WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 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 AN ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL BILL: PRIYANKA ON ONE NATION ONE ELECTON BILL NATION IN TURMOIL P6 SENSEX 80,684.45q1,064.12 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. SMOG/SHALLOW FOG IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 24 AND 06 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE P5 24,336.00q332.25 P7 ` vs $ 84.90 GOLD 78,745.00 Min: 05.9 °C (-2) SUN SETS 17:28 hrs MOON SETS 10:30 hrs THUMBNAILS Commuters wear face masks as air quality deteriorates due to smog in New Delhi. ANI (P2) Earthquake of magnitude 7.3 jolts Vanuatu Islands: A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 jolted Vanuatu Islands in the early hours of Tuesday, the National Centre of Seismology (NCS) reported. The earthquake occurred at 7:17 AM Indian Standard Time (IST), the NCS noted. The earthquake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres at Latitude 17.68 S and Longitude 168.03 E. The details were shared on X by the National Centre of Seismology. P12 SILVER 1,00,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.87q0.65 ONOE Bills introduced BJP will not allow reservation on the basis of religion: Shah in LS, to be sent to JPC Oppn says Bills target basic structure of Constitution, federal structure STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 41 % Max: 24.4 °C (2) SUN RISES 07:09 hrs MOON RISES 20:28 hrs NIFTY INJURED HAZLEWOOD MAY MISS REMAINDER OF SERIES A VISION LIVES ON NEW DELHI, 17 DECEMBER A mid an Opposition uproar, the Union government on Tuesday introduced two Bills related to “One Nation, One Election” in the Lok Sabha after a division of votes and they were sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussions. The Constitution (One Hundred and TwentyNinth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were introduced by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha after members voted on it. The first Bill aims to amend the Constitution to provide for simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies and the second seeks to align the elections for Assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry. However, the Bills evoked sharp criticism from the Opposition, who say that not only do they target the basic structure of the Constitution but also pose a threat to the country's federal structure and aim to centralise power. The Opposition had sought a division of votes over the introduction of the bills. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the result of the vote on the introduction of the Bills. The vote showed 269 members in favour (Ayes) and 196 against (Noes). This followed Meghwal's formal introduction of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, on ‘One Nation, One Election’ and his agreement to send the bill to a JPC in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Mr Shah said: “When the One Nation, One Election Bill was taken up in the Cabinet for approval, PM Modi had said that it should be sent to the JPC for detailed discussion. If the Law Minister is willing to send the bill to JPC, the discussion on its introduction can end.” Mr Meghwal also introduced a Bill to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, as per the day's schedule. These amendments aim to align Assembly elections in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry with the proposed simultaneous elections. Opposing the Bills, Congress MP Manish Tewari said: “Beyond the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution is the basic structure doctrine, which spells out that there are certain features of the Constitution beyond the amending power of the House. The essential features are federalism and the structure of our democracy. Therefore, the Bills moved by the Minister of Law and Justice are an absolute assault on the basic structure of the Constitution and are beyond the legislative competence of the House.” Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav accused the BJP of pushing the country toward centralised control. “This Bill is nothing but an attempt to bring in dictatorship,” Mr Yadav said, as he raised concerns about the role of regional parties in a simultaneous election setup. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 DECEMBER Union Home Minister on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Congress over its stand on reservations on Tuesday night, alleging that the grand old party does not want the welfare of OBCs but they want to give quota to Muslims by increasing the limit by 50 per cent. Mr Shah asserted that the BJP will not allow reservation in the country on the basis of religion. “I want to tell the people of the country that reservation on the basis of religion exists in two states of the country... which is unconstitutional. It has been made clear in the Constitution that there will be no reservation on the basis of religion. But when Congress was in power in both the states, reservation was given on the basis of religion," Mr Shah said during his marathon reply to a twoday special debate on the 75th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of India in the Rajya Sabha. “They (Congress) do not want any welfare of OBCs, they want to give reservation to Muslims by increasing the limit by 50 per cent... But today I once again say with responsibility in this House that as long as there is even a single BJP MP, we will not allow reser- vation on the basis of religion,” Mr Shah said. Alleging that the Congress is an ''anti-reservation party'', Mr Shah said in 1955, the Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed to provide reservations to the OBC. “The report was nowhere to be found,” he said, adding that had the recommendations of the Kaka Kalelkar Commission been accepted, the Mandal Commission would not have been formed. “In 1980, the recommendations of the Mandal Commission came out, but