NATIONAL NEWS 

Lakhimpur Kheri incident: SKM writes to President seeking action, Congress seeks dismissal of MoS Ajay Mishra, arrest of his son

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has written to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding action against the killing of farmers at Lakhmipur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday afternoon, allegedly by being run over by vehicles in a Union Minister’s convoy. Farm unions protesting in front of district collectors’ offices in various parts of the country on Monday, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., were expected to submit copies of this letter to the President via district officials. The SKM’s demands were outlined in the letter, calling for Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra to be immediately dismissed from his post and a case filed against him for inciting violence and spreading communal hatred. It urged that Mishra’s son and others associated with the attack be booked under Section 302 (murder) and arrested immediately, and that the investigation be carried out by a Special Investigation Team under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The letter alleged that the involvement of Mishra’s son and his associates in the murderous attack showed a deep conspiracy of Uttar Pradesh and Central governments. It pointed to earlier inflammatory and derogatory speeches against farmers by Mishra, as well as statements by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inciting party workers to take up lathis against farmers, and claimed that this was the context in which the Lakhimpur Kheri incident took place. The SKM has also called for Khattar to be sacked. It is clear from these incidents that these persons sitting in constitutional posts are using their positions for planned violence against ‘annadatas’ doing peaceful agitation. This is a crime as per the laws of the country, against the Constitution and the country, said the letter. In a related development, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced that a retired High Court judge will probe the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and that it will give ₹45 lakh compensation to the families of the four farmers killed in the incident. The government will also give ₹10 lakh to those injured in the violence, said Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi. An agreement has been reached with the farmers. The government will give ₹45 lakh to the family members of the four farmers who were killed in the violence on Sunday. Besides, one member from their families will be given a government job at the local level, he said. The government will give ₹10 lakh to the injured and get the incident probed by a retired High Court judge, he said. Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son, who has been named in an FIR by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The party also demanded enhanced compensation of ₹1 crore for each of the farmers killed and sought immediate release of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who the leaders alleged has been illegally detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The Congress said it would hold protests outside the offices of all district magistrates across the country on Tuesday to protest against the incident. The Congress leaders protested outside UP Bhawan in the national capital and staged agitations elsewhere in the nation.

SC to decide whether the right to protest is an ‘absolute right’

The Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at farmers’ organisations for continuing with the protests against the Centre’s agricultural laws, saying that when the agitation snowballed into violence as in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people were killed, nobody takes rresponsibility When such incidents happen, causing deaths, loss to property and damage, nobody takes responsibility, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar observed. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal described the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Sunday an unfortunate incident. The top law officer for the government said the court should make it very clear that protests should not continue when the challenge against the farm laws were in the highest court of the country. No more unfortunate incidents like this should take place… The protests must stop, Venugopal, supported by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, submitted. But how can there be protests when the matter is sub judice here? Why are there protests when the laws have been kept in abeyance? It is intriguing, there is no Act in place at the moment. The Act is stayed. The government has assured it will not give effect to it… So what is this protest for, Justice Khanwilkar, flanked by Justice C.T. Ravikumar on the Bench, asked Kisan Mahapanchayat, a farmers’ organisation. The farmers’ body wanted to sit on a ‘satyagraha’ at the Jantar Mantar in protest. Justice Khanwilkar said the farm laws were passed by the Parliament. The government is also bound by the laws passed by the Parliament… We are on principle here, once you go to court, how can the same party say that matter is before court, nevertheless I will still protest, the judge observed. The court, in its order, decided to frame legal questions in the issue. The Bench said it would first decide whether the right to protest was an absolute right. The court said it would decide whether farmers’ bodies could resort to protests on a subject — the legality of three farm laws — which was already sub judice. First we will decide these legal questions and then we will examine your question [whether permission can be granted to sit on ‘satyagraha’ at the Jantar Mantar], Justice Khanwilkar addressed Kisan Mahapanchayat. The Supreme Court fixed the case for final hearing on the two legal questions on October 21. It ordered the transfer of a case filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat in Rajasthan High Court on the same issue to itself. The Bench asked the Centre to file a consolidated counter-affidavit.

Government promises probe into ‘Pandora Papers’ leak

The government has promised an investigation into the revelations in the ‘Pandora Papers’ and assured appropriate action in such cases as per law, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Monday evening. Stating that only ‘a few Indians’ have been named in the papers so far, the Ministry said investigations in cases of Pandora Papers leaks appearing in the media will be monitored through a multi-agency group. Anil Ambani, Vinod Adani, Jackie Shroff, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Niira Radia, Sachin Tendulkar and Satish Sharma, are among the 300 Indians mentioned in the list so far. The government will also proactively engage with foreign jurisdictions for obtaining information in respect of relevant taxpayers and entities, the Ministry said, adding that India is part of an Inter-Governmental Group that ensures ‘collaboration and experience sharing to effectively address tax risks associated with such leaks’. The multi-agency group headed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes chairman, with representatives from the Enforcement Directorate, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Reserve Bank of India, will keep a tab of the phased disclosures from the Pandora Papers indicated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) website, the Ministry said. The website of ICIJ suggests that information will be released in phases and structured data connected to the Pandora Papers investigation will be released only in the days to come on its Offshore Leaks Database. It may be noted that following earlier similar such leaks in the form of ICIJ, HSBC, Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, the Government has already enacted the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 with an aim to curb black money, or undisclosed foreign assets and income by imposing suitable tax and penalty on such income, the Ministry said. Undisclosed credits of approximately ₹20,352 crore have been detected in the investigations carried out in the Panama and Paradise Papers by September 15. Rights group Oxfam India has called for immediate action by authorities and abolishing tax havens following the expose of the Pandora Papers. Tax havens cost governments around the world $427 billion each year. Developing countries are being hardest hit, proportionately. Corporations and the wealthiest individuals that use tax havens are out-competing those who don’t. Tax havens also help crime and corruption to flourish, Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar said. Abolishing tax havens can go a long way towards ensuring that governments actually have the access to tax revenue they need to fund quality public expenditure, he added. Many of the people whose names figure on the list have rejected financial misdoings. Among others, Biocon chief Mazumdar-Shaw on Monday said her hubsand’s offshore trust was bonafide and legitimate.

Stalin writes to 12 CMs to join hands against NEET, restore primacy of state govts in administering education

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday wrote to his counterparts of 12 States — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal and Goa — on the need to put up a united effort to restore the primacy of State governments in administering the education sector, as envisaged in the Constitution. He recalled a resolution adopted against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in the Assembly. Our considered position has always been that the move by the Union Government to introduce NEET goes against the spirit of federalism and violates the constitutional balance of power by curbing the rights of the State governments to decide on the method of admission in the medical institutions founded, established, and run by them, the letter said. Stalin enclosed the report submitted by Justice AK Rajan Committee, which was appointed by the State government to study whether the NEET-based admission process has affected the socially backward students in the past few years. The Committee was also requested to suggest alternative admission procedures which would benefit all students, the feasibility of implementing such alternatives, and the legal steps to be undertaken to implement such fair and equitable methods. Based on the recommendation of the Committee, the Tamil Nadu State Assembly recently passed an Act called Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021. We consider that the State governments need to assert their constitutional right and position in deciding the method of admission to their higher educational institutions he said. Stalin urged his counterparts to extend their support to ensure that the students of the respective States, especially those hailing from rural areas and marginalised sections of the society are not put to hardship in obtaining admissions to higher educational institutions. We need to put up a united effort to restore the primacy of State Governments in administering the education sector, as envisaged in our Constitution, the letter said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

U.S. scientists David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian get Medicine Nobel for discovery of temperature, touch receptors

Two U.S.-based scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine on October 4 for their discovery of the receptors that allow humans to feel temperature and touch. David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian focused their work on the field of somatosensation, that is, the ability of specialised organs such as eyes, ears and skin to see, hear and feel. This really unlocks one of the secrets of nature, said Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Committee, in announcing the winners. It’s actually something that is crucial for our survival, so it’s a very important and profound discovery. The committee said Julius, 65, used capsaicin, the active component in chilli peppers, to identify the nerve sensors that allow the skin to respond to heat. Patapoutian found separate pressure-sensitive sensors in cells that respond to mechanical stimulation, it said. The pair shared the prestigious Kavli Award for Neuroscience last year. Imagine that you’re walking barefoot across a field on this summer’s morning, said Patrik Ernfors of the Nobel Committee. You can feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the morning dew, a caressing summer breeze, and the fine texture of blades of grass underneath your feet. These impressions of temperature, touch and movement are feelings relying on somatosensation. Such information continuously flows from the skin and other deep tissues and connects us with the external and internal world. It is also essential for tasks that we perform effortlessly and without much thought, said Ernfors. Perlmann said he managed to get hold of both of the winners before the announcement. I only had a few minutes to talk to them, but they were incredibly happy, he said. And as far as I could tell they were very surprised and a little bit shocked, maybe. Last year’s prize went to three scientists who discovered the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus, a breakthrough that led to cures for the deadly disease and tests to keep the scourge from spreading though blood banks. The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.14 million). The prize is the first to be awarded this year. The other prizes are for outstanding work in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics.

Australia won’t welcome international tourists until 2022

The Australian Tourism Export Council, which represents a sector that made $33 billion a year from international tourists before the pandemic, wants international visitors to return by March. International tourists won’t be welcomed back to Australia until next year, with the return of skilled migrants and students given higher priority, the Prime Minister said on October 5. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was expected to reach the vaccination benchmark on October 5 at which the country could begin to open up — 80% of the population aged 16 and older having a second shot. Last week, he outlined plans to allow vaccinated citizens and permanent residents to fly overseas from November for the first time since an extraordinarily tough travel ban took effect in March last year. But Mr. Morrison on October 5 said that after Australians, the next priority would be skilled migrants and international students entering Australia before tourists. Australian immigration has been at its lowest since World War II because of pandemic restrictions. The pandemic has also had a disastrous effect on Australian universities that rely heavily on fees paid by international students. The education sector fears that students will enroll in other countries unless Australia opens its border to them soon. The next priorities are skilled migrants that are very important for the country and who are double vaccinated, as well as students who are coming and returning to Australia for their studies, Mr. Morrison told Seven Network television. The Australian Tourism Export Council, which represents a sector that made $33 billion a year from international tourists before the pandemic, wants international visitors to return by March. Australia is racing to inoculate its population as an outbreak of the more contagious delta variant that began in Sydney in June continues to spread. Victoria State on October 5 reported a national record 1,763 new local infections. Australia’s second-most populous State also reported four COVID-19 deaths. The previous national record of 1,599 infections in 24 hours was set by New South Wales when its outbreak peaked on September 10. Hospitalizations peaked in Australia’s most populous State in mid-September. New South Wales leads the other States in vaccination rates and Sydney’s airport is expected to be the first to reopen to vaccinated travelers.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Two protesting farmers killed after being run over by car driven by Union Minister’s son, allege farmer bodies

Farmer bodies on Sunday claimed that two farmers protesting against BJP leaders were killed and several others were injured after they were run over by a car that allegedly was part of a convoy of Union minister of state for home affairs and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district. Farmers in Tikonia area of Kheri had lined up on the roads with black flags to protest against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to the district. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a body of farmers protesting against the three new farm laws, said a third farmer died after being shot and the car was driven by the MP’s son Ashish. The claims could not be independently verified yet and UP police are yet to comment on the incident or casualties. Following the incident, angry farmers set on fire and vandalised vehicles of the BJP leader and staged further protests as the area remained tense. Senior officials from Lucknow as well as farmer leaders rushed to the spot. Official statements from the police and the BJP leaders accused by the farmers for the incident are still awaited. Mishra told a Hindi news channel in a phone interview that the driver of his car, which was going to receive Maurya at the helipad, was injured and died after being struck by a stone. The driver then lost control of the car, causing the accident, he told News1 India channel. Mishra, also known as Teni, said he had invited Maurya as the chief guest at the annual wrestling event held in his village in the district, the Ambika Prasad Mishra Smriti Kushti Pratiyogita. The car was going to receive the Deputy CM from the helipad, said Mishra. Someone pelted a stone at the driver, he lost consciousness and died. He lost control of the car which caused an accident…some people were injured in the incident and some lost their lives, the minister and two-time MP said. The SKM said three farmers were killed and around 10, including SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk, were seriously injured in the incident. SKM leader Darshan Pal said farmers had planned to gherao a helipad to prevent UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya from landing. After the protests, the farmers were going back when three cars in the convoy of Mishra ran over the farmers, he alleged.

