India News

Govt's reform measures restored PSBs to health, 13 banks posted profits: FM

The Ministry of Finance on Saturday said that the health of public sector banks which have been reeling under non-performing assets for the last few years has been restored and a total of 13 banks reported profits in the first half of the current financial year.

Addressing the media after meeting the chiefs of public sector banks, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the reform measures undertaken by the government have helped bring the banks back to shape.

Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP to launch mass awareness campaign from January 5

To counter the intensifying protests across the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership has now decided to hold a massive public awareness campaign from January 5-15 to dispel any widespread misconception regarding the act and to restore order in public life.

Earlier, too, the BJP had tried conducting awareness campaigns like this through its cadre base and the social media. The official Twitter handles of the party had posted several explainer videos to reach out to people and clarify the pointers of the CAA.

135 years of unity, justice, ahimsa, says Congress on its foundation day

The Congress on its 135th foundation day on Saturday said India has always come first for it through the ages and sacrifice for the nation stands above all else for the party.

On the occasion, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hoisted the party's flag at its headquarters here at 24, Akbar Road.

NPR, NRC will be more disastrous than demonetisation: Rahul Gandhi

Attacking the government over the issue of the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said these exercises will be more disastrous than the note ban in November 2016.

The basic idea of these exercises is to ask all poor people whether they are Indian or not, he told reporters on the sidelines of the flag-hoisting ceremony at the AICC headquarters here on the occasion of 135th foundation day of the party.

Owaisi rejects govt statements on citizenship law, accuse it of lying

A population database will be the start of work for a register of citizens, said Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, rejecting the central government’s statements.

Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, spoke about the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC)—two exercises which have sparked attracted criticism over alleged religious profiling.

Indian Army rescues 1,500 tourists stranded in Sikkim after heavy snowfall

The Indian Army has rescued about 1,500 tourists who were stranded in Nathu La in East Sikkim, an official release said on Saturday.

Some 1,500 to 1,700 tourists travelling in about 300 vehicles from Gangtok got stranded at various stretches of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road between 13th Mile and Nathu La on Friday evening due to heavy snowfall, it said.

Use Aadhaar database to build population register: Govindacharya tells govt

The government should consider using the Aadhaar database to build a population register, K N Govindacharya, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue, has said in a letter he wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah as nationwide protests continue against a new citizenship law.

Aadhaar numbers of about 1.25 billion citizens can be used to integrate with the last National Population Register data, Govindacharya has suggested in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Business Standard.