Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

NATIONAL NEWS 

SC pushes armed forces to let women compete for admission to NDA in November 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pushed the armed forces to live up to its reputation as the best response team we have to stand up to an emergency, iron out creases, and make history happen by allowing women to write the exam for admission to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in November this year. The court was responding to a statement made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in an affidavit that it would have the mechanism to induct women into the NDA ready by May 2022. Senior advocate Chinmoy Pradip Sharma and advocate Mohit Paul, for petitioner Kush Kalra, countered that if the NDA entrance exam is announced in May 2022, the actual exam would take place later in September. This would mean that the actual induction of women cadets into the prestigious military academy, the gateway to the three Services and a male bastion, would happen in 2023 — a delay of a whole year. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B.R. Gavai said it was time the armed forces buckle up and make a beginning. The court refused to vacate its order of August 18 that women would write the NDA entrance exam in 2021 itself. The exam is scheduled for November. The MoD, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, urged the court to let the November 2021 exam go on as before, without women taking it. It stated that the military establishment would need at least six months to prepare for the start of the process for induction of women into the NDA. Bhati submitted that a study group had been formed to look into the infrastructure and course requirements for women cadets in the NDA. But the court made it plain that though it was in favour of giving time to the study group, it did not want to delay women from taking the exam. We do not accept this situation. The armed forces treat everything as an emergency. They are the best response team we have. They deal with far more difficult situations in the country’s borders, they can deal with this. Do not ask us to vacate our order [of August 18], Justice Kaul addressed the MoD.

NDMA for ₹50,000 ex-gratia to kin of those who lost lives to COVID-19, Centre tells Supreme Court The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recommended that ₹50,000 be given to the kin of those who died of COVID-19, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It said that ex-gratia assistance will also be given to the kin of those who died of the virus due to involvement in COVID-19 relief operations or activities associated with the preparedness for dealing with the pandemic. The ex-gratia assistance will be given subject to the cause of death being certified as COVID-19 as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and ICMR, the government said. It added that the ex-gratia assistance will be provided by States from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). On September 3, the top court had expressed displeasure over delay in framing of guidelines for issuance of death certificates to the families of those who died of COVID-19. The apex court had in its June 30 verdict directed the NDMA to recommend within six weeks the guidelines for ex-gratia assistance on account of loss of life to the family members of persons who died due to COVID-19.

Rahul likely to visit Chhattisgarh where a leadership tussle is on 

Amid the leadership tussle in Chhattisgarh, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit the Congress-ruled State by the end of September. After the change of guard in Punjab, speculation has gained ground that Chhattisgarh is likely to be the next State that could see a leadership change. It is not clear if the Congress high command will take a call on the leadership question before Gandhi’s visit but the issue is wide open. The arrival of State Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo in Delhi on Monday and Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu meeting party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal on Tuesday has further fuelled talks of a possible change of leadership and Cabinet reshuffle. Top party sources, however, claimed that talks about an impending reshuffle are not correct. The date or other issues of rotating chief ministership have not been finalised. Both the leaders have been told to keep quiet and not issue statements against each other. The high command will let them know when it takes a call on the issue, said an All India Congress Committee (AICC) functionary. According to a rotation formula agreed in December 2018 when Gandhi was the party president, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was to handover his position to Deo by June 16 this year. Though both the leaders have avoided making direct public statements, Baghel has been using various public events to show his strength and support among the MLAs. On Tuesday, Baghel hosted a dinner for the tribal MLAs from the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, at the Chief Minister’s residence. Last week, 36 Congress MLAs are said to have expressed their support by pledging to resign if the Chief Minister is changed. The central leaders have not yet decided but such antics won’t go down well, said another AICC leader who is familiar with the Chhattisgarh situation.

DTU VC Yogesh Singh appointed Vice Chancellor of Delhi University 

Delhi Technological University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh has been appointed as the VC of Delhi University, Ministry of Education officials said on Wednesday, PTI reported. Singh, who will be the 23rd Vice-Chancellor of DU, will succeed Yogesh Tyagi, who was suspended last October over allegations of irregularities and dereliction of duty. Tyagi was the first VC in the university’s history to face such action. Pro Vice-Chancellor PC Joshi was holding charge of the top post since then. President Ram Nath Kovind who is the Visitor to central universities has approved the appointment of two Vice Chancellors. While Yogesh Singh will be the VC of Delhi University, Neelima Gupta has been appointed to the post at Dr Hari Singh Gaur Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, a ministry official said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Turkish President Erdogan again makes reference to Kashmir in UN General Assembly address Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again referred to the issue of Kashmir in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly session. Last year also, Erdogan in his pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate had made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir. India at that time termed it as completely unacceptable, saying Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply. Erdogan in his address to the General Debate on Tuesday said, We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions. The Turkish President, a close ally of Pakistan, had repeatedly raised the issue of Kashmir in his address to the high-level General Debate. He had also raised the Kashmir issue during his visit to Pakistan last year. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at that time had said Erdogan’s remarks reflected neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy and that they will have strong implications on India’s ties with Turkey. It said India rejected the repeated attempts by Turkey to justify the cross-border terrorism practised so blatantly by Pakistan. In his address on Tuesday, the Turkish President also referred to China’s minority Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Myanmar’s Rohingya during his address. Erdogan said that within China’s territorial integrity perspective, we do believe that more efforts need to be displayed regarding the protection of the basic rights of the Muslim Uyghur Turks. The U.S. and the European Union, besides many other countries, have accused China of committing genocide against the Uyghurs in resource-rich Xinjiang and called for an international probe by human rights groups. We also support ensuring the safe, voluntary, dignified return of Rohingya Muslims, who are living in difficult conditions in camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar, back to their motherland, Erdogan said.

