FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY Former Kenyan PM dies in Kerala: | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA T he Ministr y of Home Affairs (MH A) on Wednesday said that the number of districts classified as "most affected" by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has fallen to just three from six. According to the MHA data, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh now remain in the "most affected" category. The number of districts classified as LWE-affected overall has also seen a sharp decline, from 18 to 11, marking a significant contraction in the geographical spread of Maoist influence. The Ministry noted that the Union government has set an ambitious target to completely eradicate the LWE menace by 31 March 2026. Additionally, the MHA stated that 836 cadres have been arrested, while 1,639 have surrendered and joined the mainstream, including one Politburo member and one C entral C ommitte e member. The Centre attributed this success to the effective implementation of the National Action Plan and Policy, which follows a multi-pronged approach combining security operations, development initiatives, and improved Nitish bets on fresh faces, loyalists in JD-U candidate list for Bihar polls IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 15 October Notably, 23 candidates have been given tickets from the JD(U)’s stronghold Lav-Kush (Kushwaha and Koeri) community, 12 from the Dalit community, and nine from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC). At the same time, effort has been made to give proper representation to the upper-caste community as well. The five ministers fielded by the party are Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa (SC), Madan Sahni from Bahadurpur, Sunil Kumar from Bhore (SC), Vijay Kumar Chaudhary from Sarairanjan, and Shravan Kumar from Nalanda. The party has also fielded its long-time loyalist Hari Narayan Singh from Harnaut. The list includes turncoat politicians who have recently joined the party. RJD’s sitting MLA from Parsa, Chhote Lal Rai, who recently joined JD(U), will now contest on a JD(U) ticket. He has replaced Chandrika Rai. Rajkumar Singh, who defected from LJP (Ram Vilas), has been nominated from Matihani. The party’s sitting MLA from Barbigha, Sudarshan Kumar, has been denied a ticket, and Dr. Kumar Pushpanjay will contest in his place. The party has also dropped Aman Bhushan Hajari from Kusheshwar Asthan. He has been replaced by Atirek Kumar. SC suggests lethal injection option for death row convicts UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 15 October The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the Union Government’s resistance to evolve with time, after it opposed a suggestion that death row convicts be allowed to choose lethal injection as an alternative to execution by hanging. A Bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to abolish the practice of execution by hanging, terming it a method that causes “prolonged pain and suffering”. The plea suggests replacing it with intravenous lethal injection, or alternatively, shooting, electrocution, or a gas chamber, as more humane methods. During the hearing, the Bench noted that despite | SILIGURI THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS CLASSIFIED AS LWE-AFFECTED OVERALL HAS ALSO SEEN A SHARP DECLINE, FROM 18 TO 11, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTION IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF MAOIST INFLUENCE. New Delhi, 15 October Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday announced 57 candidates in its first list for the upcoming assembly elections. The party has dropped several sitting MLAs and introduced 30 new faces. Among the 27 candidates re-nominated are the party’s loyal and long-serving leaders, including five ministers. Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar’s decision to introduce 30 fresh faces is seen as a strategic move to counter anti-incumbency. The party has also given ample opportunity to youth. In a surprising move, it has fielded only four women candidates. The party has also tried to maintain social and caste balance in ticket distribution. NEW DELHI LWE influence shrinks to only three districts: MHA AGENCIES Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga died in Kerala's Koothattukukam following a cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was 80. Odinga had been undergoing Ayurvedic treatment at Sreedhareeyam Hospital at Koothattukukam in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The hospital authorities said Odingo collapsed during his morning walk. Though he was suddenly taken to a nearby hospital, his life could not be saved. The death occurred around 9 a.m. PM Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Odinga, describing him as a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India. | The problem is, the govt is not ready to evolve... It’s a very old procedure. Things have changed over a period of time. advances in science and global practices, the union remains firm on continuing the traditional method of hanging. Justice Mehta observed, “The problem is, the government is not ready to evolve... It’s a very old procedure. Things have changed over a period of time.” The suggestion before the Court was that an option should be given to condemned prisoners to choose between hanging and lethal injection. However, Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, appearing for the Union, referred to the government’s counter affidavit, which stated that granting such an option may not be “feasible” and that the matter involved a policy decision. Following this, the Court adjourned the hearing to 11 November. The petitioner, Advocate Rishi Malhotra, argued that 49 out of 50 US states have adopted lethal injection as a mode of execution, calling it “quick, humane, and decent,” as opposed to hanging, which he described as “cruel, barbaric, and lingering.” coordination between central and state agencies. The plan emphasises intelligence-based, people-friendly counter-LWE operations, swift area domination, targeting of senior leaders and overground workers, countering extremist ideology, infrastr ucture development, and financial choke points. Once described as India's biggest internal security challenge by the then Prime Minister in 2010, Left Wing ‘75 pc of PF amount can be withdrawn immediately after job loss’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 October In the wake of ongoing debates and confusion over the new rules pertaining to EPF withdrawals, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday clarified that up to 75 per cent of the Provident Fund amount can be immediately withdrawn in case of job loss. He also stated that the remaining 25 per cent, which has now been categorised as mandatory minimum balance, can also be withdrawn after completion of one year. On Monday, the Union Minister had announced several changes with regard to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF). In a meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), EPF, chaired by Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs, and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, it was decided to "simplify and liberalise partial withdrawals to enhance member convenience and retirement security". However, the decisions led to a backlash, with some Opposition politicians and financial journalists as well as members of the online community criticising the changes. Some of the decisions weredescribedas'anti-members', as they delayed access to PF funds in case of unemployment. Thekeydecisionsannounced via a statement on 13 October included merger of 13 complex provisions into a single, streamlined rule categorised into three types namely, Essential Needs (illness, education, marriage), Housing Needs and Special Circumstances, for partial withdrawals of EPF balance. It was also decided that education withdrawals would be allowed up to 10 times and marriage up to 5 times, from the existing limit of a total of 3 partial withdrawals for marriage and education. Extremism is now in visible retreat. The Maoists had envisioned a so-called "Red Corridor" stretching from Pashupati in Nepal to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. In 2013, 126 districts across various states reported Naxal-related violence; by March 2025, this number had dropped to just 18 districts, with only six earlier classified as "most affected." The MHA said the sustained offensive and development push has decisively weakened Left Wing Extremism, marking a major step toward ending decades of insurgency in India's heartland. | BHUBANESWAR | Thursday, 16 October 2025 Apex court allows limited use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR PARMOD KUMAR THE COURT SAID THE RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD OF THOSE ENGAGED IN THE FIRECRACKER INDUSTRY MUST COEXIST WITH THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO CLEAN AIR AND GOOD HEALTH. New Delhi, 15 October The Supreme Court on Wednesday eased its earlier blanket prohibition on firecrackers in the Delhi–National Capital Region (NCR), allowing the sale and controlled bursting of green crackers for two days during Diwali under strictly regulated conditions. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran permitted the sale of certified green firecrackers between 18 and 20 October, specifying that their bursting will only be allowed between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m, and 8 p.m. and 10 p.m, on Diwali eve and Diwali day. Emphasising the need for moderation, the bench said that the issue required a “balanced approach”~ one that protects public health and the environment without entirely curbing festive traditions. “In such a case, we have to take a balanced approach, taking into account the conflicting interests and permit in moderation, while not compromising the environmental concerns arising,” the Court observed. The order noted that while fireworks form an intrinsic part of India’s cultural celebrations, uncontrolled use poses serious health hazards. The Court said the right to livelihood of those engaged in the firecracker industry must coexist with the right of citizens to clean air and good health. Commercial and festive interests, it cautioned, “must yield when they threaten environmental integrity and human well-being.” Issued as a temporary, test-case relaxation, the order adopts the same calibrated strategy introduced in the 2018 Arjun Gopal judgment, where the top court sought to curb pollution from fireworks without a total prohibition. The Court recalled that the Arjun Gopal ruling aimed to balance three competing concerns — the livelihood of those in the firecracker industry, the citizens’ right to health and clean air, and the cultural significance of Diwali. It observed that green crackers developed by NEERI have significantly lowered emissions in recent years, but illegal and smuggled fireworks continue to aggravate pollution in the NCR.