DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2024, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY SEVENTH TIME REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT 6.5% RBI holds repo rate, says it’s waiting for inflation ‘elephant’ to walk away Bank retains FY25 projections for real GDP at 7%, inflation at 4.5%; projects an inflation dip in Q2 below 4% INSIDE SC GRANTS BAIL TO SHOMA SEN IN ELGAR PARISHAD CASE P6 BJP A WINNER, FIRST POLL IN INDIA WHEN RESULTS ARE ALREADY OUT: YOGI PAGE 3 `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 HITESH VYAS MUMBAI, APRIL 5 THE SIX-MEMBER Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Friday kept the repo rate — the rateatwhichRBIlendsmoneyto banks to meet their short-term funding needs — unchanged for the seventh consecutive time at 6.5 per cent. It also indicated the possibility of retail inflation coming below the crucial level of four per cent in the second quarter (JulySeptember) of FY 2025 raising expectations of a rate cut this fiscal. The RBI last cut the repo rate by 40 basis points to 4 per centin RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das with his deputies at the RBI headquarters in Mumbai, Friday. Pradip Das May 2020 when the Covid pandemic raged across the country affecting the entire economy, leadingtoslowdownindemand, production cuts and job losses. Since then, the RBI has hiked the repo rate by 250 points to 6.50 per cent in order to tackle high inflation level after theepidemic subsided. Thecentralbankretainedthe FY25 projections for real GDP (gross domestic growth) at 7 per cent and consumer price-based inflation(CPI)at4.5percent.The RBI’s real GDP growth estimate CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MAHARASHTRA COMMISSION REPORT Marathas are out of mainstream, drop in govt services, girl child marriage rising: Panel 2024commissionreportfindingsform partof stateaffidavitinBombayHC MUMBAI, APRIL 5 UNDERLINING THE inadequate representation of the Marathas in all public service sectors and how the community has been “completely out of the mainstream”, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC), led by retired Justice Sunil B Shukre, has found an “alarming” rise in the girl child marriage rate within the community, up from 0.32 per cent to 13.7 per cent in the last six years. It has also found that 43.76 per cent of Maratha women are involved in manual labour for a livelihood, and that representation of Marathas in government serviceshasdeclined from 14.63 per cent in 2018 to 9 per cent in 2024. The contents of the MSBCC report form part of an affidavit filed by the State General Administration Department (GAD), through its Secretary What panel ● found ■ Decreasing representation in govt services ■ Increase in BPL households, landlessness ■ Living conditions worsening ■ Caste-related inferiority, occupational stigma ■ Rising superstitious practices ■ Increase in farmer suicide, girl child marriage Sumant N Bhange, in response to a clutch of petitions challenging the 10 per cent reservation granted to Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) category in jobs and education. The challenge to the SEBC CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD ISRAEL CLEARS EREZ REOPENING, USE OF ASHDOD PORT FOR AID INTO GAZA PAGE 10 Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the election rally in Churu, Rajasthan on Friday. Churu goes to polls on April 19. PTI NEW DELHI, APRIL 5 FOR THE first time, Congressruled Telangana has shownwillingness to implement the Pradhan Mantri Awas YojanaGramin (PMAY-G) from the financial year 2024-25. The state hassoughtapprovalfor1.57lakh housestobebuiltundertheNDA government's flagship rural PAGE 1 ANCHOR A Revanth Reddy took over as the CM in Dec 2023 housing scheme. The Telangana government hasexpresseditswillingnessina letter the state’s Principal Secretary of Department of ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, APRIL 5 THE SUPREME Court Friday stayed the Allahabad High Court order which had declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, “unconstitutional”onthegroundthatitviolated “the principle of secularism” and fundamental rights provided under Article 14 of the Constitution. Issuing notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a clutch of appeals against the March 22 High Court order, a three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B PardiwalaandManoj Misra said, “We are of the view that the issuesraised in the petitions merit closer reflection.” Staying the High Court order, thebenchsaidit“wouldimpinge on the future course of education of nearly 17 lakh students who are pursuing education in these institutions”. Fixing it for final hearing in the second week of July, the bench said“pendingthehearing and final disposal of the petitions, the judgement