The Evening Wrap: EC releases Assam delimitation proposals

The Election Commission has proposed to retain the number of Assembly seats in Assam at 126 and the Lok Sabha constituencies at 14 as it released the draft delimitation papers for the northeastern State. According to an official statement, the EC has proposed that the assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes be increased from eight to nine and Scheduled Tribe seats from 16 to 19. The EC draft of delimitation proposes to reserve 19 assemblies and two parliamentary seats for STs, and nine assembly and one parliamentary seats for SCs. The poll body proposed that the number of assembly seats in the autonomous districts of West Karbi Anglong be increased by one and in Bodoland autonomous council areas by three (from 16 to 19). The EC has retained Diphu and Kokrajhar parliamentary seats reserved for ST and continued the Lakhimpur Parliamentary seat as unreserved. China blocks proposal at U.N. to blacklist Pak-based LeT terrorist and 26/11 accused Sajid Mir China on June 20 blocked a proposal by India and the U.S. at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based LeT terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a global terrorist. Beijing blocked the proposal that had been moved by the U.S. and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. In September last year, it was learnt that China had put a hold on the proposal to designate Mir at the UN. Beijing has now blocked the proposal. Mir is one of India’s most wanted terrorists and has a bounty of USD 5 million placed on his head by the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In June, Mir was jailed for over 15 years in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. Pakistani authorities had in the past claimed Mir had died, but Western countries remained unconvinced and demanded proof of his death. This issue became a major sticking point in FATF’s assessment of Pakistan’s progress on the action plan late last year. SC refers to West Bengal’s ‘history of violence’ to confirm deployment of Central forces to secure July polls The Supreme Court on June 20 upheld a Calcutta High Court decision to throw open the doors for central security forces to enter West Bengal to ensure free and fair panchayat elections on July 8. A Vacation Bench of Justices B.V Nagarathna and Manoj Misra reasoned that West Bengal has a “history of violence” during polls and the upcoming local polls was a mammoth exercise involving elections to 75,000-odd seats. Polling would take place across 61,636 booths in the State in just one day, requiring adequate security measures. Noting that panchayat elections are to be held to a mammoth 75,000-odd seats and 61,000 polling booths have been set up, the top court said the High Court order was passed to ensure free and fair polls. “Holding an election cannot be a licence for violence. There has been a history of violence...We appreciate that you are a State having a democratic set up right up to the grassroot level where elections are taking place, but, at the same time, elections cannot be accompanied by violence,” Justice Nagarathna addressed the State government. The West Bengal government lawyer said the entire State, and not just the polling booths, would come under a “blanket cover” of armed central security forces. The High Court order of June 15 had effectively taken away the State’s power to maintain law and order in its own jurisdiction. Cough syrup row | Zero tolerance on spurious medicines, 71 firms issued notices, says Health Minister Mandaviya Asserting that India follows a zero-tolerance policy on spurious medicines, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said 71 companies have been issued show-cause notices following reports about deaths due to contaminated cough syrups made in the country, and 18 of them have been asked to shut shop. In an exclusive interview with PTI Video, the Minister also said an extensive risk-based analysis is done continuously to ensure the production of quality medicines in the country, and the government and regulators are always alert to ensure that no one dies due to spurious medicines. “We are the pharmacy of the world and we want to assure everyone that we are the ‘quality pharmacy of the world’,” he said. In February, Tamil Nadu-based Global Pharma Healthcare recalled its entire lot of eye drops. Before that, India-made cough syrups were allegedly linked to the deaths of At least 70 and 18 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively, last year. India exported cough syrups worth $17.6 billion in 2022-23 as against $17 billion in 2021-22. Overall, India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally, supplying over 50% of global demand for various vaccines, about 40% generic demand in the U.S. and about 25% of all medicines in the U.K. Senthilbalaji to undergo surgery on June 21: T.N. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian Arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji will undergo a surgery for heart related ailment at a private hospital here on June 21, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Mr. Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash-for-jobs scam last week, was initially admitted to a government hospital and later shifted to the private facility following a court order. “Since the surgery has to be mandatorily performed on Senthilbalaji it will be done tomorrow,” Mr. Subramanian told reporters here. He said the Minister was not aware of the “critical blocks” before they were diagnosed last week by the government doctors. On June 14, Mr. Senthilbalaji had undergone Coronary Angiogram and has been advised bypass surgery at the “earliest”, Kauvery hospital, which is treating him said. In brief The flood situation in Assam was serious on June 20 with nearly 31,000 people still reeling under the deluge across 10 districts of the State, an official said. The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Red Alert’ and predicted ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall across several districts of Assam over the next five days. The Supreme Court on June 20 termed the Manipur ethnic violence, which has left nearly 100 dead, a “purely law and order issue”, while “hoping” that courts will not be asked to deploy the Army or Central security forces. A Vacation Bench of Justices Surya Kant and M.M. Sundresh refused to list a plea by the Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi (MTFD) for Army protection to the Kuki tribals urgently, in the next day or two. It listed the case on July 3, after summer vacations, saying it was the earliest the case could be heard. [logo] The Evening Wrap 20 June 2023 [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]( EC releases Assam delimitation proposals; no change in number of Lok Sabha, assembly seats The[Election Commission has proposed to retain the number of Assembly seats in Assam]( at 126 and the Lok Sabha constituencies at 14 as it released the draft delimitation papers for the northeastern State. According to an official statement, the EC has proposed that the assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes be increased from eight to nine and Scheduled Tribe seats from 16 to 19. The EC draft of delimitation proposes to reserve 19 assemblies and two parliamentary seats for STs, and nine assembly and one parliamentary seats for SCs. The poll body proposed that the number of assembly seats in the autonomous districts of West Karbi Anglong be increased by one and in Bodoland autonomous council areas by three (from 16 to 19). The EC has retained Diphu and Kokrajhar parliamentary seats reserved for ST and continued the Lakhimpur Parliamentary seat as unreserved. China blocks proposal at U.N. to blacklist Pak-based LeT terrorist and 26/11 accused Sajid Mir [China on June 20 blocked a proposal by India and the U.S. at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based LeT terrorist Sajid Mir,]( wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a global terrorist. Beijing blocked the proposal that had been moved by the U.S. and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. In September last year, it was learnt that China had put a hold on the proposal to designate Mir at the UN. Beijing has now blocked the proposal. Mir is one of India’s most wanted terrorists and has a bounty of USD 5 million placed on his head by the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In June, Mir was jailed for over 15 years in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. Pakistani authorities had in the past claimed Mir had died, but Western countries remained unconvinced and demanded proof of his death. This issue became a major sticking point in FATF’s assessment of Pakistan’s progress on the action plan late last year. SC refers to West Bengal’s ‘history of violence’ to confirm deployment of Central forces to secure July polls [The Supreme Court on June 20 upheld a Calcutta High Court decision to throw open the doors for central security forces]( to enter West Bengal to ensure free and fair panchayat elections on July 8. A Vacation Bench of Justices B.V Nagarathna and Manoj Misra reasoned that West Bengal has a “history of violence” during polls and the upcoming local polls was a mammoth exercise involving elections to 75,000-odd seats. Polling would take place across 61,636 booths in the State in just one day, requiring adequate security measures. Noting that panchayat elections are to be held to a mammoth 75,000-odd seats and 61,000 polling booths have been set up, the top court said the High Court order was passed to ensure free and fair polls. “Holding an election cannot be a licence for violence. There has been a history of violence...We appreciate that you are a State having a democratic set up right up to the grassroot level where elections are taking place, but, at the same time, elections cannot be accompanied by violence,” Justice Nagarathna addressed the State government. The West Bengal government lawyer said the entire State, and not just the polling booths, would come under a “blanket cover” of armed central security forces. The High Court order of June 15 had effectively taken away the State’s power to maintain law and order in its own jurisdiction. Cough syrup row | Zero tolerance on spurious medicines, 71 firms issued notices, says Health Minister Mandaviya Asserting that India follows a zero-tolerance policy on spurious medicines, [Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said 71 companies have been issued show-cause notices following reports about deaths]( due to contaminated cough syrups made in the country, and 18 of them have been asked to shut shop. In an exclusive interview with PTI Video, the Minister also said an extensive risk-based analysis is done continuously to ensure the production of quality medicines in the country, and the government and regulators are always alert to ensure that no one dies due to spurious medicines. “We are the pharmacy of the world and we want to assure everyone that we are the ‘quality pharmacy of the world’,” he said. In February, Tamil Nadu-based Global Pharma Healthcare recalled its entire lot of eye drops. Before that, India-made cough syrups were allegedly linked to the deaths of At least 70 and 18 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively, last year. India exported cough syrups worth $17.6 billion in 2022-23 as against $17 billion in 2021-22. Overall, India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally, supplying over 50% of global demand for various vaccines, about 40% generic demand in the U.S. and about 25% of all medicines in the U.K. Senthilbalaji to undergo surgery on June 21: T.N. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian [Arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji will undergo a surgery for heart related ailment at a private hospital]( here on June 21, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Mr. Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash-for-jobs scam last week, was initially admitted to a government hospital and later shifted to the private facility following a court order. “Since the surgery has to be mandatorily performed on Senthilbalaji it will be done tomorrow,” Mr. Subramanian told reporters here. He said the Minister was not aware of the “critical blocks” before they were diagnosed last week by the government doctors. On June 14, Mr. Senthilbalaji had undergone Coronary Angiogram and has been advised bypass surgery at the “earliest”, Kauvery hospital, which is treating him said. In brief [The flood situation in Assam was serious on June 20 with nearly 31,000 people]( still reeling under the deluge across 10 districts of the State, an official said. The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Red Alert’ and predicted ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall across several districts of Assam over the next five days. The[Supreme Court on June 20 termed the Manipur ethnic violence]( which has left nearly 100 dead, a “purely law and order issue”, while “hoping” that courts will not be asked to deploy the Army or Central security forces. A Vacation Bench of Justices Surya Kant and M.M. Sundresh refused to list a plea by the Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi (MTFD) for Army protection to the Kuki tribals urgently, in the next day or two. 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