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 LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Khalai Makhlooq ‘If the West criticises you, it means you’re doing something right’ Page 08 Page 06 BRIEFLY ‘Governor not a post-office, can veto a bill, in his wisdom’ Page 5 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE LS okays Bill to regulate online gaming sector New Delhi, 20 August Allahabad HC stays Abbas Ansari’s 2-year jail term: Kolkata: The Allahabad High Court stayed the two-year jail sentence of former MLA Abbas Ansari, son of the late mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, here on Wednesday. In a major relief, Ansari’s assembly membership will also be reinstated, and there will be no by-election in the Mau assembly seat. Page 13 21 Maoists surrender in Dantewada: New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough for Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal strategy, 21 Maoists, including 13 carrying cash rewards totalling Rs 25.5 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Dantewada district on Wednesday. The surrender was carried out under the state’s flagship campaigns -- “Puna Margam (Revival through Rehabilitation)" and “Lon Varratu (Come Back Home)" -- which aim to reintegrate misguided youth into mainstream society. Agni-5 missile successfully test-fired: New Delhi: India successfully tested its Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile ‘Agni 5’. In a move that is being seen as a major boost to the defence sector of the country, the test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha. T STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 20 August Union Home Minister Amit Shah tables in the Lok Sabha the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in New Delhi on Wednesday. ANI provide a legal framework for the removal of the Chief Minister or a Minister of the Union Territory in case of arrest or detention in custody on account of serious criminal charges. The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to amend the Government of Union Territories Act to provide a legal framework for the removal of Ministers in Union Territories. The Opposition members, including Congress, the Delhi CM attacked during public hearing; man had multiple prior cases STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 20 August Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was allegedly attacked on Wednesday morning by a man who had come to a public hearing at the CM’s official residence. The man, 41-year-old Rajesh Khimji Sakariya (photo), originally from Rajkot in Gujarat, was apprehended by police and is being questioned. The motive behind the attack was not immediately apparent. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva told reporters that the police are investigating the matter and taking appropriate action. According to Mr Sachdeva, the man had come to the public hearing and allegedly tried to pull the chief minister's hand, but was immediately subdued by the people and staff present there. The chief minister’s office described the attack as part of a ‘well-planned conspiracy to kill her.’ Officers said the assault was serious and could have been life-threatening. According to police sources, Sakariya had earlier been booked by Gujarat Police in five similar cases. Police have also been able to determine that he had come to the CM’s residence on Tuesday, apparently to reconnoitre the place. What reason could justify leaving Shreyas: Nayar NATION Ruckus in Parl: Oppn protests Bill to sack jailed PMs, CMs he Lok Sabha was adjourned twice on Wednesday due to intense protests by Opposition members over the introduction of three Bills which would provide for removing Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and Union and state ministers facing serious criminal charges. Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three Bills, which were subsequently referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to amend the Constitution to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Prime Minister or a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers and the Chief Minister or a Minister in the Council of Ministers of States and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to Thursday, 21 August 2025 SPORTS NATION EDITORIAL PAGE | Trinamul Congress, the AIMIM, the CPI(M), and others, strongly opposed the bills, terming them "draconian" and "anti-democratic." Some MPs even tore up the copies of the bills and threw them at Amit Shah, leading to a heated exchange between the Treasury and Opposition benches. The JPC will now review the bills, and the government is likely to face stiff resistance from the opposition over the matter in the upcoming sessions. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was approved on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote within hours of its being introduced and amidst loud Opposition protests. The Bill, moved by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to promote and regulate the online gaming sector, including e-sports, educational games, and social gaming, while prohibiting online money games and related advertisements. The Bill proposes a complete ban on offering, operating, or facilitating online money games, with penalties of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to 3 years for offenders. The government plans to establish a National e-Sports Authority to oversee and promote competitive gaming, with rules for fair play, standards. Page 16 New Constitution Amendment Bill aims to end country’s democratic era: CM Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 20 August Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today strongly condemned the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill tabled in Parliament that seeks to allow the removal if prime ministers, state chief ministers, and Union and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges. She described the Bill as more than a declaration of a super Emergency, calling it a decisive step towards ending India’s democratic era. “This draconian move will dismantle democracy and federalism in India,” she said. On her official X handle, Miss Banerjee wrote: “I condemn the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill proposed to be tabled by the Government of India today. I denounce it as a measure that goes beyond a super emergency—a step aimed at permanently ending India’s democratic era. This draconian move is a death knell for democracy and federalism in our country. "To suppress the voting rights of Indian citizens under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Centre has introduced yet another authoritarian measure. This Bill seeks to undermine the independence of our judiciary - what we are witnessing is unprecedented. It is nothing short of a Hitlerian assault on the very soul of Indian democracy. "The Bill aims to strip the judiciary of its Constitutional role, removing the courts’ power to adjudicate on matters central to justice and federal balance. By vesting such authority in partisan hands, the Bill mutilates democracy. This is not reform— it is regression. It signals a shift towards a system where the law no longer rests with independent courts, but is placed in the hands of vested interests. "It is a chilling attempt to establish a regime where judicial scrutiny is silenced, Constitutional safeguards are dismantled, and the rights of the people are trampled.” She added: “To weaken the courts is to weaken the people. Denying them the right to seek justice is to deny them democracy itself. We must resist this dangerous overreach. Our Constitution is not the property of those in temporary seats of power—it belongs to the people of India.” The Bill, she said, seeks to empower the Union to intrude upon the people’s mandate, granting sweeping powers to unelected authorities such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) - whom the Supreme Court has previously described as ‘caged parrots’ -to interfere in the functioning of elected state governments. CP Radhakrishnan files nomination for Vice President’s post STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ‘It’s not CP Radhakrishnan vs Sudershan Reddy in VP contest’ New Delhi, 20 August CP Radhakrishnan, the National Democratic Alliance nominee, filed his nomination papers for the post of Vice President on Wednesday. He filed his nomination in Parliament House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda and other senior leaders in attendance. The Election Commission has scheduled the Vice Presidential election for September 9, with nominations to be filed by 21 August and withdrawals accepted until 25 August. Mr Radhakrishnan is a seasoned politician and currently serves as the Governor of Meghalaya. A senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, he has had an extensive political and administrative career, STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 20 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi submits the nomination papers of NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan, for the election to the post of Vice President, in New Delhi on Wednesday. ANI serving as a Member of Parliament and known for his legislative acumen and commitment to social empowerment. Modi praised Radhakrishnan's dedication, humility, and intellect, highlighting his grassroots work in Tamil Nadu. The nomination papers were filed in four sets, each carrying the signatures of 20 proposers and 20 seconders. PM Modi was the lead proposer in the first set, while other sets included signatures from Union ministers & senior NDA leaders. Around 160 NDA members, including ministers and MPs, were present during the filing of the nomination papers. Expressing satisfaction over his nomination as the INDIA bloc’s Vice-Presidential candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy clarified that the contest should not be seen as ‘Radhakrishnan versus Reddy.’ Speaking to the media, here today, Reddy said, “I am happy about my nomination. If it was an unpleasant one, why would I undertake this journey and proceed further?" "It is not Radhakrishnan versus Reddy. I don't think even Radhakrishnan treats it as 'Reddy versus Radhakrishnan'. At present, there are two candidates. We do not know there may be a third candidate tomorrow. Since it is not a general election, in that sense, the Vice President of India is to be elected by the members of the parliament. Therefore, there is no question of any whip by political parties asking that you vote for this man, or you don't vote for that man. It is the wisdom and their individual assessment about the relative merits and demerits of the candidates," he said. Commenting on Kharge's remarks calling his the upcoming VP elections as "ideological fight", Reddy said the INDIA bloc and the NDA represent two different ideologies. "What's wrong with this? If not NDA, the dominant political party in India represents a particular ideology. Kharge believes in an entirely different ideology, therefore he made that statement. What is wrong with that statement?" he said. GoM proposes exempting GST on health, life insurance for individuals India should encourage targeted Chinese FDI in manufacturing under the PLI scheme: Study AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 20 August Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday addressed the Group of Ministers (GoMs) constituted by the GST Council on Compensation Cess, Health and Life Insurance (for individuals), and Rate Rationalisation at Vigyan Bhawan. "Everyone expressed that Life and Health Insurance (for individuals) should be exempted from GST. The GST Council will decide," said Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who was present at the meeting. Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also confirmed that the GoM proposed a complete exemption on health and life insurance for individuals. Currently, both health and life insurance policy premiums attract 18 per cent GST. During the meeting, Mrs Sitharaman emphasised that the proposal by the Central Government is with a vision to usher in the next generation of GST reforms in India's journey towards becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat. Union Minister of State for Finance, Chief Minister of Goa, Deputy CM of Bihar and Finance Ministers of States in the three GoMs were also present at the meeting. The next GST Council meeting is likely to be held next month ~ September. The reforms will correct inverted duty structures to cut input tax credit accumulation and boost domestic value addition, resolve classification issues for simpler compliance and fewer disputes and ensure stability & predictability in GST policy to strengthen industry confidence and long-term planning. The rate rationalisation exercise aims at providing greater relief to the common man, farmers, the middle class and MSMEs, while ensuring a simplified, transparent and growth-oriented tax regime. This would enhance affordability, boost consumption and make essential and aspirational goods more accessible to a wider population. WITH REGARD TO IMPORTS FROM CHINA, INDIA’S HEAVY RELIANCE ON CHINESE IMPORTS, ESPECIALLY IN INTERMEDIATE AND CAPITAL GOODS, RAISES CONCERNS, BUT COMPLETE DECOUPLING IS UNREALISTIC GIVEN CHINA’S DEEP INTEGRATION IN GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS. New Delhi, 20 August India should encourage targeted Chinese FDI in manufacturing under the PLI scheme, particularly in high-dependence sectors like electronics, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals, thereby strengthening domestic capacity, local supply chains, and technology transfer, according to a recent study. Amidst the thaw in India-China relations, the study “Calibrating India's Economic Engagement Strategy with China Amidst the Changing Geopolitical Landscape”, prepared by the International Economic Relations (ICRIER) examined the existing imbalances in economic relations between the two countries and suggested key recommendations for the way forward. Trade with China has remained highly imbalanced, with India’s imports from China pegged at US $113.5 billion in 2024-25 and exports at just US $14.3 billion, resulting in a record bilateral deficit of US $99.2 billion. On the other hand, FDI inflows from China have remained abysmally low at US $886 million during the last decade. “The study, undertaken by Professor Nisha Taneja and her team, explores three key questions: (i) How can India enhance and diversify its exports to China? (ii) What strategies can reduce India’s import dependence on China? and (iii) How can Chinese FDI into India be increased with appropriate guardrails?” ICRIER, New Delhi said in a statement. As per the study, India’s untapped export potential to China is estimated at US$ 161 billion - almost ten times the actual export value, 74 per cent of which is in medium and high-tech sectors unlike the composition of current exports which are concentrated in primary, and resource-based sectors. India needs to adopt an export diversification strategy and target items with high export potential such as telephone sets, aircraft, turbojets, motor vehicle parts, and photo-semiconductor devices. The study highlights that the realisation of large additional export potential with China has been constrained by several tariff and non-tariff barriers. To address market access barriers, India and China should set up a joint task force to resolve NTBs, improve transparency through fair testing and WTO compliant communication. On its part, India must upgrade its quality standards to enhance export competitiveness and reduce vulnerability to trade measures. Alongside this, India should reduce uncompetitive imports by sourcing from more competitive suppliers such as Vietnam, South Korea, and the UAE, which offer lower prices than China for several products.