-The Telegraph New Delhi: Three steps in quick succession have suggested that the BJP might be trying to build a social coalition of Dalits and Other Backward Classes to complement its traditional base among the upper castes in the run-up to the general election. On Thursday, the government managed to get a bill passed unanimously in the Lok Sabha to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. Twenty-four hours earlier,...

-TimesNowNews.com The Supreme Court had in March questioned the mandatory use of Aadhaar for drawing pensions by retired state employees. The 12-digit personal identification number is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India. New Delhi: The Delhi state government has decided to delink the requirement of an Aadhaar card to access benefits due to widows and pensioners. In a message on Twitter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said: “Lot of...

-The Indian Express Instead of fiddling with procurement prices, government must devise an income policy for farmers. Speaking at the 37th foundation day celebrations of the NABARD, Arun Jaitley gave food for thought to the audience when he said, “If there is any area in the economy where we can give an example to the world and to ourselves of cooperative federalism, it is the agriculture sector. It can benefit people more...

-The Hindu Business Line Controversial ‘bail-in’ clause had unnerved bank depositors New Delhi: The government has decided to drop the controversial Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, thus allowing bank customers to breath easy. The Union CABinet, which met on Wednesday, decided to drop this Bill, a senior CABinet Minister told BusinessLine. This means the present system of insurance deposits will continue and customers will not have to worry about the ‘bail-in’...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Union CABinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved guidelines for granting special remission to certain categories of prisoners, including women, transgenders and the differently abled, as part of commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. According to the decision, women and transgender convicts who are at least 55 years old and have completed half their sentences will be granted the remission and set...