Centre recalls Bengal chief secretary after PM-Mamata Banerjee meet row
The central government summoned back West Bengal's top bureaucrat from the state after a tiff that was set off between PM Modi and CM Banerjee. Bengal’s Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been asked to report back to the Department of Personnel and Training office in Delhi by May 31.
The events that led to this recall happened because the state’s CM, Ms. Banerjee cut short a meeting that was supposed to happen with the PM in regards to the impact of cyclone Yaas in the state. She was supposed to discuss the cyclone damage that happened in West Bengal but instead allegedly kept PM Modi and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar waiting for half an hour.
Source- NDTV
Import of free Covid-related relief items to be exempted from IGST
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who leads the Goods and Services Tax Council (GST), announced that any import of covid relief supplies shall be exempted from IGST till August 31. The minister stated that the drug Amphotericin B, used in the treatment of black fungus, will be on the list of exempted items.
Sitharaman also stated that a Group of Ministers (GoM) will be formed quickly, who will submit a report by June 8th to examine any need for further reductions and decide on any new rates in exemptions.
Source- Indian Express
Lesser flights, higher ticket prices: Why govt has made changes to domestic air travel
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to change the airline deployment capacity from 80% to 50% of the pre-covid levels from June 1. This action is being taken in light of the recent drastic reduction in air passenger numbers due to the second covid wave.
This is the first time the ministry changed the guidelines after the flight operations were resumed last year in the wake of a two-month lockdown. Moreover, the government also hiked up the lower limit of the fare bands issued for domestic flights due to rising fuel prices. Flights with less than 40 minutes of duration will now have prices going up to Rs 2,600 (from Rs 2,300) - an increase of 13%.
Source- Indian Express
80% scholarships to Muslims cannot be legally sustained: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High court on Friday dismissed the state government’s order, which was issued back in 2015, of reserving 80% of the minority merit-cum-means scholarships to the Muslim community and 20% to the Christian community, stating that such an action cannot be "legally sustained".
The Judges who heard this petition expressed that the provided benefits should be in proportion to the minorities, according to the latest census report. The lawyer who filed the petition has advocated the fact that such a separation is against the core belief of secularism.
Source- Times Now
The Naveen Patnaik cyclone model: Why storm-battered Odisha has its own back
On Friday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik surprised PM Modi by stating that he does not want to burden the Centre in the wake of Cyclone Yaas and would manage using the state’s resources for now. However, he also wanted some durable long-term planning to be done for Odisha to tackle any such natural disasters in the near future.
The PM was impressed by the state’s effective strategy that was perfected by analyzing the repeated storm surges that it faced. Measures such as having a disaster-resilient power infrastructure and sturdy coastal protection along with strong storm surge embankments were the basis of Odisha’s policy that is presented to the center.
Source- News18
IPL moved to UAE for the remainder of 2021 season
The remaining edition of the IPL will be held in the United Arab Emirates in September and October, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) said on Saturday. Earlier this month, IPL was suspended after some players and support staff got infected by COVID.
BCCI also said that UAE, which was the backup venue for the Twenty20 World Cup and also hosted the entire IPL in 2020 because of the pandemic, was preferred "considering the monsoon season in India".
The BCCI said in a statement that they had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for more time to take a call on whether India would be able to host the Twenty20 World Cup in October and November.
Source- Deccan Herald
HDFC bank, SBI card warn customers of restrictions if they deal in cryptocurrencies
Banking service providers, such as the HDFC Bank and SBI cards and payment services, have started sending out cautionary mailers to their users, warning them against dealing in virtual currencies, citing a 2018 circular from the Reserve Bank of India. This circular was later nullified by the Supreme Court. Additionally, SBI has stated that the user’s services might be cut off if they decide to use their cards to deal in crypto transactions.
Source- Bloomberg Quint
Govt announces Rs 10 lakh fund, free education for kids orphaned due to Covid
PM Narendra Modi, on May 29, announced that those children who have lost both parents or guardians due to COVID-19 would be supported under the ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme.
Such children get a monthly stipend once they turn 18 and a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 from PM Cares. The children will be assisted to get an education loan for higher education and PM CARES will pay interest on the loan.
They will get free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat till 18 years and the premium will be paid by PM CARES.
Source- TOI
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