Top news: GDP growth slumps to 4.5% in September quarter, worst in over 6 years

Why did she call sister instead of police, says Telangana minister about murdered vet

Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Friday said the 27-year-old Hyderabad-based veterinary surgeon who was allegedly raped and murdered on Wednesday night should have called the police first instead of her sister. He claimed that this could have averted the incident. “We are saddened by the incident, the police is alert and controlling crime. She was an educated woman, and yet she called her sister instead of 100 [police helpline],” Ali told ANI. “Had she called 100, she would have been saved. 100 is a friendship number, and we have to spread awareness on this among the people.”

Aarey Colony: Uddhav Thackeray stops work on car shed after taking charge as Maharashtra CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he had passed an order to stop work in the construction of the metro car shed project in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony area. In October, at least 29 people were arrested in connection with protests against the authorities’ move to cut trees, even as the Bombay High Court dismissed a series of petitions to stop the exercise, and give it the status of a forest.

Godse remarks: Congress MLA from MP threatens to burn alive Pragya Thakur, apologises later

A Congress MLA in Madhya Pradesh threatened to “burn” Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur if she entered his constituency following her controversial remark calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a “patriot” in Lok Sabha. Congress MLA Govardhan Dangi issued the threat on Thursday but apologised on Friday, claiming it was a mistake.

India’s economic growth falls to 4.5% in July-September quarter – the slowest in over six years

India’s economic growth slowed down further to 4.5% in the July-September quarter, government data showed on Friday. This is the slowest growth rate in more than six years, and the sixth straight quarter of slowdown. In the April-June quarter, India’s Gross Domestic Product had grown just 5% , the slowest in six years. India had lost the tag of the fastest growing major economy to China in the last quarter of 2018-’19 after the growth rate in its Gross Domestic Product declined to 5.8%.

PIB sets up fact-checking unit to tackle spread of fake news related to government

The Press Information Bureau has set up a fact-checking unit to verify news involving government ministries, departments, and schemes. The central government made the announcement on Thursday, urging the public to send across any information that they wanted verified.

Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray takes over as CM, ruling alliance to face floor test tomorrow

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray assumed charge of the state government on Friday afternoon, a day before proving the majority of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress government that he leads. Thackeray, who took oath on Thursday, visited the state secretariat, or Mantralaya, at 1 pm, accompanied by his son and MLA Aaditya Thackeray and other senior Shiv Sena leaders. He is the first member of his family to hold the position.

Sensex plunges 336 points ahead of GDP data release for September quarter

Indian markets on Friday plunged ahead of the release of the Gross Domestic Product figures for the September quarter. The BSE Sensex dived 336 points to close at 40,793.81, and the National Stock Exchange Nifty fell 95 points to 12,056.05.

Noted Malayalam poet Akkitham wins Jnanpith Award 2019

Noted Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri, popularly known as Akkitham, was on Friday declared the recipient of the 55th Jnanpith Award, the country’s highest literary honour. Akkitham, said to be the proponent of modernism in Malayalam poetry, is 93 years old. The award’s selection board unanimously chose the poet for the award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh and a bronze replica of the deity Saraswati.

Maharashtra: Supreme Court dismisses plea challenging Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress post-poll alliance

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging the post-poll coalition of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress in Maharashtra. The dismissal came a day after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the Maharashtra chief minister after the three parties came together to form government in the state, following a month of political crisis.

Actor Pamela Anderson writes to PM Modi, urges him to promote veganism at government events

Actor Pamela Anderson on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to lead India’s fight against climate change by serving only vegan food at all government meetings and functions.

Saradha scam: SC seeks reply of ex-police chief Rajeev Kumar over CBI plea against anticipatory bail

The Supreme Court on Friday asked former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to reply to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s appeal against the anticipatory bail granted to him in the Saradha chit fund scam. The agency had moved the top court on October 4.

Pragya Thakur condemns ‘distortion’ of Godse remarks, says calling her a terrorist is illegal

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur on Friday claimed in the Lok Sabha that her controversial remarks during a debate in the House two days ago had been “distorted”, but offered an apology if she had hurt anyone’s feelings. However, Opposition MPs continued to demand an “unqualified apology”.

