The RBI on Friday retained its retail inflation forecast for current fiscal year at 6.7 per cent amid geopolitical developments and higher global commodity prices, hoping inflationary pressures to ease further.

In its previous monetary policy review in June, it had projected retail inflation for 2022-23 at 6.7 per cent, up from 5.7 per cent forecast in April.

The RBI raised the benchmark lending repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.40 per cent.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said inflation in second and third quarter of the ongoing fiscal year is expected to remain above the upper tolerance level of 6 per cent.

The central bank aims to keep retail inflation in a band of 2-6 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a telephonic conversation with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and highlighted the important role that the Philippines plays in India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific region.

Modi also assured Marcos Jr of India’s “full support” in his plans and projects for the Philippines’ development.

Marcos Jr became the Philippine president on June 30, succeeding Rodrigo Duterte.

“The prime minister congratulated Marcos Jr. for his election as the 17th President of the Philippines. The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement, and expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years,” an official statement said.

It said Modi reiterated the important role that the Philippines plays in India’s Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision and expressed the desire to further expand bilateral relations.

“The prime minister also assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of India’s full support in his plans and projects for Philippines’ development,” it said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that India is witnessing the “death of democracy” and anybody who stands against the onset of dictatorship is “viciously attacked”.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here ahead of the nationwide protest by the Congress against price rise and GST on essential items, he said the Gandhi family is attacked because it fights for democracy and for communal harmony.

Gandhi charged that the sole agenda of the government is that people’s issues such as price rise, unemployment and violence in society must not be raised.

There is no democracy in India and there is a dictatorship of four people, he alleged.

“What we are witnessing is the death of democracy. That is what India is witnessing. What India has built brick by brick, starting almost a century ago, is basically being destroyed in front of your eyes,” Gandhi, who was flanked by party leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ashok Gehlot, said.

“All of you know it, all of India knows it. Anybody who stands against this idea of the onset of dictatorship, does not matter who he is, where he comes from, which state, which religion, male or female, that person is viciously attacked, put in jail, arrested, beaten up,” he said.

The idea is that people’s issues, whether they are price rise, unemployment, violence in society, must not be raised, Gandhi said.

He alleged that the government is being run to protect the interests of four-five people and this “dictatorship” is being run in the interest of “two-three big business people by two people”.

Asked about the questioning by the Enforcement Directorate of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and him in the National Herald case, he said, “Question all you want, there is absolutely nothing there, everybody knows it”.

“My job is to resist the idea of the RSS and the more I do it, the more I will be attacked. I am happy, attack me,” he said.

Gandhi asserted that the government can “continue scaring” them, it will not make a difference.

To another question, he said, “They attack the Gandhi family because we fight for an ideology and there are crores of people like us. We fight for democracy, for communal harmony and have been fighting for years. Only I did not do this. This has being done for years, my family members have given their lives,” he said, adding that this is “our responsibility” .

“When India is divided and Hindus-Muslims are made to fight then we feel pained, when someone is assaulted for being Dalit, we are pained, when a woman is beaten up, we are pained that is why we fight. This is not a family, this is an ideology,” he asserted.

The Congress is set to hold nationwide protests and will also ‘gherao’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence against price rise, unemployment and GST hike on some essential items.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of the party will also hold a “Chalo Rashtrapati Bhavan” (march to Rashtrapati Bhavan) from Parliament to register the protest against price rise and unemployment.

In all capital cities, the state units would organise a gherao of Raj Bhavans in which MLAs, MLCs, former MPs and senior leaders will participate.

At least seven people have died and 15 others fallen ill, some of them losing their eyesight, in yet another suspected case of hooch tragedy in dry Bihar, officials said on Friday.

According to Rajesh Meena, the District Magistrate of Saran, all cases have been reported from villages falling under the Maker police station area.

“Prima facie, it appears that the villagers had consumed spurious liquor. Five people died here while two deaths occurred at Patna Medical College and Hospital where those who have fallen seriously ill were referred on Thursday, he said.

Among the seriously ill, more than 10 people have suffered loss of vision, the DM said.

Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar said, We are conducting raids in Maker, Marhaura and Bheldi police station areas to nab the suspected bootleggers. We will be able to state the number of arrests after the operation is over.

Local residents said consumption of intoxicants like cannabis has been a custom for the festival of Nag Panchami, which fell earlier this week, though some took to alcohol to get high.

More than 50 people have died in hooch tragedies in the state since November last year.

Saran had reported five hooch deaths in January this year. Last month, two persons had died after consuming spurious liquor in the state capital.

