Morning Digest | Home Minister Amit Shah tells Lok Sabha that government is ready for discussion on Manipur; government approves 8.15% interest rate for PF deposits, and more

Home Minister Amit Shah tells Lok Sabha that the government is ready for discussion

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on July 24 that the government was ready for a discussion on Manipur on the floor of the House as the country needs to know the truth about the sensitive situation in the State.

Union government approves 8.15% interest rate for PF deposits

The Centre on July 24 accepted the recommendation of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to increase the interest rate of deposits in Provident Fund (PF) to 8.15%.

Dry runs of security software at new Parliament building

The security software of India’s new Parliament building is being updated. The new structure was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Parliament monsoon session day 4 | Logjam persists in Parliament; AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended

Home Minister Amit Shah asked the opposition on Monday to allow a debate on the Manipur issue to begin in Parliament but the deadlock persisted in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as both sides refused to budge from their stand, with Congress and its allies insisting on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi first. Relentless protests from opposition members marred proceedings in both the Houses and Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, one of the more vocal voices in Rajya Sabha, was suspended for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly “violating” the directives of the Chair.

Red diary issue: Sacked Rajasthan Minister Gudha, BJP MLA Dilawar suspended from State Assembly for ‘unruly behaviour’

Sacked Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha on Monday was suspended from the State Assembly for “unruly behaviour” after ugly scenes were witnessed in the House when he raised the issue of a red diary, claiming it held details of irregular financial transactions. BJP MLA Madan Dilawar too was suspended for the remainder of the Assembly. Earlier, Gudha was pushed and shoved by Congress MLAs after he created a ruckus over the red dairy, demanding that he be allowed to make a statement.

Supreme Court to hear plea seeking SIT or CBI probe into death of Bihar BJP leader during march

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a PIL seeking a probe by an SIT headed by a retired apex court judge or the CBI into the July 13 incident in Patna in which a BJP leader died while taking part in a protest march against the Nitish Kumar government. According to the Supreme Court website, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta will hear the PIL filed through lawyer Barun Kumar Sinha on July 25.

Arrest Pak ex-PM Imran: Pak election commission tells Islamabad police

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday directed the Islamabad police to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan and produce him before it on Tuesday in a case linked to contempt of the top electoral body. Irked by Khan’s persistent absence from the hearings, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) instructed the Islamabad IG to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for his failure to appear in the contempt case.

President Murmu to visit Odisha from July 25-27

President Droupadi Murmu will embark on a three-day visit to Odisha on Tuesday, coinciding with her completing one year in office. “Murmu will visit Odisha from July 25 to 27. She begins her visit with an interaction with a group of medical students sponsored by (the) ATUT-BANDHAN family and (will) lay the foundation stone for a new building block of the Raj Bhavan, Odisha, in Bhubaneswar,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said. On July 26, Murmu will grace the valedictory function during the 75th-year celebrations of the High Court of Orissa in Cuttack.

Two-day Vijay Diwas event to begin on Tuesday, preparations underway

A two-day event to mark the 24th Vijay Diwas will begin here on Tuesday, commemorating India’s triumph in the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. Preparations are underway for the event at the War Memorial here with final touches being added. The event will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh will arrive on Wednesday to pay homage to the jawans who laid down their lives for the nation. The families of the martyred soldiers make it a point to visit the memorial each year on the occasion. Many of them have already arrived here for this year’s event.

Bengal Assembly adjourned for day after obituary references

The West Bengal Assembly was adjourned for the day on Monday after obituary references to eminent personalities who died recently. Obituary references were made to eminent Bengali writers Samaresh Majumdar and Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, former State Minister Dawa Lama and former MLAs Prabodh Purkait, Dr Tarun Adhikary. Later, Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay convened an all-party meeting, but it was not attended by the opposition BJP and ISF. The House will take up reports of different standing committees on Tuesday and Wednesday to be followed by the question and answer session from Thursday, officials said.

IMD forecasts heavy rain in 10 Odisha districts

With the formation of a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal on Monday, the IMD has predicted heavy rainfall very likely to occur at one or two places in 10 districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours. Under its (cyclonic circulation) influence a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region during the subsequent 24 hours, the IMD said in a Twitter post. The district for which the yellow warning (be updated) of heavy rainfall has been issued are Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nawarangapur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir.

AAP announces nationwide protests on Manipur issue on Tuesday

The Aam Aadmi Party will Tuesday stage protests across the country against the precarious situation in Manipur, party officials said. In Delhi, the protest will be attended by top leaders of the party at Jantar Mantar, they said. Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday demonstrated in the Parliament complex demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House on the Manipur issue.

North Korea fires ballistic missile after US submarine arrives in South Korea

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into its eastern sea, South Korea’s military said Tuesday, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing that is apparently in protest of the US sending major naval assets to South Korea in a show of force. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately say where the weapon was launched from and how far it flew. The launch came hours after South Korea’s navy said a nuclear-propelled US submarine – the USS Annapolis — arrived at a port on Jeju Island. The arrival of the USS Annapolis adds to the allies’ show of force to counter North Korean nuclear threats.

China to review appointments, dismissals of officials at Tuesday meeting: state media

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, a powerful body that enacts and amends laws when parliament is not in session, will review appointments and dismissals of officials at a meeting on Tuesday, state media reported. The announcement comes one month since Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was last seen, with China’s government saying he was off for unspecified health reasons. The NPC committee, which meets roughly every two months to deliberate legislation and pass laws, was next expected to meet in August after concluding a scheduled meeting in June.

Jill Biden heads to Paris to help mark US return to UN educational and scientific agency

Jill Biden has represented her country at the Olympics in Tokyo, a king’s coronation in London and a royal wedding in Jordan. She gets another chance to put her ambassadorial skills to work this week when the United States formally rejoins a United Nations agency devoted to education, science and culture around the globe. Biden arrived in Paris early Monday, accompanied by her daughter, Ashley Biden, after flying overnight from Washington to join other VIPs and speak at a ceremony Tuesday at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The American flag will be raised to mark the U.S. return to UNESCO membership after a five-year absence.

Delhi govt to install 500 water ATMs near slums, densely populated areas: Kejriwal

The Delhi government has planned to install 500 water ATMs to provide drinking water treated using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process to people in slums and other such densely populated areas, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. The Chief Minister, who inspected an RO plant and inaugurated a water ATM at Khajan Basti in the Mayapuri area, said four water ATMs have been installed and 500 are planned in the first phase. Every person will be provided with a card that will let them draw 20 litres of water per day from these ATMs free of cost, he said.

Sindhu, Prannoy keen to regain lost touch; buoyant Satwik-Chirag eyeing another title

Fresh from their Korea Open triumph, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to continue their dream run, even as the focus will be on the struggling PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy in the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament, beginning here on Tuesday. The 2022 Commonwealth Games-winning Indian doubles pair of Satwik-Chirag on Sunday stunned the world No. 1 pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhamad Rian Ardianto in a hard-fought final to extend their winning streak to 10 matches.

Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams aim to excel in Spain

The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams are determined to produce their best at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament to begin on Tuesday in Terrassa, Spain. The tournament will see the Indian men’s hockey team playing against formidable rivals England, the Netherlands and host nation Spain. The women’s side will also take on England and Spain. The tournament will be particularly crucial for the Indian men as it will serve as a preparatory event for them ahead of the much-awaited Hero Asian Champions Trophy to be held in Chennai from August 3 to 12, ahead of Hangzhou Asian Games.