Top news: IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva says effects of global slowdown more pronounced in India

Union Cabinet approves rehabilitation package for PoK families that initially settled outside J&K

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a one-time rehabilitation package of Rs 5.5 lakh each for 5,300 families that came from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the years after Partition and settled outside Jammu and Kashmir initially but later moved to the state.

India should not ‘terrorise’ us with tax rules, Rafale engine manufacturer tells Rajnath Singh

The French engine manufacturer of the Rafale fighter jet, Safran, told Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday that the company should not be “terrorised” with India’s tax and customs rules, PTI reported. Safran Aircraft Engines Chief Executive Officer Olivier Andries told Singh during a presentation near Paris that the firm plans to invest $150 million (Rs 1,066 crore) in India.

MTNL employees plan protests in Delhi, Mumbai against non-payment of salaries

Employees of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited have announced a lunch-hour demonstration on October 10 and October 16 in Mumbai and Delhi, to protest against the non-payment of salaries since August, and problems related to revival of MTNL.

J&K: Shehla Rashid quits electoral politics, says she cannot legitimise ‘brutal suppression’

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Shehla Rashid on Wednesday announced her decision to quit electoral politics in Kashmir, claiming that the upcoming local elections were a “sham exercise” being held to “install puppet leaders” in the state.

Telangana: Committee to Protect Journalists demands immediate release of former TV9 CEO Ravi Prakash

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday urged the Telangana government to immediately release journalist Ravi Prakash, who was arrested in Hyderabad on fraud allegations last week. Prakash is the founder of Telugu news website Tolivelugu.

Haryana: Amit Shah attacks Congress for opposing Article 370, mocking Rajnath Singh’s shastra puja

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday criticised the Congress over its stand on Article 370, and also attacked the party for its criticism of the “shastra puja” (weapon worship) performed on the Rafale fighter jet in France. Shastra puja – known as Ayudha puja in South India – in which instruments, tools and weapons are worshipped, is usually performed on Dussehra.

Southwest monsoon has begun its retreat after longest-recorded delay, says weather department

The southwest monsoon began its retreat on Wednesday, marking the longest-recorded delay in withdrawal of the monsoon season, the India Meteorological Department said. The weather department added that conditions were favourable for the withdrawal of the monsoon from some more parts of northwest India over the next two days. The monsoon will withdraw from the rest of India in two or three days following that, the IMD said.

Share indices snap six-day losing streak, Sensex surges over 600 points

Indian benchmark indices halted their six-day losing streak – the longest since July 25 – as the BSE Sensex surged 1.7% or 645.97 points to close at 38,177.95, while the National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 rose 186.90 points to end at 11,313.30. The indices had fallen almost 4% in the previous six sessions.

Dearness allowance for central government employees and pensioners hiked from 12% to 17%

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday raised the dearness allowance from 12% to 17% for central government employees “to compensate for price rise”. An increase of the same amount was announced in dearness relief for pensioners.

Jammu and Kashmir: Congress to boycott Block Development Council elections

The Congress on Wednesday announced that it will boycott the Block Development Council elections in Jammu and Kashmir because of the “indifferent attitude” of the state administration. “Congress believes in strengthening of democratic institutions and never shied away from any polls,” party chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said. “But today, we are compelled to take a decision to boycott BDC polls due to indifferent attitude of the state administration and continued detention of senior party leaders in the Valley.”

Will retire Sharad Pawar from social and political life after Assembly polls: Maharashtra BJP chief

Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday said they will ensure Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar retires after the upcoming Assembly elections. Elections in Maharashtra and Haryana are scheduled for October 21 and the results will be out on October 24.

Industrialist Shiv Nadar addresses RSS Vijayadashami event a day after Azim Premji’s visit to Nagpur

Information technology company HCL’s founder Shiv Nadar was the chief guest at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Vijayadashami function in Nagpur on Tuesday. This is reportedly the first time a corporate leader was invited to the event. Nadar’s visit to the RSS headquarters came a day after information technology giant Wipro’s founder Azim Premji paid tributes at the memorial of KB Hedgewar, who established the right-wing organisation. Premji also had a half-an-hour discussion with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Salman Khurshid takes a dig at Congress leaders who ‘walked away’ from the party

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said he would not leave the party despite “pain and concern” about its current situation. He also took a dig at leaders who have deserted the Congress.

Mumbai train catches fire after man throws bag at overhead cables, services disrupted briefly

Train services in Central Railway’s harbour line in Mumbai were disrupted for half-an-hour on Wednesday morning because a train caught fire after an unidentified person threw a discarded bag on its pantograph. The incident occurred at Navi Mumbai’s Vashi station.

Delhi HC grants two more months to CBI to finish probe in bribery case against Rakesh Asthana

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation two more months to complete the inquiry into bribery allegations against former agency director Rakesh Asthana.

Haryana elections: Shiv Sena fields man accused of shooting at former JNU student leader Umar Khalid

The Shiv Sena has given a Haryana Assembly election ticket to Naveen Dalal, one of the two people accused of attacking former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union leader Umar Khalid last year, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. Dalal was fielded from Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district for the polls slated for October 21.

India down 10 places to 68 on global competitiveness index, among worst-performing BRICS nations

India has fallen 10 places to rank 68th on an annual global competitiveness index compiled by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. It is among the worst-performing BRICS nations along with Brazil, which was ranked at 71st this year. BRICS is a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit India on October 11-12 for second informal summit in Chennai

China’s President Xi Jinping will visit India from October 11 to October 12 for the second informal summit between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

Global economic slowdown’s effect is ‘more pronounced’ in India, says new IMF chief

International Monetary Fund’s new Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Tuesday said a “synchronised slowdown” of the global economy was having a “more pronounced” effect on emerging market economies such as India. She pointed out that widespread deceleration meant growth in 2019-’20 would fall to its “lowest rate” since the beginning of the decade.

‘Do not review Romila Thapar’s professor emerita status,’ American Historical Association urges JNU

The American Historical Association – the largest group of professional historians in the world – has written to Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, arguing against his administration’s review of Romila Thapar’s status as emeritus professor.

The association’s President John McNeill wrote to Kumar on October 7, citing Thapar’s contributions and achievements. It reminded the vice chancellor that the historian was named an AHA honorary foreign member in 2009 in “recognition of her standing as one of India’s most distinguished historians”

Kashmir: China says India and Pakistan should resolve dispute through dialogue

China on Tuesday called for talks between India and Pakistan to resolve the conflict over Jammu and Kashmir, The Hindu reported. This came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his United Nations General Assembly address last month that the matter should be resolved according to “UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreement”.

FIR against celebrities: Javadekar blames ‘tukde-tukde gang’ for rumours of Centre’s involvement

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday that neither the Bharatiya Janata Party nor the government had anything to do with the first information report filed against 49 individuals, charging them with sedition for writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This has nothing to do with the BJP and the government,” Javadekar said.

Congress’ biggest problem is our leader walked away, says Salman Khurshid on Rahul Gandhi’s exit

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday said the departure of Rahul Gandhi has left a vacuum in the party, AP reported. Weeks ahead of the Assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra on October 21, Khurshid said Congress may not be able to win the elections or ensure its own future.

“We haven’t really got together to analyse why we got defeated [in the Lok Sabha elections],” Khurshid said in an interview. “Our biggest problem is our leader has walked away. It has kind of left a vacuum. Sonia Gandhi stepped in, but there is more than an indication that she is treating herself as a stop-gap arrangement. I wish it wasn’t so.”