THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER 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 MAHA ASSEMBLY POLLS: SC QUESTIONS AJIT PAWAR FOR USING SHARAD’S NAME PENTAGON STUNNED BY TRUMP'S DEFENCE CHOICE P9 SENSEX 77,690.95q984.23 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/DENSE TO VERY DENSE FOG IN THE MORNING. SMOG/MIST/MODERATE FOG LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 29 AND 16 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 23,559.05q324.40 ` vs $ 84.40 GOLD 77,590.00 THUMBNAILS First-time voters show their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote in the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly polls on Wednesday. n ANI Over 64 pc voter turnout in first phase of J'khand polls: More than 64 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of voting in Jharkhand Assembly elections on Wednesday. The voting in 43 Assembly seats spread across 15,344 polling stations in the mineral-rich state was held peacefully without any incidents of violence. The polling was marked by a festive mood and enthusiastic participation across all districts, with a large tribal population. (Pg5) BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.18p0.29 Top court terms it unconstitutional, arbitrary and high-handed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the JMMCongress on the issue of infiltration in Jharkhand, saying that the biggest worry in the state was about Bangladeshi infiltrators and asserted that the protection of 'Roti, Beti and Maati' (livelihood, daughters, and land) is the biggest issue in the Assembly elections in the state. Addressing a public rally at Deoghar in Jharkhand, he said: “I have been travelling around Jharkhand and I have noticed that the biggest worry here has been about the Bangladeshi infiltrators. As per whatever data has been available, we have learnt that the tribal population in Santhal has now reduced to half. We have to protect our tribal families and Jharkhandi from this and that should be our first priority." "What will happen if the tribal population continues to decrease like this? Your water, forests and land will be taken over by others. We have to save tribal families from this situation and also save Jharkhand. Wherever I have gone in Jharkhand in the past, the biggest concern has been about infiltration of foreigners," the PM said. "Jharkhandi pride and R eining in bulldozer justice being practiced in certain states targeting the residential and commercial buildings belonging to persons allegedly in conflict with the law, the Supreme Court on Wednesday termed it as unconstitutional, arbitrary, high-handed and violative of the rule of law, abuse of power by the executive and violative of fundamental right to life and shelter guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Laying down the guidelines that have to be strictly adhered to by the authorities while embarking on the demolition of structures belonging to an alleged accused, a bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Viswanathan said that if the demolition is found to be in violation of the orders of the top court, “the officer/officers concerned will be held responsible for restitution of the demolished property STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER at his/their personal cost in addition to payment of damages.” The judgment in the matter titled “Re: Directions in the matter of demolition of structures” deals with different dimensions relating to the issue, including rule of law, separation of powers, doctrine of public trust and public accountability, rights of the accused under the Constitution, principles of criminal law - presumption of innocence of an accused till bility of the region and in driving their respective economies to greater prosperity. Referring to growing India-Saudi Arabia ties, he said the defence partnership between the two countries has also witnessed several firsts over the last few years, including a joint land exercise and two naval exercises. “We have had regular exchanges on training and capacity building and our cooperation has now extended to defence industries and exports as well,” he added. Mr Jaishankar noted that the security cooperation between the two countries has grown steadily. “We are collaborating in counter terrrorism, combating extremism, terrorism financing and drug trafficking. Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' and India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' hold complementarities for their industries to build partnerships.” He was glad to note that the businesses of the two countries are collaborating intensively. “Trade and investments are important pillars of our partnership and we are strengthening them in new areas, including technology, energy, renewable energy, connectivity, health and education,” he added. The Saudi minister said he discussed with Mr Jaishankar the strategic relationship between the two countries and ways to explore new avenues for collaboration. found guilty by a court and natural justice, right to shelter and permissibility of collective punishment on the family of an accused and the direction that have to be followed before any demotion drive is undertaken. Stating that the principle that “an accused is not guilty unless proven so (guilty beyond a reasonable doubt) in a court of law” is foundational to any legal system”, Justice Gavai, authoring the judgment said: “The chilling sight of a bulldozer demolishing a building, when authorities have failed to follow the basic principles of natural justice and have acted without adhering to the principle of due process, reminds one