FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | • See Page 5 | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Tuesday, 16 September 2025 PM pushes for swift reforms ‘Will set aside entire SIR if & jointness in armed forces methodology found illegal’ enrich the discussions at the highest level. During the recently held Ran Samwad-2025 at the Army War College, Mhow, both the Naval Chief and Air Force Chief presented conflicting opinions regarding the creation of theatre commands. While Admiral DK Tripathi has called for the rollout of theatre commands as the “ultimate goal”, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh had cautioned against succumbing to pressure to implement something hastily, stressing that it should not be done merely for the sake of doing it. SC refuses to bring political parties under POSH Act: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking to bring women engaged in political sector under the protection of anti-sexual harassment law. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Atul S Chandurkar questioned how political parties could fall within the definition of “workplace” under the POSH Act, remarking that there exists no employer–employee relationship between a party and its workers. The Special Leave Petition (SLP), filed by advocate Yogamaya MG, challenged a March 2022 Kerala High Court judgment that had “adopted a narrow and restrictive interpretation” of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). NEW DELHI PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, 15 September A midst the ongoing talks related to the creation of theatre commands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness between the armed forces of India in order to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality. Modi was speaking at the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference, inaugurated at the Eastern Command headquarters at Vijay Durg, formerly known as Fort Williams, in Kolkata, today. Speaking at the first major Armed Forces conference post Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister, while hailing the Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, also praised its role in nation building, anti-piracy, safe return of Indian citizens from conflict zones, as well as providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to friendly countries. During his speech, Modi instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, Atmanirbharta, and innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality. Later, the PM was briefed on the operational readiness of the forces in the context of the new normal created by Operation Sindoor, the future of warfare in the context of emerging technology and tactics. The Prime Minister also reviewed the reforms implemented in the last two years and the plan for the next two years. This year, the conference, a biennial event, bears the theme ‘Year of Reforms – Transformation for the Future’, in line with the ongoing modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces. The 15th edition of CCC was held in Bhopal in 2023. The three-day conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Armed Forces, bringing together the nation’s top civil and military leadership to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels. During the next two days, the deliberations will seek to further strengthen the Armed Forces, which are agile and decisive in an increasingly complex geostrategic landscape. Continuing with the tradition of inclusive engagement, the conference will feature interactive sessions with officers and personnel of various ranks from the Armed Forces, ensuring that field-level perspectives ‘Bihar’s dignity and identity under threat from Congress & RJD’ IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 15 September Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the RJD & Cong, alleging that due to unchecked infiltration, the demographics in Bihar are rapidly changing. Addressing a public rally in Purnea on Monday, the PM accused the Congress, RJD, and their allies of shielding infiltrators, saying they are “shamelessly raising slogans and conducting rallies in support of foreigners who have entered the country illegally.” • See Page 5 PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 15 September The Supreme Court on Monday refused to modify its September 8 order directing the Election Commission to accept the Aadhaar card as the twelfth document for identity proof for inclusion as voter under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar. A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymlaya Bagchi said the direction passed by it last week was only interim in nature and the issue of the document's validity as an identity proof is still open to be decided in the matter related to the SIR. Other documents like ration cards and driving license are also as susceptible to being forged as Aadhaar card and Aadhaar cannot be singled out and excluded on that ground. “Driving licenses can be forged, ration cards can be forged. Several documents can be forged. Aadhaar is to be utilised to the extent law permits," the bench said. The top court was hearing an application by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking modification of September 8 order contending that anybody can get an Aadhaar card by merely staying in India for 182 days and it was neither a proof of citizenship nor residence. He said there were lakhs of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in Bihar" and allowing the use of Aadhaar card would be "disastrous". This bench responded that the disaster or absence of disaster will be considered by ECI. The bench, however, issued notice to the ECI on Upadhyay’s application. The apex court also said it was presuming that the poll panel being a constitutional authority, was following the law during the SIR exercise and warned that the exercise would be set aside in case of any illegality. “What difference will it (the final publication of the rollst) make to us? If we are satisfied there is some illegality, we can...," said Justice Kant. It fixed October 7 for hearing final arguments on the validity of Bihar SIR. "Our judgement in Bihar SIR will be applicable for Pan-India SIR," the bench said as it clarified that it can't stop the ECI from conducting the similar exercise for revision of electoral roll across the country. The apex court had earlier refrained from issuing any direction to extend the deadline for submitting claims, objections or corrections to the electoral roll beyond September 1, after the ECI assured that objections sent even after this deadline would be considered before the electoral roll is finalised. Apex court refuses to stay Waqf Amendment Act in entirety STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 September The SC on Monday declined to stay the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in its entirety, but put on hold certain specific provisions that it felt could lead to arbitrary exercise of power by the government, and are in violation of the principles of separation of power enshrined in the Constitution, with the executive taking upon its self-adjudicatory role which is otherwise reserved for a judicial or quasi-judicial authority. The court sad that there was a presumption of constitutionality in the favour of a statute and the interim relief of staying an enactment can be granted in “rare and exceptional cases” that too where petitioners challenging the law can demonstrate that either the legislature which enacted the law lacks legislative competence or the provisions are ex-facie in violation of the fundamental rights, or constitutional principles or is manifestly arbitrary. A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, by an interim order, stayed the operation of two key provisions while upholding the requirement of the registration of Waqfs and the presence of non-Muslims on the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards.