-The Hindu Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will seek a Rs. 4,300-crore financial assistance package from the Centre for providing succour to over 16,000 drought-affected villages, State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Eknath Khadse said on Saturday. Mr. Khadse said a memorandum seeking funds, expected to benefit over 60 lakh farmers in the drought-affected region, would be sent to New Delhi on Sunday. The Minister, who had earlier declared over 14,708 villages drought-affected, said the...

-PTI MUMBAI: With an aim to provide relief to farmers in drought-hit areas, the Maharashtra Government will launch an amnesty scheme for power Bills of water supply schemes. This 'Panipuravatha Sanjivani Yojana' will be implemented on the lines of Krishi Sanjivani Yojana, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after the weekly cabinet meeting. The scheme will be launched with retrospective effect from July this year. In the first phase, the scheme will be launched...

-The Hindu Business Line New Delhi: India has raised serious concerns over a proposed US legislation that will require agriculture imports to be mandatorily inspected and audited by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). New Delhi fears that once the law is implemented — in about a year from now — it will raise costs for Indian exporters sharply, making exports unfeasible in many cases. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to...

-Livemint.com The five-judge bench, however, says that it would seek the assistance of lawyers to improve the collegium system; this will be heard on 3 November New Delhi: In a huge blow to the government’s plan to overhaul the judicial appointment process, the Supreme Court on Friday struck down the constitutional amendment which introduced a six-member panel for selecting judges to the higher judiciary, declaring it unconstitutional. It also struck down...

-Hindustan Times For a Clean India, be prepared for higher fuel and phone Bills. A group of chief ministers has recommended a cess on petroleum products, telecom services and waste generated by mineral-based industries as well as Swachh Bharat bonds to fund the ambitious campaign. In a report submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog sub-group headed by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu...