FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR 'OPERATION LOTUS' SHADOW GETS BIGGER AS MVA MPS MEET PM, SHAH YOON DEFENDS MARTIAL LAW, VOWS TO ‘FIGHT TO THE END’ P9 SENSEX 81,289.96q236.18 WEATHER COLD WAVE CONDITIONS AT ISOLATED PLACES. SMOG/MIST IS LIKELY IN THE MORNING. MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/MIST IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 23 AND 04 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE Min. 32 % Max: 22.2 °C (-1) SUN RISES 07:06 hrs MOON RISES 15:27 hrs Min: 04.5 °C (-4) SUN SETS 17:26 hrs MOON SETS 04:53 hrs THUMBNAILS Vehicles ply on a snow-covered road at Tangmarg as the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir receives fresh snowfall, at Gulmarg, in Baramulla on Thursday. n ANI Retail inflation declines in November to 5.48 pc: India's retail inflation in November was recorded at 5.48 per cent as compared to 6.21 per cent logged in October, data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said. Further, the corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban in November are 5.95 per cent and 4.83 per cent, respectively. The inflation data is in line with the Reserve Bank of India's 2-6 per cent comfort band. (P10) NIFTY FARMER HANDCUFFED IN TELANGANA P5 24,548.70q93.10 HAZLEWOOD AIMING FOR BRISBANE COMEBACK P8 ` vs $ 84.88 GOLD 80,610.00 Gukesh crowned youngest Chess World Champion P12 SILVER 1,04,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.50q-02 Apex court halts new suits, surveys on religious sites amid Worship Act case PARMOD KUMAR Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship title NEW DELHI, 12 DECEMBER AGENCIES In a long-awaited succour, the Supreme Court on Thursday restrained all courts across the country from passing any effective interim or final order including that of surveys in pending suits staking a claim over existing religious structures. Asking the Central government to file its response to the petitions before the court on the matter, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K V Viswanathan also ordered that no fresh suits can be registered making claims over other religious places while the court is hearing cross-petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Section 3 and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and others seeking “effective and proper” enforcement of the 1991 law. “As the matter is subjudice before this court, we deem it fit to direct that while suits may be filed, no suits would be registered and proceedings undertaken till further orders of this court. In the pending suits, courts would not pass any effective interim order or final orders, including orders of survey,” the top court directed. SINGAPORE, 12 DECEMBER I ndian chess sensation D Gukesh on Thursday dethroned reigning Chinese champion Ding Liren to be crowned the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Champion, becoming, at age 18, the youngest ever world champion, and the second Indian to wear the crown. Gukesh capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th and final game of their FIDE World Championship tie to dethrone the champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5. The Chennai native is the 18th World Champion in the over century-long history of chess and the youngest, beating Garry Kasparov, who won the title at the age of 21. Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship title, claiming the title just over a decade after five-time Champion Viswanathan Anand had lost the title to Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Chennai in 2013. Carlsen has abdicated the crown in 2023, paving the way for Ding to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi. With the scores levelled at 6.5-6.5 each heading into their final game, Gukesh on Thursday managed to deliver his best when it was needed the most.Having battled it out for 13 games over three weeks, Ding was looking forward to the rapid and blitz tiebreakers as he had effectively countered the aggressive tactics of the young Indian challenger to steer the game towards a drawish position. But the 32-year-old champion made a sensational blunder when he moved his rook, causing it to be trapped and him to lose the game as Gukesh had an extra pawn in the king pawn ending. Gukesh nearly leapt out of his chair, took a pause, settled his nerves, claimed the rook and sealed the victory. "I have been dreaming of this for the last 10-12 years since I started playing chess and the only way to explain this is that I am living my dream. Firstly, thankfully to God as I am living a miracle and it could be possible only because of God," said Gukesh, who praised Ding Liren for the fight he put up in this match despite not being in great physical condition. The 18-year-old Indian had created history in April as he won the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024, to become the youngest-ever challenger to the world title held by Liren. Following the game, Liren said in the postmatch press conference: “I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder. I will continue to play. I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could be better, but considering yesterday's lucky survive it is a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets.” The court gave the Central government four weeks’ time to file its response to the petitions challenging certain provisions of the 1991 law. The Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, prohibit the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on 15 August 1947. The bench was told that at present 18 suits are pending in the country relating to 10 mosques or shrines, including Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Ajmer Sharif Dargah and the Sambhal mosque. Stating that the hearing will be focused on the questions framed in the matter on 10 October 2022, the court kept it open to the parties to