India

Ranchi, Dec 16 (IANS) Tensions flared up in Ranchi as students protesting against alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination were dispersed by police near the JSSC office. The demonstration, organised by student groups including the Jharkhand Loktantrik Kranti Morcha (JLKM), wanted to gherao the JSSC office over claims of rigging in the CGL exam.

In anticipation of the protests, the state police had put in place tight security measures at key locations, including Raj Bhavan, the Chief Minister’s Residence, and the Secretariat.

Several barricades were set up in the area and a large number of police personnel were deployed around the JSSC premises as well, effectively turning it into a high-security zone.

Around 1.30 P.M. on Monday, a group of students assembled at Namkum Sadabahar Chowk in Ranchi and attempted to march toward the JSSC's office. However, they were stopped by police, who resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato and one associate were detained during the police action.

Despite the ongoing protests, the JSSC has gone ahead with the document verification process for candidates shortlisted in the CGL exam results. Starting Monday, the verification of certificates for 2,145 successful candidates is expected to conclude by December 20, after which the final list of selected candidates for various government positions will be released.

The CGL examination, held on September 21-22 across 823 centres in Jharkhand, was conducted to fill approximately 2,000 vacancies in state government departments.

Over 3.04 lakh candidates appeared for the test. However, allegations of paper leaks and the inclusion of repeated questions from previously cancelled exams sparked widespread outrage. Students have staged protests in multiple cities, including Ranchi and Hazaribagh, to demand justice.

On December 10, students in Hazaribagh blocked the highway for nearly four hours, prompting a police lathi-charge to clear the demonstration. The JSSC had earlier formed a committee to investigate the allegations, which later dismissed claims of irregularities.

Despite this, Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently announced that the allegations would now be probed by the CID.

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, Dec 16 (IANS) Historian Dr Rizwan Kadri on Monday claimed that he had seen an elderly person shred many documents and letters related to first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Dr Kadri, a member of the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society, told IANS, “An internal inquiry committee has been set up to look into allegations of destruction and non-availability of documents related to Nehru.”

The researcher said in 2008, a total of 51 carton boxes containing Nehru’s letters written to various persons, including Aruna Asif Ali, Jaiprakash Narayan, Govind Ballabh Pant and Edwina Mountbatten, the last vicereine of India, were “withdrawn” from the PMML in New Delhi at the request of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, as a representative of the donor family.

He said before the withdrawal of the documents these were bifurcated as official correspondence and private papers.

Seeking an early return of the Nehru letters and documents to the museum to facilitate research, Dr Rizwan, known for his research on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, said, “I have no clue about the fate of the documents in 51 boxes that were withdrawn by Sonia Gandhi.”

He said researchers like him would continue to request and wait to get access to the crucial documents, hoping the documents would be digitized and shared with the public by Gandhi on a website at some stage.

Dr Rizwan expressed regret that the documents were withdrawn -- something which should not have happened once these had been donated to the Museum.

“This matter was also discussed in the institution and there were some who expressed that the documents could not be withdrawn once these had been donated. Legal opinion was also taken and a suggestion for auditing of documents was also given. An internal inquiry committee has also been set up to look into the matter,” he said.

Calling the withdrawn collection very important, he refused to speculate if the documents would still be safe.

Dr Kadri, who worked as an Associate Professor at Shree Swaminarayan Arts College, Ahmedabad, was also appointed as a PhD (History) guide at Gujarat University and Raksha Shakti University.

Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society is the new avatar of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society that was formed on April 1, 1966. Initially, the museum was set up in the eastern wing and the library in the western wing of the Teen Murti Bhawan, home to first PM Nehru.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) The debate over late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s historical letters has reignited political tensions, with leaders from the Congress and BJP trading barbs. The controversy emerged after the Prime Minister's Museum and Library (PMML) urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to return letters removed in 2008 at Sonia Gandhi’s behest.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit weighed in on the controversy, criticising the BJP’s stance. He questioned whether those raising the issue had even read the late PM's works, which are already published and publicly available.

Dikshit remarked, “All of Pandit Nehru’s writings and letters that matter are out in the public domain. Have they ever bothered to read or learn from them? This is nothing but an attempt to politicise history.”

Congress MP Tanuj Punia dismissed the BJP's claims, stating, “The public letters of Nehru ji are already accessible in the public domain and quoted widely, even in Parliament. There’s no secrecy around them.”

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla criticised the timing, remarking, “Why raise an issue from 2008 in 2024? It’s irrelevant and illogical.”

BJP leader Sambit Patra countered with allegations of concealment, asserting that the Congress seeks to hide sensitive exchanges, including correspondence between Pandit Nehru, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan and Edwina Mountbatten.

"The Gandhi family's restlessness raises questions. The nation wants to know what they’re trying to hide," he claimed.

"What did Nehru say to Mountbatten? What conversations took place between Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan? A historian, Mr Kadri, had to write a letter to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to ask his mother and then UPA Chairperson to return all the letters," he added.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT department, also took to social media, alleging that 51 cartons of Pandit Nehru’s letters were removed from the Nehru Museum and Library, now renamed the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library.

The BJP has accused the Congress of censorship, focussing on personal letters exchanged between the late PM and global figures.

The Congress maintains that most documents are public, and only private family correspondence was withheld.

--IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 16 (IANS) Days after the alleged leak of question papers for the second-term Christmas examinations in Kerala's state-run schools, the government on Monday announced a Crime Branch probe into the matter.

The controversy erupted after question papers of the Class 11 mathematics and Class 10 English examinations appeared on a YouTube channel, and got huge traction. State Education Minister V.Sivankutty had then announced that he took the incident very seriously and the General Education department would do what was necessary. Subsequently, the General Education Department lodged a police complaint on this matter.

Sivankutty, when he came to know of this, said no one will be spared and the wrongdoers will be taken to task as this is seen as a blot on the otherwise foolproof examination system, fine-tuned over several decades.

The Cyber Wing of the Kerala Police has already started a preliminary probe as it involves the alleged role played by a few private tuition centres, not to mention teachers attached to the state government schools.

The task of preparing the question papers takes place at a workshop conducted by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The general norm regards the preparation of question papers for every subject is that two sets of question papers are made for each subject, out of which one is selected and printed at a press outside the state.

Later, it is handed over to the respective district centres from where the school Principals collect them.

With the advent of technology, the days when there was a huge competition among private centres which offered tuition and special classes for Class 10 students are gone and online tuition centres have taken over. The present alleged leakage of question papers is believed to be on account of the war between various online tuition centres.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 16 (IANS) National Conference (NC) leader and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s, recent criticism of the INDIA bloc ally Congress’ objections to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has sparked a response from Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC, who lauded Abdullah as a 'very mature leader.'

Speaking to IANS on Monday, Shaina NC praised Abdullah for questioning the credibility of EVM-related objections within the INDIA bloc.

Abdullah had on Sunday pointed out the inconsistency in the Opposition bloc’s stance on EVMs. He remarked, "When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as a victory for your party, you can't then a few months later turn around and say... we don't like these EVMs because now the election results aren't going the way we would like them to."

Shaina NC echoed Abdullah’s sentiments, emphasising the integrity of the election process.

"Omar Abdullah is a very mature leader because he has questioned his INDIA bloc ally Congress on EVMs," she said.

"He rightly pointed out that no political party should play with the voting machines. When you celebrate a victory and secure over a hundred members in Parliament, you cannot then raise questions about the EVMs when the results don't align with your expectations," she said.

Shaina further criticised the lack of faith in the democratic process by questioning the legitimacy of the EVMs.

"Where is your truth? Where is your faith in democracy?" she asked.

"If you do not have faith in the Election Commission of India (ECI), then you do not have the right to contest elections as a registered political party," she said.

The Shiv Sena leader also spoke about the growing rift within the INDIA bloc, which has been highlighted by Abdullah’s criticism of the Congress on the issue.

