THE HEADLINES
- President asks Governors to strictly abide by the Constitution; Says any deviation will weaken nation's democratic fabric.
- AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal seeks Centre's cooperation on issues of unauthorised colonies and statehood for national Capital; scheduled to meet Home Minister and President later today.
- I-T department issues notice to AAP seeking explanation for two crore rupees donation; Welcoming the notice, Party says it will cooperate in the investigation.
- In Jharkhand, six Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MLAs join BJP.
- Sensex climbs by around 150 points in afternoon trade.
- Government revises Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar scheme to promote sports in the country.
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President Pranab Mukherjee has asked Governors and Lieutenant Governors to ensure that the affairs of the States and Union Territories are conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution. Addressing the 46th Conference of Governors in New Delhi today, Mr Mukherjee said that any deviation from the principles and provisions embodied in the Constitution would weaken the democratic fabric of the country. He added that prevalence of peace and communal harmony must be ensured.
On the development of the North East, the President said that much needs to be done for infrastructure development and harness its tourism potential. He said, ethnic violence in Assam needs to be countered effectively, by addressing genuine developmental aspirations of the Bodo people. More from our correspondent;
Addressing the conference, the President said, India's demographic dividend of largest workforce should be tapped to make it a powerful engine for growth, otherwise, it could create social tension. Mr Mukherjee said skill development is also important for the success of the Make-in-India campaign. On sanitation facilities in rural areas, the President asked the States and Union Territories to establish administrative mechanisms to take Swachh Bharat Mission down to every village or ward.
The two day conference is being attended by Twenty-one Governors and two Lt. Governors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog are prominent among those attending the conference. It will deliberate upon the internal and external security with special focus on border security in States sharing international frontiers, financial inclusion and employment generation. With Sant Bahadur, this is Anupam Mishra, AIR News, Delhi.
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Aam Aadmi party chief Arvind Kejriwal today met Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and sought cooperation from Centre on the issues of unauthorized colonies and statehood for the national capital.
Talking to reporters after meeting, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, Mr Kejriwal requested the Minister for Centre's assistance in prime issues regarding development of Delhi.
We have requested for his cooperation on four big immediate issues. Firstly, the issue of village land, secondly the issue of unauthorised colonies, thirdly, land for schools, colleges, hospitals, parking and parks and fourthly the issue of full statehood for delhi.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said, he has assured Mr Kejriwal that the Centre will cooperate for the development of Delhi and work as Team India.
I told them whenever there is any problem they are free to come and talk to me and my officers are ready to assist the Delhi administration in this regard.
Mr Kejriwal will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the evening and discuss issues relating to Delhi. He is also likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow and invite him for the swearing-in ceremony to be held on Saturday at Ramlila Maidan.
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The Income Tax Department has issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party, seeking an explanation for donations of over 2 crore rupees to the party. The notice was issued after the AAP Volunteer Action Manch, AVAM had accused AAP of receiving 2 crore rupees last year from four dubious companies through cheques. The department has asked the party to reply to the notice by Monday. The department has also issued a notice to Congress party on the alleged funding of 10 lakh rupees and asked them to explain their sources of political funding. Welcoming the notice, AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena said, the party will cooperate in the investigation. She also demanded that funding of every party should be looked into by the SIT.
Reacting to the notice, Congress leader PC Chacko said that politics and law should not be mixed. He also said that IT department has every right to send notice.
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Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has invited people for oath-taking ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday. In an invitation through private FM radio advertisement, Mr Kejriwal appealed to people to flock to the venue where he had taken oath last time. In the advertisement message, Mr Kejriwal said, it is his duty to give the people their right, make Delhi a better place and bring back happiness to the common man.
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Maharashtra continues to reel under the menace of swine flu. The toll due to the virus in the State has gone up to 40 this year. Mumbai has recorded six deaths due to H1N1 virus since last month. More from our correspondent;
Maharashtra continues to be in the grip of the H1N1 virus claiming 40 lives in the State since January this year. According to a press note released by the state authorities the total number of swine flu cases in the state has shot up to 205 as State health officials desperately attempt to tighten the rise on the virus. Following the rapid outbreak of diseases in the country, In Mumbai, all civic hospitals will keep at least two ventilators on standby for H1N1 patients. Enough stocks of Tamiflu have been locally procured. The BMC and New Mumbai Municipal Corporation has also started a helpline for citizens to call and report their conditions or clear doubts. LUBNA YUSUF MOOSA, AIR NEWS, MUMBAI.
