SATURDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2023 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC www.thestatesman.com KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘EXPOSURE IN ADANI GROUP 0.88 PC, NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN’ ‘NETAJI OPPOSED RSS IDEOLOGY’ P7 WEATHER CLEAR SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 25 AND 10 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 88% TEMPERATURE Max: 24.7°C (+3) SUN RISES 07:07 hrs MOON RISES 16:45 hrs P8 Min: 09.5°C (+1) SUN SETS 18:03 hrs MOON SETS 07:03 hrs THUMBNAILS Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Krishnaguru Eknaam Akhanda Kirtan for World Peace via video conferencing, in New Delhi. ANI After Joshimath, Jammu's village starts sliding: In a similar situation like that in the sinking of Joshimath in Uttrakhand, more than 200 men, women and children have been evacuated from Nai-Basti village of the Doda district in Jammu where several residential houses have developed wide cracks as the place was sliding. Deputy Commissioner of Doda, Vishesh Mahajan visited the village to take stock of the situation and summoned top engineers of the highway authority, geology and mining and engineers to examine the spot and submit their report by this evening. New SC judges to be appointed soon: AG STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY T he Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendations for the appointment of five judges to the apex court are expected to be cleared soon. This was conveyed by the Attorney General R. Venkataramani to a Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Abhay S Oka even as the Bench expressed its displeasure over the Centre’s delay in clearing the recommendations of the Collegium. The Bench was hearing a matter related to the Centre's alleged delay in clearing the names recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges to the Supreme Court and high courts. The Bench told the AG that five names were sent in December for appointment as judges to the apex court and two names were sent recently and now it is February, and further asked, should The AG sought time regarding the pending recommendations concerning the appointments of judges in the High Courts  The Bench was hearing a matter related to the Centre's alleged delay in clearing the names recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges to the Supreme Court and high courts it be recorded that the notification would be issued?The AG responded the new appointments may come through very soon and indicated that something may happen by Sunday.The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on 13 February.Meanwhile, the AG sought time regarding the pending recommendations concerning the appointments of judges in the High Courts. Earlier, the Bench warned the Centre over the delay in clearing the transfer of high court judges recommended by the collegium, saying it may result in both administrative and judicial actions which may not be palatable. The Bench told the Attorney General, “Don't make us take a stand which will be very uncomfortable...”, and added that if transfer of judges is kept pending then it is a serious issue. Justice Kaul said transfer is a very serious issue and warned against the interference of third parties in the process. He told the AG that sometimes the government does it overnight and sometimes it takes longer and there is no uniformity, and added that even chief justices transfers are also pending. The Bench orally observed, “We will have to take a difficult decision. Do not make us take a hard stand.” The top court was hearing a contempt peti- Ban on BBC film: SC notice to Centre STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the ban on the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question asking it to produce the original records of its decision to take down tweets linking to the controversial documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. A Bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice M.M. Sundresh gave three weeks to the Centre to file its response on two petitions ~ one filed jointly by Trinamul Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra, veteran journalist N. Ram and advocate Prashant Bhushan and the second by Delhi advo- ‘MGNREGA budget has not been lowered’ cate M L Sharma ~ while listing the matter for April.The court, however, refused to stay the Centre's 21 January ban order on the BBC documentary. The Centre claimed the documentary is “biased and agenda driven”, based on conjectures, perpetuating a colonial mindset. When counsel for the petitioners stressed on a stay, the court stated that it is a fact that the film is already being accessed. “You have filed a link to it,” said Justice Sundaresh. The court told senior advocate Chander Uday, appearing for N Ram and others, that NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY The government today clarified that the Union Budget 202324 has not lowered allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. MGNREGA is a demand-driven scheme and any household demanding employment under it shall be provided at least 100 days of unskilled manual work in a financial year, in accordance with the Scheme. A clarification by the Ministry of Rural Development referred to media reports which expressed concern over the Budget allocation of Rs 60,000 crore for the MGNREGA scheme for the next financial year, which is 18 per cent lower than the Rs 73,000 crore budget estimates of last financial year, 2022-23. (Pg 3) it cannot pass interim orders without a hearing.The court declined to be drawn into the issue of students being punished for airing the documentary, saying the proceedings before it will be confined to legal arguments. Several protests have taken place at different Universities in New Delhi, Calcutta, Kerala, Odisha, Maharashtra and other parts seeking screening of the BBC documentary, Mr Sharma’s petition notes. Invoking Rule 16 of the Information Technology Rules 2021, the Central government had asked Youtube and Twitter to remove the links post- ing the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat communal violence. Advocate ML Sharma's petition says the order is illegal, malafide, arbitrary and unconstitutional. He said there is violation of freedom of speech and expression in the order.Mr Sharma argued that the documentary reflects true facts with original recording of the victims of 2002 riots as well as other concerned persons involved in riots which can be used for judicial justice. A further prayer has been made before the top court to examine the BBC documentary's legal value to prosecute involved accused persons in the interest of justice. AI Express flight makes emergency landing after engine catches fire SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P4 Don't make us take a stand which will be very uncomfortable, says SC Min:37% An Air India Express flight made an emergency landing at the Abu Dhabi airport on Friday after one of its engines caught fire. The incident occurred while the Calicut-bound the Air India Express B737-800 flight was at a height of 1,000 feet during its climb after taking off from the Abu Dhabi airport, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A full emergency was declared on the flight, following which it made a safe emergency landing. Officials said that the 184 passengers on board the aircraft were safely evacuated. During 2021-22, a total 1,090 incidents of technical snags were reported. In a written reply at the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the technical snags may be due to improper functioning/malfunctions of systems or equipment or components fitted on the aircraft. "Some of the technical snags may require the flight crew to take actions such as air turn back, aborted takeoff, or go around keeping safety of operation in view and are usually taken to avert serious incidents/ accidents. DGCA orders probe, IndiGo flies Patna-bound passenger to Udaipur SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI , 3 FEBRUARY The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry after a passenger who was supposed to take an Indigo flight to Patna instead boarded another flight of the airline and landed at Udaipur - about 1400km away from his destination. The incident was reported on January 30 (Monday), and the passenger was sent to his destination next day. A senior DGCA official said that the passenger, identified as Afsar Hussain, booked a ticket for Patna via Indigo flight 6E-214 and reached Delhi airport on 30 January to board the scheduled flight. But he mistakenly boarded Udaipur-bound flight 6E319 of Indigo.The passenger realised the mistake only after landing at Udaipur Airport.After which he informed officials at Udaipur Airport, who then alerted the airline about the matter. The airline reportedly flew him back to Delhi the same day and then to Patna on 31 January. “We are seeking a report into the matter and appropriate action will be taken against the airline,” the DGCA official said. In the inquiry, DGCA will find out as to why the boarding pass of the passenger was not scanned thoroughly and how he boarded the wrong flight when as per the rule boarding passes are checked at two points before the boarding, he added.Earlier on 13 January, a passenger who had the airline's ticket and boarding pass for an Indore-bound flight boarded a wrong flight and was taken to Nagpur airport. Operators take action to rectify the technical snags based on the guidance provided by the manufacturer before further operating the aircraft," it said. In the inquiry, DGCA will find out as to why the boarding pass of the passenger was not scanned thoroughly and how he boarded the wrong flight when as per the rule boarding passes are checked at two points before the boarding ‘CAMERON GREEN HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO DO A LOT YET’ KERALA BUDGET: FUEL PRICES TO RISE, LAND, LIQUOR TO BE COSTLIER tion filed by Advocates Association of Bangalore against the Centre breaching the timeline for judicial appointments. The Collegium on 13 December last year recommended five judges for elevation to the apex court ~ Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice PV Sanjay Kumar, Patna High Court judge Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Allahabad High Court judge Manoj Misra. On 31 January, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended two more names for elevation as top court judges ~ Justice Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad High Court and Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat. While recommending their names, the Collegium had said the names recommended by it on 13 December 2022 “shall have precedence over the two names recommended presently for appointment to the Supreme Court.” (With agency inputs) P12 Parliament adjourned again; V-P warns of action against MPs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY For the second day, the Opposition forced adjournment of Parliament today, raising a ruckus over its demand for an immediate discussion on the Hindenburg Research report on the Adani Group's alleged financial manipulations and their impact on people's savings in LIC and public sector banks. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar indicated action against Opposition members who violated House norms by rushing to the well of the House. While adjourning the House for the day, he said: “The House stands adjourned to meet at 1100 hours on Monday, 6th February, 2023, with a caution note; those who have come in the Well of the House, violating the regime applicable here, will be dealt with.” As the Upper House assembled after the lunch break at 2.30 p.m, he kept advising the members to go to their seats. He said: "I share the distress and anguish of millions of people at the kind of lack of decorum that we are exhibiting here. People expect us to deliberate, and I expect honourable Members to abide by the long-standing tradition, a sense of parliamentary practice, to go by the decision of the Chair.” The Chairman said: “You have done your job. Adani crisis not going to shake investor confidence, says FM SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY In her first comments on the Adani Group crisis, Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said she did not expect the crisis to affect investor confidence, asserting that the Indian banking system is in a sound position and its financial markets well-regulated. In an interview with a television channel, Mrs Sitharaman noted that the State Bank of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India have already clarified that they are not overexposed to Adani Group stocks. Mrs Sitharaman said India's financial sector is very well regulated and one instance is not going to be indicative of how well Indian financial markets have been governed. Citing the statements of the SBI and the LIC, the finance minister said their exposure to Adani Group stocks is very well within the permitted limits and they are still over profit even with the valuation falling. "I want to recall the words...coming from the horse's mouth has more credibility. Both SBI and LIC have issued detailed statements. And I know the chairperson or the CMD… he has himself come out and explained how they are not overexposed or whatever they said. And also said, look, we are sitting over profits for the exposure that we have which is well within the limit. That's what I understood. I read it through media,”Mrs Sitharaman said. You have brought issues to my notice and I have given my ruling. It is unfortunate that public money comes to be so squandered.” He said there was no order in the House and asked members to take their seats.Earlier, in the short morning sitting, the Chairman said he had received 15 notices from members under Rule 267 from Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and members from the DMK, TRS, CPI (M) and AAP, among others.