DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 ALLEGED CASH DISCOVERY Govt confirms Justice Varma’s transfer, SC disposes FIR petition Wait for in-house inquiry to get over, says bench; no judicial work for Judge in Allahabad High Court E X P L A I NE D E EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MARCH 28 QUAKE KILLS 144 IN MYANMAR , 10 IN THAILAND Three images taken from a video circulated on social media show the collapse of a building during an earthquake in Bangkok on Friday. At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar and 10 in Thailand as a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the two countries. PTI PAGE18 84 112 137 62 ARUN JANARDHANAN ANANTHAKRISHNAN G Maharashtra govt’s guidelines to all depts to provide facts on ‘non-factual or misleading news’ VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, MARCH 28 THE MAHARASHTRA governmentonFridayissuedguidelines to all departments through a Government Resolution (GR) to promptly provide factual information on “non-factual or misleading news” published in media about the functioning and operations of the state government. The guidelines come just two weeks after the state government issued a GR to set up a media monitoring centre at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore to monitor news coverage related to the state government in print, electronic, social and digital mediums. AccordingtotheGRissuedby the General Administration Department (GAD), signed by Maharashtra Chief Secretary SujataSaunik,whileseveralpositivereportsarepublished,many a times the reports are not factual and even misleading. Such news can serve as an effective feedback mechanism for the state government to take appropriateaction.Onnewswhichare not factual or are misleading, it isexpectedthatthestategovernment should publish factual CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Justice Yashwant Varma, when he assumes charge as a judge of the Allahabad High Court”. Earlier in the day, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice A S Oka declined to entertain a plea seeking the filing of an FIR against Justice Varma, saying it was open to the CJI to direct the registrationif necessaryoncompletion of the in-house inquiry. The bench told petitioner AdvocateMathewsJNedumpara, “…we have seen the prayers. Afterthein-houseinquiryisover, several options are open. CJI can directtheregisterof theFIRorrefer the matter to the Parliament ● Rekindles the debate THE ROW over the March 14 incident at the house of Justice Varma has rekindled the debate over the need for a body like the NJAC, cleared by Parliament in 2014, only to be struck down by the SC a year later. It has revived the charge of the Collegium system not being transparent on appointments to the higher judiciary. afterexaminingthereport.Today it is not the time to consider this petition. After the in-house Legitimate concerns SC relief to Pratapgarhi: on safety: Madras HC Can’t be so shaky on grants anticipatory Army out in Nepal after Gyanendra our basics over a poem bail to Kunal Kamra supporters clash with police, 2 dead or stand-up comedy QUASHES GUJARAT POLICE FIR OVER POST 29/03/2025 THE CENTRE notified Friday the transferofDelhiHighCourtjudge Justice Yashwant Varma back to his parent High Court in Allahabad.Hehasbeenatthecentre of astorm ever since cashwas allegedly found at his New Delhi home during a fire on March 14. “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Yashwant Varma,” the notification stated. Soon after the transfer order, theSupreme Court, in a press release, said “the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court for the timebeinghasbeenaskednotto assign any judicial work to Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma CHENNAI, MARCH 28 NEW DELHI, MARCH 28 QUASHING AN FIR by Gujarat Police against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi over an Instagram post, the Supreme Court said Friday that “even if a large number of persons dislike the views expressed by another, the right of the persontoexpresstheviewsmustbe respected and protected”. It said “literature, including poetry, dramas, films, satire and art make the life of human beings more meaningful”, and “75 years into our republic, we cannotbe seento beso shaky onour fundamentals that mere recital of a poem or for that matter any form of art or entertainment, suchasstand-upcomedy,canbe alleged to lead to animosity or Congress Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi hatred amongst different communities. Subscribing to such a view would stifle all legitimate expressionsof view in the public domainwhichissofundamental to a free society”. DecidingPratapgarhi’sappeal against a Gujarat High Court order declining to quash criminal CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE MADRAS High Court Friday grantedinterimanticipatorybail to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra until April 7 in connection with an FIR lodged in Mumbai over his alleged remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Justice Sunder Mohan, after hearing urgent submissions from Kamra’s counsel V Suresh, directed him to execute a bail bond before the jurisdictional magistrate. Kamra has been living in Tamil Nadu for the past four years. The court also permitted a private notice to be served on KharPoliceStation,Maharashtra. ThoughtheFIRwaslodgedin Mumbai,Kamraapproachedthe Scared for life, liberty in Mumbai: Kamra in petition Madras High Court on the grounds that he is a permanent resident of a northern Tamil Nadu district and fears immediatearrestandphysicalharmif he were to travel to Maharashtra. His plea was taken up following an urgent mentioning in the morning. “The petitioner submits that heisscaredforhislifeandliberty if he goes to Mumbai on 31.03.2025,” the petition said, citingmultipledeaththreatsthat he allegedly received following the airing of his new stand-up video, Naya Bharat. YUBARAJ GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, MARCH 28 THE NEPAL Army was called out and curfew imposed in parts of KathmanduFridayaftertwopersons, including a TV cameraman, died and over a dozen were injuredinclashesbetweensupporters of the former King and police. Demanding restoration of the monarchy which was abolished in 2008, Gyanendra’s supportershelddemonstrationsand clashed with police who used water cannons, tear gas shells CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, MARCH 28 TENSION IN the Lok Sabha between the Congress and Speaker OmBirladeepenedFridayamida faceoffovertheissueofthemicrophone. This, even as Opposition leaderssoughtaresponseontheir letter Thursday to Birla flagging thedenialofopportunitytospeak to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhiandtheallegeddisregard for Parliamentary procedure by the government. Sources in the Congress said CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY NEW DELHI, MARCH 28 THE UNION Cabinet on Friday cleared a Rs 22,919 crore incentive scheme for manufacturing electronic components, spread over a period of six years. The scheme aims to deepen India’s presence in global value chains, while increasing domestic value addition in the country. On March 17, The Indian Express had first reported that thegovernmentwasworkingon the scheme, along with the outlay and its contours. The government is hoping A pro-monarchy supporter in Kathmandu on Friday. AP CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IIM Kozhikode, Amongst India’s Top-3 Management Schools, Announces a Transformational Offering for Working Professionals... Opp vs Speaker faceoff: Cabinet clears `23k-crore ‘Silence on letter, who scheme for electronic components, targets 92k jobs switched the mic off’ SOUMYARENDRA BARIK CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 that at least 91,600 direct jobs will be created as part of the scheme, and has tied participating entities’ yearly subsidies to the number of jobs they create. The scheme is expected to generate production of Rs 4.56 lakh crore and bring in incremental investment of Rs 59,350 crore. The components that the government is looking to target through the scheme include display modules, sub assembly camera modules, printed circuit board assemblies, lithium cell enclosures, resistors, capacitors, and ferrites, among others. These are used in gadgets like CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ONE-YEAR DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (DMP) India Rankings 2024: Management India Programme Highlights 01 Blended Learning Approach: Online + In-Campus Modules 03 Recognized Diploma with Credit Transfer Options to MBA Programmes 04 Globally Why Choose IIM Kozhikode? Designed for Working Professionals & Aspiring Managers 02 OPEN-ENROLLMENT Globally Industry-Relevant Electives in AI, FinTech, Digital Marketing & More NEP-Aligned & Flexible Learning Taught by Expert Faculty & Industry Leaders Hands-on, Practical Curriculum Global Exposure Executive Alumni Status TENTATIVE DATES From Valley to Italy: Dream born in Gulmarg, skier glides to his second Winter Olympics PAGE 1 ANCHOR MIHIR VASAVDA MUMBAI, MARCH 28 GROWINGUP,Arif Khan,35,says he never dreamt big. No two dayslookedthesame,hesays,so there was no “future planning”. He would go to school and immersehimself inbooks,but“had novision”.Hewouldmuseabout life in other parts of the world, but was hardly allowed to leave home, even as an adult. “We had to live a different life. So, our dreams were limited,” says Khan, who belongs to a village near Gulmarg. No wonder, he is still pinching himself now. From a childhood filled with the sounds of “gunfights and bombs”, a “life of grief”, and worrying about “survival at all times”, Khan has slalomed his way into India’s Olympics history. Following a series of races that concluded in Arieseni, Romania, earlier this week, the alpine skier has sealed his 2026 Winter Games berth, becoming thethird athletetorepresent the Had to live a different life, dreams were limited: Arif Khan country at two Winter Olympics after Jeremy Bujakowski (twice, in 1964 and 1968) and Shiva Keshavan (six times from 1998 to 2018). When the 2026 Winter Olympics begin in Milano and Cortina, Italy, next February, the 35-year-oldcould wellbeIndia’s sole representative, just like he was at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. “Whoever lived in the Valley wouldn’t dream of such a big dream,” he tells The Indian Express. 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