Ali Khan

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said that the next 2-3 years will be “very critical” as the government plans to implement a series of reforms that will help India reach its “destination targets” of growth higher than the current 7-7.5 per cent rates.

“(In) India today neither the government, the people or the industry are very excited about a 7-7.5 per cent growth rate because everybody realises, including me and the Prime Minister that probably our potential is a little higher than that,” Jaitley said here yesterday.

President Pranab Mukherjee has sanctioned 40 cover numbers under his special quota including 2 cover numbers belonging to Telangana. According to Special Officer Telangana Hajj Committee Prof. S A Shukoor, list of 40 cover numbers under president’s special quota has been released by Rashtrapati Bhawan of which 2 cover numbers belong to Rangareddy district.

Battling a major crisis over Lalitgate revelations, BJP chief Amit Shah discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi damage-control measures amid mounting demands for removal of Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who today cancelled her visit to Punjab where she would have come face-to-face with Shah.

University authorities have continued wilfulness even during the Holy Month of Ramadan. With the beginning of Ramadan, government, aided and even private institutions relaxed the timings for their workers but Maulana Azad National University authorities instead of giving relaxation have landed its Muslim workers into further trouble. Usual university timings are from 9:30 am to 6 pm but during Ramadan the timings have been rescheduled from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm thus the university is forcing its staff to arrive one hour before the time.

The Supreme Court today asked jailed Sahara chief Subrata Roy to furnish Rs 5,000 crore in cash and a bank guarantee of equal amount to secure his release from the prison.

Roy will, however, remain in jail as senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for him told the court that there was a difficulty in furnishing the bank guarantee of Rs 5,000 crore as one of the financial institutions had backed out.

A bench of justices T S Thakur, A R Dave and A K Sikri while pronouncing its order said, “We have accepted the format of bank guarantees”, subject to certain conditions.

The Supreme Court today extended time for re-conducting the All India Pre Medical Test-2015 and directed CBSE to declare the results by August 17 after the board had pleaded that it would be impossible for it to hold the test afresh in four weeks.

The apex court’s order came on a petition by Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) for extension of time to conduct the AIPMT afresh.

The court, while quashing on June 15 the AIPMT-2015 on the ground of large-scale irregularities, had asked CBSE to re-conduct the exam within four weeks.

Pakistan’s banned former captain Salman Butt has finally admitted his unconditional involvement in the spot fixing scandal that shook world cricket in 2010 in a bid to get some relaxation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) when his five-year ban ends in September.

The Pakistan Cricket Board issued a signed statement of Butt today in which he has apologised to all the people who have been hurt by his role in the spot fixing scandal.

The Hyderabad High Court today restrained the police from arresting Jerusalem Mathaiah, an accused in the cash-for-vote scam allegedly involving Telugu Desam leaders, till June 24.

Justice Shiv Shanker Rao also asked the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Telangana police to file its reply to the petion filed by Mathaiah before the next date.

Mathaiah has approached the High Court seeking a direction to quash the FIR lodged by Elvis Stephenson, the Anglo-Indian nominated MLA of Telangana Assembly.

The Palestinians will next week submit their first file to the International Criminal Court in their bid to open criminal proceedings against Israel, an official said today.

The move is part of an increased focus on diplomatic manoeuvring and appeals to international bodies by the Palestinians, who have been frustrated by a lack of progress in ending the Israeli occupation and creating their own independent state.

Delhi Government today forwarded to Vigilance Department the complaint of corruption by a retired Delhi Police inspector against Anti Corruption Bureau chief M K Meena for further inquiry.

Delhi Government has marked the complaint of corruption by a retired police inspector to Vigilance Department for further inquiry, a senior government official said.

Retired Delhi Police inspector Jawahar Lal today lodged a complaint with Delhi government against Meena accusing him of being involved in curtain purchase scam during his tenure as Principal of Police Training College here.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned Greece today it would get no leeway on a huge debt payment as EU ministers warned they were looking at a “plan B” for a possible default.

Eurozone finance ministers holding a crisis meeting in Luxembourg pressed Athens to finally present a credible reform plan and end the five-month standoff between Greece’s anti-austerity government and its creditors.

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) today said it supports its overseas investment arm’s move to seek increase in spending allowance and sees more acquisition opportunities abroad.

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) is currently 100 per cent owned by the exploration giant.

“We support ONGC Videsh move to seek increase in spending allowance, which should be more than USD 1 billion. We see there are lot of opportunities for acquisitions,” ONGC Chairman and Managing Director D K Sarraf said this evening.

Authorised trade unions affiliated to DMK and ruling AIADMK in the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) today said they would go on an indefinite strike from July 3 over wage revision issue.