U.K. includes Covishield in list of recognised vaccines, but India remains on ‘Amber’ list

The United Kingdom on Wednesday formally recognised Covid-19 vaccine Covishield produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII). The recognition will become effective from 4 a.m. of October 4. It was, however, told to The Hindu that discussion on vaccination certificates was still on. Wednesday’s announcement did not include any change in India’s position in the ‘Amber List’, while the U.K. has cleared 18 countries for the ‘Green List’. The development came a day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his British counterpart Liz Truss in New York on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly and urged the U.K. to address the issue around the status of Covishield and the requirement of quarantine for 10 days in case of Indian travellers. The Hindu reported on Wednesday that recognition of Covishield is not a problem for the U.K. and the real challenge has been about India’s vaccination certificates. U.K. High Commission officials said they were still in discussion over vaccination certification with the Government of India, indicating that a final decision on whether to include India in the list of recognised vaccine administrators has not yet been made. British High Commissioner Alex Ellis in an interview with NDTV on Wednesday highlighted that lots of people were travelling from India to the U.K. and that his country had conducted detailed conversation internally on India’s vaccine certificates. From 4 a.m. of October 4, the U.K. will do away with the traffic light system of ‘Red, Amber and Green’ lists and create a single ‘Red List’ to ensure greater ease. London has cleared 18 nations, including Canada, Denmark, Antigua and Barbuda, for the ‘Green List’, which will allow doubly vaccinated travellers from these countries to fly to the U.K. without quarantine requirement. The current rules and the recognition of Covishield means that a traveller from the ‘Green List’ countries can use Covishield vaccine before flying to the U.K., but an Indian traveller from India will still have to undergo quarantine lasting 10 days despite using the same vaccine. According to the latest announcement, the U.K.-approved vaccines will have to be administered 14 days before travelling to that country. Britain took India out of the ‘Red List’ and placed it in the ‘Amber List’ on August 8 that removed the requirement of hotel or institutional quarantine for Indian travellers but retained the need for home quarantine for 10 days. There were no changes in India’s position in the ‘Amber List’ and the requirement of quarantined private stay lasting 10 days has also been retained. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla stated that India could impose reciprocal measures if the U.K. continued with its policy on Covishield. He termed it discriminatory.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Mechanism to induct women cadets into NDA will be ready in May 2022, Defence Ministry tells Supreme Court.

The government has informed the Supreme Court that it proposes to have the ‘mechanism’ to induct women cadets into the National Defence Academy (NDA) for entry into the Armed Forces to be ready in May 2022. The Ministry of Defence told the court in an affidavit that the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) would include women in its NDA exam notification expected to be published in May, 2022. The government, in line with its commitment, hereby places on record the clear and categorical stand that the women candidates shall be considered for entry in the three defence services, in the existing streams, through the National Defence Academy… Entrance examination for entry into NDA are held twice in a year. The government proposes to have the necessary mechanism in place by May, 2022, i.e., the time by which UPSC is required to publish the first notification of 2022, for entrance exam for entry to NDA, a short affidavit by the Ministry said. With this, the path is clear for women to train along with men at the NDA, considered a male bastion. After the Supreme Court judgment last year, which led to permanent commission for women officers, this is the second time that the court has nudged the Armed Forces towards gender equality.

India’s religious makeup has remained stable since 1951, says Pew Center study

The religious composition of India’s population since Partition has remained largely stable, with both Hindus and Muslims, the two largest religious groups, showing not only a marked decline but also a convergence in fertility rates, according to a new study published by Pew Research Center, a non-profit based in Washington DC. The study, based on data sourced from India’s decennial census and the National Family Health Survey (NHFS), looked at the three main factors that are known to cause changes in religious composition of populations, fertility rate, migration, and conversions. With regard to fertility rates, the study found that Muslims, who had the highest fertility rate, also had the sharpest decline in fertility rates. From 1992 to 2015, the total fertility rates of Muslims declined from 4.4 to 2.6, while that of Hindus declined from 3.3 to 2.1, indicating that the gaps in childbearing between India’s religious groups are much smaller than they used to be. In percentage terms, between 1951 and 2011, Muslims grew by 4.4 percentage points to 14.2% of the population, while Hindus declined by 4.3 points to 79.8%. But all the six major religious groups — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains – have grown in absolute numbers. The sole exception to this trend are Parsis, whose number halved between 1951 and 2011, from 110,000 to 60,000. Interestingly, out of India’s total population of 1,200 million, about 8 million did not belong to any of the six major religious groups. Within this category, mostly comprising adivasi people, the largest grouping was of Sarnas (nearly 5 million adherents), followed by Gond (1 milliion) and sari Dharma (510,000). With regard to migration as a driver of change in religious makeup, the study says that since the 1950s, migration has had only a modest impact on India’s religious composition. More than 99% of people who live in India were also born in India, and migrants leaving India outnumber immigrants three-to-one, with Muslims more likely than Hindus to leave India, while immigrants into India from Muslim-majority counties are disproportionately Hindu. Religious conversion has also had a negligible impact on India’s overall composition, with 98% of Indian adults still identifying with the religion in which they were raised.

600 more workers to be deployed at Central Vista Avenue to speed up project

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said 600 more workers would join the Central Vista Avenue redevelopment project, which was expected to be completed before the Republic Day Parade in 2022. Puri, who visited the site on Tuesday to review the work, said he was confident that the project would be ready in time for the R-Day parade next year. 3,400 workers working day & night on site to compensate for the time lost due to rains. 600 more workers will be added to the workforce in a week. (sic), Puri said in a tweet. As part of the Central Vista revamp project, the Central Vista Avenue redevelopment was started earlier this year. It includes new public amenities for visitors, new landscaping of the India Gate lawns and development of infrastructure for the annual parade.

