From the Newsroom: Dearness Allowance for Central govt staff increased from 17% to 28%

In your evening news brief, Electoral compulsions may have been behind Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to allow the annual 'Kawad Yatra' in the state; Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central government employees and pensioners has been increased from 17% to 28% and At SCO, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says combating terrorism and extremism is the key purpose of the Organisation.

Electoral compulsions may have been behind Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to allow the annual 'Kawad Yatra' in the state, where assembly polls are due to be held early next year, despite apprehensions of the third wave of Covid-19. Kawad Yatra is a pilgrimage where devotees carry earthen pitchers filled with waters from Ganga and offer the same at Lord Shiva temples.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court acted Suo Motu today on Uttar Pradesh's decision to allow the annual Kawad Yatra amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said today, the Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central government employees and pensioners has been increased from 17 percent to 28 percent.

This will be applicable from July 1, 2021.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation today, combating terrorism and extremism is the key purpose of the SCO and it must stop terror financing.

In his address at the meeting in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Jaishankar described the situation in Afghanistan as well as public health and economic recovery as pressing issues facing the region.