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In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, despite creating public awareness and rising day temperatures, a large number of swine flu cases are being reported in the two states. About 80 samples tested positive for H1N1 during the past 48 hours in Telangana. Over 40 patients have been admitted in the special ward at Gandhi Hospital. With this, the total number of swine flu infections since January has crossed 900 out of which 42 succumbed to the virus.
In Andhra Pradesh, a woman succumbed to Swine Flu last evening in Ananthapur district and two more tested positive for the H1N1. With this the total swine flu infections in the state rose to 58. Currently, 25 persons have been admitted in hospitals in various hospitals in the state.
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The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain a PIL seeking CBI probe into the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor. Sunanda was found dead in a hotel in south Delhi in January last year in mysterious circumstances. Based on the final report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Delhi police had said that Sunanda died due to poisoning and registered a murder case. Police has questioned Tharoor and their son Shiv Menon in the case. It will again question Tharoor tomorrow. Talking to reporters in Delhi today, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said that police needed to obtain some clarifications from him.
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In Jharkhand, six out of a total of eight MLAs belonging to Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, JVM, have joined the BJP in Ranchi today. Our Ranchi Correspondent reports that the rebel JVM MLAs had earlier requested the Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly to grant them seats alongside the ruling BJP combine as they planned to merge with the BJP.
The JVM, on the other hand, had expelled the four of the six rebel MLAs, two days ago.
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JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar will parade 130 MLAs belonging to the ruling JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and Independents before President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi this evening. Nitish Kumar is demanding Bihar Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi to invite him to form a new Government in the state as he was elected the leader of JD(U) Legislature Party, removing Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Manjhi, however, claimed that he still enjoys support of the majority of the MLAs and sought a trial of strength at the floor of the Assembly.
Earlier, Nitish Kumar had said that they will meet the President as any further delay could lead to horse trading.
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BJP's ally Shiv Sena has again taken a dig at the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi through its mouthpiece 'Saamna' over the Delhi election drubbing. Criticizing Mr. Modi, Saamna came with the editorial questioning 'If this isn't his defeat, then whose is it?' The editorial continued its attack by saying that the Delhi public used the broom to sweep out BJP.
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An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale jolted the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around nine this morning. Observations by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services suggest that the epicentre of the quake lay 10 kilometres below the ocean floor on the western side of the North and Middle Andaman district. There is no report of any damage to life or property so far.
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In more news, from the island, Andaman and Nicobar Administration has decided to open up two more islands for tourism. Our correspondents reports, that a master plan is being prepared to develop Long island and Little Andaman as additional tourism destinations.
Andaman and Nicobar is synonymous with tourism. However, the figures on tourist footfall highlight the fact that more needs to be done to make it a compelling tourism circuit. To give momentum to the leisure industry, the Union Territory Administration has decided to open up Long Island in the north for ecotourism and Little Andaman in the south for surfing with modern facilities, as informed by Mr Vishwa Kannan, Director, Tourism in an exclusive interview to AIR News.
“Administration is planning to develop these islands by drawing a master plan. Plans are on to develop these as ideal destinations, in a planned and systematic manner” The move to promote the islands for tourism is set to generate more employment opportunities, apart from augmenting the infrastructure. Jaya Singh, AIR News, Port Blair.
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After a positive opening, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange remained firm, and had climbed 148 points, to 28,504 in afternoon trade, a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, the Sensex had advanced 135 points. Similarly, the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange had gained 50 points, to 8,616 a short while ago.
Stock markets in China, South Korea and Singapore had gained between 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent, today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.8 per cent higher in yesterday's trade.
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The Government has revised the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar scheme for the development of sports in the country. An official release said, that under the revised scheme, the Award will be given in four categories. These are identification and nurturing of young talent, encouragement of sports through Corporate Social Responsibility, employment of sports persons and sports welfare measures and sports for development.
The scheme had been introduced in 2009 to encourage and promote involvement of corporates, sports promotion boards in the promotion and development of sports.
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Zimbabwe today stunned Sri Lanka by seven wickets in a warm-up game of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Lincoln, New Zealand.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka posted 279 for 8 in the alloted 50 overs. In reply, Zimbabwe overhauled the target with 28 balls to spare.
In the other warm-up game at Christchurch, New Zealand defeated South Africa by 134 runs.
Beginning this Saturday, the World Cup is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. In the opener, New Zealand will meet Sri Lanka at Christchurch. Australia will play England in Melbourne in the other Pool-A fixture of the day.
Team India, which is in Pool-B, will play Pakistan in their opening group match this Sunday at the Adelaide Oval.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes on Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's death anniversary. In a tweet, Mr. Modi said, his ideals of Antyodaya and integral humanism remain a guiding force for the countrymen.
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