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NEW DELHI : In a major administrative reshuffle, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday transferred with immediate effect 21 IAS and 40 IPS officers of the AGMUT cadre across Union Territories and northeastern states. Among the prominent changes, 2009-batch IAS officer Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has been transferred from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, while 2017-batch IPS officer Tanushree has been shifted from J&K to Delhi. The transfer order, issued with the approval of the competent authority, also posted IAS officer Saugat Biswas (2006 batch) from Arunachal Pradesh to J&K, while IAS Swati Sheemar (2023 batch) was transferred from J&K to Delhi. IAS officer Mamta Yadav (2021 batch) has been moved from Delhi to J&K. Among IPS officers, Deepika (2018 batch) has been transferred from J&K to Puducherry, Gaurav Sikarwar (2019 batch) from J&K to Goa, Vishnu Kumar (2019 batch) from Delhi to J&K, K M Priyanka (2021 batch) from Chandigarh to J&K, Anand Kumar Mishra from Delhi to J&K, and Satish Kumar from Delhi to J&K. The reshuffle also brought a significant number of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre officers to the national capital. Among the IAS officers posted to Delhi are Vivek Pandey (2003) from Arunachal Pradesh, Garima Gupta (2004) from Mizoram, Pawan Kumar Sain (2005) from Arunachal Pradesh, Amjad Tak (2005) from Arunachal Pradesh, Ajay Kumar Gupta (2010) from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH&DD), Awanish Kumar (2014) from Lakshadweep and Shweta Nagarkoti (2020) from Arunachal Pradesh. Among the IPS officers transferred to Delhi are Vivek Kishore (1999) from Arunachal Pradesh, Sindhu Pillai A (2001) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chinmoy Biswal (2008) from Arunachal Pradesh, A Koan (2009) and Jitendra Kumar Meena (2012) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Varsha Sharma (2010) from Goa, Anil Kumar Lal (2013) from Puducherry, Manjeet (2015) and Geetanjali Khandelwal (2015) from Chandigarh and Satyawan Gautam (2016) from Arunachal Pradesh. The order has also posted IPS officers Pukhraj Kamal (2018) and Lokeshwaran R (2018) from Mizoram, Gaurav Tyagi (2019) from Mizoram, Angad Mehta (2020) from Arunachal Pradesh, Utkarsha (2021) from Lakshadweep and R Subash from Puducherry to Delhi. The reshuffle also covered several other AGMUT cadre postings across Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. (Source: PTI)    

  NEW DELHI : The Monsoon session of Parliament will be held from July 20 to August 13 amid dramatically altered political equations after the recent assembly elections. The 25-day session with 19 sittings comes as cracks in the opposition ranks seem to be widening, with beleaguered Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) facing rebellion and the Congress parting ways with the DMK to join hands with the TVK to form a government in Tamil Nadu. The BJP’s victories in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry assembly polls have given a fresh boost to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the last session ended in disappointment as a Constitution amendment bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House. The government is now redrafting the bill to possibly increase Lok Sabha seats of all states uniformly by 50 per cent. The population-linked increase in seats has been a major concern for southern parties. The aftermath of the rebellion in TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) will also play out in the forthcoming session. A decision by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the demands of 20 TMC and six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs seeking recognition as separate groups is awaited. In the Rajya Sabha, after newly elected and re-elected MPs took oath, the political numbers further tilted in favour of the ruling NDA. Three rebel TMC MPs from the Upper House have quit and bypolls will help the BJP gather more strength in the Rajya Sabha. The long-standing alliance between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress came to an end in the aftermath of the high-stakes Tamil Nadu assembly elections held in May. In a post on X, Rijiju said that, on the recommendation of the government, President Draupadi Murmu has summoned both the Houses of Parliament for the Monsoon Session 2026. “The Session will commence on 20 July, 2026 and continue till 13 August, 2026 for meaningful debate, discussion and decisions on issues of national importance,” he said. (Source: PTI)

