Manmohan Singh suggests five ways to tackle growth slowdown; blames note ban, faulty GST for crisis

Former Prime Minister and economist Manmohan Singh has pitched for structural reforms to tackle the economic challenges the country is facing. In an interview to The Hindu BusinessLine, which was published on Wednesday, Singh said the government first had to acknowledge the crisis.

Pakistan’s attempt to ‘polarise and politicise’ Kashmir was rejected at UNHRC, says MEA

India on Thursday criticised Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir, and said Islamabad must understand that repeating a lie does not make it the truth. Pakistan’s attempt to “polarise and politicise” the situation was rejected at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the global community was aware of Islamabad’s role in “aiding and abetting terrorist infrastructure”, said the external affairs ministry.

‘The first 100 days were just a trailer,’ says PM Modi, promises corruption-free government

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the work done by his government in the first 100 days was just a trailer. “Picture abhi baaki hai [the full film is yet to come],” he said at a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.

Sonia Gandhi asks Congress to adopt ‘agitational agenda’, accuses BJP of misusing mandate: Reports

Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of misusing its mandate in the “most dangerous” way. She added that the Congress must now embark on an “agitational agenda” beyond social media to reach out to people.

Retail inflation rose to 3.21% in August – the highest in 10 months

Retail inflation, which is based on the Consumer Price Index, rose to 3.21% in August, government data showed on Thursday. This is the highest retail inflation figure in 10 months.

UP: School books to be available in local dialects as part of pilot project in four districts

The Uttar Pradesh Council of Educational Research and Training has prepared school textbooks in local dialects such as Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj and Bundelkhandi. Only the Hindi sections in the textbooks have been translated.

‘No second consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav,’ says Pakistan’s foreign ministry

Pakistan on Thursday said that it had no plans to provide consular access to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav for a second time, NDTV reported. On September 2,India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan Gaurav Ahluwalia had met Jadhav in Islamabad.

NRC: ‘Will teach BJP a lesson if it touches anyone in Bengal,’ says Mamata Banerjee at protest rally

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday dared the Bharatiya Janata Party to replicate Assam’s National Register of Citizens in her state. “If BJP touches even one person in Bengal in the name of NRC, we will teach them a lesson,” said Banerjee as she led a rally in Kolkata to protest against the exercise in Assam.

‘Kashmir is an integral part of India,’ says Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, calls for normalcy in the region

Islamic organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Thursday passed a resolution saying Kashmir was an “integral part” of India, and the welfare of people in the Valley lay in their integration with the rest of the country.

Rahul Gandhi calls Sitharaman’s millennial mindset theory foolish, asks Centre for concrete plan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s attribution of poor vehicle sales to millennial preferences was a foolish theory. He said the government should instead come up with a “concrete plan to fix the economy”.

Motor Vehicles Act: Good roads cause major accidents, claims Karnataka deputy chief minister

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol said on Wednesday that good roads cause major accidents. His remark came days after the Centre amended the Motor Vehicles Act to prescribe hefty fines and increased jail terms for traffic offenders. Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act came into force on September 1.

FactChecker pulls down hate crime database, IndiaSpend editor Samar Halarnkar resigns

Journalist Samar Halarnkar has resigned as the editor of data journalism website IndiaSpend even as another website run by the same parent organisation pulled down its database of hate crimes on Wednesday.

J&K: ‘The world believes India, not us,’ says Pakistani minister

Pakistan Interior Minister Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah said on Wednesday that the world believes India, not Pakistan, on the Kashmir matter. He made the remark in an interview with Hum News. “Who is responsible for earning this name, that people don’t believe us [Pakistan] in the international community?” Shah asked. “We say India has enforced a curfew in Kashmir, it is not providing medicines, is killing people, there is nothing to eat. People don’t believe us. They believe India, even though we are right.”

Maruti Suzuki says millennials’ preference for Uber, Ola not a ‘strong factor’ in auto sector crisis

Carmaker Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday said millennials preference for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Ola instead of buying cars may not be a strong factor for the major drop in the sales in the automobile industry. Maruti Suzuki India’s Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Shashank Srivastava told the news agency that the ownership pattern in the country had not changed, and people purchase cars with an “aspirational aspect”.

Jammu and Kashmir: Three suspected militants arrested with weapons in Kathua

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said that three suspected militants were arrested in Kathua district. Jammu Inspector General of Police Makesh Singh told the news agency that a truck was intercepted at 8 am on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway, and six AK-47 rifles were found inside it. Singh said the truck was on its way to Kashmir from Bamyal area of Punjab.

Ayodhya case: Muslim party’s lawyer alleges his clerk was threatened on Supreme Court premises

Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is representing the Sunni Wakf Board in the Ayodhya land dispute case, on Thursday alleged that his clerk was threatened on the Supreme Court premises. Dhavan, who had earlier filed a contempt plea over the alleged threats to him, also said that he had received another threat message on Facebook for representing the Muslim party in the case.