INX Media case: Delhi court grants interim bail to six bureaucrats who worked with P Chidambaram

A court in Delhi on Friday granted interim bail to six bureaucrats who worked with former Union minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media case. The INX Media case concerns the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval to INX Media in 2007-’08 during Chidambaram’s tenure as the finance minister. The bureaucrats were part of the board.

PM Modi announces $400 million assistance to Sri Lanka to strengthen its economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended $400 million credit to Sri Lanka to strengthen its economy. Modi announced this during a joint press conference with Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit on Thursday. Rajapaksa said on Friday that his country needed to work with New Delhi to address security and development-related matters.

Jharkhand: Law student allegedly abducted and raped in Ranchi, 12 arrested

The police in Jharkhand on Friday said they have arrested 12 men accused of abducting and raping a 25-year-old law student in Ranchi. All the 12 accused have confessed to the crime, according to The Times of India.

According to a statement issued by the police, the incident took place around 5.30 pm on Tuesday when the girl was with a friend at Sangrampur area on the outskirts of the city. The accused overpowered them and forcefully took the girl with them. They drove her to a nearby brick kiln, where they took turns to rape her.

Cut in corporate tax rates necessary to boost investments, says chief economic adviser

Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian on Friday said the government had cut the corporate tax rate in an effort to boost investments, PTI reported. The Centre had in September reduced the corporate tax rate for companies that do not avail of any other incentive from 35% to 22%.

UP: 81 children served one litre milk diluted with water for mid-day meal, video goes viral

A state-run primary school in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh allegedly served adulterated milk to the students under the mid-day meal scheme, IANS reported on Thursday. A video of the incident, which took place on Tuesday, has been widely shared on social media.

The video shows a cook of the government’s mid-day meal programme mixing a packet of 1-litre milk with a bucket of water to feed around 81 students at Salai Banwa Primary School in Kota village. The video was reportedly shot by a member of the gram panchayat, according to NDTV. According to the menu prescribed by Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government, the children are supposed to be served tehri (a rice dish) and milk.

‘Anything can be done with EVMs,’ says West Bengal BJP leader after drubbing in three bye-polls

The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party raised doubts about electronic voting machines on Friday, a day after facing defeat in three Assembly bye-polls in the state, reported IANS. “Anything can be done with the EVMs,” said party National Secretary Rahul Sinha. “You can’t deny foul play of the ruling party in the counting.”

Telangana transport strike: Workers to resume duty today as government loosens stance

In a major U-turn, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday allowed the 48,000-odd state road transport corporation workers to resume their duty on Friday. The employees had called off their 52-day-long strike on Monday evening, but the government had so far maintained that they would not be taken back.

Hyderabad: Charred body of 27-year-old woman veterinary surgeon found under culvert

The charred body of a 27-year-old woman was found under a culvert in Chatanpally on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway on Thursday morning, hours after she went missing.

Maharashtra: CM Uddhav Thackeray promises ‘concrete help’ to farmers after first Cabinet meeting

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday night promised concrete help to farmers after he chaired his first Cabinet meeting at Sahyadri Guest House in South Mumbai. “Farmers have not got anything, but only assurances,” Thackeray said at a press conference after the meeting.

NRC: Assam government to table figures of Bengali Hindus excluded from final list

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Assam government on Thursday said it will make public the district-wise figures of Bengali Hindus excluded from the final National Register of Citizens list in the current Assembly session. The Assam government had earlier urged the Centre to reject the final NRC list.

Nathuram Godse was not a terrorist, he made a ‘mistake’, claims BJP MLA Surendra Singh

A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Uttar Pradesh said on Thursday that Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was not a terrorist but an individual who committed a “mistake”. “Godse was not a terrorist. Those who are involved in anti-national activities are terrorists,” Ballia MLA Surendra Singh told reporters.

Nathuram Godse remark: Congress workers in Indore file sedition complaint against Pragya Thakur

Congress workers in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday filed a sedition complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur for her alleged description of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “patriot” in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Thakur is the BJP MP from Bhopal.

Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray sworn in as chief minister after a month of political twists and turns

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the 19th chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday at an event held in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. He will lead an alliance of the Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. The alliance is known as the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi.