SUNDAY www.thestatesman.com 01 MAY 2022 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 | `5.00 |LC* KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR DO TWITTER’S EXILES RETURN UNDER MUSK? KOHLI CLASS P6 ‘N. KOREA COULD PREEMPTIVELY USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS’ P10 P11 DHONI TO LEAD CSK AGAIN P12 Prioritise cases of 3.5l ‘Govt must fill up vacancies to tackle huge pendency in cases’ poor undertrials: PM Says mediation also important tool for settlement of pending cases STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL oting that there were about 3.5 lakh undertrials in jails in the country mostly belonging to poor or ordinary families, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to the chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to accord priority to their cases on the basis of humanitarian sensibility and law. In every district there was a committee, headed by the district judge, to review their cases and wherever possible, such prisoners might be released on bail, he said. The PM was participating in the inaugural session of a joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts in New Delhi. Chief Justice of India Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice U U Lalit of the Supreme Court, Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and S P Singh Baghel, Supreme Court judges and chief justices of high courts were among those who attended the conference. Modi said mediation was also an important tool for the settlement of pending cases in the courts, especially at the local level. “There is a thousand of years old tradition of settlement of disputes through mediation in our society. Mutual consent and mutual participation, in its own way, is a distinctly human concept of justice,” he said. With this thinking, N WEATHER Possibility of rain or thundershowers with gusty wind very likely.Temperature likely to be in the range of 35-27 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 011.3 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max.85% TEMPERATURE Max: 34.6 °C (-1) SUN RISES 05:05 hrs MOON RISES 04:42 hrs New moon on 01 Min. 59% Min: 26.9 °C (+1) SUN SETS 18:03 hrs MOON SETS 17:41 hrs May THUMBNAILS Students during the celebration function of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, in Patna on Saturday. ANI ED seizes Rs 5,551 cr assets of Xiaomi Technology India: The Enforcement Directorate said on Saturday that it has seized Rs 5,551.27 crore of Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited lying in the bank accounts under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), in connection with the illegal outward remittances Pg8 made by the company. To strengthen BJP’s position, Shah to visit Bengal on 4 May NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL he said the government has introduced the Mediation Bill in Parliament as umbrella legislation.“With our rich legal expertise, we can become a global leader in the field of the solution by mediation. We can present a model to the whole world”, he said. He said the government was working hard to reduce delays in justice delivery and efforts were also on for increasing judicial strength and improving judicial infrastructure. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been deployed for case management and efforts were under way to fill the vacancies at various levels of the judiciary, he said. Modi reiterated his vision of the use of technology in governance in the context of judicial work. He said the government considered the possibilities of technology in the judicial system as an essential part of the“Digital India” mission. He appealed to the chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to take this forward. The e-courts project was being implemented today in the mission mode, he said and gave the example of the success of digital transactions as they were becoming common in small towns and even in villages. The PM said that out of all the digital transactions that took place in the world last year, 40 per cent took place in India. Proceeding further on the theme of the use of technology, he noted that nowadays, subjects like blockchains, electronic discovery, cybersecurity, robotics, AI and bioethics were being taught in law universities in many countries. “It is our responsibility that in our country also legal education should be according to these international standards”, he said. The PM said it was important to promote 197 ex-judges, retired babus, veterans trash CCG’s letter to PM on hate politics ASIAN NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL Union home minister Amit Shah will embark on a threeday visit to West Bengal starting May 4 with an aim to strengthen the BJP in the state. On May 4, 5, and 6, Shah will attend party-related programs in West Bengal. Besides this, he will also attend a BSF program there. Shah's visit holds importance as West Bengal BJP units need proper guidance about the working style of the party. West Bengal BJP Vice President Soumitra Khan, party Vice President Dilip Ghosh, and National Secretary Anupam Hazra have already appealed to the Central Government to give directions to strengthen the West Bengal BJP unit. West Bengal Vice President Soumitra Khan told ANI today, "Shah will be holding a meeting with party workers and senior party leaders in Kolkata on May 4 in which he will give directions to strengthen the party's organizational structure in the state and know about the status of West Bengal BJP unit at present." "Shah will also take feedback from workers in the meeting. Apart from meeting with workers in Siliguri on April 4, and Kolkata on April 5, Shah will also participate in BSF's 'Tin Bigha Corridor' program. Apart from this, North Bengal and South Bengal units of the party will hold important meetings with Amit Shah in both the places," he said. This is going to be Shah's first visit to the state after the results of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections poured in. ANI SEE PG3 Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of the States and Chief Justices of High Courts, in New Delhi on Saturday. ANI As many as 197 eminent persons, hailing from the judiciary, armed forces and bureaucracy, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, slammed the “Constitutional Conduct Group(CCG)”,which had sought an “end to hate politics”. The letter was signed by eight retired judges, 97 retired bureaucrats and 92 retired Armed forces officers on Saturday. "Public opinion remains solidly behind Prime Minister Modi as recent state elections have shown," stated the letter, claiming that the group calling for the end to "hate politics" has expressed "anger and anguish" while fueling hate against the present government with their patent prejudices and false portrayals.The letter further stated that "the studied silence of this The letter was signed by 8 retired judges, 97 retired bureaucrats and 92 retired Armed forces officers CCG on unprecedented postpoll violence in Bengal, which was so serious that the Kolkata High Court had to mandate the NHRC to carry out an independent investigation, which resulted in a report strongly critical of the Bengal government and the TMC, lays bare their cynical and unprincipled approach to issues". It also stated that "the same attitude shapes their reactions (or rather the lack of any reaction) to the multiple violent incidents in various states ruled by different political parties (premeditated attacks on peaceful, processions during Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, and other sacred festivals in Rajasthan, MP ,Gujarat and New Delhi), and targeted violation of human rights adversely affecting the livelihoods of the poor irrespective of their religion”. It again argued that "the double-standard in assessing a situation, deliberate attempts to make an issue out of nonissues, distorted thinking on the challenges faced by the country, resort to bloated vocabulary to grab international attention, motivated tirades against the democratically elected governments, is a malaise of our society that the CCG reflects in its open letters". The CCG should not give ideological cover to an antinational outlook as well as religious and left-wing extremism, which they seem to do, added the letter. These former civil servants should not be orchestrating a false narrative of "colourable use of state power", argued the letter. local languages in the courts so that people of the country felt connected with the judicial process and their faith in the same increased. He said that people’s right to the judicial process would be strengthened by this. He also stated that local languages were being promoted in technical education also. He said “in our country, while the role of the judiciary is that of the guardian of the constitution, the legislature represents the aspirations of the citizens. I believe that this confluence and balance of these two branches of the Constitution will prepare the roadmap for an effective and time-bound judicial system in the country.” He said that 75 years of independence have continuously clarified the roles and responsibilities of both the judiciary and the executive. Wherever it was necessary, this relation has evolved continuously to give direction to the country, he said. The PM also talked about the complexities and obsolescence in the law. He informed that in 2015, the government identified 1800 laws which had become irrelevant and 1450 laws have already been repealed. Noting that only 75 such laws have been removed by the states, he said “I would urge all the chief ministers that for the rights of the citizens of their state and for their ease of living, definitely steps should be taken in this direction.” Sputnik Light to be given as booster dose The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended that the Russian vaccine Sputnik Light which contains the same ingredients as the first dose of Sputnik V can be taken as a precaution dose, said Sources. The two doses of Sputnik V have separate compositions.ANI FACT FILE TOTAL CASES 4,30,75,864 ACTIVE CASES 18,684 NEW CASES 3,688 NEW RECOVERIES 2,755 TOTAL DEATHS 5,23,803 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. SATURDAY 30 APRIL 2022 Bengal recorded 55 cases and zero deaths STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Resolution passed in CJs conference to create National Judicial infrastructure devt: Law minister Kiran Riji- NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL ddressing the 11th Joint Conference of Chief Justices of various High Courts and Chief Ministers of States, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice N V Ramana, today said that more than 40 million cases were pending in lower courts, highlighting a huge backlog of cases in the legal system. “In 2016, the sanctioned strength of judicial officers in the country was 20,811. Now, it is 24,112, which is an increase of 16 per cent in six years. On the other hand, in the corresponding period, pendency in district courts has gone up from 2 crore 65 lakhs to 4 crore 11 lakhs, which is an increase of 54.64 per cent. This data shows how inadequate the increase in the sanctioned strength is," the CJI said. He also said that we have 20 judges per million population, which is highly inadequate to deal with the rising trend of litigation. “As of today, out of 1104 sanctioned posts of High Court Judges, there are 388 vacancies. From day one, it has been my endeavour to fill judicial vacancies. We have A CJI N.V. Ramana addresses the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of the States and Chief Justices of High Courts.  ANI ju on Saturday said for better efficiency and dispensation of justice, a resolution was passed in the conference of Chief Justices to create a National Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority. The resolution passed today in the Chief Justices conference, was received with reservations by some Chief Ministers as execution of such works lied at the SNS state level. made 180 recommendations, for appointments in various High Courts during the last year. Out of this, 126 appointments have been made,” the CJI said. He pointed out that 50 proposals are still awaiting approval by the Government of India. The High Courts have sent around 100 names to the Government of India. They are yet to reach us, he said. The CJI said that everyone must not cross the Lakshman Rekha while discharging their duties. “While discharging our duties, we all must be mindful of the Lakshman Rekha. The judiciary would never come in the way of governance, if it is in accordance with law. We share your anxiety and concern regarding the welfare of the people," Justice Ramana said. The CJI also urged the chief ministers to extend wholehearted co-operation to the Chief Justices, in their endeavour to strengthen the district judiciary. Unless the foundation is strong, the structure cannot be sustained, he said and requested the Centre to be generous in creating more posts and filling the same, so that our judge-to-population ratio is comparable to advanced democracies. CM moots second HC campus at Rajarhat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 30 APRIL Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her twoday visit to Delhi today attended the joint conference of chief justices of high courts and state chief ministers. It is learnt that the chief minister during a tea break met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for five minutes. In a brief interaction with the PM, Miss Banerjee reportedly raised some demands related to the state. Though the chief minister declined to comment on her meeting with the PM, it is learnt that she has sought a second campus of Calcutta High Court to be located Rajarhat and to fill up the vacancies of judges in Calcutta High Court. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with PM Narendra Modi and CJI N.V. Ramana in New Delhi on Satuday.  SNS Not all but ‘some’ students can return to China on ‘conditions’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL Some Indian students who were pursuing their studies in China will be able to attend their classes on campus as Chinese authorities are allowing them to travel to China conditionally. The Indian embassy in China has said that students can now return on a needassessed basis. This would mean that not all students would be able to go back. “China attaches high importance to Indian students’ concerns about returning to China for studies. We have shared with the Indian side the procedures and experience of other countries’ students returning to China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told media in Beijing. However, the Chinese are taking extra caution and would The return has been made possible after the Indian government took up the matter to the Chinese authorities and even cancelled the tourist visas of Chinese nationals screen the students wanting to return to the Chinese universities. “We understand that there is a large number of Indian students studying in China. India may need some time to collect the names. China is ready to receive some Indian students under the current, complicated, severe epidemic situation. In handling foreign students returning to China for studies, we need to take into consideration the international epidemic situation, evolving circumstances, and their majors. This principle applies equally to all foreign students,” Zhao said. This is a big relief for the Indian students who were studying in China but were asked to leave after the Covid19 struck China two years back. The students were stuck as even after the situation eased the Chinese government did not allow the Indian students to return, seriously jeopardizing their studies and careers. The students even ran a Twitter campaign to push for their return. The return has been made possible after the Indian government took up the matter to the Chinese authorities and even cancelled the tourist visas of Chinese nationals. The external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on March 22 after which the Chinese agreed to end the blanket ban on the Indian students’ return. Northwest & central India see hottest April in 122 yrs: IMD Gen Manoj Pande takes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL Northwest and central India experienced their hottest April in 122 years, with temperatures likely to remain above normal in May as well, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. As a result of the continued heatwaves, the maximum temperatures in northwest and central India were the highest for the month of April in the last 122 years, the IMD said. The all India temperatures (maximum and mean) recorded till April 28, are the fourth highest with 35.05 degrees Celsius in the last 122 years. March 2022 was also the A pair of deers play with each other on a hot summer day at Betla National Reserve forest, in Latehar on Friday.  ANI hottest in that month in the last 122 years for the country, as well as for northwest India. The average maximum temperature was 35.90 degrees Celsius and 37.78 degrees Celsius for northwest and central India, respectively, for April 2022. The Department added that temperatures would continue to be above normal also in May. “During May, above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of west-central and northwest India, and northern parts of northeast India. Normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely over the remaining parts of the country,” IMD Director general (Meteorology) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said . The rainfall in May averaged over the country is most likely to be above normal (more than 109 per cent of the Long Period Average).The IMD on Saturday said heat wave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed in isolated pockets over East Uttar Pradesh; heat wave conditions in many parts over Vidarbha; in some parts over Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and Himachal Pradesh; in isolated pockets over western parts of Jammu Division, Gangetic West Bengal, Jhark- hand, Interior Odisha,West UP , Madhya Pradesh, North Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Maharashtra and Kutch. Rain in Kolkata: The Met office said that a squall passed over Kolkata (Alipore) today from the north-west direction with highest gust speed of 64 kmph at 19:23 hours. Met department said Dum Dum recorded 27.6mm of rain while Alipore recorded 11.3 mm of rain. 6 hours of power cut in J&K: A daily six hours power cut during the day was announced by the administration as Jammu and Kashmir continued to grapple with an unprecedented electricity crisis. over as 29th Army Chief STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL Gen Manoj Pande took charge as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff today, succeeding Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane (in pic)on the latter's retirement. Gen Pande is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to lead the Indian Army. “Gen Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC takes over as the 29th #COAS of #IndianArmy from Gen M M Naravane,” the Indian Army tweeted.Gen Pande was previously the Army's vice chief, a charge he took in February when he replaced Lt Gen C P Mohanty. Gen Pande was the head of the Eastern Army Command before becoming Vice Chief of the Army and was responsible for guarding the LAC in the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors. Gen Pande was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982.