‘Get to work on issues that matter,’ says Kapil Sibal after Modi’s remark on ‘Om’, ‘cow’

Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to worry about Indian universities instead of making statements about the words “Om” and “cow”. Speaking in Mathura on Wednesday, the prime minister had said some people in the country get irritated when they hear the words “Om” or “gau” (cow).

Sibal said these were “politically charged statements” and cited a survey to state that for the first time since 2012, no Indian university was in the top 300 in a list of global universities. “Get to work on issues that matter,” Sibal said.

Muzaffarpur shelter home case: SC orders Bihar government to hand over eight girls to their families

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Bihar government to take steps to unite eight girls who used to stay at a Muzaffarpur shelter where inmates were allegedly raped, with their families, ANI reported. The top court also ordered the state government to give the girls financial and medical assistance.

Maharashtra: At least six killed, 15 injured after bus crashes into truck in Satara district

At least six people were killed and 15 others were injured after a bus rammed a stationery truck in Satara district of Maharashtra in the early hours of Thursday. The police said the accident took place at 5 am on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway, near Mhasave village, which is 110 km from Pune. The private bus was on its way from Mumbai to Belagavi in Karnataka, when it hit the truck on its rear end. An unidentified police official said the truck driver was not able to see the truck parked in front because of low visibility.

INX Media case: Delhi High Court asks CBI to respond to P Chidambaram’s plea for bail

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to respond to a plea by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, seeking bail in the INX Media case. The Congress leader, who is in Tihar Jail at present, had also challenged a trial court order sending him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case being investigated by the CBI. The court will next hear the matter on September 23.

Nagaland: NSCN(IM) says Nagas will not merge with India, but will coexist as two entities

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaak-Muivah) said on Wednesday that the Naga community will not merge with the Union of India, but will coexist with India as two entities. It also called upon the Nagas to “seize the opportunity” for a solution to the Indo-Naga political problem, and said every possible way must be explored for such a solution, The Morung Express reported.

Chandrayaan-2: Nobel laureate Serge Haroche says ISRO will solve the complication with moon lander

Nobel laureate Serge Haroche on Wednesday said Indian Space Research Organisation scientists will definitely try to solve the complication with the moon lander, which had last week lost contact with the ground station before its touchdown close to the lunar south pole. “I don’t know what happened with this [moon lander Vikram] but they will certainly try to solve the problem,” the French scientist told IANS.

Why are Muslims insecure despite being the largest minority in India, asks RSS leader

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Krishna Gopal on Wednesday questioned the belief that Muslims in India “are afraid”. Gopal, a joint general secretary of the organisation, claimed it was difficult to understand the basis of this perception as other minorities such as Parsis, Buddhists and Jews, who are much smaller in number, do not feel insecure in India.

Kashmir: Two US lawmakers urge India to end communication blockade, release detained individuals

Two United States lawmakers have expressed their continuing concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, following India’s decision to repeal Article 370 on August 5, a move which took away the state’s special status, and the ensuing restrictions in place in the region. Indian-American Congresswoman in the House of Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Congressman James P McGovern urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to press India to immediately end the communication blockade and release those who have been detained.

Rajasthan: 15-year-old girl thrashed, raped by three men in Bhilwara district

The Rajasthan Police on Wednesday said that a 15-year-old girl, who was on her way to a temple with two friends, was abducted, thrashed and raped by three men in Bhilwara district. Three people – Raju Kahar, Kailash Kahar and Narayan Gurjar – have been arrested.

Motor Vehicles Act: Uttarakhand reduces traffic violation fines, more states likely to follow

Uttarakhand on Wednesday became the second state after Gujarat to announce a reduction in the hefty penalty amounts for traffic violations. The fines for violations were increased under the amended Motor Vehicles Act.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s millennial mindset comment is a ‘grave joke’ on the economic slowdown: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for blaming millennials, who preferred ride-hailing services such as Uber and Ola instead of buying cars, for the economic slowdown. The Congress said the statement reflected the “inefficiency, immaturity, and inexperience” of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s governance.

US: Salmonella bacteria found in MDH sambar masala by food regulator, three lots of product recalled

Three lots of condiment brand MDH’s Sambhar masala were withdrawn in the United States earlier this week after it was revealed that they contained the Salmonella bacteria, the US Food and Drug Authority said in an announcement.

Hefty traffic fines: After Gujarat and West Bengal, Karnataka CM opposes amended law’s provisions

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday instructed transport authorities in the state to reduce fines for traffic violations. “Regarding the cut in the penalties for violation of traffic rules under Motor Vehicle Act, we will get the orders of the Gujarat government,” Yediyurappa said.

J&K: Landline connectivity restored, says Union home ministry; schools and banks functioning

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said landline phone connections had been restored in Jammu and Kashmir while mobile postpaid connections were functioning in Kupwara district.

Now, follow and debate the day’s most significant stories on Scroll Exchange.