NC Digest: The Stories That You Must Not Miss Today

• Over 50 Army Veterans Issue Statement Calling For Jayant Sinha’s Removal, Say His Act A Transgression Of The Constitution They Were Sworn To Protect

A group of former military veterans has issued a public statement demanding the immediate removal or resignation of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha for supporting eight men accused in a lynching case. The minister is a BJP member of parliament from the Hazaribagh seat. The statement also asks that the minister issue an apology for “publicly sympathising with perpetrators of communal killing”.

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• Brace Yourself: Modi Wants To Do More Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies Before 2019 Polls; PMO Seeks Reports On Projects

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed all ministries to prepare detailed reports on projects that would be ready for initiation before December 2018. The measure was taken as PM Narendra Modi wants to “inaugurate projects” within next six months as parliamentary elections are due next year. According to a Economic Times report, greater emphasis is being laid on infrastructure ministries, including housing and urban affairs, road transport and highways, railways and civil aviation.

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• How Did Jio Get The Eminence Tag? With A Little Help From Its Friends

The timings of the government notification for the ‘Institution of Eminence’ status and incorporation of Reliance Foundation Institution Of  Education And Research raise some serious doubts. The rules also highlight that they were designed in a manner that clearly gave a upper hand to the Ambanis. The Rules under which the ‘Institution of Eminence’ tag was to be awarded by the Union government were notified on August 29, 2017.

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• Government Fusing ‘Neo-Liberalism’ And ‘Hindutva’ In Education: CPI(M)

Accusing the government of fusing “neo-liberalism” and “Hindutva” in education, the CPI(M) today called upon students, teachers and people in general to oppose the Centre’s education policies. In an editorial in the latest edition of party organ ‘Peoples’ Democracy’, former general secretary Prakash Karat said various steps taken by the government, including the legislation being brought forth to abolish the University Grants Commission (UGC) and set up a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), has brought into sharp focus the “assault” taking place on education.

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• Maharashtra: Videos That Led To Lynching Incidents Were Manipulated, Say Police

At least five videos that allegedly fuelled rumours of child-lifting and led to lynching incidents in Maharashtra have been found to be “manipulated”, a senior police official said today. He claimed that most of these videos were “misrepresented to create panic” and were not of incidents in Maharashtra, but shot elsewhere. Some of these clippings were from places like Bengaluru, Syria and Karachi in Pakistan, he said.

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• Uttar Pradesh: Body Of Minor Boy Found In Maharajganj

The body of a 12-year-old minor boy bearing strangulation marks was found here this morning, police said. Shivam was allegedly kidnapped from outside his house last evening and the body was found in a field under the Pharenda police station area, Superintendent of Police RP Singh said.

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• Is Reliance’s Jio Institute Being Favoured By Modi? Journalist Nitin Sethi Breaks It Down In A Twitter Thread

Ministry of Human Resource and Development, headed by Prakash Javadekar, awarded “Institute of Eminence” tag to the yet-to-exist Jio Institute on Monday. Journalist Nitin Sethi took to twitter on Wednesday and explained how Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has played its cards to turn tables in favour of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his to-be-established Jio Institute.

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