DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 INDIA, POLAND ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, SOCIAL SECURITY PACT PMinKyivtoday:Deepconcern,offerall cooperationinreturningpeaceviatalks India can play constructive role in resolving Russia-Ukraine BRIJ BHUSHAN CASE war: Polish PM NIRBHAY THAKUR NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 WOMEN WRESTLERS who have alleged sexual assault by Brij BhushanSharanSingh,thenaBJP MP and chief of the Wrestling Federationof India,approacheda Delhi court Thursday, saying their police security cover had been withdrawn a day before oneof themwastotestifyagainst Singh in the trial court. The Rouse Avenue court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot directedDCP,NewDelhitotakeinterim measures to ensure the wrestler’s safety. It directed the DCP to file a detailed report regardingthereasonsforthewithdrawal of security of the wrestlers on the next date of hearing (Friday). “In the meantime, as an interim measure to ensure the safetyof complainant/victimno. 4 (as per list of witnesses), the DCP concerned is directed to make immediate and appropriate arrangements for her security until her deposition is complete and until further orders from this Court,” it said. In a post on X, the DCP, New Delhi, said, “The security provided to the wrestlers hasn’t CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 16 GUJARAT 11 CONG MLAs WALK OUT, SUSPENDED FROM ASSEMBLY FOR A DAY 53 CANDIDATES INELIGIBLE, AMC CANCELS AD TO HIRE FIRE OFFICERS PAGES 4, 5 PAGE 1 ANCHOR AHEADOFhisvisittoKyiv,Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and said India was ready to extend “all possible cooperation” to restore peace and stability through “dialogue and diplomacy”. Modi made the remarks after his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw,whereIndiaandPoland upgraded their ties to a “strategic partnership” and agreed on a socialsecurityagreementtopromote the mobility of skilled workers. After concluding his visit to Warsaw, Modi travelled to Kyiv on Thursday night; he is scheduledto meetUkraine’sPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. “The ongoing conflicts in CISF personnel deployed at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. Partha Paul ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk in Warsaw, Thursday. Reuters EXPLAINED DIPLOMACY WHYMODIVISITTO KYIV IS SIGNIFICANT PAGE 14 Ukraine and West Asia are a matter of deep concern for all of us. India firmly believes that no problem can be solved on the battlefield. The loss of innocent livesinanycrisishasbecomethe biggest challenge for the entire humanity. We support dialogue PMO PROPOSAL IN 2013 In its last lap, UPA II had proposed lateral entry at level of Joint Secy through UPSC NDA floated selection panels outside UPSC, did rethink after DoPT note NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 FOILED UKRAINE’S CROSS-BORDER RAID, SAYS RUSSIA HARRIS TO WRAP UP DEMOCRATIC MEET TODAY WITH SPEECH Bench questions FIR delay, decision of state to transfer college principal NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 JAY MAZOOMDAAR THE WORLD CBI to SC: Scene of offence altered, our probe a challenge DIVYA A FOR ALL the protestations by the Congress over the lateral entry ad issued by the NDA government, and now withdrawn, one fact went unnoticed. Acting on a recommendation of the sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC), the Manmohan Singh PMO, in January 2011, had proposed to open up to 10% of posts at the Joint Secretary level for “lateral inductionfromprivatesector/academics etc,” show records reviewed by The Indian Express. To that effect, a note by the Department of Personnel and Training(DoPT)saidthatthe lateral entrants “would be selected by UPSC based on their CVs and an interview/limited competitive test,” records show. ThesixthPayCommissionhad recommended the identification of somepostsrequiringtechnical orspecialisedknowledgenot“encadred” in any of government services to be filled with suitable candidates on contract. More than two years later, in June2013,recordsshow,the Pay Commission’srecommendation was examined by DoPT, the Departmentof Expenditure,and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC agreed “to make selection according to its mandate.” In 2013, the UPSC agreed ‘to make selection according to its mandate’. File The selection methodology, DoPT records show, would be “worked out as and when the complete proposal… was made available to them.” Subsequently,aconceptnote onthelateralentryproposalwas circulatedandvariousministries and departments were asked to identify posts requiring specialised knowledge. The 2013 concept note was recirculatedinJune2014but,according to official records, “very few” responses were received and the proposal didn’t take off. Cut to NDA in April 2017. Official records reviewed by The