WEDNESDAY 09 SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THEY HAVE RESURRECTED THE DIRE WOLVES APRIL, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard CLOSELY RESEMBLES ITS ANCESTOR, GRAY WOLF By harnessing ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology, scientists have created three dire wolf pups, essentially a hybrid species that closely resembles its extinct ancestor, the gray wolf. The dire wolf, a formidable predator and inspiration for HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’, was characterised by its size, wider head, thicker fur, and stronger jaw WEST ASIA ISRAELI STRIKES KILL 25 IN GAZA RARE TOOTH AND SKULL USED IN STUDY Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight and into Tuesday killed at least 25 people, including eight children and five women, according to Palestinian medics. ■ ■ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 COURT INVOKES SPECIAL POWERS TO DECLARE 10 TN BILLS AS PASSED; SETS DEADLINE FOR GUVS Guv sending reiterated bills to Prez illegal: SC FOUR TIMELINES SET FOR EXPEDITED ACTION 1 2 3 In the case of withholding of assent or reservation of the bills for the President upon the aid and advice of the state’s ministers, the governor has to act within a month If assent is to be withheld, contrary to the advice of the ministers, the governor must return the bills with a message within 3 months If bill is to be reserved for the President, contrary to the advice of ministers, guv must do so within 3 months under Article 142 to make the bills re-presented to the governor, as deemed to have IN a landmark verdict, the Su- been passed. preme Court on Tuesday held The court pronounced the the action of Tamil Nadu Gov- verdict after hearing a plea ernor R N Ravi to reserve 10 filed by the Tamil Nadu govbills for the President’s consid- ernment against Governor eration despite their reitera- Ravi for sitting over bills — tion by the state assembly “il- some for over three years — legal and arbitrary”. and later escalating them to The governor has no option the President. The bills were but to give assent to the bill sent to the President shortly that is presented to him after another bench after re-passage in the in the Punjab goverstate assembly if it is nor’s case ruled that unchanged, a two-judge the governor does not bench comprising jushave pocket veto or tices J B Pardiwala and absolute veto over R Mahadevan said. bills by squatting The court said the over them. governor must act on “The governor canthe aid and advice of Governor R N Ravi not sit on bills and exthe state legislature. ercise pocket veto “Under Article 200 of the Con- over them. Article 200 gives stitution, the governor does the bills passed by the state asnot possess any discretion and sembly the authority of an has to mandatorily act on the Act. Without this Act, it is only aid and advice of the council a document of aspiration of of ministers.” Article 200 of people which does not come the Constitution deals with as- into effect,” said Justice Pardisent to bills. wala, who authored the judgThe bench said once the ment. Pocket veto an indirect governor withholds assent, he veto of a bill by leaving it unis obligated to follow the pro- signed till it is too late for it to cedure prescribed in the first be dealt with. proviso of Article 200, which The court said though there is on returning the bill to the was no specific time limit unHouse as soon as possible. It der Article 200 for the governor exercised its special power to take his call, it cannot lead S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi 4 If a bill is reiterated by the state assembly without change, the governor must grant assent within a month Justice J B Pardiwala to inertia. “Despite there being no prescribed time limits, Article 200 cannot be read in a manner which allows the governor to not take action on the bills, which are presented to him for assent and thereby delay, and essentially roadblock law-making machinery in the state,” it said. For the first time, the court set timelines for gubernatorial clearance of bills, adding failure to adhere to them could invite judicial scrutiny. It gave governors just one month to decide if they wanted to reserve a bill for the President’s consideration. If they wanted to withhold assent without the aid and advice of the council of ministers, they have to return the bill within three months. If the bill is reiterated after re-consideration by state assembly, the governor will have to mandatorily give his assent within a month. The governor must perform his role as a friend, philosopher and guide with dispassion and not be guided by political considerations, the verdict said. “In times of conflict, he must be the harbinger of consensus and resolution, lubricating the functioning of the state machinery by his sagacity wisdom, and not run it into , a standstill.” P7 BILLS THAT WERE CLEARED 2020 Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act, 2012 2020 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (i) 2022 Bill to amend the TN Dr. Ambedkar Law University Act, 1996 2022 Bill to amend the TN Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987 2022 Bill to amend the TN Agricultural University Act, 1971 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (ii) 2022 Bill to amend the Tamil University Act, 1982 2023 Bill to amend the TN Fisheries University Act, 2012 2023 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 Verdict a win for all states: Stalin in TN Assembly E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai CHIEF Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday described the Supreme Court