THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00| LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘INTERESTS OF GLOBAL SOUTH MUST BE FULLY REPRESENTED’ SHIVAKUMAR DISMISSES RUMOURS OF JOINING BJP P8 TRUMP SAYS HE WILL OFFER ‘GOLD CARDS’ FOR $5 MN PATH TO CITIZENSHIP P5 JASPRIT BUMRAH REFLECTS ON STELLAR 2024 P9 P12 MIST LIKELY IN THE MORNING. GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT TO LIGHT RAIN ACCOMPAINED WITH THUNDERSTORM/LIGHTNING. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 20-30 KMPH). ‘Life ban for convicts in Nitish Kumar expands Cabinet, inducts 7 new ministers from BJP politics Parl’s business’ RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY AGENCIES WEATHER Max. 86 % TEMPERATURE Min. 39 % Max: 32.4 °C (+6.3) SUN RISES 06:47 hrs MOON RISES 06:59 hrs Matter falls outside power of judicial review, Centre tells apex court NEW DELHI, 26 FEBRUARY Min: .15.4 °C (+2.9) SUN SETS 18:20 hrs MOON SETS 17:41 hrs THUMBNAILS Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zardan plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Afghanistan and England in Lahore, Pakistan. n AP (Match report: Pg 12) Rat miners reach last point of the Srisailam tunnel but find no trace of trapped men: A 20-member rescue team comprising rat miners and NDRF and SDRF personnel was, though able to reach the last point of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel last night, returned empty handed unable to locate anyone among the eight trapped workers. However, with the sludge solidifying the rescuers are hopeful of using sniffer dogs to locate the men who might be trapped under the debris of the broken-off part of the Tunnel Boring Machine . T he central government on Wednesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing a plea seeking a lifetime ban on convicted politicians from contesting elections. In its response, the central government stated that acceding to the prayer sought in such a plea is beyond the powers of the judiciary as the same would require a new law, which could only be considered by Parliament. In other words, considering whether there should be a lifetime ban on convicted politicians is a matter that would fall only within the domain of Parliament, and the same is beyond the power of judicial review, the Centre said. Opposing the prayer for a permanent ban on convicted politicians, the Centre also stated that disqualification or penalties in such matters are subject to certain limitations under various laws and that there is nothing "inherently PARLIAMENT’S DOMAIN Opposing a petition seeking a lifetime ban on politicians from contesting elections after being convicted in criminal cases, the Central government said that the duration of disqualification falls strictly within the realm of legislative policy. ∙ Lawyer Ashwini Upadhyaya ∙ "The question whether a had in 2016 filed a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Sections 8 and 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. unconstitutional" in it. Under judicial review, the Centre further argued, the Supreme Court could only strike down the laws as unconstitutional but not grant the relief of lifetime ban sought by the petitioner. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in 2016, seeking that politicians who are convicted criminals be permanently disqualified from contesting elections. In his plea, Mr Upadhaya challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951. The relevant provisions of the act UK ministers announce 17 new export, investment deals with India STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 FEBRUARY UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson have announced 17 new export and investment deals during visits to India this week. There are already over 950 Indian-owned companies operating in the UK and over 650 UK companies operating in India, cumulatively supporting over 6,00,000 jobs across both economies. UK insurance companies in particular have gained more potential to expand in India following the recent Indian budget, which increased the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) permitted in the insurance sector from 74 per cent to 100 per cent. The UK has the third largest technology economy in the world, and a number of UK technology companies have also announced expansion into India, accelerating their growth journey. The British High Commission quoted Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds as saying: “Tech and life sciences are two huge growth sectors for the UK economy. I’m proud that government support has helped some of our finest businesses in these sectors to expand into the exciting Indian market. It’s great to see them going for growth, and their successes will amount to tens of millions of pounds for the UK econ- omy.” Recent Indian investments in the UK valued at over £100 million are expected to create hundreds of new jobs over the next three years in a range of sectors including AI, professional services, and textiles. These investments are proof of global investor confidence of doing business in the UK. The trend of strong Indian investment into the UK in recent years is evident, with the last year-on-year change showing the value of inward FDI stock from India having increased 28% at the end of 2023. India has remained the second largest investor in terms of a number of projects in the UK for five consecutive years. Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson said: “The new Indian investment proves that the government’s Plan for Change is giving Indian businesses the confidence they need to continue investing in Britain. lifetime ban would be appropriate or not is a question that is solely within the domain of the parliament," the Centre said in its counter-affidavit. ∙ The duration of disqualification is decided by Parliament, taking into account the principles of proportionality and reasonableness. "By confining the operation of the penalty to an appropriate length of time, deterrence is ensured while undue harshness is avoided," the Centre said. impose the penalty of disqualification on politicians who are convicted of certain offences, but the same is limited to a maximum period of six years. Mr Upadhaya sought that such disqualification should be made permanent. “The question whether a lifetime ban would be appropriate or not is a question that is solely within the domain of the Parliament,” the Centre said in its counter-affidavit. The duration of disqualification is decided by Parliament, taking into account the principles of proportionality and reasonableness, it said. “By confining the operation