Mamata Banerjee wins Bhabanipur bypoll with record margin of over 58,000 votes 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee won the Bhabanipur Assembly bypoll on Sunday by a record margin of 58,832 votes against her nearest rival Priyanka Tibrewal of the BJP. This victory makes Banerjee a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and will allow her to continue as Chief Minister of West Bengal. She had contested the Assembly poll from Nandigram and lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 1,956 votes. She was unanimously elected Chief Minister by the Trinamool Congress legislature party in May 2021. The numbers of voters at Bhabanipur are relatively less and about 1.15 lakh votes were polled this time. This time we have won by a margin of 58,832 votes, Banerjee told media persons outside her residence. The Chief Minister said the results would provide her encouragement to work more for the people of the State. Banerjee had represented Bhabanipur seat in 2011 and 2016. In the 2021 Assembly poll, Trinamool Congress candidate Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay had defeated BJP Rudranil Ghosh by a margin of 28,790 votes. In 2011, the TMC chairperson had won Bhabanipur with a margin of over 54,000 votes. Highlighting that the margin of victory had surpassed all previous records, the Chief Minister said that in every ward of the constituency she had won on this occasion. She said that about 46 % of the electorate of the constituency were non-Bengali, and they also overwhelmingly voted for her. The BJP fielded Tibrewal, who secured about 25,000 votes. Elections to Bhabanipur and two other constituencies, Jangipur and Samserganj, were held on September 30. TMC candidate Amirul Islam won Samserganj by a margin of 26,379 votes by defeating his nearest rival, a Congress candidate from the seat. At  Jangipur Assembly polls, TMC’s Jakir Hussain defeated the BJP candidate by a margin over 92,480 votes. With these victories, the TMC has increased its tally in the West Bengal Assembly to 219.  TMC had won 213 seats in the Assembly polls but its MLA from Bhabanipur had resigned. Four legislators of the BJP had defected to TMC and three won the by polls on Sunday, taking the tally to 219. The Trinamool Congress chairperson also announced candidates for bypolls for three of the four seats that are scheduled in the first week of October. Chattopadhyay, who had resigned from Bhabanipur to allow the Chief Minister to contest the bypolls, will contest from Khardah seat in North 24 Parganas, and Udayan Guha will contest from Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. The TMC has nominated Braj Kishor Goswami from Sanntipur. The BJP has won Dinhata and Santipur in the 2021 Assembly polls, but two sitting MPs, Nisith Pramanik and Jaganath Sarkar, did not take oath as MLAs from the respective constituencies.

New DGP after consulting Sidhu: Channi 

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday said that a new Director General of Police (DGP) would be appointed soon in consultation with the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and other ministers. His comments came hours after Sidhu had tweeted that DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota and Advocate General (AG) Amar Preet Singh Deol must be replaced as their appointments are like rubbing salt on the wounds of the victims of the sacrilege issue. Sidhu’s latest tweet comes just days after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi reached out to him for a compromise after he sprang a surprise by resigning as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief to protest against these appointments. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government programme to announce debt waiver for farm labourers and landless farmers, the Chief Minister said, as mandated by law, the State government has already forwarded the names of all senior police officers with 30 years of experience to the Centre. Now, it is awaiting the Centre’s clearance to a panel of three names from which the new DGP would be appointed, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said. The name would be finalised after consultation with Sidhu, and all the ministers and MLAs, the CMO statement added. Channi also told reporters that a coordination committee has been constituted for better coordination between the government and the PCC. Earlier, in the day, Sidhu had tweeted that not replacing the DGP and the Advocate General would leave the Congress with no face. Demand for Justice in sacrilege cases and for arrest of main culprits behind the drug trade brought our Govt in 2017 & Due to his failure, People removed the last CM. Now, AG/DG appointments rub salt on wounds of victims, they must be replaced or we will have No face, Sidhu tweeted. In an attempt to placate him, the Channi government appointed R.S. Bains as Special Public Prosecutor to handle all the sacrilege-related cases. However, Sidhu, whose status as the PCC chief is still not clear as he has not formally withdrawn his resignation, seemed to harden his stance a day after his tweet that he would stand by the Gandhis, post or no post. Will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji … Post or No Post will stand by @RahulGandhi & @priyankagandhi ! Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win & every punjabi win !! he had tweeted on Saturday. The cricketer-turned-politician, who has made the Bargari sacrilege issue the main poll plank ahead of next year’s Assembly polls, wants the DGP and AG changed for their roles, respectively, in the sacrilege issue. His objection to Deol is that he defended the former Punjab police chief Sumedh Singh Saini, an accused in the Behbal Kalan police firing case of 2015. Sahota has earned Sidhu’s ire as the head of a Special Investigation Team on the sacrilege issue that reportedly gave the Badals a clean chit.