"There is nothing left of the INDIA bloc," she claimed and added, "only they can answer questions about who will stay united, who will separate, and who will remain dispersed."

Shaina concluded by reiterating her confidence in the EVMs and the transparency of the election process, stating, "The EVMs are completely safe — no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no tampering. The ECI has clarified how secure the machines are. If we are to trust our democracy, we must trust the process."

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha joined the debate trailing the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, and used the opportunity on Monday to hit out at the ruling BJP over its "hate politics." Kharge also responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "jumla" charge at the Congress and said that it’s his government which was fooling people with false promises.

Kharge, speaking in the Upper House, said that it was under the Indira Gandhi government in 1971 that the Indian forces divided Pakistan into two parts and liberated Bangladesh. He also urged the Centre to ensure the safeguarding of Hindu minorities in the neighbouring country.

He said that BJP leaders keep abusing Jawaharlal Nehru as well as Mahatma Gandhi and then go on to give lectures on probity in public life.

“Those who hate Ashok chakra, those who hate the Constitution, they are giving us lectures today,” said the Congress chief.

Further dishing out advice to the ruling BJP, he said that they should first make amends for their own wrongdoings before uncovering the failures of others.

“There have been numerous landmark achievements under past governments but those currently in power are only focused on pointing fingers at former regimes. Have you come here to spread canards, dig out mistakes of the past or participate in a healthy discussion on the Constitution,” Kharge said.

Kharge also hit out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over its ‘disdain’ for the national flag and said that it was only after the court order that it hoisted the Tricolour at its headquarters in 2002.

“In 1949, the RSS leaders opposed the Constitution of India because it was not based on Manusmriti. They never accepted the National Flag. It was on January 26, 2002, that Tiranga was unfurled at the RSS headquarters for the first time on court orders,” Kharge remarked.

Responding to PM Modi’s ‘jumla’ charge at the Congress, during his reply to the Constitution debate in Lok Sabha, Kharge said, “You accuse us of speaking lies. You are the biggest liar. You promised Rs 15 lakh in people’s bank accounts, you promised two crore jobs, you promised to double the income of farmers. None of this has been done yet.”

Accusing the Prime Minister of befooling and betraying the nation, he said that had schemes like MNREGA, food security (brought under UPA) were not in operation, the country would have been on its knees during the Covid pandemic.

Further rebutting PM’s charge that the Constitution was illegally amended for the first time between 1947-52, he said that it was because of the hatred for Nehru that the Prime Minister had been finding faults with him.

--IANS

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Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 16 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday to handover the Waqf scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“Including the allegation against me of offering Rs 150 crore to the former Minority Commission Chairman to hush up the Waqf scam, the encroachments of Waqf properties by Congress leaders should be handed over to the CBI,” he demanded.

Vijayendra was speaking on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, responding to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT Priyank Kharge, who alleged that he had offered a Rs 150 crore bribe to former Minority Commission Chairman Anwar Manipaddy to suppress the Waqf scam.

“Minister Priyank Kharge made a serious allegation against me, and later, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated the claim that I had offered Rs 150 crore to the former Minority Commission Chairman. Anwar Manipaddy during the BJP government's tenure had submitted a report on the looting of Waqf properties by Congress leaders,” he stated.

He further explained, “At the time, then Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar ordered an investigation by the Upalokayukta Justice. Upalokayukta Justice Anand submitted a report on this matter in March 2016. During Siddaramaiah's tenure as CM in 2016, the government decided to present the report to the cabinet. However, the report was later rejected in 2016 by the cabinet.”

“Today, CM Siddaramaiah is demanding a CBI investigation against me over the Waqf scam. It is good that he now believes in the CBI. I challenge him to handover the charges against me to the CBI. Additionally, the reports by former Minority Commission Chairman Anwar Manipaddy and the Upalokayukta should be discussed in the session and handed over to the CBI,” Vijayendra urged.

“I do not harbour any outrage or anger against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for making allegations against me. I pity him, as he is mired in a series of scams and his family members are also facing charges. He cannot indulge in hit-and-run tactics. Let him also handover the Mysuru Development Authority (MUDA) scam to the CBI,” he stressed.

Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda and others objected at this juncture and maintained that Vijayendra could only give clarifications and not indulge in delivering political speech. If he is permitted, they should also be given the opportunity to answer allegations. BJP members also rose and strongly objected to it.

Speaker U.T. Khader intervened and stated that the members of the British High Commission are witnessing the proceedings in the visitors’ gallery and members should not give a bad impression.

Minister Priyank Kharge maintained that in Britain also democratic system exists and proceedings will happen in the same manner. He also clarified that his allegations were based on media reports and that they were not his personal accusations.

Earlier, after the commencement of the session, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka demanded that Vijayendra be allowed to respond to the allegations made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Priyank Kharge before moving on to the discussion on North Karnataka issues. He also stated that such issues cannot be raised without prior notice.

On Saturday, CM Siddaramaiah alleged that BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra had “tried to bribe” the former Minority Commission Chairman with Rs 150 crore during the previous government to suppress a probe into Waqf property encroachments.

However, on Sunday, former Minority Commission Chairman Anwar Manipaddy refuted the bribery charge made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that Congress leaders had offered him bribes to suppress the Waqf encroachment report.

Anwar Manipaddy further said that if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had a genuine concern for Muslims, he should handover his report on Waqf encroachments to the CBI.

Vijayendra dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's bribery allegations as “baseless”.

Responding to the accusations, Vijayendra questioned, “You (CM Siddaramaiah), who is terrified of CBI and ED investigations, have challenged the Governor’s approval for prosecution and tried in vain to protect yourself legally by hiring senior lawyers from New Delhi. After facing humiliation due to the High Court's verdict, what moral standing do you have to demand a CBI investigation against others?”

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, initiated the Constitution debate in Rajya Sabha on Monday and stated that the Congress amended the Constitution to protect those in power.

Mentioning an incident from 1949 she said, "Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were both jailed in 1949. For what reason? During a meeting organised for mill workers in 1949, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem written against Jawaharlal Nehru, and for that, he was sent to jail. He refused to apologise for it and was therefore jailed in 1949 along with Balraj Sahni, the eminent actor of those days."

"That was the level of intolerance," she added.

The Finance Minister also criticised the Congress for holding the Constitution in their hands, going to vote, and talking about freedom of speech, but still claiming that "there is a sense of fear in the country," she said.

"Did Majrooh Sultanpuri feel it? Did Balraj Sahni feel it? But history repeats itself when it comes to the Congress party," she added.

In 1988, the book 'Satanic Verses' was also banned, following the bans on Nehru's biography and the film 'Kissa Kursi Ka'. "This spree of curtailing the freedom of the press happened before 1949, during 1949–50, and it continues," said Sitharaman.

She further claimed that the judiciary was held in contempt. "A constitutional amendment was made to nullify the judgment in the Indira Gandhi vs. Raj Narain case, wherein the Allahabad High Court set aside the election of Indira Gandhi."

"A case was pending, being heard in court, but there was a hurry — what if the court came against her? The 39th Amendment Act was passed, which added Article 392(A)," she added.

She accused late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of making decisions against the court, "To save her chair, the amendment was made before the court's verdict, misusing the law for personal gain."

"Going against the court, which provides justice for the betterment of society, there was the Shah Bano Begum case. In this case, the Supreme Court granted alimony to the woman to give her justice, but then the Congress party, in 1986, passed an Act denying Muslim women their right to alimony" she professed and added that the Congress followed no intentions of social benefit or economic perspective while making amendments.

Talking about Emergency, Sitharaman said, "During the Emergency, the process was completely violated. The term of the Lok Sabha was extended without proper justification. In that extended term, when the entire Opposition was put in jail, a constitutional amendment was made. Was the process valid? It was a totally invalid process."

"Only five members opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha, and there was none in the Rajya Sabha to oppose it. Yet the amendment, changing the Preamble, happened," she added.

These amendments were not about strengthening democracy according to the Finance Minister, but about protecting those in power.

