Wednesday Six killed in violence as Imran supporters clash with police 27 November, 2024 Four paramilitary soldiers among the dead. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alleged that the protesters rammed the troops with a convoy of vehicles epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Aug 2023 israel talks truce plan with Hezbollah Israeli warplanes struck central Beirut on Tuesday ahead of a vote by leadership on whether to accept a US-brokered ceasefire with Hezbollah. Page 9 When Imran khan was arrested and jailed on charges of corruption Protest in response to ‘final call’ by Khan A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 l The protesters, who have been marching towards Islamabad since Sunday, are demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder is serving a threeyear jail term for corruption—a charge he denies. On November 13, he issued a ‘final call” to his supporters, urging them not to relent until the government meets all demands | P9 PAGES 12 Former AIIMS chief slams NTF, bats for laws to protect docs ASHISH SRI V AS TA V A @ New Delhi FORMER AIIMS-Delhi director Randeep Guleria on Tuesday expressed disappointment regarding the conclusion reached by the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF). The NTF ruled out the necessity for a separate central law to protect healthcare professionals from violence, stating existing laws are adequate to address these issues. Speaking at the 20th edition of Delhi Dialogue, the renowned pulmonologist voiced his support for the healthcare community’s unanimous demand for a central act. He emphasised the urgent need for measures to deter the rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers. “T he violence a g ainst healthcare workers is becoming increasingly common. I believe there should be legislation to protect doctors and healthcare professionals, especially the young ones, who are at the forefront of vulnerability in public hospitals. Unless there is a deterrent, the incidents will not come down. There has to be an action. It was unfortunate that no such recommendation was given by hong kong court rules in favour of equal inheritance for LGBTQ Express read Land-for-jobs scam: CBI gets prosecution sanction The CBI on Tuesday informed a court that it had got prosecution sanctions against 30 accused in the alleged land-for-jobs scam involving Lalu Prasad. It is alleged that job seekers provided land parcels to Prasad’s family or aides as bribes in exchange for jobs. | P4 Elections to 6 RS seats in 4 states on Dec 20: EC To fill six casual vacancies in Rajya Sabha from four states — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Haryana — the Election Commission on Tuesday announced poll schedule, as the voting for the same would take place on December 20 and results announced the same evening. | P7 President Droupadi Murmu addresses Parliament to mark Constitition Day at Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi on Tuesday | PTI Constitution a progressive, live document, says Murmu the NTF,” he stated. Currently serving as the Chairman of Internal Medicine, Respiratory & Sleep Medicine at Medanta, Gurugram, Dr Guleria noted that during Covid-19, the government implemented a stringent law to safeguard healthcare workers. In September 2020, the Centre amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, making violence against healthcare personnel as cognizable and non-bailable offence. However, this law was repealed once the pandemic subsided. “The law should have been retained in some form,” he asserted. Dr Guleria also criticised the NTF for lacking representation from focussed groups, including resident doctors, nurses, and paramedics, who are at greater risk of experiencing violence. Addresses House on 75th anniversary of the adoption of Constitution E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi The LGBTQ community won a major victory on Tuesday as the Hong Kong’s top court affirmed housing and inheritance rights of same-sex couples, ruling against the government. Tuesday marked the end of a six-year legal battle | P9 It is the responsibility of the executive, legislature and judiciary to work together to make the lives of common people better in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday . Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament to mark 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, Murmu said the fundamental duties of every citizen had been clearly defined in the country’s founding document, which lay stress on protecting the nation’s unity and integrity, promoting harmony and ensuring the dignity of women. “Constitutional ideals get strength from the active participation of the executive, legislature and the judiciary , as well as all citizens,” she said. Describing the Constitution as a living and progressive document, she said, “In accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the executive, legislature and the judiciary to work together to make the Call for discussion Pointing out that the President’s address did not mention the words ‘secular’ and socialist’, DMK leader T R Baalu urged Speaker Om Birla to include a discussion on Droupadi Murmu’s address in the agenda of the House. lives of common people better.” The President also recalled the contribution of the 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly in framing the Constitution. The Constitution makers, she added, had given a directive for India to play an important role in the promotion of international peace and security . The Constitution, in one sense, was the outcome of nearly three years of deliberations by some of the greatest minds, but, in the true sense, it was the outcome of the long freedom struggle. “The ideals of that incomparable national movement came to be enshrined in the Constitution. u j w a l j a l a l i @ New Delhi THE Delhi Police has solved the high-profile theft of a 50-million-year-old Gastropod fossil from the India International Trade Fair (IITF) and arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with the crime. Identified as Manoj Kumar Mishra, the accused is a resident of Sector-22, Noida, and works at Crown Plaza, Noida. He was a regular visitor to the trade fair with a keen interest in various art forms. The stolen artifact, a gastropod fossil, weighs 1 kg. Gastropods are snail-like and slug-like invertebrate animals. Gastropod fossil As fossils mostly represent the Snail-like and slug-like hard parts of organisms, snails invertebrate animals, the are the most common types of fossils mostly represent gastropod fossils. hard parts of organisms. DCP (IITF) Sumit Kumar Snails are the most Jha reported that the staff common types of of the Geolo gical Survey gastropod fossils. of India (GSI) reported the fossil’s theft on November 21, which occurred at their stall in the Ministry of Mines pavilion in Hall No. 4 of the IITF. Based on the complaint, a case under the relevant section of the BNS was registered and an investigation was initiated. During the probe, the police analysed footage from over 100 CCTVs at the place of the incident and nearby stalls, pavilions and halls. “Using technical analysis, the accused was identified and tracked,” the DCP said. The police conducted a raid in Sector 22, Noida, arrested Mishra, and recovered the fossil along with the ticket used for entry into the trade fair. Upon interrogation, the accused confessed to the theft. He told the police that he was intending to sell it at a high price. He was not found to be involved in any previous criminal case, police said. SC junks plea for ballot voting; don’t want EVMs, says Kharge SUCHI T RA KALYAN MOHAN T Y a n d P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an evangelist seeking the reintroduction of the physical paper ballot voting system in elections in India, saying allegations about electronic voting machine tampering are raised only when people lose polls. The petitioner, founder of the US-based organisations Global Peace Initiative (GPI) and Gospel to the Unreached Millions, argued that political leaders such as Chandrababu Naidu and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had questioned the authenticity of EVMs. To this, a two-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale said: “When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr Reddy lost, they say that EVMs are tampered and when they won, they don’t say anything. How can we see this? We are dismissing this. This is not the place where you argue all of this.” Meanwhile, the Congress on Tuesday demanded that EVMs must be abolished and elections conducted through ballot paper. Speaking at a function to mark the ‘Constitution Day’, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for a campaign on the scale of Bharat Jodo Yatra to create awareness about returning to ballot papers. The demand comes amid concerns among opposition parties over alleged manipulation of EVMs in Maharashtra and Haryana elections. Referring to the Maharashtra polls, which the NDA swept, Kharge alleged industrialist Gautam Adani had a role to play “I do not wish to speak . about elections, but I would say the votes of the poor and oppressed are going to waste,” he alleged. World title match Cautious after Game 1 setback, Gukesh draws S w a r o o p S w a m i n at h a n @ Singapore EVEN before a move had been made in anger, fans and fellow players had formed an orderly queue to anoint D Gukesh as the next world champion. Those prophecies were put in cold storage following the first game of the World Championship where Ding Liren, the reigning champion, showcased his craft to perfection. The Indian teen didn’t do much wrong — just a few inaccuracies and some tactical Those ideals have been captured succinctly in the Preamble to the Constitution. They are justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. These ideals have defined India since the ages. The ideals highlighted in the Preamble complement each other. Together, they create an environment in which every single citizen finds an opportunity to flourish, contribute to society, and help fellow citizens,” she added. Meanwhile, DMK leader T R Baalu wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla saying some salient features of the Constitution, including the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’, were not at all mentioned in the address of the president, “drafted and approved by the government”. He urged the Speaker to include a discussion on Murmu’s address in the business agenda of the House during the Winter Session. He said it has been contemplated in Parliament’s procedure that the address of the President “must be allowed for discussion to enlightP7 en the nation further”.  