India

India way behind in overall happiness ranking: Pranab

Kolkata, Jul 26 (PTI); Former President Pranab Mukherjee today said despite the country having high GDP growth and being among the top economic powers, it is "way behind" in the overall happiness ranking.

India occupies the 133rd place (according to a world survey) in overall happiness ranking in 2018, Mukherjee said.

He said this was so in spite of the impressive GDP numbers, high average life expectancy, which went up from 31.4 years (in four years after Independence) to 68 years at present, and a quantum jump in foodgrain production since 1947.

Custodial death: 2 cops get death, other accused 3 yrs jail term

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 25 (PTI); In a landmark ruling, a Special CBI court today sentenced to death two serving police officers in connection with the custodial death of a 26-year-old man in 2005.

K Jithakumar and S V Sreekumar, presently serving as assistant sub-inspector and civil police officer respectively, were awarded the death penalty, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh by the court here.

Pronouncing the verdict, Judge J Nazer said "this is a brutal and dastardly murder by accused one and two."

Word 'Islamia' dropped from government primary schools in Ballia

Ballia, Jul 25 (PTI); The Basic Education Department has started removing the word 'Islamia' prefixed to the names of some government primary schools in the Ballia district here, the officials said today.

The exercise has been launched here days after a similar step was initiated in another eastern UP district of Deoria.

42 girls ‘raped’ in Bihar shelter, police dig for ‘buried’ body

24 July 2018; GANASHAKTI; Patna, July 23 : Acting on court orders, the Bihar Police on Monday dug up a ground on the premises of a Muzaffarpur shelter home run by an NGO in search of the body of an inmate who was allegedly murdered after sexual assault. The excavation work ended as no body could be found. The matter came to light after a social audit report of the TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences) claimed that 42 girl inmates of the Muzaffarpur Balika Grih had allegedly been sexually assaulted.

SC expresses dissatisfaction over Centre's response on Lokpal matter

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI); The Supreme Court today expressed dissatisfaction over the Centre's response on appointment of search committee members for a Lokpal.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha asked the Centre to file a fresh affidavit giving relevant details of the search committee.

During the hearing, Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted an affidavit and said a meeting of the selection committee was held but the names for the search committee were not finalised.

Goa temple priest booked in second molestation case

Panaji, Jul 24 (PTI); A woman today accused a priest of the Mangueshi Temple in Goa of molesting her, the second such complaint against him in a week, police said.

The woman, in her 20s, filed a complaint against the priest with the Ponda police, accusing him of molesting her, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ponda) Mahesh Gaonkar said.

The priest has been booked under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), he said.

SC lifts absolute ban on rallies, dharnas at Jantar Mantar, Boat Club

New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI); The Supreme Court today lifted a blanket ban on rallies, dharnas or sit-ins at the Jantar Mantar and Boat Club areas here, saying there could not be an "absolute" ban on protests in such localities.

The top court also asked the Centre to frame guidelines within two months for according sanctions to such events.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said, "There is a need to strike a balance between conflicting rights such as the right to protest and the right of citizens to live peacefully."

Fin Min refuses to share black money reports

By Ashwini Shrivastava

New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI); The Finance Ministry has refused to share copy of three reports on the quantum of black money held by Indians inside the country and abroad, saying its disclosure would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament.

The then UPA government had in 2011 commissioned these studies by Delhi-based National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) as well as the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM) in Faridabad.

Road Potholes killed 3,597 in India, Naxal terrorists killed 803

The number of people killed on Indian roads due to pot holes has been estimated to be 3,597 in the year 2017, a more than 50% rise compared to 2016.

Compare this with the number of people killed in terrorist attack: 803, that includes Naxal terrorists, security personnel and civilians.

INDIA'S CONGRESS PARTY NAMES RAHUL GANDHI AS PM CANDIDATE FOR 2019 ELECTIONS

NEW DELHI, India, July 23 (NNN-PTI) - India's main opposition Congress party, on Sunday, named its chief, Rahul Gandhi, as the grand old outfit's prime ministerial candidate, for next year's general elections.

"Naturally, the Congress president would be the only face to be projected. The Congress would fight this election by putting forward our leader," party spokesman, R.S. Surjewala, told the media in Delhi.

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