Here are the top 5 news updates of May 23, 2022:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called an all party meeting to discuss caste-based census on May 27. "We have sent the proposal to all the parties for the meeting on May 27. However, some of the parties have not replied to the call of the state government so far. We are waiting for their response," Nitish Kumar said. "We want to discuss each and every issue related to caste-based census. The leaders of different political parties will give their suggestions which will be a great help," he said. Nitish Kumar's statement came 10 days after Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav met him over the issue. Earlier, Jitan Ram Manjhi claimed that he has received a call from the CMO office for the meeting on May 27.
The Varanasi district judge has reserved the ruling in the Gyanvapi mosque dispute case. The verdict is expected to come on Tuesday. The Hindu side has sought permission for daily worship of Shringar Gauri in Gyanvapi complex and also permission for worship of 'Shivling' found in 'wuzukhana' of the mosque. They have also sought removal of debris in the passage leading to the room under 'Shivling'. The Muslim side has opposed sealing of the wuzukhana area and seeks considering Gyanvapi survey and case with reference to the Places of Worship Act, 1991. During the proceedings, the maintainability of the Places of Worship Act 1991 was raised by the Muslim side. The bench headed by Varanasi distinct judge Dr A.K. Vishvesha also accepted the copy of the survey report submitted by ousted commissioner Ajay Mishra.
A day after the Centre reduced excise duty on fuel, the Maharashtra government on Sunday slashed the VAT on petrol by Rs 2.08 per litre and diesel by Rs 1.44 per litre. VAT on petrol in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Amravati and Aurangabad was cut down to Rs 30.82 from Rs 32.90 per litre and VAT on diesel was cut down to Rs 21.26 from Rs 22.70 per litre. In rest of Maharashtra, VAT on petrol was cut down to Rs 32.80 from Rs 30.80 per litre and VAT on diesel was cut down to Rs 19.63 from Rs 20.89 per litre. A statement issued by the government said the state exchequer will have to bear an annual loss of Rs 2,400 crore as a result of this decision. The state government during the annual budget had estimated a mobilisation of almost Rs 44,000 crore through VAT on auto fuel in 2022-23.
A Ukrainian court sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison today for killing a Ukrainian civilian, sealing the first guilty conviction for war crimes since Moscow's invasion three months ago. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin pleaded guilty to shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war. He testified that he shot the man after being ordered to do so. He told the court that an officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces. The sentencing came as the 3-month-old war helped push the number of people displaced worldwide to the highest level on record level, according to the United Nations, with more 100 million people driven from their homes across the globe.
In a highly choppy session, equity benchmarks pared early gains to settle on a flat note today, with the Sensex falling 38 points amid a heavy sell-off in metal stocks. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex encountered volatility during the day and settled 37.78 points or 0.07 per cent lower at 54,288.61. During the day, it hit a high of 54,931.30 and a low of 54,191.55. The broader NSE Nifty declined 51.45 points or 0.32 per cent to end at 16,214.70.