Raj Kundra walks out of Mumbai jail after bail in pornographic films case

Businessman Raj Kundra today walked out of a Mumbai jail, a day after a magistrate court in Mumbai granted bail to the key accused in a pornographic films case in which he was arrested two months ago. Kundra was released from the Arthur Road jail shortly after 11.30 a.m., a jail official said. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S.B. Bhajipale on September 20 allowed Kundra’s bail application on furnishing a bond of ₹50,000. Kundra’s associate and co-accused Ryan Thorpe, who was arrested along with him on July 19, was also granted bail by the court in the case pertaining to alleged creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some apps. The 46-year-old businessman was lodged in Arthur Road Jail in central Mumbai under judicial custody. Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, was arrested by the Mumbai police’s crime branch after being booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. Kundra moved a bail plea before the metropolitan magistrate court on Saturday, days after the police filed a supplementary charge-sheet in the case. In the plea, filed through advocate Prashant Patil, Kundra claimed there was not even an iota of evidence till date with the prosecution that would connect the app ‘Hotshots’, used in the alleged porn films racket, with an offence under law. As per the probe agency, the ‘Hotshots’ app was being used by accused persons for uploading and streaming obscene content. The businessman claimed there was no evidence of him being actively involved in creation of alleged questionable porn content. Kundra alleged he was falsely implicated, was not even named in the FIR and was dragged by the respondent (police) in the case. The businessman claimed in the plea that he is being made a scapegoat for reasons best known to investigators.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres urges U.S.-China dialogue, warns of divisions at UNGA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the United States and China to engage in dialogue, warning of an increasingly divided world. I fear our world is creeping towards two different sets of economic, trade, financial and technology rules, two divergent approaches in the development of artificial intelligence — and ultimately two different military and geopolitical strategies, Guterres said as he opened the annual UN General Assembly. This is a recipe for trouble. It would be far less predictable than the Cold War. To restore trust and inspire hope, we need cooperation, he said. We need dialogue. We need understanding. The summit will feature the first speech to the world body by U.S. President Joe Biden, who has described a rising and authoritarian China as the paramount challenge of the 21st century. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also set to address the United Nations but by video in light of COVID-19 restrictions. Guterres said that divisions between the two powers set back efforts on other key priorities including reversing coups. Since February, militaries have seized control both in Myanmar and Guinea and Afghanistan’s Western-backed government collapsed to the Taliban. We are also seeing an explosion in seizures of power by force. Military coups are back. The lack of unity among the international community does not help, Guterres said. Geopolitical divisions are undermining international cooperation and limiting the capacity of the Security Council to take the necessary decisions.

 

India considers ‘reciprocal’ steps to U.K.’s quarantine rules

India could impose reciprocal measures on the United Kingdom if London maintained the current quarantine policy that subjected Indian travellers irrespective of vaccination status to a quarantine period lasting 10 days, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said here on Tuesday. There was an option of mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, he noted at a press briefing. The comments came hours after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his British counterpart Liz Truss in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The UK government on September 17, relaxed pandemic restrictions on travel into England. The External Affairs Minister has raised this issue strongly with his counterpart, the new Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, and I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue would be resolved. And as you saw, the Minister has said this issue should be resolved at the earliest possible to mutual satisfaction. We have also offered some of our partner countries the option of mutual recognition of vaccination certificates or vaccine certification. But these are reciprocal measures. I think if obviously, as we go along, we will have to see how it goes. If we don’t get satisfaction, we would be well within our rights to impose reciprocal measures, Shringla observed. He indicated that the U.K.’s policy to impose 10 days quarantine on people vaccinated with Covishield did reveal a gap in that country’s policy regarding vaccines made in India. The basic issue is that here is a vaccine — Covishield — which is a licensed product of a U.K. company, manufactured in India. Of which we have supplied five million doses to the U.K., at the request of the U.K. We understand this has been used in their National Health System and therefore, non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminatory policy, he stated. This policy hurt Indian nationals travelling to the U.K., he pointed out. Earlier, Jaishankar remarked he had taken up the matter with Truss and urged early resolution of the issue in mutual interest. It was also learnt that the recognition of Covishield of the SII is not an issue for the U.K. and the real problem is the vaccine certificate, which is stuck on procedural and technical matters related to the healthcare database of the U.K. Earlier, a British High Commission spokesperson said, We are engaging with the Government of India to explore how we could expand U.K. recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.

 

PM Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron discuss Indo-Pacific co-operation

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed on Tuesday co-operating over the Indo-Pacific region with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as France deals with the fallout from Australia’s cancellation of a $40 billion French submarine order. The two leaders held a phone conversation on Tuesday, said a statement from Macron’s office, during which they also discussed issues such as the crisis in Afghanistan. Last week, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia after Australia cancelled its previous nuclear submarine deal with France. Australia said last week that it would scrap an earlier 2016 deal with France’s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines, and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership. France called it a stab in the back. China in turn denounced a new Indo-Pacific security alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia, warning of an intensified arms race in the region.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Charanjit Singh Channi takes oath as Punjab Chief Minister

Congress leader and MLA Charanjit Singh Channi on September 20 took oath as Chief Minister of Punjab. Two Deputy Chief Ministers — O.P. Soni and Sukhjinder Randhawa — also took oath along with the Chief Minister. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy, with Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, State unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu and others present on the occasion. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh skipped the event though he had extended his best wishes to Channi. Channi, 58, is the first Dalit to head the government in the State. He was Technical Education Minister in the Amarinder Singh Cabinet. A close aide of Sidhu, he was among the ministers who had rebelled against Capt. Amarinder, expressing lack of faith in the former Chief Minister’s ability to fulfill the party’s election promises.  He had attacked him on several issues — the Bargari sacrilege issue, failure to curb the drugs and transport mafias, and other unkept election promises made in 2017. Meanwhile, the turmoil in Punjab Congress seems to be far from over as former Punjab Congress State president Sunil Jakhar raised questions on the party’s strategy of going to the upcoming Assembly poll under the leadership of Sidhu rather than Channi, saying it undermined the Chief Minister’s authority. Taking to Twitter, Jakhar said, On the swearing-in day of Sh @Charnjit_Channi as Chief Minister, Rawats’s statement that elections will be fought under Sidhu, is baffling. It’s likely to undermine CM’s authority and also negates the very raison d’être of his selection for this position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Channi on being sworn-in as Punjab Chief Minister. Congratulations to Shri Charanjit Singh Channi Ji on being sworn-in as Punjab’s Chief Minister. Will continue to work with the Punjab government for the betterment of the people of Punjab, Modi tweeted.

COVID-19 vaccine export to be resumed next month

India would resume the export of COVID-19 vaccines under ‘Vaccine Maitri’ in order to fulfill the commitment towards COVAX, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday. We are resuming Vaccine Maitri next month in line with our motto ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ he said. The surplus supply of vaccines would be used to fulfill India’s commitment towards the world for the collective fight against the virus. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation. Speaking about increased vaccine production in the coming months, he stated that more than 30 crore doses would be made in October. More than 100 crore doses would be produced in the coming quarter, he added. Highlighting the importance of indigenous research and production of COVID-19 vaccines, he observed that India’s vaccination drive had been a role model for the world and it was marching ahead with great speed. More than four times, we have crossed one crore vaccination administration on a single day since the drive commenced on January 16, he noted.

