| | 5 THINGS FIRST | Today: President Murmu begins her 5-day Himachal Pradesh visit; Scrutiny of nomination papers for phase 5 of Lok Sabha polls; IPL 2024 – RCB vs GT; Tomorrow: Presidential election in Panama; China’s President Xi Jinping on a 5-day Europe tour
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| | 1. Why Gandhis opted out of Amethi |  | The bastion- There was intense speculation that Rahul Gandhi would make an all-out bid to win back Amethi. Instead, he opted for a “safer” Raebareli seat, which his mother Sonia Gandhi represented five consecutive times.
- This is the first time since 1977 that the Gandhi family (not including Maneka Gandhi and her son Varun Gandhi) is contesting the election but not from Amethi.
- Amethi, a pocket borough, preferred the BJP’s Smriti Irani over the Congress’s Rahul in 2019. Rahul had chosen Wayanad in Kerala as a safer seat to go to the Lok Sabha.
- This time, Rahul has chosen Raebareli, another family bastion since his grandfather Firoze Gandhi won it in 1957.
Why Priyanka opted out- Despite Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge requesting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Amethi or Raebareli, she refused to enter the poll fray.
- She reportedly argued that a victory for her and her brother Rahul would mean three Gandhi family members — Sonia Gandhi is a Rajya Sabha member — and reinforce the BJP's charge of dynastic politics.
The candidate- The Congress has, instead, backed Kishori Lal Sharma to challenge Smriti Irani in Amethi.
- Originally from Punjab’s Ludhiana, Sharma was introduced to Amethi by Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s to be a family representative.
- Sharma has managed both Amethi and Raebareli as family representative for decades. More here
A taunt- As the Congress announced Rahul's switch, PM Modi mocked his rival at a Bengal rally, saying, “Today I want to tell him, daro mat [don't be afraid], bhaago mat [don't run].”
- He also took an aim at Sonia Gandhi, saying, “I had said, their biggest leader will not dare to contest. She will run away out of fear. She ran to Rajasthan and from there entered Rajya Sabha. That is exactly what happened.”
- “I had said that shehzade is afraid of losing in Wayanad, and the moment voting ends, he will start looking for a third seat,” he said. More here
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| | | 2. Will Kejriwal get interim bail? Top court decision on May 7 |  | What - The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail plea next week in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha election.
- During Friday’s proceedings, a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta acknowledged that the hearing in CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case could prolong. In such an event, the bench remarked it would contemplate the matter of interim bail.
- The bench, however, clarified that this was not a final decision.
- The matter will be next heard on May 7.
What the court said- “If the case takes time, we may consider the question of interim bail, because of the elections. Let’s be very clear on that … Please be considerate, both sides,” the court observed.
- We are not saying anything (on whether bail will be granted or not) — we would like to consider grant of interim bail because of elections. Dr Singhvi (Kejriwal’s counsel), don’t start without even hearing us — we may or may not grant. We are going to hear you. We must be open to you, because neither side should be taken by surprise. Second… Because of the position you (Kejriwal) hold, whether you should be signing any files? We are being open, do not assume anything... Do not read anything into it! We are not saying either way,” Justice Khanna said.
The case- The bench is hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the ED. The Delhi CM is presently held in judicial custody at Tihar Jail in New Delhi following his arrest on March 21.
- The SC issued a notice to the ED on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal’s plea.
- On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, stating there was no illegality and the ED had “little option” after he repeatedly skipped summonses and declined to participate in the investigation.
- The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
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| | TOI EXPLAINS | | 3. Why equality of wealth is a bad idea |  | The idea- To imagine wealth can only be created through unfair means and therefore it’s fair to expropriate it, is unfair to anyone who adds value to their enterprise. Only a handful inherit their wealth in India. The bulk of wealth creators are self-made.
The data- In 2021-22, per income tax data, there were 887 people with annual incomes of Rs 25cr plus or monthly incomes of Rs 2cr-plus; they had a share in total reported individual incomes of 1.5%.
- Only 0.2% of income came from interest, and only 0.66% came from house property income.
- Of 1,319 individuals with wealth over Rs 1,000cr on the Hurun India Rich List of 2023, 64% were self-made.
Bogus inequality claim - Human effort to improve skills and material conditions results in gain of wealth.
- To define how much gain is appropriate is an exercise designed to kill all entrepreneurship and initiative.
- In 2021, a private member’s bill was tabled in Parliament to remove the word ‘socialist’ from the Preamble, and replace it with the word ‘equitable’.
- Those two words sum up years of debate on what social goals make societies both happy and prosperous.
- Equality of wealth and equality of opportunity are different social goals.
- The bogus cry of inequality of wealth in India raises a fundamental question: is equality of wealth even desirable?
High tax bar- Can taxing the rich at prohibitive rates lead to the common good? India is no stranger to such policies.
- Till 1974-75, the highest marginal tax rate for individuals was 97.75%.
- The story of taxation since then has been of successive reduction of the rate – to 75% in 1974-75, 50% in 1985-86, 40% in 1992-93 and 30% in 1997. The tax kitty has only increased. More here
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| | 4. India vs Pakistan at UN, now over Ayodhya, CAA |  | Pakistan raises Ayodhya at UN- India has hit back at Pakistan after its UN envoy Munir Akram made lengthy remarks against India, referring to the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the rollout of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and a rhetorical mention of Kashmir.
- In a sharp retort, India said Pakistan harbours a “most dubious track record” in all aspects, as it slammed “destructive and pernicious” remarks made by Islamabad's envoy in the UN General Assembly.
What India said- India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said, “One final point…in this Assembly, as we endeavour to cultivate a culture of peace amid these challenging times, our focus remains steadfast on constructive dialogue.”