and order of the High Court dated March 22 shall remain stayed”. The bench, which perused the provisions of the Act, said they “abundantly make it clear that the object and purpose of thestatutoryboardwhichisconstituted under the Act is regulatory in nature”. It said “the finding of the High Court that the very establishment of the board would amount to breach of the principles of secularism appears to conflate the concept of madrasa education with the regulatory powers which have been entrusted to the board”. It said that “in striking down theprovisionsoftheAct,theHigh Court prima facie has misconstruedtheprovisionsof theAct”. It said “the Act does not per se provide for religious instruction CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Silences telling: On CAA, OPS, AFSPA Accomplishments so far just an appetiser, main course yet to come: Modi at Churu HAMZA KHAN JAIPUR, APRIL 5 PRIMEMINISTERNarendraModi on Friday said at an election rally in Churu that the accomplishments of his government over thelast10yearswerejust“anappetiser”, and that the main course was yet to come. “When you go to a big hotel for a meal, they bring an appetiser first. They serve two-four savoury items. So sometimes, you feel this is enough and the stomach is already full… What Modi has done so far is just the appetiser. An entire plate of food Congress govt in Telangana shuns BRS stand, wants to join PMAY-G HARIKISHAN SHARMA Issues raised in appeals against order merit closer reflection: CJI-led bench 50% women quota in Central jobs, easing bail law: Cong in manifesto E E X P L A I NE D OMKAR GOKHALE SC stays order that struck down UP madrasa law: HC misconstrued Act Transport, Roads & Buildings sent to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development on March 16. The stance of the current Telangana government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is contrary to that of the previous BRS government that never implemented the PMAY-G ever since its nation-wide rollout on April1,2016.Itwastheonlystate CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 housing scheme for the is yet to come. A lot has poor. He alleged that to be done, there are earlier, when such many more dreams. schemes were impleWe have to take the mented,thepoorwould country much further,” he said. DECISION not even get to know about them and the Churu goes to the 2024 money meant for it polls in the first phase – would be embezzled by April19–oftheupcomingLokSabhaelectionandtheBJP those in government and in the hasfieldedParalympicsmedallist ruling party. “Butnow,themoneyreaches DevendraJhajhariafromtheseat, against the Congress’s Rahul the accounts of the poor diKaswan, who recently switched rectly,” he said. The PM noted that in over from the BJP. Addressing the campaign Rajasthan, drinking water conrally, Modi said that in 10 years, nections were provided to crores of people were given around 50 lakh homes, and 4.5 pucca homes under the Centre’s crore people are beinggivenfree ration every month. “The BJP government stands with the poor at every stage of life. The things which weren’t done for decades, we did them in 10 years,” he said, adding, however, that these accomplishments were only a “trailer”. Churu is located in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, from where many youths join the Army. In his speech there, Modi touched on topics like the 2016“surgicalstrikes”acrossthe Line of Control, the 2019 airstrikes in Balakot, and One Rank One Pension. Recallingthelasttimehewas CONTINUEDONPAGE2 It’s a do-or-die battle for democracy, defending the core of India: Stalin P4 ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, APRIL 5 AS TAMIL Nadu gears up to vote for the Lok Sabha elections in a fortnight,aspartof thefirstphase on April 19, Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is leading the INDIA blocinthestate,says:“Itfeelslike we are in the midst of a second struggleforIndependence.It'sall about defending the core of THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW M K STALIN CHIEF MINISTER, TAMIL NADU India: democracy, secularism and our pluralistic society, not to mentiontheprincipleof federalism... from what I would frankly call fascist forces.” In an interview with The IndianExpressathisChennairesidence, the DMK chief said that if the BJP's main weapon is projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a larger-than-life” persona, the Opposition has on its CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Anil SHarma MANOJ C G NEW DELHI, APRIL 5 FACING AN uphill electoral battle, the Congress Friday released its poll manifesto, announcing a bunch of promises to woo marginalised castes, such as raising the 50% cap on reservation for SC, ST and OBCs and reservation in private educational institutions, outlining steps to create jobs with the hope of striking a chord with the youth, and offeringcashdolestowomenbesides pledging to reserve 50% of central government jobs for them. Apartfromthepollpromises, the manifesto also reflected the party's calculated silences and nuancingoncertainpositionson which it had been vocal in the past. There was no mention of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which it had opposed vociferously, as also restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which was its key poll plank in recent state elections. The party also refrained from advocating return to paper ballots. TheCongresshadcomeinfor criticism from the BJP in 2019 when its manifesto promised to repeal the colonial-era sedition law and “review” the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and Disturbed Areas Act which empower and provide immunity to security forces in areas hit by insurgency and militancy. The party played safe and skirted both the issues this time. Incidentally, the Congress was critical of the BJP government when it passed three laws to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act and made a claim that the sedition law has been repealed. “The removal of the lawonseditionwasameresymbolic gesture as it is replaced by a Clause 150 BNS which is much more tyrannical and colonial in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pin code MH-1718 – in Antarctica, post office with Indian address PAVNEET SINGH CHADHA PANAJI, APRIL 5 IN 1984, shortly after India’s first foray to Antarctica, its first post office on the icy continent was set up at Dakshi Gangotri — the nation’sfirstscientificbasethere. Within the first year, as many as 10,000lettersandmailhadbeen posted and ‘cancelled’at the historic post office. And so began what officials describe as a “unique experiment”forIndia’spostalfraternity. Dakshin Gangotri submerged in ice in 1988-89 and was subsequently decommissioned. On January 26, 1990, a post office branchwassetupatIndia’sMaitri research station on Antarctica. Since then, for more than 35 years, letters and postcards in blank envelopes are sent — mostly by philatelists, collectors and hobbyists — to the Maitri post office for ‘cancellation’. The impression, ‘Maitri North Goa’, from the Antarctic research base is a famed “collector’s item”. Almostfourdecadeslater,letters meant for Antarctica will now have a new PIN code, MH1718, with the Department of Postsopeningasecondbranchof thepostofficeonBharatiresearch station in Antarctica. The code currentlyassignedis“experimental”, which is the norm when a new branch begins, officials said. India’s tworesearch bases on Antarctica — Maitri and Bharati — are located 3,000 km apart. Notably, both branches are part of the Goa postal division. “Inpractice,thelettersmeant for the post office in Antarctica are sent to the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), the nodal agency for India’s polar expeditions, in Goa. When a scientific expedition to the continent leaves from the NCPOR, a researcher is usually tasked with carrying the consignment of letters. At the re- Cancelled post from the Maitri North Goa research base search base, the letters are ‘cancelled’, brought back, and returned via post,” said an official from the Department of Posts. Officials said ‘cancellation’ is a marking on a postage stamp or stationery done to deface the stamp and prevent reuse. Typically, ‘cancelled’ letters include the date and post office location where the stamps were mailed. For collectors, they are crucial to determine value of stamps. MSudhakar,formerscientist, NCPOR, elaborated on another reason why the post office is significant. He said Antarctica is governed by the Atlantic Treaty, which puts aside territorial claims by any country, and prohibitsmilitaryactivityornuclear testing and underlines that the continent can only be used for scientific exploration. “Typically, an Indian post office can only be in the jurisdiction of Indian land. Antarctica gives a unique opportunity to have an Indian post office in a land which is foreign and does not belong to us. So, it serves a strategic purpose in terms of asserting presence on the continent,” he said. On the occasion, joining via video conferencing, Chief PostmasterGeneral,Maharashtra circle, K K Sharma made an appealtothescientistsinAntarctica to continue to post letters back home to their families and friends. “There is always a lot of excitementaboutthesepostoffices (in remote locations).Nowadays with WhatsApp and Twitter, all this (technology) has taken over. But, nothing can beat the written word. Particularly, when you are sitting so far from your family. I would request that you please make use of this fantastic opportunity, and write letters to your loved ones… You can create memories and they will stay CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow