Must Read News Articles – April 10th, 2019

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BJP MLA, 4 security men killed in Dantewada Maoist attack

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel were killed on Tuesday when their convoy was attacked by suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. The attack comes two days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha election begins in the State.

Centre denies RTI plea on CIC appointments

The Centre has denied a Right to Information (RTI) request for details of the ongoing recruitment process for four vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC), despite a recent Supreme Court order mandating that such information be made public. The CIC is the RTI Act’s highest appellate body.

Technology and the unhurried mind

The linking of EVMs with a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is a fine mechanical response to the suspicion that EVMs can be manipulated. This doubt-removal machine offers a seven-second long image of the symbol and name chosen by the voter.

Brexit and the fragility of the U.K.

The continuing impasse over Brexit has brought an entire continent to a standstill. It has also strained the very unity of the United Kingdom.

Closure on cynicism

By ordering an increase of the existing Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification rate from one to five random Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) per Assembly constituency or segment, the Supreme Court has sought to reassure those sceptical about the integrity of counting by means of EVMs.

Is there a problem with the 10% quota?

Data show that economically weaker sections in the general category are already well-represented in higher education

The right to criticise

In its judgment dated April 8, the Manipur High Court ordered the release of journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem, who was charged with sedition under the National Security Act for criticising the Chief Minister.

Deep in Maoist turf, no sign of polls

The village lies at the end of the barely motorable Allapalli-Bhamragad road, which cuts through the dense beauty of Dandkaranya, at the heart of central India’s Naxal movement. These parts rarely see electoral activity or canvassing by political parties.

Sri Lanka opens China-financed railway line

Sri Lanka has opened a new railway line, built with China’s assistance, connecting its coastal city of Matara and Beliatta in Hambantota, a move that will boost passenger traffic into the island nation’s deep south.

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Major banks begin to slash lending rates, EMIs set to drop

Equated monthly instalments (EMIs) are set to fall with banks announcing a cut in their lending rates. The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) led the way cutting the interest rate on its loans by 5 basis points (bps).