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Our courts confirm we're like this only

Our courts confirm we're like this only

It is what it is. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court confirmed that India is not a liberal democratic society that puts the right of freedom and speech on par with - never mind above - the right to dignity . In other words, being offended gets a free hand to take punitive action against the person offending. The 2-member bench was hearing pleas against five standup comedians making 'insensitive jokes' - as opposed to 'sensitive' ones - about persons with disabilities. Where criticism would have been an earlier standard response against offensive remarks (that lie outside the ambit of fomenting enmity between communities), Article 21 of the Constitution, providing right to dignity, as part of right to life and liberty, has been stated to legally 'trump' Article 19, the right to freedom and expression. This observation mirrors the reality of how Indian society weighs freedom of expression Hearing a separate case on the same day, another Supreme Court bench granted cartoonist Hemant Malviya interim protection from arrest. He has been booked over a January 2021 cartoon mocking the PM and RSS over Covid vaccination. Such protection can be considered the limit of Indian liberalism's approach to satire, coming as it does a day after the court criticised Malviya for his 'immature' cartoon that portrayed its subjects in an 'undignified' manner after the accused apologised and deleted the cartoon from social media.India does not share the kind of liberal leeway that countries allowing lampoons of PMs, presidents and monarchs still do. Perhaps, in this regard, it is ahead of the curve in a world growing increasingly truculent against sarcasm and jibes that were once frowned upon by hypersensitive parties, but legally tolerated.
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Delhi to receive Rs 600 cr Central funds under special assistance scheme
Delhi to receive Rs 600 cr Central funds under special assistance scheme

Business Standard

time13 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Delhi to receive Rs 600 cr Central funds under special assistance scheme

Delhi will receive Rs 600 crore from the Central government under a special assistance scheme for Union Territories, said an official statement on Thursday. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the funds will be used to accelerate development projects across the city, including initiatives for traffic management, drainage, green energy and waste management. Gupta met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and briefed about the progress of various ongoing schemes and future requirements, and highlighted how effective transformations are taking place in the capital with the support of the Central government, the statement said. Sitharaman shared details about the Special Assistance to States/UTs for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, under which the Delhi government will receive Rs 600 crore in special financial assistance by the end of this month, it quoted Gupta as saying. The chief minister mentioned that a proposal for this allocation will soon be sent to the Ministry of Finance. Gupta said the Union Finance Minister assured full and continued support from the Centre towards the development of Delhi. "Delhi is not just the capital of the country, but also the cultural, administrative and economic hub of India. Its planned development and good governance should serve as a model for all," she said, adding that the government is consistently working in this direction so that Delhi residents receive all the facilities they rightfully deserve. Expressing gratitude to the Union Finance Minister for her positive outlook and cooperative approach, Gupta said the people of Delhi are witnessing the direct benefits of the collaborative efforts between the Central and state governments. She assured that the SASCI scheme will be implemented effectively and that every effort will be made to transform Delhi into a world-class capital city. Senior officials from both the Finance Ministry and the Delhi government were present during the meeting. The chief minister also emphasised that this meeting was not only crucial for accelerating the development of Delhi but also a prime example of cooperative federalism in action. The SASCI scheme was launched in 2020-21 in response to the economic revival required after the Covid-19 pandemic. It aims to provide interest-free loans for 50 years to states and Union Territories to support capital expenditure. The scheme promotes infrastructure development, employment generation and sustainable growth, and enables states to become active partners in the nation's overall development by equipping them with financial resources, reforms and capital capabilities.

India cautions against ‘double standards' in sanctions on Russian oil imports
India cautions against ‘double standards' in sanctions on Russian oil imports

The Hindu

time13 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

India cautions against ‘double standards' in sanctions on Russian oil imports

India has cautioned against 'double standards', even as U.S. lawmakers consider a Bill that would impose 500% duties on India and other countries buying Russian oil. The Ministry of External Affairs' comments comes after indications that U.S. President Donald Trump is backing the Russian Sanctions Act, introduced by a closely-allied Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, and even threatened secondary tariffs of 100% on countries that continue trade on sanctioned Russian products. On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who met with Mr. Trump and members of the U.S. Congress, also issued a threat, in particular to China, India and Brazil, who are among the top buyers of Russian crude oil, oil products, and coal. Mr. Rutte said 'Beijing and Delhi' should push Russian President Vladimir Putin towards ending the war in Ukraine, or face tariffs. 'Energy needs are top priority' Responding to questions on the issue on Thursday, the MEA said it was following the developments 'closely'. 'Securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is there on offer in the markets, as also by the prevailing global circumstances,' MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. 'We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,' he added, in a possible reference to the fact that European Union members continue to procure oil, LNG and pipeline gas from Russia despite the sanctions, and are also major buyers of processed products that go through Indian refineries, including Gujarat's Nayara Energies, which has minority control by Russia's ROSNEFT. However, while Russia sells about half its oil exports to China, and about 38% to India (as of February 2025), it exports only about 6% to EU countries. At an industry event in Delhi on Thursday, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said that India would 'deal' with sanctions when they are passed, pointing out that India has diversified its supply sources, buying oil from about 40 countries now, as opposed to 27 in the past. However, despite requests from Tehran, India has not so far reversed a decision taken under pressure from the first Trump administration in 2017, to stop all oil imports from Iran. Indian concerns conveyed The latest comments from the government come as lawmakers in the U.S. prepare to go forward with the Russian Sanctions Act, 2025 that has been introduced in the House and Senate, with 87 and 84 co-sponsors respectively, cutting across party lines. Section 17 of the Act proposes to impose 500% ad valorem duties on countries that buy, sell or transfer 'oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products, or petrochemical products that originated in the Russian Federation'. In Washington on July 2, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had confirmed that India's 'concerns' about the Bill and 'interests in energy security' had been conveyed to Mr. Graham who, along with Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, is sponsoring the Bill. Mr. Graham has said that he believes Mr. Trump supports the law which would give him the power to waive the duties for a period of six months. However, the Republican lawmaker has urged the U.S. President to impose the sanctions earlier than the 50-day deadline proposed at present. Talks on trade, tariffs, deportees The proposed sanctions further complicate ties between New Delhi and Washington, who are currently putting the last touches on a 'mini' trade deal that officials say will be completed 'soon'. Amidst intense negotiations over tariffs, as well as market access to India, particularly in the areas of agriculture, dairy and genetically modified produce, New Delhi has also been coordinating with the U.S. government about the deportation of Indians illegally resident in the U.S. On Thursday, Mr. Jaiswal said that 1,563 Indian nationals have been deported in the first six months of Mr. Trump's second tenure, from January 20 to July 15 this year. According to ICE statistics, 1,529 immigration violators were deported in all of 2024, and far less than in the three preceding years. After protests in India over the first few batches of deportees being handcuffed and shackled on board military flights in February this year, the U.S. agreed to send Indians back by commercially chartered flights, including as recently as last week.

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