THE HEADLINES:
- Election Commission gives time to two warring faction of AIADMK till 16th of June to produce additional affidavit in support of their claim for double leaves symbol.
- Information and Broadcasting Ministry directs action against Cable operators who are still transmitting analog signals on cable TV network.
- Centre says, it will not take a decision before holding consultations with the legal fraternity on a Law Commission report which proposes strict action against lawyers for misconduct.
- Delhi High Court directs city government and civic bodies to ensure that no dengue or chikungunya cases occur this year in the national capital.
- More than 50 Afghan soldiers killed in an attack by Taliban on their base in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan.
- A western disturbance over Jammu and Kashmir likely to bring respite from scotching heat in northern India.
- And in Tennis, Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuevas enter semifinals of ATP Monte Carlo Masters event in Monaco.
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Election Commission has given the two warring factions of AIADMK time till June 16 to produce additional affidavits in support of their claim for the 'Double Leaves' symbol. AIR correspondent reports, the symbol of AIADMK has been impounded by the Commission following the vertical split in the party after the death of its leader J.Jayalalithaa.
"April 17 was the last date set for the two factions led by Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy and former chief minister O.Panneerselvam to adduce more documents in support of their claim for the original symbol. Meanwhile, merger talks were initiated, even as the schedule for local body elections is being readied. Based on their demand, the EC has given four weeks additional time for them to revert back. Merger moves are going on with both the factions forming their panels of seven members each to hold talks on their unification. Jayasingh, AIR News, Chennai."
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Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked the authorized officers to take action against the Multi System Operators and Cable operators who are still transmitting analog signals on cable TV network. The Ministry, in an advisory issued to States and Union Territories said, every cable operator is mandated to transmit or retransmit programmes in an encrypted form through digital addressable system with effect from the 1st of this month. The advisory came in the wake of complaints about carriage of analog signals by the MSOs and Cable operators.
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The government has said that it will not take any decision before holding consultations with the legal fraternity on a Law Commission report which proposed action against lawyers for misconduct. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in New Delhi yesterday that till the consultations are complete, no action will be taken on the law panel report. Various bar bodies have alleged that the law panel prepared the report to amend the Advocates Act without properly consulting them and taking their views on board. Members of the Bar Council of India, Adhivakta Parishad and various bodies met Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad yesterday to protest against the recommendations.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed shock at the loss of lives in the blaze in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. In a tweet last night, Mr Modi said, my thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones in the fire. He said, the incident is shocking beyond words. At least, 13 people were killed and four injured in the fire at Bagri village in Harrai Block of Chindwara district yesterday evening.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address BJP Chief Ministers and top organisation leaders tomorrow as part of his government's focus on good governance and development. BJP President Amit Shah will also speak to the leaders. Party General Secretary Bhupender Yadav said, the Prime Minister will exhort them to focus on the development agenda with an emphasis on the poor sections of the society.
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In Maharashtra, a magisterial court in Thane’s Bhiwandi has decided to frame charges against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on July 28 in a defamation case. An RSS worker filed a defamation case against Mr Gandhi over the Congress leader's speech in Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014. More from our correspondent:
"Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi did not appear in the court yesterday and his lawyer filed an application for exemption for him from the appearance. The lawyer said that the Congress leader was busy with political assignments. Granting exemption from appearance for yesterday's hearing, the court posted the case for framing of charges on July 28. Local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte has filed the defamation case against Mr. Gandhi over his speech in 2014 during the run-up to Lok Sabha polls. Lubna Yusuf Moosa, AIR News, Mumbai"
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The CBI has registered a case against some officials of the Central Bank of India and the president of a Technical Education Society for causing a loss of over 58 crore rupees to the bank. The case has been registered against former Assistant General Manager AG Sawant and then Senior Manager Vidyadhar Pednekar of the bank and others under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption. The CBI also conducted searches at the residential premises of the Bank Officers at Mumbai and Nasik and office and residential premises of other accused at Pune.
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Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government and civic bodies to ensure that no dengue or chikungunya cases occur this year in the national capital. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra asked the agencies to inform it about what preventive steps they have taken in comparison to last year with regard to breeding of dengue mosquitoes. Our correspondent reports that the matter will come up for further hearing on 1st of next month.
"Expressing concern over the numerous deaths in 2016, the court said the authorities concerned should have a policy, instead of shifting the blame on each other, to stop recurrence of mosquito-borne tropical diseases. It directed the government and municipal bodies to place before it the action taken report, explaining the steps proposed to be taken by them to control vector-borne diseases. The court has been hearing pleas accusing the AAP government and MCDs of not acting vigilantly and responsibly to control dengue and chikungunya. Tanvi Taneja for AIR News, Delhi."