verdict, which held that Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s action of not granting assent to the 10 bills readopted by the Assembly as illegal, as a monumental victory not only for Tamil Nadu but for all the state governments. Stalin said this while informing the Assembly about the SC verdict, which ruled that the 10 bills be considered to have been assented to by the governor. “I convey the happy news to the House regarding the historic verdict which the Supreme Court has just delivered in favour of the Tamil Nadu government,” he said. Later, in a post on X, Stalin said, “We thank and welcome today’s historic judgment of the Hon’ble Tamil Nadu Supreme Court, reaffirmfought. Tamil ing the legislative rights of Nadu will fight. state le gislatures and Tamil Nadu putting an end to the trend will win of union gover nmentM K Stalin, nominated governors stallTN chief minister ing progressive legislative refor ms in oppositionruled states.” This is another crucial step in restoring balance in union-state relations and a landmark victory in TN’s continuous struggle to usher in a truly federal India. Earlier, speaking in the Assembly he said , the governor had returned several important bills passed by the House that were sent for his assent. “The House re-adopted those bills and sent them back,” the CM said. KERALA TO CJI: LIST OUR PLEA ON BILLS BEFORE JUSTICE PARDIWALA BENCH The Kerala government requested the CJI-led bench to list its similar writ petition, pending before it, before the bench headed by Justice J B Pardiwala. It claimed the governor’s inaction on several bills passed by the Assembly. P7 The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho They took blood cells from a gray wolf and genetically modified them before transferring the genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. Embryos were then transferred to surrogates | P9 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court is likely to hear on April 15 a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A final causelist is yet to be uploaded on the court website. The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court and sought a hearing before any order was passed in the matter. A caveat is filed by a party in courts to ensure that no orders are passed without hearing it. Former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and senior Supreme Court lawyer, K C Kaushik, speaking to this newspaper, said the Centre wanted a representation before any order is passed by the SC. “No ex-parte order should be issued without prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. The government wants to be the prime respondent in the matter,” he said. In another significant development, the Waqf (Amendment) Act came into force on Tuesday with the government issuing a notification. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (14 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 8th day of April, 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the Ministry of Minority Affairs notification said. MORE than 50 days since taking charge as the CM, Rekha Gupta is yet to be allotted an official accommodation. Sources privy to the matter say four bungalows — two in the Civil Lines, one in Motilal Nehru Marg and another in the Daryaganj area — are being considered for allotment to the CM. She has been working from her private residence in her Shalimar Bagh constituency in the meantime, where she has been holding public meetings. The Public Works Department, which is supposed to arrange the accommodations, has not allotted official residences to her ministers either. Gupta holds meetings with ministers and bureaucrats at the secretariat building. A wellplaced source said, “Since she has to meet around 700-800 people every day, she is facing a lot of challenges. After all, a CM cannot stay at the secretariat building from the morn- FOOD FOR THOUGHT Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Jammu and Kashmir Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during a review and strategy meeting to assess the ongoing development projects in J&K, in Srinagar, on Tuesday | PTI | P8 EXPRESS READ NIA raids locations linked to Goldy Brar The NIA on Tuesday conducted raids at multiple locations linked with Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar across two northern states - Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said. China says it will act against US tariffs China said that it will take countermeasures against the US after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tax on Chinese imports in retaliation for Beijing’s backlash against US’ 34% tariffs. | P9 4 bungalows being considered: Officials Four bungalows — two in the Civil Lines, one in Motilal Nehru Marg and another in the Daryaganj area — are being considered for allotment to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Once an accommodation is finalised, it will take another 30 days to renovate the premises. ing till the evening.” All her cabinet ministers, except for one, are reportedly facing a similar situation — they have to travel a long distance to reach the secretariat daily . Sources in the government say that even after the allot- DAYS IS THE TIME IT TOOK FOR THE NEW ENGINEERED PUPS TO BE BORN 104% U.S. TARIFF ON CHINA President Trump is set to impose a whopping 104% in levies across all Chinese imports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said | P9 Cong resolution calls Waqf Act polarising, foreign policy weak P R E E T H A N A I R @ Ahmedabad FROM opposing the Waqf Act to India’s foreign policy, One Nation, One Election bill and proposed delimitation to