Sale and consumption of liquor were completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April, 2016, following an electoral promise the chief minister had made to the state’s women ahead of assembly polls held in the previous year.

However, implementation of the stringent prohibition law has often been criticised by the opposition parties, the courts and also ruling alliance partners like former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Former senior Congress leader from Haryana Kuldeep Bishnoi on Thursday joined the BJP along with his wife Renuka Bishnoi.

He joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at party headquarters here.

Welcoming Bishnoi to the party, Khattar said that his joining will strengthen the organisation.

Khattar mentioned that Bishnoi has supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and also supported the BJP during the Rajya Sabha poll in June despite being a Congress MLA.

After joining the party, Bishnoi said that Prime minister Modi is the best Prime Minister of the country who always thinks about the country and the welfare of the poor.

Bishnoi also appreciated Khattar and said despite being the chief minister for eight years his reputation is spotless.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh and media department head Anil Baluni also were present during the joining of Bishnoi.

Bishnoi, son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, served two terms as a Lok Sabha Member and is serving fourth term as a Member of Haryana Legislative Assembly from Adampur constituency. Bishnoi’s wife is also an ex-MLA Congress MLA.

Bishnoi crossed- voted, which led to the defeat of party candidate and former Union minister Ajay Maken in the Rajya Sabha poll. For cross-voting against the party candidate, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi removed Bishnoi from all party positions, including the post of a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect.

About 1.29 crore votes were cast for NOTA option in the last five years in state and general elections, poll rights body ADR said on Thursday.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) have analysed the number of votes secured by NOTA (None of the above) in various elections during 2018 to 2022.

According to the report, on an average NOTA has secured 64,53,652 votes (64.53 lakhs) in the state assembly elections.

The report said overall, NOTA secured 65,23,975 (1.06 per cent) votes.

Among the NOTA votes in Lok Sabha elections, the highest number of votes i.e., 51,660 was in Gopalganj (SC) constituency in Bihar while the lowest number of NOTA votes i.e., 100 was in Lakshadweep.

Among state assembly elections, NOTA has secured the highest percentage of votes in 2020 at 1.46 per cent (7,49,360 votes) in two states assembly elections of Bihar (7,06,252 votes) and NCT Delhi (43,108 votes).

NOTA has secured lowest percentage of votes in 2022, i.e., 0.70 per cent (8, 15,430 votes) in five states assembly elections (combined) of Goa (10,629 votes), Manipur (10,349 votes), Punjab (1,10,308 votes), Uttar Pradesh (6,37,304 votes) and Uttarakhand (46,840 votes), the report said.

NOTA secured the highest number of votes in Maharashtra (7,42,134) in state Assembly Elections, 2019, and secured the lowest number of NOTA votes (2,917) in Mizoram Assembly Elections, 2018.

NOTA secured the highest percentage of vote share i.e., 1.98 per cent in Chhattisgarh state assembly, 2018, it said.

NOTA secured the lowest percentage of vote share i.e., 0.46 per cent in both Delhi State Assembly Elections, 2020 and Mizoram State Assembly Elections, 2018.

Constituency wise, NOTA has secured as high as 27,500 votes in Latur Rural constituency of Maharashtra and as low as nine votes in Tali constituency of Arunachal Pradesh.

In few constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh such as Dirang, Along East, Yachuli and Nagaland’s one constituency Northern Angami the candidate did not have any rival candidates so NOTA has secured no votes.

Red Alert Constituencies which have three or more candidates with criminal cases contesting elections, NOTA has secured 26,77,616 votes (26.77 lakhs) in state assembly elections since 2018, the ADR said.

NOTA has secured the highest percentage of votes, i.e., 1.63 per cent (6,11,122) in 217 red alert constituencies of Bihar, it said.

The ADR has recommended that if in any constituency, votes polled for NOTA are higher than all the contesting candidates then no candidates should be declared as elected and fresh election should be conducted, in which none of the earlier candidates should be allowed to contest.

Himachal Pradesh BJP vice president Praveen Sharma died in Una district on Thursday morning. He was 65.
Sharma, who was the vice chairman of Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), died at his Amb Kaswa residence.

Hailing from Polian Purohitan village in Una district, Sharma is survived by his ailing wife, and a son.

BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed grief over his death.

Sharma was first elected as an MLA in 2003 and was made Excise and Taxation-cum-Youth Welfare and Sports minister in the PK Dhumal-led BJP government in the state. He remained a minister from 1998 to 2003.

He was at the forefront of the ABVP movement in Kangra district during his college days and was imprisoned during the emergency. He remained in jail for 18 months along with other senior BJP leaders of the state.

