SP Hinduja passes
away at 87
‘The Good Word’ turns two!
May 18, in a setback to
the Nitish Kumar led Bihar
state government, the
Supreme Court (SC)
refused to alter the Patna
High Court (HC) order that
had stayed the carrying
out of a caste based
survey in the state.
The SC instead pointed
the state to the HC which
is slated hear the matter
on Jul 3. The state
government has been
wishing to carry out a
caste based survey to
which even the Centre is
opposed. At: Jagran
Volume 7S-105 |
₹ 2,000 currency note to discontinue
post Sep 30; no major rush at banks
Bharat First Visit IndiaWiki.org
May 22, the British
Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) has been sued for ₹
10,000 crores in a
defamation case filed by a
Gujarat-based NGO over
its controversial
documentary on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
The documentary titled
'India: The Modi Question'
was released by the UK
media house earlier this
year had drawn sharp
ciriticism from the Centre
over its content motivated
by a 'colonial mindset'.
At: Repblic
Pakistan: Imran
reminds the State
of 1971 May 23, a Reserve
Bank circular issued
four days ago has
stated that currency
notes of ₹2,000
denomination are to
be withdrawn from
circulation. The
deadline for
discontinuing use of
the note is Sep-30 by
which time holders of
₹ 2,000 currency note
can have them
deposited or
exchanged at a bank.
Deposit into one’s own
account can be made
in the usual manner
without restrictions.
An exchange facility is
also provided where
up to 10 notes of
₹ 2,000 can be
exchanged at the bank
at a time.
The number of ₹ 2,000
notes has fallen from a
peak of 6.7 lacs in
Mar-2018 to less than
3.7 lacs at Mar-2023
and make up only
10.8% of the currency
in circulation.
Times Group splits
post SEBI’s ₹36
crore shell shock
Nepalese Sherpa
climbs Everest a
record 28 times
May 20, India crossed a
significant milestone as
its defence production
exceeded ₹ 1 lac-crore
for the first time.
The achievement is a
result of reform to
boost growth and
reduce reliance on
military imports. India
has also strengthened
its position as a
weapons and systems
exporter. The value of
defence production
reached ₹1,06,800 crore
in the financial year
2022-23, compared to
₹95,000 crore in FY
2021-22 and ₹54,951
crore five years ago.
At: Adda247
May 19, the Centre has
promulgated an
ordinance to create an
authority, headed by the
Chief Minister along with
the Chief and Principal
Home secretaries, for
transfer and posting of
Group-A officers in Delhi,
including IAS officers.
Matters would be
decided by a majority
and referred to the
Lieutenant Governor (LG)
in case of an impasse.
It comes a week after the
Supreme Court (SC)
handed over the control
of services in Delhi
Guru Arjan BalidanDivas, May 23, image courtesy Blogspot; World Bee Day, May 20, image courtesy BeeCulture
Centre brings in Ordinance
on Delhi officer’s postings
May 22, 2023 - Week 21
May 21, Samir and Vineet
Jain, the promoters of
Bennett, Coleman & Co
(BCCL), better known as
the Times Group, have
reached a settlement to
split the Group’s assets
between them. Samir, 69,
will get control of the
entire print division,
including ‘The Times of
India’ and ‘The Economic
Times’. Vineet, 59, will get
the ‘Times Network’, the
broadcast arm of the
Group and a cash payout
of at least ₹ 3,000 crore
from his elder brother.
The development comes
on the heels of a fine that
the Securities Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) had
slapped on Samir, his wife,
Meera and daughter
Trishla of ₹ 36 crores.
Samir and Meera have also
been barred from the
securities market. SEBI had
faulted them for the setup
of shell companies and
obfuscating disclosure of
promoter's stake in BCCL.
In 2019, BJP Leader
Subramanian Swamy had
accused the Group of tax
evasion of more than
₹28,000 crores. At: Pgurus, FE
The ₹ 2,000 note was
introduced at the time of
demonetization in Nov
2016 to tide over
currency requirements.
However, its printing was
stopped in 2018-19.
Seen as an attack on
black money hoarders,
the move speaks to the
Modi government’s
resolve to wipe out
corruption. On Tuesday
banks began exchanging
₹2,000 currency notes and
reported no major rush
from people arriving to
have them exchanged.
At: EconomicTimes, HindustanTimes
May 22, Srinagar stood
spruced up to host the 3-
day G-20 Summit on
Tourism and a record
high of 59 delegates from
27 nations thronged the
venue.
Lieutenant Governor,
Manoj Sinha show-cased
the big strides in
normalization of a land
known for its natural
grandeur. Over 18 million
tourists visited Jammu and
Kashmir (J&K) last year,
unparalleled since
independence. More than
400 papers were
published from and over
300 movies were shot in
J&K last year. All G-20
members other than
China sent delegates to
the summit.
At: PreciousKashmir, NewsBharati, TOI
May 18, the government
will spend ₹ 1.08 lac-crore
towards fertiliser subsidy
for 2023-24 kharif season
to ensure availability of
the soil nutrients to
farmers at existing prices.
The Union Cabinet
approved ₹ 38,000 crore
subsidy for Phosphatic
and Potassic (P&K)
fertilisers taking the total
fertiliser subsidy for the
Kharif season (April-
September) to ₹ 1.08 lac-
crore. This includes ₹
70,000 crore of urea
subsidy earmarked in the
Budget for the kharif
season 2023-24.
