NATIONAL NEWS
Prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas soar again
The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest ever level of ₹102.14 a litre and to ₹108.19 in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers, making it the fourth time the government has effected a price hike, which is sure to have a cascading effect on the prices of other essential commodities. Petrol and diesel prices soared high across the country on Saturday after rates were hiked again by 25 paise and 30 paise a litre, respectively. The CNG price too was hiked by Rs 2.28 per kg and that of cooking gas by Rs 2.10 in Delhi. Along with petrol price hike, Diesel rates touched a record high of ₹90.47 in Delhi and ₹98.16 a litre in Mumbai. The price hike follows international oil prices soaring to near three-year high as global output disruptions forced energy companies to draw more crude oil out of their stockpiles. The fourth increase in its rates this week has sent petrol prices above ₹100 in most major cities of the country. Similarly, the seventh increase in prices in nine days has shot up diesel rates above ₹100 mark in several cities in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) resumed daily price revisions on September 24 after international oil prices neared a three-year high. Global benchmark Brent crude is trading above $78 per barrel. India is dependent on imports to meet nearly 85% of its oil needs and so benchmarks local fuel rates to international oil prices.
Uncle and nephew cannot use the same party symbol, says EC
The Election Commission stepped into the uncle and nephew feud of the Lok Janshakti Party by passing an order that both factions of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and Lok Sabha MP Chirag Paswan, would not be allowed to use the party’s name or symbol for the upcoming Bihar Assembly by-polls. The interim order would cover the period of the by-elections to Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur Assembly constituencies and continue till the EC makes a final determination of the dispute, the order said. The two sides had staked claim to the LJP name and symbol, but with the last date for nominations of candidates for the by-polls being October 8, the EC said that the time available is not adequate to ensure the due process. Paswan had in his oral submission on October 1 sought a decision before October 8, the order said. The elections were announced on September 28 and polling is scheduled for October 30. The EC said …in order to place both the rival groups on even keel and to protect their rights and interests, and going by the past precedence, both groups would not be permitted to use the LJP name and bungalow symbol, which is reserved for the party in Bihar. The two groups could choose names of their own and pick symbols from the list of available symbols notified by the EC, the EC said. The groups were asked to submit the names and three choices of symbols by Monday afternoon. In addition, they were asked to submit documents supporting their claim to represent the party by November 5. After the death of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan last year, his son, Chirag Paswan, and his brother, Paras, both staked claim to the party leadership. Paras wrote to the EC on June 14 claiming to be the LJP leader in Parliament, the order stated. Chirag Paswan informed the EC in a series of letters about the party suspending five MPs, including Paras. Chirag Paswan reiterated his claim of being the party president on September 10, the EC said.
Government clears seven names as HC judges
Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Saturday said the government has so far cleared seven of the 106 names recommended as High Court judges by the Supreme Court Collegium since May. Of the nine new Chief Justices of various High Courts suggested by the Collegium to the government from May, the latter has cleared one. Since May, my team so far has recommended appointment of 106 Judges and nine new Chief Justices to various High Courts. The government has cleared seven names out of the 106 judges and one out of the nine Chief Justices, so far. I expect that the government will clear the rest of the names very soon, Chief Justice Ramana said. The CJI, however, remarked that Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has agreed to process the rest of the names in a short while. Chief Justice Ramana was speaking at the inaugural function of the six-week ‘The Pan India Legal Awareness and Outreach Campaign’ organised by the National Legal Services Authority. The CJI’s speech was made in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Rijiju and Supreme Court judges and Collegium members Justices U.U. Lalit and A.M. Khanwilkar. The CJI said the appointments, as they come through from the government side, would take care of the issues of pendency in the High Courts to some extent. I seek the cooperation and support of the government to enable access to justice and to strengthen democracy, Chief Justice Ramana said. The CJI said the endeavour of the nation should be to carry the flag of justice to its remotest corner and to the weakest person. Chief Justice Ramana said inclusive growth can only be attained through equal and inclusive access to justice. Unequal access to justice leads to greater gaps in social fabric. Apart from pendency, vacancies and piling up of thousands of cases, the pandemic has exposed some deep-rooted problems in society. Lack of health care, eviction from home and uncertainty about one’s next meal — all these overflow from absence of justice, Chief Justice Ramana said. President Kovind commended the legal service authorities for reaching out to the poorest in the country. He emphasised the need to have more women lawyers participating in legal aid services to bring legal relief to more women. As a country, our aim is to graduate from ‘women development’ to ‘women-led development’. Therefore, increasing the number of women in National Legal Services Institutions is as important as reaching out to the largest possible number of women beneficiaries, the President said. The CJI said socio-economic growth would be impossible to achieve without equal access to justice.