it was not implemented. It was implemented when Congress was voted out in 1990,” the Union Home Minister said. He also hit out at Congress and other opposition parties over allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVM) and said the Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected petitions on the issue. When opposition parties lose polls they start complaining about EVMs, he said. Speaking on the constitutional amendments, Mr Shah said the BJP ruled the country for a total of 16 years (6 years during Atal Bihari Vajpayee and 10 years under PM Modi) and brought 22 amendments to the Constitution while Congress in a period of 55 years made 77 amendments. “Both parties have made amendments to the Constitution. There are different ways to implement amendments— some follow constitutional procedures, while others may be done merely as a formality. The character and intentions of a party can be understood by examining the objectives behind the amendments to the Constitution," the Union Home Minister said. ‘Indian economy to grow at healthy pace in coming quarters’ Nadda hails media for refusing to bow during Emergency AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Replying to members during the discussion on the supplementary demands for grants in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said that the Indian economy has recorded an average growth rate of 8.3 per cent in the last three years. NEW DELHI, 17 DECEMBER Terming the subdued GDP (gross domestic product) growth in July-September quarter of the current financial year 2024-25 as a temporary blip, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that Indian economy would see healthy growth in the coming quarters. Replying to members during the discussion on the supplementary demands for grants in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said that the Indian economy has recorded an average growth rate of 8.3 per cent in the last three years. “Out of 12 quarters in the last three years, GDP growth rate was lower than 5.4% in two quarters (Q4 of FY22 and Q3 of FY23). So, it's important to understand that this drop happened in just two quarters in the last 12 quarters that we are talking about. So, let's not, sort of, pick that one and predict future. This has been a steady growth and sustained growth,” she said. India's GDP growth in July-September quarter of current fiscal 2024-25 fell to 5.4 per cent, the lowest level since Q3FY23. The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2024-25. The approval is for an additional gross expenditure of Rs 87,762.56 crore. “We are seeking the authorisation of the Parliament for gross additional expenditure of Rs 87,762.56 crores. The net cash outgo or cash supplementary is about Rs 44,182.87 crores. The technical token sup- plementaries are also mentioned,” Mrs Sitharaman said while replying to the discussion. Out of the total expenditure, a sum of Rs 19,416.35 crores is towards capital spending. “Expenditure on capital account is something I would like to take a minute to say that it is about Rs 19,416.35 crores. The balance of Rs 68,346.21 crore is on revenue account,” the Finance Minister said. Union Home Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha J P Nada Tuesday accused the Congress of throwing the country into darkness when it imposed an Emergency in 1975, and hailed a section of the media, especially Indian Express and The Statesman, for refusing to bow to the diktats of the then Indira Gandhi regime. Charging the Congress with the imposition of censorship on the media during the Emergency, he said, “There has been a lot of discussion in the media recently about the term ‘Godi Media’. However, people often forget the true dedication of the media. If you look at the editorials from Indian Express and The Statesman from 1975, you will find them completely blank during the Emergency. “ Raising the Jammu and Kashmir issue during the PM lauds Rajasthan govt's efforts to address water crisis in scarcity-hit areas STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAIPUR, 17 DECEMBER Lauding the efforts of the BJP government in Rajasthan to address the water crisis in scarcity-hit areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the youth to add one water conservation activity to their daily routine. He said conserving water resources, utilising every drop of water is not the responsibility of the government alone but that of the entire society. Addressing a well-attended public meeting at Dadiya village here on Tuesday after laying the foundation stone for the revised PKC-ERCP canal project and initiating works or inaugurating by remote many other projects, Mr Modi said: “The water projects inaugurated today symbolised a permanent workable response (solution) to the water challenge in the scarcity-hit areas.” A permanent solution to the water scarcity will initiate the changes in the development scenario to an extent that Rajasthan, in due course will emerge as the most connected and transformed state in the country, the PM said. "We made massive efforts in Gujarat by providing waters from the Narmada and the Sardar Sarovar down to the remotest and scarcity-hit areas of Gujarat," he added. “We did not restrict our efforts to Gujarat, rather were equally concerned with hardships being faced by people in many districts of adjourning Rajasthan,” he said, adding it is a matter of satisfaction that many districts of this state right from Jalore, Sirohi to Jhunjhunu, and Hanumangarh have now been getting Narmada water. “It is not that I alone was happy, the other day, former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and former Union minister Jaswant Singh had come to (Gujarat) CMO to express their gratitude for providing Narmada waters to Rajasthan. Sri Shekhawat was very emotional while praising me for that deed," he said. He called it an irony that while many regions frequently confront draught, several others face the problem of floods and