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    India yet to have free debate on communalism: Nirmala Sitharaman  –    (Indian Polity) Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that the Dadri incident demonstrated that the “country does not have a free and fair debate on communalism.” Ms. Sitharaman also said the protest by writers in returning awards conferred on them by the Sahitya Akademi, Read More…

    Saving the Sahitya Akademi  –    (Indian Polity) Now fringe elements have come centre stage, with their narrow-minded interpretation of our great religion. And they have brought with them a sense of fear. Why is Hinduism alive after so many millennia? Because it absorbs, it allows multiplicity of thought, of argument, of debate.   Uniform civil code need of theRead More…

    Plural India comes together to condemn attack  –    (Indian Polity) Mumbai does belong to Maharashtra, but it also belongs to the nation — moreover, it is an international city, said Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, in Marathi sending a firm message to the Shiv Sena, which is said to be behind an attack on him on Monday. He was speakRead More…

    ICC calls for Bashir’s arrest, Delhi says ‘no’  –   (International Relation) The India-Africa summit to be held in Delhi in October 26-29 is expected to be a grand affair, with a record 52 of 54 African countries confirming their acceptance. However there may be some anxious moments as the International Criminal Court has called for India to arrest one of the guesRead More…

    Fiscal balance turns surplus after 8 years  –   (Economics) For the first time in 8 years, India’s fiscal balance turned from deficit to surplus in the month of August, the latest data from the Controller-General of Accounts (CGA) show. The fiscal deficit, the excess of the Centre’s expenditure over its revenues, was (-) Rs. 15,808 crore in August. The negative figuRead More…

    India to cut emissions intensity  –    (Environment) On Thursday midnight, the Union Environment Ministry submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing to cut the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The INDCs, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s famoRead More…

    Swachh Bharat: plan to produce power, compost from solid waste  –    (Environment) On the first anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission, the Urban Development Ministry on Thursday announced some crucial policy changes since it is planning to generate electricity and compost from municipal solid waste.     Tyagi’s kin took €10.05 million: ED  –    (GovernaRead More…

    India to hold G20 Chair in 2018, Delhi may play host  –   (International Relation) India is set to be the G20 Chair in 2018, and New Delhi could host the prestigious annual G20 summit. The G20 member nations took a decision on the Chair for 2018 earlier this month, a top Finance Ministry source told The Hindu . “China is chairing the G20 this time, following which GRead More…

      Capital spending shows pick-up  –    (Economics) When Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley lands in the U.S., he will be able to present a healthy picture of India’s growth to investors. The Union government’s Plan capital expenditure is showing a robust pick-up, show data from the Controller-General of Accounts. It is up to Rs. 52,612 crore in the first fivRead More…

    SC imposes green charge on commercial vehicles entering Delhi  –    (Environment) Declaring that controlling Delhi’s pollution had become the “requirement of the day”, the Supreme Court agreed to formalise in a judicial order a series of directions to impose “environment compensation charge” on all light and heavy duty commercial vehicles entering the National CaRead More…