NEW DELHI : Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk entered the seventh day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) saying he has lost five kilograms and that his health is deteriorating fast. The outfit insisted on its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on X said Wangchuk’s condition was worsening with each passing day and wondered why Pradhan has not been sacked yet. “Sonam Sir has lost 5 kg, and his health is deteriorating with each passing day. How much longer will the Prime Minister wait before sacking Dharmendra Pradhan?” Dipke said. “Why is Dharmendra Pradhan so important to PM Modi that, despite the deaths of 20 students, he still refuses to remove him?” he asked. Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar, students demand education reforms, exam controversies and youth concerns, competitive exam aspirants protest Delhi, education system accountability and governance issues In another post, Dipke said the government would be responsible if anything happened to the activist. “If the government doesn’t act fast and take action against Pradhan, it will be responsible if anything happens to Sonam Sir. Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, he has made it clear that he will not end his hunger strike until action is taken,” he said. Dipke also shared a satirical cartoon depicting a man attempting to eat papers labelled “Exam Paper” while being restrained by two cockroaches, with the caption: “Go back Dharmendra Pradhan.” In a post on X late Friday night, Wangchuk welcomed progress in talks between the Centre and Ladakh representatives over the region’s demands and urged the government to now focus on accountability in education. “Thank you government for steps taken today to resolve the Ladakh issue, now please pay attention to accountability in education,” he said. Wangchuk’s remarks came after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said they had resolved differences with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the minutes of an earlier meeting, paving the way for the next phase of formal negotiations on Ladakh’s proposed governance framework. The leaders of the two bodies also credited Wangchuk’s fast for the breaking of the stalemate with the Centre. Meanwhile, six students associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) also continued their hunger strike at a separate stage at Jantar Mantar. The protest, which entered its 15th day on Saturday, has drawn support from several political leaders and civil society members, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, RTI activist Nikhil Dey and TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra. The CJP protest began on June 20 over irregularities in several exams, including NEET, the premier medical entrance. (Source: PTI)    

NEW DELHI : Amid the raging row over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress on Friday pushed for its demands that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be dissolved, a Supreme Court-monitored probe be conducted, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his “silence” on the issue. The opposition party also demanded a public accounting of the nearly Rs 1,400 crore collected in donations for the construction of the temple before the formation of the trust. Congress leader Ragini Nayak questioned why the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report was not being made public. “Who exactly are they trying to protect in the end? Narendra Modi took full credit for the Ram Temple, but today he remains silent on the theft of offerings… when he took the credit, he must also take responsibility. This is a betrayal of the people’s trust,” Nayak said at a press conference here. Reiterating the party’s demands, Nayak said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should be dissolved immediately, its operations and financial transactions investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and Modi should “break his silence” on the alleged theft of donations. “A public accounting of the approximately Rs 1,400 crore in donations collected in the name of Ram Mandir construction before the formation of the trust should be disclosed,” the Congress spokesperson said. Nayak alleged that in major cases, small people get arrested, while the “big fish” are let off the hook. “But now, in the Ram Temple donation theft case, some BJP goons are saying that this is our internal matter, we’ll handle it ourselves. But they forgot that in the temple, from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich in the country, everyone contributed donations according to their means; this doesn’t belong to anyone personally,” she said. “Today, Narendra Modi is sitting tight-lipped on the donation theft, whereas he should come forward and answer to the public,” she said. Nayak claimed that 70 thefts occurred in 40 days at the Ram Temple, there was no backup of CCTV footage, no information is available on how many thefts occurred in the last five years, and no FIR has been filed against Champat Rai, who has resigned from the trust. “Could this be possible without the government’s protection?” she asked. The alleged embezzlement came to light after an SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings, following which an FIR was registered on June 25. Eight accused were subsequently arrested, and police said nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash, besides some foreign currency, has been recovered so far from six of them. The investigation is continuing.        

NEW DELHI :  The Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 will come into force from July 1, with the Centre on Tuesday stating that all arrangements have been made for its implementation. The Ministry of Rural Development said the Act provides a statutory guarantee of up to 125 days of wage employment to eligible rural households, compared to the 100 days provided under the existing rural employment framework.   The ministry said an interim allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore has been made to states and Union Territories to ensure a smooth transition, timely wage payments and uninterrupted implementation of works under the new framework. Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government’s priority was to ensure that “no eligible rural worker remains without work even for a single day”. He said the Centre and states had worked together to complete administrative, financial and technical preparations for the rollout. The government said existing e-KYC-verified job cards will remain valid until the new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued. The gram panchayats will continue to play a key role in implementation of the scheme, with focus on areas such as natural resource management, water conservation, agriculture and allied activities, rural infrastructure and women’s empowerment, it added. According to the ministry, 29 states and Union Territories have made budgetary provisions for the Act, while 24 states have notified their VB-G RAM G state schemes. The rollout of the new law comes amid criticism from opposition parties and rural employment activists, who have raised concerns over changes in the existing rural employment guarantee framework. They have questioned if the new system could affect the demand-driven nature of employment, the role of states and panchayats, and whether adequate financial resources would be available for implementation. The government has maintained that the new framework will strengthen rural livelihood security, improve asset creation and provide a more comprehensive approach to employment generation. The national launch of the VB-G RAM G Act will be held on July 2 at Mukkavaripalli village in Obulavaripalle mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, according to the ministry. The event will include the distribution of Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards and the release of awareness material related to the mission. (Source: PTI)        

