THE HEADLINES:-
- Parliament passes Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 today.
- Defence Ministry to procure advanced guns and vehicles worth 6,900 crore rupees to enhance Army’s operational readiness.
- India calls USCIRF an entity of concern; Terms panel’s reports on religious freedom as politically motivated.
- Hundreds of Palestinians stage protest against Hamas, demanding an end to war with Israel.
- In IPL T20 cricket, match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals underway in Guwahati.
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Parliament has passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill. The bill seeks to amend the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934, the Banking Regulation Act 1949, the State Bank of India Act 1955, the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act 1970 and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Act 1980. The Bill seeks to increase the option for nominees per bank account to four, from existing one. The bill also proposes to redefine substantial interest for directorships, which could increase to two crore rupees instead of the current limit of five lakh rupees. The Bill empowers banks to decide the remuneration of their auditors.
Replying to a debate, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government has undertaken several reforms to strengthen the banking sector in the country.
She said that the public sector banks have recorded highest ever net profit of 1.41 lakh crore rupees in the last year.
Later, after completion of the business, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh adjourned the House for the day.
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The Lok Sabha has passed the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill 2025. The Bill seeks to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand, as a University to be known as the Tribhuvan Sahkari University and to declare it as an institution of national importance. The institution will impart technical and management education and training in the co-operative sector, will promote cooperative research and development and to attain standards of global excellence in order to realise the vision of Sahakar Se Samriddhi.
Replying to the debate on the Bill today, Union Cooperative Minister Amit Shah said that this legislation will empower the rural economy and help in creating self-employment and developing small entrepreneurs.
Geniben Nagaji Thakor of Congress initiated the discussion saying, it is a matter of pride that the first cooperative university will be established in Gujarat.Virendra Singh of Samajwadi Party questioned the criteria for appointment of Vice Chancellor and governing body of the University. Later, Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.
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Ministry of Defence (MoD) today signed contracts for procurement of 155mm/52 Calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems and High Mobility Vehicle 6×6 Gun Towing Vehicles to enhance Indian Army’s operational readiness. The contracts were signed with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced System Limited in New Delhi at a total cost of about 6 thousand 900 crore rupees. More from our correspondent:
“With the signing of these contracts, the Ministry of Defence has now finalized capital procurement contracts worth 1.40 lakh crore rupees in the current financial year 2024-2025. The procurement of Gun Systems and High Mobility Vehicle marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments and enhancing operational readiness. This gun system will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army by enabling precise and long-range strikes. Being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing eco-system as a whole. Pallavi Parmar Akashvani News, Delhi “
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NDA leaders from Bihar have gathered at the residence of BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal in New Delhi for a meeting over dinner. BJP President J P Nadda, senior BJP leaders of the State as well as senior leaders of JD(U), LJP(R), Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha are attending the meeting along with NDA MPs from Bihar. The meeting, which is taking place ahead of the Bihar assembly poll scheduled later this year, is intended to further fine tune coordination among the alliance partners in the state.
Earlier talking to reporters, Union Minister and LJP ( R) Chief Chirag Paswan said that during the meeting , the leaders will discuss the strategies for upcoming Assembly Elections in Bihar.
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The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) will host a virtual candidate open house tomorrow for the PM Internship Scheme, building on the success of its previous sessions. The interactive forum will offer invaluable insights and real-time answers to applicants’ most pressing questions.
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Ministry of Coal will launch the 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi tomorrow. Among the offered mines, 13 coal mines are fully explored, while 12 are partially explored, providing opportunities for both immediate and future development. The 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions aims to attract significant interest from domestic and international investors, reinforcing India’s commitment to self-reliance in energy and industrial growth.
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The Supreme Court stayed the controversial order of the Allahabad High Court and said the judgment showed a “lack of sensitivity”. The controversial Order of Allahabad High Court observed that acts like grabbing breasts or breaking the string of pyjamas do not constitute an attempt to rape and the prosecution must go beyond this “stage of preparation” to prove its charges against a rape accused.
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The Ministry of External Affairs today said that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) should be designated as an entity of concern. Dismissing the findings of the recently released 2025 Annual Report by USCIRF, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that USCIRF continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments. He made these remarks after USCIRF, in its report, claimed that attacks against India’s minorities rose in 2024.
Mr Jaiswal said that USCIRF’s persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India’s vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today said that differences should not become disputes and competition should not become conflict. He made this remark while speaking on India-China relations in a conversation with Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Society, in New Delhi. Dr. Jaishankar emphasized that since October last year, relations between the two countries have seen some improvement, with both nations working on various aspects of their ties.
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A new Group Protection Insurance scheme for blue-collar workers in the UAE has been introduced. The scheme, facilitated by the Consulate General of India, was floated by Dubai National Insurance (DNI) and its marketing partner Nexus Insurance Brokers LLC at the Consulate General of India in Dubai. Building upon the Life Protection Plan (LPP) introduced in March 2024, this new Group Protection Insurance scheme aims to enhance financial security for Indian blue-collar workers and other employees in the UAE.
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Hundreds of Palestinians have joined protests in northern Gaza, shouting anti-Hamas slogans and calling for an end to the war with Israel. Local media reported that the protests took place in front of the Indonesia hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. It said, some protesters were seen carrying banners emblazoned with slogans including Stop the war. The Gaza Strip has been devastated by 17 months of war, with the humanitarian situation worsening after Israel blocked aid on 2nd of this month to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
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Russia has said that some Western sanctions must be lifted before it begins a maritime ceasefire with Ukraine. Within hours of the U.S. announcing that the two sides had agreed to halt strikes in the Black Sea in separate deals, the Kremlin said it would only take place once sanctions on a number of Russian banks were lifted. The demands include revoking sanctions on the state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank and restoring the firm’s access to the SWIFT international payment system.
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On the seventh day of the Khelo India Para Games in Delhi, powerlifters and table tennis players delivered strong performances and competed fiercely against each other.
“In powerlifting, a total of four national records were set by Jaspreet Kaur in the 45 kg category, Manish Kumar in the 54 kg category, Seema Rani in the 61 kg category, and Jhandu Kumar in the 72 kg category. Today, in the men’s elite 107+ kg category, Pardeep Joon won the gold medal, Nadeem secured silver, and Shyam Singh claimed bronze. In the women’s elite 79 kg category, Sahista clinched the gold medal, Gitika Sharma earned silver, and Sunita settled at the bronze. With this, the para powerlifting competition concluded today.
In para table tennis, Rishit Nathwani secured the gold medal by defeating Abhishek Kumar Singh by 3-0. In another final match, Sumit Sehgal clinched gold after beating Jaswant with the same 3-0 score.
In the overall medal tally, Haryana is in the lead, followed by Tamil Nadu in second place and Uttar Pradesh in third. ABHISHEK KAPIL, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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In the IPL T20 Cricket today, Rajasthan Royals were 147 runs for 8 wickets in 19.2 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and opted to bowl.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated heavy rainfall and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir till tomorrow. Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and some parts of Punjab tomorrow.
According to the IMD, maximum temperatures are expected to rise gradually by two to three degrees Celsius over the plains of Northwest India during the next two days and then fall by three to five degrees Celsius thereafter. Odisha is expected to witness a heatwave on the 29th and 30th of this month.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Parliament passes Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 today.
- Defence Ministry to procure advanced guns and vehicles worth 6,900 crore rupees to enhance Army’s operational readiness.
- India calls USCIRF an entity of concern; Terms panel’s reports on religious freedom as politically motivated.
- Hundreds of Palestinians stage protest against Hamas, demanding an end to war with Israel.
- In IPL T20 cricket, match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals underway in Guwahati.
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