Morning Brief: India Vows To Save Kulbhushan Jadhav; No, Chhattisgarh Isn’t Banning Liquor; HIV-AIDS Bill Passed

Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here's What You Need To Know Today.

Kulbhushan Jadhav Will Get Justice, Assures Rajnath Singh: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that the government will do everything possible to get justice for Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been handed down death sentence by a Pakistan military court. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the Indian government will leave no stone unturned to save Hindustan ka beta Jadhav. Meanwhile, Panthers Party leader and Supreme Court lawyer Bhim Singh said that he will move a petition before the top court of Pakistan against the capital punishment. “The judiciary in Pakistan, especially the Supreme Court, is highly judicious and justice shall be done to Jadhav,” he said.

Chhattisgarh won’t ban liquor: Some media outlets reported yesterday that Chief Minister Raman Singh has decided to implement prohibition after meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Munger. However this turned out to be false. A decision to stop sale in Villages with a population of more than 3,000 has been taken but Singh said there is nothing new in this as it was decided in the budget itself. Government shops will continue to sell liquor.

Parliament Passes Key HIV-AIDS Bill: With the Lok Sabha passing the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill 2017 on Tuesday, people living with the deadly disease are guaranteed equal rights in medical treatment, admission to educational institutions and jobs. Terming the unanimous passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha as "historic", health minister J P Nadda said the government "stands committed for free treatment of HIV patients." Rajya Sabha passed the bill on 2 March.

Supreme Court Rejects Compensatory Tariff: Power companies can't raise preset tariffs if fuel becomes costlier due to changes in laws overseas, the Supreme Court has ruled. The court asked the electricity regulator to consider the matter afresh keeping in mind the government's revised coal allotment and power tariff guidelines. Share prices of Adani Power and Tata Power fell 16.12 per cent and 1.95 per cent respectively on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruling.

Re-Polling Ordered For Srinagar Lok Sabha Seat: Fresh elections were ordered by the Election Commission of India in 38 polling booths in Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which saw a voter turnout of just 7.14 per cent. All the polling stations where re-polling will be held on Thursday are located in Budgam district, where seven people were killed in firing. The decision was taken after officials of the State Election Commission and election observers held a meeting with leaders of mainstream political parties in Srinagar. The Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded re-polling in the entire Srinagar-Budgam area.

Muslim Law Board Vows To End Triple Talaq In One-And-A-Half Years: All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has pledged to end the practice of triple talaq in one-and-a-half years. AIMPLB vice-president Kalbe Sadiq said the government should not interfere in the matter. Sadiq also advised the Muslims against eating beef. The Shia scholar said the triple talaq system was unfair to women but it was a personal affair for the community and they would solve it themselves.

Madhya Pradesh Bans Plastic Bags: Madhya Pradesh has banned plastic or polythene bags from 1 May. The state cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has approved the proposal of imposing the ban as the consumption of plastic bags causes a large number of cow deaths. “The cows eat polythene/plastic bags, which leads to their death. Banning of polythene use will protect their lives. Besides, the plastic/polythene bags are also harmful for the environment,” he said.

Army-Navy Short Of 9,000 Officers: The government informed Parliament on Tuesday that there is a shortage of 7,986 officers in the Indian Army and 1,256 in the Navy. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told the Rajya Sabha that there is no shortage in the Indian Air Force. He said there is also a shortage of 25,472 junior commissioned officers in the Army, against which 78,205 recruits were undergoing training.

Malayalam Made Compulsory In Kerala Schools: It’s official now! Malayalam has been made compulsory till Class X in Kerala schools after the state government cleared an executive order on Tuesday. The ordinance will come into effect from the next academic year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. However, Malayalam would not be mandatory for foreign students and those from other states to pass Class X, Vijayan said.

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No Real Roadblock In Proposed ‘Bad Bank’ Frameworks: The growing acceptance of a ‘bad bank’ as solution is hardly surprising given that RBI’s efforts to resolve the bad debt problem by means of mechanisms such as strategic debt restructuring scheme, 5:25 and sustainable structuring of stressed asset did not move the needle meaningfully.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

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