Daily Wrap: Chandrayaan 2 launched, RTI bill passed, rains pound Kerala

Isro’s Chandrayaan-2 mission puts India closer to the Moon

Aiming to take a billion dreams to the moon, India on Monday successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 onboard its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport at Sriharikota to explore the unchartered south pole of the celestial body by landing a rover. The geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle lifted-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre into cloudy skies at 2.43 pm and successfully placed the 3,850-kg Chandrayaan-2 into the earth orbit about 16 minutes later.

Cong stokes row, remembers Nehru, former PMs on Chandrayaan launch

RTI bill passed in Lok Sabha

The opposition on Monday slammed the government in Lok Sabha over the provisions of a bill to amend the Right to Information Act, with DMK’s A Raja saying that due to the proposed amendments, Information Commissioners will be like “house maids” (of the government). The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed in Lok Sabha after the government rejected the criticism, saying that the opposition is misguiding the people as the proposed changes are only aimed at streamlining functioning.

Mumbai MTNL building catches fire, 84 rescued from terrace

A massive fire broke out Monday in MTNL building in Mumbai, leaving 84 people stranded on the terrace of the nine-storey structure all of whom were rescued by fire brigade personnel, an official said. A fireman, Sagar Salve (25), inhaled smoke during firefighting operation following which he was admitted to Bhabha Hospital, he said. The 25-year-old is stable and his condition is out of danger, he said.

5 drown as heavy rains pound North Kerala

Five people lost their lives on Monday as heavy rains continued to pound North Kerala and over 300 persons were shifted to relief camps in the state as the South West Monsoon intensified. All the five deaths reported Monday were due to drowning. A Red alert (very heavy rains) has been sounded in Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts till Tuesday.

J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik regrets ‘kill the corrupt’ remark

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday expressed regret over his remark that militants should stop killing innocent people and target the corrupt, saying it was made in a “fit of anger and frustration”. Malik said he should not have made the comment as the constitutional head of the state but it did reflect his feelings and he will say the same thing when he is not governor.

Sadhvi Pragya rapped over toilet remarks, asked not to embarrass party

BJP working president J P Nadda Monday pulled up Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur for her remarks that she was not elected to the Lok Sabha for cleaning up toilets, comments that were seen to be mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Swachh Bharat campaign. She was summoned to the BJP headquarters, where Nadda conveyed to her the party leadership’s displeasure with her comments made at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, party sources said.