell by 68%. While some experts argued that the contraction is a result of lowered investment appetite, others argued that the numbers are a result of a successful ‘Make in India’ campaign, as Indian investors are now looking to invest within the country itself.
Obama says racism still alive, uses the n-word
US President Barack Obama has said that racism still persists in the United States, and that it has become a part of Americans’ DNA. Speaking after the racial hate-crime in Charleston, South Carolina, where a white man opened fire in a church in an attempt to incite violence, Obama said the history of slavery continues to cast a long shadow on the country. He also mentioned the n-word, surprising many saying, “It’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say n****r in public”. He also expressed frustration at the control that the National Rifles Association (NRA) has on Congress.
EU welcomes Tsipras’s proposals
The tussle between Greece and its creditors seems to have realised some meaningful discussion with the European Union expressing optimism regarding the new proposals put forward by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after months of negotiations. The EU welcomed the proposals as a “good basis for progress”, but it was not clear how far Greece had acceded to the creditors’ demands. Both Greece and the EU are working hard to produce a deal before the euro summit where the EU hopes to keep Greece in the Euro currency bloc and forestall a ‘Grexit’.
Apple relents after Taylor Swift letter
Apple Inc. has agreed to pay the musicians whose music the company will use during the three-month free trial on its new streaming service, Apple Music. Earlier, it refused to pay musicians during the trial period, following which pop-star Taylor Swift had posted a letter online asking the company to change their policy. Swift had said that she would not release her latest album ‘1989’ on the streaming service as the policy affected young artists who would not be able to sustain without payments from streaming services. “We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation,” she said.
Carnival in Delhi for 1965 war
The government has asked the armed forces to organize a carnival to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war with Pakistan. The carnival will take place from September 1 to September 23, the period in that year when the war was waged. The government is also looking to reignite the debate on whether India lost in the Tashkent negotiations what it had won in the war. An official account of the period, parts of which have not yet been made public, could also be reviewed.
Muslim board calls for rally against Hindutva
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has warned against the rising trend of ‘Brahmin dharma’ and vedic culture in the country. In a letter sent to the heads of other Muslim organizations and imams of the community, the AIMPLB has asked for constant vigil to protect the teachings of Islam. The letter also questioned the hosting of Yoga Day on RSS’s first sarsanghchalak K.B. Hedgewar’s death anniversary, and the board has slammed what it is calling the government’s ‘promotion of religious activities’.
SCO not the new NATO
With the inclusion of India and Pakistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become more powerful, but it still is not a NATO like organization, the chief of Russia’s presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said. While both India and Pakistan are nuclear states, Ivanov pointed out that while NATO is a military alliance, the SCO is a body for economic cooperation. He added that while the SCO was a global organization, the inclusion of the new countries has definitely given it regional significance in the India-China region.