FRIDAY 04 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR TENSION ON BORDERS IMPACTED TIES WITH CHINA: EAM KOREAN MUDDLE P6 SENSEX 82,497.10q1,769.19 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 36 AND 25 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 86 % TEMPERATURE Min. 43 % Max: 37.0 °C (+3) SUN RISES 06:16 hrs MOON RISES 08:19 hrs Min: 26.6 °C (+4) SUN SETS 18:03 hrs MOON SETS 18:47 hrs THUMBNAILS Farmers thresh paddy in a paddy field at Handwara in Kupwara on Thursday.n ANI Agriculture schemes to be consolidated: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved rationalisation of all Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers into two umbrella schemes. Briefing newspersons, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision will result in increased income for farmers. ‘MUSI PROJECT WILL CONTINUE’ P5 NIFTY 25,250.10q546.80 ` vs $ 83.93 P4 GOLD 77,920.00 SC bans caste-based discrimination in jails Apex court directs removal of caste column from jail registers PARMOD KUMAR SC stays police action against Isha Foundation NEW DELHI, 3 OCTOBER I n a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Thursday prohibited caste-based discrimination and work allocation in prisons nationwide. The court ordered the deletion of the caste column from prison registers for both undertrials and convicts. Declaring provisions in jail manuals perpetuating caste discrimination and segregation as "unconstitutional", Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, speaking for the bench also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, ordered: "The impugned provisions are declared unconstitutional for being violative of Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23 of the Constitution. All States and Union Territories are directed to revise their Prison Manuals/Rules in accordance with this judgment within a period of three months." The top court also directed the Central government to "make necessary changes ... to address NEW DELHI, 3 OCTOBER caste-based discrimination in the Model Prison Manual 2016 and the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act 2023 within a period of three months." In addition to the directives for amending jail manuals, the court took suo motu cognizance of discrimination within prisons based on caste, gender, disability, or any other ground. It directed its registry to list the suo motu matter after three months, and said all states and the Central government shall file a report on compliance with the directions issued on the first date of hearing. The court also clarified that references to "habitual offenders" in prison manuals must align with the definition provided in the Habitual Offenders Act in force in the respective state. Any other references or definitions of "habitual offenders" were declared unconstitutional. The court further stated that in case there is no habitual offender law in a state, the Central and the state governments are directed to make necessary changes in the manuals/rules in line with the judgment of the court, within three months. Furthermore, the top court directed the police across the country to adhere to guidelines relating to arrest issued in its 2 July 2014 Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar judgment. HARMANPREET EXPECTS TEAM TO PLAY WITHOUT BAGGAGE IN T20 WC The Supreme Court on ThursdayrestrainedTamil Nadu Police from taking any further action against the Isha Yoga Centre run by Jaggi Vasudev at Coimbatore pursuant to the Madras High Court’s directions, and transferred the case from the High Court to itself. The SC order came in the wake of a plea by the Isha Foundation, which complained that a 150-strong police team raided the Ashram after the high court's directions. Madras High Court, on 30 September, while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by a father alleging that his two daughters were being held captive in the Ashram and being brainwashed there, had sought a report from police on all criminal cases against the foundation. SNS (P4) P12 SILVER 99,990 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 75.59p1.69 Haryana will elect BJP, reject divisive Cong: PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 OCTOBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that during his election rallies in Haryana recently that he had seen such enthusiastic crowds that he was confident people would elect the BJP to power again and reject the “divisive and negative politics” of Congress. In a series of posts on X, shortly before campaigning for the Haryana Assembly polls was to end, Mr Modi said he had travelled around the whole state during the election campaign. The enthusiasm among the people was such that it gave him confidence that people of the state would once again give their blessings to the BJP, he said. “The patriotic people of Haryana will never accept the divisive and negative politics of the Congress,” the Prime Minister said. In another post, he said: “The Congress leaders made their intentions known by making a statement to end reservation.” “The backward and Dalit community of Haryana is already angry with the Congress for failing to stop caste violence. Therefore, people have made up their mind India rejects US panel’s report on religious freedom STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 OCTOBER to severely punish Congress again. Only one voice is heard from the streets of Haryana today ~ ‘Bharosa Dil Se, BJP Phir Se (the heart trusts, BJP again)’,” he said. In a third post, the Prime Minister said: “The whole world has its eyes set on India. The world has high hopes and expectations from India. In such a situation, it becomes important that the people of Haryana elect such a government which gives strength to India.” He said: “The Congress can never make the nation strong. Therefore, I appeal to voters in Haryana to bless the BJP once again.” Beginning 14 September, the Prime Minister addressed BJP rallies in Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Hissar, and Palwal. India on Thursday rejected the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which alleged a “deteriorating and concerning trajectory” for religious freedom in this country this year. 'We would urge the USCIRF to desist from such agenda-driven efforts. The USCIRF would also be well advised to utilise its time more productively on addressing human rights issues in the United States," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said India's views on the USCIRF, said to be a bipartisan congressional advisory body, are well known. ''It is a biased organisation with a political agenda. It continues to misrepresent facts and peddles a motivated narrative about India. We reject this malicious report, which only serves to discredit USCIRF further,'' Mr Jaiswal added. The USCIRF recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, or engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.