Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) The Opposition Congress on Friday criticised the Union Budget for 2019-20, saying it lacks any bold programme to revive the economy.

Resuming the debate on the Budget, Wansuk Syiem (Cong) said the budget had dealt a major blow to people by raising excise duty and cess on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre at a time when international oil rates are stable.

"There was no reason for the government to resort to this," she said.

"The Budget has no new bold programme for reviving the economy," she added.

Patna, July 11; GANASHAKTI: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday expressed alarm over the "population explosion" in the country since Independence and favoured disenfranchisement of those who sired more than two children.

The BJP leader from Bihar, known for making controversial remarks, shared a graphic on his official Twitter handle on World Population Day which showed that India's population grew by a staggering 366 per cent between 1947 and 2019 as against only 113 per cent rise in sparsely populated US.

New Delhi, Jul 11; GANASHAKTI:  CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Thursday accused the government of "targeting" former additional solicitor general Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover hours after the CBI began raids at their residences and offices.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is carrying out searches at Jaising's residence and offices of Lawyers Collective, an NGO run by Grover, a noted lawyer, who has been booked by the agency for alleged FCRA violations in receiving foreign aid.

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a fresh status report on the ongoing mediation proceedings in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Ayodhya land dispute case within a week and made it clear that if the vexatious issue was not resolved amicably, it would hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from July 25.

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising alleged on Thursday that she and her husband were being "targeted" by the CBI due to their work in the field of human rights, after sleuths from the central agency carried out searches at her residence and office.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is carrying out searches at the residence of former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Jaising and the offices of Lawyers Collective, an NGO run by her husband Anand Grover, officials said.

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) There is a shortage of nearly 1,500 IAS officers in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed Wednesday.

Officers in position as on January 1, 2019, was 5,205, against the total authorised strength of 6,699, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

In order to address the shortage of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the regular recruitment quota, the government has increased the annual intake from 55 in civil services examination (CSE) 1998 to 180 in CSE 2013, he said.

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Pro-Khalistan group The Sikhs for Justice was on Wednesday banned by the government for its alleged anti-national activities, officials said.

US-based The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) pushes for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet decided to declare SFJ as outlawed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, a home ministry official said.

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court Thursday allowed 10 rebel MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka to meet the assembly Speaker at 6 pm to convey to him their decision to resign.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Karnataka Assembly Speaker to decide on the resignation of the MLAs during the course of the day.

The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said the decision taken by the Speaker has to be intimated on Friday when the court takes up the matter again.

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) New Delhi's Connaught Place (CP) is the ninth most expensive office location in the world with an annual rent of nearly USD 144 per sq ft, according to property consultant CBRE.

CP, located in the heart of the national capital, was at the ninth position even last year.

In its annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey, CBRE tracks the cost of leasing prime office space globally.

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The CBI is carrying out searches at various locations in three districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with an illegal mining scam, officials said Wednesday.

The searches started this morning in Hamirpur, Fatehpur and Bulandshahr, they said.

Further details are awaited as the operation is still on and may be expanded during the day, the officials said.

The CBI had registered three FIRs related to the illegal mining contracts given in the state.