News18.com Daybreak | Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Judicial Independence and Other Stories You May Have Missed
Judge speaks: Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday said independent journalists and noisy judges are needed to be democracy’s first line of defence. He warned that if the judiciary wished to preserve its independence, it should remain uncontaminated from external interference.
Killer pothole: A 45-year-old man died after he fell into a water-filled pothole and then run over by a truck on Haji Malang Road in Maharashtra's Thane district on Thursday. This is the second such incident this week on the Haji Malang Road.
Court intervenes: In an attempt to put an end to the blame game between railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the event of an infrastructural tragedy in Mumbai, the Bombay high court on Thursday directed both the authorities to conduct a joint audit of all the 487 Rail Over Bridges (ROBs) and Foot Over Bridges (FOBs).
Imran exposed: With barely days left for elections in Pakistan, PTI leader Imran Khan seems to have fresh trouble on his hands. Months after excerpts from her manuscript were leaked, Imran’s former wife Reham Khan’s book finally came out on Thursday. In it she has written in depth about her 10-month marriage, detailing the political atmosphere and the leaders in Pakistan at that point.
Rare camaraderie: Vidhana Soudha, the state Assembly building in Bengaluru witnessed a rare bonhomie among three arch-rivals: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, his predecessor Siddaramaiah and leader of the opposition BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday. All three top leaders of the Congress, the BJP and the JDS had a sumptuous meal together, cracking jokes and discussing the good Monsoon across coastal and Malnad Karnataka.
Palpable tensions: The Rashtriya Muslim Manch cancelled the grand namaz and Quran recitation session on the banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya scheduled for Thursday after some saints objected to it. According to reports, some saints and a priest from Hanumangadhi Raju Das had raised objections post which, the organisers restricted the programme till the Naugazi Dargah and cancelled all other events, like Wazu on the banks of Saryu river and recitation of the verses from Quran.
Party line: A day after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that India will become a ‘Hindu Pakistan’ if BJP were to come to power in 2019, another Congressman advised him to realise party’s historic responsibility while “choosing words” to counter BJP. In a series of tweets, Congress communication in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala said the grand old party represents India’s civilisational values of pluralism and diversity and urged Congress leaders to keep this in mind while rejecting BJP’s hatred.
Old rivalries: It’s Kumaraswamy versus Siddaramaiah once again in Karnataka with the latter back in action after keeping quiet for over a week. The latest trigger is Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's budget proposal to reduce the Re 1 per kilo rice under Anna Bhagya scheme for the poor by 2 kg and the hike in fuel prices.
Trump card: At the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru last month, the bonhomie shared by Mayawati and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi spoke volumes about the role BSP’s supremo might play in the national political spectrum. While on its own the party may not garner enough votes to even come close to power, it has pockets of influence in these provinces to tilt the political balance in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Ayurvedic studies: The Ministry of AYUSH has proposed to upgrade the education quality and facilities in the field of Ayurveda by inviting technological expertise from Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi. The All India Institute of Ayurveda and IIT-Delhi are scheduled to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to encourage further research in ancient Indian medicines.
Public spectacle: Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma sat in the middle of a waterlogged road in the Old City on Thursday to highlight civic apathy in the area, drawing criticism from the Congress which dismissed the protest as a publicity stunt. As torrential rains continued to pound the city, exposing the lack of preparedness by the authorities, Sharma sat on a chair opposite Saifia College in knee-deep water and made calls to Public Works Department officials, pulling them up for the mess.
Making history: Hima Das on Thursday scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships as she clinched to top spot in the women's 400m final race on the third day of competitions. The 18-year-old Das, a pre-tournament favourite, clocked 51.46s to win the gold.
News18 Special: Post the 2012 Nirbhaya rape-murder case, self-defence has grown as the preferred choice for women who feel constantly threatened, be it on roads, inside their homes, at schools, colleges and workspaces. News18 explores how women across the country are learning self-confidence through self-defence.