43 fishermen held by Sl naval personnel
Rameswaram (TN): As many as 43 Indian fishermen were on Thursday arrested by Sri lankan naval personnel while fishing in Nedunchivu and Mullaithivu areas off the island nation, officials said.
4-day break for RS members next week
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha members will have an extended four-day break next week after its Business Advisory Committee (BAC) decided to keep March 5 (Thursday) a holiday. Deputy Speaker PJ Kurien informed the House that the BAC had decided that to make up for the lost time, House will sit at least till 7 pm every working day till then. As per the Government of India calendar March 5 is a restricted holiday as it is ‘Holika Dahan’. The next day, which is Friday, March 6, is a gazetted holiday as Holi falls on this day. With Saturday and Sunday following the two holidays, there will be a four day weekend for Rajya Sabha members.
Women, kids’ health a pressing agenda: nadda
New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday said that he was “hopeful” that the country will achieve UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 which aims at reducing child and maternal mortality rates. MDGs 4 and 5 call for a two-third reduction of under five child deaths and a three-quarter reduction of maternal deaths respectively by the end of 2015. He said health concerns, especially those related to women, children and adolescents, are “prominent and pressing” agenda for the Narendra Modi-led Government.
gOVT WITHDRAWS CITIZEN BIll FROM lS
New Delhi: Government on Thursday withdrew the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2014, introduced in the Winter Session, from lok Sabha saying that a fresh legislation will be brought soon seeking to merge Person of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizenship of India schemes apart from other issues.MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju said the Bill has to be withdrawn since an ordinance was issued in January merging the PIO and OCI schemes.
‘upa govt’s tRIBUNAl BIll HAlF-BAKED’
New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has described as “half-baked” a Bill which seeks to bring uniformity in the tenure, allowances and retirement age of chairpersons and members of the various tribunals. The Tribunals, Appellate Tribunals and Other Authorities (Conditions of Service) Bill, 2014, was brought by the previous UPA Government in the fag end of its term and was referred to the Parliamentary Standing committee on law and Personnel.
No decision on naming housing scheme: govt
New Delhi: Government has taken no decision to name the proposed ‘housing for all’ scheme after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Venkaiah Naidu said a suggestion had come that the proposed housing scheme should be named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Government has not yet decided on the name, he said.
SC TO HEAR PETITION BY DMK GEN SECY TODAY
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday will hear a petition by DMK party general secretary seeking removal of public prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case involving former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The petition of K Anbazhagan was mentioned before a bench headed by CJI Hl Dattu alleging that the prosecutor was not impartial. The apex court had granted bail to Jayalalithaa and asked her to cooperate in the proceedings being heard by Karnataka High Court.
sc to GUJ COPS: SUPPlY 33 papers TO TEESTA
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed Gujarat Police to supply social activist Teesta Setalvad the list of 33 docu-ments required to investigate the charge of embezzlement of funds meant for constructing a museum in memory of 2002 riot victims. After the Gujarat Police had submitted the list of 33 documents in Court, Teesta’s lawyers mentioned before a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra seeking the entire list.