NEW DELHI 10 NOVEMBER 2024 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES Pride and Patrimony MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE VOICES Do We Need the UN? Anand Neelakantan Shampa Dhar-Kamath Sumeet Bhasin Prabhu Chawla Ravi Shankar Kaleeswaram Raj Utkarsh Amitabh Geetha Ravichandran The Palatable Make-up Palette Shaping Imaginations at a Pinch Portrait of a Working Class Hero The Wicked Wrestle of a Warrior AMMA SPEAKS BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Selfless Sacrifice Leads to Liberation Women end the judiciary gender skew in Kerala 3L Indians may be duction training for civil judges (junior division) at Kerala THE higher judiciary may still Judicial Academy, 26 (72%) be a male bastion, but Kerala is were women. Former Chief leading the charge to remove Justice of India D Y Chandrathe gender skew in the district chud had highlighted it in a rejudiciary The number of wom- cent speech. . en serving as judicial officWomen excelled in the ers, including magisKerala Judicial Service t r at e s a n d s e s s i o n Examination, 2023, with Sunday 75 candidates securing a judges, in the state are almost as many as their Special spot in the rank list. Fifmale counterparts. ty candidates have been Of the 539 serving disappointed from the latest trict judicial officers in KerKerala Judicial Services Exala, 260, or just over 48%, were amination rank list as civil women as on September 12, as judge (junior division) trainper data was shared by the Ker- ees. There are currently 36 feala High Court in response to male candidates among the 50 an RTI query by this paper. trainees undergoing the oneOf the 36 officers who recent- year pre-induction training at ly completed their one-year in- the judicial academy . P R A M D A S @ Kochi WOMEN JUDICIAL OFFICERS IN DIFFERENT CADRE District and Sessions Judges 68 52 Civil Judges (Junior Division) 140 Civil Judges (Senior Division) The surge of women proves awareness of the judicial system has reached all walks of life — N Leelamani, retired judge Appointment of civil judge officers in the judicial service will take place only after the completion of training, the RTI reply said. The picture is different when it comes to the Kerala High Court. Of the 45 judges, only four are women. The RTI data also reveals STATE OF HIGHER JUDICIARY Outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud recently said his collegium could not appoint a woman judge to the SC as there was no one senior among HC judges for elevation there are 68 women district and sessions judges in the state. Experts say that the trend points to a progressive shift, highlighting the expanding role of women as key contributors to the judiciary’s future. S Vijayakumar, former NIA/ CBI special judge told this newspaper, “In the recent past the number of women judges in the district judiciary, especially at the entry level here, has been skyrocketing. When judges in court are women, female litigants who suffer issues of discrimination will have the confidence and self worth to get access to justice. Their judgeship would enhance public confidence in seeking redressal of grievances.” Welcoming the trend, N Leelamani, a former judge, said “During my service period there was not much representation of women. Now things have changed, and it proves women empowerment as the presence of women is higher than other departments.” Waqf Bill steamroller may run into Naidu roadblock demanding pause Joint Parliament Committee vetting the proposed law scheduled to submit its report soon First test for AP CM’s secular credentials P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi NEET aspirant held hostage, raped by teachers for months in UP AMID mounting pressure from its Muslim leaders, key ally Telugu Desam Party may ask the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to postpone the submission of the final report of the Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 to Parliament, according to sources. The panel led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal is scheduled to table the final report on the Waqf Bill in the first week of the winter session of Parliament, which begins on November 25. With 16 MPs, the TDP, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is a key partner of the NDA government, and its support is crucial for passing the bill in Parliament. If Naidu opposes the bill, the Centre may buy time to table it, said sources. The Waqf Bill is perceived to be the first test for Naidu’s secular credentials ever since he joined the NDA government. He does not want to antogonise Muslims, who account for 10-12% of Andhra Pradesh’s population The JPC is in the final phase of consultations with stakeholders and visits to various states. “The government may not go ahead with the bill if Naidu opposes it. In that case, it will simply say that the report is yet to be finalised,” said a leader aware of the developments. TDP’s Muslim leaders have urged Naidu not to support the amendments. With Muslims accounting for 10-12% of Andhra Pradesh’s population, the TDP doesn’t want to antagonise the community which played a , crucial role in its stunning victory in the recent assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Muslim groups have been opposing several amendments, including the appointment of non-Muslims as members of the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards. Senior TDP leader Nawab Jan said last week that Naidu will not let any bill that harms Muslims be implemented. At the ‘Samvidhan Bachao Sam- H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh IT may not be connected with the India-Canada diplomatic chill, but Ottawa has just announced the termination of its popular visa scheme for postsecondary students, called the Student Direct Stream (SDS). The announcement is a big blow for prospective students from India. For context, more than three lakh students from India last year joined Canadian institutions mainly under the SDS stream. Most of them were from Punjab. Students already in Canada waiting for enrolment under SDS are now in deep trouble. SDS was popular because it simplified and expedited processing of study permit from select countries. What would normally take an estimated eight weeks was processed within 20 days. Launched in 2018 for postsecondary students, the SDS window was open for over 10 nations, including India, Brazil, China and Pakistan. That window was shut on Friday so as to give Checks on by border security agency Immigration lawyer Shamsher Singh Sandhu said the Canadian Border Security Agency is checking the status of people (student and visitor visa) who are in Canada at their work and public places. Those found to be illegal immigrants would be deported all international students equal and fair access, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) claimed in a statement. Students can, however, apply through the regular study permit stream. Shamsher Singh Sandhu, a leading immigration lawyer, said, “SDS nixing will adversely impact Indians, a very high percentage of whom hailed from Punjab. Students already in Canada for admission under this category face a bleak future as their chances to get permanent residence are almost nil.” EXPRESS READ SC to hear plea seeking to stop felling of trees The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking a direction to restrain the Delhi government from allowing felling of trees without the apex court’s permission. The plea, which stated that five trees are felled in Delhi every hour, also sought to restrain the environment ministry from permitting diversion of forests without the SC nod. | P3 Militants shoot dead woman in Manipur Suspected militants shot dead a woman in Manipur on Saturday. The deceased was from the Meitei community. The incident occurred at around 11 am at the Saiton village in Bishnupur district of the Imphal valley. The site is close to the hill district of Churachandpur. Will go by probe panel suggestion on BSY prosecution in Covid scam: CM S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi A minor girl preparing for her medical entrance exam NEET, was allegedly held hostage and raped by two teachers of a coaching institute for over six months in Kanpur, the police said on Saturday Sahil Siddiq. ui (32), who taught biology and , Vikas Porwal (39), a chemistry instructor, in the coaching institute have been arrested. “The two have been booked for rape, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, and under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act,” said a police officer. Siddiqui was recently arrested after CCTV footage captured him making sexual advances towards another student. The survivor belongs to Fatehpur and was 17-year-old when the incident occurred. In her complaint, she told the police that in December 2022, Siddiqui invited her to a New Year’s gathering at a friend’s place in the Makdi-Khera area of Kalyanpur, assuring her that other students would also attend. She said upon arriving at Siddiqui’s flat, she found none there. The survivor stated that Siddiqui drugged her by lacing her soft drink with sedatives and raped her. He also did video-recording, she said. The survivor said Siddiqui allegedly held her hostage in his flat for over six months and repeatedly raped her. She was also allegedly threatened that her clips would be shared if she divulged anything. She was also allegedly forced to attend parties. During one of these gatherings, she was sexually assaulted by Porwal. melan’ organised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in Delhi, the TDP leader claimed that Naidu was instrumental in sending the Waqf Bill to the JPC. Asserting that Naidu is a secular leader, he said Naidu’s opinion is that whether an institution is governed by Muslims or Hindus or Christians, it should be managed by people of the same religion. A delegation of Muslim leaders, led by the AIMPLB leader Maulana Mohammed Fazlurrahim Mujaddidi, met Naidu on October 23 and urged him to oppose the Waqf Bill in Parliament. Naidu assured them that the party would make an appropriate decision after discussion with stakeholders. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had urged both Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar to heed the sentiments of Muslims on the matter. hit as Canada axes student scheme CHARGES BASELESS, CLAIMS YEDIYURAPPA K I RA N BA L A N N A N AVA R / D EVA RA J B H I R E H A L L I @ Sandur/Bengaluru PAK TERROR ATTACK Security officials examine the site of a bomb explosion at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan on Saturday. A suspected suicide bomber triggered an explosion at the railway station killing 27 people, 14 security personnel included, and injuring 62 others. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. According to officials, the death toll is likely to go up as many of the injured are in critical condition in hospitals | AP/PTI | P9 CHIEF Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that his government will act on the report of the Justice John Michael D’cunha Commission, which was formed to investigate the alleged corruption during the Covid-19 pandemic under the BJP rule. The panel recommended the prosecution of the then CM Yediyurappa and the then health minister B Sriramulu under Sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. It has also recommended action against some officials responsible for procurement of over 3 lakh Former CM BS Yediyurappa said that the allegations against the then BJP government are false. The Congress government is using the commission’s report for political gains, he said, adding, “I believe in truth and it will prevail,” Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits from Chinese firms. About 1,500 pages of documents have been submitted, and a cabinet sub-committee is examining them, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao told reporters in Bengaluru. “As per the report, Yediyurappa and Sriramulu were di- rectly involved in the alleged irregularities in the purchase of PPE kits. An inquiry will also be conducted against them as per the commission’s report. Therefore, my sincere advice to both of them is to refrain from campaigning for bypolls. Sriramulu’s successor as health minister (Dr Sudhakar) will also be probed,” he said. AS Ponnanna, legal adviser to Siddaramaiah, told this newspaper that the cabinet has accepted the interim report. According to sources, the probe revealed that Yediyurappa and Sriramulu approved the purchase of 3 lakh PPE kits from China at a cost of `2,117.53 per unit against the estimated `2,049.84 per unit, as per the records of a price fixation committee meet in April 2020. Soon, travel on fast lane from Gurugram to Greater Noida TRUCE EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE National Capital Region (NCR) is all set to witness a new Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), a semi-high speed rail corridor, stretching from Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram to Noida Sector-142 and Surajpur in Greater Noida, passing through Bata Chowk in Faridabad. SALIENT FEATURES TO CONNECT GURUGRAMNOIDAGREATER NOIDA The 60-kilometre corridor is projected to feature eight intermediate stations, with an estimated total project cost of around `15,000 crore. Once completed, the RRTS corridor is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in NCR. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini recently met with 60-KM CORRIDOR TO HAVE 8 INTERMEDIATE STATIONS MAY CONNECT SARAI KALE KHAN AND KARNAL; IGIA WITH G’GRAM, FARIDABAD AND JEWAR Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal in Delhi to discuss the expansion of the metro and the construction of the RRTS corridor. They also explored options for extending RRTS connectivity between Sarai Kale Khan and Karnal, as well as extending the metro line from Gurugram to AIIMS in Badsa. TO CURB AIR POLLUTION Meanwhile, there is an ongoing assessment to connect IGIA with key NCR locations, including Gurugram, Faridabad and Jewar Airport, through the RRTS network. The plan proposes two distinct lines, starting from Palam Vihar in Gurugram, to improve connectivity across the region. Another proposed extension aims to con2 distinct lines from Palam Vihar (Gurugram) proposed nect Sarai Kale Khan to Dharuhera, Bawal, and Shahjahanpur in Rajasthan. For the proposed metro line extension from Gurugram Sector-56 to Panchgaon, the Haryana government will cover the expenses. Upon receiving the project’s Detailed Project Report, the Centre is likely to approve it. The project: Part of RapidX project, managed by National Capital Region Transport Corporation; Designed to be a safe, highfrequency, and high-speed transit system QATAR MAY ASK HAMAS TO SHUT ITS DOHA OFFICE Qatar has withdrawn as a key mediator for a Gaza truce and hostage deal and warned Hamas that its Doha office “no longer serves its purpose”, a source told AFP on Saturday. Qatar, with the US and Egypt, has been engaged for truce talks | P9