The Evening Wrap: Election Commission announces Presidential election schedule

The Election Commission has announced that voting for electing India’s next President will take place on July 18, 2022. Counting of votes will be held on July 21. Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha will be the Returning Officer, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. The nomination papers will have to be delivered in Election Commission office, in New Delhi, and would need at least 50 members of electoral college as proposers and another 50 as seconders. A list of electoral college will be uploaded on election commission’s website. The list will be updated as there are Rajya Sabha elections before Presidential election. The notification for the election will be issued on June 15, while the last date for nominations is June 29. The applications will be scrutinised on July 2. This time, a total of 4,809 lawmakers, including 776 parliamentarians and 4,033 legislators will cast their votes. Political parties cannot issue any whip to their members, Kumar said. The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24. President of India is elected indirectly, with parliamentarians and legislators voting. The value of the vote of each legislator varies based on the population of the State they belong to. The voting takes place by means of secret ballot through single transferable vote. Delhi Police register FIRs against Sharma, Jindal, Owaisi for inciting people on divisive lines Delhi Police have registered FIRs against former BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand and others for allegedly posting and sharing messages on social media against the maintenance of public tranquility and inciting people on divisive lines, officials said on Thursday. The FIRs were registered after an analysis of social media, they said. “The cases have been registered against those who were posting and sharing messages against the maintenance of public tranquility and were inciting people on the basis of divisive lines,” a senior police officer said. The cases have been registered under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, he said. One case has been registered against Sharma and another against multiple social media entities, including Owaisi, Jindal, Narsinghanand, Shadab Chauhan, Saba Naqvi, Maulana Mufti Nadeem, Abdur Rehman and Gulzar Ansari, based on the analysis, the officer said. Notices will be sent to the social media intermediaries for the details, he added. “We have registered 2 FIRs under appropriate sections on the basis of social media analysis against those trying to disrupt public tranquility & inciting people on divisive lines. One pertains to Ms Nupur Sharma & other against multiple social media entities,” Delhi Police tweeted. “Even as Notices are being sent to social media intermediaries for details of those behind these accounts/entities, #DelhiPolice appeals to everyone to desist from posting anything that may disrupt social and communal harmony,” it added. The FIRs have been registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operation (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell, police said. On Wednesday, police had said the unit will investigate the roles of various social media entities in promoting false and wrong information with an intention to create unrest on the cyber space, that have ramifications on the physical space thereby compromising with the social fabric of the country. Earlier, Delhi Police had provided security to Sharma and her family after an FIR was registered on a complaint that she was getting death threats over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. She had requested the police to provide security citing harassment and threats she had been receiving. The BJP on Sunday had suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Jindal as the row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from many Muslim countries. Current account deficit likely to hit three-year high at $43.8 billion in FY22 The country’s current account deficit is likely to hit a three-year high of 1.8% of GDP or $43.81 billion in FY22, as against a surplus of 0.9% or $23.91 billion in FY21, a report said on Thursday. According to an assessment by India Ratings, the Current Account Deficit (CAD) has moderated to $17.3 billion or 1.96% of GDP in the fourth quarter of FY22 as against $8.2 billion or 1.03% in the year-ago period, and massively down from $23.02 billion or 2.74% in Q3, which was a 13-quarter high. The improvement in the key numbers are due to the remarkable improvement in merchandise exports in FY22, when it grew 42.4% as against a negative 7.5% in the pandemic-hit FY121. But exports could face significant headwinds from rising uncertainty and volatility in the global economy primarily because of the spike in commodity prices, especially crude oil after Russia invaded Ukraine, the report warned, and pointed to the lower forecast of global growth by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which sees the global economy clipping at just about 3% in 2022, down from 4.7% forecast earlier. China slams U.S. General for criticising its military build-up at China-India border A day after a visiting U.S. General termed the Chinese activity level in eastern Ladakh as “eye-opening” and infrastructure being created in their Western Theatre Command as “alarming, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reacted sharply on Thursday saying that U.S. officials are trying to add “fuel to the fire” and “pointing fingers” and termed it a “despicable act”. “This Border issue is between China and India, the two sides have the will and capability to properly resolve the issue through talks and some U.S. officials are trying to add fuel to the fire and pointing fingers,” Chinese MoFA Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response to a question at the daily briefing in Beijing. “This is a despicable act. We hope they will do more to contribute to regional peace and stability.” Mr. Zhao further stated that now the situation on the India-China Border is stabilising “on the whole” and the frontline forces from both countries have “realised disengagement in most areas along the western section.” Expressing alarm at the Chinese activity along the border, Commander of U.S. Army Pacific General Charles A. Flynn, in an interaction with presspersons, questioned their “intentions” while also expressing concern at their “behaviour”. On the regional situation, he said what they [China] are doing today by taking an “incremental and insidious path” and that the “destabilising and coercive behaviour” that they project into the region is simply “not helpful.” Since the stand-off began in May 2020, the two sides have so far held 15 rounds of Corps Commander level talks and have undertaken disengagement from both sides of Pangong Tso in February 2021, and from Patrolling Point (PP) 17A in Gogra Hot Springs area in August, in addition to Galwan in June 2020 after the violent clash. In addition, the two sides also held talks at the political and diplomatic levels. The other friction areas yet to be resolved are Patrolling Point 15, Demchok and Depsang. In Brief Bombay High Court judge Justice Bharati Dangre on Thursday recused herself from hearing the petition filed by former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh seeking bail in a money laundering case. Justice Dangre said she would not be able to hear the plea due to “personal reasons”. Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 2, 2021, and is currently in judicial custody. The NCP leader had filed the petition in the high court after a special court rejected his bail plea in March this year. He sought bail on the grounds of his ailing health and termed the ED’s case as “false and frivolous”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 09 JUNE 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Presidential election 2022: Voting on July 18, results on July 21 The Election Commission has [announced that voting for electing India’s next President will take place on July 18, 2022](. Counting of votes will be held on July 21. Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha will be the Returning Officer, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. The nomination papers will have to be delivered in Election Commission office, in New Delhi, and would need at least 50 members of electoral college as proposers and another 50 as seconders. A list of electoral college will be uploaded on election commission’s website. The list will be updated as there are Rajya Sabha elections before Presidential election. The notification for the election will be issued on June 15, while the last date for nominations is June 29. The applications will be scrutinised on July 2. This time, a total of 4,809 lawmakers, including 776 parliamentarians and 4,033 legislators will cast their votes. Political parties cannot issue any whip to their members, Kumar said. The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24. President of India is elected indirectly, with parliamentarians and legislators voting. The value of the vote of each legislator varies based on the population of the State they belong to. The voting takes place by means of secret ballot through single transferable vote. Delhi Police register FIRs against Sharma, Jindal, Owaisi for inciting people on divisive lines [Delhi Police have registered FIRs]( against former BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand and others for allegedly posting and sharing messages on social media against the maintenance of public tranquility and inciting people on divisive lines, officials said on Thursday. The FIRs were registered after an analysis of social media, they said. “The cases have been registered against those who were posting and sharing messages against the maintenance of public tranquility and were inciting people on the basis of divisive lines,” a senior police officer said. [(Clockwise from top left) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, priest Yati Narsinghanand and former BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal. Delhi Police has registered FIRs against the four and others for allegedly posting and sharing messages on social media against the maintenance of public tranquility and inciting people on divisive lines. ] The cases have been registered under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, he said. One case has been registered against Sharma and another against multiple social media entities, including Owaisi, Jindal, Narsinghanand, Shadab Chauhan, Saba Naqvi, Maulana Mufti Nadeem, Abdur Rehman and Gulzar Ansari, based on the analysis, the officer said. Notices will be sent to the social media intermediaries for the details, he added. “We have registered 2 FIRs under appropriate sections on the basis of social media analysis against those trying to disrupt public tranquility & inciting people on divisive lines. One pertains to Ms Nupur Sharma & other against multiple social media entities,” Delhi Police tweeted. “Even as Notices are being sent to social media intermediaries for details of those behind these accounts/entities, #DelhiPolice appeals to everyone to desist from posting anything that may disrupt social and communal harmony,” it added. The FIRs have been registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operation (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell, police said. On Wednesday, police had said the unit will investigate the roles of various social media entities in promoting false and wrong information with an intention to create unrest on the cyber space, that have ramifications on the physical space thereby compromising with the social fabric of the country. Earlier, Delhi Police had provided security to Sharma and her family after an FIR was registered on a complaint that she was getting death threats over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. She had requested the police to provide security citing harassment and threats she had been receiving. The BJP on Sunday had suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi unit media head Jindal as the row over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from many Muslim countries. Current account deficit likely to hit three-year high at $43.8 billion in FY22 The country’s[current account deficit is likely to hit a three-year high]( of 1.8% of GDP or $43.81 billion in FY22, as against a surplus of 0.9% or $23.91 billion in FY21, a report said on Thursday. According to an assessment by India Ratings, the Current Account Deficit (CAD) has moderated to $17.3 billion or 1.96% of GDP in the fourth quarter of FY22 as against $8.2 billion or 1.03% in the year-ago period, and massively down from $23.02 billion or 2.74% in Q3, which was a 13-quarter high. The improvement in the key numbers are due to the remarkable improvement in merchandise exports in FY22, when it grew 42.4% as against a negative 7.5% in the pandemic-hit FY121. But exports could face significant headwinds from rising uncertainty and volatility in the global economy primarily because of the spike in commodity prices, especially crude oil after Russia invaded Ukraine, the report warned, and pointed to the lower forecast of global growth by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which sees the global economy clipping at just about 3% in 2022, down from 4.7% forecast earlier. China slams U.S. General for criticising its military build-up at China-India border A day after a visiting U.S. General termed the [Chinese activity level in eastern Ladakh as “eye-opening”]( and infrastructure being created in their Western Theatre Command as “alarming, the [Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reacted sharply]( on Thursday saying that U.S. officials are trying to add “fuel to the fire” and “pointing fingers” and termed it a “despicable act”. “This Border issue is between China and India, the two sides have the will and capability to properly resolve the issue through talks and some U.S. officials are trying to add fuel to the fire and pointing fingers,” Chinese MoFA Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response to a question at the daily briefing in Beijing. “This is a despicable act. We hope they will do more to contribute to regional peace and stability.” [Indian and Chinese tanks disengage from the banks of Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh on February 11, 2021. Photo: Indian Army PRO via PTI] Mr. Zhao further stated that now the situation on the India-China Border is stabilising “on the whole” and the frontline forces from both countries have “realised disengagement in most areas along the western section.” Expressing alarm at the Chinese activity along the border, Commander of U.S. Army Pacific General Charles A. Flynn, in an interaction with presspersons, questioned their “intentions” while also expressing concern at their “behaviour”. On the regional situation, he said what they [China] are doing today by taking an “incremental and insidious path” and that the “destabilising and coercive behaviour” that they project into the region is simply “not helpful.” Since the stand-off began in May 2020, the two sides have so far held 15 rounds of Corps Commander level talks and have undertaken disengagement from both sides of Pangong Tso in February 2021, and from Patrolling Point (PP) 17A in Gogra Hot Springs area in August, in addition to Galwan in June 2020 after the violent clash. In addition, the two sides also held talks at the political and diplomatic levels. The other friction areas yet to be resolved are Patrolling Point 15, Demchok and Depsang. In Brief Bombay High Court judge Justice Bharati Dangre on Thursday [recused herself from hearing the petition filed by former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh]( seeking bail in a money laundering case. Justice Dangre said she would not be able to hear the plea due to “personal reasons”. Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 2, 2021, and is currently in judicial custody. The NCP leader had filed the petition in the high court after a special court rejected his bail plea in March this year. He sought bail on the grounds of his ailing health and termed the ED’s case as “false and frivolous”. 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