Morning Digest – January 17, 2023

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju seeks government nominees in court collegiums, writes to CJI

In a clear indication that the Narendra Modi government is determined to restructure the collegium system of appointments to the higher judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud to suggest a nominee of the Union government in the Supreme Court Collegium and a State representative in each of the High Court collegiums.

Prepare to win all nine Assembly polls this year, Nadda tells BJP

BJP president J.P. Nadda emphasised the importance of the electoral calendar for 2023, with nine Assembly elections due, and their importance for the upcoming General Election in 2024, asking the party organisation to ensure the BJP’s victory in all the contests.

Furore in J&K over L-G’s move to evict locals from ‘State land’

An ongoing eviction of locals from land that the Jammu and Kashmir administration describes as “State land” has caused furore across the Union Territory on Monday, with hundreds of activists of several political parties hitting the streets against the move.

Indian delicacies add fragrant colours to snow-white Davos

As a fresh round of snowfall made this Alpine resort town whiter, fragrance of Indian delicacies could be felt all over the main Promenade street of Europe’s highest habitat. Dotting the street, a number of Indian pavilions readied themselves with a wide range of foods and drinks for the five days of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting beginning Monday. Topping the charts, the famous India Lounge was seen buzzing with visitors even as main activities there would begin only on Tuesday.

MHA to organise week-long event to celebrate Netaji’s life at Port Blair

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will organise a week-long event revolving around the life of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his contribution to the freedom struggle as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic Events Week to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence. The events will begin on Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the culmination event to be held in Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on January 23, the Ministry said in a statement. The Ministry said that it was at Port Blair where Netaji hoisted the Tricolour on December 12, 1943 “for the first time on Indian soil, much before India attained Independence.”

More leaders from ‘Disappearing Azad Party’ to return to Cong fold: Jairam Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said more leaders from Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party (DAP) will return to the Congress fold on Tuesday. Earlier this month, 17 leaders of the DAP in Jammu and Kashmir, including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, had deserted former Congress veteran Azad and returned to the Congress fold. The leaders were welcomed back by the Congress which said they had gone on “leave for two months”.

Elon Musk’s next drama: a trial over his tweets about Tesla

While still grappling with the fallout from a company he did take private, beleaguered billionaire Elon Musk is now facing a trial over a company he didn’t. Long before Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October, he had set his sights on Tesla, the electric automaker where he continues to serve as CEO and from which he derives most of his wealth and fame. Mr. Musk claimed in an August 7, 2018 tweet that he had lined up the financing to pay for a $72 billion buyout of Tesla, which he then amplified with a follow-up statement that made a deal seem imminent.

Two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ of Rajasthan government commences in Jaipur

A two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ of the Rajasthan government began here on Monday for the review of the performance of all the departments. The shivir began with a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by chief minister Ashok Gehlot at the Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration (HCM RIPA) in Jaipur. Chief secretary Usha Sharma gave a brief in the meeting.

Separate protests by contractual employees, tribal bodies rock Ranchi

Two agitations rocked the Jharkhand capital on Monday, one for service regularisation and the other over alleged non-abidance of reservation rules by the government, bringing traffic to a standstill in parts of the city, and inconveniencing numerous commuters on the first day of the week. Hundreds of contractual employees of the Jharkhand health department, hailing from different districts of the state, took to Ranchi streets in the morning, demanding regularisation of service.

Ladakh admin launches online booking facility for Kargil air service

The Ladakh administration has set up an online ticket booking facility for air services run by the Indian Air Force in the Union Territory, officials said. The Union Territory administration has started operating subsidised helicopter services from Ladakh. The service will cater to passengers from far-flung areas of Ladakh on approved routes from Leh-Lingshed, Dibling, Drass, Padum, Kargil, Nubra, Nerak, Jammu and Srinagar, they said.

Tribal outfit to start month-long yatra from Jan 17 to ‘save’ Parasnath hills

Tribal outfit Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA) announced it will kick off a month-long yatra from Tuesday to “free” the ‘Marang Buru’ (Parasnath hills) in Jharkhand from the “clutches” of the Jain community. ASA activists headed by its president and former MP, Salkhan Murmu, will stage demonstrations in tribal-dominated 50 districts in Assam, Bihar, Odisha West Bengal and Jharkhand, a senior ASA functionary said.

EOW files supplementary charge sheet in ₹200 crore extortion case involving Sukesh Chandrasekhar

The Delhi Police on Monday filed a supplementary charge sheet in connection with the ₹200 crore extortion case involving alleged fraudster Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Chandrasekhar has been accused of impersonating top government officials in order to extort about ₹200 crore from Aditi Singh, the wife of Shivinder Mohan Singh, the former owner of pharma major Ranbaxy. The alleged conman was claimed to have scammed Aditi Singh with the promise of securing the release of her husband who was in jail in a money laundering case.

Close to freezing point: Mercury in Delhi plunges to 1.4 degrees Celsius

A punishing cold wave swept Delhi on Monday with the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung observatory, the city’s base station, plunging to 1.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the month since January 1, 2021. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the mercury may dip to 1 degree Celsius on Tuesday. If that happens, it would be the lowest minimum temperature in at least 15 years in the city. Safdarjung had recorded a minimum temperature of 1.1 degree Celsius on January 1, 2021. It logged a minimum of 1.9 degrees Celsius on January 8 this year.

‘Sick’ Dhull pulls out as Rahane-led Mumbai gear up for run feast vs. depleted Delhi

Yash Dhull’s nightmarish Ranji Trophy season just got worse as the “sick” Delhi captain has been ruled out of their group B clash against arch-rivals Mumbai beginning here Tuesday. With the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw licking their lips for a run feast, Mumbai will be keen to ensure at least a first innings lead to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive. Delhi on the other hand are out of contention, and in Dhull’s absence, vice-captain Himmat Singh will take over, while former skipper Nitish Rana has now been recalled in absence of possible options.

India Open: Sindhu, Sen among title contenders at India Open

The country’s top shuttlers, including reigning champion Lakshya Sen and double Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, will look to keep their date with destiny as they will be title contenders in at least three of the five events when the India Open Super 750 begins on Tuesday. Indian badminton never had this good with as many as three players — Sindhu (7), Sen (10), HS Prannoy (8) in singles world’s top 10 and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at world No. 5 — all coming into the season with loads of success last year.