Latest news with #B.R
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CM urged to release balance crop insurance amount to distressed farmers in Kalaburagi
Deputy Chairman of Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission B.R. Patil has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to immediately release compensation under crop insurance scheme to aid distressed farmers in Kalaburagi district, particularly those affected by failed tur (pigeon pea) crops during the 2024 monsoon season. According to the letter, 8.9 lakh hectares were under cultivation in the district during the 2024 kharif season, with tur being the predominant crop cultivated over 6.27 lakh hectares. The other major crops included black gram, green gram, soybean and cotton. With 90% of the district's agriculture rain-dependent, farmers continue to face the consequences of erratic rainfall patterns, including both excess and deficient rain. Out of the 5.35 lakh farmers, only 2.04 lakh enrolled under the Karnataka Raitha Suraksha – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (KRS-PMFBY), indicating only 38% coverage. Mr. Patil commended the State government's revised insurance policy model (80:110) for instilling hope among farmers. Under this model, his constituency saw the formation of farmer groups in every village, resulting in 63,337 enrolments, primarily for rain-fed tur crops. However, following a 71% rainfall deficit in November, tur crops began to dry up rapidly. 'Before agricultural scientists and myself visited the fields and found solutions for the problem, the crop had already dried. Later, GPS-based crop loss assessments were conducted by village revenue officers in accordance with government guidelines. The report has been sent to the government. Previously, no MLA from Aland constituency had taken such proactive measures. As a result of this meticulous crop-cutting analysis and farmer participation, Aland taluk alone has been sanctioned ₹225 crore in insurance relief. Similar efforts by other MLAs across the district have contributed to a cumulative relief proposal of ₹656 crore,' Mr. Patil said. 'Only ₹191 crore has been disbursed to 2.03 lakh farmers via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) which included ₹75.077 crore under local disaster compensation, ₹2.62 crore for post-harvest losses and ₹119 crore released by IFCO-TOKIO insurance company. However, the remaining ₹465 crore is yet to be disbursed,' Mr. Patil said. Mr. Patil expressed concern that certain complaints from political opponents may have prompted the Finance Department to withhold the remaining funds, citing doubts over the crop loss assessments. 'The surveys were conducted honestly and transparently by government officials. Delays in compensation can discourage future farmer participation in the crop insurance scheme. With monsoon fast approaching, the farmers require immediate financial assistance to purchase seeds and fertilisers for sowing,' he said. In his letter, Mr. Patil has urged the Chief Minister to ensure the prompt release of the remaining amount to support farmers in recovering from losses and preparing for the new agricultural season.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Inclement weather fails to dampen spirits of yoga practitioners; thousands fill streets for Yogandhra-2025
In spite of the inclement weather, thousands of people participated in the Yogandhra-2025 activities, which included mega yoga camps, rallies, and awareness programmes, held at different places in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts on Friday. Minister for MSME Kondapalli Srinivas, Vizianagaram Collector B.R. Ambedkar, Joint Collector Sedhu Madhavan, and other officials visited various 'Yoga Streets,' an initiative of Vizianagaram Municipal Commissioner P. Nallanayya, where citizens practiced yoga on the street. The Minister, Collector, and Joint Collector also visited the Ramanarayanam temple premises, where people were practicing yoga, and interacted with them. The minister and officials thanked Ramanarayanam trustee Narayanam Srinnivas and other members for making innovative arrangements at the temple premises. Pictures taken with the help of drone cameras in the temple were widely circulated on various social media platforms. Srikakulam Collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar and other officials led rallies and participated in the yoga camps organised near the Dutch building, 80 feet road, and other places.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Justice Gavai to take oath as 52nd CJI
Justice B.R. Gavai will be sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday, becoming the first Buddhist to head the country's judiciary. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai, who succeeds outgoing CJI Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment was made by President Murmu under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, and the Ministry of Law and Justice subsequently issued a notification confirming the decision. Justice Gavai, currently the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, was elevated to the apex court on May 24, 2019. Over the past six years, Justice Gavai has been part of around 700 Benches and has adjudicated matters across a wide range of legal domains, including constitutional and administrative law, civil and criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration, electricity, education, and environmental law. He has authored nearly 300 judgments, including those delivered by Constitution Benches, upholding the rule of law and protecting fundamental, human, and legal rights. Justice Gavai was appointed as a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005. During his tenure, he presided over a variety of assignments at the Principal Bench in Mumbai and at the benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. SC may hear pleas against new EC appointment law The Supreme Court on Wednesday may hear a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC) under the 2023 law. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan fixed the date after advocate Prashant Bhushan urged the Bench to accord urgent hearing in the matter. On February 17, the government appointed EC Gyanesh Kumar as the next CEC. Kumar is the first CEC to be appointed under the new law and his term would run till January 26, 2029, days before the EC is expected to announce the schedule of the next Lok Sabha election. Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana-cadre IAS officer, was appointed as an election commissioner. – With PTI inputs
India.com
13-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Justice BR Gavai To Take Oath As 52nd CJI Tomorrow
Justice B.R. Gavai will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday, making him the first Buddhist to head the country's judiciary. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai, who succeeds former CJI Sanjiv Khanna. President Murmu, in exercise of powers under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, had appointed Justice Gavai, the seniormost Judge of the Supreme Court, as Chief Justice of India, and the Ministry of Law and Justice had later notified his appointment. Justice Gavai was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. In the last six years, he was a part of around 700 Benches dealing with matters pertaining to a variety of subjects, including constitutional and administrative law, civil law, criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration law, electricity law, education matters and environmental law. He has authored around 300 judgments, including that of the Constitution Bench on various issues, upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the fundamental rights, human rights and legal rights of citizens. He became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005. He presided over Benches having all types of assignments at the Principal Seat at Mumbai as well as Benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji. Earlier, in an informal interaction with the media, Justice Gavai expressed sorrow over the tragic incident in Pahalgam and said that the Supreme Court cannot remain untouched when the country is mourning. Son of former Bihar Governor R. S. Gavai, Justice Gavai takes pride in the fact that he is about to become the first Buddhist CJI of the country. "My father had embraced Buddhism along with Baba Saheb Ambedkar. I will become the first Buddhist Chief Justice of the country," he said. Asserting that he believes in all religions, Justice Gavai said, "I go to temples, dargahs, Jain temples, gurudwaras everywhere."
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Petitions challenging Waqf Act in SC: What concerns are flagged for adjudication?
The petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, are set for hearing on May 15. They will be heard by a Bench led by the Chief Justice designate B.R. Gavai. Earlier, a three-judge Bench led by outgoing Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna had refused to put an interim stay on the amendments. But it did receive two assurances from the Union government: one, that no Waqf, including Waqf-by-user, shall be de-notified or suffer any character change until the next date of hearing; and secondly, no appointments would be made to the Central Waqf Council or the State Waqf Boards under the amended Sections 9 and 14 of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which allowed the inclusion of non-Muslims, till the Court takes up the matter again. What are the apprehensions and general perceptions about how Waqf boards operate? What is the status of Waqf properties while the challenges to the law are being heard? What are the key issues raised by the petitions for adjudication? Guest: Shahrukh Alam, Supreme Court Advocate Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Recorded by Sabika Syed and Jude Weston Edited by Shivraj S Produced by Jude Weston