of a lawless state of affairs, where “might was right”.” Justice Gavai added: “In our Constitution, which rests on the foundation of ‘the rule of law’, such high-handed and arbitrary actions have no place. Such excesses at the hands of the executive will have to be dealt with the heavy hand of the law. Our constitutional ethos and values would not permit any such abuse of power and such misadventures cannot be tolerated by the court of law.” The court directed that: “No demolition should be carried out without a prior show cause notice returnable either in accordance with the time provided by the local municipal laws or within 15 days’ time from the date of service of such notice, whichever is later.” STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER been found to mislead students, influencing their decisions by concealing important information, giving false guarantees etc. “We have seen coaching centres deliberately concealing information from prospective students. Therefore, we have come out with the guidelines to provide guidance to people involved in the coaching industry,” Mrs Khare told reporters. Under the new guidelines, coaching centres are prohibited from making false claims regarding courses offered and duration; faculty credentials; fee structure and refund policies; selection rates and exam rankings; and guaranteed job security or salary increases. The guidelines define ‘coaching’ to include academic support, education, guidance, study programmes and tuition, but exclude counselling, sports and cre- NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey during a public meeting for the Jharkhand Assembly election at Sarath in Deoghar on Wednesday. n ANI Jharkhand's identity have been the strength of all of you. What will happen if this identity is lost? Statistics show that the number of tribals in the Santhal region has almost halved," he said. A major conspiracy is taking place to change the identity of Jharkhand, Mr Modi said. In the JMM-Congress government, every wrong thing was done to make the infiltrators, who came from outside, permanent residents here, he alleged. “Documents were prepared overnight for these infiltrators. Tribal daughters were cheated in the name of marriage and their land was grabbed. These infiltrators India, China begin weekly patrols in Ladakh, eye further troop reductions PARWINDER SANDHU Following the deescalation, sources indicated that the next phase will involve a gradual deinduction of troops, although no specific timeline for this step has been set. NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER Days after successfully completing a de-escalation process in the eastern Ladakh areas of Demchok and Depsang, India and China have commenced weekly patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The first patrol round, completed in early November, saw the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) begin its patrols in Depsang on Monday, while Indian troops had conducted their first patrol on 4 November, shortly after resuming patrols in Demchok. Following the de-escalation, sources indicated that the next phase will involve a gradual de-induction of troops, although no specific timeline for this step has been set. Previously, the Indian Army refuted media claims of logistical roadblocks in the Depsang area, emphasising that the patrolling process continues smoothly as agreed with the Chinese side. The new patrolling protocol comes after four years of heightened tensions and military buildup, including the 2020 Galwan Valley clash CCPA issues guidelines to maintain transparency in coaching sector In a measure intended to protect the rights of consumers and maintain transparency in the coaching sector, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a set of comprehensive guidelines to address the issue of misleading advertisements by coaching centres. The ‘Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024,’ aim to safeguard students and the public from deceptive marketing practices commonly employed by coaching centres, Mrs Nidhi Khare, Chief Commissioner, CCPA, and Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs said on Wednesday while interacting with the media. The guidelines were drafted in the wake of growing concerns about false/misleading claims, exaggerated success rates, and unfair contracts that coaching institutes often impose on students. Such practices have SILVER 1,01,000 Under JMM-Cong govt, every thing done to make infiltrators permanent residents: Modi Jaishankar calls for Gaza ceasefire, says Saudi Arabia crucial for regional stability Describing Saudi Arabia as an important factor of stability in the region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the continuing conflict in Gaza and called for an early ceasefire. “While we condemn acts of terrorism and hostagetaking, we are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians. Any response must take into account the international humanitarian law and we support an early ceasefire. India has also consistently stood for a resolution of the Palestine issue through a two-state solution,” he said at a meeting here with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Mr Jaishankar said India and Saudi Arabia have a similar interest in preserving the sta- P12 Supreme Court reins in bulldozer justice NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER Min: 17.0 °C (+3) SUN SETS 17:28 hrs MOON SETS 05:53 hrs PONTING RESPONDS TO GAMBHIR’S OUTBURST P8 PARMOD KUMAR Min. 68 % Max: 27.8 °C (-1) SUN RISES 06:44 hrs MOON RISES 16:11 hrs GIVE ME A CHANCE TO REPRESENT WAYANAD: PRIYANKA ative activities. Coaching centres cannot use