News Analysis India

Tag: Cabinet Committee

  • Maratha quota: Special session of Maharashtra Assembly to commence today, Maratha quota likely on agenda

    The Maharashtra government will hold a special Vidhan Sabha session for one day on Tuesday to hold discussion on the Maratha reservation issue.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stressed on Friday that reservation to Marathas will be given according to the terms of the law after presenting the report in during the special assembly session called for February 20.

    “The survey has been conducted on nearly 2-2.5 crore people… Keeping in mind that the OBC community is not left behind in the process, the government will present the report to the cabinet committee. On February 20, we have called a special session of the assembly, after which the Maratha reservation will be given according to the terms of the law…,” CM Shinde said.The decision to hold the session was taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

    “The cabinet meeting has given its nod to convene a one-day special session of the legislature on Tuesday, February 20, to discuss the various demands of the Maratha community,” a note issued by the Chief Minister’s office stated.

    The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.After the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting, Congress president Nana Patole said that the Maharashtra Assembly session would commence on Monday, adding that the meeting was being held to form a strategy for the session. “The Maharashtra Assembly session commences tomorrow. The system is that they should call the opposition for BAC and discuss the proceedings of the House. However, the BJP government in the state does not want to follow the constitutional process. So, we came together to form a strategy for the session,” Patole told ANI.

    Meanwhile, the political scenario of Maharashtra is fluid as Sharad Pawar lost his party name and symbol.

    Veteran politician Sharad Pawar said on Saturday the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the group led by his nephew Ajit Pawar as the ‘real’ Nationalist Congress Party was “not in accordance with law.”

    Sharad Pawar moved the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the ECI to officially recognise the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and the use of party symbols.

    The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the interim order by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that allowed veteran leader Sharad Pawar to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party–Sharad Chandra Pawar’ would continue till further orders.

    On February 6, the poll panel, while applying the test of majority in the legislative wing, ruled that Ajit Pawar’s faction was the ‘real’ NCP and permitted the faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol for the party.

    In its order, the Election Commission noted that the total number of NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra State Assembly stood at 81, and out of this, Ajit Pawar submitted affidavits of 57 MLAs in his support, while Sharad Pawar had only 28 affidavits.

    Hence, the poll panel concluded that the Ajit Pawar faction enjoyed the majority support of the legislators and could lay claim to being the NCP. (ANI)

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  • Cabinet Committee on Security likely to meet again on Saturday amid Ukraine war 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is likely to meet again on Saturday amid the Russian offensive against Ukraine, sources in the government said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a meeting of the CCS on Thursday night after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine.

    He also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for an immediate cessation of violence while stressing that India attaches the highest priority to the safe exit and return of its citizens from Ukraine.

    The proposed meet of the key cabinet panel comes amid New Delhi’s efforts to evacuate Indian citizens from the battle zone.

    Besides the prime minister, the defence minister, the home minister, the external affairs minister and the finance minister are part of the CCS. Top officials of the security apparatus are also called to attend CCS meet.

  • Russian attack on Ukraine: PM Modi chairs meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Thursday after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine.

    Sources said Modi is also likely to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Besides Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Home minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were seen in a video of the meeting shared by official sources.

    #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) pic.twitter.com/9lvHMRi1bT
    — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2022
    Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Singh Puri who are not part of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) were in the meeting.

    National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, also attended the meeting.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, who cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and announced the launch of the military offensive against Ukraine on Thursday, also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to consequences they had “never seen”.

  • Cabinet approves Dearness Allowance hike to 28% for central govt employees

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved an increase in Dearness Allowance (DS) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners.

    As per an official release, the increased DA and DR, which will come into effect from July 1, will be 28 per cent representing an increase of 11 per cent over the existing rate of 17 per cent of the Basic Pay/Pension.

    In view of the unprecedented situation which arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cabinet has also decided to freeze three additional instalments of DA to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief DR to pensioners, which were due from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021.

    “Now, the government has decided to increase the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from July 1 to 28 per cent representing an increase of 11 per cent over the existing rate of 17 per cent of the Basic Pay/Pension,” the release said

    The increase reflects the additional instalments arising on January 1, 20202, July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021. The rate of Dearness Allowance/Dearness Relief for the period January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, shall remain at 17 per cent,” it added.