SATURDAY 19 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 ‘VISION EXTENDS BEYOND 2028’ BJP MLAS IN MANIPUR DEMAND CM’S REMOVAL P4 SENSEX 81,224.75p218.14 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 35 AND 19 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 94 % TEMPERATURE Min. 35 % Max: 36.2 °C (+4) SUN RISES 06:25 hrs MOON RISES 19:04 hrs Min: 19.5 °C (+1) SUN SETS 17:48 hrs MOON SETS 09:32 hrs THUMBNAILS A woman explores earthy wall decors at a market ahead of the 'Karva Chauth' festival, in Bikaner on Friday. n ANI Delhi court allows Satyendar JainÊs bail plea in money laundering case: A court here on Friday allowed the bail plea filed of former Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain in connection with a money laundering case. The Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to the AAP leader taking into account his prolonged incarceration and the delay in commencement of trial. (Page 2) SC dismisses plea seeking board to regulate OTT platforms PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a public interest plea seeking setting up of a regulatory board to monitor and manage over-the-top (OTT) and other streaming platforms in India. A Bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said: “This is the problem of PILs. They are all on policy now and we miss our genuine PILs.” The PIL petitioner advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha had stated that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had issued in 2021 the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, to self-regulate OTT platforms, however, the same has been inefficient. ‘STOP HINDI CELEBRATIONS IN NON-HINDI STATES’ P7 NIFTY 24,863.40p113.55 P8 ` vs $ 84.07 GOLD 79,800.00 PM to visit Russia next week for BRICS Summit This will be the first BRICS summit since its expansion to 8 members STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER P rime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia from 22 to 23 October at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the 16th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) Summit, being held in Kazan. The summit, themed "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security," will provide an important platform for leaders to discuss key global issues, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said while announcing the visit here on Friday. The summit will offer a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of initiatives launched by BRICS and to identify potential areas for future collaboration. During his visit, the PM is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited During his visit, the PM is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited leaders in Kazan, the MEA added. leaders in Kazan, the MEA added. It is, however, not clear if Mr Modi will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping who will lead the Chinese delegation at the summit. This will be Mr Modi's second visit to Russia this year. He had visited Moscow in July for the 22nd IndiaRussia Summit with President Putin. The BRICS summit is KOHLI ENTERS 9,000 TEST RUNS CLUB the first since the expansion of the group to nine members, with Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE joining this year after being offered membership in the 2023 summit in South Africa. Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also invited but the former declined after a change of government, while the latter is yet to respond. According to Russian officials, the BRICS summit in Kazan will host leaders from 24 countries and delegations from a total of 32 nations, making it the largest foreign policy event ever held in Russia. Apart from the main BRICS meeting, there will be meetings in the BRICS+ format on the theme "BRICS and the Global South: Building the Future of the World Together" involving representatives from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. P12 SILVER 1,05,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.57q0.88 Parliament may consider outlawing child betrothal under PCMA: SC PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER Stating that there were areas in the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 (PCMA) that defeat the very purpose of law and need to be addressed, including child betrothals ~ engagement in childhood and marriage at a different point in time and the confusion over the precedence between PCMA and different personal laws, the Supreme Court on Friday suggested that Parliament consider outlawing child betrothals which may be used to evade the penalty under the PCMA. Issuing a slew of directions to curb the practice of child marriage which is still prevalent in many parts of the country, a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra in a judgment said: “Parliament may consider outlawing child betrothals which may be used to evade penalty under the PCMA”. Urging Parliament to outlaw child betrothal, Chief Justice Chandrachud, speaking for the Bench said: “We note that while the PCMA seeks to prohibit child marriages, it does not stipulate on betrothals. Marriages fixed in the minority of a child also have the effect of violating their rights to free choice, autonomy, agency and childhood. It takes away from them their choice of partner and life paths before they mature and form the ability to assert their agency. International law such as CEDAW (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1975) stipulates against betrothals of minors.” While refraining from making any judicial declaration on plugging the gaps in the PCMA in the absence of a Constitutional challenge or a case being argued to that effect before it, the Chief Justice, authoring the judgment said: “In the course of this judgment, we have traced the full breadth of the law against child marriage. The Former RAW officer charged by US DOJ in Pannun assassination plot NDA finalises seat-sharing pact in Jharkhand, BJP to contest 68 seats PARWINDER SANDHU STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER The case involving former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) field officer Vikash Yadav has deepened after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges accusing him of masterminding a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen. Mr Yadav, originally from Haryana, has also appeared on the FBI's wanted list, with a poster issued seeking information on his whereabouts. The FBI's wanted poster lists Yadav, born in 1984, as using the alias “Amanat” while coordinating with his alleged co-conspirator, fellow Indian national Nikhil Gupta. The US DOJ's indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York, accuses Mr Yadav of conspiring to kill Mr Pannun, a prominent figure in the Sikh separatist movement. Mr Gupta (53), was earlier arrested in the Czech Republic and extradited to the USA in connection with the same plot. Mr Yadav, however, remains at large. The US Department of Justice stated that Mr Yadav was employed by the Indian government’s Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees R&AW, India’s foreign intelligence service. Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier stated that Mr Yadav was no longer employed by the Indian government. “The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” Mr Jaiswal stated during a press conference. US Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasised that the DOJ will hold accountable any individual, regardless of position, who seeks to harm US citizens. “We foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav and his co-conspirator to assassinate an American citizen on US soil. Today's charges send a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated,” Mr Garland said. The indictment against Mr Yadav and Mr Gupta references the June 2023 killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia. Nijjar, an associate of Mr Pannun, was also a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and a critic of the Indian government. The indictment contends that just days after Nijjar’s killing, Mr Yadav and Mr Gupta expedited plans to target Mr Pannun. “On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government,” the indictment says. NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER The BJP Friday reached a seat-sharing agreement with its National Democratic Alliance partners for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. The saffron party will contest 68 of the 81 Assembly seats. Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the party's Jharkhand election committee co-in-charge, said the BJP will contest 68 of the 81 Assembly seats. “Discussions are going on regarding seat sharing. As of now, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will contest on 10 seats. Janata Dal (United) on two seats and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on one seat... BJP will contest on the remaining seats,” he said. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) will contest from two seats while Chirag Paswan’s LJP will fight from one seat, Mr Sarma said. LJP will contest the lone seat of Chatra while JD-U will field candidates in Tamad and Jamshedpur West assembly constituencies. The party's election committee co-in-charge Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the saffron party's ally, All Jharkhand Students' Union, will contest from 10 constituencies ~ Silli, Ramgarh, Gomia, Ichagarh, Mandu, Jugsalai, Dumri, Pakur, Lohardaga, and Manoharpur. Mr Sarma stated that discussions on seat allocation are ongoing and adjustments may be made as the election approaches.The INDI Alliance PM Modi to launch Karmayogi Week to enhance Civil Services’ capacity Economic activity in India continues on positive path: NCAER survey STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Karmayogi Saptah ~ National Learning Week ~ as part of the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (Mission Karmayogi), at Dr Ambedkar International Centre here on Saturday. Envisioned by the Government, Mission Karmayogi addresses changing needs and aspirations of the citizens. Anchored by an apex body and headed by the Prime Minister, it is designed to enhance the civil services’ work capacity under a national programme. Mission Karmayogi was launched in September 2020 and it has made substantial progress since then in making the civil services future-ready PCMA is the central legislation governing the issue on the subject. In light of the Constitutional guarantees accruing to children, we observe certain gaps in the PCMA. Absent a Constitutional challenge or a case being argued, we resist from making declarations and restrict ourselves to making suggestions for the scrutiny of the Union.” On the issue of PCMA having precedence over the different personal laws, the court noted that Parliament is already seized of the matter as the proposed 2021 amendment to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 is now before the Department Related Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports that expressly state the overriding effect of the statute over various personal laws. with a global perspective. The National Learning Week (NLW) will be the largest event of its kind providing fresh impetus towards individual and organisational capacity development for Civil Servants. This initiative will stimulate a renewed commitment to learning and development. NLW aims to create a “One Government” message, align everyone with national goals and promote lifelong learning. NLW will be dedicated to learning through various forms of engagement by individual participants and Min- istries, Departments, and Organizations. During NLW, each Karmayogi will commit to achieving a target of at least four hours of competency-linked learning. The participants may complete the targeted hours through a mix of individual role-based modules on iGOT, webinars (public lectures/policy master classes) by eminent persons. During the week, eminent speakers will deliver talks on their areas of prominence and help the employees work towards citizen-centric delivery in a much more effective manner. The Ministries, Departments and organisations will hold seminars and workshops to enhance the employees’ domain specific competencies. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Economic activity in India continues to be on its dynamic and positive path, albeit at a moderated pace, a NCAER survey said. According to the NCAER-NSE Business Expectations Survey for Q2 of 2024-25, after improving for two consecutive quarters, business sentiments moderated in the second quarter of 2024-25 (134.3) compared to the first quarter (149.8) as well as the corresponding quarter of 2023-24 (140.7). “While all four components of the BCI experienced slight moderation in sentiments between the first and second quarters of 2024–25, the percentage share of positive responses remained well above 50 per cent signalling continued economic dynamism,” said NCAER’s Prof Bornali Bhandari who led the survey. The BCI is based on four components- ‘overall economic conditions to improve in next six months’; ‘financial position of the firms will improve in next six months’; ‘present investment climate’; and whether ‘present capacity utilisation was close to or above optimal level’. The share of firms expecting ‘overall economic conditions to improve in next six months’ stood at 62.1 per cent in second quarter while that of firms expecting their own financial position to improve in the next six months was 58.0 per cent. The capacity utilisation was ‘close to or above optimal level’ for 96.3 per cent of the surveyed firms in Q2. According to the survey, majority of respondents (67.1 per cent of firms) expected production to increase in the next six months and 71.5 per cent expected domestic sales to go up during the same period. Similar trends were witnessed regarding ‘expected new orders’ over the next six months. Sentiments about exports of final products continued to remain upbeat, even though a relatively smaller number of firms expected them to increase over the next six months. government has ruined Jharkhand, he alleged, adding: “This election is to save the identity of Jharkhand. The NDA will come out strong in Jharkhand.” Mr Sarma also expressed confidence that “under PM Modi's leadership, the NDA government will be formed in Jharkhand.” “The elections will be contested under the leadership of our local leaders and Karyakartas. The CM face will be decided after the elections,” he said. “It is perfect seat-sharing and we are winning and NDA is forming the government,” Mr Chouhan said. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which was also seeking seats from the NDA kitty, was left out. The Jharkhand assembly polls will be held in two phases on 13 and 20 November, while the counting of votes will take place on 23 November. Centre inks MoU with banks to enable women avail big-ticket loans STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 OCTOBER The government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with nine public sector banks and one private bank for specific products designed by these banks for financing individual women entrepreneurs under the fold of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY NRLM). These banks are: Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank and IDBI Bank Limited. The loan products designed by these banks will help women avail big-ticket loans for scaling up their enterprises.