suggest any other question, for its consideration, that they like to be adjudicated. The petitioners, questioning the constitutionality of the Section 3, and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, have stated that the 1991 law is void and unconstitutional as it has taken away the right to approach the Court and deprives Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs to take back their places of worship and pilgrimage connected with their cultural heritage (Article 29) and it also restricts them from restoring the possession of their places of worship. The 1991 law, the petitions challenging it say, violates the principles of secularism and rule of law, which is an integral part of the Preamble and basic structure of the Constitution. Section 3 of the Act bars the conversion of places of worship. It states: "No person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination or any section thereof into a place of worship of a different section of the same religious denomination or of a different religious denomination or any section thereof." Section 4 bars filing of any suit or initiating any other legal proceeding for a conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, as existing on 15 August 1947. FM lashes out at Rahul Gandhi over 'One Nation, One Election' Bill gets Cabinet's nod his remarks on Public Sector Banks NIKHIL VYAS The Union Cabinet has already approved the Ram Nath Kovind CommitteeÊs report on the proposal, which advocates simultaneous elections across the country. NEW DELHI, 12 DECEMBER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 DECEMBER Lashing out at the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, over his remarks on the state-run banks, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said he has a penchant for making baseless statements. Mr Gandhi had accused the government of misusing state-run banks and their wealth. Reacting to this in a series of posts on social media platform ‘X’, the Finance Minister said: “Rahul Gandhi has a penchant for making baseless statements and the fact is that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had resulted in significant deterioration in the health of public sector banks.” Mr Gandhi alleged that the PSBs had been turned into “private financiers” only for the rich and powerful corporations and were being forced to prioritise profit over people and unable to serve the people effectively. Mr Gandhi also said that with staff shortages and "toxic work environment", PSBs are expected to reach unachievable targets without being provided a level playing field. Mr Gandhi had met a delegation of the All India Banking Officers Confederation and took to ‘X’ to draw the attention of govt on the state of PSBs. “Modi govt must stop using PSBs as an unlimited source of funds for their fraudulent friends. There's also more to a public sector bank than a dividend cheque to the govt at the end of the year,” he said in a post. The Finance Minister called the allegation as an insult to the hardworking employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. “Banking sector, especially public sector banks (PSBs), have seen a remarkable turnaround under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” she wrote. “Rahul Gandhi's misrepresentation of facts is an insult to the hardworking PSB employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. It's high time the INCIndia up-skills the LOP's understanding of governance,” she said. The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, aimed to mandate the holding of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections, which is likely to be introduced in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament, sources said. The Bill, once cleared by both houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, will become a law. To ensure broad support, the Union government plans to build consensus on the Bill, possibly referring it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussions. This exercise will pave the way for including opinions from all political parties which will be sending their representatives. Moreover, this will also facilitate other stakeholders, including state Assembly Speakers to share their views. Opinions of the public may also be sought. Earlier on Wednesday, former President Ram Nath Kovind said the Union government must build a consensus on the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, emphasising that the issue transcends political interests and serves the nation as a whole. Talking to the media, Mr Kovind, who chairs the committee set up to look into the issue, said: "The Central government will have to build consensus. This issue is not in the interest of any party Assam govt links Aadhaar applications to NRC; evokes opp backlash STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE GUWAHATI, 12 DECEMBER In a move that has sparked controversy and a strong political backlash, the Assam government has announced that Aadhaar applications will be rejected if the applicant or their family members have not applied for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC). This decision has drawn fierce criticism from Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamul Congress (TMC), which accuse the government of undermining democratic norms. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration have defended the policy as a necessary measure to address illegal immigration concerns, particularly from neighbouring Bangladesh. Mr Sarma said that linking Aadhaar with the NRC would ensure proper identification and prevent misuse of welfare schemes. Gaurav Gogoi, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, criticised the decision, labelling it a political ploy and pointing to alleged financial mismanagement in Assam. Mr Gogoi cited government data alleging widespread corruption in welfare schemes like the PM Kisan initiative. “Significant amounts of public funds have been funnelled into the hands of BJP affiliates while residents continue to bear the burden of GST and other taxes,” he claimed on social media. Sushmita Dev, TMC Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, raised legal objections, emphasising that the Registrar General of India (RGI) has not officially notified the NRC. She pointed out that Aadhaar is not contingent on citizenship status, adding, “Non-citizens in India are eligible for Aadhaar if they have lived in the country for 182 days in the preceding 12 months. Unless someone is officially declared an illegal migrant, denying them Aadhaar is unjust.” Ms Dev accused the Sarma government of turning Assam into a “banana republic” and called the decision legally and morally untenable. Although the Assam government has not formally declared the NRC as a precondition for Aadhaar, the new policy effectively enforces it. Under the recently approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), applicants’ documents will be scrutinised to verify their NRC status before being forwarded to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for Aadhaar processing. The process is expected to be completed within 45 days of application submission. The NRC, finalised on 31 August 2019, excluded over 19 lakh individuals from a total of 3.3 crore applicants while including 3.11 crore names. However, the RGI has not yet formally notified it, rendering its legal validity uncertain. This unresolved status has added to the controversy surrounding its use as a criterion for Aadhaar applications. The NRC was initially designed to identify illegal immigrants in Assam, a state long grappling with migration issues. Rooted in the 1985 Assam Accord, the NRC seeks to address concerns about demographic changes and resource allocation. The process has remained contentious, with many excluded individuals arguing that they were unfairly left out due to administrative errors or lack of documentation. While proponents of the NRC argue that it protects Assamese identity and prevents illegal immigration, critics contend that it has led to widespread human rights violations, rendering millions stateless and vulnerable. but the nation. It (One Nation, One Election) will be a gamechanger~ it's not my opinion but that of economists, who believe that after its implementation, the country's GDP will rise by 1-1.5 per cent." The Union Cabinet has already approved the Ram Nath Kovind Committee’s report on the proposal, which advocates simultaneous elections across the country. According to the Union government, the One Nation, One Election Bill will not only streamline the electoral process, but will also foster greater efficiency, and reduce the financial and administrative burden associated with conducting multiple elections at different times. The Centre has stressed that the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ envisions to synchronise the electoral cycles of the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies, allowing voters to cast their ballots for both polls simultaneously. By doing so, the government aims to address several challenges posed by the current system of staggered elections, which often lead to prolonged periods of electioneering, disruption in governance, and heightened expenditure. In September this year, the Union Cabinet had approved the proposal for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed the proposal, saying that the Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind had recommended holding concurrent elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. The panel extensively consulted a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including political parties and experts, before preparing the report. It received extensive feedback indicating overwhelming support for simultaneous elections in the country. India’s economy to grow in range of 6.5 to 7 pc this fiscal: CEA Anantha Nageswaran STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 DECEMBER Even though the Indian economy slowed to 5.4 per cent in the second quarter, it will grow in the range of 6.5 to 7 per cent this fiscal, said Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday. Speaking at the Global Economic Policy Forum 2024, organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Nageswaran said: “We are on track for robust growth, but enduring global uncertainties pose significant challenges that will shape the trend growth in the years ahead.” The CEA attributed the deceleration in GDP growth to factors that could either be temporary or indicative of deeper issues. He stressed on the need to double down on domestic efforts to tackle the global uncertainties, and highlighted the importance of innovation, wage growth, and quality consciousness in driving sustainable economic growth. “We must focus on making ‘Made in India’ synonymous with quality and R&D. Without growth, there are no resources to invest in climate change management.” He also highlighted the global disruptions, and said the spike in energy costs has eroded European industrial competitiveness. “We must manage our energy transition carefully to avoid sacrificing economic growth in the name of sustainability.” He also said India’s capital formation as a share of the GDP is expected to rise from 30.8 per cent to 35 per cent over the next five years, with the private sector increasingly deploying funds. The CEA further said agriculture remains a key focus area. “Policy emphasis must make agriculture productive and resilient while ensuring water security and tailoring incentives appropriately,” he noted. Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered India's economic growth forecast to 6.5 per cent for the current financial year due to lower-than-expected growth in private investment and housing demand. Earlier it estimated the growth of 7 per cent.