Indian Express show that a PMO meeting on April 28, 2017, discussed the lateral entry scheme. Theinitialdecisionwastokeep it outside the UPSC’s ambit and conduct the lateral recruitment process — from finalising the advertisement to recommending CONTINUEDONPAGE2 APOLOGY IN THE Ahmedabad edition dated 13.08.2024, a report “Minority and majority schools that get aid must comply with norms: HC” appeared. The said report was in error as it conveyed a wrong impression that the High Court had decided the issues arising in the matter Mount Carmel High School & Another versus State of Gujarat & Ors. The High Court has in fact not decided the said matter. The newspaper has the highest regard for the High Court and we will exercise greater caution in the future. We unconditionally apologise to the High Court and our esteemed readers. Editor and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. For this, India is ready to provide all possible cooperation along with its friendly countries,” Modi said in Warsaw. Tusk underlined that India can play an “essential and very constructive role”. “We began withaclarificationonvery emotional issues. PM Modi confirmed his willingness that he is ready for a peaceful, rightful and immediate end to war. We believe that India can play an CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE CBI, which is probing the allegedrapeandmurderof ajunior doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, toldtheSupremeCourtThursday that “our investigation itself is a challenge…becausethesceneof offence” has been “altered”. The probe into the August 9 incident,whichsparkedprotests by doctors in several parts of the country, was transferred from Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 13 by the Calcutta High Court which voiced its displeasure over the handling of the case and said there appeared to be “no significant progress” in the police investigation. A day later, amobtargeteddoctorsholdinga protest at night and vandalised sections of the hospital. On Thursday, the Supreme Court, while resuming its proceedings in the matter after taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, again questioned the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MORE REPORTS PAGE 11 J&K polls: NC and Congress seal alliance, but a few seats in Kashmir still a hurdle NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, AUGUST 22 THE CONGRESS and National Conference (NC) Thursday announced an alliance for all 90 seats in Jammu and Kashmir for the coming Assembly elections. The announcement by NC president Farooq Abdullah came after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called on the NC leadership at Farooq’s residence in Srinagar, where they held a meeting lasting over an hour. “Our alliance is on track. We have discussed seats as well, it is final. By evening, we will sign this, and it is for all 90 seats,” Farooq said, adding that the common programmeof the two parties was “to fight elections to defeatthedivisiveforcesthatexist in the country”. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi with National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in Srinagar, Thursday. PTI The NC chief also expressed the hope that statehood would be restored soon to J&K, headed by a government that holds all the required powers. Earlierintheday,Gandhisaid the alliance would be formed “while maintaining the respect CONTINUEDONPAGE2 ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL Internship portal in the works, will Gujarat govt to auction vehicles match opportunity with youth skill sets seized under prohibition Act AANCHAL MAGAZINE NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 A NEW PORTAL is in the works to enable youths to apply for internshipsdirectlywiththecountry’s top 500 companies under a special package announced in the Budget. The portal would facilitateacertainmatchingof skill sets of the applicants with the type of internship opportunities provided by the companies. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) will announce the guidelines for the internship scheme over the next two weeks, following which the por- E E X P L A I NE D Women wrestlers say police cover withdrawn, court steps in KOLKATA RAPE-MURDER CASE A new apprentice ● scheme THE UPCOMING guidelines and the new portal will help operationalise the ambitious scheme that seeks to provide internships to 1 crore youth over the next five years. The government is keen to ensure that those at the margins, especially those less skilled and less employable, are able to make the most of this scheme. tal will be made active for the prospective applicants, officials involved in the exercise said. “Theideaisnottouploadany existing database of the country'syouthontheportal,because some may not want to opt for this internship scheme. Instead, the companies will list out their internship opportunities and