86% polling in Tripura amid sporadic violence
Summary:
The recent election for the 60-member Tripura Assembly saw over 86% voter turnout, with several incidents of violence, alleged booth jamming and intimidation reported from across the state. Six people were arrested in connection with five complaints of physical assault. Political party agents were attacked in different places, with some sustaining injuries. There were also minor incidents of obstruction and disturbance with the functioning of electronic voting machines reported. The final voter turnout is expected to exceed the 89.38% recorded in 2018, and the votes will be counted on March 2. The run-up to the election saw a 25-fold increase in seizures of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and freebies, together worth ₹44.67 crore.
States must pay part of MGNREGS wages, says Union Minister
Summary:
The Union Rural Development Minister of India, Giriraj Singh, has suggested that state governments share some of the financial burden of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to make them more vigilant against corruption. The MGNREGS was created to provide a fallback mechanism for those who cannot find employment elsewhere. The Ministry of Rural Development recently made Aadhaar-based payment of wages mandatory, which means that 57% of active workers will be excluded. The move has caused concern among activists and academics. The MGNREGS is a welfare scheme for rural households that guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year.
CBI conducts searches at four locations in call centre fraud case
Summary:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at four locations in Delhi, seizing over ₹3.09 crore in cash, 15 mobile phones, seven laptops, and documents related to crypto investments and scripts used for interacting with victims. The accused were allegedly running a mobile call center, posing as tech-support executives and cheating U.S. citizens. They took control of victims' systems using remote access software and asked them to buy a gift card for installing/upgrading security software (which was never actually done) and take the card number. The gift card numbers were sent to an exclusive Telegram group for cash redemption through ‘hawala’ channels. This comes after the CBI and the Delhi Police assisted the FBI in unearthing a similar tech-support scam.
Reigning over the capital, from above
Summary:
Delhi Municipal Corporation is yet to have a mayor, two months after the elections, due to the presiding officer allowing nominated members to vote in the election. The vote granting members voting rights was not in compliance with Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act 1957. The opposition party has contested the decision to allow these LG-nominated members to vote and asked for the elections to be held in a court-monitored manner. The current situation exemplifies the increasing attempt of the Union government to take control over the administration of Delhi. The larger picture raises questions about who has the authority to decide how the city is governed, and it is not just the Union government trying to control the Municipal and State governments in Delhi, but of higher levels of government exercising authority over lower levels.
IAF’s acquisition of 114 fighter jets to be part of a major procurement plan
Summary:
India is set to start the procurement process for 114 multi-role fighter jets soon, which, along with three different indigenous fighter development programs, will result in a mega 500-fighter aircraft acquisition process for the armed forces. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently down to 31 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42, which is set to dwindle further as the remaining three MiG-21 squadrons are phased out by 2025. By the end of the decade, phasing out of other aircraft would also begin. The immediate effort is to arrest the drawdown in strength. The 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A that would begin coming in from next year followed by the LCA-Mk2 and fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in the near future, along with the MRFA, would arrest this. HAL officials expected an additional order for up to 50 LCA-Mk1A.
EC raps Congress, BJP for campaign on Twitter during polling in Tripura
Summary:
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tripura has issued notices to the state units of Congress and BJP as well as BJP national general secretary Dilip Saikia for seeking votes on Twitter during polling in the northeastern state. The Election Commission (EC) said the tweets are violative of election law as they were posted in the 48-hour “silence period” which began on Tuesday evening. Seizures totalling over ₹147 crore have been recorded so far in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, marking a 20-fold increase in recovery of drugs, liquor, and cash meant to induce voters in the run-up to the election, the EC said on Thursday.
Now, no age bar to register for cadaver organ transplant
Summary:
The Union Health Ministry in India has removed the age ceiling that prevented individuals aged beyond 65 from receiving cadaver organ transplants. The government made this decision to eliminate the policy that violated the right to life, according to a Health Ministry official. Individuals of any age can now register for an organ transplant, regardless of their domicile state. The Health Ministry has also told states to stop charging registration fees for organ transplant patients, and it is planning a "One Nation, One Policy" for organ donation and transplantation, including introducing a chapter on organ donation awareness in the school curriculum.
IOC contradicts Adani over terms of port use agreement for LPG imports
Summary:
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has clarified that there is no take-or-pay agreement with Adani’s Gangavaram port in Andhra Pradesh for LPG imports. In response to TMC’s Mahua Moitra, who alleged a scam, IOC said it had signed a non-binding MoU with AP-SEZL for building LPG handling facilities, adding that it floats no tenders for hiring facilities at ports to import LPG. IOC said it regularly enters into agreements with various ports to enhance its capability to supply LPG across India, evaluating the infrastructure for suitability for catering to the nearest market at a reasonable cost.