The Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, effectively opened the doors for the disqualification of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for defection from the Shiv Sena party while holding that then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari’s call for trust vote, which led to the resignation of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, was illegal. A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud however said it cannot quash the resignation of Mr. Thackeray, and thus, would not be able to reinstate him as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra now.
Delhi vs Centre row | SC holds Delhi government has control over administrative services
In a blow to the Centre, the Supreme Court on May 11 gave the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party regime power to make laws and wield control over bureaucrats deputed to the Delhi government departments while declaring that civil service officers are “politically-neutral professionals” who serve the people and not political parties. “A constitutionally entrenched and democratically elected government needs to have control over its administration. The administration comprises of several public officers, who are posted in the services of a particular government, irrespective of whether or not that government was involved in their recruitment,” Chief Justice Chandrachud, who wrote the 104-page judgment, debunked the Centre’s argument that it retained “administrative control” over officers deputed to the Delhi government.
Supreme Court dismisses Centre’s argument that national interests trump over ‘local quibbles’
The Supreme Court on May 11 dismissed the Centre’s claim of superiority over the elected government of Delhi on the ground that the national capital is the seat of the Union Government and “national interests take precedence over and beyond the quibbles of local interests. The Centre backed its argument on a narrow interpretation of a phrase — “in so far as any such matter is applicable to Union Territories” — in Article 239AA (3)(a) of the Constitution.
Government has used technology as source of empowerment to ensure social justice: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 11 hailed the 1998 nuclear tests in Pokhran as one of the most glorious days in India’s history and asserted that technology for the country is not about showing its dominance but a tool to speed up its development. Addressing an event on the National Technology Day, which marks the anniversary of Pokhran tests, Mr. Modi said his government has used technology as a source of empowerment and to ensure social justice.
Terror case | NIA raids at multiple locations in J&K’s Baramulla
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 11 carried out raids at multiple locations in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir as part of its investigation into a terror conspiracy case, officials said. The raids were carried out at the residence of Abdul Khaliq Regoo at Kansipora, Javid Ahmad Dhobi at Syed Kareem and Shoaib Ahmad Choor at Sangri Colony in Baramulla district, the officials said.
Deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into cyclonic storm Mocha
The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm — Mocha— overnight and it is likely to make landfall between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Sittwe in Myanmar, officials said on May 11 morning. The cyclone, named Mocha by Yemen— pronounced as ‘Mokha’, is likely to bring heavy rainfall to the Andaman island chain, they said. At 8:30 a.m., the cyclonic storm was about 510 km southwest of Port Blair, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In a major reshuffle of portfolios of his council of Ministers, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday, May 11, 2023, divested Palanivel Thiaga Rajan of his Finance and Human Resources Management portfolios and allocated them to senior Cabinet member Thangam Thennarasu. Mr. Rajan is the new Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services. The Industries portfolio, hitherto held by the soft-spoken and articulate Mr. Thennarasu, would be handled by T.R.B. Raaja, who was inducted into the Cabinet earlier in the day.
A total of 3,583 people from violence-hit Manipur flee to Mizoram
“A total of 3,583 people from Manipur fled to Mizoram after ethnic violence broke out last week,” officials said on May 11. “These people were lodged at temporary relief camps across six districts of Mizoram, while many were also given shelter by their relatives,” they said. “A total of 1,351 people have taken shelter in the Kolasib district, 1,214 people in the Saitual district and 934 others in the Aizawl district,” a statement said.
11 sites identified for survey under Deep Ocean Mission project: Jitendra Singh
India has identified 11 potential sites for exploration of hydrogen sulfide and a dedicated multi-purpose vessel was being acquired to carry out detailed surveys as part of the Deep Ocean Mission, Union minister Jitendra Singh said. Addressing the first meeting of the Mission Steering Committee, Singh said the technologies developed under the Deep Ocean Mission would help in exploration of the oceans and possible harnessing of non-living resources such as energy, fresh water and strategic minerals.
Never spoke of 150 seats, said BJP will get majority, says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai clarified that he had never said that the BJP would 150 seats, but expects the party to get a clear majority. Speaking to mediapersons in Hubballi on May 11, he refused to respond to questions on the possibility of a hung Assembly, but insisted the BJP would get a clear majority. “During the 2018 Assembly elections, surveys indicated that Congress would win over 107 seats. However, when the results came, that was not the case,” he said. Terming the campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a plus point for BJP, he said, “Modiji’s campaign boosted our prospects. Women and youths voted for BJP. We are confident of coming back to power with a clear majority.”
SCO FMs’ meet a success, security cooperation top priority: Secretary General Zhang Ming
The recent SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa was a success and will lay a new mark on the growth of the eight-member bloc, its Secretary General Zhang Ming has said, asserting that security cooperation remains the top priority of the grouping. India hosted the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting at a beach resort in Goa’s Benaulim on May 4 and 5. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who chaired the meeting, said the session gave an opportunity to dwell on the state of multilateral cooperation in SCO, to address regional and global issues of interest and talk about the reform and modernisation of the organisation.
Imran Khan’s close aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrested as unrest grips Pakistan
Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a close aide of ousted PM Imran Khan, was arrested by police on Thursday, amid worsening political turmoil that has left at least eight people dead and led to the deployment of the army in the country’s capital and three provinces. A video shared by Qureshi’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Twitter shows plain-clothed men taking him away, with him waving at party workers before departing from the location where he was detained.
No progress in ending Myanmar’s deadly civil strife: ASEAN leader
Indonesian President Joko Widodo somberly acknowledged to fellow Southeast Asian leaders on May 11 that no progress has been made to end the civil strife gripping Myanmar and renewed a call for an end to the violence, including a recent airstrike a rights group called an “apparent war crime.” “I have to be honest,” Mr. Widodo told fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the final day of their two-day summit in the Indonesian harbor town of Labuan Bajo. “There has been no significant progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus.”
U.K. sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on May 11 that the U.K. is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces. Mr. Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles. He didn’t say how many are being sent or whether they have already arrived in Ukraine.
IPL 2023 | India call-up is not far away for Rinku Singh: Harbhajan Singh
Former spinner Harbhajan Singh is expecting young Kolkata Knight Riders left-hander Rinku Singh to earn the India cap in the shortest format sooner than later after his exploits in the current edition of Indian Premier League. With 337 runs at a strike-rate of 151 in 11 games, the diminutive left-hander has made a name for himself as a finisher. He has performed well when his team chased the targets, including a game where he hit statemate Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes in a game against Gujarat Titans.