names, photographs or testimonials of successful candidates without written consent obtained after selection. They must display disclaimers prominently and disclose important information about courses. The guidelines cover all forms of advertising across academic support, education, guidance and tuition services. However, they exclude counselling, sports and creative activities. The guidelines will apply to every person engaged in coaching, meaning not just the coaching centres, but also any endorsers or public figures promoting their services through advertisements. Endorsers, who lend their name or reputation to coaching centres, will now be responsible for ensuring that the claims they endorse are accurate and truthful. Mrs Khare said coaching centres should accurately represent the service, facilities, resources and infra- structure. They should truthfully represent that the courses offered are duly recognised and have the approval of a competent authority such as AICTE, UCG, etc. Violations will attract penalties under the Consumer Protection Act, Mrs Khare added. A committee, chaired by the then Chief Commissioner, CCPA, was constituted to frame the guidelines. It included the representative of several organisations namely Central Consumer Protection Authority, Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Education, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (as a special invitee), National Law University (NLU) Delhi, Law firm and Industry stakeholders. Based on the suggestion of the committee, the CCPA put up the draft guidelines for public comments on 16 February. Public suggestions were received from 28 stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education. that resulted in 20 Indian casualties and saw both nations deploy significant military resources to the LAC. This period of tension ultimately led to rounds of diplomatic and military talks, culminating in the mutual disengagement recently achieved. In a symbolic gesture during the Diwali festival, Indian and Chinese troops exchanged sweets at multiple LAC locations, including Chushul-Maldo and Daulat Beg Oldi, underscoring a commitment to reduced hostilities. Surveillance along the LAC will remain in effect, employing advanced technology to uphold the agreement. Additionally, regular communication at the brigadier level aims to maintain stability and reduce the risk of future escalations. snatched your employment from you and also snatched your bread. But look at the attitude of the government here. The JMM government told the court that there has been no infiltration in Jharkhand," Mr Modi said. “It has become difficult for local residents to even get water here. Therefore, the security of bread, daughters and soil is the biggest and important issue in this election,” he said. “I assure you that the BJP-NDA government will not let anyone play with the security of the bread, butter and soil of the Santhal and Jharkhand,” Mr Modi said. Market witnesses bloodbath as Nifty falls 10 per cent from peak STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 NOVEMBER Benchmark indices closed deep in the red on Wednesday, marking their fifth consecutive day of losses. This was riding on the inflation concerns and sell-off in metal stocks. The Nifty index dropped nearly 10 per cent from its all-time high of around 26,277.35, reached on 27 September. This marks the fifth consecutive day of losses, as inflation concerns and a selloff in metal and realty stocks weighed heavily on sentiment. At the close, the Sensex had shed 984 points, or 1.3 per cent, settling at 77,690, while the Nifty declined 324 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 23,559. (Details on Page 10) 2,000 more CAPF personnel deployed in Manipur following armed attacks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL, 13 NOVEMBER The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent 20 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Manipur to address worsening violence and escalating tensions between ethnic groups in the state. This deployment, bringing an additional 2,000 personnel, comes in response to renewed attacks and heightened unrest, including a targeted assault on police forces. Recent clashes in the Jiribam district on Monday saw insurgents launching an attack on the Borobekra police station and a nearby Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp, resulting in at least ten militants killed and a substantial weapons seizure. Manipur has been gripped by ethnic conflict since May 2023, when violent clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities erupted, due to disputes over Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand by the Meitei community, leaving approximately 200 people dead and thousands displaced. The MHA’s move to reinforce security in the region follows significant episodes of violence, as various groups have called for additional forces to protect displaced residents and manage the ongoing tensions. With the new CAPF forces, now totalling 218 companies, personnel are stationed in key areas like Imphal Valley and Churachandpur, aiming to stabilise these volatile zones. The current deployment is scheduled to last through 30 November, though it may be extended if the situation remains unstable. In addition to personnel reinforcement, the central government has stationed senior CRPF officials in Manipur to coordinate between CAPF units, state police, and local administration, especially in violence hotspots across the state. Meanwhile, efforts continue to restore order, though sporadic skirmishes persist, underscoring the complexity of the region’s ethnic and political landscape.