Late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee adopted his classmate's daughter
New Delhi: Atal Bihari Vajpayee who thrice served as the Prime Minister of India has passed away at the age of 93. He was admitted to the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here in June with kidney tract infection and chest congestion and was on life support system. He is survived by his adopted daughter and granddaughter.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee had always remained a bachelor and never married. He had an adopted daughter named Namita Bhattacharya who is the daughter of Rajkumari Kaul, Vajpayee’s classmate at Gwalior's Victoria College (now Laxmi Bai College) and his companion of many years. Namita is married to Ranjan Bhattacharya who also served as an Officer on Special Duty, while his father-in-law was the Prime Minister of India. The couple has one daughter Neharika.
The family association between the Kauls and Vajpayee dates back to his Gwalior days. After the death of Brij Narain Kaul, Rajkumari Kaul’s husband, Vajpayee became an integral and inseparable part of his household.
Vajpayee served as the Member of Parliament for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, until 2009 when he retired from active politics due to health concerns. One of the founding fathers of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, he was also the head of the organisation from 1968 to 1972. Vajpayee formed Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 when the Janata Party collapsed.
He was the first non-Congress prime minister to serve a full five-year term. The government of India conferred the nation’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on him in 2014. 25 December, his birthday was declared as Good Governance Day by the Narendra Modi government in 2014.
courtesy : timesnownews.com
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
