A look at the headlines right now.

  1. Centre pushes for 22.5% reservation in promotions to SC/ST government employees: Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that employees from these communities must account for 23 of every 100 promotions in a year.
  2. SEBI denies it received requests from Antigua for information on Mehul Choksi: The Caribbean nation had earlier claimed that Indian authorities did not provide ‘adverse information’ against the fugitive businessman.
  3. Centre approves collegium suggestion to appoint KM Joseph to SC, ends standoff with judiciary: The government also approved the elevation of Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Orissa High Court Chief Justice Vineet Saran to the top court.
  4. UIDAI blames ‘vested interests’ for helpline number turning up on phone contact lists: Besides the number saved on mobile devices was invalid, said the Aadhaar authority.
  5. ‘Attempts to create atmosphere of fear are condemnable,’ says Rajnath Singh on National Register of Citizens: BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said Hindus and non-Muslims should not worry about being excluded from NRC.
  6. Centre tells SC it is withdrawing plan, will review the policy on social media hub: In July, the top court said it will be ‘like creating a surveillance state’ while taking note of the plan.  
  7. Maya Kodnani was present at Naroda Gam for 10 minutes during the 2002 riots, SIT tells court: Special Public Prosecutor Gaurang Vyas claimed that the defence’s witnesses were unreliable and had been ‘created only to save’ the former minister.
  8. Centre trying to intimidate media, Congress tells Lok Sabha: Dismissing it, Union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said the government had not issued a show-cause notice to the ABP News channel though it had aired wrong news.
  9. At least 25 people killed in explosion at a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s Paktia province: Two suicide bombers entered the mosque wearing burqas before opening fire at worshippers and detonating their explosive vests.
  10. Petroleum may be brought under GST after revenue stabilises, says Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi: He cautioned that this may not lead to a reduction in the prices of petroleum products as states would be allowed to levy taxes over and above GST.