FREEBIE CULTURE MADE INTO ART FOR FIGHTING POLLS: GOVT TO SC

The 'freebie culture' will lead to 'disaster' if some political parties understand this is the only way to deliver public welfare measures, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday.

In a response to the August 3 order, the Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said till the time either the legislature or the poll panel steps in, the top court must lay down "dos and don'ts" for political parties in the 'larger national interest.'

The top court was hearing a PIL filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, which opposes the practice of political parties promising freebies during elections and seeks the Election Commission to invoke its powers to freeze their election symbols and cancel their registration.

Mehta said, "Distribution of freebies has been elevated to the level of an art by some parties recently. Elections are fought only on this plank. It is unfortunate that in the country's election spectrum some parties understand that distribution of free things is the only way of 'welfare measures' for the society. This understanding is completely unscientific and will lead to an economic disaster."

The government suggested the Union finance secretary, finance secretaries of states, one representative each from recognised national political parties, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, a representative of Reserve Bank of India, the CEO of NITI Aayog can be made part of the proposed panel. It also said a representative from a national taxpayers' organisation or a retired Comptroller and Auditor General of India may be included in the proposed panel to represent those opposed to such freebies. "Representative from the leading commercial organisations – FICCI and CII and representatives from identified stressed sectors [such as discoms in the power sector] can also be made part of the panel," the law officer said.

WELFARE SCHEMES AND FREEBIES ARE NOT THE SAME, SAYS SC

Observing that freebies and social welfare schemes are two different things, the Supreme Court on Thursday said a balance has to be struck between the economy losing money and welfare measures.

It also ruled out the possibility of considering a plea for de-recognising parties for making promises to give freebies. Asking stakeholders to give suggestions on this aspect before August 17, a bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Krishna Murari said the idea to de-recognise political parties for making promises to give irrational freebies during the polls was ”undemocratic”.

”You can call me reluctant or conservative but I do not want to encroach upon the legislative domain...I am a strict orthodox. I do not want to encroach on the areas meant for the legislature. This is a serious issue. It is not an easy thing. Let us hear others also,” the bench said.

”Freebies and the social welfare scheme are different...Economy losing the money and the welfare of people, both have to be balanced and that is why, this debate. There must be someone who can put their vision and thoughts. Please submit something before my retirement,” the CJI said.

JAGDEEP DHANKHAR SWORN IN AS 14TH VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Thursday sworn in as the 14th Vice President of India. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to Dhankhar (71) during a brief ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Dhankhar took the oath in Hindi in the name of god. "Bahut-bahut badhai (many congratulations)," Murmu said after Dhankhar signed the register of oath.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankhar's predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu, former President Ram Nath Kovind, former Vice President M Hamid Ansari were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

CHINA BLOCKS INDIA, US BID TO DESIGNATE A ‘GLOBAL TERRORIST’

China has blocked a proposal by India and the US at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate Abdul Rauf Azhar, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and deputy chief of the Pakistan-based proscribed terror group, as a “global terrorist”.

Azhar, referred to as Abdul Rauf Asghar in UN documents, was involved in the planning and execution of several terror attacks, including the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 (1999), attack on Parliament (2001), and attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot (2016), government sources said.

“A proposal was moved by India, co-sponsored by the US, to list Abdul Rauf Asghar in the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. China has, however, placed a technical hold on the proposal. All other 14 member states of the UN Security Council were supportive of the listing proposal,” said a source. Listing him as a global terrorist would subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

This is not the first time that China has obstructed the listing of terrorists in the 1267 Sanctions Committee. In June this year, China placed on hold a joint proposal by India and the US to list the deputy chief of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Abdul Rehman Makki, in the sanctions list. Makki was involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youths to resort to violence and planning attacks in India, including the Mumbai terror attacks (2008), according to sources.

A day before Beijing blocked this latest proposal, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, had said at a Security Council meeting chaired by permanent member and Council president China that “the practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests without giving any justification must end”. “Double standards and continuing politicisation have rendered the credibility of the sanctions regime at an all-time low. We do hope that all members of the UNSC can pronounce together in one voice, sooner than later, when it comes to this collective fight against international terrorism,” she had said.

China on Thursday sought to defend its move. “We need more time to assess the application to sanction this individual,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing while replying to a question.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Aug 11

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 16,299

Active Cases 1,25,076 (-3,185)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,26,879 (53)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

UN SOUNDS ALARM AS SHELLING HITS SITE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST N-PLANT IN UKRAINE

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of new shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Thursday ahead of a UNSC meeting to address concerns over the facility’s security.

Both Moscow and Kyiv said there were five rocket strikes near a radioactive material storage area at the plant, Europe’s biggest nuclear facility which has been a focus of renewed fighting in recent days.

Ukraine’s nuclear agency Energoatom said later there had been fresh Russian shelling near one of six reactors, which had caused “extensive smoke” and “several radiation sensors are damaged”.

Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Moscow-installed regional administration, said on messaging app Telegram that Ukrainian forces had “once again struck” the plant.

The Ukrainian plant is under the control of Russian troops and Ukraine has accused Moscow of basing hundreds of soldiers and storing arms there.

The shelling prompted the United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres to call for an immediate end to all military activity around the plant, warning that any damage could lead to “catastrophic consequences” in the region and beyond.

NEPAL MINISTER RETURNS FROM CHINA WITH PROMISES GALORE

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka led an 11-member delegation to China earlier this week on the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister and state councilor Wang Yi.

Upon Khadka’s return, a press release issued by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Khadka and Yi discussed enhancing, among other things, “bilateral trade, connectivity network, health, tourism, agriculture, education”. China will also fund and provide equipment for Covid control mechanism in Nepal, it added.

China is also said to have promised to stand by Nepal “in defence of its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity unconditionally”. On his part, Khadka is said to have convinced the Chinese side of Nepal’s firm adherence to the ‘One China policy’ “irreversibly”.

THE REST

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JEM ATTACK ON RAJOURI ARMY CAMP, FIRST IN OVER FOUR YEARS

The terror attack at an Army camp in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday is the first such attack in four and a half years, and raises several questions.

Earlier too, suicide bombers have attacked Army camps. On February 10, 2018, an Army camp at Sunjuwan in J&K was attacked. Two days later, terrorists had targeted a CRPF camp at Karan Nagar in Srinagar. Since then, military camps have not been targeted. One reason was that the Army and the CRPF changed their standard operating procedures after the terror attack on a military camp at Uri in September 2016. The Uri attack had led to surgical strikes at multiple locations across the LoC.

The camp under attack yesterday is a “company operating base”. A “company” comprises approximately 100 men. It is set up to dominate an area and cannot be termed a full-fledged base. The camp is some 25 km inside the LoC, indicating that the terrorists must have infiltrated earlier. Travelling 25 km, that too in such heavy rain, is almost impossible in one go in the mountainous terrain of Rajouri. The geographical location of the camp indicates that a local guide must have been available to the terrorists, who came wearing police uniform.

DON'T LOWER DIGNITY OF POST: RAHUL HITS OUT AT PM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not lower the dignity of his office by speaking of “black magic”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress for wearing black clothes on August 5 in protest against price rise. "On August 5, we saw how some people tried to spread black magic. These people think that by wearing black clothes they can end their despondency," he had remarked.

“Stop lowering the dignity of the Prime Minister’s post and misleading the country by talking about superstitious things like black magic to hide your black deeds, Prime Minister ji. You will have to address people’s issues,” Rahul tweeted.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also hit out at PM Modi. “The PM said those who wear black clothes will never gain public trust. EVR Periyar wore a black shirt all his life and earned the eternal trust of the people of Tamil Nadu (except those who believed in Sanatana Dharma),” he tweeted.

KEJRIWAL QUESTIONS CENTRE’S FINANCES, FM SAYS HE’S TRYING TO FAN WORRY

Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned the state of the Central Government’s finances, citing its opposition to freebies from political parties, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused the AAP leader of giving a “perverse twist” to the debate and said that spending on health and education has never been viewed in this category.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Kejriwal said, “For the past few days, the way free services given to the public are being opposed is rather baffling. It is being said that if this is not stopped, governments across the country will go bankrupt. They are saying it will lead to a crisis and all such services should be immediately stopped. This also creates doubts about the economic wellbeing of the Central Government. Such huge opposition makes me wonder if it is in bad condition.”

He said, “For the past 70-75 years, children are getting free education in government schools and poor people are getting free medicines in government hospitals. People also get free ration. So what happened all of a sudden that so much ruckus is being created to roll back these public services? I really hope and pray that the Central Government is financially sound and thinking wisely.”

Calling for a “genuine debate” on the issue, Sitharaman told reporters, “The Delhi Chief Minister has given a perverse twist to the debate on freebies. Health and education have never been called freebies. No Indian government has ever denied them. So by classifying education and health as freebies, Kerjiwal is trying to bring in a sense of worry and fear in the minds of the poor.”

Kejriwal, who has been under attack over the introduction of schemes such as free electricity in Delhi and Punjab, also questioned the need to bring in the Agnipath scheme for military recruitment. “It was being said that this scheme was brought because the pension bill of soldiers had bloated so much that the Central Government was finding it hard to bear the expense. This has happened for the first time since Independence that a Central Government has said such a thing,” he said.

Referring to the rural employment guarantee scheme, the Delhi Chief Minister said, “Through MGNREGA, the Central Government used to give 100 days of guaranteed employment to the poorest. They are now saying that they don’t have the funds to run MGNREGA. There has been a reduction of 25 per cent in funds allocated to that scheme this year as compared to previous year.”

He also alleged that taxpayers’ money was used to write-off taxes for the “super rich and huge companies” while tax was imposed “on food items consumed by the poor”.

MAHARASHTRA: ALL’S NOT WELL WITHIN MVA

Shiv Sena’s unilateral decision to appoint Ambadas Danve as the leader of Opposition of the state Legislative Council has created fissures within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. So much so that a delegation of NCP, led by Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Ajit Pawar, met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday night to advise him to consult allies before taking any such major decision.

Congress has openly expressed its displeasure over the action of the Sena leadership, with party state president Nana Patole saying on Thursday that the alliance with the Sena was never “natural” and “permanent”.

“The post of Leader of Opposition in state Assembly is with the NCP and deputy chairperson’s post is with Shiv Sena. We were of the opinion that the leader of Opposition post in the Legislative Council should be given to Congress. But Shiv Sena did not even consult us and went ahead without taking us into confidence. We oppose this,” Patole told mediapersons in Aurangabad. “The alliance with the Sena was never natural and it was done because Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar met our leader Sonia Gandhi,” he added.

HAR GHAR TIRANGA: DEPARTMENT OF POSTS SELLS OVER 1 CRORE NATIONAL FLAGS

Within a short span of ten days, Postal department has sold more than 1 crore national flags, through its 1.5 lakh post offices as well as online, to citizens, informed the Ministry of Communications on Thursday.

"Department of Posts (DoP) with its omnipresent network of 1.5 lakh post offices, has taken the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme to every citizen of the country. Within a short span of 10 days, India Post has sold more than 1 crore national flags, through post offices as well as online, to citizens," the statement said.

These Flags have been sold by the department at a very economical price of Rs 25.

MANIPUR ASKS GOVT STAFF TO EXIT 'ANTI-NATIONAL' SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS

The Manipur government has directed its staff to leave social media groups, which are engaged in spreading "separatist", "anti-national" and "communal" agendas, as per an official document.

An office memorandum issued by Special Secretary (Home) H Gyan Prakash late on Wednesday, said the state government employees must exit such groups on WhatsApp and Facebook by 6 pm on August 12.

"It has been noticed that many formal and informal groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and other chat groups are engaged in furthering separatist, anti-national, anti-state, anti-social, communal and divisive agendas which cause disturbance in existing peaceful social harmony and law and order situation of the state," said the memorandum. "Whereas, information has been received that many government officials including many senior officers are members of these groups inadvertently or by choice, thereby participating directly or indirectly in the furtherance of such separatist, anti-national, anti-state, anti-social and divisive agendas," it added.

BENGALURU WOMAN GOES TO DELHI HC TO STOP FRIEND’S EUTHANASIA TRIP

When the Delhi High Court reopens next week after a week-long break, it will be called upon to decide on a unique case. A 49-year-old woman from Bengaluru wants the court to stop her friend, a Noida-based 48-year-old man with a debilitating health condition, from travelling to Europe allegedly to undergo assisted suicide or euthanasia — an option not available in India to a person who is not terminally ill.

According to a petition filed before the court on Wednesday, the man has been suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2014 and is allegedly planning to travel to Switzerland for a physician-assisted suicide. The woman, who has described herself as a close friend of the patient, has pleaded that his parents, other family members and friends would suffer “irreparable loss” and “hardship” if the plea to halt his travel is not allowed.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. - Thomas Paine

OFF TRACK

The husband finally wised up to the fact that his wife was less than faithful. He hired a private investigator to follow her and in less than a week, had all the information that he needed on the "other man". Being a man of the millennium and all, he decided to handle the matter in what he judged to be sophisticated and business- like manner. He sent the following e-mail to his wife's lover:.

Sir, It has been brought to my attention that for some time now you have been carrying on an affair with my wife. So that we may settle this matter in an intelligent fashion, please be at my office at 3 PM on Friday next.

The "other man" was highly amused by the husband's formal manner and sent the following reply: Dear Sir, I have received a copy of your mass mailing this morning. You may be advised that I will attend the scheduled conference in your office's auditorium.