Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
Govt keeps door open for separatists to end unrest Driving licence on mobiles soon
WAY FORWARD Rajnath spells out stand at a meeting with all-party delegation
The government agreed with political parties on Wednesday to continue talks with “all stakeholders” in Kashmir, including the separatists, but remained non-committal on the Opposition’s demand for reviewing a controversial act blamed for alleged excesses by security forces.
The Centre’s stand on talks was spelt out by home minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting of the all-party delegation which returned on Tuesday after a two-day visit to the Valley where more than 70 people have been killed in violent protests since July 9.
Singh also rejected reports about a possible crackdown on “some Hurriyat leaders”, Opposition leaders who attended the meeting said.
The reports had quoted senior home ministry officials as saying the government action will include scaling down their security, seizing their passports and scanning their bank transactions.
A senior minister handling the Kashmir issue had earlier told some opposition leaders that Apple has sold more than one billion iPhones... iPhone 7 is the the best phone we’ve created. the Centre was also mulling a group of political leaders to continue talks with the Kashmiri people. However, “the issue… was kept out of the meeting,” an opposition leader said.
Faced with demands from leaders like CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury for lifting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the Valley, finance minister Arun Jaitley underlined how partial lifting of the law can hamper operations by security forces against militants.
Opposition parties in the Centre and rights activists have been demanding lifting AFSPA from the state, alleging that security forces were violating human rights under the protection of the legislation. AFSPA is in force in Kashmir and some states in the northeast.
Jaitley said if AFSPA is lifted from civilian areas, the army’s hands will be tied during operations against militants.
A statement issued after the meeting called for shunning the path of violence and resolving “all issues through dialogue and discussion.” Pellet guns used sparingly, J&K govt tells high court MEA summons Basit over ‘discourtesy’ to envoy Union home minister Rajnath Singh leaves a meeting at Parliament House with opposition leaders.
You may soon no longer need to carry a physical copy of your licence and vehicle registration certificate while driving. Instead, you can opt for a digital driving licence and registration certificate stored in a digital locker that can be accessed on a mobile phone or laptop.
The new scheme will be supported by DigiLocker, an initiative under the NDA government’s Digital India programme that provides a platform for online storage of documents and certificates. The new scheme hopes to eliminate the use of physical documents and increase transparency and accountability as many people complain that they’re forced to bribe authorities because they’re not carrying the document, despite possessing valid papers.
“The system will not only eliminate corruption but is also a mega step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India drive. Citizens can use this at airports as a valid identity document,” Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said at the launch of the new initiative on Wednesday.
“If someone is stopped, he or she can show the driving licence on a mobile phone. This will benefit the common masses and ensure a corruption free, transparent system devoid of red tape. Crores will benefit.”