She also quoted B.R. Ambedkar who argued against including the word "socialism" in the Constitution: "I do not see, therefore, why to tie down people to live in a particular form."

"As many as 21 MPs were held in jail under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). There are leaders who kept their children’s names after MISA to remind them of those black days, and today, they wouldn’t mind having alliances with them," she added.

She remarked that all these together turned the qualitative text of the Constitution into something different from what it was originally, as adopted on November 26, 1949.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) India’s financial sector is poised for continued resilience, bolstered by structural improvements and robust economic growth prospects, according to the S&P Global Ratings 2025 banking outlook.

“We anticipate asset quality will stabilize, with weak loans in the banking sector projected to decline to approximately 3.0 per cent of gross loans by March 31, 2025. This positive trend is supported by healthy corporate balance sheets and enhanced risk management practices,” said Deepali Seth-Chhabria, Analyst, S&P Global Ratings.

While underwriting standards for retail loans remain strong and delinquencies manageable, the rapid growth of unsecured personal loans could introduce some risks.

S&P Global foresees loan growth slightly outpacing nominal GDP, particularly in the retail segment. However, deposit growth may lag, potentially impacting credit-to-deposit ratios.

According to the rating agency, credit costs are expected to normalize from a decade-low of 0.8 per cent in fiscal 2024 to a range of 0.8 per cent - 0.9 per cent. Despite this, profitability should remain strong, with returns on average assets projected around 1.2 per cent in fiscal 2025, she further pointed out.

The Reserve Bank of India’s intensified regulatory oversight, focusing on compliance and governance, may increase compliance costs but will ultimately enhance financial stability. Overall, the outlook for India’s financial sector remains steady as it navigates these evolving dynamics, the report added.

A recent RBI report has also stated that the Indian financial system remains resilient and is gaining strength from broader macroeconomic stability.

The banking sector is well-capitalised and its unclogged balance sheet is reflective of higher risk absorption capacity while the NBFC sector and the Urban Cooperative Banks also continue to show improvements, the report stated,

RBI Deputy Governor M. Rajeshwar Rao earlier this month said that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has played a critical role in improving bank asset quality and facilitating substantial pre-admission settlements of underlying debts of over Rs 10 lakh crore since it was first introduced in 2016. This is helping to strengthen banks.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Dec 16 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, on Monday, emphasised the significance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and engaging in regular exercise.

He said this during his morning walk at Central Park in Jaipur where he interacted with locals, urging them to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines, irrespective of their profession. “Stay healthy, stay happy,” he told people who were present there.

The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to review the park’s facilities, noting areas for improvement in the outer circle, while acknowledging the enhancements already made in the inner circle. He assured the public that the observed shortcomings would be addressed promptly. His presence at the park created a sense of enthusiasm among the crowd as he discussed topics related to health and state development. Stressing the connection between fitness and productivity, CM Sharma remarked, “A healthy body and mind are essential for better performance in any work.”

It is not the first time that CM Sharma has reached out to the public during his morning walks. He has previously interacted with locals at City Park and Jawahar Circle Park in Mansarovar. On a prior visit to Central Park, he also visited the temple within the park and addressed public grievances.

On Sunday, CM Sharma celebrated his 58th birthday, which coincided with the completion of his first year in office. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, extended their greetings.

Taking to social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi praised CM Sharma, saying, “Many congratulations to the hardworking leader of BJP and popular Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma on his birthday. His long experience of working at the grassroots level is proving very useful in the all-round development of the state. I pray to God for his healthy and long life.”

In response, CM Sharma expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister, stating, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your warm and affectionate wishes, respected Prime Minister! It is the result of your visionary leadership and efficient guidance that a ‘New Rajasthan’ has become a leading model of service, security, good governance, and overall development in the country today.”

CM Sharma further added, “Under your active leadership, our government is working with full dedication and determination to realise the resolution of ‘Rising Rajasthan, Developed Rajasthan." Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde, and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were among others who extended their wishes to CM Sharma on his birthday.

--IANS

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