The Evening Wrap: India thrashes Japan 5-1 to claim hockey gold in Asian Games

Captain Harmanpreet Singh got his second and India’s 5th goal in the 59th minute of the match and finally allowed himself a smile. The result was sealed, gold assured and an Olympic ticket confirmed as the Indian men’s hockey team registered an emphatic 5-1 win against defending champion Japan to reclaim the Asian Games title in Hangzhou on October 6. Harmanpreet’s brief smile expressed several emotions in that second — pride, happiness but most importantly, relief. The title win assured the Indian team will now have the rest of the period up to the 2024 Olympics to prepare for it without worrying about the qualification process or planning around the qualifiers. With the likes of Belgium, Germany and Britain yet to qualify, the qualifiers would be a slippery road the team has done well to avoid. It was also a moment of finally laying the spectre of 2018 Games to rest. Despite the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal and a gradual rise in rankings since then, the loss in Jakarta has been an albatross around the team’s neck, haunting the players from that team, specially Harmanpreet. The dominating performance in the final was the stamp of self-approval the team needed and gave itself. It started on a fast note and stayed so till the end. India, ranked 12 places above Japan, was the favourite. It decided to take charge and control of the game, going on the offensive early on trying to get the lead. The Indians kept going up and into the circle. Everyone in the forward line — Abhishek, Shamsher, Mandeep, Sukhjeet — tried but were unable to get a shot at the goal or break the Japanese defence. The game was restricted to the opposition half as the Indians moved en masse up the field from both flanks and the middle but Japan held firm. Abhishek produced a brilliant chance from nothing in the 11th minute, stealing the ball at halfline and running away with it before crossing inside but Manpreet was unable to control it. Japan barely got a look at the Indian goal as the Indian defence swatted every attempt aside with precision. Two PCs went waste too but the former captain made amends, slotting in a rebound from the top of the circle in the 25th minute to break the deadlock and Japan’s resilience. That was the opening India needed and even though the scoreline only read 1-0 at half time — hardly a lead in modern hockey — the proceedings on field had India written all over it. The World No. 3 side was fitter, stronger, more skilled and clearly better prepared for the big game. Harmanpreet finally converted a PC in the 32nd minute soon after resumption, Amit got one of his own four minutes later and the first time Japan reached anywhere close to the Indian 23-yard circle was in the last 30 seconds of the 3rd quarter, such was India’s control. Hardik was again the lynchpin but every time he moved up – or down – Vivek Sagar Prasad and Sumit seamlessly stepped into the role. Nilakanta Sharma, as always, was the untiring beating heart of the team, everywhere all at once. The Indian goalkeepers kept themselves busy screaming instructions from the back but had little to do otherwise. And when Abhishek stuck a brilliant one in the 48th after being put through by Hardik from just outside the circle, it was all but over. With nothing to lose, Japan upped the ante and went for broke in the final 15 minutes, attacking with fury and running and overlapping non-stop, trying to find a breakthrough. They did get one, the first PC of the game – a testament to India’s impeccable defence — in the 51st minute and Seren Tanaka got his name on the scoresheet but that was to be the only blip in what was otherwise a near-perfect game for India. Not big enough to stop Harmanpreet from smiling. Supreme Court refuses to order status quo on publication of Bihar caste survey data The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the Bihar government from publishing data collected from its caste-based survey. Months ahead of the general elections, the Bihar government had published data revealing that the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) between them constitute 63% of the State’s population, of which the EBCs constituted 36% while the OBCs stood at 27.13%. A Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna refused to be bothered by the fact that the State had outed the data when petitions challenging the legality of the survey was pending before the Supreme Court. “You cannot stop a State government or any government from taking a decision… Yes, if there is an issue with regard to the data, that will be considered,” Justice Khanna addressed the petitioners. The Bench posted the case for next hearing in January 2024, while issuing notice to the State to file its response to the petitions. “The main issue here is that the data was collected unlawfully and cannot be acted upon,” advocate Aparajita Singh, who led the petitioners’ side, argued. “You will be in some difficulty on that… we have read the Patna High Court judgment [which upheld the survey] and made a prima facie view. The High Court judgment is fairly detailed,” Justice Khanna observed. Justice Khanna said the cardinal issue was “how much breakdown of data would be made available to the general public for the sake of transparency”. The court further dismissed the notion that the compilation and publication of data affects privacy. “Privacy is not an issue as names, etc, are not published,” Justice Khanna orally remarked. Singh persisted that the court should order status quo as the State would publish more data by the next hearing in January. “We are not staying this at the moment,” Justice Khanna replied, though at one point asking Diwan why the State had published the data when the case was still pending. Senior advocate Shyam Diwan, for Bihar, said the petitions were at a pre-admission stage when the court was still deciding whether or not to issue formal notice. He said the data received was extensive and voluntary from the people, and needed to be analysed in detail to help identify welfare areas. Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the caste-based survey. The Bihar government had argued that the exercise was a “social survey”. The Patna High Court, on August 1, had upheld the legality of the survey. The petitioners had argued that Bihar had no authority to conduct such a survey, which was an attempt to usurp the powers of the Centre. They contended the survey had violated Schedule VII of the Constitution, the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990. The petitions highlighted that census was enumerated at Entry 69 in the Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. The pleas argued that the survey notification in June 2022 was ultra vires the Section 3, 4, and 4A of the Census Act, 1948 as well as Rules 3, 4 and 6A of the Census Rules, 1990. The Union government had maintained that only the Centre and “no other body” was entitled to conduct “either census or any action akin to census” in its reply to the Supreme Court on the Bihar government’s caste-based survey. “Census is a statutory process and is governed by the Census Act, 1948. The subject of census is covered in the Union List under Entry 69 in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution,” the Office of the Registrar General, Home Ministry, had said in a two-page affidavit recently. The affidavit said the Centre was “committed to take all affirmative actions for the upliftment of SCs/STs/SEBCs and OBCs in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable law”. NewsClick case: Delhi HC defers hearing plea against arrest of Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty to October 9 Delhi High Court, on October 6, deferred the hearing of a plea against the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA for October 9. The court issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till pendency of their petition. Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3. Police have sealed the NewsClick’s office in Delhi. The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda. The duo is currently in police custody. Listen to today’s episode of the In Focus podcast Cannabis in India: Does the law need to catch up with reality? Think of Himachal Pradesh, and you’ll most likely think of apples growing there. Soon though, this apple-growing State may legalise a new crop: cannabis. Last month, a five-member panel constituted by the government submitted a report that said the legalisation of cannabis would be a game-changer for the state, enabling it to generate revenue and create employment. Himachal Pradesh is not the first state to consider this: in 2018, Uttarakhand became the first State in India to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial and scientific purposes. Controlled cultivation has also been allowed in parts of other States including UP and Madhya Pradesh. Cannabis, marijuana or ganja as it is commonly known, has a centuries-old history in India. It has grown wild abundantly, has been cultivated, consumed and parts of this versatile plant have been used for various purposes. In 1985 however, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act or the NDPS Act banned the use of the resin, flowering and fruit tops of the plant. Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components. Researchers now know a lot about two of them, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is a psychoactive substance, while CBD is not. Over the years, countries across the world have begun relaxing their stance on the use of cannabis, for recreation, and exploring the many uses that its extracts can have in both the industrial and significantly, in the medical field. Research has shown that cannabidiol or CBD can help treat childhood epilepsy syndromes that don’t respond to anti-seizure medicine, and may also help with anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. In India too, there is now a growing industry for hemp products and cannabidiol or CBD: in just 3 years at least 50 new startups are reported to have come up in the country. So how does Indian law regulate cannabis? Do the laws need to be eased for medical and industrial uses? Should the recreational use of cannabis be allowed or will legalisation increase the drug abuse burden in India? Freebies ahead of polls | Supreme Court takes note of PIL, seeks responses from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments The Supreme Court on October 6 sought a response from the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on a plea that public funds are being misused to offer irrational freebies ahead of elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also issued notices to the Centre, the Election Commission and the Reserve Bank of India on the PIL, which also alleged that taxpayers’ monies are misused by the two State governments to lure voters. Both States are due for Assembly polls in 2023. “Before elections, all kinds of promises are made… can we [the court] control them?” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked advocate Varinder Sharma, the counsel for petitioner Bhattulal Jain. The petitioner has argued that the distribution of irrational freebies, using money from the consolidated funds before elections, to lure voters was analogous to the offences of bribery and undue influence under Section 171B and 171C of the Indian Penal Code. The petition urged the Court to frame comprehensive guidelines on the announcement made by Chief Ministers ahead of elections. The petition said the Madhya Pradesh government’s financial condition was “bad”. It said according to a report in the Reserve Bank of India website, the total outstanding loan of Madhya Pradesh was ₹49,646 crore in 2006. “Now there is a debt of ₹3.78 lakh crores as recorded in March of 2023,” the petition submitted. “Nothing is more atrocious than permitting the government to distribute cash mere months before the elections. This happens every time and the ultimate burden is on taxpayers of this country,” the petition argued. “Issue notice. Returnable in four weeks,” the Court said and listed the case for hearing after four weeks. Sharad Pawar meets Kharge and Rahul, discusses road ahead for INDIA bloc Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on October 6 met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Rahul Gandhi and is learnt to have discussed the plan forward for the Opposition alliance INDIA, which last met in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The Opposition bloc has not met since Mumbai and is likely to do so soon, sources said. The three leaders discussed the current political situation and the road ahead for the alliance, which is looking to take on the BJP in the upcoming Assembly and general elections. The meeting lasted around 40 minutes. They also chalked out plans for the next meeting of the INDIA bloc, the sources said. Kharge later posted pictures of his meeting with Pawar on X, and said “Today, along with Shri Rahul Gandhi ji, met NCP President Shri Sharad Pawar ji to further raise the voice of the people of the country.” “We are ready for every challenge,” he said while using INDIA bloc’s tagline, ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA’ (India will unite, INDIA will win). Pawar also posted his pictures of the meeting on X and said, “Paid a courtesy visit to INC President MP Malikarjun Kharge at his residence. MP Rahul Gandhi, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad and Gurdeep Sappal, INC CWC Member were also present for the meeting.” Friday’s discussions come after a joint public meeting of the INDIA alliance in Bhopal in October was cancelled. It could not be held following Opposition by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath over statements by DMK leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, against ‘Sanatan Dharma’, sources said. Some Opposition leaders are suggesting that the next meeting of the INDIA Opposition leaders be held in West Bengal. Iranian Narges Mohammadi gets Nobel Peace Prize 2023 Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has been chosen by the Royal SwedishAcademy for the coveted 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. “The 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize also recognises the hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated against the theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women,” the Academy said. Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Centre for Civil Liberties. Mohammadi is currently lodged in a prison in Iran. In fact, the Iranian regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. The motto adopted by the Iranian demonstrators – “Woman – Life – Freedom” – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi, the Academy said. Mohammadi advocates against death penalty in a country that reports most state executions. A strong advocate of women’s rights since her days as a college student, Mohammadi was arrested for the first time in 2011 for her efforts to assist incarcerated activists and their families. Two years later, after her release on bail, Mohammadi immersed herself in a campaign against use of the death penalty. This lead to her re-arrest in 2015. Upon her return to prison, she began opposing the regime’s systematic use of torture and sexualised violence against political prisoners, especially women, that is practised in Iranian prisons. When Kurdish woman Mahsa Jina Amini was killed by Iranian morality police when she was in custody for not covering her head, Iran witnessed one of the largest anti-government protests. Many protestors were lodged in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, where Mohammadi was an inmate. From prison she expressed support for the demonstrators and organised solidarity actions among her fellow inmates. The prison authorities responded by imposing even stricter conditions. She was prohibited from receiving calls and visitors. She, however, managed to smuggle out an article which the New York Times published on the one-year anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s killing, which highlighted the shocking condition of the women inmates, the torture, abuse and solitary confinement they are subjected to. In 2018, Mohammadi, an engineer and physicist, was awarded the 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize, which recognizes outstanding leadership or achievements of scientists in upholding human rights. She was close to Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, who founded the banned Defenders of Human Rights Center, and currently its vice president. In Brief: The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India after a detailed assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial developments and the outlook, decided unanimously to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.50%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility rate remains at 6.25% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.75%. The MPC also decided by a majority of 5 out of 6 members to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation progressively aligns to the target, while supporting growth. