Morning Digest | No need to panic, says Union Coal Minister; CJI Ramana says governments ignoring court orders, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

Coal shortage | No need to panic, says Prahlad Joshi

The Union Coal Minister said that some people were speaking as if the whole country would be blacked out after 10 days, which was not the case. The Union Government was supplying 1.07 million tonnes of coal on a regular basis. However, as there was a sudden spurt in demand, the Railway Ministry was taking steps to transport the same, he said.

Governments ignoring court orders, says CJI

The sheer “defiance” of governments towards judicial pronouncements, their inclination to pass off the responsibility of decision-making to courts and the legislature’s ambiguity, lack of foresight and public consultation before making laws had led to docket explosion, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said here on Saturday. It had forced the judiciary to dabble in policy to render justice to the common man, he added at a joint conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Explained | What is causing the intense heat in north, west, central and east India? 

India is in the throes of an unusually long series of heatwaves that began in the end of March and scorched north India for most of April. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said April was the hottest in northwest India in 122 years. It has also been an unusually hot April– with temperatures touching above 40 degree Celsius – in large parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Ex-bureaucrats, veterans hit back at peers’ letter to PM Modi to end hate politics