Top stories of 14th April in a capsule
Yogi's new scheme for UP minorities: Govt organized Mass Weddings
The government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to organise mass weddings for poor girls belonging to Muslim, Christian, and Sikh communities with the Centre's assistance, state minorities minister Mohsin Raza told news agency PTI on Thursday.
Besides extending monetary assistance of Rs 20,000 each to the bride for the scheme, 'sadbhavna mandaps' will be set up by the department of minorities welfare and the government will bear other wedding-related expenses, the minister added.
Muslims account for nearly 20 per cent of the state's population and a lion's share of the benefits under the scheme will go to brides from that community.
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Women don't need to change their Surnames on Passport post Marriage: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that women need not change their names in passports after their marriage.
PM Modi made this announcement at a gathering of the Indian Merchants Chambers’ Ladies Wing through video conferencing and said his government is working in different ways to empower women through various schemes like Mudra and Ujjwala.
However, as the instructions for filling the passport application form and the testimonies of several women as reported by media outlets claim this was never a requirement.
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US drops non-nuclear bomb on ISIS hideouts in Afghanistan
The United States on Thursday dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, also known as the "mother of all bombs," in eastern Afghanistan on a series of caves used by the Islamic State militants, the Pentagon was quoted by media agency AFP.
"The US takes the fight against ISIS very seriously," a statement by White House Secretary Sean Spicer said, adding "it must deny them operational space used by ISIS fighters to move around freely."
Spicer also said that the military took "all precautions necessary" to prevent civilian deaths.
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By-poll: Victory for BJP, respite for Cong, Embarrasment for AAP
The results of the by-elections held across eight states announced on Thursday had good news for the BJP, some respite for the Congress and embarrasment for Arvind Kejriwal led AAP.
While the BJP won most of the 10 seats, Karnataka chief minister Siddharamaiah won two seats and the AAP lost to the BJP in Delhi's Rajouri Garden by a margin of 14,000 votes.
AAP even had to part with their deposit as their candidate gathered only 14% votes.
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Srinagar re-poll has mere 2% voter turnout
The re-polling held in 38 booths of Srinagar on Thursday had an even more dismal turnout with only 709 votes cast of the total 35169, a mere two percent.
According to reports, with fifteen thousand security men fortressing 38 booths, hundreds of vehicles, nearly 500 staffers and drivers present for the voters, there were more security men than voters throughout the day.
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