THE HEADLINES:
- Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to be taken for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha today.
- EPFO enhances payment options by adding 15 more banks to Direct Payment System.
- India achieves record high of renewable energy capacity addition of 25 gigawatts in the last financial year.
- Death toll crosses 2,700 in earthquake-hit Myanmar; India delivers 625 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid under operation Brahma.
- In IPL T20 Cricket, Punjab Kings defeat Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets last evening.
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The government is all set to move the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha today. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who also holds the charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, has said, eight hours have been allocated for the discussion on the Bill in the House. Talking to the media at Parliament House, Mr Rijiju said, during the Business Advisory Committee meeting, it was agreed that the time for the discussion may be increased after taking the sense of the House. Mr. Rijiju added that the government is ready to answer all the questions over the bill. The Minister alleged that opposition parties are opposing the legislation due to their appeasement politics.
The BJP, NDA allies and Congress have issued a whip to all their MPs to be present in the Lok Sabha. Our correspondent reports that the primary objective of the Bill is to address shortcomings in the management and governance of Waqf properties.
The aim of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is to streamline the Waqf Board’s work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties. The objective of the Bill is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in the country. It also intends to overcome the shortcomings of the previous Act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as updating the definitions of Waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. With Anand Kumar, Saklen Akhtar for Akashvani News Delhi.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August last year and was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee formed under the chairmanship of BJP MP Jagdambika Pal for further consideration. The Committee has held thirty-six sittings, wherein they heard the views and suggestions of the representatives of various ministries and departments, as well as key organizations. The Committee received over 97 lakh memoranda in total through both physical and digital modes.
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The Rajya Sabha has passed the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025. The bill seeks to give legal effect to the convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment.
Replying to the discussion on the bill, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, India is the third largest domestic Civil Aviation market in the world. He said in 2014 the total domestic passenger market was 60.7 million, which has doubled to 161.3 million.
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Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has expanded its Multi-Banking Centralised Collection System by empanelling 15 more banks, bringing the total number of banks in the panel to 32. The EPFO entered into agreements with Public and Private Sector Banks in this regard in the presence of Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi yesterday. The newly empanelled 15 banks will enable direct payment of nearly 12,000 Crore rupees in annual collections and enable direct access to employers who maintain their accounts with these banks.
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India’s renewable energy sector has achieved the highest-ever capacity addition in the last financial year, by installing 25 gigawatts. New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi informed this while addressing a press conference in New Delhi yesterday. He said, the sector witnessed an increase of almost 35 per cent in the last financial year, compared to 18.57 gigawatts achieved in the financial year 2023-24. The Minister highlighted that the country’s journey in renewable energy was led by solar, which soared from 15 to nearly 21 gigawatts in the last financial year.
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The Ministry of Women and Child Development has said, India’s adoption ecosystem has seen a significant boost in the Financial Year 2024-25, with a record 4,515 child adoptions. This marks the highest in the past 12 years. Of the total number, 4,155 were domestic adoptions, which reflect the growing acceptance of legal adoption in the country.
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased toll charges by 4 to 5 per cent nationwide. The hike, effective immediately, will help fund highway maintenance and expansion. On the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, car tolls from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut will rise from 165 to 170 rupees, while Ghaziabad to Meerut will increase from 70 to 75 rupees. Trucks on this route will now pay 580 rupees.
Tolls on highways around Lucknow, including routes to Kanpur, Ayodhya, Raebareli, and Barabanki, will go up by 5-10 rupees for light vehicles and 20-25 rupees for heavy vehicles.
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In Myanmar, death toll in last week’s devastating earthquake has crossed 2,700. Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised address yesterday that the toll has reached 2,719 and is expected to rise to more than three thousand. He said 4,521 people have been injured, and 441 are missing.
Meanwhile, rescue operations are underway in the country in full swing. So far, India has delivered 625 Metric Tonne of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) material under Operation Brahma, through six aircraft and five Indian Naval ships.
Another Indian Naval Ship Gharial departed for Yangon from Visakhapatnam Port yesterday carrying 442 MT of food aid. These supplies are intended to meet the immediate food needs of the affected population in Myanmar.
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Israel has announced the elimination of all tariffs on imports from the United States. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office and the finance and economy Ministries announced this in a joint statement.
The announcement came just a day before US President Donald Trump is expected to unveil new tariffs on all US trade partners. The move still needs approval by the parliament’s finance committee.
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US has reiterated its stance of opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the remarks when asked to respond to the Chinese military drills around Taiwan. Leavitt said President Trump emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, adding that US encourages peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Her remarks come after China began joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Taiwan opposed People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) move saying it will undermine regional peace. In a social media post, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence condemned the drills and called it China’s irrational provocations.
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In Gujarat, nearly twenty-one people, lost their lives and six were injured after a massive explosion triggered the collapse of firecracker godown in Deesa town in Banaskantha district yesterday. The local crime branch has arrested two individuals including the owner of an illegally operated godown.
The deceased include four women and three children, and mostly from neighbouring state Madhya Pradesh and were trapped under the debris after the collapse. The injured are being treated at local hospitals in Deesa, Palanpur and Ahmedabad. Government spokesperson and Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said that the government has taken strict action against those responsible for the incident. A special investigation team has been formed to investigate the case. Earlier yesterday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had announced a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.
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President of the Lanka India Business Association, Santosh Menon has highlighted the likely transformative impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Sri Lanka. Speaking to Akashvani in Colombo, Mr. Menon noted that opportunity for Sri Lanka to gain from India’s growth is immense. He added that out of 36 Billion USD that have been invested by Indian businesses as FDI globally, only 2 billion USD was invested in Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to commence his Sri Lanka visit from 4th of April.
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In IPL T20 Cricket, riding on the blistering knock of 69 runs by Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Earlier, Punjab Kings had won the toss and opted to field. Put in to bat, Hosts Lucknow Super Giants posted 171 for 7 in stipulated 20 overs.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- Most newspapers today open with stories on the Tariff turbulence. The fall in stock markets amid hightened uncertainty ahead of reciprocal tariffs by US finds top place in The Pioneer, with a headline: Tariffs spook markets, sensex crashes, 1400 points. Under the caption,”tracking performance”, The Business Standard headline reads, “FPI selloff ahead of US tariff move rattles markets”.
- On the exchange of messages between the top leadership India and China to mark the 75th anniversary of bilateral ties,” Modi, Xi cement ties in elephant -dragon tango”, is the lead headline in The Hindustan Times.
- The Statesman quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads with “India, Chile to jointly fight organised crime, drug trafficking”.
- “CAG report flags defects in monitoring air quality data”, highlights shortage of public transport in national capital mentions the Delhi Tribune.
- And finally, The Asian Age carries an inspiring story of a Madurai girl Samyuktha Narayanan who at 7 has become the world’s youngest taekwondo instructor.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to be taken for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha today.
- EPFO enhances payment options by adding 15 more banks to Direct Payment System.
- India achieves record high of renewable energy capacity addition of 25 gigawatts in the last financial year.
- Death toll crosses 2,700 in earthquake-hit Myanmar; India delivers 625 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid under operation Brahma.
- In IPL T20 Cricket, Punjab Kings defeat Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets last evening.
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