Man steals 50-million-old fossil from trade fair, held D Gukesh makes a move on Tuesday oversights — but at this level, that’s all it takes to lose a game. Losing a game to begin the Championship is never ideal — players prefer to not lose rather than go for the win in Game One (the last definitive result in the first game before 2024 came in 2010 when Viswanathan Anand lost to Veselin Topalov) -- but that’s the advantage of a long drawn event like this. There’s ample time to rest, regroup and plot a comeback. It’s probably why Gukesh is still seen as a marginal favourite. On the TakeTakeTake YouTube channel, Magnus Carlsen still expected the 18-year-old to come through. “I probably would have put it at about 80% for Gukesh before the match,” the Norwegian not- ed after the opener. “Now I think it is as close to 50% as you can get. Maybe closer to 55% for Gukesh... I think this is a very even match now.” It was no surprise that the Indian played a more watchful game with black pieces on Tuesday. However, the mood within his camp is still very upbeat. The loss, they maintain, is ‘just part of the game, these things happen’. “This early, with black, was nowhere close to a must-win,” he said after the second game. “I was never going to do anything stupid.”  P11 Avoid sunlight, stay cool on the go with ‘Veyil’ V a r s h a S o m a r a j @ T’Puram Governor C P Radhakrishnan receives Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s resignation as CM, as BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s Ajit Pawar look on, in Mumbai | PTI Shinde push for Mahayuti convenor, son as Deputy CM if denied CM’s post S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai The slugfest over the new Maharashtra government’s leadership continued on Tuesday with caretaker chief minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde reportedly rejecting offers from the BJP to either take a Cabinet position in the Union gover nment or deputy chief ministership in a Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Highly placed sources said Shinde’s counter was that if he does not get the chief ministerial position, he should be made the convener of Mahayuti government, and his son Dr Shrikant Shinde, Lok Sabha member from Kalyan, the deputy chief minister. The BJP is yet to respond to the counter, said sources adding that it has delayed the swearing in ceremony It could . happen on Friday or the first week of December. In the morning, Shinde resigned as chief minister and was requested by the governor to continue in that position as caretaker. A Shiv Sena leader requesting anonymity said if the BJP does not concede the chief ministerial post to Eknath Shinde, it would validate Uddhav Thackeray’s charge of the BJP’s useand-throw politics. That will give Uddhav a fillip after being thoroughly trounced in the recent assembly elections. Shiv Sena MLAs who were camped at a five-star hotel, Taj Lands End, in Mumbai, were asked to go back to their constituencies, meet the people and thank them for the mandate. Shinde also advised party workers not to converge to Mumbai to extend support. It’s a sunny afternoon. You get on the bus and sit in your seat only to find the sun directly shining on your face. Frustrating, isn’t it? After all, it’s not the kind of sunlight that makes you want to lean back, listen to music, and soak in the scenery . Rather, it makes you squint, sweat and count the minutes until your journey ends. But, there is a solution. And, like all things now, it is a mobile app. Veyil, an app developed by a group of friends — Hadi Rasheed from Kozhikode, Sreelal T S from Vadakra and Hudaifa Abdul Nasar from Kannur — has found popularity not just in Kerala, but across the globe. To use it, commuters have to enter four details: Starting point, destination, time of travel, and day of the trip. The app uses GPS and a finely-tuned 100mX100m grid to calculate sunlight angles along the route, determines which side of the bus will remain in shade and offers clear instructions: Left or right on where to sit for a comfortable ride. “We made sure to keep it as simple as possible. We avoided ads and unnecessary interruptions to ensure users can focus solely on their comfort,” says Hudaifa. On the app’s development, the trio says, “Much of the brainstorming took place during the pandemic. Even now, we are in different places — Bengaluru, Kuwait and Kochi — but manage things together.”