The Indian government is set to resume the census process in 2025, marking a four-year delay. The exercise is expected to conclude within a year, followed by delimitation of Lok Sabha seats by 2028. This delay impacts electoral representation and demographic data collection, raising concerns about potential consequences for policy decisions.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will file her nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election on Wednesday, October 23rd, drawing a large contingent of top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. The event is expected to be a grand show of support for the Congress candidate.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has shown gratitude to a barber in his Lok Sabha constituency, Raebareli, by gifting him a shampoo chair, two hair-cutting chairs, and an inverter battery. This gesture comes three months after Gandhi got his beard trimmed at the barber’s shop during his Lok Sabha election campaign.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha, proposing significant changes to key banking regulations. The bill aims to increase the number of nominees per bank account, redefine ‘substantial interest’ for directorships, grant banks more flexibility in auditor pay, and adjust regulatory reporting dates. The bill also seeks to amend several laws, including the Reserve Bank of India Act and the Banking Regulation Act.
This article covers the top news stories of the day, including the Nifty 50’s record high, Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Modi government, and the aftermath of the tragic drowning of UPSC aspirants in Delhi. It also reports on a legal notice sent to Ola by MapMyIndia, the Indian embassy’s advisory for citizens in Lebanon, vandalism of telecom lines in France, and India’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Today’s news is packed with political developments, legal proceedings, and other notable events. Rahul Gandhi is expected to address the Lok Sabha on the Union Budget, CJI Chandrachud announced the commencement of the Lok Adalat, and the Delhi High Court will hear CM Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea in the CBI case. Other events include the trial of Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case in Jharkhand, the next session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, and the inauguration of India’s first ‘Sunken’ museum at Humayun’s Tomb.
The 2024 Indian general election saw a high voter turnout, indicating continued engagement with the democratic process despite concerns about EVMs, party defections, and the quality of elected representatives. While the BJP emerged as the single largest party, the Lokniti-CSDS survey revealed anxieties about vindictive politics, the need for a strong opposition, and the importance of addressing unemployment and price rise.
Jyotir Math’s Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks in the Lok Sabha, stating that Hinduism does not endorse violence, fear, or falsehoods. He asserted that Gandhi’s statement was directed towards the ruling party, not Hinduism, and criticized the selective editing of speeches for spreading misinformation.
The BJP has criticized Rahul Gandhi for allegedly encouraging opposition MPs to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Lok Sabha, drawing parallels to Sonia Gandhi’s behavior towards former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. BJP leaders have questioned Rahul Gandhi’s suitability as Leader of the Opposition and highlighted PM Modi’s response to the protests, including a veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer, currently in jail on terror-funding charges, was granted two hours of custody parole by a Delhi court to take his oath as a Member of Parliament on July 5th. The decision came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) gave its consent under certain conditions, including no media interaction. Engineer Rashid, who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contested from Tihar jail, where he has been incarcerated for the past five years.