of the penalty to an appro- CBSE confirms Punjabi will continue in Board exams PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 26 FEBRUARY Following a massive backlash over the alleged removal of Punjabi as a language option in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) draft scheme for the biannual exam format for Class 10, the board has issued a clarification, reassuring that the language will continue to be offered. The clarification came after political leaders and social media users raised concerns over the apparent exclusion of Punjabi from the regional languages list for the 2025-26 examinations. In a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), Dr Satyam Bhardwaj, the Controller of Examinations at the CBSE, clarified that the list of languages mentioned in the draft scheme was merely indicative. Mahakumbh concludes with final holy dip on Mahashivratri STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MAHAKUMBH NAGAR, 26 FEBRUARY The 45-day-long Mahakumbh ended on Mahashivratri here on Wednesday with a record 66 crore plus devotees converging at the sacred Sangam. Beyond caste distinctions, this event stood as a powerful emblem of the eternal beauty and unity of Sanatan Dharma. On the concluding day on Wednesday, the India Air Force (IAF) held an impressive air show over Sangam as helicopters showered flower petals on devotees. Many devotees said that the ‘144-year factor’ played a major role in their decision to attend this Mahakumbh at all costs. Amid a surge of pilgrims, the Mahakumbh witnessed a number of tragedies in which more than 150 people lost their lives. Opposition leaders were on their toes over these tragedies and slammed the government for covering up the deaths and not disclosing the names of the victims. The major tragedy was struck in the pre-dawn of 29 January on the main Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya, when 30 pilgrims lost their lives and 60 were injured during a stampede at the Sangam Nose. Though there were reports of two more stampedes on that day at other ghats when over 8 crore people thronged the Mahakumbh, there was no official confirmation of it. On 15 February, at least 18 people were killed and 15 others sustained injuries at the New Delhi railway station when some passengers headed for Prayagraj to attend the Mahakumbh slipped on a footbridge between platforms 14 and 15, leading to a stampede at the already overcrowded station. Besides, more than 100 people either on their way to Mahakumbh or returning also lost their lives in road accidents in UP during the period. The Mahakumbh commenced on 13 January on Paush Purnima and featured four Amrit Snans ~ on Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, and Magh Purnima, concluding on Mahashivratri on Wednesday. From the break of dawn, devotees immersed themselves in the divine confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati, with each dip considered a step towards spiritual merit. Amidst the resonating chants of Vedic mantras and the strains of devotional music, the scene unfolded as a breathtaking testament to the vibrancy and devotion of Sanatan culture. With meticulous arrangements by the administration ensuring security and order, Mahakumbh 2025 transcended beyond being just a religious gathering ~ it emerged as a profound symbol of unity and the spiritual strength of Sanatan society. priate length of time, deterrence is ensured while undue harshness is avoided,” the Centre said. The entirety of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or penal law provide for imprisonment or fines up to certain limits and the rationale behind it was that the punitive measures would co-relate with the gravity of offence, the affidavit stated. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had sought the Centre’s response to Mr Upadhaya’s plea and had flagged that the criminalisation of politics is a serious issue. The Centre had now filed an affidavit opposing Mr Upadhaya's plea. IMRAN MOJIB PATNA, 26 FEBRUARY Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his Cabinet on Wednesday by inducting seven new faces from the BJP, raising the number of ministers to 36, the maximum permissible limit in the state with a 243-strong Legislative Assembly. With this expansion, the number of BJP ministers has increased to 21 against the JDU’s 13. One minister is from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) while another is an Independent MLA, Sumit Kumar Singh. Through the expansion, the state chief minister has tried to give representation to every caste and region with an eye on the upcoming elections in the state. The new ministers are Raju Singh (Rajput), Jivesh Mishra (Bhumihar), Vijay Mandal (backward class), Krishna Kumar Mantu (Kurmi), Sunil Kumar (Kushwaha), Sanjay Saraogi (Vaishya) and Motilal Prasad (Teli). Two MLAs from the Darbhanga district have been made ministers. Similarly, two other MLAs have been made ministers from the Tirhut division. Apart from this, one MLA each from Patna, Purnia, and Saran divisions has got a place in the Nitish Cabinet. The Cabinet expansion, which was long overdue, had been delayed due to the preoccupation of the Central BJP leadership with parliamentary and assembly elections in various states. The party decided to induct seven new faces in the Cabinet after a meeting with BJP President J P Nadda during his Patna visit on Tuesday. One of the reasons for the delay in the Cabinet expansion was that the decision on the assigning of departments to new ministers was not an easy task. It needed a major reshuffle in the departments of the existing ministers. The state leadership was not ready to take the risk of annoying the ministers at a time when the assembly elections in the state were round the corner. However, Mr Nadda’s presence at the meeting eased the decision making process. On Tuesday, Mr Nadda met Nitish Kumar with a proposal to induct seven more ministers from the BJP. Mr Kumar accepted the proposal with a condition that JDU ministers would continue to hold their departments. The BJP chief agreed to the proposal that the new ministers would be assigned the departments currently held by the BJP MLAs. Earlier, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaisawal resigned as the revenue & land reforms minister of the state, paving the way for one new face to join the Cabinet. He said: “I have resigned from the Cabinet to follow the party’s policy of ‘one man, one post’. I am thankful to the party leadership for assigning me the responsibility to lead the party in Bihar. I will focus on making the organisation stronger ahead of the elections.”