Won’t interfere with States’ decisions on school reopening: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday said the judiciary will not interfere with State governments’ decisions on whether or not to open schools. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and B.V. Nagarathna said the decision to open schools is entirely that of individual States and the court will not queer the pitch. The judiciary has neither data nor the expertise to pass omnibus directions to States to open schools and resume physical classes, especially when the lives of children are at stake. Governments have to tread with the greatest care when opening schools and exposing children to the virus… If so, the courts have to take greater care, that too, with no data at hand, Justice Chandrachud observed. The court was dealing with a petition filed by a student who wanted governments to take time-bound decisions to open up schools for physical classes. Justice Chandrachud said the child who is the petitioner here should focus on his studies rather than file public interest petitions with no or little data to support his contentions. Different States have different situations regarding COVID-19. The situation may vary according to factors like the size of the State and density of the population. It is the decision of each State to see the areas where there is a spike in cases and act accordingly. Ultimately, it is best to leave it for the governments to decide. We cannot take over governance, Justice Chandrachud said. Justice Nagarathna pointed out that teachers have to be vaccinated and children have not been vaccinated yet. The government is ultimately responsible to bring children back to school. Government is answerable. We cannot direct them to open up in a time-bound manner. We have just come out of the second wave. There may be a third wave, though it may not be as devastating, Justice Chandrachud said. The issue of whether to send children to school for physical classes or not and when to do that concerns the complexities of governance which makes it eminently a case on which the court should not interfere. Let us leave something to the democratic way of life we have chosen. Let us leave it to every State to decide this issue, Justice Chandrachud addressed the petitioner. Advocate Ravi Prakash Mehrotra, appearing for the student-petitioner, said the petition was not meant to be publicity seeking. Instead, it had focused on the psychological and physical damage children are being subject to by not going to school. More seriously, Mehrotra said, many thousands of children depend on school to provide them with a mid-day meal. Justice Chandrachud agreed that there was a need to balance the need to keep the children safe from the virus with the requirement to keep them physical and mentally healthy. The court said many State governments, in this case, have decided to open schools in a phased manner.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Shooting at Russian university leaves 8 dead, 28 hurt

A gunman opened fire on Monday at a university in Russia, leaving eight people dead and 28 hurt, officials said. The suspect was detained after being wounded in an exchange of fire with the police, the Interior Ministry said. There was no immediate information available on his identity or possible motive. During the attack, students and staff at Perm State University locked themselves in rooms, and a video posted on Russian news sites showed some students jumping out of second-storey windows. In some footage, a black-clad, helmeted figure could be seen striding on a campus sidewalk cradling a long-barreled weapon. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon. That could indicate he used a shotgun. A traffic police unit was the first to reach the scene, and the suspect opened fire on them, according to the Interior Ministry. He was wounded when police returned fire and then was disarmed, the ministry said. Although firearms laws are strict in Russia, many people obtain permits for hunting weapons. News reports cited officials as saying the suspect had a permit for a pump-action shotgun, although it was not clear if it was for the weapon used. The university, which has 12,000 students enrolled, said about 3,000 people were on the campus at the time of the shooting. The school is in the city of Perm, which is about 1,100 kilometers east of Moscow with a population of about 1 million. The Investigative Committee said 28 people were injured, and some of them were hospitalized. The Health Ministry said 19 of them were shot. It was not clear how the others were injured. In May, a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan with a registered weapon, killing seven students and two teachers.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Charanjit Singh Channi to be next Punjab Chief Minister

All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Sunday announced Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit Sikh, as the leader of Punjab Congress Legislature Party (CLP), who would also be expected to be the State’s next Chief Minister. The move, coming ahead of the Assembly elections early next year, seems aimed at neutralising both the Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP alliance, and the BJP’s bid to attract Dalit voters. AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat announced the name of new CLP leader on twitter. It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab, he said. Channi was one among the Cabinet ministers who rebelled against Capt. Amarinder Singh, expressing lack of faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister in fulfilling the party’s 2017 Assembly election promises. As per the 2011 Census, Dalits comprise nearly one-third (32%) of the Punjab population. AICC-appointed observers Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken, and Punjab affairs incharge Harish Rawat were in Chandigarh and held meetings with party leaders and collected feedback from MLAs ahead of the announcement. Earlier, on September 18 in the CLP meeting, the party MLAs had passed a resolution in which the Congress president was authorised to select the CLP leader. The announcement came a day after the Congress high command forced the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ahead of a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting convened by the AICC on September 18. The final decision of the new chief minister was left to the party president Sonia Gandhi.

India may soon allow foreign tourists in view of declining COVID-19 cases 

Amid a decline in COVID-19 cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors to foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said. The first five lakh foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, when a nationwide lockdown was announced. Top Union Home Ministry officials are deliberating with all stakeholders on the expected date and modalities for opening up of the country for foreign tourists. A formal announcement allowing foreign tourists to visit India may come within the next ten days, an official from the Home Ministry said. The decision is being taken in view of the declining number of COVID-19 cases in the country. India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has also crossed 80 crore. The free visa to the tourists will be issued till March 31, 2022, or the issuance of five lakh visa, whichever is earlier. The total financial implication for this would be ₹100 crore. The free visa move is expected to incentivise short-term tourists visiting India, the official said. The cost for a month-long e-tourist visa is country-specific but is around $25. A year-long multiple entry e-tourists visa charge is around $40. The e-tourist visa has been suspended since March 2020. Home Ministry officials said they are still deliberating whether the entry of foreign tourists will be allowed with certain conditions, such as limiting it only to vaccinated travellers for now and having a negative list of countries where COVID-19 cases remain a concern. The opening up is also expected to be phase-wise to see the response and implications, another official said. Many countries, including some of those in Europe, have already opened up for tourism.