- “We thus choose to set aside the remarks from a certain delegation, which not only lack decorum but also detract from our collective efforts due to their destructive and pernicious nature,” Kamboj said on Thursday night (Friday, India time).
- She said, “We would strongly encourage that delegation to align with the central principles of respect and diplomacy that must always guide our discussions. Or is that too much to ask of a country that harbours a most dubious track record on all aspects in itself?”
What Pakistan said- Alleging that Muslims are being persecuted in India, Akram said, “The Indian Supreme Court not only failed to punish those who destroyed the Babri mosque but also allowed them to build the Ram temple at the site of the destroyed mosque.”
- This temple was inaugurated with much fanfare by Prime Minister Modi earlier this year, he said alleging that the government sanctioned the demolition of another mosque in Delhi a few days later.
The response- Kamboj told the UNGA meeting that the doctrine of Ahimsa championed by Mahatma Gandhi continues to be a bedrock of India's commitment to peace.
- “India is not only the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, but also a stronghold for Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. It has historically been a refuge for persecuted faiths, illustrating its long-standing embrace of diversity,” she said. More here
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| | | 6. Delhi schools told to brace for heat wave |  | What- The Directorate of Education (DoE) in the national capital, Delhi, has issued guidelines for the well-being of students and school staff due to rising temperatures and heatwave conditions across North India.
- The DoE directed all schools to prominently display posters educating students on preventative measures against heat stress and heatstroke.
Taking action- The directives urge schools to suspend assemblies in the afternoon hours.
- As per the guidelines, schools have been instructed not to conduct open-air classes or plan outdoor activities when a heatwave is declared.
- They have also instructed schools to ensure that they maintained functional RO systems and provided students with access to clean drinking water at all times, considering the hydration needs of students during summertime.
- Emergency heat-related First Aid kits and ORS solutions should be readily available for students who show signs of heat-related illness.
- Students should use items like hats, caps, towels, umbrellas, or other head coverings when exposed to sunlight while leaving or coming to school.
May days- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal maximum temperatures over most parts of the country in May.
- The IMD press release forecasted a significantly high number of heatwave days over the northern plains, central region, and adjoining areas of peninsular India.
- IMD data suggests that this year's heat waves in April were far worse than last year's, making it the warmest year on record.
- This trend is likely to continue in May, with around eight to 11 heat wave days predicted over south Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Gujarat regions.
- The remaining parts of Rajasthan, east Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, north interior Karnataka, and Telangana may record five-seven heat wave days in May.
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| | | 8. Is Russia using choking gas in Ukraine war? |  | What- The United States has accused Russia of using chemical weapons, including poison gas, “as a method of warfare” against Ukrainian forces, in violation of a global ban on the use of such weapons.
- The US said Russia has used chloropicrin, a “choking agent” widely used during World War I, as well as tear gas, against Ukrainian troops.
The problem- The use of these gases in warfare is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an arms control treaty ratified by more than 150 countries, including Russia.
- “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” the US said.
A distinction- Governments use tear gas — considered a chemical weapon when used in warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention — for domestic law-enforcement purposes.
- Civilians can usually escape tear gas during protests, but soldiers in trenches have little choice but to flee under enemy fire or risk being suffocated.
The ground report- Reports, citing combat medics and soldiers, have said that the use of toxic agents often coincides with intense periods of fighting.
- They said most of the chemical substances used in the attacks had been identified as CS and CN, tear gases most commonly used by riot police officers to control crowds.
A retort- Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, called the accusations that Russian forces had used chemical weapons “odious and unsubstantiated” in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
What Ukraine has said- Ukrainian authorities have reported about 1,400 cases of suspected chemical weapons use on the battlefield by Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 and that the rate has accelerated as Moscow has pressed ahead with attacks along the front line.
- They reported at least 371 cases of suspected chemical weapons use by Russian forces in March, about seven times the number from a year earlier.
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| | 9. Biden’s India remark puts White House in a tight spot |  | What- The White House has found itself defending President Joe Biden's remarks calling India, Japan, Russia, and China 'xenophobic' nations, highlighting the US as a country that welcomes immigrants.
- “He was making a broader point. Our allies and partners know very well that — how much this president respects them," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
- "Obviously, we have a strong relationship with India (and) with Japan. And the President, if you just look at the last three years, has certainly focused on those diplomatic relationships," Jean-Pierre added.
What Biden said- On Wednesday, while addressing his supporters at the Democratic Party fundraiser. Biden said, "This election is about freedom, America, and democracy. That's why I badly need you. You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants."
- "We look to — the reason — look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants," Biden said.
Hot topic- Biden has been under attack from his opponents and the Republican Party for his immigration policies, as hundreds and thousands of illegal immigrants enter the US. A poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that over half of US adults think that “Biden’s presidency has hurt the country on cost of living and immigration”.
- Biden, who is up against Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump in the presidential race, has often criticised his rival for his “anti-immigrant” rhetoric.
- Trump has promised to curb illegal immigration and restrict legal migration if elected to office. During his campaigning, he has blamed immigrants for the rise of violence in the country.
- Since coming to power, Biden has eased the Trump-era crackdown on migrants and introduced new “parole” policies, which allow certain migrants to enter legally for humanitarian reasons.
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| | | | ANSWER TO NEWS IN CLUES |  | Moon. China launched an uncrewed lunar mission on Friday that aims to bring back samples from the far side of the moon for the first time. The Chang’e-6 probe – China’s most complex robotic lunar mission to date, which blasted off on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in south China’s Hainan island, marks the start of a mission that aims to be a key milestone in China’s push to become a dominant space power with plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and build a research base on its south pole.
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| Written by: Prabhash K Dutta, Rajesh Sharma and Jairaj Singh
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