Centre to move constitutional amendment about UTs in Lok Sabha tomorrow, says report. Is JK statehood on cards?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written to the secretary-general of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh notifying him that he intends to move a Union Territory Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the ongoing monsoon session of the parliament, according to a report in The Tribune.
Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was annulled on 5 August 2019 after Article 370 was abrogated. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh.
The reports said Shah has also marked the letter for the Union minister of parliamentary affairs, Kiren Rijiju, the legislative department of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Lok Sabha secretariat, and the legislative office of the Lok Sabha.
Shah also wrote to the Lok Sabha's secretary-general to move an associated 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025.
The Supreme Court on 14 August sought the central government's response in 8 weeks on Jammu and Kashmir's statehood petition. It said the situation in J&K cannot be overlooked while emphasising the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, legal news website Bar and Bench reported.
The situation in J&K cannot be overlooked.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran heard the petition filed by college teacher Zahoor Ahmed Bhat and activist Khurshid Ahmad Malik.
The SC observed that the ground situation must be considered when restoring statehood. According to Bar and Bench, CJI BR Gavai said, 'You cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam. "
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
A former prime minister of Mali is jailed on corruption allegations
A former prime minister of Mali was jailed Tuesday following allegations of corruption that he has denied, his lawyer told The Associated Press. Choguel Maïga, 67, led the civilian wing of the country's military junta until his November 2024 dismissal days after he criticized it for postponing elections. He has continued to publicly criticize it. His lawyer, Cheick Oumar Konaré, said the Supreme Court had notified the former prime minister of the charges filed against him by Mali's prosecutor general and ordered that he be placed in custody. The charges follow a report by the West African nation's auditor general on the management of public funds while Maïga was prime minister. No trial date has been set. Earlier this month, another former prime minister, Moussa Mara, was imprisoned after tweeting his support for jailed critics of the junta, which has ruled since coups in 2020 and the following year. In June, Gen. Assimi Goita was granted an additional five years in power despite the junta's earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. The junta dissolved political parties in May.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
30 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India, US negotiating agreement to liberalise trade in goods: Minister
India and the US are negotiating a multi-sector bilateral trade agreement and as a part of the negotiations, both sides are discussing liberalisation of trade in goods, including non-sensitive agricultural products, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The government is engaged with all relevant stakeholders including agriculture, farming experts, to assess the interests and requirements of India's rural economy, farmers and agricultural sector, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "India and the USA are negotiating a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). As a part of negotiations, among other things, both sides are engaged in discussions on liberalization of trade in goods, including non-sensitive agricultural products, with the aim to expand trade and deepen the India-US trade relationship," he said. He added that the government is committed to taking all necessary steps to secure and advance the country's national interest and protect the welfare of our farmers, rural economy and agriculture sector. So far, five rounds of talks have been completed between the two countries on the proposed BTA. The US team has recently postponed their visit for the sixth round of negotiations, which was scheduled from August 25. In a separate reply, he said a reciprocal tariff at the rate of 25 per cent has been imposed on certain goods exported from India to the US starting from August 7. Further, additional duty of 25 per cent with effect from August 27, 2025 has been imposed on certain goods exported from India. "The Government has taken note of tariff imposition by the US," the minister said, adding it is estimated that around USD 48.2 billion of India's merchandise export (based on 2024 trade value) to the US will be subject to the above additional tariffs. He said that the government is committed to secure and advance the country's national interest and protect the welfare of Indian farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and all sections of industry and take all necessary steps to help mitigate impact on trade including through appropriate export promotion and trade diversification measures. Replying to a separate question, Prasada said India has entered into a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with the US that applies to the corporate taxation of Indian companies in the United States. The benefits available in this agreement remain unchanged irrespective of the domestic laws of the US. The US has not implemented the global minimum tax rules so far, and has stated that the commitment made by prior administration on it shall have no effect in America unless they are adopted in its domestic laws. "This is unlikely to affect taxation of Indian companies in the United States. US Corporate tax changes generally apply to entities with US tax liability and are not expected to directly affect exporters that sell from India," the minister said adding the government is engaged with all relevant stakeholders including industry to protect country's economic and commercial interests and to mitigate impact on trade through all appropriate steps including export promotion and trade diversification. In an another reply, the minister said the US has announced countervailing duties (CVD) on export of Melamine, Hexamine, Epoxy Resins, Ceramic Tile, Hard Empty Capsules, Overhead Door Counterbalance Torsion Springs, and High Chrome Cast Iron Grinding Media from India in the period January to July 2025. On April 2, he said, the US announced country specific reciprocal tariffs including on India. "A baseline tariff of 10 per cent on nearly all US imports was imposed w.e.f. April 5, 2025, with country-specific reciprocal tariffs, including on India @26 per cent, which was to be effective from April 9, 2025. However, on India, these reciprocal tariffs were suspended till August 1, 2025. India's export to the US covered by country-specific reciprocal tariffs, as per data for 2024, was USD 48.2 billion," Prasada said. The government, he added, is committed to taking all necessary steps to secure and advance the country's national interest and protect the welfare of our farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and employment-intensive industries to mitigate the impact on trade, including through appropriate export promotion and trade diversification measures. "Government is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry, for taking feedback on their assessment of the situation," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
LS passes bill to set up IIM in Guwahati; second in NE
1 2 Guwahati: Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving way for the establishment of the institute in Guwahati, with the union govt committing Rs 550 crore corpus fund for a period of five years from 2025-26. IIM-Guwahati will be the 22nd in the country and the second in the northeast after IIM-Shillong, which was set up in 2007. The establishment of the IIM in Guwahati is a key initiative under the Special Development Package (SDP) — the package that forms the core of the peace agreement signed between the central and state govts and the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) in 2023, aimed at promoting comprehensive development across the state. This makes IIM-Guwahati the second major national institute in the state born out of a political settlement, reinforcing the role of education as a tool for peacebuilding and regional empowerment. Earlier, IIT-Guwahati was established in 1994 as a direct outcome of the 1985 Assam Accord, which aimed to address regional development and educational infrastructure in Assam following years of anti-foreigners' agitation led by All Assam Students Union. The institute will be mentored by IIM-Ahmedabad, with classes expected to begin this year at a temporary campus provided by the state. The permanent campus will be built at Palasbari in Kamrup district. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the development as "truly historic." "With an IIT, AIIMS and now IIM, Assam is on the precipice of becoming a major education hub of Eastern India," Sarma wrote on 'X'. The bill notes that Assam govt formally requested the establishment of an IIM in the state, citing its strategic location and the need for holistic development. Despite having a population exceeding three crore, Assam remained one of the few states without an IIM. The bill mentions that according to the latest all-India survey on higher education, over 5.5 lakh students are currently enrolled in higher education institutions across Assam. With the state emerging as a key driver of regional growth, the proposed IIM is expected to significantly enhance educational infrastructure, foster managerial talent, and unlock new opportunities for students across the northeast. "Assam is at the centre stage of all-round development of the region. Establishing an IIM at Assam shall boost the overall education and development of the region and open up significant opportunities for the students of North Eastern Region of India to develop managerial skills," the bill notes. Sarma expressed gratitude to PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling the move a transformative step for higher education in the region. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