Cruise ship drugs party: NCB arrests Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan 

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday arrested Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in connection with the seizure of banned drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. Aryan Khan would be produced before a metropolitan magistrate’s court shortly. Advocate Satish Maneshinde would be representing Aryan Khan in court. Aryan Khan has been booked under various sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for possession and consumption of banned substances. He and seven others were detained late Saturday night by NCB sleuths after they raided the cruise ship on its way from Mumbai to Goa.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Google removes 93,550 content pieces in August in India, shows compliance report 

Google received 35,191 complaints from users and removed 93,550 pieces of content based on those complaints in the month of August, the tech giant said in its monthly transparency report. In addition to reports from users, Google also removed 651,933 pieces of content in August as a result of automated detection. Google had received 36,934 complaints from users and removed 95,680 pieces of content based on those complaints in July. It had removed 5,76,892 pieces of content in July as a result of automated detection. The U.S.-based company has made these disclosures as part of compliance with India’s IT rules that came into force on May 26. Google, in its latest report, said it had received 35,191 complaints in August from individual users located in India via designated mechanisms, and the number of removal actions as a result of user complaints stood at 93,550. These complaints relate to third-party content that is believed to violate local laws or personal rights on Google’s significant social media intermediaries (SSMI) platforms, the report said. Some requests may allege infringement of intellectual property rights, while others claim violation of local laws prohibiting types of content on grounds such as defamation. When we receive complaints regarding content on our platforms, we assess them carefully, it added. The content removal was done under several categories, including copyright (92,750), trademark (721), counterfeit (32), circumvention (19), court order (12), graphic sexual content (12) and other legal requests (4). Google explained that a single complaint may specify multiple items that potentially relate to the same or different pieces of content, and each unique URL in a specific complaint is considered an individual item that is removed. Google said in addition to reports from users, the company invests heavily in fighting harmful content online and using technology to detect and remove it from its platforms. This includes using automated detection processes for some of our products to prevent the dissemination of harmful content such as child sexual abuse material and violent extremist content. Under the new IT rules, large digital platforms with over 5 million users will have to publish periodic compliance reports every month, mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken thereon. The report needs to also include the number of specific communication links or parts of the information that the intermediary has removed or disabled access to in pursuance of any proactive monitoring conducted using automated tools. Recently, Facebook and WhatsApp also released their compliance reports for the month of August. Facebook said it had actioned about 31.7 million content pieces across 10 violation categories proactively during August in the country, while its photo-sharing platform Instagram took action against about 2.2 million pieces across nine categories during the same period proactively. In its report, WhatsApp said it had banned over two million accounts in India, while 420 grievance reports were received by the messaging platform in the month of August.

Shringla visits Trincomalee oil tank farm, key India-Sri Lanka economic partnership link.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Sunday visited the World War II-era oil storage facility in the strategically advantaged port district of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka’s east coast, which has been a key bilateral economic partnership link for decades. The Trincomalee Harbour, one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, was developed by the British during the World War II. Since 2003, the Lanka IOC, (LIOC) the Sri Lankan subsidiary of India’s oil major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has the leasing rights to 99 tanks at the facility for a period of 35 years for an annual payment of $100,000. According to the Indian High Commission, the LIOC briefed Foreign Secretary Shringla about the developments undertaken at the tank farm and the possibilities for further strengthening India and Sri Lanka energy partnership to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security. The Indian mission also tweeted pictures of Shringla at the Trincomalee oil tank farm. Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla was happy to be with LIOC for the launch of LIOC’s new product – ‘Servo Pride ALT 15W-40’ during the visit, it said in a tweet. His visit to the site assumes significance as oil sector trade unions in Sri Lanka have demanded that tanks be brought under the control of the state fuel entity Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). As per the agreement, the IOC was also given one-third share of the Sri Lankan government entity, Petroleum Storage Limited. However, the CPC trade unions had been pressing for the takeover of the tanks. Initially, the CPC wanted to develop 25 of the tanks by investing USD 25-30 million. The CPC maintains that it will allow them to strengthen their oil storage and distribution in the north and eastern provinces while allowing stock maintenance to suffice 2-3 months. Shringla arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday on a four-day visit during which he will meet the top leadership, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and review the bilateral ties between India and the island nation

 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.