BJP uses Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan to garner votes: Mehbooba 

Accusing the BJP of playing politics over the issues of Taliban, Afghanistan and Pakistan to garner votes, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on September 19 alleged that the seven-year-rule of the saffron party has brought miseries to the people of the country and left Jammu and Kashmir destroyed. She claimed that it is not Hindus but the democracy and India which are in danger under the BJP rule, which has undone all the good work of the past 70 years of the Congress and started selling national resources and raising the prices of essentials to fill its coffers and to buy or intimidate opposition legislators. The former chief minister taunted her critics and said the mere mention of Taliban or the party’s vision of self-rule makes her anti-national and triggers debates and discussions even as the focus should have been the ongoing agitation of the farmers, inflation and other issues of public importance. Jammu and Kashmir is in trouble and so is the entire country…they say Hindus are in danger but they are not in danger and in fact it is India and the democracy which are in danger because of them (BJP), Mufti said, addressing a rally organised by the youth wing of her party here. Mufti reached Jammu late on September 18 after a five-day tour of Poonch and Rajouri districts, facing a small protest by a group of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists whose attempt to stop her cavalcade near Dogra chowk in the city was foiled by police. As the elections in different States come nearer, the BJP will start cashing on the god-given opportunity of Taliban and Afghanistan and if it would not work, they will bring Pakistan and drones into picture, the PDP chief said. They will not talk about China, which has intruded into Ladakh because they do not get votes by talking about that country. If you want to frighten people, talk about Taliban, Afghanistan and Pakistan and do something here and there and seek votes, she said. Referring to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Mufti alleged that the BJP’s incumbent State chief minister failed to provide jobs, roads and schools, while the river Ganga, which is considered sacred by the people of the country, became a dumping ground for human corpses because people do not have the money to perform the last rites of their relatives. Mufti said the BJP is watching what she is saying to trigger a debate in media. The farmers’ agitation, growing unemployment, inflation and other issues facing the country should have been the focus of our debates but there is no discussion on these important issues. Since the elections in U.P. are drawing closer, there will be more discussion on Taliban and Afghanistan, she said. Mufti said there are debates on the oppressive measures adopted by the Taliban against women in Afghanistan but nobody is talking about the women of India who are facing rapes and dowry deaths. I know unemployment is such that we cannot provide jobs to everyone. Mufti had a plan to address this problem but if I name the plan which is self-rule, I will be dubbed as anti-national and it will trigger debates and discussions, she said.

Rahul Gandhi takes dig at government over record COVID-19 vaccinations 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the government over the record COVID-19 vaccinations in a single day, and said the event is over now. He also shared a graph of the vaccination trend in the last 10 days as per data from the Cowin website to show the decline in inoculations after the record. India vaccinated 2.5 crore people on a single day in Friday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. Using the hashtag vaccination, Gandhi said in a tweet, Event over. Gandhi on Saturday had hoped more such record vaccinations happened in the country. Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs, he had said on Twitter.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

After recalling ambassadors, French Minister decries ‘duplicity’ in U.S.-Australia submarine deal 

France’s Foreign Minister on Saturday denounced what he called the duplicity, disdain and lies surrounding the sudden rupture of France’s lucrative contract to make submarines for Australia in favour of a U.S. deal and declared that a crisis is at hand among the Western allies. A day after France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pummeled what he suggested was a backroom deal that betrayed France. The recalling of its ambassadors signifies the force of the crisis today between the French government and Washington and Canberra, he said in an interview on France 2 television. He said it was the first time ever that France, the United States’ oldest ally, has recalled its ambassador to the United States. The announcement by President Joe Biden of the deal, alongside the leaders of Australia and Britain, for at least eight nuclear-powered submarines has set France in a fury. France had signed a contract in 2016 for a dozen conventional diesel-electric submarines and the work to make them was already underway. The deal with French majority state-owned Naval Group was worth at least $66 billion. Diplomatic niceties have gone out the window as French authorities seek to make their anger known. Le Drian denied reports that there had been advance consultations with France ahead of the announcement, saying this isn’t true. Allies don’t treat each other with such brutality, such unpredictability, a major partner like France. So there really is a crisis, Le Drian said. There are reasons for us to question the strength of our alliance, Le Drian said. Earlier, France’s ambassador to Australia also strayed from diplomatic language when describing what has been widely billed in France as the contract of the century. This has been a huge mistake, a very, very bad handling of the partnership, French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said before flying home to France. The arms agreement between France and Australia, signed in 2016, was supposed to be based on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity, a fuming Thebault said. I would like to be able to run into a time machine and be in a situation where we don’t end up in such an incredible, clumsy, inadequate, un-Australian situation. He said he found out about the canceled contract in the Australian press. Le Drian said in a written statement Friday that the French decision to recall its ambassadors — at the request of President Emmanuel Macron — is justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made by Australia and the United States.

Taliban-run Kabul govt. tells women workers to stay home.

Women employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men, the interim Mayor of Afghanistan’s capital said on Sunday. The decision to prevent most women city workers from returning to their jobs is another sign that the Taliban are going back on their promises that they would be tolerant and inclusive. In their previous rule in the 1990s, the Taliban had barred girls and women from schools, jobs and public life. In recent days, the new Taliban government issued several decrees rolling back the rights of women. It told women middle-and high school students that they could not return to school. On Friday, the Taliban shut down the Women’s Affairs Ministry, replacing it with a Ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice. On Sunday, over a dozen women staged a protest outside the Ministry, holding up signs calling for the participation of women in public life. A society in which women are not active is (sic) dead society, one sign read. The protest lasted for about 10 minutes. After a short verbal confrontation with a man, the women got into cars and lef. Interim Kabul Mayor Hamdullah Namony said the women employees have been ordered to stay home, pending a further decision. He said exceptions were made for women who could not be replaced by men, including some in the design and engineering departments and the attendants of public toilets for women. Namony did not say how many women employees were forced to stay home. Meanwhile in Jalalabad, witnesses said an explosion targeted a Taliban vehicle. Hospital officials said five people were killed in the second such deadly blast in as many days in the Islamic State stronghold.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Captain steps down

