FRIDAY SEBI STAFFERS PROTEST DEMANDING CHAIRPERSON BUCH’S RESIGNATION 06 SEPTEMBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in A large number of employees protested outside the Securities Exchange Board of India’s headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard FRANCE MICHEL BARNIER NEW PREMIER MADHABI PURI BUCH IS THE FIRST FEMALE CHAIPERSON OF SEBI REGULATOR’S PRESS RELEASE SPARKS ANGER President Emmanuel Macron named EU’s former Brexit negotiator as PM, counting on the politician to end two months of deadlock after snap polls. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 The protesters demanded the resignation of Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch. They are also wanted the capital markets regulator to withdraw a press release issued on Wednesday refuting allegations of toxic work culture at its offices. Last month, some 500 Sebi employees signed a joint letter to the finance ministry highlighting the alleged harassment faced by them | P10 PAGES 12 Putin proposes Want to create many Singapores in India: Modi India mediation on Ukraine war $60 BN COMMITMENT Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi China and Brazil, too, could be go-betweens; botched ’22 deal could be the starting point Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi Are we ready to negotiate with them? We have never refused to do so, but not on the basis of some ephemeral demands, but on the basis of those documents that were agreed and actually initialled in Istanbul Vladimir Putin Meet today on fresh aid to Ukraine Pentagon will on Friday host a meeting in Germany of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, comprising over 50 nations that have funded and armed Ukraine, to discuss fresh aid for the war RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that he trusted partners like India to resolve the ongoing war with Ukraine. “India, China, Brazil are countries we have trust and confidence in and they will provide us a helping hand in resolving the conflict with Ukraine,’’ President Putin said while fielding questions during a discussion at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Putin was in conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. He said he was in touch with these countries and they had confidence in one another. Putin said the basis of the talks could be an aborted deal reached between the two sides in Istanbul in 2022. Its terms were never made public. “We managed to reach an agreement, that is the whole point. The signature of the head of the Ukrainian delegation who initialled this document testifies to this, which means that the Ukrainian side was generally satisfied with the agreements reached,” Putin said. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Ukraine on August 23, he had urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit across the table with President Putin to resolve the matter, adding India was ready to play an active role to restore peace in the region. Days later, he briefed Putin on the outcome of his dialogue with Zelenskyy . Separately, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, referring to the “highly constructive, even friendly relations” between Modi and Putin, said the Indian PM can “lead the line on getting first-hand information from the participants in this conflict”, as he “freely communicates with Putin, Zelenskyy and the US.” He, however, said there are “no specific plans” on Modi mediating on the issue. Ukraine had earlier said it wouldn’t directly engage with Russia but was looking at a coalition of intermediaries to end the war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong during their visit to AEM Holdings Ltd, in Singapore, on Thursday | PTI Singapore is India’s biggest investor, at $160 billion. During an interaction with Modi, CEOs of Singapore companies pledged to invest `5 lakh crore ($60 billion) over the next few years in India this front together. Our ministerial roundtable is a path breaking mechanism for cooperation in skilling, digitalisation, mobility, semiconductor and cyber security said Modi, ,’’ who met his counterpart for the first time since the latter became Singapore PM in May . During the bilateral talks, both leaders reviewed the progress of India-Singapore relations and agreed that elevation of the relationship to a JUVENILE SENTENCED TO 20 YRS IN JAIL FOR Yr before federal poll, Trudeau RAPING TWO MINORS PA R T Y P O S I T I O N S I N C A N A D I A N H O U S E O F C O M M O N S Conservatives: 119 Liberal Party: 154 TOTAL: 338 | SIMPLE MAJORITY: 169 Bloc Quebecois: 32 Greens: 2 NDP: 24 Independent: 3 Vacant: 4 govt reduced to a minority Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi WITH the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) led by Khalistani sympathiser Jagmeet Singh snapping ties with Canada’s ruling Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin , Trudeau’s government has been reduced to a minority . The simple majority mark in the House of Commons at present is 167 since there are four vacancies. Trudeau’s Liberals with 154 MPs are 13 short of a majority. It was NDP with 24 MPs that had propped up the Liberals since 2022, forcing Trudeau to bend over backwards to keep it happy by taking a soft line on Khalistanis, annoying New Delhi in the process and making the country a sanctuary for anti-India forces. This break-up has increased the chances of a snap federal election, which was scheduled in October 2025. Singh accused Trudeau of taking credit for their ideas. He said that they introduced the pharmacare framework and instilled the idea of a Palestine state with Trudeau. “We’ve torpedoed our reputation, sold off our ideas,’’ Singh lamented. S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi A city court has sentenced a juvenile to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping two girls, aged five and six, in 2017, and calling the emotional and psychological impact on the survivors as “horrific memories”. The case involved a child in conflict with law, who was convicted of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Initially, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) determined that the accused, who was over 16 years of age at the time, should be tried as an adult due to the severity of the crime. The case was subsequently transferred to a special court. During the proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor Vineet Dahiya highlighted the heinous nature of the crime. In the order passed on Wednesday, Additional Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat stated that while the accused was a “victim of bad society”, the crime’s severity could not According to the Indian diaspora, Trudeau’s popularity has dipped due to his position on temporary migrant workers — which has a big percentage of Indians. ‘The Canadian government is looking at sending back 70,000 foreign workers who are caregivers, truck drivers, workers. There is an increasing level of uncertainty and a lot of bias. Trudeau must go,’’ an Indian expat living in Brampton told this newspaper on condition of anonymity. He said most Asians in Canada live in constant fear of deportation. Rebellion in Haryana BJP over nominations Back-to-back suicides rock law university H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi TWO students—one studying in third year of National Law University in Delhi and the other who recently secured admission at the varsity—died by suicide in separate incidents, the police said. In the first incident, a girl allegedly died by suicide at her hostel room. Her body was found on Wednesday afternoon by her roommates and hostel staff, when she did not open the door despite repeated calls. “A suicide note was recovered in which she did not blame anyone,” said a police officer. The police do not suspect any foul play and have initiated inquest proceedings. As per a preliminary inquiry , the girl was in depression for a few months and had shared her mental state with her friends. “The administration had called her parents who took her to their Chennai home,” the officer said. On her return, her condition reportedly did not improve, the police said. The second incident was reported from Laxminagar where a 20-year-old boy allegedly ingested nitrogen gas. DCP (East) Apurva Gupta said a PCR call was received at 4.24 pm on Thursday in which the caller stated that a boy who was already on oxygen support had probably died in his room. A police team found the deceased with his face covered with a plastic bag. “Vishu Singh passed CLAT and took admission in NLU, Dwarka, as per his father’s version,” the DCP said. Vishu was declared dead when he reached the hospital. INDIA and Singapore on Thursday elevated their ties to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ after the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore PM Lawrence Wong. The two sides also signed four MoUs for cooperation in the semiconductor industry, digital technologies, skill development, and healthcare. Modi extended an invite to Wong to visit India, which he accepted. “Singapore isn’t just a partner country; Singapore is an inspiration for any developing country. We in India also want to create many Singapores within itself. I am happy to state that we will progress on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership would give a boost to India’s Act East Policy . The two leaders reviewed existing cooperation in the fields of defence and security, maritime domain awareness, education, AI, fintech and science and technology . Modi also announced the setting up of an Invest India office in Singapore, which will be a handholding office for investors in Singapore in various areas identified in the six pillars. India and Singapore will be celebrating 60 years of bilateral relations in 2025. Modi also announced that India would open its first Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Singapore. KISS OF HARMONY Pope Francis, right, kisses the right hand of Nasaruddin Umar, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, after an interreligious meeting, in Jakarta, on Thursday | AP | P9 A day after releasing a list of 67 candidates for the 90-member Haryana Assembly polls due October 5, the ruling BJP faced a revolt in its ranks. State power minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and Ratia MLA Laxman Napa, who were denied nomination, quit the party . Ranjit Chautala (79), son of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, said that he took the decision after a meeting with his supporters and would enter the fray as an Independent. State party’s OBC Morcha chief Karan Dev Kamboj, Kisan Morcha head Sukhvinder Sheoran and others, too, resigned from the party. The BJP has given tickets to 18 turncoats and 20 new entrants. The party dropped eight legislators while retaining 21 MLAs. “I don’t know on whose ad- DEVI LAL’S SON Ranjit Chautala (79), son of former deputy PM Devi Lal, said that he would enter the fray as an Independent. “I am Chaudhary Devi Lal’s son. I have some stature,” Ranjit Chautala said. vice they have acted. I am Chaudhary Devi Lal’s son. I have some stature. I have decided to contest as an Independent,” Ranjit Chautala said. Napa said that he met former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday and will be joining the Congress. In his resignation letter, former minister Karan Dev Kamboj alleged that the BJP was rewarding the “traitors.” Sources said that senior leader Shamsher Kharkhara, a strong contender from Meham in Rohtak, quit the party after the nomination of wrestler Deepak Hooda. ‘HORRIFIC MEMORIES’ While pronouncing the sentence in connection with the rape of two girls, aged 5 & 6, in 2017, the court has called the emotional impact on the survivors as “horrific memories”. Initially, the JJB said the accused should be tried as an adult due to the severity of the crime. The case was later transferred to a special court. be overlooked. It said that each survivor’s case would be treated as a separate offence, given that rape is a violation of an individual’s dignity and bodily autonomy . The court sentenced the juvenile to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for each offence, totaling 20 years. The court also awarded `10.5 lakh in compensation to each survivor, acknowledging the lifelong trauma inflicted on them. The judge emphasised that the seriousness of the crime required a strong sentence to address the trauma suffered by the survivors. EXPRESS READ SC reserves verdict on Kejriwal’s bail plea CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday opposed in the Supreme Court the CBI’s argument that he should have approached the trial court first for bail in the alleged excise policy case. After hearing the protracted arguments by the counsels of both parties, the SC reserved its verdict on separate pleas filed by Kejriwal for bail and against his arrest by the probe agency | P3 4 Army personnel die in road accident Four Indian Army personnel died in an accident on the Silk Road in Sikkim on Thursday. The soldiers were travelling from Pedong in West Bengal to Zuluk in Sikkim, when the vehicle skidded off the road near Dalopchand Dara and fell into an 800-feet gorge. The deceased were driver Pradeep Patel, craftsman W Peter, Naik Gursev Singh and Subedar K Thangapandi. Bail to accused in Kanhaiya Lal murder case The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday granted bail to Mohammad Javed, one of the key accused in the case pertaining to the killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal in 2022. The HC observed that the National Investigation Agency had arrested him based solely on call records, without substantial evidence linking him to the crime scene or any recovery from his possession. COMMERCE MINISTRY RANKING Kerala tops in ease of doing business reforms; TN missing on the list E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kochi KERALA, which has been trying hard to shake off its antiindustry image, got a major boost on Thursday with the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry ranking it the top state in the country in ‘ease of doing business reforms’. This is the first time that Kerala has been ranked number one in creating an industryfriendly environment. According to the ranking, Andhra Pradesh is at the second spot, followed by Gujarat. Maharashtra is at 14th. Curiously, India’s most industrialised state Tamil Nadu does not figure in the list. Kerala topped in implementing seven citizen-centric reforms and two categories of business-centric reforms. Andhra Pradesh performed well in implementing five citizen-centric reforms and five business-cen- tric reforms, while Gujarat excelled in implementing three citizen-centric reforms and two business-centric reforms. The two categories of busi- ness-centric reforms that Kerala topped are 1) obtaining utility permits-business, and 2) paying taxes. The seven citizencentric reform areas where PECKING ORDER 1 Kerala 9 2 Andhra Pradesh 5 8 Haryana 3 Gujarat 3 3 9 Odisha 4 Rajasthan 5 Tripura 3 6 Uttar Pradesh 3 TOP ACHIEVER NUMBERS 7 Andaman & Nicobar 2 12 Karnataka 1 2 13 Madhya Pradesh 1 2 14 Maharashtra 1 1 15 Manipur 1 11 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu 1 16 Puducherry 1 17 Punjab 1 10 Assam Kerala came first are 1) online single window system 2) certificates (urban local bodies) 3) certificates—department of revenue 4) obtaining utility permits 5) public distribution system—department of food and civil supplies, 6) transport and 7) employment exchange. The ranking was announced by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at ‘Udyog Samagam’, a conference of industries and commerce ministers of states, in Delhi on Thursday. Goyal handed over the award to Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeeve, who was accompanied by the top officials of the state industries department. “Out of 30 reform areas, Kerala got top achiever status in nine categories. This is the first time that we are topping in industry-friendly ranking in the country said Rajeeve. ,” “In the last such ranking on an industry-friendly environment, Kerala made a big leap from 28th spot to 15th spot,” the minister added.
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