At: FinancialExpress
May 18, the Supreme
Court (SC) stayed the
West Bengal
government's order
banning the screening of
the film ‘The Kerala Story’
and asked Tamil Nadu to
ensure the safety of
moviegoers after theatre
owners decided to stop
screening the film due to
security concerns. The SC
said the petitions will be
heard in the second week
of July but statutory
powers cannot be used to
put premium on public
intolerance. At: DailyPioneer
May 17, as we turn two,
we thank our readers
for continuing to stay
with ‘The Good Word’
for India positive stories
excluding police, public
order and land to the
state government. The
Centre aims to balance
the interest of the
elected national and
state governments and
has filed a review
petition before the SC’s
on its May-11 order.
The ordinance also
introduces oversight of
decisions of the Council
of Ministers by a
secretary level officer, to
check if they are in line
with the Constitution
and flag out exceptions
to the LG. At: HBL, MSN, TOI
‘INS Vagsheer’ starts sea trials BBC faces ₹10,000
crore defamation
suit for propaganda
May 23, Nepalese
sherpa Kami Rita, 53,
reached the 8,849-
meter (29,032-foot)
summit of Mount
Everest for a record 28th
time completing his
second ascent in just a
week. At: CNN Image: Pinterest
May 14, in what will
cause further discomfort
to the Pakistani
government, former
Prime Minister (PM)
Imran Khan has
compared the present
chaos in Pakistan since
his arrest and release
thereafter, to the one in
East Pakistan in 1971
that led to the breakup
of the country and birth
of Bangladesh.
Khan, who is pressing
for early general
elections in Pakistan said
that in 1971, Sheikh
Mujibur Rehman of the
then Awami League, had
won the elections but
was not allowed to
assume office. Even the
Hamudur Rehman
commission report on
the fall of Dhaka
commissioned by the
Pakistan government
was hidden from the
public. It was published
in India after 25 years
for the world to know
about the Pakistan
army’s massacre of
millions of Bengali-
speaking Pakistanis,
while the country was
still in denial.
Khan's speech was not
broadcast on any of the
major television
channels despite a court
order suspending a
Pakistan Electronic
Media Regulatory
Authority (PEMRA) ban
on the broadcast of his
speeches.
A court in Islamabad has
granted Khan protection
from arrest till early next
month. The army has
ruled Pakistan for nearly
half the 75 years, since
its creation.
At: AwazTheVoice, TimesNow
May 17, Srichand
Parmanand Hinduja, the
eldest of the four Hinduja
brothers and chairman of
Hinduja Group, died in
London on Wednesday. He
was unwell for some time.
At: HindustanTimes Image: MControl
May 21, Russian forces
have claimed full control
of Bakhmut, ending an
intense month-long
battle for the eastern
Ukrainian city.
The Russian President
Vladimir Putin
congratulated the
mercenary Wagner
forces and the military
for the liberation of the
city. Bakhmut lies in the
northeastern part of
Donetsk province, part
of the industrial Donbas.
At: NBCNews
Russia claims
Bakhmut annexed
and what’s important for
a strong and united
Bharat. It has been a
delightful journey! Hope
you enjoyed it too.
Bihar Caste Survey:
SC does not revoke
stay on census
SC overrules
‘Kerala Story’
bans in WB, TN
Indian defence
production tops
₹1 lac-crore
Government OKs
₹1 lac-crore kharif
fertilizer subsidy
Kargil martyr’s
son chooses IMA
over IIM
Record attendance at G-20
Srinagar Summit on Tourism
Retribution fears
fuel flight of Akola
rioters, Muslims
May 23, communal
clashes over a social
media post on ‘The Kerala
Story’ that took place ten
days ago had left one
dead in Akola. The riot
appears to have been pre-
planned. Muslims men,
fearing police excesses,
are now fleeing the city as
over 100 Muslim men are
facing criminal charges.
At: TimesOfIndia, Republic
Naxal commander
with ₹30 lac reward
for arrest, nabbed
May 23, the National
Investigation Agency
arrested Dinesh Gope, the
self-styled supremo of the
banned Maoist
organisation PLFI which
operates in Jharkhand.
Gope has more than 100
criminal cases against him
and carried a reward of
₹ 30 lacs for information
leading to arrest. He was
nabbed in Delhi. At: WION
Modi gets a grand reception in Oz
May 24, Australian
Prime Minister (PM)
Anthony Albanese,
complimented the
rousing reception PM
Narendra Modi received
at Sydney Olympic Park
stadium before a
cheering crowd of over
20,000 saying, ‘Last time
at this venue I saw Bruce
Springsteen perform.
Even he didn’t get such a
big reception. PM Modi is
the boss’. The allusion
was a reference to the
moniker Springsteen goes
by, ‘The Boss’.
At: KeralaKaumudi
Image: Republic
May 19, the sixth submarine of the Kalvari Class
indigenously built Scorpenes, 'INS Vaghsheer', has
commenced sea trials and will be inducted into
the Navy by the end of 2023. At: Hindu Image:
May 22, Prajwal Samrit,
the son of Kargil martyr
Lance Naik Krushnaji,
chose the Indian Military
Academy (IMA) over two
Indian Institutes of
Management (IIM)
offers and kept his
father's wish that his son
join the forces. At: TimesNow