RSS is a mass movement, part of Indian ‘mosaic’: German envoy Walter Lindner
“I asked many questions on radicalism, and there are no simple answers to these questions...The [RSS] is one part of the mosaic that makes up India. You can’t deny that this is a mass movement and whether one likes it or not, it is out there,” German Ambassador Walter Lindner said.
Speaking to The Hindu about the criticism he has faced over the visit, including one online petition that is calling for his resignation or recall, Mr. Lindner said he had visited Nagpur to review progress in the city’s Metro project which Germany has helped finance, and decided to also meet with RSS Sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat.
Iran defends seizure of U.K. tanker
Britain denounced the Iranian seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf as a ”hostile act” on Saturday, rejecting Tehran’s explanation that it had seized the vessel because it had been involved in an accident. Friday’s action by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the global oil trade’s most important waterway has been viewed in the West as a major escalation in three months of confrontation that took Iran and the United States to the brink of war.
Sheila Dixit, an efficient leader who steered Delhi into the future
The political legacy of veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, who was India’s longest serving woman Chief Minister, was best summed up by her one time rival and now Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who said, “We had our differences on policies but we always admired her behaviour and efficiency.”
From bashing police to praising them, Chennai ‘Gana’ singers change tune
Before they were produced in the court, the arrested men were taken to the burial ground where they had sung the damaging song and made to sing again – this time in praise of the police. “Please listen to us,” they sang, “Police are our friends. Without the police, the city will become a burial ground...Please listen to what we say,” the song continued with another appeal, “If you don’t listen to us, you will become bad. You are nothing without the police.”
Explained | Why are parliamentary standing committees necessary?
In the backdrop of a number of Bills having been passed without scrutiny, why are parliamentary standing committees necessary?
The story so far: Eleven of the 22 Bills introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament have been passed, which makes it a highly productive session after many years. But these Bills have been passed without scrutiny by parliamentary standing committees, their purpose being to enable detailed consideration of a piece of legislation.
Explained | What is the World Test Championship?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) wanted to make bilateral Test cricket more engaging for the casual fan. A tournament with a global title to be won at the end of it, the ICC felt, sharpened the context of each individual series within the competition, making it more meaningful and gripping. Also, the introduction of the World Test Championship ensures every format of the game will have a ‘pinnacle tournament’ and a clearly identifiable world champion.
Reliance Jio may unveil GigaFiber on August 12
After disrupting the Indian mobile telephony market, Reliance Jio is all set to storm the wired broadband market with its commercial launch slated to be announced during Reliance Industries’ (RIL’s) annual general meeting on August 12. The company plans to launch its GigaFiber services, which would include home broadband, entertainment and smart home IoT (Internet of things) solutions.
Indonesia Open: Sindhu in her first final of season
India’s P.V. Sindhu entered the final of the Indonesia Open BWF Tour Super 1000 badminton tournament with a straight-game win over All England champion Chen Yufei of China here on Saturday. Sindhu showed her brilliance once again as she saw off World No. 3 Chen 21-19, 21-10 to enter her first final of the season.
