Government claims strike was ‘politically motivated’
The nation-wide day-long strike organised by central trade unions against the National Democratic Alliance's proposed changes in labour laws was a “massive success”, workers representatives said. More than 15 crore workers from the organised and unorganised sector participated in the strike, making it the largest protest in over 15 years, the unions said. The insurance, transport and coal and banking sectors were the most severely affected by the agitation, they said. The government alleged that the action was “politically motivated”. Industry associated Assocham said that the strike caused a loss of Rs 25,000 crore.
OROP decision to be taken before Bihar polls
The Central government will take a decision on the One Rank One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen before the announcement of the dates for Bihar assembly elections, reports said. At its three-day coordination meet with the Bharatiya Janata Party that started on Wednesday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh asked the government to resolve the issue and also called on ex-servicemen fasting for the implementation of the pension scheme to end their strike. The reports said that RSS leader Suresh Joshi spoke to Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar on expediting a solution.
Australia calls for stronger defence ties with India
Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews on Wednesday called for deeper defence cooperation with India, saying that Australia viewed India as a “key strategic partner” on “broader global issues”. Andrews, who met with Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi, said that the Australian government wanted to cooperate with India on a variety of issues, including in the field of defence technology. Last year, both countries formalised a framework for security cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia.
Vyapam whistle-blower alleges pressure from CM
A whistle-blower in the multi-crore-rupee Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday accused state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of offering to cancel his transfer if he stopped his campaign against the cash-for-jobs scam. In an affidavit submitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Dr Anand Rai alleged that Chouhan made his offer after he summoned him to his official residence in Bhopal last month. The chief minister’s Principal Secretary denied that Chouhan had made any such offer. A division bench of the High Court has asked the government to file its reply to the affidavit within one week.
Move to modernise Nehru Memorial ‘diabolical’: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government’s plan to overhaul the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library was “diabolical”. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of “rewriting and misappropriating” the country’s “proud heritage” of its struggle for Independence. Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said that the move part of a plan to overhaul 39 institutions with the aim of introducing a “modern component”.
The nation-wide day-long strike organised by central trade unions against the National Democratic Alliance's proposed changes in labour laws was a “massive success”, workers representatives said. More than 15 crore workers from the organised and unorganised sector participated in the strike, making it the largest protest in over 15 years, the unions said. The insurance, transport and coal and banking sectors were the most severely affected by the agitation, they said. The government alleged that the action was “politically motivated”. Industry associated Assocham said that the strike caused a loss of Rs 25,000 crore.
OROP decision to be taken before Bihar polls
The Central government will take a decision on the One Rank One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen before the announcement of the dates for Bihar assembly elections, reports said. At its three-day coordination meet with the Bharatiya Janata Party that started on Wednesday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh asked the government to resolve the issue and also called on ex-servicemen fasting for the implementation of the pension scheme to end their strike. The reports said that RSS leader Suresh Joshi spoke to Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar on expediting a solution.
Australia calls for stronger defence ties with India
Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews on Wednesday called for deeper defence cooperation with India, saying that Australia viewed India as a “key strategic partner” on “broader global issues”. Andrews, who met with Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi, said that the Australian government wanted to cooperate with India on a variety of issues, including in the field of defence technology. Last year, both countries formalised a framework for security cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia.
Vyapam whistle-blower alleges pressure from CM
A whistle-blower in the multi-crore-rupee Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday accused state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of offering to cancel his transfer if he stopped his campaign against the cash-for-jobs scam. In an affidavit submitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Dr Anand Rai alleged that Chouhan made his offer after he summoned him to his official residence in Bhopal last month. The chief minister’s Principal Secretary denied that Chouhan had made any such offer. A division bench of the High Court has asked the government to file its reply to the affidavit within one week.
Move to modernise Nehru Memorial ‘diabolical’: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government’s plan to overhaul the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library was “diabolical”. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of “rewriting and misappropriating” the country’s “proud heritage” of its struggle for Independence. Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said that the move part of a plan to overhaul 39 institutions with the aim of introducing a “modern component”.
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