Clockwise from top left: Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski; K G Balakrishnan;, JD(S) leader and former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy and K Chandrachekar Rao; Chief Justice of India UU Lalit.This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organisation Center for Civil Liberties. The laureates represent civil society in their home countries, said the committee. With the awardees being from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, an implicit message has been sent about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A look at the winners and their work.
With a month left before Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit retires, the government today started the process of appointment of the next CJI with Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asking the incumbent to recommend his successor. CJI Lalit retires on November 8. The second seniormost judge on the Bench is Justice D Y Chandrachud. If appointed, Justice Chandrachud will have a tenure of over two years as CJI till November 10, 2024.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today said that it will soon commence the pilot launch of the digital rupee for specific use cases as it tests digital currency in India. In a concept note on Central Bank Digital Currency, the RBI said the digital rupee system will further bolster India’s digital economy, make the monetary and payment systems more efficient and contribute to furthering financial inclusion,” the paper said.
From RBI announcing the launch of digital rupee to Goodbye movie review, here are today’s top stories.
India has said that its decision to abstain from voting on the rights situation in China’s Xinjiang at the UN Human Rights Commission was in line with the practice of not voting on country-specific resolutions. Speaking during a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “It is in line with India’s practice of not voting on the country-specific resolution.” On Thursday, the draft resolution on “holding a debate on the situation of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China” was rejected in the 47-member Council after 17 members voted in favour, 19 members voted against, including China, and 11 abstentions, including India, Brazil, Mexico and Ukraine.
Political Pulse
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s national launch had at least one other major party in attendance, the Janata Dal (Secular) from neighbouring Karnataka. Facing a tough contest in the Karnataka Assembly elections next year, the JD(S) is hoping that the partnership would help the party grow beyond its traditional Vokkaliga heartland of south and parts of central Karnataka, and secure hopefully eight to 10 seats in the north, bordering Telangana, in the 2023 Assembly elections. The JD(S) is also sanguine that the gains may not come right away, but reflect in the long run. Sources say the preparations for the alliance began with the meeting of KCR with Deve Gowda earlier this year. Akram M reports.
Express Explained
The central government has notified a Commission under former Chief Justice of India and former chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission K G Balakrishnan “to examine the matter of according Scheduled Caste status to new persons, who claim to historically have belonged to the Scheduled Castes, but have converted to religions other than those mentioned in the Presidential Orders issued from time to time under Article 341 of the Constitution”. What is Article 341, and why don’t Dalits who convert to Christianity or Islam get quota benefits? What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs? We explain.
Movie Reviews
This week we reviewed Amitabh Bachchan’s Goodbye, Madhuri Dixit and Gajraj Rao starrer Maja Ma, Lena Dunham’s Catherine Called Birdy, Julia Roberts Ticket to Paradise, and Chiranjeevi-Salman Khan starrer GodFather. Watch them or skip them? Read our reviews to decide.
In Express Opinion today
A Russian response: On Ukraine, India is on the right side of history
Say no to alcohol: The case for abstinence
What the success of Vikram Vedha says about the failure of the multiplex