The big news: Centre to present interim Budget today, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: The Niti Aayog said the report on unemployment is not verified, and the Centre revised GDP growth figures for 2017-’18 from 6.7% to 7.2%.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Tumbling jobs, farm distress are key as government seeks to make last mark Budget 2019 before polls: Interim budgets usually do not contain major announcements, but it is an opportunity for the government to make grand promises.
- Centre did not release unemployment report as it is still under process, says NITI Aayog: Two members of the National Statistical Commission had resigned this week after the government allegedly failed to publish the survey report.
- GDP grew 7.2% in 2017-’18 instead of 6.7% estimated earlier, says Centre: The GDP estimates and other aggregates for 2015-’16 and 2016-’17 were also revised using latest available data, said the Central Statistics Office.
- At least two suspected militants killed in Pulwama gunfight: Internet services were snapped in Pulwama and nearby Shopian as a precautionary measure.
- Law banning drinking, cooking in public passed by the Goa Assembly, to carry fines up to Rs 10,000: Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said the amendments are aimed at protecting and preserving tourism potential of Goa.
- Narendra Modi-led panel to meet on Friday evening to pick new CBI chief: Ahead of the meet, the government on Thursday appointed four IPS officers in the CBI.
- No one who cheats India can escape and hide, says Arun Jaitley: The Union finance minister’s statements came in the backdrop of the extradition of AgustaWestland bribery case accused Rajeev Saxena and Deepak Talwar.
- Swaminarayan temple vandalised in US’ Kentucky, police investigating it as a hate crime: The miscreants sprayed black paint on the temple deity and left a knife stuck on a chair.
- HD Deve Gowda talks of rift between JD(S) and Congress, says he will not ‘keep quiet now’: The JD(S) chief blamed Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the tension between the coalition partners.
- Declare West Bengal a ‘critical and vulnerable’ state, BJP urges poll panel: The BJP alleged that the state’s chief electoral officer was impartial, and requested that an IAS officer from outside the state be appointed to supervise him.