What to watch out for
Caught between a rock and a hard place: The life and tragedies of Meghalaya’s miners
It’s been 14 days since over a dozen miners went into an illegal ‘rat-hole’ coal mine in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills and got trapped after water from a nearby river flooded it. There is no confirmation on the number of miners trapped inside the mine. Meanwhile, their families wander about in a state of desolation and disbelief at the fate of their loved ones who are believed to be dead. The ‘rat hole’ mining technique entails, which was outlawed by in the state by the National Green Tribunal in 2014, entails digging small vertical pits to reach the minerals. Despite the ban, the practice is still rampant around the state. Why have the mines been allowed to function despite the death rates? What has the government done to implement the ban? Reporter Adrija Bose investigates in this News18.com special exclusive.
NIA’s 10 terror suspects in raids across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh
The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday arrested 10 alleged terror suspects thought to be planning ‘ISIS-inspired’ attacks. The NIA conducted raids in 10 locations across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, following the release of a new ISIS module ‘Harkat ul Harb e Islam’. The agency has implicated an Islamic preacher (maulvi) from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh as the mastermind of the plot. Among the 10 arrested, are a civil engineer, an auto rickshaw driver and a mobile shop owner who were allegedly helping the maulavi with the making of remote bombs, procurement of SIM cards and transportation. Officials have said that the group were plotting to carry out a series of blasts and were being directed by a foreign handler. They will be produced before at Delhi’s Patiala House Court.
Triple Talaq Bill to be discussed in Lok Sabha today
The Triple Talaq Bill will be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha today. The BJP has issued a three-line whip asking all the Minister of Parliament to be present in the in the Lok Sabha. A breach of the whip will take up as a disciplinary issue. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, aims to make the practice of instant triple talaq an offence. The triple talaq bill was tabled in December after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.
Only Jats, Jat Sikhs and Rajputs considered for President’s bodyguards, petitioner claims
The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Center and the Army Chief of Staff over the selection of President’s Bodyguards. The High Court’s inquiry comes in light of a PIL hearing that took place after Haryana resident Gaurav Yadav has sought the recruitment as the President’s Bodyguards claiming that only three castes – Jats, Jat Sikhs and Rajputs were considered for the positions. The petitioner said that he comes from the Ahir/Yadav community and fulfilled all eligibility criteria of recruitment but was denied the position based because he did not belong to the three castes.
Stood up at his own party, KCR yet to meet Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is yet to meet Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samja Party chiefs Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati despite having planned a meeting with the two in Delhi on Wednesday. While Mayawati has yet to decide on a time, Yadav said that he will not be able to meet the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi chief in Delhi. A meeting with the two was planned to take place in the SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi. KCR has been on a federal front mission to forge an alliance of regional parties who he hopes will be a strong alternative to the Congress and BJP in the upcoming general elections.
What you might have missed
Nitin Gadkari calls for meeting between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers over issue of dam
Water resource minister Nitin Gadkari has called for a meeting between the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the issue of building the Mekedatu dam. The issue has drawn the ire of Tamil Nadu’s parties AIADMK and DMK, who have been protesting in the Lok Sabha. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in his meeting with Gadkari had raised the issue of the dam following which Gadkari expressed his support and proposed the meeting between Chief Ministers.
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