Hangzhou Asian Games | India thrashes Japan to claim hockey gold; qualifies for Paris Olympics
A dominant Indian men’s hockey team thrashed defending champions Japan 5-1 to reclaim the Asian Games gold medal after nine years and qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics in Hangzhou on October 6. The Indians, who had to be content with a bronze medal in the last edition in Jakarta, thus won their fourth Asian Games gold and first since the 2014 Incheon edition. Meanwhile, India is closing in on the magical three figures on the medals tally. With assured medals in men’s and women’s kabaddi and men’s cricket, India is set to cross the 100-medal tally.
Iranian Narges Mohammadi gets Nobel Peace Prize 2023
Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has been chosen by the Royal Swedish Academy for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. “The 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. This year’s NobelPeacePrize also recognises the hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated against the theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women,” the Academy said.
Supreme Court refuses to order status quo on publication of Bihar caste survey data
The Supreme Court on October 6 refused to stay the Bihar government from publishing data collected from its caste-based survey. Months ahead of the general elections, the Bihar government had published data revealing that the Other Backward Classes and the Extremely Backward Classes constitute 63% of the State’s population, of which the EBCs make 36% and the OBCs 27.13%. A Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna refused to be bothered by the fact that the State had outed the data when petitions challenging the legality of the survey was pending before the Supreme Court.
Freebies ahead of polls | Supreme Court takes note of plea, seeks responses from M.P. and Rajasthan
The Supreme Court on October 6 sought a response from the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on a plea that public funds are being misused to offer irrational freebies ahead of elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also issued notices to the Centre, the Election Commission and the Reserve Bank of India on the PIL, which also alleged that taxpayers’ monies are misused by the two State governments to lure voters.
Delhi High Court, on October 6, deferred the hearing a plea against the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA for October 9. The court issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest.
Left Wing Extremism will be totally eliminated from country in 2 years, says Home Minister Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 6 said Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be totally eliminated from the country in two years. Charing a meeting to review the security situation in LWE-affected States, Mr. Shah also said year 2022 witnessed the lowest number of incidents of violence and deaths in Naxal-hit areas in last four decades.
Sikkim flood | Centre approves relief worth ₹44.8 crore
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved release of both instalments of Central share of State Disaster Response Fund to Sikkim, amounting to ₹44.80 crore in advance, for the year 2023-24, to help the State in providing relief measures to people affected by the flash floods in the State. The toll in the flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 21 on October 6 as Army and NDRF teams worked their way through slushy earth and fast flowing water in the Teesta river basin and downstream north Bengal for the third day in search of those who were swept away and are still missing, officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta’s sensational claim, that 2.5 lakh local residents had been recruited through illegal “back door entry” methods for government jobs in the erstwhile State of J&K, triggered sharp reactions from regional political parties on October 6. Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti asked Mr. Mehta to institute an inquiry and take actions against officers involved in such recruitments.
Priyanka Gandhi promises caste survey in Chhattisgarh if Congress retains power
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 6 said if her party retains power in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, a caste census will be carried out in the State on the lines of Bihar. Addressing an event of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, she also promised ten lakh houses for the poor.
A federal U.S. court has allowed Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana time till November 9 to file a motion against his extradition to India to face a trial in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. In August, Mr. Rana, 62, had appealed before the Ninth Circuit Court against the order by a U.S. District Court in the Central District of California that denied the writ of habeas corpus.
Russian missile attack in eastern Ukraine kills a 10-year-old boy and his grandmother
A Russian missile attack killed a 10-year-old boy and his grandmother on October 6 in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, officials said, a day after a strike in the same region killed at least 51 civilians in one of the deadliest attacks in the war in months. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 28 people were wounded and rescue operations were continuing.
RBI’s MPC keeps policy rate unchanged; real GDP growth for FY24 projected at 6.5%
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India after a detailed assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial developments and the outlook, decided unanimously to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.50%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility rate remains at 6.25% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.75%. The MPC also decided by a majority of 5 out of 6 members to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation progressively aligns to the target, while supporting growth.
ICC Cricket World Cup | Bas de Leede stars as Netherlands limit Pakistan to 286
All-rounder Bas de Leede took four wickets with his medium-pace as a resolute Netherlands limited Pakistan to 286 all out in their World Cup opener on October 6. Pakistan suffered two mini collapses in their innings, one at the top of the order and the other one after a 120-run stand off 114 balls between Mohammad Rizwan (68 off 75) and Saud Shakeel (68 off 52) for the fourth wicket. While de Leede got the important breakthroughs in the middle-overs, off-spinners Aryan Dutt (1/48) and Colin Ackermann (2/39) got a lot out of the Hyderabad surface.