NATIONAL NEWS 

CJI for forming special panels led by HC CJs to probe plaints against ‘atrocities’ by police, bureaucracy

Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana said he was in favour of forming standing committees headed by the Chief Justices of the High Courts to investigate complaints received from the common man of atrocities committed by the bureaucracy, especially police officers, in the country. The CJI’s oral observation comes even as police officers are in the spotlight for committing serious crimes. Recently, police officers in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been accused of causing the death of a businessman during a raid in a hotel. In Tamil Nadu, the CBI had charge-sheeted nine policemen for the custodial deaths of the father-son duo, P. Jayaraj and J. Benicks. There have been instances in which district administration officers were recorded on video physically manhandling citizens during the lockdown. We are very disturbed by what the bureaucracy, particularly police officers, are doing… I was in favour of forming standing committees led by Chief Justices of High Courts to look into complaints of atrocities committed by bureaucrats, especially police officers, in this country, Chief Justice Ramana said in court. The observation came when the court was reserving judgment on petitions filed by suspended Additional Director General of Police Gurjinder Pal Singh in Chhattisgarh. He had sought protection from arrest in various criminal cases, including sedition, extortion and criminal intimidation, arraigned against him by the current government. The court recently made oral observations in the case about how police officers act with impunity with one government but have to pay back with interest when there is a regime change. It had, in an earlier instance, wondered at the plight of police officers caught between rival political parties who come to power one after the other. The Bench had highlighted how police officers become targets of political vendetta, stating that it was a sad state of affairs. The CJI said orally, When a political party is in power, police officers side with a particular party. Then when a new party comes into power, the government initiates action against those officials. The court stated that this new trend needed to be checked in its tracks. The court had granted Singh protection from arrest in the sedition case. Senior lawyers F.S. Nariman and Vikas Singh appeared for him and the State government was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Rakesh Dwivedi. Cases of sedition and other offences were lodged against Singh by the Congress-led Chhattisgarh government.

Farmers strangulating New Delhi with protests against farm laws, says Supreme Court 

The Supreme Court on Friday accused farmers of strangulating the city [New Delhi] with their protest against farm laws. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar was hearing a petition filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat, a farmers’ body, for a direction to the Delhi Police to permit them to go on ‘satyagraha’ at the iconic Jantar Mantar in the heart of the national capital. On one hand, you have been strangulating the entire city and blocking highways… now you want to enter the city and protest here? Justice Khanwilkar lashed out at the farmers’ body. The Bench asked why the farmers’ organisations continued with protests even after the laws were under challenge or sub judice in the Supreme Court. Are you then protesting against the judiciary? Once you have approached the court, let the law take its own course… But, instead, you continue with the protests and block the national highways… You have to trust us, Justice Khanwilkar, flanked by Justice C.T. Ravikumar, chided the farmers’ organisation. Justice Khanwilkar asked the farmers whether they had taken the permission of citizens who live near the protest sites on the national highways and public roads. Have you taken permission of the citizens living nearby? There is a right to protest, but there is a right to use public roads and free movement… You are even obstructing defence personnel’s movement. You block trains and then say you are protesting peacefully. There is no point in continuing to protest once you have come to the court, Justice Khanwilkar said. The Mahapanchayat’s counsel, advocate Ajay Choudhary, said the police had blocked the highways and not the farmers. The farmers only stressed on their right to protest peacefully. The Bench directed the petitioner to serve an advance copy of their petition to the Attorney-General and listed the case for Monday. The court also ordered the organisation to file an affidavit declaring they are not part of the protest being carried out, blocking the highways. Kisan Mahapanchayat has argued that the patently discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable action of the Delhi Police in preventing it from holding peaceful, unarmed and non-violent Satyagraha at a designated place in Jantar Mantar is in violation of basic democratic rights enunciated as fundamental rights under the Constitution.