Chief Minister Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh stepped down from his post handing over his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Perhaps, after 40 MLAs wrote to the All India Congress Committee to convene a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, and with Congress President Sonia Gandhi speaking to the Captain, it was just a matter of time before the Captain stepped down. Once considered among the most powerful Congress leaders, the decline of support for the Punjab Chief Minister has been swift and almost overnight. I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister. I spoke to the party president and conveyed that I shall be resigning in the morning itself. The point is that it was the third time in the past few months that MLAs are being summoned to Delhi (by party central leadership); it gives an impression of element of doubt upon me for not being able to run (the government), but I feel humiliated the way things have gone, Capt. Amarinder told the media after submitting his resignation. I decided to quit, and they can elect anyone as Chief Minister who they trust, he added. On his next course of action, Capt. Amarinder said he would decide after talking to his supporters. He reiterated the same answer when asked if he would support the new chief minister. Earlier, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is learnt to have put a call to the Captain, asking him to step down, after nearly 40 MLAs wrote to the party’s central leadership, expressing lack of faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister in fulfilling the party’s 2017 Assembly election promises. The MLAs are alleged to have said that hardly anything was being done towards fulfilment of the 18-point programme issued by the party high command and demanded a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party. While appearing before the Mallikarjun Kharge-headed panel in June, set up to resolve the factionalism in the State, several MLAs had complained about the Chief Minister’s inaccessibility and complete control over the administration by bureaucrats. Though the Mallikarjun Kharge panel had given an 18-point agenda for the Punjab government to focus on and deliver, not much progress could be made.  Those who  raised the banner of revolt against Capt. Amarinder include four Ministers — Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria and Charanjit Channi — apart from other MLAs. Saturday’s dramatic resignation is certainly not the last chapter in the power tussle between Capt. Amarinder and former minister and PPCC chef Navjot Sidhu. The latter was appointed on July 18 as president of the PPCC in an apparent attempt to resolve the crisis. Capt. Amarinder and Sidhu have been  at loggerheads since the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Future politics is always an option and I’ll use it at an appropriate time, the Captain said after his resignation.  Among the list of probables likely to don the mantel of CM, former PCC chief and Gandhi family loyalist Sunil Jakhar is considered a frontrunner. In fact, both AICC observers — Harish Chaudhary, a minister in the Rajasthan government, and Ajay Maken — are considered close to former party chief Rahul Gandhi.

Actor under siege

Days after the Income-Tax Department conducted searches on the premises linked to Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, a move criticised by human rights organisations worldwide as the actor had earned praise for his philanthropic work during the Covid pandemic, the agency on Saturday issued a statement, without naming him, claiming it had detected tax evasion of more than ₹20 crore so far. The Income-Tax Department conducted a search and seizure operation on various premises of a prominent actor in Mumbai and also a Lucknow-based group of industries engaged in infrastructure development. A total of 28 premises spread over Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Delhi and Gurugram have been covered in the search operation, it said. According to the agency, during the searches on the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating evidence pertaining to tax evasion was found. The main modus operandi followed by the actor had been to route his unaccounted income in the form of bogus unsecured loans from many bogus entities, said the Department. Investigations so far have revealed use of 20 such entries, the providers of which, on examination, have accepted on oath to have given bogus accommodation entries. They accepted to have issued cheques in lieu of cash. There have been instances where professional receipts have been camouflaged as loans in the books of accounts for the purpose of evasion of tax, it said. The agency said these bogus loans were used for making investments and acquiring properties. The charity foundation incorporated by the actor on July 21, 2020, had collected donations to the tune of ₹18.94 crore from April 1, 2021, till date, of which it spent around ₹1.9 crore towards various relief work and the balance of ₹17 crore was found lying in the foundation’s bank account. Funds to the tune of ₹2.1 crore have also been raised by the charity foundation from overseas donors on a crowd-funding platform in violation of FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] regulations, said the agency. The simultaneous searches on the Lucknow-based infrastructure group, in which the actor had entered into a joint venture real estate project and invested substantial funds, resulted in detection of tax evasion and irregularities in the books of account, said the I-T Department. It was alleged that the group was involved in bogus billing of subcontracting expenses and siphoning off funds. Evidence of such bogus contracts found so far are to the tune of over ₹65 crore…the said infrastructure group/company has entered into dubious circular transactions to the tune of ₹175 crore with an infrastructure company based in Jaipur, said the agency.

Babul Supriyo joins Didi

After Mukul Roy defected to the Trinamool Congress, it was the turn of former Union Minister and two-time BJP MP from Asansol Babul Supriyo on Saturday to join Didi.  On July 31, Supriyo in a Facebook had said that he would stay away from active politics. He later said he will continue to be MP. After joining the TMC,  Supriyo told journalists that a great opportunity has been extended to him by the party leadership and he has decided to take it up. It was with great disillusionment that I had announced that I will quit politics. A great opportunity has been extended by Didi [Mamata Banerjee] and Abhishek Banerjee and I am happy to accept that, he said. Speculation is rife in political circles that Supriyo may be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Trinamool as replacement for Arpita Ghosh who had quit the Upper House on Wednesday. Supriyo lost the 2021 Assembly poll from Tollygunj on the BJP ticket. He had to resign as Union Minister of State during the Cabinet reshuffle in July. Since then, he has been expressing discontent towards the party leadership saying he was not given enough responsibility. I was expecting something more after seven years as a Union Minister of State. Then differences started growing with the party. Supriyo was elected to the Lok Sabha from Asansol in 2014 and 2019. The defection comes weeks before the crucial Bhabanipur bypoll where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting. Interestingly, the BJP had nominated Mr. Supriyo among the star campaigners for the seat. Mamata Banerjee needs no campaign but if the party considers me, I will be happy to campaign in Bhabanipur,  Supriyo said. The BJP had earlier received a jolt when Mukul Roy joined the TMC. At least four MLAs of the party have joined the TMC in the past four months. Babul Supriyo has cheated the people of Asansol and also proved that his entire aim was to remain a Minister and enjoy power, State BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said. A section of party leaders like MP Jagannath Sarkar said the BJP should give tickets only to those who are committed to its ideology and not outsiders. The TMC leadership said the BJP, which organised mass defections from the party before the Assembly polls and sent a charter plane to ferry them to Delhi, cannot take the moral high ground.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A tragic strike

A top U.S. military commander has apologised for the drone strike last month in Kabul killing 10 civilians including seven children. Briefing reporters on the results of the investigation of the August 29 strike, General Frank McKenzie, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, took responsibility for the tragic outcome of the drone strike and  said it was unlikely that the vehicle and those who died in the drone strike were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces. Gen. McKenzie said that having thoroughly reviewed the findings of the probe and supporting analysis, he is convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that drone strike. It was a mistake, and I offer my sincere apology. As the combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike and this tragic outcome, he told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. Gen McKenzie said that 48 hours before the strike, sensitive intelligence indicated that the compound was being used by ISIS-K planners to facilitate future attacks. In the 36 hours preceding the strike, our leaders at the airport and in the strike cell received more than 60 different pieces of intelligence related to imminent threats, with some corroborating and some conflicting with events observed from our UAVs flying above Kabul throughout the day, the commander of the U.S. Central Command added. While the team conducted the strike did so in the honest belief that they were preventing an imminent attack on our forces and civilian evacuees, we now understand that to be incorrect, he said. I’m here today to set the record straight and acknowledge our mistakes. I will end my remarks with the same note of sincere and profound condolences to the family and friends of those who died in this tragic strike, Gen McKenzie said, adding the U.S. is exploring the possibility of ex-gratia payments for the tragic outcome of the drone strike.

