Non recourse state

NEW DELHI: The central government has asked states and union territories to ensure that names of people are not deleted from the ration card database due to non- possession of Aadhaar, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Tuesday. Identification of beneficiaries in Fair Price Shops (FSPs) is done primarily on the basis of Aadhaar authentication through electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) mechanism. The minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution told Lok Sabha that in case of Aadhaar authentication failure, certain other alternatives have been prescribed to avail benefits under the public distribution system. "This department has reiterated time and again to all State/UT governments to ensure that no instance of denial of foodgrains or deletion of names of family from the ration card database only on the ground of non-possession of Aadhaar takes place," Paswan said in a written reply. Out of the total 5.35 lakh FPSs in the country, nearly 4.58 lakh FPSs have been … [Read more...] about States must not delete ration card holders’ names for lack of Aadhaar: Paswan

        The popular beach-holiday destination of Goa may soon be freed of all plastic pollution if the state government’s plan to ban the single-use plastic goes as per plan. Passage of a soon-to-be-tabled bill seeking to ban manufacturing, import and sale of plastic carry bags and single use items will be the first step in that direction. Single-use plastic, commonly used for packaging before being thrown or recycled, has been banned in four states -- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana --- but its implementation in most of these states has left a lot for environmentalists to desire.The Goa Non-biodegradable Garbage (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 proposes to make burning or improperly discarding plastic a punishable offence with fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh for manufacturers and Rs 2,500 to Rs 50,000 along with imprisonment for individuals and commercial establishments. The Bill has been cleared by the cabinet and … [Read more...] about Beach-holiday destination Goa set to junk plastic for good

New York: Members of the Indian-American community say they feel betrayed, cheated and saddened by Indian-American Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who has introduced a Congressional resolution on Kashmir, saying that the lawmaker is "pandering for political advantage through it. Jayapal on Friday introduced a Congressional resolution urging India to end the restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents. The Indian-American community, which has strongly supported the Democrats in the US over the decades, is voicing anger and hurt over Jayapal moving ahead with introducing the legislation even though Indian-Americans had urged her against it. In a strong criticism of Jayapal, Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra told PTI that "her resolution mocks America and interferes in a bilateral relationship between India and the US. I look upon as Pramila Jayapal as completely unprincipled, un-American, … [Read more...] about Indian-American Community Feels ‘Betrayed, Cheated’ by Pramila Jayapal’s Resolution on Kashmir

New Delhi: Asserting that a US federal commission's critical comments on the Citizenship Amendment Bill are not accurate, India on Tuesday said the American body on international religious freedom has chosen to be guided only by its biases on a matter on which it has no locus standi. In a statement issued on Monday, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) alleged that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill enshrines a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that specifically excludes Muslims, setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom's statement on the bill is neither accurate nor warranted, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Neither the Citizenship Amendment Bill, nor the NRC process seeks to strip citizenship from any Indian citizen of any faith, he said. "The position articulated by USCIRF is not surprising given its past record. It is, however, regrettable that the … [Read more...] about Not Accurate or Warranted: Govt Slams US Commission’s Call for Sanctions Against Amit Shah Over CAB

'Underestimating its potential implications, in the event of an 'adverse' verdict, could turn out to be a huge political blunder,' says Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir. 'You have saved Kashmir for India.' That was how a greatly relieved Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru instantly responded to the telephonic report flashed to him by his Intelligence Bureau chief B N Mullick, on January 4, 1964, that Prophet Mohammad's holy (hair) relic stolen from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar had been recovered. Fifty-three years later, today, a similar situation, sparked by the furious controversy over the fate of Article 35A of the Constitution of India is ominously spiraling towards a point where one might have to face the inevitable question: Who is it going to be, this time, to 'save Kashmir for India', if and when it comes to that. With each passing day, that troubling possibility is nearing the dreaded probability. The 1964 incident was perceived here to be a … [Read more...] about Row over Article 35A nears flash point in Kashmir