MADHYA PRADESH AND CHHATTISGARH TO VOTE TODAY IN HIGH-STAKES BATTLE

Over 72 million people across the heartland states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will today vote for 230 assembly seats in the former and 70 seats in the latter.

This round of assembly elections began on November 7 with 20 seats in Chhattisgarh and all of Mizoram going to the polls.

On Thursday, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan interacted with women in Bhopal and said that the love of his sisters will see him through.

The Congress – which is looking to displace the BJP — issued an affidavit from all its 230 candidates pledging to fulfil all poll guarantees. “I will protect the soil of Madhya Pradesh and will remain committed to a corruption-free progressive Madhya Pradesh till the last drop of my blood,” said the affidavit with pictures of Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Kamal Nath.

INDIA CALLS ON CANADA TO RESPECT VIENNA CONVENTION ON DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

India on Thursday called on Canada to provide for a conducive environment in line with provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations so that its officials can discharge their duties without any hindrance or security concerns.

India’s fresh call to Ottawa came days after certain pro-Khalistani elements in Vancouver attempted to disturb a camp organised by the Indian consulate in that city.

“Our High Commission and consulates in Canada regularly organise consular camps. One such camp was organised near Vancouver on November 12 to provide life certificates to pensioners,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during his weekly media briefing. “We reiterate the need for nations to respect the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations so that our diplomats can discharge their diplomatic obligations,” he added.

ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT: INDIA AGAIN CALLS FOR DE-ESCALATION

With Israel’s military offensive in retaliation to last month’s attacks by Hamas reaching one of the major hospitals in the Gaza Strip, India Thursday called for de-escalating the situation and underlined the need for observing international humanitarian law in the face of increasing civilian casualties in the conflict.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, when asked about New Delhi’s view on Israeli troops undertaking an operation at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, said: “The issue is not about one facility or a specific facility. India has always underlined the need for civilian casualties to be avoided, for humanitarian law to be observed, and to encourage any efforts to provide humanitarian relief to those caught in the conflict. We have also, on the larger issue, talked about efforts to de-escalate the situation, deliver humanitarian assistance, our concern at the humanitarian (situation and) increasing civilian toll.”

He also said that India is looking at sending more humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

YES, SECULARISM HAS CHANGED FROM NEHRU'S DAYS: JAISHANKAR

Secularism for India does not mean being non-religious but an equal respect to all faiths, but the ”appeasement” govt policies of the past made the biggest religion of the country feel like it had to be self-deprecatory in the name of equality, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

During an interaction entitled ’How a Billion People See the World' at the Royal Over-Seas League in London on Wednesday evening, Jaishankar was asked if India had changed since the Nehruvian era to become less liberal and more ”Hindu majoritarian” under the BJP-led govt.

”Has India changed from the Nehruvian era? Absolutely, because one of the assumptions of that era which very much guided the thinking of the polity and its projection abroad was the way we define secularism in India,” said Jaishankar, in response to a question by journalist-author Lionel Barber.

”For us, secularism doesn't mean being non-religious; for us secularism means equal respect to all faiths. Now, what happened in reality in politics was beginning with equal respect for all faiths, we actually got into a sort of politics of minoritarian pandering. That, over a period of time, I think, created a backlash,” he said.

”More and more people started feeling that in a way, in the name of equality of all religions, in fact, the biggest religion had to be self-deprecatory and play itself down. A big part of that community felt it was not being fair,” he noted.

Specifically asked if tolerance had gone down in India as a result, he responded: ”I don't think so; I think on the contrary. I think people today are less hypocritical about their beliefs, about their traditions and their culture. ”We are more Indian, more authentic. We are not today, either currying favour before a global audience or really trying to live up to some kind of left-wing liberal construct which a lot of Indians felt was not us.”

Jaishankar also defended India’s purchasing of Russian oil despite Western sanctions, saying it had helped control global inflation and he “was waiting for the thank you”.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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UN RESOLUTION ON GAZA AID PAUSES GOES THROUGH, AS US ABSTAINS

A decision by the US to abstain from a UNSC resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the war in Gaza marked the first time that Washington has refrained from blocking a resolution that does not also condemn the Hamas attack. The shift comes after weeks of division at the Security Council over the Israel-Hamas war, with four previous resolutions failing because of disagreements between the five members with veto power.

The resolution that passed late Wednesday called for pauses to allow aid to reach civilians. Russia and Britain also abstained on the resolution.

The US has supported Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, and on Wednesday President Biden reiterated his condemnation of Hamas for its October 7 attack and his commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, criticised the resolution as “disconnected from reality” and “meaningless.” He maintained Israel’s stance that the country was acting according to international law and that Hamas had been violating it.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Biden described the raid by Israeli forces on AlShifa Hospital in Gaza City as “incredibly careful” and said that Hamas had committed a war crime by “having their headquarters, their military hidden under a hospital.”

Hamas has rejected claims that it used the hospital for military purposes.

Biden, however, also said that the endpoint of the Israel-Hamas conflict has to be a Palestinian state that is “real,” existing alongside an Israeli one. He added that he and his aides have been negotiating with Arab nations on next steps, but did not give any details.

He added that he did not have a specific idea of when to tell Israel it should halt its war in Gaza. He said the fighting would end once Hamas could no longer do “horrific things” to Israelis.

BIDEN-XI SUMMIT: US AND CHINA AGREE TO RESUME MILITARY-TO-MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communication and counter-narcotics cooperation as they met for four hours in a bid to establish a working relationship amidst Beijing’s aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two leaders also affirmed the need to address the risks of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems and improve AI safety through US-China govt talks during their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

Biden said since their last meeting in Bali, on the sidelines of the G20, the key members of the two govts have had important discussions on issues that matter to both the nations and to the world.

Observing that he has known Xi for a long time, Biden said they haven’t always agreed, which was not surprising to anyone. “But our meetings have always been candid, straightforward, and useful. I’ve never doubted what you’ve told me in terms of your candid nature in what you speak. I value our conversation because I think it’s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader with no misconceptions or miscommunication,” said the US president.

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UTTARAKHAND TUNNEL RESCUE: NEW DRILL MACHINE WORKS, RAISES HOPES

A heavy-duty drilling machine bored through 12 metres of rubble of the collapsed tunnel on the Char Dham route in Uttarakhand on Thursday, raising hopes for the rescue of 40 workers trapped inside for over four days.

After a smaller drilling machine failed to do the job, IAF's C-130 Hercules planes brought the US-made auger machine, in parts, from Delhi to an airport 30 kilometres away on Wednesday. The 25-tonne piece of equipment was installed overnight.

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways V K Singh, who visited the rescue site, set ”two or three days” as the ”outer limit” for the new machine to get the job done.

But Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami appeared more optimistic. "I have been told that the new drilling machine has already penetrated five to seven metres through the debris,” Dhami told reporters earlier in the day in Dehradun. ”We hope it would soon reach the trapped workers.”

The trapped workers are safe, and being supplied with oxygen, medicines, food items and water through pipes.

Union minister Singh talked to the trapped workers. ”The people's morale is high,” he told reporters later, adding that they knew that the govt is putting in all efforts to get them out.

29 MORE MYANMARESE SOLDIERS TAKE SHELTER IN INDIA

At least 29 more Myanmarese soldiers crossed over to Mizoram on Thursday after their camp in the neighbouring country was overrun by an anti-junta group, a senior police officer said.

With them, a total of 74 Myanmar military personnel had fled to Mizoram due to the recent gunfights with the People's Defence Force.

Several of these soldiers, however, had been sent back.

An Assam Rifles official said these 29 Myanmarese soldiers are yet to be sent back to their country.

A total of 45 soldiers, who had fled to Mizoram after the PDF overran two military bases in the neighbouring country's Chin state, were handed over to Myanmar's military govt on Tuesday, an official said.

Myanmar has been witnessing widespread protests demanding restoration of democracy since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021. Myanmar's military has been using airstrikes against its opponents and those involved in the armed struggle against the ruling regime.

“There has been movement of Myanmar nationals to the India side. We are deeply concerned with such incidents close to the border,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a weekly briefing Thursday. He reiterated India’s call for cessation of violence, and “return of peace, stability and democracy” in Myanmar.

TN GOVERNOR RAVI RETURNS 10 BILLS

Days after the Supreme Court expressed “serious concern” about Governors not acting on Bills, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday returned 10 pending Bills to the state govt. The DMK-led govt, which has had public disagreements with Ravi several times over the past year, has called a special Assembly session on Saturday.

One of the important Bills Ravi has returned is on the power of the state govt to appoint university vice-chancellors. The Bills, passed between January and April this year, cover a range of issues from anti-corruption measures and the early release of prisoners to filling vacancies in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.

Speaker M Appavu said these Bills would be taken up during the special Assembly session and there would be no discussions on the Supreme Court’s observations, Governor or President. The special session will be held under Assembly Rule 26. Once the Assembly passes these Bills again, the Governor is bound to approve them. Appavu cited the examples of the Bill prohibiting online gambling and the draft legislation on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which were also initially returned by the Governor.

"IF CENTRE DOESN'T GRANT SPECIAL STATUS TO BIHAR AT THE EARLIEST...": NITISH KUMAR

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that he will launch a state-wide movement if the Centre does not grant special category status to the state “at the earliest”.

The JD(U) leader, who has been demanding special status for many years, said the state needs this in order to move forward.

“If the Centre does not grant special status to Bihar at the earliest, we will launch a state-wide movement… The demand for a special status will be heard in every nook and corner of the state during the movement,” he said while speaking at a function.

Those who do not support the demand are not interested in the development of the state, Mr Kumar said.

“We have planned a number of welfare initiatives for the economically weaker sections of the society and it would cost a poor state like Bihar several crores of rupees. We will have to spend it in over five years.

“If the demand for special status to Bihar is fulfilled, we will be able to provide all benefits to the people concerned within two and a half years. Therefore, Bihar needs the status immediately,” the chief minister said.

CENTRE TELLS VISVA-BHARATI TO CHANGE CONTROVERSIAL PLAQUES

Nearly a month after a controversy broke out over the plaques commemorating UNESCO’s award of World Heritage Site to Santiniketan, the Central govt has asked the Visva-Bharati to replace them with new ones with only Rabindranath Tagore’s name inscribed on them.

Last month, three plaques commemorating UNESCO’s honour were installed at different places on the campus of Visva-Bharati with names of then vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chancellor of the central university, inscribed on them. It led to a widescale furore since the plaques didn’t mention Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the founder of Santiniketan and Visva-Bharati.

While directing the university to remove the plaques, the Union Education Ministry also sent the format and the content which should be inscribed in the new plaques.

AFTER NEW UGC RULES, FOREIGN VARSITIES LOOK TO OPEN CAMPUSES

With the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently unveiling its final regulations, providing a comprehensive framework for foreign universities ranked among the world’s top 500 to set up branch campuses in India, a number of prominent institutes are planning to establish their own campuses in India.

The application portal went live last week.

A prominent name in the beeline to set up campuses in India is Italy’s Istituto Marangoni. Ranked among the world’s top 100 art and design institutes, Istituto Marangoni is likely to apply under the new regulations of the UGC to establish a branch campus in India.

Western Sydney University (WSU), ranked 375th globally, is also keen on stablishing campus in Bengaluru by 2025. Apart from that, six Australian universities are planning a joint campus in India. Flinders University (ranked 380th globally), Griffith University (ranked 243rd), James Cook University (415th), La Trobe University (242nd), University of Canberra (421st), and WSU are expected to collaborate, it is learnt.

A SIMPLE, INFORMAL SHOW FROM PAKISTAN HITS BIG NUMBERS

This World Cup, a no-frills, rich-in-content talk show featuring cricket’s renowned pundits from Pakistan — Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik  — along with a pleasant presenter, Fakhr-e-Alam, has cut through the clutter and proved to be a sleeper hit. The show has a rudimentary set, no complicated data-crunching, no over-philosophising analysis, no raised voices and no hero-worship.

The Pavilion, a flagship free-streaming show of A Sports, part of Pakistan’s largest media network ARY, is fast approaching the 1000k subscriber mark with most of its hour-long video capsules securing close to one million views. The chief architect of The Pavilion says the show’s unique free-flowing conversational format reflects their trust in the good old tradition of story-telling and their wish to sound different in the general cricket broadcasting din.

Giving the uncomplicated show the feel of a lounge full of family and friends is the chemistry between the five men on the screen. Akram, Moin, Misbah and Malik go back a long way. On the show, the stalwarts wear their intellect lightly, they come across as warm, cheerful and quippy friends enjoying a game of cricket. With years of experience behind them, they catch the nuance of the game and discuss it threadbare. Showing succinct and self-deprecating wit, they crack jokes and pull each other’s legs. They drop their guard and be themselves.

WORLD CUP: AUSTRALIA BEAT SOUTH AFRICA; SEAL FINAL DATE WITH INDIA

Five-time champions Australia excelled on the big stage yet again as they pulled off a scrappy three-wicket win to shatter South African dreams and reach their eighth ODI World Cup final in Kolkata on Thursday.

On a testing turner, David Miller absorbed extreme pressure on way to a rearguard 101 and take South Africa to a fighting 212 after losing their first four wickets for 24 runs in the second semifinal.

It was a below par total but the Proteas did make a match out of it with a spirited bowling effort before Australia, as they often do, held their nerve to close out the game in 47.2 overs, setting up a mouth-watering showdown against fierce rivals India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Living with the chokers' tag for decades, South Africa came up short in another ICC knockout game but were able to take the game right down to the wire. They dropped as many as five tough catching chances, proving to be the difference in a low-scoring game.

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Bitcoin - USD 36,328, Dollar Index 104.24, Brent Crude 77.42, BDI 1688

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1985 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 6,104 / 5,595, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 75,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

OFF TRACK

A celebrity's responses in a rapid fire round on reality TV:

Q - "What's the 'strangest' thing you ever bought?"  

A - "Dog toothpaste."  

Q - "What is the 'most common' thing people say to you?"  

A - "Where did you get such white teeth?"