Morning Digest: PM Modi chairs Cabinet Committee on Security meet amid West Asia crisis; Centre tells SC marital relations must be exempt from rape provisions, and more
Here is a select list of stories to start the day
by The Hindu Bureau · The HinduPM Modi chairs Cabinet Committee on Security meet amid West Asia crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Thursday to discuss the outbreak of fresh hostilities in West Asia, sources said. The sources said the West Asia conflict and its impact on trade and supply of petroleum products was discussed in the meeting. India has voiced deep concern over the escalation of the security situation in West Asia and said the conflict must not take a wider regional dimension.
Marital relations must be exempt from rape provisions: Centre
The Centre on Thursday (October 3, 2024) told the Supreme Court that punishing non-consensual sexual acts by a man with his own wife as ‘rape’ will impact conjugal relationship and lead to “serious disturbances” in the institution of marriage. “The demographics of a marriage are sui generis. There are plenty of examples of male-female relationships. However, the relationship between a husband and wife, which emerges as a result of the tying of the matrimonial knot, is distinct from all of these relationships. To ignore or even to seek to undermine this is to ignore plain reality,” the government argued.
Union Cabinet approves classical language status for Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit
The Union Cabinet on Thursday (October 3, 2024) approved classical language status to Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit. The demand for classical status for Marathi has been pending since 2013 and the approval comes just ahead of the scheduled Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The approval for Bengali comes amid Durga Puja, the biggest festival of West Bengal. India has had six classical languages till now. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, and Odia. Tamil was the first language to be given classical status in 2004 followed by Sanskrit in 2005.
Chennai Metro Rail Phase II finally gets Centre’s green light
The ₹63,246 crore phase II project will span across 118.9 km with 128 stations and will have multi-modal integration at 21 locations. As per a release, the approval is for three corridors of the phase II project—Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3), Light House to Poonamallee (corridor 4) and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5). Of the total cost of ₹63,246 crore, the Centre will now be contributing ₹7,425 crore towards this project. ₹33,593 crore will be coming in as bilateral and multilateral loans from different banks. The remaining ₹22,228 crore will be from the State government.
Pilot project to bridge job market-skills gap takes off
The Union government on Thursday opened up a portal for India’s top 500 companies to participate in the one-year internship scheme announced in this year’s Union Budget to bridge the gap between the skill sets of unemployable youth and those needed by employers. As many as 111 corporates — including the Mahindra and Mahindra group, Max Life Insurance, and Alembic Pharma — had already signed up within hours of the portal’s launch, offering 1,077 internships. This kicks off a process that is expected to result in about one lakh youngsters joining the on-the-job training exercise, officially called The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme in Top Companies (Scheme), by December 2.
Never speak against Sanatana Dharma, Pawan Kalyan tells Udhayanidhi Stalin
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, in an open counter to the “eradication of Sanatana Dharma” comment made sometime ago allegedly by his Tamil Nadu counterpart Udhayanidhi Stalin, has cautioned the latter against uttering such words in the future. Mr. Udhayanidhi had allegedly compared Sanatana Dharma to coronavirus, malaria and dengue, which had to be “completely eradicated.” His comments had invited the wrath of Hindus across the nation.
Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday questioned the “silence” of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over a statement of Telangana government Minister purportedly “slandering the character of leading film personalities”. “The statements by a Minister in the Telangana government slandering the character of leading film personalities are appalling and signify the anti-woman mindset of the Congress. At the same time, it shows how this party views the entertainment industry, which is the pride of India,” said Mr. Vaishnaw on X.
Hurricane Helene’s death toll reached 200 on Thursday and could rise higher still, as searchers made their way toward the hardest to reach places in the mountains of western North Carolina, where the storm washed out roads and knocked out electricity, water and cellular service. Officials in Georgia and North Carolina added to their states’ grim tallies, padding an overall count that has already made Helene the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
India, U.S. exploring combined engagement with third countries to source minerals: Piyush Goyal
With China dominating the critical minerals’ trade, India and the United States of America are exploring a combined engagement with third countries to source the minerals or requisite funds or technology to tap such resources, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said early Friday in Washington .In India, the lack of ready reserves of critical minerals for the green energy transition has resulted in 100% import dependence for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. This June, Union Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy had flagged that 95% of India’s copper needs are also being imported. China is a key supplier for many of these items with a leading role in their processing and refining for myriad end uses.
Wife of 1984 anti-Sikh riots victim testifies in court against Jagdish Tytler
Lakhwinder Kaur, wife of Badal Singh, one of the three victims of arson at Gurdwara Pul Bangash during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, testified on Thursday that an eyewitness told her Congress leader Jagdish Tytler had incited a mob at the scene of the violence. She said the ‘Granthi’ (Sikh priest), Surender Singh, had told her that Badal Singh was killed by the mob at Gurdwara Pul Bangash on November 1, 1984. “Granthi Surender Singh told me that he saw the incident from the roof of the gurdwara and it was Jagdish Tytler who was inciting the mob,” said Ms. Kaur, the first witness to depose before Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts.
Shiv Sena demands apology from Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao for his remarks on Savarkar
Karnataka Congress Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday faced the ire of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde group) over his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The party has sought an apology from the Karnataka Minister and has warned him of a ban in Maharashtra. “If Dinesh Gundu Rao does not apologise for his disrespectful statement about Savarkar within 24 hours, Shiv Sena will ensure that he is not allowed to set foot in Maharashtra,” said Naresh Mhaske, Member of Parliament of Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde group.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday (October 3, 2024) arrested Ashish Kumar Pandey, a doctor and leader of the student wing of the Trinamool Congress, in connection with the financial irregularities involving R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The financial irregularities came to the fore after the rape and murder of a doctor at the State-run health facility on August 9. The CBI had earlier arrested four persons, including former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Kumar Ghosh. Dr. Pandey was earlier questioned by the agency in connection with the financial irregularities.
U.S. President Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
President Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities, in comments that sent oil prices spiking Thursday just a month before the U.S. presidential election. Mr. Biden told reporters at the White House however that he was not expecting Israel to launch any retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on Israel before Thursday at least. When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Mr. Biden said “we’re discussing that. I think that would be a little... anyway.” Oil prices jumped five per cent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden spoke.
Rahul Gandhi to blow the poll bugle in Maharashtra; to unveil Chhatrapati Shivaji statue
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will blow the electoral bugle in Maharashtra during his two-day visit to Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. He will unveil the statue of renowned Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Friday (October 4, 2024) .The visit to western Maharashtra, in the powerful sugar belt of the State, is crucial as Kolhapur is also the seat of the Chhatrapati, the birthplace of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, who had played a pivotal role in Maharashtra’s social reform movement. Rahul Gandhi is also slated to hold a Samvidhan Sammelan on Saturday.
Published - October 04, 2024 06:23 am IST