Transgender Persons Bill: Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha promise not to pass draft law

Congress parliamentarian Rajeev Gowda said the bill in its present form would perpetuate “massive injustice”. “We saw that without much discussion a bill was passed in Lok Sabha,” he added. “The bill which claims to protecting the rights of the transgender community is actually doing the exact opposite.”

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‘Selfitis’: MPs ask Centre how it plans to cure those addicted to clicking selfies

Om Prakash Yadav, a parliamentarian from Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh MP Harish Dwivedi also sought to know the number of people affected with this problem so far in Bihar as well as the number of those who have approached therapists for help.

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POCSO Act amendments: Cabinet introduces death penalty for aggravated assault on children

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved amendments to Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act to include the death penalty for those found guilty of aggravated assault on children.

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Gaganyaan mission: Union Cabinet allocates Rs 10,000 crore to send three astronauts to space by 2022

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the ambitious indigenous Gaganyaan programme, India’s first manned mission to space by 2022, at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.

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Jammu and Kashmir: Centre is ready for Assembly polls, says Rajnath Singh

The Centre told the Lok Sabha on Friday that it is ready for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under President’s rule, PTI reported. Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha that Governor Satya Pal Malik had no option other than to recommend President’s Rule.

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Ayodhya: BJP leader seeks house for Ram under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

An Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party leader on Thursday asked the government to provide a house for Ram in Ayodhya as the Hindu god has been “living in a tent”, ANI reported. MP Hari Narayan Rajbhar sought a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as “Ram Lalla” has been living at the makeshift sanctum sanctorum at the disputed spot in Ayodhya.

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PM Modi announces Rs 4,500 crore financial assistance for Bhutan’s five-year plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a Rs 4,500 crore financial assistance package towards Bhutan’s 12th five-year plan, PTI reported. Modi made the announcement after discussions with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in New Delhi.

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Madhya Pradesh: No ban on ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, reports are misleading, says state

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday dismissed reports claiming it has banned The Accidental Prime Minister, a film about Manmohan Singh’s tenure as prime minister between 2004 and 2014.

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Bengaluru: Bajrang Dal to protest against ‘anti-Hindu, anti-Indian’ New Year celebrations

The Bajrang Dal on Thursday said it will not allow drinking parties during New Year celebrations in Bengaluru and warned both men and women from visiting bars on December 31, ANI reported.

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Amroha custodial death: NHRC takes suo motu cognisance, issues notice to UP government and police

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that a Dalit man died in police custody on Wednesday in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh.

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DGCA asks pilots to announce when planes fly over monuments like Statue of Unity, Taj Mahal

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday issued an advisory urging airline pilots to make in-flight announcements about en route important monuments or sites, like the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Unity, in order to increase awareness about the country’s cultural heritage, PTI reported.

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Pakistan delegations likely to attend Gujarat investors’ event after six-year gap: Reports

Business delegations from Pakistan will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January for the first time since 2013, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

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Kerala: Sabarimala closes after 41-day festival as women still wait to enter hill shrine

The Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala closed on Thursday night after the end of Mandala Puja, which marks the culmination of the 41-day annual Mandalam festival, PTI reported.

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Meghalaya trapped miners: Odisha Fire Services sends team to join rescue operation

A team of rescue personnel from the Odisha Fire Services left for Meghalaya on Friday morning with high-powered pumps to help find 15 people trapped for over two weeks in a mine in Meghalaya. The pumps are expected to reach Meghalaya by Friday evening.

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Hyderabad: Actor Mahesh Babu’s bank accounts frozen to recover tax dues

The Goods and Services Tax department on Thursday said it had attached bank accounts of Telugu actor Mahesh Babu to recover service tax dues from him. According to a press release issued by the Hyderabad GST Commissionerate, Babu had not paid service tax for 2007-’08 for renumeration he received as brand ambassador, for advertising and promoting products.

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Chhattisgarh: CM Bhupesh Baghel allots Cabinet portfolios, keeps finance and mining departments

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday assigned portfolios to his Cabinet members. The ministers had already taken oath on Tuesday. Baghel kept the finance, mining, general administration, energy, public relations, electronics and information technology portfolios with himself. Any department that has not been allocated to a minister will also be under Baghel.