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 06 October 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]( Hangzhou Asian Games | India thrashes Japan to claim hockey gold; qualifies for Paris Olympics Captain Harmanpreet Singh got his second and India’s 5th goal in the 59th minute of the match and finally allowed himself a smile. [The result was sealed, gold assured and an Olympic ticket confirmed as the Indian men’s hockey team registered an emphatic 5-1 win against defending champion Japan]( to reclaim the Asian Games title in Hangzhou on October 6. Harmanpreet’s brief smile expressed several emotions in that second — pride, happiness but most importantly, relief. The title win assured the Indian team will now have the rest of the period up to the 2024 Olympics to prepare for it without worrying about the qualification process or planning around the qualifiers. With the likes of Belgium, Germany and Britain yet to qualify, the qualifiers would be a slippery road the team has done well to avoid. It was also a moment of finally laying the spectre of 2018 Games to rest. Despite the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal and a gradual rise in rankings since then, the loss in Jakarta has been an albatross around the team’s neck, haunting the players from that team, specially Harmanpreet. The dominating performance in the final was the stamp of self-approval the team needed and gave itself. It started on a fast note and stayed so till the end. India, ranked 12 places above Japan, was the favourite. It decided to take charge and control of the game, going on the offensive early on trying to get the lead. The Indians kept going up and into the circle. Everyone in the forward line — Abhishek, Shamsher, Mandeep, Sukhjeet — tried but were unable to get a shot at the goal or break the Japanese defence. The game was restricted to the opposition half as the Indians moved en masse up the field from both flanks and the middle but Japan held firm. Abhishek produced a brilliant chance from nothing in the 11th minute, stealing the ball at halfline and running away with it before crossing inside but Manpreet was unable to control it. Japan barely got a look at the Indian goal as the Indian defence swatted every attempt aside with precision. Two PCs went waste too but the former captain made amends, slotting in a rebound from the top of the circle in the 25th minute to break the deadlock and Japan’s resilience. That was the opening India needed and even though the scoreline only read 1-0 at half time — hardly a lead in modern hockey — the proceedings on field had India written all over it. The World No. 3 side was fitter, stronger, more skilled and clearly better prepared for the big game. Harmanpreet finally converted a PC in the 32nd minute soon after resumption, Amit got one of his own four minutes later and the first time Japan reached anywhere close to the Indian 23-yard circle was in the last 30 seconds of the 3rd quarter, such was India’s control. Hardik was again the lynchpin but every time he moved up – or down – Vivek Sagar Prasad and Sumit seamlessly stepped into the role. Nilakanta Sharma, as always, was the untiring beating heart of the team, everywhere all at once. The Indian goalkeepers kept themselves busy screaming instructions from the back but had little to do otherwise. And when Abhishek stuck a brilliant one in the 48th after being put through by Hardik from just outside the circle, it was all but over. With nothing to lose, Japan upped the ante and went for broke in the final 15 minutes, attacking with fury and running and overlapping non-stop, trying to find a breakthrough. They did get one, the first PC of the game – a testament to India’s impeccable defence — in the 51st minute and Seren Tanaka got his name on the scoresheet but that was to be the only blip in what was otherwise a near-perfect game for India. Not big enough to stop Harmanpreet from smiling. Supreme Court refuses to order status quo on publication of Bihar caste survey data [The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the Bihar government from publishing data collected from its caste-based survey.]( Months ahead of the general elections, the Bihar government had published data revealing that the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) between them constitute 63% of the State’s population, of which the EBCs constituted 36% while the OBCs stood at 27.13%. A Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna refused to be bothered by the fact that the State had outed the data when petitions challenging the legality of the survey was pending before the Supreme Court. “You cannot stop a State government or any government from taking a decision… Yes, if there is an issue with regard to the data, that will be considered,” Justice Khanna addressed the petitioners. The Bench posted the case for next hearing in January 2024, while issuing notice to the State to file its response to the petitions. “The main issue here is that the data was collected unlawfully and cannot be acted upon,” advocate Aparajita Singh, who led the petitioners’ side, argued. “You will be in some difficulty on that… we have read the Patna High Court judgment [which upheld the survey] and made a prima facie view. The High Court judgment is fairly detailed,” Justice Khanna observed. Justice Khanna said the cardinal issue was “how much breakdown of data would be made available to the general public for the sake of transparency”. The court further dismissed the notion that the compilation and publication of data affects privacy. “Privacy is not an issue as names, etc, are not published,” Justice Khanna orally remarked. Singh persisted that the court should order status quo as the State would publish more data by the next hearing in January. “We are not staying this at the moment,” Justice Khanna replied, though at one point asking Diwan why the State had published the data when the case was still pending. Senior advocate Shyam Diwan, for Bihar, said the petitions were at a pre-admission stage when the court was still deciding whether or not to issue formal notice. He said the data received was extensive and voluntary from the people, and needed to be analysed in detail to help identify welfare areas. Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the caste-based survey. The Bihar government had argued that the exercise was a “social survey”. The Patna High Court, on August 1, had upheld the legality of the survey. The petitioners had argued that Bihar had no authority to conduct such a survey, which was an attempt to usurp the powers of the Centre. They contended the survey had violated Schedule VII of the Constitution, the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990. The petitions highlighted that census was enumerated at Entry 69 in the Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. The pleas argued that the survey notification in June 2022 was ultra vires the Section 3, 4, and 4A of the Census Act, 1948 as well as Rules 3, 4 and 6A of the Census Rules, 1990. The Union government had maintained that only the Centre and “no other body” was entitled to conduct “either census or any action akin to census” in its reply to the Supreme Court on the Bihar government’s caste-based survey. “Census is a statutory process and is governed by the Census Act, 1948. The subject of census is covered in the Union List under Entry 69 in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution,” the Office of the Registrar General, Home Ministry, had said in a two-page affidavit recently. The affidavit said the Centre was “committed to take all affirmative actions for the upliftment of SCs/STs/SEBCs and OBCs in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable law”. NewsClick case: Delhi HC defers hearing plea against arrest of Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty to October 9 [Delhi High Court, on October 6, deferred the hearing of a plea against the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources department head Amit Chakravarty]( in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA for October 9. The court issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till pendency of their petition. Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3. Police have sealed the NewsClick’s office in Delhi. The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda. The duo is currently in police custody. Listen to today’s episode of the In Focus podcast Cannabis in India: Does the law need to catch up with reality? [Think of Himachal Pradesh, and you’ll most likely think of apples growing there. Soon though, this apple-growing State may legalise a new crop: cannabis.]( Last month, a five-member panel constituted by the government submitted a report that said the legalisation of cannabis would be a game-changer for the state, enabling it to generate revenue and create employment. Himachal Pradesh is not the first state to consider this: in 2018, Uttarakhand became the first State in India to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial and scientific purposes. Controlled cultivation has also been allowed in parts of other States including UP and Madhya Pradesh. Cannabis, marijuana or ganja as it is commonly known, has a centuries-old history in India. It has grown wild abundantly, has been cultivated, consumed and parts of this versatile plant have been used for various purposes. In 1985 however, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act or the NDPS Act banned the use of the resin, flowering and fruit tops of the plant. Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components. Researchers now know a lot about two of them, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is a psychoactive substance, while CBD is not. Over the years, countries across the world have begun relaxing their stance on the use of cannabis, for recreation, and exploring the many uses that its extracts can have in both the industrial and significantly, in the medical field. Research has shown that cannabidiol or CBD can help treat childhood epilepsy syndromes that don’t respond to anti-seizure medicine, and may also help with anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. In India too, there is now a growing industry for hemp products and cannabidiol or CBD: in just 3 years at least 50 new startups are reported to have come up in the country. So how does Indian law regulate cannabis? Do the laws need to be eased for medical and industrial uses? Should the recreational use of cannabis be allowed or will legalisation increase the drug abuse burden in India? Freebies ahead of polls | Supreme Court takes note of PIL, seeks responses from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments [The Supreme Court on October 6 sought a response from the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on a plea that public funds are being misused to offer irrational freebies ahead of elections.]( A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also issued notices to the Centre, the Election Commission and the Reserve Bank of India on the PIL, which also alleged that taxpayers’ monies are misused by the two State governments to lure voters. Both States are due for Assembly polls in 2023. “Before elections, all kinds of promises are made… can we [the court] control them?” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked advocate Varinder Sharma, the counsel for petitioner Bhattulal Jain. The petitioner has argued that the distribution of irrational freebies, using money from the consolidated funds before elections, to lure voters was analogous to the offences of bribery and undue influence under Section 171B and 171C of the Indian Penal Code. The petition urged the Court to frame comprehensive guidelines on the announcement made by Chief Ministers ahead of elections. The petition said the Madhya Pradesh government’s financial condition was “bad”. It said according to a report in the Reserve Bank of India website, the total outstanding loan of Madhya Pradesh was ₹49,646 crore in 2006. “Now there is a debt of ₹3.78 lakh crores as recorded in March of 2023,” the petition submitted. “Nothing is more atrocious than permitting the government to distribute cash mere months before the elections. This happens every time and the ultimate burden is on taxpayers of this country,” the petition argued. “Issue notice. Returnable in four weeks,” the Court said and listed the case for hearing after four weeks. Sharad Pawar meets Kharge and Rahul, discusses road ahead for INDIA bloc Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief [Sharad Pawar on October 6 met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Rahul Gandhi]( and is learnt to have discussed the plan forward for the Opposition alliance INDIA, which last met in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The Opposition bloc has not met since Mumbai and is likely to do so soon, sources said. The three leaders discussed the current political situation and the road ahead for the alliance, which is looking to take on the BJP in the upcoming Assembly and general elections. The meeting lasted around 40 minutes. They also chalked out plans for the next meeting of the INDIA bloc, the sources said. Kharge later posted pictures of his meeting with Pawar on X, and said “Today, along with Shri Rahul Gandhi ji, met NCP President Shri Sharad Pawar ji to further raise the voice of the people of the country.” “We are ready for every challenge,” he said while using INDIA bloc’s tagline, ‘Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA’ (India will unite, INDIA will win). Pawar also posted his pictures of the meeting on X and said, “Paid a courtesy visit to INC President MP Malikarjun Kharge at his residence. MP Rahul Gandhi, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad and Gurdeep Sappal, INC CWC Member were also present for the meeting.” Friday’s discussions come after a joint public meeting of the INDIA alliance in Bhopal in October was cancelled. It could not be held following Opposition by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath over statements by DMK leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, against ‘Sanatan Dharma’, sources said. Some Opposition leaders are suggesting that the next meeting of the INDIA Opposition leaders be held in West Bengal. Iranian Narges Mohammadi gets Nobel Peace Prize 2023 [Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has been chosen by the Royal SwedishAcademy for the coveted 2023 Nobel Peace Prize]( for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. “The 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize also recognises the hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated against the theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women,” the Academy said. Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Centre for Civil Liberties. Mohammadi is currently lodged in a prison in Iran. In fact, the Iranian regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. The motto adopted by the Iranian demonstrators – “Woman – Life – Freedom” – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi, the Academy said. Mohammadi advocates against death penalty in a country that reports most state executions. A strong advocate of women’s rights since her days as a college student, Mohammadi was arrested for the first time in 2011 for her efforts to assist incarcerated activists and their families. Two years later, after her release on bail, Mohammadi immersed herself in a campaign against use of the death penalty. This lead to her re-arrest in 2015. Upon her return to prison, she began opposing the regime’s systematic use of torture and sexualised violence against political prisoners, especially women, that is practised in Iranian prisons. When Kurdish woman Mahsa Jina Amini was killed by Iranian morality police when she was in custody for not covering her head, Iran witnessed one of the largest anti-government protests. Many protestors were lodged in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, where Mohammadi was an inmate. From prison she expressed support for the demonstrators and organised solidarity actions among her fellow inmates. The prison authorities responded by imposing even stricter conditions. She was prohibited from receiving calls and visitors. She, however, managed to smuggle out an article which the New York Times published on the one-year anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s killing, which highlighted the shocking condition of the women inmates, the torture, abuse and solitary confinement they are subjected to. In 2018, Mohammadi, an engineer and physicist, was awarded the 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize, which recognizes outstanding leadership or achievements of scientists in upholding human rights. She was close to Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, who founded the banned Defenders of Human Rights Center, and currently its vice president. In Brief: The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India after a detailed assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial developments and the outlook, decided unanimously to [keep the policy repo rate unchanged]( at 6.50%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility rate remains at 6.25% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.75%. The MPC also decided by a majority of 5 out of 6 members to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation progressively aligns to the target, while supporting growth. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[Pakistan media, fans still awaiting visas for World Cup] Pakistan media, fans still awaiting visas for World Cup]( [[Sanatana Dharma row | Petitions in Madras HC ask how T.N. Ministers Udhayanidhi, Sekarbabu are still holding posts] Sanatana Dharma row | Petitions in Madras HC ask how T.N. Ministers Udhayanidhi, Sekarbabu are still holding posts]( [[New Maldives President won’t be anti-India or pro-China: Mohamed Nasheed] New Maldives President won’t be anti-India or pro-China: Mohamed Nasheed]( [[Eight years after the Constitution, federalism in Nepal continues to have a bumpy ride] Eight years after the Constitution, federalism in Nepal continues to have a bumpy ride]( Copyright @ 2023, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( Manage your newsletter subscription preferences [here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](