Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) In one of the most productive days in its history, Rajya Sabha on Tuesday in a matter of three and half hours passed seven key bills including one that removes cereals, pulses and onion from the essential commodities list and another that abolishes penalty for certain offences by companies.

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) High Courts across the country are witnessing a substantial increase in abortion cases, a new report released on Tuesday said.

'Assessing the Judiciary's Role in Access to Safe Abortion- II' report analysed cases seeking permission of termination of pregnancy from the High Courts between May 2019 and August 2020.

The report was released by Pratigya, a network of over 100 individuals and organisations working towards protecting and advancing women's rights and their access to safe abortion care in India.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Historian Romila Thapar will come out with a historical essay next month, exploring dissent, including its articulation and public response to its particular forms, with a special focus on recent protests in the country.

Penguin Random House India and Seagull Books have come together to publish the book titled "Voices of Dissent".

The book will be available in stores from October 19.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Over 1,300 posts are lying vacant in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against its total sanctioned strength of 7,273, the government told Parliament on Monday.

Of the sanctioned strength, 5,944 posts are filled and 1,329 vacant in the CBI, according to data shared by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Giving category-wise details, he said out of the sanctioned strength of 5,000 of executive ranks, 4,198 is the actual strength, as on August 31, 2020.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Days after his release from jail following a court quashing his detention under the stringent National Security Act, Kafeel Khan on Monday met Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra here.

Khan, a medical doctor, was recently released from the Mathura jail after the Allahabad High Court quashed his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

During the meeting, Khan is learnt to have thanked Priyanka Gandhi for the assistance and support provided by the Congress during and after his detention.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Seventy-five incidents of air turn back have occurred so far this year due to technical snags in the aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday.

When pilots decide to return to the airport of departure due to any reason, it is termed an air turn back.

Noida (UP), Sep 21 (PTI) The farm reform bills will push the farming sector into the hands of private firms, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed on Monday as its workers protested the proposed legislations here.

Scores of AAP workers carried out a protest demonstration against the BJP-led Centre for the passage of two bills, dubbed as the biggest reform in agriculture by the government, in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday amid opposition by rival parties.

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said the opposition will boycott the proceedings of the House till the suspension of eight members is revoked.

Speaking after the Zero Hour, Azad also demanded that the government brings a bill which should ensure private players don't procure food grains below the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government.

He also asked the government that the MSP should be fixed from time to time as the C2 Swaminathan formula.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court Monday stayed former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati's interim bail, granted for two months on medical grounds by the Allahabad High Court, in a gang rape case.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on September 3 had granted the interim bail to Prajapati who was a minister in the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government.

Despite the high court bail, Prajapati remained in judicial custody as a fresh case of fraud, forgery and criminal intimidation was registered against him.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) A total of 2,120 Pakistanis, 188 Afghans and 99 Bangladeshis were granted Indian citizenship in the last four years, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said a total of 2,729 people of 44 nationalities were granted Indian citizenship from 2017 till September 17, 2020.