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Maharashtra Police identify five people allegedly involved in attack on church in Kolhapur

The Maharashtra Police on Thursday identified five members of a group that allegedly attacked a congregation attending Sunday prayers in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district. Twelve people who were part of the congregation were injured in the attack.

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Markets: Sensex reclaims 36,000 mark, Nifty crosses 10,800

Indian benchmark indices continued their gains for the third straight day on Friday, with the BSE Sensex ending 269.44 points higher at 36,076.72, and the National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 closing 80.10 points up at 10,859.90.

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Winter Session: Rajya Sabha adjourned till Monday following protests over Cauvery water row

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Monday on Friday following protests by legislators of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over the Cauvery water row. The Lok Sabha, on the other hand, resumed proceedings at noon after being adjourned once following protests by members.

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Tamil Nadu: Pregnant woman who got HIV from transfused blood tests positive for Hepatitis B

A pregnant woman in Tamil Nadu who contracted HIV through blood transfusion has tested positive for Hepatitis B, said doctors at Madurai’s Government Rajaji Hospital. The doctors have said the woman was responding well to the anti-retroviral therapy treatment, which included drugs for Hepatitis B as well.

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Jammu and Kashmir: Suspected militant killed in encounter in Pulwama district, say police

A suspected militant was killed in a gunfight with security forces on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Awantipora in Pulwama district. Police identified the person as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani, a resident of Pulwama.

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Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal heckled by alleged BJP workers

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was heckled by some attendees at an official event in the national Capital on Thursday. Some reports claimed the hecklers were workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

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Uttar Pradesh: Personal secretaries of three ministers suspended after sting exposes corruption

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the suspension of personal secretaries of three ministers after they were allegedly caught negotiating bribes in exchange for contracts in a sting operation by ABP News. The state government has also ordered an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team.

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Ramdev’s company wants exemption from sharing revenue with farmers, court rejects plea

The Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a petition filed by yoga guru Ramdev’s company Divya Pharmacy to challenge the requirement that it should share profits with farmers from whom it procures resources.

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Bulandshahr violence: Man arrested for allegedly killing police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a person identified as Prashant Natt in connection with the murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh on December 3 during the mob violence in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. The mob had been protesting against an alleged incident of cow slaughter.

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Mumbai: Fire at residential building in Chembur brought under control, toll rises to five

The toll in a fire that broke out at a residential building in Mumbai’s Chembur suburb on Thursday evening has risen to five. Two people, including a fire and rescue services official, suffered injuries, according to a statement released by the fire department.

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‘Propaganda, counter-productive’: BJP draws flak for tweet promoting ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’

The Bharatiya Janata Party drew criticism on Thursday after the party’s official Twitter handle posted the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, a film about Manmohan Singh’s tenure as prime minister between 2004 and 2014. Several Twitter users responded to the tweet asking if the party had sponsored the movie, while some questioned if the movie was propaganda.

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Triple talaq bill: Congress claims Centre passed legislation in haste due to Lok Sabha polls

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the Centre got the triple talaq bill passed in the Lok Sabha in haste keeping in mind the upcoming 2019 General Elections. The party said the provisions of the bill were against the Constitution and fundamental rights.

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Pulitzer-winning photojournalist denied entry back into India for allegedly violating norms: Report

The Centre denied entry to an India-based Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist when he returned to the country earlier this year. Reuters chief photographer for India Cathal McNaughton was accused of violating visa conditions, and was sent back from the Delhi airport when he returned from an overseas trip, even though he had a valid visa.

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Airlines are charging too much, IndiGo is the worst performing carrier, says parliamentary panel

A parliamentary panel on Thursday called private airline IndiGo the “worst performing” carrier for consumers. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, who heads the Standing Committee on Tourism, Culture, Road, Shipping and Aviation, said the panel had taken a strong note of the fact that during the festive season, some airlines, including IndiGo, were overcharging passengers.

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