The Neyveli Workers Progressive Union affiliated to the DMK and the AIADMK Employees Workers union issued strike notices separately to the NLC management today.

C Muthu of the Human Resource Department received the notices.

DMK affiliated union General Secretary S Rajavanian and AIADMK union president R Udaya Kumar issued the notices separately.

The Nigerian extremist group Boko Haram crossed into neighbouring Niger and attacked two villages, killing 40 people, said a local governor today.

Born in northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram last year began crossing the border attacking villages, mosques and churches in neighbouring countries, which finally prompted regional armies to band together against the radical Islamic group.

He may have spent nearly three decades in Bollywood and built a reputation as one of the most commercially successful actors, but superstar Salman Khan says he throws tantrums even at this age.

In his upcoming film ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, there is a small girl, Harshaali Malhotra, who is from Pakistan (in the movie) and Salman is on a mission to take her back home after she gets lost in India.

A Selection Grade Secretary working at Agriculture Market Committee in Gaddi Annaram at LB Nagar here was today nabbed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 3 lakh.

K Janardhan Reddy was caught red handed in the premises of Market Yard while accepting the bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the complainant for getting the renewal of licenses of commission agents (members of the complainant’s union), an ACB release said.

“The Secretary received the bribe amount from the complainant and handed over to his car driver M Ravinder Kumar for safe custody,” it said.

A rally commemorating the 30 months rule of the Virbhadra Singh government in Una district will be organised on June 25, state Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said today.

“Various innovative schemes aimed at welfare of all sections of the society with a special emphasis on vulnerable sections would be projected at the rally,” he said.

The minister informed that cabinet ministers, party MLAS, chairpersons, vice chairpersons of different government boards, corporations and leaders of various frontal organization of the party would participate in the rally.

Global police have seized “huge amounts” of wildlife contraband, including some 12 tonnes of ivory, as well as rhino horn and whale bones, in a massive operation across 62 countries, Europol said today.

“Operation COBRA III, the biggest ever coordinated international law enforcement operation targeting the illegal trade in endangered species, has led to the recovery of a huge amount of wildlife contraband,” Europe’s police agency said in a statement.

The President of the South Indian Artistes Association Sarathkumar today said the association, under his leadership, was united, and rejected accusations of irregularities in the association.

Talking to newsmen here after getting the blessings of the Madurai Adheenam, he challenged his opponents to prove the charges against him.

There was a conspiracy to create rift in the association by using those who were against the present leadership, he said, and alleged that those who opposed had political background.

Former Chhattisgarh minister Tuleshwar Singh was today arrested for his alleged involvement in an assault case, police said.

“A team of Vishrampur police station arrested Singh,” Surajpur Additional Superintendent of Police Manish Thakur told PTI over phone.

Following a land dispute, on November 19, 2014 Singh and his associates had entered a farm house and assaulted some persons. A case was registered in this regard, the officer said.

20 persons were arrested in this connection, he said.

Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment provides a massive mobilising boost for efforts to reach a UN deal on climate change this year, green campaigners said today.

They hailed the 184-page document, “Laudato Si” as a milestone.

For many Catholics, they predicted, it could transform climate from a remote environmental problem into a pressing moral issue demanding action.

Its impact could be far-reaching in the effort to conclude a UN accord on curbing greenhouse-gases, due less than six months from now.

BJP workers led by Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria today marched to the district headquarters here to protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

The protesters were joined by hundreds of goods tempos in the procession, which took the main MG Road and led to traffic movement in the city being badly affected for hours.

Diesel tempo owners are opposing a recent order of the divisional commissioner banning the plying of their vehicles in the city by July 7 to check environmental pollution.

The Madras High Court today stayed a notification issued by Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University for admission to courses offered by its School of Excellence in Law.

The notification prescribed no age limit for SC/ST candidates in the school of excellence in law, fixed age limit for 21 years for other categories in five-year law course and fixed no age limit for all community people in respect of the three-year law degree course.

In a minor bureaucratic reshuffle, Uttar Pradesh government today changed the responsibilities of four IAS officers, including two divisional commissioners.

Divisional Commissioner Faizabad Vishal Chauhan has been transferred as Managing Director of State Power Distribution Corporation and Jal Vidyut Nigam, an official spokesperson said.

Divisional Commissioner Basti Surya Prakash Mishra will replace Chauhan.

Agriculture Production Commissioner Anand Mishra has been relieved of the additional charge of Chairman, UP State Road Transport Corporation.

Aam Aadmi Party today accused Goa PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar of giving false information about his educational qualification in the affidavit filed before Election Commission during 2012 Assembly elections.