Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Lok Sabha Tuesday passed a landmark bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor with most parties backing the proposed legislation, described by the government as "historic" and in the country's interest.

Opposition, including the Congress, dubbed the proposed law as a political gimmick that may not stand judicial scrutiny but came around to support it during voting, underlining the huge political import of the measure aimed at placating upper castes.

New Delhi, Jan 7; PTI:  The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to Reliance Communication Ltd (RCom) Chairman Anil Dhirubhai Ambani and others on a plea filed by Ericsson India Pvt Ltd for allegedly not clearing its dues of Rs 550 crore after selling its assets to Reliance Jio.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Sharan sought a response from Ambani and others in four weeks.

Appearing for RCom, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and MukulRohatgi urged the bench to accept Rs 118 crore towards the dues to establish its bonafide.

Srinagar, Jan 8 (PTI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to reinstate Alok Verma as CBI director, saying the apex court ruling had restored faith in independent institutions.

"Welcome SCs decision to reinstate #AlokVerma as CBI Dir. (It) reinstates belief in independent institutions of our democracy that are its pillars," Mufti said in a tweet.

New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) A report by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday.

The bill is expected to be discussed in the lower house on Tuesday. The report was prepared by the Joint Parliamentary Committee by a majority vote as opposition members in the panel had objected to the provisions saying Indian citizenship cannot be granted on the basis of religion and it is against the Constitution.

Ahmedabad, Jan 7 (PTI) The Gujarat BJP Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to give 10 per cent reservation to "economically weaker" sections from the general category even as an ordinance on the same issue brought by the state government in 2016 during the Patel quota stir was quashed by the high court.

The state's BJP government had issued an ordinance for 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections among upper castes in May 2016, but the Gujarat High Court had quashed it in just three months, calling it "unconstitutional".

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated Alok Kumar Verma as CBI Director and set aside the Centre's decision divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave.

The top court, however, restrained Verma from taking any major policy decision till the Central Vigilance Commission inquiry is over.

The apex court also said that any further decision against Verma would be taken by the high-powered committee which selects and appoints CBI Director.

The Supreme Court today dismissed a Public Interest Litigation petition praying that the name of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) be changed.

“You want us to do that? Dismissed”, asked CJI Ranjan Gogoi before dismissing the plea.

The matter was heard by a Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul.

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Asserting that there was growing frustration among NDA members with the "one-man show" at the Centre, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said it was a "telling sign" that some friends of the BJP were beginning to "desert the sinking ship".

Tharoor also said the BJP must realise that when even "your friends are unhappy with you, the rest of the country will be even more negative about your performance".

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg will arrive here on Monday on a three-day visit during which she will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on a host of issues with an aim to expand the multi-faceted bilateral partnership.

Solberg will deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue and address India-Norway Business Summit during her visit.

She will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, besides holding talks with Prime Minister Modi.

New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has called for a two-day strike to protest against the varsity for allegedly spending nearly Rs 13 lakh to host spiritual gurus Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sadhguru.

The students' body claimed that JNU's vice-chancellor had denied registration to a visually challenged student of the Centre for Japanese Studies, Munesh, who was failed due to lack of facilities as the varsity faced a paucity of funds.