Morning Digest: August 14, 2023
The Manipur government has sought a compliance report from all departments. File
| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Manipur officials told to quit social media groups
Amid reports that bureaucracy and the police are split on ethnic lines in Manipur, the State government has asked officials to quit formal and informal groups on social media platforms that further “separatist, anti-national, communal and divisive agendas”.
NCP will not go with BJP though some well-wishers are trying to persuade me, says Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday reiterated that his party will not align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under any circumstances. The statement came after Maharashtra’s political circles began speculating about his meeting the day before with his nephew Ajit Pawar, who holds the position of the State’s Deputy Chief Minister.
Kerala textbooks to retain sections deleted by NCERT
The Mughal era and Akbarnama, which chronicles the reigns of King Akbar and his predecessors, feature prominently in the soon-to-be-released supplementary textbooks for Class 11 and 12 students of Kerala. The new textbooks of history, political science, sociology and economics have portions that were recently deleted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
14 States yet to join Centre’s flagship education scheme
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are among 14 States and Union Territories which are yet to sign a crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Education Ministry, which mandates the implementation of the National Education Policy in order to avail funds worth almost ₹13,000 crore for the next three years, under the Centre’s flagship scheme for State-run higher education.
Supreme Court bats for special ‘permanent security units’ to guard court complexes
The Supreme Court has proposed special “permanent security units” to guard court complexes across the country, recalling incidents of gunfire and violence inside court premises.
IAF airlifted over 9,000 tonnes during initial phase of standoff in eastern Ladakh
As a standoff unfolded in eastern Ladakh in May 2020, with the Indian military mobilising all-out to counter the Chinese build-up of forces as well as their invasion into Indian territory, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pressed its entire transport fleet into service to carry over 68,000 troops, 330 infantry vehicles and more than 90 tanks in addition to artillery guns, according to defence sources.
Survivors disappointed as HC dismisses plea seeking blanket ban on acid sale
The Delhi High Court’s recent dismissal of a plea seeking a total ban on over-the-counter sale of acid in retail stores came as a disappointment for acid attack survivors in the city. According to the public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2020, such attacks “continue to take place in our country due to the easy availability of acid in every nook and cranny”.
Indian batters flop as West Indies seal T20I series with emphatic eight-wicket win
The Indian batters fluffed their lines when it mattered most as a determined West Indies handed captain Hardik Pandya his first bilateral series defeat comfortably winning the fifth and final T20 International by eight wickets on August 13. West Indies won the five-match series 3-2 with opener Brandon King’s swashbuckling 85 not out off 55 balls paving the way for a 18-over cakewalk.
PM insulted the people of Chhattisgarh with Manipur comparison: Kharge
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “running away” from discussion on the issue of ethnic violence in Manipur, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 13 alleged that Mr. Modi’s comparison of the strife-torn northeastern State to peaceful Chhattisgarh was an insult to the people here.
Pain, anger as Hawaii fire death toll climbs to 93
Anger was growing Saturday over the official response to an inferno that levelled a Hawaiian town, killing at least 93 people in the deadliest wildfire in the United States for over 100 years. More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless.
Wounds on Manipur will take many years to heal, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for immediate stopping of the violence in Manipur saying the situation there is disturbing. Mr. Gandhi said that the violence in Manipur was a direct result of a particular type of politics of division, hatred and anger