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A western disturbance over Jammu and Kashmir is expected to bring respite to people of North India from scorching heat wave. Senior official of Indian Meteorological Department Charan Singh said, a fall of 2 to 3 degree Celsius can be expected in the temperatures from today.
According to the Met department, a thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail is predicted at a few places over Jammu and Kashmir, isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim today. Our correspondent reports that rain triggered by fresh western disturbance lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh.
"The higher reaches of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnur districts experienced light snowfall while several parts of other districts lashed with rains in the night. The capital town Shimla also lashed with intermittent light rains. The minimum and maximum temperatures have been decreased from five to seven degree Celsius throughout in the state due to this weather. The people have taken a sigh of relief from the heat wave. Shishu Sharma Shantal, AIR News, Shimla." Similar thunderstorm conditions are also likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. North-eastern states are also expected to experience heavy rainfall. However, heat wave conditions is likely to continue at isolated places over West Rajasthan, Jharkhand and interior Odisha.
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Today is Earth Day. The day is celebrated worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The day was proposed at the UNESCO conference in 1969 and the first Earth Day celebrations took place in 1970. The campaign theme for this year is Environmental and Climate Literacy. In a message, Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu called on people to remember that Mother Earth can satisfy everyone's need but not everyone's greed.
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Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up 40 Yoga wellness centres in 40 districts during current financial year. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced to start post graduate courses at Government Ayurvedic college and hospital Varanasi, Unani college Allahabad, Government Homeopathy college Allahabad and TT college Lucknow. A report:-
"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials to set up treatment centres at Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Saharanpur and Banda under Ayurvedic and Unani systems of treatment. He has directed to develop first herbal garden of the state near to overnment national Homeopathic college and hospital Lucknow and encourage the farmers for cultivation of herbal plants across the state. Sunil Shukla, AIR News, Lucknow.
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Madhya Pradesh has bagged the Krishi Karman Award for the consecutive fifth time. Our correspondent reports that the Union Agriculture Ministry has informed the state government in this regard.
"The state government has claimed that Madhya Pradesh is now ahead of traditional wheat production states like Punjab and Haryana. The wheat productivity is now 3115 kilograms per hectare in the state. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has congratulated farmers and officers for this achievement. The Krishi Karman Award carries a trophy, a citation and a cash prize of two crore rupees. Shariq Noor, AIR News, Bhopal."
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More than 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban on the Afghan National Army (ANA) base at Mazar- e-Sharifin in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan. A defence ministry spokesman said that a group of six suicide attackers manning two Afghan national army vehicles managed to pass the security gate of an army compound in the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province yesterday. When they were stopped, one of the attackers blew himself up, and the rest entered the base. The spokesman said five attackers were killed and one was arrested. Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The US military in Afghanistan has condemned the attack.
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Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuevas have entered the semifinal of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters event in Monaco. In the quarter finals yesterday, the unseeded Indo-Uruguayan pair defeated top seeded Henri Kontinen from Finland and Australia's John Peers 3-6, 6-3, 13-11 to reach the semifinal. The Monte Carlo Masters is fifth tournament Bopanna is playing with Cuevas and this was their best performance together after joining forces at the beginning of the season.
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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:
- The DNA headlines the Prime Minister's address to the civil servants on Civil Services Day yesterday. "Take decision's fast , don't fear consequences: use social media for service, not self praise", Modi tells bureaucrats says the headline.
- "Why make Aadhaar must for PAN cards, Supreme Court asks Centre", is the front page headline in The Indian Express.
- The Hindu quotes Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying, "Ensure safety of Kashmir", as its headline.
- High Court dismisses AAP's plea for the use of paper trail voting machines (VVPAT EVMs) scheduled for tomorrow's Municipal Polls, says The Pioneer.
- Paying service charge at hotels is totally voluntary and not mandatory says Food and Consumer affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
- The Pioneer reports of a girl named Samia Abdul who collected 22 lakhs by posing as a cancer patient on Facebook. She used her father's medical records to prove the point and even had a recorded message of a Doctor from the hospital.
- The Hindu carries pictures of Women in Telangana walking in line carrying water pots on their heads pointing to women having to trek a long way to fetch drinking water in Sangareddy district.
- A young IAS officer Sri Ram Venkataraman has taken on the land mafia in the misty hills Munnar, where trees were felled illegally to construct multistory structures. He has even received threat from land mafia and controversial Kerala Minister MM Mani- thats a report in the Hindustan Times.
- And finally,"Stamp enthusiasts can wake up and smell the coffee this Sunday", India Post is making it possible to send letters that carry the Fragrance of Coffee. The Department of Post, Bengaluru will release a Coffee Stamp says The Hindu.
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