In a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Amit Shah said not allowing trains to reach West Bengal is "injustice" to the migrant workers from the state.

According to a report, the number of coronavirus deaths reported by Lok Nayak Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and the Delhi and Jhajjar centres of AIIMS stand at 116, while Delhi govt reported only 66 deaths until Thursday night.

PwC partner and financial services leader Julie Coates said the Federal Government's response to the Financial System Inquiry Report was encouraging.

The lack of such a status has been holding back companies like Infosys from investing, especially given the party's policies on land and industry

Here's a selection of Business Standard Opinion pieces for the day

It will amend Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to ensure availability of low-cost drugs & promote generics

Assistance of up to Rs 75 lakhs to be provided to every e-NAM (National Agricultural Market)

The Chandy government had faced the elections under a cloud of charges from bar bribery case to solar scam

These two years have been about the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) civil society versus the others. Entrenching the first in the heart of policy making and atmosphere-building eco-systems has gone hand-in-hand with controlling the dissent of ...

Centre should build consensus on GST Bill. say CEOs

On the second anniversary of the Modi govt, Shah added that the Centre also redefined the idea of governance and delivery

The political party asks, 'kiska saath, kiska vikaas?'

Shah also said the Modi-led govt in the remaining three years will fulfill all the promises made in the run up to Lok Sabha polls

Bachchan said he will host a segment called 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' for the show celebrating second anniversary of NDA govt

Attacking the Modi rule, the Congress party said that the NDA govt is acting like an event manager

At the event, celebrating two years of Modi govt, the actor stressed on the importance of protecting the girl child

Jaitley said India, from policy paralysis, has transformed into the fastest growing global economy for two years in a row

Plans to harness 9 million MSMEs base to boost start-ups

Interview with Member of the board - sales and marketing , Volkswagen Passenger Cars

Govt is ready to bring an incentive based scrappage policy for old vehicles

Following the apex court order, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath had resigned on March 20, after 15 months of taking over as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

Calls for categorising areas into 'hot zones' and 'safe zones', and ramping up random testing to remain ahead of the virus instead of chasing it

The CM said he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of the "negative stand" the Lt Governor was constantly taking

Action will be taken against any political leader, whether from the ruling party or the opposition if found violating the lockdown, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also slammed the government over the issue

Chowdhury said that the governments and doctors have done a nice job in comparison to other countries, considering India has a population of 130 crore

The Congress said Rail Ministry has charged a 'special fare' from migrants for the 'Shramik Special' trains

Kejriwal, who returned to power in Delhi with a stunning poll victory on Tuesday, will take oath as chief minister for the third consecutive time on February 16

Shah, alleged that no governments had addressed the concerns of people, though the union territory offered good scope for development

Narayanasamy called on Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi in this regard

Motor Vehicles Act does not adequately address concerns of construction, mining and earth moving equipment makers

Eyes disbursal of Rs 30,000 crore under the Amended Technology Funds Scheme

Centre denies selling NTC land in Mumbai; units to be allied sector of textile industry

This is for the first time since MGR's death in 1987 that a party will return to power for a second straight term in Tamil Nadu

She is likely to be sworn in as chief minister for a second consecutive term on May 23

AIADMK Supremo hands over a list of 29 legislators who will be appointed as the ministers

Real annual GDP accelerated in Jul-Sept to 7.4% from 7%. But, growth of nominal GDP slowed sharply to 6%

South India constitutes nearly 60% of India's plantation sector

Apart from duty safeguards, industry also seeks year-long moratorium on payment of interest and principle

RBI issues revised Calendar for issuance of Marketable Dated Securities for the remaining period of H1 (11 May - 30 September 2020)

Muslim theologists in Sri Lanka have urged the government to reconsider its decision on cremating the Muslims who died due to the coronavirus, saying the revised rule goes against the Islamic tradition. Sri Lanka has made cremations compulsory for coronavirus victims, ignoring protests from the country's Muslims, who make up 10 per cent of the 21 million population. In a letter to the Director General, Health Services, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) claimed that more than 180 countries in line with the guidelines of the World Health Organisation have allowed burials for Muslims who die of COVID-19. It is our moral and ethical duty to abide by the law of the country and to guide people towards it. But it does not imply that we endorse or give consent to this ruling as it is against our religious principles, the letter said. They urged the health authorities to reconsider the decision. The Muslim clerics in Sri Lanka had earlier also made an appeal regarding their opposition ..

The Assam government has decided to increase the excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) by 25 per cent, state Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said after a Cabinet meeting on Friday. This will generate an additional income of Rs 1,000 crore for the state to meet the unexpected financial burden and expenditure arising out of the COVID-19 crisis, he said. Many states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi have already hiked liquor prices to give boost to their fledging revenue income. The Cabinet also decided that the tea industry will start operation in full strength maintaining social distancing norms as against the 50 per cent work force deployed since April 13. At meeting the Cabinet also decided to give nod to the Assam Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, and repeal the Assam Agricultural Produce Marketing Act 1972. It further decided that the government will release fund for salary of Assam ...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the West Bengal government is not allowing trains with migrant workers to reach the state that may further create hardship for the labourers. In a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah said not allowing trains to reach West Bengal is "injustice" to the migrant workers from the state. Referring to the 'Shramik Special' trains being run by the central government to facilitate transport of migrant workers from different parts of the country to various destinations, the home minister said in the letter that the Centre has facilitated more than two lakh migrants workers to reach home. Shah said migrant workers from West Bengal are also eager to reach home and the central government is also facilitating the train services. "But we are not getting expected support from the West Bengal. The state government of West Bengal is not allowing the trains reaching to West Bengal. This is injustice with West Bengal migrant labourers. This ...

The Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government to take an appropriate policy decision to tackle the spread of COVID-19 at Arthur Road Jail in central Mumbai. At least 77 inmates and 26 personnel of Arthur Road Jail tested positive for coronavirus early this week. Justice Bharati Dangre on Friday was hearing a bail application filed by Ali Akbar Shroff, one of the inmates at the prison, seeking temporary bail on medical grounds. In his order, Justice Dangre noted that the situation was precarious and in such a contingency, the state government and the policy makers should take a decision. "If it is true that more than 100 patients have tested positive in Arthur Road Jail, then it is for the authorities to ensure that other inmates, who are presently lodged in the jail, are not infected by the virus on account of overcrowding," the court said. The authorities must remember that inmates had the right to a safe and healthy environment even when they were ...

The Nagaland government has assured the high court that the laboratory in Kohima for conducting COVID-19 detection tests will be functional by May 12. The state government informed the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court that finishing works for the lab have been completed and it would be functional by May 12. Additional Advocate General T B Jamir, however, told the bench comprising of Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice Hukato Swu that since the same technicians would be setting up the lab in Dimapur, at least two weeks are required to make that unit functional. The state government made the submission through an interim application filed on Thursday, praying for extension of time after the court on April 27 directed it to make the two labs functional within 10 days. The court on Friday directed the state government to make all efforts to make the lab at Kohima functional within five days and the one at Dimapur within two weeks. After two weeks, the state ...

The Karnataka government may not extend the daily working hours from 8 to 12, with Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar saying on Saturday that the move would neither benefit the industries nor workers. Hebbar told PTI that the proposal has not been discussed and it may come for final deliberations next week. He also noted that some States have already extended the working hours. More than extending working hours, there should be employment to be given. If there are no jobs what can be done by extending working hours? If it is done (working hours extended to 12 hours), it would not neither benefit workers nor industries. Let's see what happens, he said. Asked if the government was in favour of the extension, he said, "I don't think it will be ready for the (12 hour) proposal." Meanwhile, the Minister also said that their top priority now was to see that all MSMEs start operating again, salaries are paid to employees and there are no job losses for any reason. If industries ...

The AAP government has told the Delhi High Court that adequate ration was being provided to Rohingya families at three camps in south and north east parts of the city during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The submission was made by the Delhi government before a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sanjeev Narula, which was hearing a plea seeking immediate relief for the Rohingya families at settlements in Khajuri Khas in north east Delhi and Shram Vihar and Madanpur Khadar in south Delhi. Delhi government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose and advocate Urvi Mohan also told the court that four hunger centres were being run near the settlements mentioned in the plea. The petitioner, Fazal Abdali, claimed that the Rohingyas at these three camps were being denied relief under the various schemes announced by the Delhi government to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The bench, however, noted that the petitioner had not given any specific particulars of the neglect faced by these families

Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday alleged that the 16 migrant workers, who were crushed to death by a train in Maharashtra on Friday, had applied to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan govenment for passes to travel back home about a fortnight ago, but the administration failed to act on it. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted a video in which a survivor of the train tragedy claimed that they had applied for their return to their respective districts in Madhya Pradesh. Alleging that the MP government's "negligence and inaction" led to the death of the workers, Singh also called for a probe to know what arrangements the BJP-led government had done to bring back these workers after they applied for return. "The workers killed in the train accident had asked for passes from the Shivraj government about fifteen days back. These 16 lives could have been saved, if passes were issued. Shivraj ji, these deaths are the result of jungle raj," Madhya Pradesh ...

The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday said the situation was "normal" in RR Venkatapuram village, where a styrene vapour leak from the LG Polymers plant claimed 12 lives and left over 300 people hospitalized with various ailments. Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang and Special Chief Secretary (Industries) Karikal Valaven inspected the plant and spoke to the LG management and later told reporters that "everything is normal and there is no need to panic." Temperature at the styrene storage tank, where the vapour leak occurred, has come down, as also the PPM (ambient air quality) level. "Definitely the air is also fresh and there is nothing to worry about. In the coming days, life will come back to normalcy," the DGP said. "Just to be on the safe side, as per protocol, people are being asked to stay away for 48 hours. That period will end tomorrow. Scientists and experts from different parts of the country, including New Delhi, are coming here. They will review .

The Delhi government has so far issued around 4.75 lakh e-tokens to buy liquor in the national capital, an official said on Saturday. Under the e-token system, customers are given specific time for purchasing alcohol so that there is no violation of social distancing norms by people queuing up outside liquor stores. The e-token is sent on mobile phones of registered people. The new system was introduced on Thursday in the wake of long queues outside liquor vends and people not following social distancing norms there. The Delhi government has allowed around 200 liquor shops to operate in the city. "The government has so far issued around 4.75 lakh e-token since Thursday evening to people to buy liquor without standing in long queues," the official said. People willing to get e-token can apply through a web link www.qtoken.in where they are allotted specific time for purchasing liquor after they fill personal details. According to the official, the e-token system is maintaining social ..