 

Girls excluded as secondary school reopen in Afghanistan

Girls were excluded from returning to secondary school in Afghanistan on Saturday, after the country’s new Taliban rulers ordered only boys and male teachers back to the classroom. The hard-line Islamist group ousted the U.S .backed government last month, promising a softer brand of rule than their repressive reign in the 1990s, when women were mostly banned from education and work. But the diktat from the Education Ministry was the latest move from the new government to threaten women’s rights. All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions, a statement said ahead of classes resuming on Saturday. The statement, issued late on Friday, made no mention of women teachers or girl students. Secondary schools, with students typically between the ages of 13 and 18, are often segregated by sex in Afghanistan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have faced closures and have been shut since the Taliban seized power. Primary schools have already reopened, with boys and girls mostly attending separate classes and some women teachers returning to work. The new regime has also permitted women to go to private universities, though with tough restrictions on their clothes and movement. In a further sign that the Taliban’s approach to women and girls had not softened, they appeared to have shut down the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replaced it with a department notorious for enforcing strict religious doctrine during their first rule. In Kabul on Friday, workers were seen raising a sign for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice at the old Women’s Affairs building. 

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court Collegium on mission mode; fills up vacancies with staggering speed

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana, is proceeding with staggering speed to fill the vacancies and strengthen the judiciary as seen in a latest slew of recommendations, which include eight new Chief Justices to High Courts, the transfer of five High Court Chief Justices and the shuffling of 28 High Court judges across the country. It has been reliably learnt that the eight High Court judges recommended for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts include Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Rajesh Bindal as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court. Among the five Chief Justices learnt to have been recommended for transfer is Justice A.A. Kureshi of the Tripura High Court. He has been recommended for transfer to the Rajasthan High Court as its Chief Justice. He was in the middle of a prolonged stalemate between the Collegium and the government over his initial appointment as Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice about two years ago. The past one month has seen the Collegium recommend over 100 judicial appointments, several transfers and elevations of judges, advocates and Chief Justices. The Collegium began its work on a historic note with the successful recommendation of nine new judges to the Supreme Court that were quickly approved by the government. Among the nine was Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who may become India’s first woman CJI in 2027. This accomplishment was followed by the recommendation of 68 names to various High Courts, significantly, in one go. The back-to-back meetings and recommendations in the past one month indicate the resolve within the Collegium to get the better of the perennial problem of vacancies, especially in the High Courts. Besides the CJI, the Collegium has Justices U.U. Lalit, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao. Besides Justice Bindal, the other judges recommended for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts are Justice Prakash Srivastava for Calcutta, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra for the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi for Karnataka, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma for Telangana, Justice Ranjit V. More for Meghalaya, Justice Aravind Kumar for Gujarat, and Justice R.V. Malimath for Madhya Pradesh. This is probably the largest number of judges recommended by the Collegium for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts. Other than Justice Kureshi, the other Chief Justices of High Courts recommended for transfer include Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Justice Mohd. Rafiq to Himachal Pradesh, Chief Justice Indirajit Mohanty of the Rajasthan High Court to Tripura and Meghalaya Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder to Sikkim. Earlier this month, Chief Justice Ramana described judicial appointments as an ongoing process. He said the Collegium intended to live up to the herculean task of filling up 41% of vacancies existing in all the High Courts. Commending the young and dynamic Law Minister, Kiren Rijuju, who was present on the dais at a function organised by the Bar Council of India, the CJI had indicated that in another one month we expect 90% of the vacancies filled in this country.

Stop harassment of activists, journalists, peaceful protesters, Human Rights Watch tells Indian govt 

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday accused the Indian authorities of using politically motivated allegations of tax evasion and financial irregularities to silence human rights activists, journalists, and other critics of the government. In a statement released from New York, a day after the Enforcement Directorate’s searches on the premises linked to social activist Harsh Mander, the HRW said that this month, government financial officials had conducted raids in Srinagar, Delhi and Mumbai on journalists’ homes, media offices, an actor’s premises, and the home and office of a human rights activist. The raids are part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led national government’s escalating crackdown on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly since coming to power in 2014. The authorities have brought politically motivated criminal cases, including under broadly worded terrorism and sedition laws, against activists, journalists, academics, students, and others. They have also used foreign funding regulations and allegations of financial misconduct to target outspoken groups, it said. The Indian government’s raids appear intended to harass and intimidate critics, and reflect a broader pattern of trying to silence all criticism, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at the HRW, adding, these abuses weaken India’s core democratic institutions and break down fundamental freedoms. Journalism organisations, such as the Editors Guild and Press Club of India, have repeatedly called for an end to harassment of independent media, saying that it is a blatant attack on press freedom, said the HRW. The authorities have repeatedly targeted Mander, who has been a vocal critic of the BJP government’s discriminatory policies against religious minorities and works with victims of communal violence. Delhi police, instead of taking action against BJP leaders who incited communal violence in Delhi in February 2020, filed a fabricated case of hate speech and inciting communal violence against Mander, said the HRW. The HRW said that on September 8 the police in Jammu and Kashmir raided the houses of four Kashmiri journalists — Hilal Mir, Shah Abbas, Showkat Motta, and Azhar Qadri — and confiscated their phones and laptops.

