Top stories on October 29th in a capsule

Indonesia Plane Crash Update: No survivors expected, say rescue teams

In an update to the ill-fated Lion Air JT 610 flight crash, the rescue teams stated that all 189 passengers are ‘likely’ killed in the accident as no sign of life has been reported from the crash site area. News reports, quoting Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said that human remains have been found in the Java sea but there is no official number on survivor and causalities yet. The aircraft, directed by Indian captain Bhavye Suneja and co-pilot Harvino along with other six crew members had taken off from Jakarta to the city of Pangkal Pinang and went missing for 13 minutes from the air controller’s radar before the tragedy struck off the island of Sumatra.

____________________

India-Japan Annual Summit: Japan to invest $2.5 bn in India

Holding bilateral talks as part of the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit in Tokyo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese President Shinzo Abe on Monday signed six agreements, including Japan’s decision to invest $2.5 billion in India. Earlier in the day, addressing a gathering in the Make in India conference, PM Modi advertised India as a global brand and said, “We are manufacturing quality products….in electronic and automobile manufacturing. We are rapidly moving towards being the No.1 in mobile phones manufacturing." PM Modi who is on a two-day visit to the nation for the Summit has been called ‘most dependable friend’ by President Abe.

____________________

SC mulls canceling SSC exams, asks Centre for views

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its view on wanting to scrap the Staff Selection’s Commission (SSC) graduate level exam of 2017, stating that many have benefitted by the paper leak in the exam and it is impossible to catch the exact number. Earlier in February, following cases of alleged mass cheating the top court had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the case following which 17 people were arrested. In August, a bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao had stayed the results of the SSC CGL and CHSL 2017 exams calling the entire SSC system ‘tainted.’ The court has now asked the Union government’s view on the same.

____________________

NRIs can file RTI applications after Ministry changes stance

Central government on Monday changed its stance on Non Resident Indians (NRI) filing applications for Right to Information (RTI) applications, saying they are enabled to do so now. On August this year, Lok Sabha Minister of State for Personnel, Public and Grievances and Pension Jitendra Singh had stated that NRIs are not eligible to file RTI applications, as it is stated that only Indian citizens can access information under the RTI Act 2005. The Ministry, however, changed the statement after an individual, Retired Commodore Lokesh Batra wrote to Singh about the Transparency Act which allows every Indian to seek information from RTI. The revised response from the ministry has been uploaded on the Lok Sabha website, news agency News18 reported.

____________________

#MeToo Movement: Tata group ends contract with Suhel Seth over allegations

In the ongoing issue of #MeToo cases alleging sexual harassment charges against prominent public figures, celebrity brand consultant to Tata sons, Suhel Seth was terminated on Monday after several women had leveled charges against him. In 2016, the Tata group had bought in Seth’s firm Counselage to rebuild the brand of the company following a managerial issue. “We are not engaging with Suhel Seth immediately after the controversy started. Now, we have intimated him that his contract is getting over by November 30, 2018,” an official statement by the Tata Group said. As of October 2018, at least six women including model Diandra Soares and filmmaker Natasha Rathore have accused Seth of sexual misconduct. Seth, on the other hand, has refrained from giving any comment on the same.

____________________