the wasteful draining off. In this context, he recalled that decades ago, late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee propounded the vision of river linking to divert excessive discharge from the perennial water-rich rivers to the rivers and streams in scarcity-prone regions. However, the Congress was never keen on mitigating the water scarcity-related hardships of the people and the party did nothing. As a result, the PM lamented that today waters from our rivers are flowing wastefully across our borders while our areas face a shortage. The Congress did not even bother to resolve the disputes related to water sharing between various states, rather the party created complications in the interstate river water disputes. Mr Modi also hailed the campaign of rainwater harvesting being spearheaded by the Water Resources Ministry with people's participation in the country. He said over three lakh rainwater harvesting structures have so far been created. This is a very effective way of recharging the (ground) water table. Underlining the role of “There has been a lot of discussion in the media recently about the term ‘Godi Media‘. However, people often forget the true dedication of the media. If you look at the editorials from Indian Express and The Statesman from 1975, you will find them completely blank during the Emergency.” NEW DELHI, 17 DECEMBER youths in a campaign of this sort Mr Modi exhorted them to add at least one activity related to water conservation to their day-to-day routine. The prime minister said the water and its adequacy is like "Paras patther" ~ philosopher's stone ~ a touch that could bring henomenal development that transforms everything, the entire scenario. However, that needs firm and sincere resolve, we in the BJP have that resolve, Mr Modi asserted, adding “We did the work resolutely, we did keep our promises and commitments, and that is why people have mandated us to power with good governance thrice in a row at the Centre”. He recounted how BJP’s towering leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat laid the foundation for a developed Rajasthan during his multiple regimes. This course of development and good governance was carried forward by Ms Vasundhara Raje during her rule now has been given a new strides by the incumbent Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and his team. Constitution debate in the Rajya Sabha, the Union minister pointed out that the Centre, led by the BJP, ended the ‘one nation - two Constitutions’ policy in the Union territory. “We ended the ‘one nation, two constitutions’ policy in J&K. The 106 laws passed by Parliament were not applicable there,” he stressed. Questioning the Congress on the imposition of the Emergency in 1975 under the Congress regime led by late prime minister Indira Gandhi, he asked what the need was for resorting to such a draconian move. “...Why was Emergency imposed? Was the country in danger? No, the country was not in danger. The chair was in danger. It was only about the chair. Due to this, the whole country was thrown into darkness...” he added. He asserted that India is not just the largest democracy but also the mother of democracy. “It will be 50 years next year since the Emergency was imposed. We will celebrate Anti-Democracy Day. The Indian National Congress should join in. There was an evil attempt to strangle democracy during the Emergency. If you have any mercy for them anywhere in your heart, if you have any remorse anywhere in your heart, then I appeal to you that you must join Anti-Democracy Day on 25th June 2025,” he said. ‘NTA restructuring begins; to conduct entrance exams for higher edu only’ AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 17 DECEMBER The National Testing Agency (NTA) will exclusively conduct entrance exams for higher education institutions from 2025 and not recruitment exams, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced, emphasising the government's shift towards computer-adaptive, technology-driven "zeroerror" examinations. Addressing reporters at his residence, Mr Pradhan announced the restructuring of NTA to enhance efficiency and credibility of its operations. “We have started the process of restructuring the NTA by creating new posts and appointing new officers. This will bring fresh energy into the organisation,” he said. The restructuring is based on recommendations from a high-level committee chaired by former ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan. The committee, constituted in June following a NEET-under- graduate exam paper leak, submitted its report to the Ministry of Education on 21 October. The committee, which was constituted on 22 June 2024, held around 30 meetings and proposed 101 recommendations to ensure the "smooth and fair" conduct of exams. Key recommendations include focussing the NTA solely on entrance exams for higher education. “The NTA will no longer conduct recruitment exams; these will now be handled by respective state, district, and central departments,” Mr Pradhan stated. He added: “We are working towards technology-driven entrance exams that ensure zero error and minimize irregularities.” The 165-page report accessed by ANI gives detailed recommendations on the operation of NTA, conduct of examinations and Standard Operating Procedures to be followed during the examinations. It proposes restructuring the National Testing Agency (NTA) with advanced governance and operational standards, transitioning to computer-based and adaptive testing methods, and improving test security using AI and biometric technology. Key recommendations include multi-session and multi-stage testing, development of secure and accessible testing centres, mobile testing units for remote areas, and a robust grievance redressal mechanism. Emphasizing mental health support and reducing exam stress, the report also outlines measures for social inclusiveness, training programs for stakeholders, and comprehensive SOPs to prevent malpractices.