A look at the headlines right now:
- The government’s new ‘Saubhagya’ scheme aims to electrify all households by 2019: Billed as a pro-poor initiative, it also aims to improve healthcare services, education and quality of life.
- Teesta Setalvad says she has been wrongfully detained over protests at Banaras Hindu University: Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the students immediately as it was his constituency.
- Bibek Debroy to head new Economic Advisory Council: The move comes amid criticism of the government’s GST regime and the demonetisation drive, both of which were blamed for India’s low GDP growth.
- Lack of private investment hurt the economy, says Arun Jaitley: At the BJP national executive meet, he said the prime minister’s fight against corruption was ‘uncompromised’.
- Ram Rahim Singh moves High Court against conviction in rape cases: The Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison last month for raping two of his followers.
- Retired Madras High Court judge to lead inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death: TTV Dinakaran said they had a video of the former chief minister in hospital.
- Japan PM Shinzo Abe calls for early polls, to dissolve Parliament: I hope to gain the confidence of the people in the upcoming election, Abe said.
- Reliance Industries jumps five places to No. 3 among world’s top energy companies: Indian Oil Corporation broke into the top 10 of the list, but Coal India slipped to 45 from 38.
- Palestinian prime minister to visit Gaza on October 2 to take over government from Hamas: The move comes a week after Hamas agreed to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’ movement, Fatah, to end a decade-long split.
- Iraq’s Kurds vote in historic independence referendum despite international opposition: The Iraqi government, the United States, Iran and Turkey have all called the referendum illegitimate and a dangerous step towards the division of the country.
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