Amarinder Singh, Harish Rawat in war of words as Congress crisis continues 

Amid the ongoing crises in the Congress party’s Punjab unit, the party’s State affairs in-charge Harish Rawat and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday were embroiled in a war of words. After Rawat accused Capt. (retd.) Amarinder of failing to keep his promises on important issues and insisted that the latter was never humiliated in the Congress, the former chief minister rejected the claims, saying they were clearly prompted by the pathetic situation the party now found itself in Punjab after being on a winning spree for four and a half years. Three weeks before stepping down as CM, I had offered my resignation to Sonia Gandhi but she had asked me to continue, said Capt. Amarinder, adding that the humiliating manner in which he was pushed into resigning just hours before the CLP meeting that was clearly convened to oust him, was a matter of public record. The world saw the humiliation and the insult heaped on me, and yet Rawat is making claims to the contrary, he said, adding If this was not humiliation then what was it? The ex-CM of Punjab recalled that Rawat himself had publicly stated after meeting him that he was satisfied by his government’s track record on the 2017 poll promises. In fact, the Congress in-charge of Punjab had categorically stated, as recently as September 1, that the 2022 elections would be fought under his (Captain Amarinder’s) leadership and the high command had no intention of replacing him, he pointed out. So how can he now claim that the party leadership was dissatisfied with me, and if they were, then why did he deliberately keep me in the dark all this time? he said. On Rawat’s remarks that he [Capt. Amarinder] seemed to be under pressure, the former Chief Minister said the only pressure he had been under for the past few months was that of his own loyalty to the Congress, because of which he continued to tolerate insult after insult.

GoM to decide on winning bidder for Air India 

A Group of Ministers (GoM) led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah will meet soon to take a decision on the winning bidder for Air India, a top government official said. Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism [AISAM] will meet soon to decide, the official told The Hindu. AISAM is the name given to the GoM headed by Shah. It includes Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The statement means that while a decision has been taken on who has bagged Air India by the Committee of Secretaries, it is yet to be approved by the GoM. Earlier this month, Tata Sons and a grouping led by SpiceJet’s Ajay Singh placed their financial bids for Air India. The government will divest its 100% stake in Air India, Air India Express, and a 50% stake in ground handling company AISATS. The bids for the national carrier are being sought at enterprise value instead of equity value as the government had changed the bidding parameter for Air India. As per the plan, 15% of the total enterprise value will have to be paid upfront in cash to the government and the rest will be used to reduce the debt burden on the airline.

Process of renunciation of Indian citizenship simplified 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has simplified the process for Indians who want to renounce their citizenship. Provisions have been made for applicants to upload documents online, with an upper limit of 60 days for the renunciation process to be completed. Over 6.7 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship between 2015-19, the Lok Sabha was informed in February. In 2018, the MHA revised the Form XXII under the Citizenship Rules for declaration of renunciation of citizenship, which for the first time included a column on circumstances/reasons due to which applicant intends to acquire foreign citizenship and renounce Indian citizenship. An official familiar with the subject said there was no sudden surge in the number of applications to renounce citizenship but the online process has been initiated to check fraudulent documents and reduce the compliance burden. As many as 1,41,656 Indians renounced their citizenship in the year 2015, while in the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the numbers stood at 1,44,942, 1,27,905, 1,25,130 and 1,36,441, respectively. The Ministry issued new guidelines on September 16 stating that the form, after being filled online, has to be downloaded, signed and submitted at the District Magistrate’s office, if the applicant is in India, or at the nearest Indian mission, if she or he is in a foreign country. The applicant will also be interviewed by the DM before the certificate is issued, the Ministry said. Other than the passport, the applicant also needs to submit proof of address and proof of payment of fee. The Ministry stated that once a copy of the form had been received, the entire process for issuance of renunciation certificate would take 60 days after verification of documents. According to the 2009 Citizenship Rules, the fee to renounce citizenship for an applicant in India is ₹5,000, and for someone applying through an Indian mission in a foreign country is ₹7,000. The guidelines said that when a person ceases to be a citizen of India under Section 8(1) of Citizenship Act, 1955, every minor child of that person shall thereupon ceases to be a citizen of India. The minor child may, however, within one year of attaining full age apply to resume Indian citizenship. The guidelines are not clear if minors would also lose citizenship if only one of the parents gives up her/his Indian citizenship.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

