The Daily Brief – 9th July 2018

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In a setback to the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS), two of the BJP-ruled States – Rajasthan and Maharashtra – have expressed reluctance to implement the programme. The Rajasthan and Maharashtra governments are running similar projects catering to a much larger population in their States. The AB-NHPS is aimed at providing coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually and benefiting more than 10 crore poor families in the country.
The Karnataka government is now contemplating starting its own taxi service. Transport Minister D.C. Thammanna told that there is a proposal to start a government-owned cab service on the lines of private taxi aggregators in the wake of rising discontentment among cab drivers attached to private aggregator platforms.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated urban development projects worth more than Rs. 14,000 crore at sagar, M.P. He said that his government would make cities in the State better than those in the U.S. He also said that cities in the central State would emerge as the “cleanest, prettiest and developed cities,” in the country in the next five years.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the highest decision-making body on Muslim affairs, plans to open Darul-Qaza or Shariat courts in all districts of the country to resolves issues in line with Islamic laws. The proposal will come up for discussion at a meeting of the AIMPLB in New Delhi on July 15. The objective of Darul-Qaza is to resolve matters in light of Shariat laws instead of going to other courts.
Participating in the World Cities Summit Mayors’ Forum (WCSMF) being held in Singapore on Sunday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu showcased Andhra Pradesh as investors’ destination. Mr. Naidu began his three-day visit to Singapore with a meeting with Minister of National Development Lawrence Wong, who said Singapore was extremely selective in choosing their country-to-country collaborations. Responding positively to Mr. Naidu’s request to help in capacity funding, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Director-General of Investment Operations Pang Yee Ean asked the project details be sent to them.
Six global aircraft manufacturers have responded to a Request for Information (RFI) from the Indian Air Force to supply 110 fighter aircraft. All six manufacturers have earlier bid for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), which was cancelled in 2015. The RFI, issued on April 6, states that the government plans to buy 110 fighters jets, of which 85% will have to be built in India under the “Make in India” programme in partnership with a “Strategic Partner/Indian Production Agency.”
Worried about sensitive information making its way into the Internet, the Home Ministry is upgrading policy to secure government data and control access to it. Home Minister Rajnath Singh directed that the National Information Security Policy and Guidelines (NISPG) be upgraded and updated for the government sector.
In order to encourage milk farmers, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would give out the ‘Gokul Puruskar’ in Lucknow on July 11, Minister for Dairying, Minority Welfare, Wakf and Culture, Laxmi Narain Chaudhary said. “Gokul Puraskar” worth ₹54 lakh has been announced by the State government for people who run best cowsheds
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday met controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, who is wanted in India for alleged terror activities and money laundering. The meeting, which may not go down well in New Delhi, comes a day after Mr. Mahathir ruled out deporting Naik, who has permanent residency status in Malaysia, unless he breaks Malaysian laws.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair a two-day plenary meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong. The Governors and the Chief Ministers of the north-eastern States will participate. For the first time since it was established in 1971, the NEC would discuss topics related to security in the region. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the proposed Naga accord were on the agenda. The NEC is the nodal agency for the development of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel opened up a clear lead at the top of the drivers’ World Championship when he wrecked Lewis Hamilton’s home race party and claimed an impressive victory for Ferrari in a thrilling British Grand Prix. It was Ferrari’s first win in Britain since 2011. Vettel’s win dashed Hamilton’s hopes of taking a record fifth win in succession and a record sixth overall.