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Punjab Flood Aid Row: CM Mann Criticizes Centre’s Rs 1,600 Crore Relief as Insufficient
- PM Modi announced Rs 1,600 crore flood relief for Punjab, adding to Rs 12,000 crore already in the state’s disaster fund.
- Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann criticized the aid as insufficient compared to Rs 13,800 crore in estimated flood losses, calling it “a drop in the ocean”
- Mann disputed the claim that Rs 12,000 crore in SDRF is unused and accused the Centre of withholding Rs 8,000 crore from Punjab’s Rural Development Fund.
- Punjab government launched “Mission Chardikala” to raise extra funds for flood rehabilitation.
- Punjab Governor called the Rs 1,600 crore a “token amount” for immediate relief, assuring more aid once damage assessment is complete.
BJP Deploys Veteran Strategists As Poll Chiefs For Bihar, Bengal, Tamil Nadu
- BJP appoints Dharmendra Pradhan for Bihar, Bhupender Yadav for Bengal, and Baijayant Panda for Tamil Nadu as election in-charges.
- Pradhan and Yadav are supported by experienced co-incharges including CR Patil, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Biplab Deb, and Murlidhar Mohol.
- The move boosts central control over local campaigns and enhances organization ahead of high-stake elections.
- Bihar polls are in November 2025; Bengal and Tamil Nadu go to polls in early 2026.
- BJP aims to minimize factionalism and maximize central alignment in these states.
Azim Premji Declines Karnataka CM’s Request to Open Wipro Campus Road to Ease Bengaluru Traffic
- Azim Premji declined Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s request to open Wipro’s Sarjapur campus road for public traffic, citing it as private property of a listed company.
- The campus is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with strict legal and contractual access rules, making public vehicular movement legally and statutorily challenging.
- Premji noted that opening the road is not a sustainable or long-term solution to Bengaluru’s traffic congestion.
- He suggested the traffic problems on the Outer Ring Road are complex and require a comprehensive, scientific study rather than a single quick fix.
- Wipro offered to finance a significant portion of a world-class, data-driven traffic study to help find lasting solutions.
Karnataka High Court Rejects X Corp’s Petition
- Karnataka High Court rejected X Corp’s challenge to the government’s authority under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to issue content blocking orders via the Sahyog portal.
- The Court ruled social media regulation is essential, particularly to prevent offenses against women and protect constitutional dignity.
- It upheld that social media cannot be left unregulated or anarchic; freedom of speech is subject to reasonable legal restrictions in India.
- The Court criticized X Corp’s refusal to comply with Indian laws despite following U.S. regulations on content takedown.
- Sahyog portal was affirmed as a legitimate tool for the government to tackle cybercrime and unlawful online content, not censorship.
PM to Transfer ₹10,000 Each to 7.5 Million Women in Bihar on September 26 under CM Employment Scheme
- PM Modi to transfer ₹10,000 each to 7.5 million women in Bihar on September 26 as the first installment under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.
- The scheme supports women to start or expand businesses with potential further funds up to ₹2 lakh based on progress.
- The initiative targets rural and urban poor women, with one woman per family eligible.
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will attend a parallel event, highlighting this as a major step in women’s economic empowerment.
- Over 1 million women have already applied through the online portal, showing strong participation.
Himachal Pradesh High Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life Term in 2014 Shimla Yug Murder Case; One Convict Acquitted
- Himachal Pradesh High Court commuted the death sentences of two convicts, Chander Sharma and Vikrant Bakshi, to life imprisonment; acquitted the third accused, Tejinder Pal Singh.
- The 2014 case involved the kidnapping, torture, and murder of 4-year-old Yug Gupta from Shimla; his skeletal remains were found in a municipal water tank in 2016.
- The trial court sentenced all three convicts to death in 2018, but the High Court found the death penalty excessive and allowed for their reform.
- The court noted evidence was mostly circumstantial, and the prosecution failed to prove “rarest of rare” conditions for capital punishment.
- Yug’s family is upset and plans to appeal in the Supreme Court seeking justice after over 11 years.