Shortage of ICU beds, oxygen, ventilators, vaccines, doctors, nurses and crematorium space in India has dominated headlines around the world in the past few weeks with Covid-19 cases surging beyond control and the government failing to deliver. Yes, election rallies, Kumbh Mela, blatant flouting of social distancing and mask protocols coupled with a messy vaccination process are said to be responsible for the health crisis of colossal proportions that India is facing today. But an analysis of Budget speeches made by finance ministers over 75 years also offers a glimpse of how low on the priority list healthcare has featured for the political class and policy-makers, which is a significant reason for the current situation.
In an unprecedented order to check criminalisation of politics, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held nine political parties including the ruling BJP and JD (U) in Bihar guilty of contempt and fined eight of them for violating its February, 2020 order on publication of criminal antecedents of their candidates for the assembly polls.
21-member parliament panel would review the bill.
Blasting the opposition for making baseless allegations to gain political mileage, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he had promised IAS officer DK Ravi's parents that the truth regarding his death would come out.
With his exit, the TMC will lose a crucial, politically influential vote catcher in the Jungalmahal region and areas in minority-dominated Murshidabad, and the BJP will get a face it badly needs, especially in rural Bengal, reports Aditi Phadnis.
'New Delhi is in a perpetual dilemma. It can't do without Yediyurappa, but it doesn't want a powerful CM. It stokes the opponents within against him. The result is he has never settled down in office, even in the present tenure'
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday welcomed the appointment of noted economist Raghuram Rajan as RBI governor but advised him not to compromise on the autonomy of the institution or get cowed down by the government.
The fact that Home Minister Amit Shah recently met Raje was a marker that Delhi will be compelled to take her more seriously than it would care to. Like B S Yediyurappa, she's a regional chieftain who can't be discarded at will, reports Radhika Ramaseshan.
The polls are being viewed as a run-up to the general elections scheduled for May 2019 and will test the popularity of the government and its policies amid rising crude oil prices
In power, Mamata Banerjee has tried to bury the ghost of the past, but it might still be work-in-progress. Big-ticket and eye-grabbing (in terms of investment size) projects are still few and far between, reports Ishita Ayan Dutt.
The current battle within the party is seen as setting the stage for August 10 when Sonia completes one year of interim presidentship, and questions are being raised about a leadership vacuum. For the first time, responsible quarters are suggesting that as Sonia cannot function as interim president indefinitely and Rahul seems to want power but not the responsibility, one way out is collective leadership, reports Aditi Phadnis.
Modi campaigned on the issue of national security, which cannot be ensured without a strong economy.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the BJP is looking to fill the Opposition slot and not aspire to occupy pole position.
The AAP government withdrew the approval given by the Sheila Dikshit-led government on allowing FDI in multibrand retail in Delhi.
The Street was following the Karnataka election closely as a test for the Modi-led BJP's prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Investors, however, are likely to wait for the next round of state elections to judge whether the momentum is still with it.
The company is likely to sign a MoU with the Yogi Adityanath government for opening retail stores in the important towns of the state.
Estimated to cost $44 billion, the project was expected to be commissioned by 2025.
The Railway Board and employees at Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, makers of the train, are at loggerheads over the proposed transfer of design and reassigning the manufacturing of Train 18 to Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli.
In order to help farmers, the government has increased minimum support price for the last several years. This has made Indian rice uncompetitive for exports.
According to sources, the postal bank will tie up with other banks and financial companies to offer products like loans, mutual funds, and insurance policies to its customers.
Indian Premier League governing council chairman Rajiv Shukla, on Monday, avoided commenting on reports of Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur allegedly being seen with a bookie and said that he would comment on the matter only after getting any evidence.
Workers of a jute mill allegedly beat to death the chief executive officer in the factory premises after he refused to agree to their demand on wages at Bhadreswar in West Bengal's Hooghly District.
While, projects, including Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway, totalling Rs 60,000 crore have already been launched, the Yogi Adityanath government is fast paving the way for laying the foundation of the remaining projects before the general election dates are announced.
CEOs expect populist measures in the Budget, to help the poor and marginalised, who make up for the largest section of voters.
Expressing concern over the rupee reaching an all-time low, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the currency is likely to plunge further as a share of the US financial stimulus package given to India during the sub-prime crisis in 2008-09 may be withdrawn by the Federal Reserve.
Forty five organised slaughterhouses are not in a position to cater for the big demand for rawhide
Foreign investors, according to them, will now wait-and-watch how the economy takes shape in the backdrop of doubts over monsoon, interest rate trajectory and other global events such as the US - China trade war.
Manoj Sinha, earlier minister of state for railways, will be tasked to conduct the auction and deal with issues like net neutrality.
In a significant move, the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to be held in Gujarat from January 7 to 9, might see the overseas citizen of India and person of Indian origin cards getting clubbed, External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.
In its manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had criticised the Congress-led UPA regime for "policy and decision paralysis".
The surge in oil prices has also affected the rupee, which hit a 6-week low of 70.25 on Friday against the dollar.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has written as many as 80 letter to the PM since he took as the reins of the state three years ago.
There will be pressure on the fiscal situation, especially at a time when the monsoon can also disappoint. More populist expenditure is on cards if the mandate is a hung Parliament or a coalition government.
Catch all the action from the Monsoon session of Parliament, LIVE
Earlier, SC had given two weeks to prove Chidambaram deliberately granted FIPB clearance in 2006
A lowdown on all the goings-on in the Malayalam film industry.
Bhagwat, who had played a significant role in asking Advani to withdraw his resignation from key posts of the BJP last week, has decided to meet the latter despite him voicing grievance over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation as the BJP's 2014 poll panel chief.
"Today, we stand united in solidarity with our security forces in fighting terrorism and in defending the unity and integrity of India."
A fresh case has been lodged against controversial Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his alleged 'hate-speech' in Shamli district. A case was registered against Khan in Thana Bhawan police station on Saturday for his remarks at an election rally in Jalalabad area of the district on April 8, District Magistrate NP Singh told mediapersons.
Modi to dilute pro-business changes to land bill.
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