Uttar Pradesh Assembly Passes GST Bill, and 4 Other Updates

1. Uttar Pradesh Assembly Passes GST Bill

On Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, unanimously passed the UP Goods and Service Tax Bill, 2017. In the discussion about the bill, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the bill a revolutionary move which will be in the interest of both consumers and traders. While everyone in the assembly was in favour of the bill, Nitin Agarwal and Sanjay Garg (SP), Uma Shankar Singh (BSP) and Ajay Kumar Laloo (Congress) raised doubts over certain provisions in the measure and demanded that small traders be exempted from it. The members of the opposition parties also stated that filing of returns online three times a month cumbersome and suggested monetary fine in place of jail term for those who do not comply with it.

2. Delhi High Court Asks CBI To Take Over Najeeb Ahmed’s Missing Case

In a hearing on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the JNU student Najeeb Ahmed’s missing case from the Delhi Police. Najeeb has been missing since 15th October 2016, a day after an altercation with ABVP students in the university. The plea to transfer the case was submitted by Najeeb’s mother to which Delhi Police showed no objection. As per the court, an Officer, not less than the rank of DIG, will supervise the investigation. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for 17th July.

3. Italian Court Bans Kirpan

The highest court in Italy, the Supreme Court of Cassation, has banned Sikh migrants from carrying Kirpan with them in public. They also ruled that migrants in western world must comply with rules to the values of the society they have chosen to settle in. The court said, “an attachment to one’s own values, even if they are lawful in the country of origin, is intolerable when it causes violating the laws of the host country.” This rule came after a Sikh man appealed against another court’s decision to make the Sikh man pay a fine of 2,000 euros as he was caught leaving his home while being armed with a knife.

4. Putin Warns World Leaders To Stop ‘Intimidating’ North Korea

Russia President Vladimir Putin warned world leaders to stop intimidating North Korea and rather talk to them. He said this while condemning the recent missile launch by North Korea. CNN quoted Putin saying, “I want to confirm that we are categorically against the expansion of the club of nuclear powers, including with the Korean Peninsula and North Korea.” Putin also said that “intimidating North Korea is unacceptable.”

5. Pakistani Airline Crew Detained At London’s Heathrow Airport.

On Monday, fourteen members of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crew were detained at London’s Heathrow Airport. A thorough search was conducted on the airline’s crew and was let off after two hours. A Pakistani newspaper quoted PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar as saying that the detention of the crew is not clear yet and PIA has decided to take the matter with British aviation authorities. However, just a day after the incident, the reason behind the interrogation is related to some security matters.

16th May 2017
Jyotsna Amla