President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Joe Biden pulls out of U.S. presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris

U.S. President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump, leaving the presidential race in uncharted territory. He also announced his endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.

At all-party meet, allies and rivals present long wish list for Modi Government

At the very first all-party meeting of the 18th Lok Sabha held on July 21, ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, both allies and rivals came up with a long wish list for the Narendra Modi Government. The Opposition demanded a discussion on the Uttar Pradesh Government’s order to display nameplates at eateries falling on the Kanwar Yatra route, the rising number of terror cases in Jammu, internal strife in Manipur and irregularities in NEET and other competitive exams. While the allies, TDP, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) demanded financial aid for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

State cannot claim ‘serious charges’ to oppose bail, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has clarified that seriousness of charges alone cannot be a factor to deny bail to undertrials nor can courts impose “freakish” bail conditions. A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered Sheikh Javed Iqbal, a man awaiting trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for nine years, to be released on bail, in yet another back-to-back decision which upheld the right of an individual’s personal liberty over the state’s claim that bail should not be made easy when serious crimes were involved.

Haryana suspends Internet, bulk SMS for 24 hours in Nuh ahead of Braj Mandal Yatra

The Haryana Government on July 21 beefed up security and ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra that was marred by violence last year. Two home guards were killed and at least 15 others, including several policemen, injured on July 31 last year as a mob in Nuh tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, pelting stones and setting cars on fire.

DoPT removed 58-year-old ban on government servants associating with RSS: Jairam Ramesh

The Central government, through a fresh office memorandum, has removed a 58-year-old ban on government servants from associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its activities, alleged senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. On Sunday, Mr. Ramesh posted on X a photo grab of a purported order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on July 9. It referred to the earlier memoranda issued on November 30, 1966, July 25, 1970 and October 28, 1980 on the subject, stating that those instructions were reviewed and it was decided to remove the mention of “Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S)” from the impugned memoranda.

Over 4,500 Indian students return from violence-hit Bangladesh: MEA

More than 4,500 Indian students have returned home from Bangladesh as the neighbouring country continues to reel under violent clashes that have killed over 100 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday that 500 students from Nepal, 38 from Bhutan and one from the Maldives have also arrived in India.

Karnataka draft Bill on job reservation for locals to be discussed in Cabinet on July 22

The State Cabinet that is meeting on Monday is likely to again discuss the proposed legislation to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector. There was a backlash from industry leaders and bodies after a draft Bill on job reservation for locals was approved, forcing the government to put it on hold.

Nepal PM K.P. Sharma Oli wins vote of confidence in Parliament

Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli comfortably won a vote of confidence in Parliament on July 22, nearly a week after he was sworn in to lead a coalition government in the Himalayan nation. Mr. Oli secured 188 votes in favour of the Vote of Confidence motion tabled by him while 74 votes were cast against the motion. Out of a total of 263 members of the House of Representatives, who were present, one member abstained.

What happens next as Joe Biden seeks to pass baton to Kamala Harris?

With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year. Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago on August 19-22. What was supposed to be a coronation for Mr. Biden now becomes an open contest in which nearly 4,700 delegates will be responsible for picking a new standard-bearer to challenge Republican Donald Trump in the fall. The path ahead is neither easy nor obvious, even with Mr. Biden endorsing Harris. There are unanswered questions about logistics, money and political fallout.

Odisha makes U-turn, says sports award to continue in name of Biju Patnaik

The Mohan Charan Majhi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha has made a U-turn on renaming State’s premier sports awards being conferred after legendary the late Biju Patnaik and clarified that no decision has been taken on change in nomenclature. The Sports and Youth Services Department in a July 19 notification replaced the existing Biju Patnaik Awards for Sports, Bravery, and State Awards with Odisha State Sports Award. The revised guidelines for the awards now include eight categories, compared to the previous five.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale told NDTV Wednesday his party, the Republican Party of India (Athawale), “demands the Government of India and state governments” provide quotas for private sector jobs for candidates from OBCs, or Other Backward Classes.

“Many people are there (looking for jobs in private sector companies) from SC and ST… but there is no reservation. Soon maybe government sector (companies) will also become private…” he said to NDTV.

“My party demands the Government of India and state governments give reservations to OBCs in the private sector. We are not opposing candidates from the General Category,” Mr Athawale said.

Ramdas Athawale is a Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

Mr Athawale’s demand comes amid controversy in Karnataka over a move to reserve 70 per cent of non-management private sector jobs, and 50 per cent at management-level, for Kannadigas.

READ | Karnataka Okays Bill For 100% Quota For Locals In Private Firms

Earlier Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed there would be 100 per cent reservation.

A social media post Tuesday making that announcement was deleted this afternoon. 

READ | In Row Over Karnataka 100% Quota Bill, Chief Minister Deletes Post

Reservation will be capped at 70 per cent for non-management roles and 50 per cent for management-level employees, Labour Minister Santosh S Lad clarified.

READ | Karnataka Job Quota May Force “Companies To Relocate”

The quota saw a mixed reception. Some business leaders called it “discriminatory” while others, like Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, said there is a need to ensure jobs for locals but added caveats.

As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy. @siddaramaiah@DKShivakumar@PriyankKhargehttps://t.co/itYWdHcMWw

— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) July 17, 2024

It also comes amid rumblings in recent months about similar initiatives in other states, specifically BJP-ruled Haryana, which will hold an Assembly election this year. The state – dominated by the BJP in the past two general elections – saw the ruling party and the Congress split its 10 seats this time.

Given the close fight in the Lok Sabha election, the state election is likely to be hard-fought.

Reservations In Haryana, Other States

The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act was passed in 2020. It directed private firms in the state to hire local candidates – i.e., those with domicile certificates, for which the time requirement was dropped from 15 years to five – for 75 per cent of jobs paying less than Rs 30,000.

The proposal was piloted by the Jannayak Janata Party, then a BJP ally. Reservation for locals was a 2019 Lok Sabha poll promise by JJP boss Dushyant Chautala, who was also Deputy Chief Minister.

READ | “Unconstitutional”: Court Scraps Haryana’s 75% Quota In Private Sector

However, in November last year the Punjab and Haryana High Court struck down the law, calling it “unconstitutional” and saying the restrictions imposed could have a “far-reaching effect”.

And in Telangana, where the Congress recorded a big win in the November 2023 Assembly election, the party had promised 75 per cent reservation for locals in the private sector. The year before the Telangana government – then controlled by the BRS – reserved 95 per cent in all state-run companies.

READ | Jharkhand To Reserve 75% Jobs In Private Sector For Locals

In 2021 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said his government intends to formulate a new domicile policy and reserve 75 per cent of jobs in the private sector for locals.

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