Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a small change to his Cabinet on Monday, handing Law Minister Kailash Gahlot additional charge of the environment department, an official said. Who holds what Imran Hussain, who had been handling environment, forest and wildlife, will now be responsible only for the food and supply ministry. Gahlot, who takes over environment, already looks after law, transport, revenue, administrative reforms, and information and technology. Reason for the change According to the official, the reshuffle is meant to bring better coordination in cases involving the transportRead More

The Supreme Court was due on Tuesday to take up the Karnataka political crisis in a key hearing, examining what it has called “weighty” constitutional issues: whether 15 rebel MLAs should be allowed to resign or be disqualified. The MLAs belong to the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition, with the BJP watching closely. Who is before the court The court took up a petition from 10 rebel MLAs on July 12 and ordered the Speaker to maintain the status quo. Those 10 are A H Vishwanath, Arbail Shivaram Hebbar, B C Patil,Read More

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of trying to bring down the Congress-JD(S) government after Congress MLA and former minister R Roshan Baig was held late on Monday at Kempegowda International Airport by the Special Investigation Team probing the IMA money laundering case. The detention Sources said Baig was preparing to leave Bengaluru by private plane when the team held him for questioning. The SIT said he was stopped as he prepared to leave on a chartered plane for an unconfirmed destination, and that it would check whetherRead More

The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The legislation strengthens the NIA’s powers to investigate terror cases both in India and abroad. What the bill does The bill lets the agency investigate terror attacks on Indian citizens and on Indian interests overseas. According to sources, the changes will also allow it to probe cybercrime and human trafficking. Sources said the Union Home Ministry had been considering changes to the two relevant laws since 2017 to equip the agency for new challenges. The NIARead More

The political crisis in Karnataka reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday, where the judges were examining what they described as “weighty” constitutional questions about the resignation and disqualification of rebel MLAs from the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition. The hearing The court, which took up the petition of 10 rebel MLAs on July 12, agreed to also hear further legislators who are seeking the same relief: a direction to Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept their resignations. These MLAs mentioned their application on Monday before a two-judge bench, Justice DeepakRead More