Shashi Tharoor, Revanth Reddy row reflects simmering tensions within Congress 

A patch-up late on September 16 between senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and his Lok Sabha colleague Revanth Reddy has put the lid on public sparring over Reddy’s comments against Tharoor. However, the episode clearly reflects the simmering tensions between loyalists of the Gandhi family and the G-23 reformists or the group of 23 letter writers who sought internal reforms within the Congress. I spoke to shri @ShashiTharoor ji to convey that I hereby withdraw the remarks and reiterate that I hold my senior colleague in the highest regard. I regret any hurt that may have been caused to him by my words. We share our faith in the values and policies of the Congress Party. And I know he joins me in wanting Congress to win the support of the public to form the next government in Telengana, tweeted Reddy, a person seen as being close to former party chief Rahul Gandhi. Responding to the tweet, Tharoor said on Twitter, I received a gracious call from @revanth_anumula to apologise for what was said. I accept his expression of regret & am happy to put this unfortunate episode behind us. We must work together to strengthen @INCIndia in Telengana & across the country. The public feud started after a newspaper reported that Reddy had used derogatory language against Tharoor for praising the work of the Telangana government. The report, which claimed Reddy hoped for the expulsion of Tharoor, was promptly highlighted by Telangana Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao. Making a political point against the high command’s appointee in Telangana, Lok Sabha member Manish Tewari told Reddy on Twitter, Dr @ShashiTharoor is a valued colleague of yours & mine It would have been better if you would have spoken to him if you had some misgivings about a purported statement of his. Tharoor, Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram who is among the reformists, was a star campaigner for the party during the recently concluded Assembly election in Kerala, addressing as many as 56 meetings. However, relations with the high command may have soured again after many of them, including Tharoor, attended a dinner meet hosted by Kapil Sibal to rally Opposition leaders.

Manipur seeks to delay compensation plea of detained activist

The Manipur government on Friday sought an adjournment in the hearing of a plea for compensation filed by the father of Erendro Leichombam, who was detained earlier this year under the National Security Act (NSA). An activist, Leichombam was detained for two months for his Facebook posts questioning the efficacy of cow dung and cow urine as a cure for COVID-19 in the context of the death of a BJP leader due to the virus. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while orally remarking about the inconvenience suffered by advocate Shadan Farasat, the petitioner’s lawyer, who was made to wait for the case only for the government side to seek adjournment, scheduled the next hearing on October 5. Leichombam was released from custody in July after the apex court had made it clear that he should not spend another night in prison. The court had agreed to examine the issue of compensation, saying somebody lost their liberty for over two months… It is a serious matter. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, had urged for quietus in the issue. Mehta had said the activist was released immediately after the apex court order. While the court said whether or not to ask compensation was up to the petitioner, the latter did not relent. Farasat had argued that the government was increasingly using preventive detention provisions in cases in which even ordinary penal sections did not apply. He had submitted that the Facebook posts were criticism against the advocacy of cow dung and urine as a cure. He said stringent NSA provisions were slapped on the activist to chill his right to free speech.

Delhi HC notice to I-T Department on plea by Newslaundry 

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Income Tax (I-T) Department on a petition by online news portal Newslaundry and its CEO Abhinandan Sekhri to not leak any material seized during a recent survey at its office in South Delhi. Newslaundry, in its plea, stated I-T officials impounded a hard disk and cloned the office desktop, laptop and phone of Sekhri, his personal email accounts, and a bunch of papers. The petition contended that the seized material contained private data, including chats and communications of Sekhri. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, along with advocate Nipun Katyal, representing Newslaundry, raised the apprehension that the private data, which do not have any incriminating or relevant material for the purposes of income tax or any other legal proceedings, would not be secure in the hands of the I-T Department. They said the private data could be misused/ leaked/ illegally released in the public domain, which would be a breach of Sekhri’s privacy. This apprehension is well founded since the Respondent [IT Department] did not give the hash value of the data after seizing it, their petition said. A Bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla asked the I-T Department to respond to the petition by September 21. Newslaundry, in its petition, said that the department issued its first notice on June 29 this year. In pursuance to the notice, Sekhri duly cooperated with the officials of the department and complied with the instructions given by its officials. Newlaundry said the I-T officials did not give sufficient time to Sekhri to delete personal information such as private photographs, private WhatsApp chats and text messages. Newslaundry said it was into investigative journalism, and the electronic devices contained sensitive journalistic data and personal data of Sekhri. If the data was leaked, it would be an extreme breach of privacy and cause irreparable loss to him, it said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Australia shrugs off China anger on Nuclear subs 

Australia on Friday shrugged off Chinese anger over its decision to acquire U.S.nuclear-powered submarines, while vowing to defend the rule of law in airspace and waters where Beijing has staked hotly contested claims. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the new Australia-U.S .- Britain defence alliance on Wednesday, extending U.S. nuclear submarine technology to Australia as well as cyber defence, applied artificial intelligence and undersea Capabilities. Beijing described the new alliance as an extremely irresponsible threat to regional stability, questioning Australia’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and warning the Western allies that they risked shooting themselves in the foot. China has its own very substantive programme of nuclear submarine building, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison argued on Friday in an interview with radio station 2GB. They have every right to take decisions in their national interests for their defence arrangements and of course sodoes Australia and all other countries, he said. In a series of media interviews, the Australian leader said his government was reacting to changing dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region where territory is increasingly contested and competition is rising. Australia is very aware of China’s nuclear submarine capabilities and growing military investment, he told Channel Seven television. We are interested in ensuring that international waters are always international waters and international skies are international skies, and that the rule of law applies equally in all of these places, he said. Australia wanted to ensure that there were no nogo zones in areas governed by international law, the Prime Minister said.

Junta to put Suu Kyi on graft trial

Myanmar’s junta will put ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on trial for corruption, her lawyer said on Friday, adding to a raft of ongoing cases that could see her jailed for decades. Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since her National League for Democracy (NLD) government was deposed by the military in a February coup that sparked a mass uprising and a brutal crackdown on dissent. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate is currently on trial for flouting coronavirus restrictions during polls the NLD won in a landslide last year, illegally importing walkie talkies and sedition. Each corruption charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. Trial to begin on Oct. 1 She will face a new trial on four charges of corruption beginning on October 1 in the capital Naypyidaw, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said. The newest trial forms part of a junta plan to get her (Suu Kyi) out of the picture said Manny Maung, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. Dragging out legal proceedings while Suu Kyi is confined to an unknown location will impact the ability of the NLD to bounce back and deny her supporters a point around which to rally, Ms. Maung added. The ongoing trials were delayed for two months as Myanmar grappled with a coronavirus surge and only resumed this week, with Ms. Suu Kyi skipping the first day on health grounds. Journalists have been barred from all proceedings so far. The junta has also charged her for accepting illegal payments of gold and violating a colonial-era secrecy law, although these are yet to come to court.