India slaps tit-for-tat travel curbs on U.K. nationals 

India on Friday imposed reciprocal quarantine measures on citizens of the United Kingdom. Sources said the new regulations will enforce a 10-day quarantine on all British nationals in the way that the UK currently enforces similar quarantine measures on fully vaccinated Indian nationals. The new measures will come into effect from October 4, indicating that India-UK negotiations over the latter’s 10-day mandatory quarantine requirement have broken down. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had first mentioned the possibility of imposing reciprocal measures on September 21 as the UK had not relaxed the quarantine requirement till then. According to the new regulations, all British nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake pre-departure COVID-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, followed by similar tests upon arrival at the Indian airport which is to be followed by another RTPCR test on the 8th day after arrival in India. That apart, the British travellers to India will have to be in mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arrival in India. The deepening dispute regarding vaccination certificates and the quarantine period has cast a shadow on expected high level visits from London to India. Sources explained that the move will not affect the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) staying in the UK with permits but is likely to affect PIOs and OCI-card holders as they may be citizens of the UK. The new measures have been imposed though there is no tourist traffic from the UK to India at the moment as New Delhi has not resumed issuing tourist visas. However, it is understood that the Indian move is being perceived as unexpected by the British side which had witnessed some positive progress in the dialogue over relaxing the UK’s quarantine requirement for Indian citizens. Informed Indian sources have, however, told The Hindu that the UK can make the necessary adjustments in its policy by October 4. The Indian announcement comes days after the UK recognised Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India but retained the 10-day quarantine period for fully vaccinated travellers from India, which intensified the rift between the two sides. The UK had moved India from the ‘Red List’ to the ‘Amber List’ on August 8, reopening tourist visas for Indian travellers but maintained that the 10-day quarantine period would remain in place. British sources had earlier said that there were no issues related to the Covishield vaccine but there are technical difficulties that were preventing the UK from connecting with the Indian side, which is a requirement for verifying vaccination certificates.

India, US to set up joint working group on defence industrial security

As Chinese and Russian cyber-spies increase snooping via the internet to pick up American defence secrets, including stealth and long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, the US and Indian defence industrial establishments are developing joint protocols to block any leakage of classified information from their communications. To formalise and refine their joint security protocols, Washington and New Delhi held a five-day Industrial Security Agreement (ISA) summit that began on Monday and ended on Friday in the national capital. The summit was led by Designated Security Authorities (DSAs) from both sides. The Indian DSA is Anurag Bajpai from the Ministry of Defense (MoD), while the American DSA is David Paul Bagnati. The two sides reached an In principle agreement to establish an Indo-US Industrial Security Joint Working Group, said an Indian MoD statement on Friday. The Group is to meet regularly to align policies for defence industries to collaborate on critical defence technologies, it said. The US-India framework for industrial technology security began with an agreement termed General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which was signed on January 17, 2002 between the Indian and US defence ministers of that time, George Fernandes and Donald Rumsfeld. GSOMIA 2002 prescribes security standards and protocols for safeguarding information shared by the Pentagon with India’s defence ministry; and by US defence firms with Indian defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs). However, GSOMIA does not cover the exchange of classified information with Indian private industry. Washington wanted this covered too, given New Delhi’s emphasis on the proposed strategic partnership (SP) model of procurement. The SP model involves the manufacture of defence equipment by Indian private firms, using technology supplied by American original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For this, Washington asked New Delhi to sign an annexure to GSOMIA 2000, which would cover the Indian private sector. That agreement, called the Industrial Security Agreement (ISA), was signed in December 2019. Now that is being taken further. During the summit, both sides agreed in principle to establish the Indo-US Industrial Security Joint Working Group. This group will meet periodically to align the policies and procedures expeditiously that will allow the (two countries’) defence industries to collaborate on cutting edge defence technologies, stated the Indian MoD on Friday. The DSAs also visited selected Indian defence industries to prepare for setting up a roadmap. GSOMIA 2000 is not a public document. It is one of four agreements – initially termed foundational agreements by Washington, but subsequently toned down to enabling agreements – that US legislation requires for facilitating deeper defence cooperation with India. A second agreement, the Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) that facilitates mutual logistical inter-dependence, was signed in 2016 and the Communications Compatibility and Security Arrangement (COMCASA) in 2018. The last of the four — the so-called Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geospatial Intelligence – was signed last October. This allows India’s military to access a range of US topographical, nautical and aeronautical data that enables more accurate missile and long-range unmanned airborne vehicle guidance and targeting.