Cabinet approves ₹2,600 crore to promote UPI, RuPay payments
The Union Cabinet approved an outlay of ₹2,600 crore to promote payments using RuPay cards and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav announced on January 11. Banks will be provided this incentive money to promote such digital payments, the Cabinet said in a press release. The fund will be paid to banks in view of the lack of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) — a commission on digital transactions — for UPI and RuPay transactions. This regime has led to complaints from the RBI and banks, the Cabinet said, which have worried about the sustainability of building digital payments infrastructure in the absence of payments needed to scale and maintain them.
Flights across U.S. grounded after Federal Aviation Administration system failure
A U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outage is leading to delays at airports across the country due to ‘ground stops’, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport said on January 11. A ground stop is an air traffic control measure that slows or halts aircraft at a given airport. The FAA said that it was working to restore a system that alerts pilots to hazards and changes to airport facilities and procedures that had stopped processing updated information. “We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now,” the FAA said. “Operations across the National Airspace System are affected.”
Free foodgrains distribution scheme to cover 80 crore poor named PMGKAY: Centre
The central government’s integrated food security scheme has been named as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), under which free foodgrains are being given to more than 80 crore poor people from January 1. The move also comes amid Opposition’s criticism over the government discontinuing free monthly distribution of 5 kilograms of foodgrains to poor people under a scheme that was also known as PMGKAY. This scheme, which was launched in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, ended in December last year.
Supreme Court to hear plea against Bihar caste census on January 20
The Supreme Court on January 11 agreed to list a petition challenging the Bihar caste census next Friday. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud heard a mentioning for urgent hearing of the petition and said it would come up on January 20. The lawyer argued that caste survey came under the Central List of the Constitution and a State did not have the authority to do it. “These are questions on merits… let the case come up next Friday,” the CJI said.
Dhankar says sovereignty of Parliament cannot be compromised; rakes up NJAC Bill again
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on January 11 said that Parliamentary sovereignty cannot be permitted to be diluted or compromised by the Executive or the Judiciary and public posturing or “one-upmanship” that is being frequently witnessed in this matter is not “wholesome”. “In a democratic society, ‘the basic’ of any ‘basic structure’ has to be the supremacy of mandate of people. Thus, the primacy and sovereignty of Parliament and legislature is inviolable,” Mr. Dhankar said addressing the 83rd All India Presiding Officers Conference here.
Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal gets 10-year jail in attempt to murder case
A court in Lakshadweep on January 11 sentenced four people, including Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal to 10 years jail in connection with an attempt to murder case. Lawyers associated with the case said the District and Sessions Court in Kavaratti also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh each on the convicts in the attempt to murder case registered against them in 2009. According to the lawyers, the MP and others attacked Padanath Salih, son-in-law of former Union Minister P. M. Sayeed, when they had reached their neighbourhood for intervening in a political issue during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Joshimath sinking | Uttarakhand CM announces ₹1.5 lakh compensation for affected families
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on January 11 announced ₹1.5 lakh immediate compensation to be given to all the affected families in Joshimath. The compensation will be initially given to those who are displaced. Residents of Joshimath town on Tuesday staged a massive protest against the Uttarakhand Government over the demolition of Malari Inn Hotel, which has been declared “unsafe” by the district administration.
North East Delhi riots | Court frames money laundering charges against Tahir Hussain
Delhi’s Karkardooma Court on January 11 framed charges against Ex-MCD councillor Tahir Hussain in connection with a money laundering case. He has been charged with funding the North East Delhi riots of 2020 through illegal ways. Mr. Hussain has not pleaded guilty and claimed for trials. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat framed the charges against Mr. Hussain who has not pleaded guilty and claimed for trials. He said, “I didn’t do anything and contest the case.” The court has listed the matter for February 10 for the presentation of evidence. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta and Faizan represented the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Mr. Tahir’s counsel was not present.
Six stabbed in Paris train station; attacker shot by police
A knife attacker wounded six people in an unprovoked attack in Paris’ busy Gare du Nord train station Wednesday morning before being shot by police, the French interior minister said. The man had attacked several people, including a police officer, with a “bladed weapon” at around 6:43 a.m. Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene. He said the unnamed assailant was currently “between life and death” in a hospital.
China renews threat against Taiwan as island holds drills
China renewed its threats Wednesday to attack Taiwan and warned that foreign politicians who interact with the self-governing island are “playing with fire.” A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the country was recommitted in the new year to “safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “smashing plots for Taiwan independence” on the self-governing democracy that separated from mainland China in 1949. “The malicious support for Taiwan independence among anti-China elements in a few foreign countries is a deliberate provocation,” Ma Xiaoguang said at a biweekly news conference.
‘Strongly regret’ past human rights violations in Indonesia: President Joko Widodo
Indonesian President Joko Widodo acknowledged, on January 11, a series of incidents amounting to “gross human rights violations” had taken place in his country’s past, including the bloodshed and arrests that took place in 1965 and 1966. In one of the darkest periods of Indonesia’s history, some historians and activists have estimated at least 5,00,000 people were killed in violence that started in late 1965 after then-general Suharto and the military took power following an abortive communist coup. A million or more people were jailed, suspected of being communists. “With a clear, genuine mind and conscience, I as a head of state acknowledge that there were gross human rights violations that did happen in many events,” he said.
Supreme Court agrees to hear plea of Google against NCLAT order
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear Google’s plea in connection with a ₹1337-crore penalty imposed on it by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the case would be listed on January 16 after senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, for Google, urged for an early hearing during oral mentioning hour.
“In my case, in denial, frustration was creeping in. I was very cranky, very snappy in my space. It was not fair on [wife] Anushka [Sharma], my closed ones, its not fair on the people who support you. So I had to take responsibility and kind of put things in perspective,” Kohli told teammate Suryakumar Yadav in an interview for bcci.tv. Kohli reiterated the need to be away from his primary passion in order to rekindle it and feel hungry once again.
