FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Towards gerontocracy PoK unrest reflects Islamabad’s decades-long exploitation: India Page 8 Page 10 BRIEFLY EAM launches India’s campaign for UNSC seat in non-permanent category: New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar officially launched India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term, saying the country’s presence in this vital body will help decision-making at a time when the world is facing a profound paradox. “Never before has the world possessed such immense capabilities to advance human welfare at this scale. At the same time, we are witnessing levels of conflict, violence and instability that threaten even those who may be far away. To address this complexity, the United Nations must take the lead and the Security Council must show the way. Elections to its membership consequently assume great importance,” he said. Page 5 SC imposes `3 lakh fine each on Samay Raina, four others: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed costs of Rs 3 lakh each on stand-up comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina and four others for violating its earlier directions issued in a case concerning insensitive remarks about persons with disabilities. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana held that the directions issued by the Court had not been complied with in their true spirit. It noted that despite specific directions requiring them to invite persons with disabilities in their programmes, no meaningful effort had been made to engage them. It remarked that the conduct of the respondents reflected indifference towards the dignity and sensitivities of the disabled community. Assam’s demographic reckoning Page 16 Page 9 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 14 July I been injured. Of the 18 Indian nationals onboard MT Mombasa, 9 have sustained injuries, including 2 who are reported to be seriously injured,” it added. New Delhi said the Indian mission in the UAE are closely monitoring the situation and are in touch with UAE authorities to ensure all possible assistance to the affected Indian seafarers. “We strongly condemn these attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrup- ting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz. We also reiterate our deep concern on account of the resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the WestAsian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy in the interests of peace, security and stability in the region,” New Delhi said. The statement said the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in We strongly condemn these attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz. THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (MEA) the region must cease in order that free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, can be restored at the earliest. (Representational image) • USA launches third night of strikes: Page 9 India prohibits import of goods made using forced labour STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 14 July The Indian government has amended the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023 to prohibit the import of goods produced or manufactured using forced labour. Besides strengthening its trade policy framework, this further aligns domestic regulations with internationally recognised labour standards. The latest move comes amid a US investigation into forced labour practices across 60 nations, including India. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued a notification inserting a new provision ~ Paragraph 2.20B ~ into the FTP. “The import of goods produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, through the use of forced labour is prohibited,” the paragraph states. This empowers the Central government to prohibit the import of goods found to have been produced, wholly or partly, through the use of forced labour. Notably, the amendments are set to come into force 30 days after their publication in the Official Gazette. Also, the DGFT has introduced a formal definition of “forced labour” under Chapter 11 of the FTP by adopting the definition contained in the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). Forced labour refers to “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily,” read the official notification. Under the revised policy, imports of goods that have been manufactured using forced labour will be prohibited, while Centre will hold the authority to notify specific products for import restrictions based on the findings of an inquiry or any other material it considers appropriate. According to media reports, the latest notification provides for an inquiry mechanism wherein the DGFT will examine whether imported goods have been produced using forced labour. Centre, West Bengal announce SC assures protection to teachers against major development push action over CBSE three-language policy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 14 July Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday that the development of West Bengal is essential for achieving the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” as he announced a series of infrastructure, employment and agriculture initiatives. The Union minister, speaking at a joint Press conference West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, emphasised that the Centre and the state would work together under a “doubleengine” government to accelerate growth. While alleging that projects worth Rs 82,492 crore, including those related to roads, national highways, railways, metro connectivity and gas pipelines, had remained stalled due to the alleged lack of cooperation from the previous state government, the Union minister said: “The present government has cleared all legal and administrative hurdles within a few months, allowing work on these projects to resume at a fast pace.” In a major announcement under the “Viksit Bharat-G Ram G” programme, the Centre has allocated Rs 8,508 crore for the scheme until 31 March Odisha govt panel recommends release of Staines murder convict Dara Singh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bhubaneswar, 14 July The Odisha State Sentence Review Board (OSSRB) has recommended the premature release of Ravindra Pal alias Dara Singh, the life convict in the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons, after finding Singh conduct in prison to be satisfactory. The decision follows the OSSRB’s meeting on 6 July , during which it considered the remission pleas of 56 life convicts eligible for premature release. Dara Singh’s case was recommended by the Director General of Prisons based on reports submitted by the Kendujhar district authorities. The Board had earlier deferred his application to seek a fresh report from authorities in his native Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. It is learnt that over the last one year, the BJP government in the state was working on Another EnglandArgentina showdown PERSPECTIVE India lodges protest with Iran after tanker attacks kill Indian ndia lodged a strong protest with Iran on Tuesday after attacks on two oil tankers during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz left one Indian dead and nearly ten injured. “The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi was summoned this morning by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and a strong protest against these attacks was lodged with him,” an official statement here said. The statement said India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “Both the vessels were carrying 30 Indian seafarers, among their combined crew of 46. Of the 12 Indian nationals onboard MT Al Bahiyah, one has tragically lost his life and another has Wednesday, 15 July 2026 SPORTS NATION EDITORIAL | the release of the convict. Dara Singh has spent more than 26 years in prison since his arrest in 2000. He was sentenced to death by a CBI court in Bhubaneswar in 2003 for the brutal killing of Staines and his sons, Philip and Timothy, who were burnt alive while sleeping in their station wagon at Manoharpur village in Kendujhar district on the night of 22 January 1999. The Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, and the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence in 2011. The triple murder had trigg- ered international condemnation. Of the 14 persons convicted by the trial court, the Orissa High Court later acquitted 11 while upholding the convictions of Dara Singh and a few others. The Supreme Court had, in March this year, directed the Odisha government to decide Singh’s remission plea within six weeks. In his petition, Singh sought the benefit of a more liberal remission policy, citing his long incarceration and expressing remorse for the crime, which he described as an act committed in a fit of “youthful rage.” In 1999, when the gruesome triple murder took place, Dara Singh’s links with right wing group Bajrang Dal were reported extensively. He had earned notoriety in Kendujhar as a cow vigilante. It is also alleged that in 2022, the present Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, then BJP leader of Kendujhar, had taken part in a demonstration demanding the release of Singh. 2027, with the total fund, including the state’s contribution, reaching Rs 12,064.5 crore which will not only guarantee 125 days of employment instead of 100 but may provide additional 50 days of employment in the event of natural disasters such as drought or the effects of El Niño. Daily wages have been fixed at Rs 300 for unskilled workers, Rs 450 for semi-skilled workers and Rs 600 for skilled workers, he said. The Centre approved one lakh houses under the housing scheme even before the final beneficiary list is prepared. The deadline for verification of eligible beneficiaries has been extended from 20 July to 15 August due to the monsoon season. PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 14 July The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would intervene and stay any coercive action against teachers for not implementing the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) threelanguage policy, introduced from the current academic year for students of Classes VI to IX, amid concerns over shortage of textbooks and the abrupt implementation of the scheme. Assuring protection to teachers if disciplinary action was initiated against them, a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana observed that they could approach the Court. “Come to us, we will stay the dismissal,” the Chief Justice said after the Bench was informed that teachers faced the possibility of action if they were unable to teach the newly introduced languages. The assurance came as the Court directed the CBSE to file its response to the petitions challenging the policy. Appear- ing for the Board, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati sought two weeks' time to file a reply. The Bench, however, posted the matter for further hearing on 22 July. During the hearing, senior advocates Anand Grover, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for different petitioners, challenged the policy as being contrary to the Right to Education Act and questioned its implementation in the absence of adequate textbooks and teaching infrastructure including trained qualified teachers. Mr Grover submitted that the CBSE circular was inconsistent with the provisions of the Right to Education Act and imposed additional language requirements without providing any meaningful alternative. Mr Sankaranarayanan highlighted the practical difficulties, pointing out that although states were expected to implement the policy from 1 July, textbooks were presently available only in three of the 22 notified languages. He submitted that the shortage of books had also created a serious shortage of trained teachers. Mr Rohatgi argued that students who had been studying combinations such as English and French were suddenly being required to study another Indian language at the age of 14, despite schools lacking the necessary teachers and infrastructure to implement the policy. During the hearing, Justice Bagchi observed that the notification sought to advance the constitutional objective of promoting Hindi and other Indian languages. One Nation, One Election: JPC unlikely to submit report on simultaneous polls during Monsoon Session VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 14 July The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the proposed “One Nation, One Election” Bills is unlikely to submit its report during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, sources say. The committee, headed by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary, is scrutinising the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and related legislations which seek to synchronise elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. According to the schedule, the JPC was expected to finalise and adopt its report at its 17 July meeting before submitting it to Parliament for further consideration. The proposed framework is intended to facilitate the implementation of simultaneous elections from the 2029 general elections, subject to Parliamentary approval. According to sources, the committee is in the midst of an extensive multi-state outreach exercise and requires additional time to examine the constitutional, legal and procedural issues involved in implementing simultaneous elections. “The committee has completed consultations in several states but more work and interactions are necessary before finalising recommendations. The panel is addressing complex issues related to synchronising electoral cycles, including provisions governing governments that lose their majority with less than a year remaining in their tenure, they said. A key area of examination is ensuring that the proposed framework conforms to India’s federal structure and does not violate the Constitution’s basic structure. Opposition parties have objected, saying that the proposed framework could undermine India’s federal structure by allowing national issues to overshadow state-specific mandates and weakening the autonomy of state legislatures. They say such far-reaching electoral reforms require broad political consensus and extensive consultation with states and safeguards to protect the powers of state legislatures. They have also questioned the constitutional validity of curtailing or extending the tenure of elected Assemblies to synchronise election cycles and demanded clarity on the mechanism for dealing with hung Assemblies, mid-term collapses of governments, no-confidence motions and President’s Rule. However, those in the know of the Committee’s consultations say the majority of civil society representatives and legal experts consulted so far have supported the proposal. But the panel is working on evolving a mechanism that addresses concerns raised by Opposition parties, particularly on issues relating to federalism and state autonomy, before finalising its recommendations, they add. Recently, the JPC Chairman also highlighted the proposal's economic rationale. Frequent elections, he said, keep the country in a near-permanent election mode, disrupting governance, tourism and industrial activity. Referring to expert assessments, Chaudhary said synchronising election cycles could help avoid economic losses estimated at nearly Rs 7 lakh crore, allowing greater investment in infrastructure and welfare programmes.