Morning Brief: Sanskrit Prayers In Schools Violate Rights Of Minorities? Supreme Court Refers Case To Five-Judge Bench; ‘Ban Christian Entry’ Banners Come Up In Gujarat’s Tribal Village; And More

Good Morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news brief for today.

SC Refers Plea Against Sanskrit Prayers In KVs To Five-Judge Bench

The Supreme Court, which recently deferred the hearing on Ayodhya case due to the unavailability of a judge, has referred a plea filed against Sanskrit prayers at the Kendriya Vidyalayas run by the Centre to a five-judge bench, the Times of India has reported. According to the daily’s report, the plea claims that prayers such as ‘asato ma sadgamaya’ (from falsehood lead me to truth) and ‘Om saha navavatu’ (may God protect us) in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country violate the fundamental right to religion of minorities in India.

Veenayak Shah, a resident of Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, has filed the plea. He also claims that these prayers, derived from Hindu scriptures, violate the right of atheists and rationalists. He has argued that the recitation of these prayers “could impede development of scientific temper in young minds”. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, however, argued that these prayers connoted “universal truths” and, hence, could not be categorised as religious in nature.

‘Ban Christian Entry’ Banners Come Up In Gujarat’s Tribal Village

Banners demanding a ban on the entry of Christians have come up in the tribal village of Gandeva in Gujarat’s Navsari district’s, The Indian Express has reported. The report says that the banners have been put up by local Hindu tribals who are demanding the ban to prevent “outsiders from coming to the village and converting tribal Hindus”. The village has a population of around 7,500 and the majority belongs to two different tribes, Halpati and Bakshipanch.

The deputy sarpanch of the village, Jayanti Mistry, says the “Hindus are fed up with the spread of Christianity. At present, there are over 900 Christians in our village”. According to him, 12 of the 70 tribal houses have been lured by Christian priests and converted. The sarpanch, Satish Katariya, says four Christian prayer halls have come up around the village. (Also Read: Arunachal’s Tribal Culture Fades As Fervent Proselytisation Fuels Christianity)

Bail Granted To Lalu Prasad Yadav, Son In Money Laundering Case

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was granted bail by a Delhi court in a money laundering case related to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam on Monday along with wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav. This development comes just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The three have been accused by the investigating agencies of money laundering in granting the operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. Yadav has been accused of facilitating, during his tenure as a union minister, a contract to a private company to run hotels in exchange for the premium plot as bribe.

IITs May Give Five Per Cent EWS Quota This Year

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) may implement 10 per cent quota for students of general category from economically weaker sections (EWS) in a phased manner and are likely to start by introducing a five per cent quota this year, reports say, adding that the newer IITs may not implement the quota this year. The Human Resource Development ministry has asked government-run universities and institutions to submit “details of seats and requirements” for the implementation of the quota provided to the economically weaker section.

IIMs, reports suggest, have pointed out the absence of an option for applicants on the application form for the Combined Aptitude Test to identify as economically weak. Centrally-funded institutions in the country may have to add up nearly three lakh new seats to introduce the 10 per cent EWS quota.

UP Cabinet To Meet At Kumbh, Holy Dip And Uri Movie Show To Follow

The Yogi Adityanath cabinet will hold a meeting on the banks of the Sangam at the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj on Tuesday, Hindustan Times has reported. After the meeting, the members of the cabinet will take a dip in the Ganga and enjoy a show of the Vicky Kaushal-starrer Uri at a special mobile theatre.

The chief minister, along with other members of the cabinet, will also have a darshan of Akshayvat and Hanuman temple. All 24 ministers are likely to participate in the meeting, which will be a “replica” of the ones held in the state capital. Chief secretary, additional chief secretary and secretaries of various departments will also be present at the meeting on the banks of the Sangam.

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