NEW DELHI : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday assured the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh of all possible assistance from the Centre for flood relief operations in the two states battered by heavy rain, officials said. Shah dialled Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to take stock of the situation arising from flash floods and heavy monsoon rains. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), nearly 16,000 people were affected by floods in 69 villages across four revenue circles in Dhemaji. In a social media post, Sarma said he briefed Shah on the relief and rehabilitation measures presently underway. “He has also assured us all possible support and assistance from the Government of India to deal with this situation,” he said. “I thank Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji for his phone call and enquiring about the flood situation in Dhemaji,” he added. Arunachal Pradesh continued to receive torrential rains on Monday, resulting in devastating floods that disrupted road connectivity, damaged infrastructure and claimed lives in around 12 districts across the state. Floods and landslides caused by incessant rainfall were also reported in several other parts of Arunachal Pradesh, where houses were inundated and infrastructure damaged, prompting the local administrations to launch rescue and evacuation operations, they said. Rescue operations involving the Indian Air Force were suspended overnight due to poor visibility but resumed on Monday morning. The India Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over East Siang and neighbouring districts, including Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri and Papum Pare. Authorities have urged people to avoid travelling through landslide-prone and flood-affected areas unless absolutely necessary and to follow official advisories until the weather conditions improve. (Source: PTI)      

NEW DELHI : The government will lift restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel to commercial and industrial consumers from July 1, easing emergency measures imposed to manage fuel supplies. The move will also end the cap on the diesel quantity that can be sold to a single vehicle in a day at retail fuel stations, reflecting an improvement in the country’s fuel supply situation. In an order dated June 29, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rescinded its June 12 directive that had capped diesel sales to a single vehicle at 200 litres a day and barred industrial, commercial and institutional consumers from purchasing petrol and diesel from retail fuel stations. The restrictions had been introduced to prevent local fuel shortages amid global supply disruptions. “The temporary measures were considered necessary and expedient in the public interest to maintain supplies of motor spirit (petrol) and high speed diesel…and secure their equitable distribution and availability at fair prices,” the June 29 order said. After a review of the prevailing supply situation of petroleum products in the country, the ministry said it is “satisfied” that it is no longer necessary in the public interest to continue with the June 12 order. “Therefore, in exercise of powers conferred by clause 3 of the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, the Central Government hereby withdraws its Order of even number dated 12th June, 2026 with effect from 1st July, 2026,” it said. The move follows an improvement in crude oil and fuel supplies from Gulf producers after tensions in the region eased, allowing energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. On June 12, the government had ordered that retail outlets could sell diesel only into a vehicle tank or PESO-approved container, and not more than 200 litres per customer or vehicle per day. Also, industrial, commercial and institutional consumers were no longer allowed to buy petrol or diesel from retail outlets. They must source their fuel from their own consumer pumps. The restrictions, which were put in place for up to 90 days, followed abnormal demand growth, particularly that of diesel, in some pockets after bulk users started buying fuel from petrol pumps due to the pricing difference. While diesel at petrol pumps costs Rs 95.20 a litre in Delhi, bulk sales are priced at Rs 134.50. The differential arose as state-owned oil companies modulated retail prices to insulate common users from the spike in cost that followed the West Asia crisis in late February. While bulk users, such as telecom towers and industries using diesel for power generation and other feedstock needs, are charged market price, the retail pump rates are way lower than the cost. Commercial customers like trucking companies and state road transport buses, too, had been tapping pumps for their needs, resulting in an abnormal rise in demand in some pockets. The government eased the restrictions after crude oil and fuel supplies from Gulf producers improved following a de-escalation of tensions in West Asia, which enabled normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. The ministry, on June 12, issued the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, directing fuel retailers and oil marketing companies to curb bulk purchases from retail outlets for periods of up to 90 days at a time. Later, the ministry, in a statement, said it has withdrawn temporary restrictions on the sale and distribution of petrol and diesel from July 1 after reviewing domestic fuel supplies and concluding that emergency measures imposed earlier this month are no longer needed. The curbs were introduced after the West Asia conflict disrupted global energy markets. While the government kept domestic retail fuel prices unchanged despite a sharp rise in international prices, the resulting gap between retail and bulk fuel prices prompted some commercial users to shift purchases to retail outlets. “The measures were aimed at preventing black marketing, hoarding and diversion of diesel while ensuring uninterrupted availability of petrol and diesel to retail consumers,” the statement said. “Following a review of the supply situation of petroleum products in the country, the Government has concluded that the temporary regulatory measures are no longer required in the public interest. Accordingly, the Order dated 12th June, 2026, stands withdrawn with effect from 1st July, 2026.” It said the restrictions ensured adequate nationwide supplies of petrol and diesel during the disruption. Their withdrawal reflects an improvement in the domestic supply situation and the restoration of normal fuel distribution arrangements. The order takes effect from July 1. (Source: PTI)