these will get matched with the information provided by the applicants, enabling a free flow of information on the portal,” a senior government official told The Indian Express. The portal is expected to be functional after the guidelines CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PARIMAL DABHI GANDHINAGAR, AUGUST 22 THE GUJARAT Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill amending the Gujarat Prohibition Act, empowering the state government to auction vehicles confiscated by police in liquor smuggling cases by a majority vote. The Bill, introduced by Ministerof StateforHomeHarsh Sanghavi, was opposed by the four AAP MLAs even as Congress legislators were not present in the House following their suspension for the day. Sanghavi saidthe moneycollected by selling the seized vehicles through auction will be used in welfare schemes meant for the poor. The Gujarat Prohibition (Amendment) Bill-2024 stated thatasperprovisionsof theoriginal Act, vehicles seized in prohibition cases were not allowed to be released on bond or surety till the final judgment of the court, if the accused is found transporting more than 20 litre of liquor in that vehicle. As a result, the confiscated vehicles lie unused for several years at police stations or in the court CONTINUEDONPAGE2 For women in Kerala film industry, the ‘heavy cost’ of speaking up NIKHILA HENRY NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22 WORKING AN “ordinary job” — iswhata32-year-oldwomanactor has been doing for the past two years, after her deposition beforethethree-memberJustice K Hema Committee which looked into the working condition of women in the Kerala film industry.Withsixyearsof acting experience, she says the industryhasshutitsdoorsonhersince she spoke up. The Hema Committee, formed in 2017, had submitted its report to the Kerala state government in 2019. While successive governments held back the report arguing that its release might“compromisetheprivacy” of those who testified before the committee,thecontentswerefinally revealed, five years later, followingtheinterventionof the Kerala High Court. The court ordered for the release of the report with certain redactions. “I felt happy,” says the 32year-old. “At least my struggle has not gone wasted.” The actor says she was ostracised for reporting a colleague’s sexual advances. “Ever since I reported the incident, I was systematically deprived of work in the industry. The depositionbeforethecommitteeonly worsened the boycott, to the point that I had to leave the film industry,” she told The Indian Express. When asked if anyone tried to bring her back, she says, “I was told there’s no market for me as an actor”. Similar has been the experience of several women artistes and technicians who have been associated with the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a groupingofwomeninthefilmindustry who came together in the BINA PAUL: Veteran film editor and a founding member of WCC ANJALI MENON: Screenwriter, director,WCC founding member aftermathof therapeof aleading woman actor in Kochi in 2017. Many of them say they were PADMAPRIYA JANAKIRAMAN: Lead actor who is a part of both AMMA and WCC SAJITHA MADATHIL: Actor and a founding member of WCC treated as “troublemakers” and denied work as they openly spoke about the need to make the Malayalam film industry a betterworkingspaceforwomen and other deprived groups. “It has been a tough journey. Inthecollectivewehaveallfaced the accusation that we talk too much, that we are stirring up trouble and that we are creating problems when there are none,” says Bina Paul, senior editor in theMalayalamfilmindustryand a founding member of the WCC. Paul says the struggle of the loose collective of women has been for an equitable working space. “I do not want to be known asa woman editor alone. I am a film editor. There should be a space for all of us (women) to be looked at as any other professional,” she says, adding the Malayalam film industry, which is known for some path-breaking films in the recent past, has a long way to go when it comes to gender justice. TheHemaCommitteereport atteststothis—itlistsoutatleast 17 broad issues that plague the Malayalamfilmindustry.Thereport reads, “We find that generally women in cinema face a lot of issues, including sexual demands made to women for the very entry into cinema and for getting chance to work in cin- ema…sexualharassment,abuse, assault against women at workplace, transportation, places of accommodation etc…Torture of women if they express their resentment or unwillingness to sexual demands.” The report adds that there is a prevalence of “unauthorised banning of individuals working in cinema in different categories…Silencing of womenunder threat of ban from work in cinema…” Accordingto thereport,32 of 40 WCC members had filled out the questionnaire which was CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad