wednesdAY 11 december, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard c o n d i t i o n s ta b l e Lula undergoes surgery for brain The Brazilian Prez underwent emergency surgery for an “intracranial haemorrhage”, doctors said on Tuesday. Lula suffered a fall in October. Page 9 U.N. award for madhav Gadgil A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS No-trust notice against V-P has 60 signatures First such notice against RS chairman so far P ree t h a N air @ New Delhi The strained ties between the Opposition and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar came to a head on Tuesday as the INDIA bloc submitted a notice for a motion in the House to remove him from the post, accusing him of partisanship. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain submitted the notice signed by 60 MPs — including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPIM, JMM, AAP DMK, Samajwa, di Party — to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody . The motion said, “Unfortunately, Dhankhar’s brief term has been rife with instances where he has acted in a manner that is explicitly partisan and unfair towards members belonging to the Opposition.” This is the first time that such a notice has been moved in the Rajya Sabha. While the Opposition conceded that the scales are tilted in favour of the ruling NDA, they said it was a “strong message to fight for parliamentary democracy”. Elaborating the reasons to move the motion, the parties pointed out that Dhankhar’s conduct of the House on Monday was particularly one-sided and totally unfair. “He was en- NDA has the numbers to defeat motion The NDA has 119, two more than the current halfway mark of 117 in the RS, while the Opposition has 85. Among the fence-sitters are the YSR Congress Party with nine and the BJD with seven members couraging and provoking the Treasury Benches to make outrageous remarks.” He has repeatedly acted in a manner that reduces the prestige of the position he holds, they charged. The Opposition enclosed a list of articles and videos covering various instances where the chairman has unjustly been critical of Opposition members or their actions. Later, Jairam Ramesh said that they were pained to move such a notice, but were “forced” to do so after he “crossed all limits” on Monday by allowing several members of the treasury benches to speak against the top Congress leadership in the House. P7 S M Krishna hailed as a visionary reformer 1 May 1932-10 Dec 2024 The former Karnataka chief minister and external affairs minister was a visionary reformer with empathy and a trailblazer who redefined leadership, writes Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw | P7 l New Delhi l J8.00 l PAGES 12 The United Nations on Tuesday tapped ecologist Madhav Gadgil for the Champions of the Earth award, its highest environmental honour. Gadgil chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel to study the impact of population pressure, climate change, and development in the ecologically fragile region. The panel recommended in 2011 that the entire hill range be declared an ecologically sensitive area Controversial speech SC asks Allahabad HC to file details of judge’s comments S U CH I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi AMID criticism over the controversial speech of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court, delivered at a VHP function on December 8, the Supreme Court on Tuesday called for details from the High Court. “The Supreme Court has taken note of reports of a speech given by Mr Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a sitting judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. The details and particulars have been called from the High Court and the matter is under consideration,” an official statement said. At the VHP event, Justice Yadav reportedly said: “This is Hindustan, and this country will function according to the wishes of the majority. This is the law. That’s how Retract and apologise: Bar Association The Bar Association of India issued a strong statement condemning the HC judge’s speech. It said the judge should retract his statements and tender an apology for his remarks. It also urged the Chief Justice of India and companion judges of the Supreme Court “to deal with this issue in a stern and emphatic manner” any society works.” The judge also reportedly said that the main aim of the Uniform Civil Code is to promote social harmony, gender equality, and secularism. According to reports, the judge highlighted the cultural values of children brought up with Hindu values of non-violence, tolerance etc, contrasting them with those of other communities that practice animal sacrifice. The SC’s administrative action came after videos of the speech were circulated on social media, triggering strong reactions from several quarters, including opposition leaders who termed it hate speech against minorities. Echoing serious concern, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday called for the impeachment of Justice Yadav. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan wrote to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna seeking an ‘in-house enquiry’ into the conduct of the HC judge. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also wrote to the CJI, flagging the HC judge’s speech. Restoring the inflation-growth balance is the most important task ahead for the central bank Shaktikanta Das, outgoing RBI governor RBI-govt ties were the best in my tenure: Das B E N N K O CH U V E E D A N @ Mumbai Outgoing RBI gover nor Shaktikanta Das on Tuesday said the relationship between the central bank and the government was “at its best during the past six years”. Das, who demitted office on Tuesday, underlined the need for restoring the inflationgrowth balance as the key task for his successor Sanjay Malhotra, to whom he will pass the baton on Wednesday . Addressing his last press meet as RBI governor at the RBI headquarters in Mumbai, the civil-servant-turned-central banker said: “The perspectives of the finance ministry and RBI can differ at times. But Kejriwal reaches out to auto drivers with `10L insurance... The guarantees A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi Ahead of the February 2025 Assembly poll, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced five guarantees for auto rickshaw drivers, including a life insurance scheme worth `10 lakh and accidental insurance of `5 lakh. The AAP chief announced an additional `1 lakh for the marriage of their daughters and `2,500 twice a year for uniforms, in addition to bearing the cost of coaching for their children’s competitive exams. Underscoring the role of auto drivers in his party’s previous victories, he said, “Auto drivers were instrumental in our first victory, and I trust they’ll rally for us again.” Kejriwal and his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, visited the house of Navneet Singh, an auto driver in New Kondli. During this visit, he dined with Singh’s family and announced his first guarantee for the welfare of all auto Accidental insurance of `5 L for drivers `1 L for marriage of daughters `2,500 twice a year for uniforms Free coaching for competitive exams for sons/daughters of auto drivers drivers in the capital. Sharing a video on his ‘X’ account, he expressed, “Today, I had the pleasure of visiting the home of our auto driver brother Navneet from Delhi for dinner. I met his family spent time , with them, and enjoyed a meal together. Their warmth and respect made me feel like a part of the family I extend my heart. felt thanks to Navneet Bhai and his family for the invitation. Our bond with the auto drivers across Delhi is strong, sincere, and genuine.” He added in 2013, when the AAP government was formed, the party implemented several measures to enhance the welfare of the auto drivers. ...meanwhile, luxe ‘sheesh mahal’ sparks row E x pre ss N e ws Servi c e @ New Delhi The controversy surrounding the chief minister’s residence at the 6 Flag Staff Road, previously occupied by Arvind Kejriwal, resurfaced on Tuesday when the BJP released a video claiming to expose the lavish lifestyle of the AAP national convenor, referring to the bu n g a l ow a s “ l u x u r i o u s sheesh mahal”. The opposition party argued that this opulent bungalow serves as evidence that Kejriwal has misled the public by portraying himself as a common man while secretly enjoying a lavish lifestyle. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, through the video, accused Kejriwal of deceiving the public by keeping his “seven-star resort-like mansion” concealed to maintain an image of simplicity . ‘7-star mansion’ BJP says the ‘7-star resort-like mansion’ kept hidden from common people Features luxurious Italian marble floors, walls, gym, extravagant bathrooms With that money 34 DDA EWS flats, 15 LIG flats could have been built 150 CNG autos, 326 e-rickshaws purchased to create jobs Sachdeva stated that the “sheesh mahal” stands as a glaring symbol of corruption in Delhi. He pointed out that the funds spent on extravagant lighting and bathroom fittings could have been used to construct 34 DDA EWS flats, 15 LIG flats, 150 CNG autos, or purchase 326 e-rickshaws to create employment opportunities. He said that Kejriwal, who once claimed he wouldn’t use official bungalows, vehicles, or security has now been exposed , IIT-D tops India in QS Sustainability Rankings ‘Dubey, Pandey, Tiwari’: Muslims in UP village use ‘Brahmin’ surnames I f ra h M u f t i @ New Delhi The IIT-Delhi is at top among universities in India for sustainability climbing 255 places , to secure 171st position globally, according to 2025 QS Rankings announced on Tuesday . A total of 78 Indian universities have featured in the QS Sustainability Rankings, with nine of the top 10 institutions in the country improving their ranking this year and 21 new institutions making an entry . The IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur have been ranked among the world’s top 100 for environmental impact. Both bagged fourth and fifth ranks in India with an improvement of 177 and 67 ranks. IISc, Bengaluru has been ranked among world’s top 50 for environment education. The University of Delhi is the only Indian varsity which has seen a decline in ranks as it slipped from 220 last year to 299 rank, but has got sixth position on the Indian list. DU is at top in India for Knowledge Exchange, coming in at 121 globally. IISc, Vellore Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Anna University have featured at the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth rank. Guru Gobind Singh Indrap- t h e s ta n d i n g Rank 2025 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 171 202 234 245 277 299 376 