Sharma had close links with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the party affairs chief of Himachal Pradesh in 1998, and used to carry him on his scooter to various parts of the district during his tours.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur expressed his deep shock over the demise of Sharma. In a message, he said the party has lost one of its strongest leaders who always fought for the right cause of the poor.

Former chief minister Dhumal said that the demise of Sharma was a personal loss to him and it seemed that “I have lost my soul”.

“The entire state will remember Praveen Sharma till time immemorial for his working for the organisation and the people,” he said.

The last rites of Sharma will take place later this afternoon at a crematorium near Amb Kaswa in Una.

With rising cases of monkeypox in the country, the Union health ministry on Wednesday released a list of dos and don’ts to avoid contracting the disease.

It also underlined that anyone can catch the virus if they have had prolonged or repeated contact with an infected individual.

Among the dos, the ministry advised isolating the infected person from others so that the disease does not spread, use of hand sanitisers, or washing hands with soap and water, covering mouth with masks and hands with disposable gloves when close to a patient, and using disinfectants to sanitise the environment around.

The don’ts state avoid sharing linen, beddings, clothes, towels, among others, with people who have tested positive for the infection.

The ministry advised not to wash soiled linen or laundry of patients and those of non-infected persons together, and avoid public events even if you only exhibit symptoms of the disease.

“Do not stigmatise people who have contracted the virus, and suspected patients as well. Also, do not believe any rumour or misinformation,” it said.

Meanwhile, a task force on monkeypox has been constituted to closely monitor the emerging situation in the country and decide on response initiatives to tackle the spread of the disease.

It will also provide guidance to the government on expansion of diagnostic facilities in the country and explore emerging trends related to vaccination for the disease, official sources had told PTI.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis — a virus transmitted to humans from animals — with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe.

Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.

The ‘Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease’ issued by the Centre stated that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.

It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bushmeat preparation.

The incubation period is usually from six to 13 days and the case fatality rate of monkeypox has historically ranged up to 11 per cent in the general population and higher among children. In recent times, the case fatality rate has been around 3 to 6 per cent.

The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within one to three days from the onset of fever, lasting for around two to four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy.

A division bench of the High Court of Karnataka has set aside the order of subpoena summoning the the Ex-Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sunil Arora issued by a single judge bench, to testify in an election petition.

The single judge had issued the subpoena in the order dated June 17, 2022 in the election petition filed by Ravishivappa Padasalagi challenging the election to the Assembly of Mahesh Kumatahalli in the 2019 by-election to the Athani Vidhana Sabha constituency.

The by-elections were scheduled in October 2019 but were rescheduled to December 2019. The rescheduling came after a Supreme Court observation as it was hearing petitions pertaining to the disqualification of MLAs in whose constituencies the elections were scheduled.

After the election Kumatahalli won from Athani and this was challenged by Padasalagi. In this petition, the single judge summoned the ex-Chief Election Commissioner of India as a witness to explain the circumstances of the rescheduling of the election.

This was challenged by the Election Commission before the Division Bench.

In its judgement recently, the HC bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice P Krishna Bhat said, “What were the facts and circumstances that lead to issuance of the notification postponing the elections cannot be the subject matter of oral evidence of the Commissioners of the Election Commission of India which is a multi-member body. Its decisions are not the decisions of the individuals.”

The court said issuing of subpoena to functionaries of constitutional bodies is not ordinarily done.

“Since they have to act and take significant decisions in the discharge of duties fearlessly. Otherwise, they run the fear of being called as witnesses and that may push them to defensive mode affecting public interest,” it said.

“A very strong case has to be made out for summoning the members or ex-members of constitutional bodies,” the Division Bench said.

The bench however, said that official records can be summoned through which the circumstances that resulted into issuance of the subject notification can be gathered.

The bench said, “it is always open to parties to the election petition to seek an order at the hands of learned judge trying the election dispute to summon the records or copies thereof even from the Election Commission of India, by making out a case thereof.

Former J&K Chief Minister and the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday put up a new Twitter display picture showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and her late father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed with the national flag and the now-derecognised flag of Jammu and Kashmir.

This was apparently in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call in his Mann ki Baat for putting tricolour  as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

“Changed my dp since a flag is a matter of joy & pride.For us our state flag was irreversibly linked to the Indian flag. It was snatched thus breaking away the link. You may have robbed us of our flag but cant erase it from our collective conscience,” Mehbooba said.

The photograph was taken at a rally addressed by the prime minister during his Kashmir visit in November 2015 when Mufti Sayeed was chief minister of the erstwhile state.