As an IAS officer in Kerala, Gyanesh Kumar -- who the Congress described as Amit Shah's 'right hand man' -- had a good working equation with the state's Congress and Left leaders.
The Supreme Court of India has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of non-compliance with laws and irregularities at Vantara, a Green Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Gujarat. The SIT will examine the acquisition of animals, compliance with wildlife protection laws, and other related issues.
"This entire period is highly sensitive in terms of law and order, healthcare, sanitation, education, and disaster management. Hence, all related departments and district administrations must work with coordination and accountability," Adityanath said, according to an official statement.
Expressing surprise over political parties not coming forward in filing objections related to 65 lakh excluded voters, the top court directed the chief electoral officer of Bihar to implead them in the court proceedings.
The outfit suggested that the government amend the Information Technology Act to classify all such content as pornography, which people should only be able to access by punching in their Aadhaar details or their fingerprints. Archis Mohan reports
Following a complaint by a police inspector, the case was registered at Cubbon Park station, they said.
The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a hearing on February 19 for pleas challenging the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under the 2023 law. The court emphasized the potential consequences if any action is taken before the hearing. The pleas argue that the 2023 law, which excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel, undermines the independence of the Election Commission and allows for undue influence from the executive branch. The court's earlier verdict in March 2023 called for an independent selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India to ensure the integrity of the Election Commission. The case highlights concerns about the independence of India's electoral process and the potential for political influence in the appointment of key election officials.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticized the government's decision to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the middle of the night, arguing that it is "disrespectful" and "discourteous" given the ongoing Supreme Court challenge to the selection process. Gandhi presented a dissent note to the selection committee, stating that the process violates the Supreme Court order and undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
Ajay Sharma, the chief of Sanatan Rakshak Dal, had on Wednesday said they have removed Sai Baba's idol from 14 temples so far, including the idol of Sai Baba at the Bada Ganesh temple in Lohatia.
Heavy rains and landslides in Himachal Pradesh have resulted in multiple fatalities and widespread disruption, including road closures and train cancellations.
The Supreme Court will hear on February 19 pleas challenging the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under the 2023 law. The court will take up the matter on a priority basis, after some urgent listed matters. The government has appointed a new CEC and ECs under the new law, which excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel, despite a 2023 Supreme Court verdict directing the inclusion of the CJI in the panel. The petitioners argue that the exclusion of the CJI undermines the independence of the election commission.
'The police could not save my daughter or bring her justice, but they didn't think twice about beating up women and elderly persons.'
Rejecting the opposition's charge that the bill will weaken the act, the government said it was fully committed to transparency and autonomy of the institution.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has received five e-mails threatening to blow up the Golden Temple since July 14, president of the apex gurdwara body Harjinder Singh Dhami said on Wednesday.
The initiative comes in the wake of the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday that claimed 11 lives.
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer M G Devasahayam, who was one of the signatories to the representation on the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) and the vote-counting process, had filed an application with the poll panel under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking details of the action taken on it.
Salient features of the National Sports Governance Bill that promise to overhaul several aspects of sports governance and the grievance redressal system for athletes and administrators alike in the country.
The apex court asked the Gujarat high court to decide within four weeks on a plea filed by the Aam Aadmi Party leaders seeking quashing of the summonses issued to them by the trial court.
Does voter deletion controversy expose critical gaps in ECI verification procedures and safeguards protecting electoral roll integrity?
'Around 7 am, I was in my house when I heard a loud noise and there was dust all over. When I came down, I saw that our neighbour's home has collapsed'
'The prime minister has taken pre-emptive action by not appointing a Chief Information Commissioner at all to render it dysfunctional.'
'The bureaucracy is also hardening its stand and in most cases has realised that the commissioners are not really committed to transparency,' says former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
The case lodged against him by one of the Customs officials is pending before the special judge, Thiruvananthapuram.
Disha Salian, former manager of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area, six days before Rajput allegedly committed suicide in his apartment in Bandra.
The investigation for 7/11 blast in which 189 people died was under question mark from the very first month after the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad started arresting the accused from different parts of city. Within 10 days of blast by July 22, 2006, ATS arrested all the 13 terror accused in the case under the leadership of ATS chief, K P Raghuvanshi.
Geetanjali Krishna explains why this may slow down India's fight against corruption.
Earlier in the day, rich tributes were paid to Yechury at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) headquarters at the AKG Bhavan here, where his mortal remains were brought from his residence in the morning.
Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was on Friday questioned for over three hours by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in an alleged graft case related to the construction of classrooms in government schools here, officials said.
Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra rejected the contentions of the PMO which had claimed that such class of information could not be provided "without compromising interests of the State and other specified concerns".
According to ESPNCricinfo, the resignation has been submitted to the president of the Board, Raghuram Bhat.
"Every Indian deserves to know the truth and the BJP wants to hide the truth. The BJP believes the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in power. The changes proposed to the RTI will make it a useless Act," the Congress president said on Twitter.
A foreign country, which now has good relations with India, spread false information on the death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent nearly four decades ago, intelligence reports produced on Wednesday by the Prime Minister's Office MO before the Central Information Commission indicate.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has turned down an application seeking cost-related information on the country's unique fast-breeder reactor being developed at Kalpakkam.
It will be court's opinion versus the legislative power to enact law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said as it posted the pleas challenging the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners under the 2023 law on February 4.
The UPA chairperson added that the Centre may "achieve its aims" through majority, but in the process, it would be disempowering each and every citizen of our country.
Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said," The office of Leader of Opposition is a public authority as it is created by a notification of the government," but reserved his decision whether it is part of Lok Sabha secretariat or an independent office.
On deletions, Kumar clarified that they are processed only through Form 7 or Form B, following strict guidelines.
He admitted that the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has been in touch with him to update the right to information act and bring it at par with the one operating at the central level.
Madras High Court has stayed the Central Information Commissioner's (CIC) proceedings on declaring the Board of Control for Cricket in India as a public authority under the RTI Act.
Traffic flow is smooth on all major routes to the Maha Kumbh and vehicular movement in Prayagraj city is also normal ahead of the Maghi Purnima, police said on Tuesday.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Gujarat high court seeking a review of its recent order setting aside the Central Information Commission's directive to the Gujarat University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to the AAP national convener.
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