Baghel firmly in saddle
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was appointed as senior observer for Congress ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, settling once for all the question of Baghel’s continuation in the Chief Minister’s chair. State Health Minister TS Singh Deo had staked claim for the CM’s post invoking a promise made in 2018 by then party president Rahul Gandhi agreeing to a rotational tenure between him and Baghel. As per the arrangement, the Chief Minister’s post was supposed to go to him on June 18, the halfway mark of five-year tenure of the government. That is unlikely to happen any time now. The appointment of Baghel as senior observer is not entirely unexpected for the CM had played an active role as a senior observer ahead of the Assam Assembly elections. His close associate Rajesh Tiwari was appointed as the AICC secretary in the State assisting general secretary in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Baghel’s political advisor Vinod Verma has also been stationed in U.P. for more than one month now. The Congress needs an OBC face, specifically a Kurmi leader. Baghel fits in that role. His appointment sends a clear message that the party values him, a senior leader close to Baghel said. The timing of the appointment is equally significant for Team Baghel. On August 27, at the end of a four-hour long meeting with former party president Rahul Gandhi, Baghel had announced that Mr. Gandhi would be visiting Chhattisgarh. His impending visit had started to be seen as a stock taking exercise to weigh in on the question of Baghel vs Mr. Singh Deo. The fact that the appointment comes before his visit clearly shows the trust he and the leadership bestows on the Chief Minister, the leader said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India, China militaries may hold talks next week, says Naravane
India and China may be having their 13th round of senior military commander level talks next week to resolve the boundary stand-off at eastern Ladakh, Chief of the Army Staff Gen M M Naravane said on Saturday, after asserting that China enhanced their troop presence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). We’re hopeful of having the 13th round of (Corps Commander level) talks in the second week of October and reaching a consensus on how disengagement will take place, Gen Naravane said in an interview to news agnecy ANI after taking stock of the Army’s operational preparedness on the ground. The Army Chief noted an increase in the People’s Liberation Army’s presence along the disputed boundary but observed that India matched them in equal strength. Chinese (troops) have been deployed in considerable numbers all across eastern Ladakh and northern front right up to our Eastern Command. Definitely there has been an increase in their deployment in the forward areas, which remains a matter of concern for us, he said. But we are monitoring all their developments. Based on whatever inputs we get we are carrying out matching developments in terms of infrastructure. At the moment, we are quite well poised to meet any eventuality. Each side has currently deployed 50,000-60,000 troops in areas close to the LAC. Since April 2020, the Indian and PLA troops have engaged in a sensitive face off at several locations at eastern Ladakh including the Galwan valley that witnessed a brutal hand-to-hand combat between the two sides leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and a large number of Chinese troops. After long negotiations over months, the two sides mutually withdrew front line troops from the northern and the southern banks of Pangong Tso as well as from the face-off point at Gogra Post. But the stand-off remained unresolved in other locations along the LAC. Asked about the disengagement through bilateral talks, Gen Naravane said: By and by, all friction points will get resolved. I am of the firm opinion that we can resolve our differences through dialogue. I am hopeful we will be able to achieve results. Meanwhile, to improve its firepower, the Indian Army deployed the K-9 Vajra made-in-India howitzers in eastern Ladakh. More than 100 such guns have been inducted in the Army and there are plans to buy more. We have inducted an entire regiment and it adds to our firepower, Gen Naravane said. The Army also deployed light weight M-777 howitzers in the eastern sector of the LAC. The Army Chief also attended an event in which India’s largest flag, covering an area of 33,750 sq ft and weighing 1,400 kg, was unfurled atop a high mountain overlooking the Leh valley to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti and the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
Gandhi Museum inaugurated at Noakhali in Bangladesh
On the occasion of the 152 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the renovated Gandhi Museum was inaugurated at the historic Gandhi Ashram Trust at Noakhali in Bangladesh. The inauguration was done by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr A K Abdul Momen, Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq and High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami. The renovation of the Museum housed inside the Gandhi Ashram campus has been supported by India. The guests visited the Gandhi Memorial Museum and appreciated the unique display of memorabilia and artefacts related to Mahatma Gandhi. A seminar on the theme of Ahimsa, Satyagraha and the Mahatma – Revisited was also organised to commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence and the 152nd Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Ashram, Noakhali as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The event was also attended by former Minister for Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor, MP, Aroma Dutta, MP, Tuomo Poutiainen, interim UN Resident Coordinator and ILO Country Director among other dignitaries. A large number of common people from the nearby areas participated enthusiastically in the programme. Speaking at the occasion, High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said that Gandhiji’s life and his message holds relevance even today. He recalled the remarks made by Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina during a UN event organized to commemorate 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. She had said that Gandhiji’s love for common people and ideals of non-violence contributed to shaping Bangabandhu’s vision of struggle against oppression and tyranny perpetrated by the then regime of Pakistan. Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen recalled the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He highlighted the continuing relevance of Gandhi’s principles of truth, non-violence, communal harmony and his deep environmental concern. A dance drama based on Rabindranath Tagore’s Chandalika was specially presented by Spandan Cultural Center from Dhaka on the occasion. Mahatma Gandhi had visited Noakhali in 1946-47. He toured hundreds of villages during his four month stay in Noakhali to establish peace in the area which was suffering communal violence in those days. Gandhi Ashram Trust was established to propagate the Gandhian ideals of peace, non-violence and communal harmony.
