RBI Deputy Governor Viral Archarya resigns

  • The Deputy Governor told a newspaper that he has resigned a few weeks before the RBI’s monetary policy committee earlier this month due to unavoidable personal reasons.
  • Last October, Viral Acharya created a storm when he made remarks that were indicative of differences between the central bank and the Union finance ministry. 
  • His tenure was officially ending in six months.

US agency report questions safety of minorities in India; MEA rejects the report

  • The 2018 International Religious Freedom Report by the US State Department said that mob violence against minorities increased by 9% according to the Indian government data, and cited speeches given by senior officials against minority communities.
  • The report also added authorities have failed to prosecute perpetrators of ‘cow vigilante’ attacks, which included killings, mob violence, and intimidation.
  • Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the secular credentials of the country is intact and categorically rejected the official report.

SC asks government to list steps taken to stop the Encephalitis spread

  • The court has asked the Centre and the State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to submit affidavits on the steps taken, and facilities provided, to combat the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.
  • The death toll due to the outbreak reach 152 spread over 20 districts in Bihar.
  • The symptoms of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, which causes fatal inflammation of the brain, include fever, mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma, and onset of seizures.

Turkish Opposition party wins the Istanbul Mayoral election

  • The Republican People’s Party candidates had received 54% vote as opposed to Erdogan’s AK Party received 45% vote.
  • Mayoral elections in Istanbul were first held in March in which the opposition candidate, Imamoglu, won the polls by just 13,729 votes, but the election was subsequently cancelled due to allegations of fraud.
  • In the re-poll on Sunday, Imamoglu was leading his opponent by over 7,77,000 votes.