economic and education policy the , political resolution being discussed at the All India Congress Committee session in Ahmedabad vows to strengthen organisational capacity and competence to fight for Nyay (justice) for every Indian. The Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday finalised the draft resolution; it is expected to be passed at the AICC session on Wednesday . Reaffirming the party’s opposition to the Waqf Act and anti-conversion laws, the resolution said the laws are part of BJP’s polarising strategy . “We will not allow India to be divided, nor will we allow those who seek to divide it to succeed in their diabolical designs. Our path is clear: Quit hate, Unite India,” it said. Terming the Centre’s foreign policy a weak-kneed one, the resolution said the BJP government has compromised the country’s foreign policy at the 50 days after taking charge, CM yet to get official accommodation Waqf Act comes into force, govt files caveat in SC 62 ment of an accommodation is finalised, it will take another 30 days to renovate the premises. “The agency concerned is looking for a residence, but no final decision has been taken yet. They are on the lookout for an accommodation that will be suitable for the CM, as she has already made it clear that she will not move into the 6, Flag Staff Road bungalow, where Arvind Kejriwal stayed for nearly 10 years during his tenure,” sources revealed. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva has recently slammed Kejriwal, citing an RTI reply that revealed the former CM’s bungalow was maintained with an annual cost of `3.69 crore between 2015 and 2022. In February this year, the Central Vigilance Commission directed the PWD of the Delhi government to conduct a detailed probe into the alleged merger of properties to expand the 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow and the expenditure incurred on its interiors. NATIONALISM PITCH Terming the Congress party’s idea of nationalism as one that binds people together, the resolution said ‘the pseudo-nationalism of the BJP-RSS’ seeks to divide the nation over region, language, attire, and food habits altar of individual branding and serving vested interests. “Though Congress remains a strong votary of close ties with the US, it can never happen at the expense of India’s national interests,” said the resolution. “During the PM’s visit to Washington, D.C., we were publicly insulted and our country was labelled as a ‘Tariff Abuser’. Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the US in chains and handcuffs,” it said. On the border dispute, the resolution said China has illegally occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory. Yet, the BJP government has failed to restore the status quo ante, as it existed before April 2020, the Congress resolution noted. P7 Relief to Patkar in 2001 criminal defamation case S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi IN a relief to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar, a city court on Tuesday granted her probation for one year in a criminal defamation case filed by L-G V K Saxena in 2001. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh of Saket Court noted Patkar’s advanced age, unblemished record, and longstanding public service, ruling that incarceration was not necessary in her case. The judge also slashed `10 lakh compensation originally imposed on her to `1 lakh, directing the amount be paid to Saxena. The case stems from a press note issued by Patkar on November 25, 2000. She accused Saxena, then chief of Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, of dishonesty The trial court, while . convicting her last year, had concluded that Patkar’s statements were not only defamatory but were also made with deliberate malice. WA chat leak & bitter infighting within TMC spills out into the open S U L A G N A S E N G U P TA @ Kolkata THE infighting within West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) surfaced on Tuesday after a video showing an alleged verbal duel between party MPs and screenshots of their exchanges from its official WhatsApp group went viral on social media. Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s IT cell, shared the screenshots, claiming they revealed a bitter argument between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad. The authenticity of the screenshots couldn’t be independently verified, but many senior TMC leaders didn’t refute the incident. In the purported video, sen- ior MP Kalyan Banerjee could be seen angrily talking about a ‘rude’, ‘uncivilised’ woman MP, while two other lawmakers are seated. In the leaked chat, Banerjee apparently congratulating the “gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of versatile international lady In response, anoth.” er Trinamool MP and ex-India cricketer Kirti Azad said, “Take it easy Kalyan. You have had one too many. Don’t act like a juvenile delinquent. You have been entrusted with a very serious responsibility by Didi to take everyone along with you.” An angry Banerjee shot back, saying Azad was thrown out of BJP for doing internal politics and that he doesn’t “come from any quota”. Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata on Tuesday that the woman MP had “hurled abuses” at him. He, however, didn’t mention the name of the MP . In response, senior TMC MP Sougata Roy chided Banerjee for damaging the party’s reputation. “What he did has tarnished the party’s image. He should be immediately removed from the position of chief whip,” Roy said. Senior TMC leaders said the issue has reached party chief and chief minister Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.