Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha: Boost For BJP As 2 Parties Rush For Exit During Triple Talaq Debate

  • The contentious bill to ban Triple Talaq - the practice of Muslim men instantly divorcing their wives by uttering “talaq” thrice - is expected to have a smooth passage through Rajya Sabha as one non-aligned party declared support for it and ally Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United and the AIADMK walked out.
  • Sources said Telangana’s ruling Telangana Tashtra Samithi is also expected to walk out, lowering the majority mark which normally stands at 121. The strategy is seen as similar to the one that helped the government push through the contentious amendment to the landmark Right To Information (RTI) Act last week despite lacking numbers in the upper house.

Karnataka govt cancels Tipu Jayanti celebrations

  • Soon after assuming charge, the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP government on Tuesday cancelled the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, which had become an annual event under the previous Congress regime.
  • In an order, Kannada and Culture department has stated that the Hazrat Tipu Sultan Jayanti, which was being celebrated since 2016, has been cancelled “with immediate effect”.

Why are States unhappy with Dam Safety Bill?

  • The Dam Safety Bill, aimed at developing uniform safety procedures for all dams across the country, has been introduced in the Lok Sabha for the third time.
  • It was first introduced in Parliament in August 2010 and was referred to a standing committee, which submitted its report in June 2011. After this, attempts to pass the Bill in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabhas failed due to opposition from the States.
  • The Bill provides for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams to prevent disasters, and institutional mechanisms to ensure safety. It is applicable to all dams across the country which are over 10 metres in height, subject to specific design and structural conditions.

Medical body calls for 24-hour strike on Wednesday against NMC Bill

  • The Indian Medical Assocition (IMA) has called for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the Lok Sabha approving and passing the National Medical Commission Bill (NMC) 2019. The strike includes only the withdrawal of non-essential services.
  • “The Lower House on Monday dumped healthcare & medical education of this country into darkness by approving undemocratic Bill,” noted the IMA.
  • It added that Section 32 of the NMC Bill provides for licensing of 3.5 lakhs unqualified non-medical persons to practise modern medicine.

Officials say 57 dead in Brazil prison riot; 16 decapitated

  • At least 57 prisoners were killed by other inmates during clashes between organized crime groups in the Altamira prison in northern Brazil on Monday with 16 of the victims being decapitated, according to prison officials.
  • Para state prison authorities said a fight erupted around 7 a.m. between the Rio de Janeiro-based Comando Vermelho and a local criminal group known as Comando Classe A.