FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY IndiGo flight makes emergency landing: | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE T he Lokpal's recently floated tender to procure seven luxury vehicles for the members of the anti-corruption ombudsman has ignited a storm of criticism and public outrage, with the anti-corruption body’s priorities being roundly pilloried. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh branded the institution as “Shokpal” and “Shockpal,” lamenting what he saw as a far cry from the Lokpal’s original promise. “Lokpal is not Lokpal any longer. It is ‘Shokpal’ and ‘Shockpal’,” he said in a sharp comments on social media. “Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, ‘India Against Corruption’, and the RSS did a lot of publicity in 2012 and 2013, emphasising the importance of the Lokpal. Now just look at the actions of the Lokpal itself... Which investigations have they initiated? Which people have they got arrested for?” he asked. Saket Gokhale, Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP posted on X: “Annual Budget of India’s Lokpal is Rs 44.32 crore. Now Loklap is purchasing 7 luxury BMW cars at approx Rs 5 crores for all members. This amounts to 10% of the entire annual budget. Lokpal is supposedly an anti corruption body. So who will probe the corrupt Lokpal." Fellow party MP Sushmita Dev wrote: “Lokpal has consistently been weakened by the Modi government. It has not been allowed to work. No complaint against the corruption of the Prime Minister ECI launches 2-day conference of CEOs to bolster nationwide SIR preparedness STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 October To prepare for a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, the Election Commission of India Wednesday inaugurated its pivotal two-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs). The event, which is taking place at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management, marks a strategic step forward in ensuring full readiness for the upcoming nationwide SIR of electoral rolls, the poll panel said in a press note. Presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and joined by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the conference brings together CEOs from all states and Union NEW DELHI | SILIGURI Oppn leaders lambast Lokpal’s BMW tender New Delhi, 22 October Varanasi: IndiGo Airlines flight 6E-6961, flying from Kolkata to Srinagar, had to make an emergency landing at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport on Wednesday evening after a fuel leak was reported. The pilot, realizing the severity of the situation, immediately contacted Varanasi's Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested landing permission. Upon receiving permission, the plane landed safely on the runway at 4:10 pm. According to the Gomti Zone Police, all 166 passengers on board are safe. They have been safely evacuated to the arrival hall. The technical team is currently inspecting and repairing the aircraft. The situation is completely normal and under control. | Territories. Their core agenda is to rigorously assess and fine-tune the preparedness of their offices for the critical SIR exercise. “This conference is not just a routine review, but a commitment to strengthening the foundation of our democracy through meticulous electoral roll management,” said CEC Kumar. “The accuracy and inclusiveness of voter lists are paramount to free and fair elections, and we expect every state and UT to be fully prepared.” The conference builds on the groundwork laid during the previous SIR preparedness meet on 10 September. At that session, the states and UTs presented detailed data on their elector base, the qualifying date of their last SIR, and the status of their electoral rolls. The focus is on progress made in aligning current electors with those registered in the last SIR, ensuring data integrity and minimizing discrepancies. Additionally, the Commission meticulously reviewed the appointment and training status of key electoral officers — District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and Booth Level Assistants (BLAs) — whose roles are vital for the success of the SIR. is entertained. Now, it had floated a tender to buy premium cars. It is an insult to the people of India and their sentiment. Our head hangs in shame.” The tender, floated on 16 October, calls for the procurement of seven BMW 3 Series 330 Li ‘M Sport’ models in white, with the delivery expected within two weeks, and no extension of time permitted beyond 30 days. The Lokpal currently functions with seven members, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice A M Khanwilkar. Chopper carrying Prez on Sabarimala trip gets stuck in helipad concrete STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Thiruvananthapuram, 22 October The helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu, who was on her way to the famed Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, got stuck at the helipad on landing at Pramadam, near Pathanamthitta, Kerala on Wednesday morning. The helicopter's tires sank slightly into the freshly laid concrete at the Konni Pramadam Indoor Stadium near Pathanamthitta. However, the President continued her journey to Pampa by road without any delay. The helicopter was initially scheduled to land at Nilakkal for the President's Sabarimala visit. The choice of BMWs has drawn comparisons to the Supreme Court’s vehicle policy, where the Chief Justice of India is assigned a Mercedes and other judges get BMW 3 Series cars ~ the same model the Lokpal seeks to acquire. However, critics argue that public funds should prioritize Indian-made vehicles. Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa, weighed in on the controversy, urging the cancellation of the tender in favour of “Make in India” electric vehicles such as Mahindra’s XUV 9EV or Tata’s Harrier EV. “They are top-class vehicles,” he asserted. Prominent activist advocate Prashant Bhushan also condemned the tender, accusing Lokpal members of “now buying Rs 70 lakh BMW cars for themselves,” highlighting a perceived disconnect between the institution’s mandate and its spending choices. The episode has intensified calls for transparency and accountability within India’s premier anti- corruption watchdog. | BHUBANESWAR | Thursday, 23 October 2025 Bihar: Gehlot plays down seat-sharing tensions after meeting Lalu, Tejashwi IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 22 October Veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot held a long, closed-door meeting with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday in Patna to ease tensions that have arisen between the RJD and the Congress ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. The meeting was aimed to resolve the friction caused by seat-sharing disputes and instances of alliance partners fielding candidates against each other in certain constituencies as these developments have raised questions about the unity of the INDIA alliance. Later, Mr Gehlot, accompanied by Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru, also met RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, and Mangnilal Mandal. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the former Rajasthan Chief Minister claimed that everything was fine within the alliance. “Everything is going very well. Any confusion that remains will be completely cleared up in a day or two,” he said. He said that in an alliance of this scale, disputes over 5–10 seats were not significant and should be viewed as “friendly fights,” often triggered by local dynamics and the enthusiasm of grassroots workers. Mr Gehlot also accused the BJP of running a sponsored campaign in Bihar aimed at creating division within the INDIA bloc and vitiating the political atmosphere. He claimed that an impression was being created as if the alliance was breaking apart. Addressing the issue of alliance partners fielding candidates against Congress nominees, he said: “In 5–7 of the 243 constituencies, due to local leaders and political equations, situations resembling a ‘friendly fight’ sometimes arise. This is a very small number, but the media has launched a campaign against the alliance over it. In reality, there is no problem at all.” Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru also clarified the party’s position on the state’s electoral strategy. “There is a contest for 243 seats in Bihar, and this fight is directly against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA),” he said. Ladakh leaders seek time-bound resolution of statehood, 6th Schedule demandsfrom MHA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 22 October The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in their meeting with the sub-committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday sought time bound resolution of their demands of statehood and inclusion in the Constitution's Sixth Schedule for Ladakh. They also demanded immediate release of the climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and lodged in the Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan. Members of the two bodies said that their talks with the MHA have resumed on a “positive note”. Breaking the stalemate, leaders of the LAB and KDA resumed talks with the MHA after a freeze following the 24 September Leh firing incident that killed four people and injured over 90. Ladakh MP, Mohmad Haneefa, said after the meeting that there is an expectation that the issues of Ladakh will be addressed by the government. “The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere, with an encouraging start. Both Ladakh's leadership and officials from the MHA participated openly and sincerely. Discussions focused on safeguarding issues, with all concerns presented”. “There is a hopeful expectation that Ladakh's issues will be addressed in the near future. Although a single meeting is unlikely to yield immediate decisions, a request was made for a series of meetings to thoroughly discuss and resolve these issues. Additionally, demand was made for the release of detainees, including Sonam Wangchuk, and compensation for families who lost their loved ones in the 24 September police firing,” he said. The meeting was attended by members of the LAB, KDA, MP and chief executive councillors of the Leh and Kargil Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils. KDA member Sajjad Kargili, said that the issues of statehood and Sixth Schedule are on the table. The Ladakh leaders had boycotted the talks scheduled with the MHA on 6 October after the Leh firing. The MHA extended a fresh invitation to representatives of the LAB) and KDA for another round of talks in New Delhi on 22 October. India jumps to ninth spot in global forest area rankings: FAO report MeitY proposes mandatory labels, metadata tagging to combat deepfakes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued draft amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, that mandate platforms to clearly identify "synthetically generated content" and introduce new technical obligations for services facilitating its creation. The proposed changes introduce a clear definition of “synthetically generated information” and require platforms, especially major social media intermediaries (SSMIs), to label such content through metadata and visible or audible markings. Under IT rules, SSMIs are those platforms that have more than 5 million registered users New Delhi, 22 October India has risen in its ranking for total forest area, moving up one spot from 10th to 9th, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization report, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025. In terms of annual forest gain, however, there has been no change with India maintaining its third position worldwide. Russia tops the list with the world’s largest forest area — 832,630 thousand hectares, nearly double that of Brazil (486,087 thousand hectares), which ranks second. India, with 72,739 thousand hectares, ranks ninth, accounting for about 2 per cent of the world’s total forest area. The assessment is based on data that individual countries report and member nations review. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday took to social media to highlight the nation’s achievement. Referring to the FAO’s assessment and India’s position in terms of annual forest area gain, he stated it reaffirms the country’s commitment to sustainable forest management and ecological balance. He attributed India's accomplishment to government policies and programmes for forest protection, afforestation, and community-led environmental action under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Yadav added that Modi’s continued insistence on environmental consciousness has encouraged the people across the nation to participate actively in tree plantation and protection. “This growing public participation is fostering a strong sense of collective responsibility towards a greener and sustainable future. The achievement comes on the back of the Modi government’s planning and policies for protection and enhancement of the forest and massive plantation efforts by State Governments,” an environment ministry note quoted Yadav as saying. As per the latest definition, “all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10%, irrespective of ownership and legal status” are considered ‘Forests’ in India. These lands may include plantations, including rubber, coffee, coconut, and others, which may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. AGENCIES New Delhi, 22 October in India, such as Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, etc. The proposed rule mandates that social media platforms facilitating AI content creation must ensure that the information is “prominently labelled or embedded with permanent unique metadata or identifier”. The identifier must be visible or audible, “covering at least ten per cent of the surface area of the visual display or, in the case of audio content, during the initial ten per cent of its duration,” the rules stated. The draft rules also said that the metadata or identifier must not be alterable, suppressed, or removed. If a platform knowingly allows unlabelled or falsely declared AI-generated content, it will be deemed to have failed in exercising due diligence under the IT Act. Platforms that enable the creation or modification of synthetic content would also be required to adopt technical measures to verify and declare ifuploadedcontentisAI-generated, the ministry said. The ministry added that the move is part of its broader push to maintain an “open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet” while addressing growing risks of misinformation, impersonation, and election manipulation driven by generative AI.