396 401 412 2024 426 349 303 522 344 220 505 449 576 496 Change 255 147 69 277 67 -79 129 53 175 84 9 of top 10 institutes better rankings rastha University has ranked in the 951-960 brackets. Rising to 35th place in India and 288th in Asia, it has emerged as a frontrunner in integrating sustainable practices into education and research. “The rankings show that Indian universities are forging ahead with their sustainability initiatives,” said Ben Sowter, vice-president of London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The 2025 rankings showcase over 1,740 universities from 107 countries, reflecting growth from the previous edition, which included 1,397 institutions across 95 locations. iit-m releases 3D image of fetal brain The IIT-Madras achieved a rare feat in the field of brain mapping technology by releasing 3D high-resolution images of human foetal brain on Tuesday. IIT-M director V Kamakoti claimed that such images are being released for the first in the world. | P5 during the past six years, all such issues were resolved through internal discussions and coordination.” Listing out the challenges for his successor, Das said the new governor will also have to navigate the changing world order, deal with cyber threats, and focus on harnessing new technologies. He said the governor will have to keep in mind the needs of the wider economy, adding that it is a judgement call that every governor takes. RBI-government ties were not that cordial during the governorships of his predecessors Urjit Patel and Raghuram Rajan. Das, a seasoned bureaucrat, was brought in to correct the deep imbalances. snow in the hills A man at a snow-covered area at Kufri near Shimla on Tuesday. Shimla experienced fresh snowfall | pti N ami ta Ba j pai @ Lucknow Dehri, a nondescript village around 35-40 km from the Jaunpur district headquarters in eastern UP, is in the limelight for a rare phenomenon. A new trend has emerged in this predominantly Muslim village. Around 70 Muslims of the village have added ‘Brahmin’ surnames to their names. And they say they have not reconverted to Hinduism. Naushad Ahmad has drawn attention when he mentioned his name as Naushad Ahmad Dubey on his daughter’s wedding card. Then there is Pandey ji or Irshad Ahmad Pandey . Many others like Naushad and Irshad are following the same practice by adding the surnames Dubey Mishra, Pandey Tiwari to their names. , “We started this practice two years back after knowing our ancestry. We got to know that we were Hindus who got converted many generations ago,” says Naushad. He says that he learned that his forefathers had converted to Islam eight generations back. “As people used to address senior members of my family Tracing lineage and promoting harmony In Dehri, a nondescript village in eastern UP, around 70 Muslims have added ‘Brahmin’ surnames to their names. They say they have started the practice two years back after knowing their ancestry. Muslims and Hindus have been living together in the village in harmony for ages. as ‘Pandit ji’, I was curious about my ancestry and lineage. My great-grandfather told me that eight generations back, our ancestor Lal Bahadur Dubey arrived in Dehri,” says Naushad. Similarly, Ehtesham Ahmad claims that he also has Hindu lineage. Village head Farhan says that he traced his ancestors four generations back and learned they were Hindus. Similarly Abdullah Sheikh is , now Abdullah Sheikh Dubey, Mohammad Gufran Thakur Gufran and those with Sayyad as surname are Shandilya. They follow Islamic practices but go to temples as well to pay obeisance to Hindu deities. They follow Quran but also take part in aarti. of his opulent mansion built using ill-gotten wealth. The video highlights the grandeur of Kejriwal’s palace, featuring luxurious Italian marble floors, walls, a gym room, and extravagant bathrooms, providing Delhi residents a glimpse into a lifestyle that is far removed from their own, Sachdeva claimed. He said that the “common man” persona of Kejriwal has been shattered by this video. In response, the AAP rejected the allegations, claiming that the BJP is trying to mislead the people ahead of the upcoming elections in Delhi. “Instead of addressing critical questions about mismanagement of funds for schools, mid-day meals, and hospitals in states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, they are talking about a bungalow,” a senior AAP leader asserted. Express read Rajnath meets Putin to firm up Russia ties India-Russia friendship is “higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. Both leaders expressed that the partnership holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave the way for outcomes. No. of Maoist-hit dists down to 38 from 126 The government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the spread of Left-Wing-Extremism (LWE) induced violence has constricted to 38 districts across nine states in 2024 from 126 districts across 10 states in 2013. The data was shared by MoS, Home, Nityanand Rai, during a writter reply to a question. AQI poor with thin layer of smog in city The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday, with a thin layer of smog covering parts of the city and limiting visibility. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was measured as 224 at 8 am in the national capital.The AQI was recorded at 231 as of 8 am on Monday, according to CPCB. P3