| | 5 THINGS FIRST | Today: Ministry of Law and Justice to hold conference on India's Criminal Justice System; PM Modi to address election rallies in Karnataka; IPL 2024 – DC vs SRH Tomorrow: INDIA bloc’s ‘Ulgulan Maha rally’ in Ranchi; Parliamentary elections in Maldives; IPL 2024 – KKR vs RCB
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| | 1. The largest phase sees 60% polling |  | 102 seats sealed- The polling for 102 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats was held on Friday across 21 states and Union Territories.
- The Election Commission said over 60% of 16.36 crore eligible voters exercising their franchise on the first of the seven phases of the parliamentary polls.
The states- The first phase of polling covered all seats in Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Manipur (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1), and Lakshadweep (1).
- Additionally, Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Assam (5), Maharashtra (5), Bihar (4), West Bengal (3) and one each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh also went to the polls.
Assembly polls, too- Concurrently, four states — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh — are electing new assemblies.
- Among these, Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats) went to the polls on Friday.
- In Sikkim, about 68% voting was recorded in both parliamentary and state elections.
- In Arunachal, the voting percentage was over 60, the EC said.
The highs and lows- The turnout in Bengal was over 78%, election officials said. It was 71% in Assam, 70% in Meghalaya, 73% in Puducherry and over 63% in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.
- Nagaland recorded over 50% voting. However, voters in six districts of eastern Nagaland stayed indoors following an indefinite shutdown call by an apex body of tribal organisations to press for its demand for a separate state.
- Uttar Pradesh witnessed over 57% voting, Mizoram over 56%, and Sikkim 67.95.
Violence in Manipur, Bengal- Incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of EVMs at some polling booths and allegations of booth capturing were reported from conflict-hit Manipur that recorded a turnout of over 68% in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls. More here
- In West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, clashes between workers of Trinamool Congress and BJP were reported.
- Two elderly individuals passed away at polling booths in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district.
The contest- Banking on PM Modi’s charisma, the BJP aims to win 370 Lok Sabha seats, with an NDA target of over 400 seats — up from 303 and 353 won in 2019 respectively. For updates
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| | | 2. Is Section 144 during polls justifiable? Plea in SC |  | Quashing Section 144- The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider a petition for quashing prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the CrPC, particularly those linked to the election.
- Social workers Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey's plea seeks to curb the widespread practice of issuing blanket Section 144 orders by magistrates and state governments ahead of elections, limiting assemblies, meetings, and demonstrations.
Mandate for 'Yatras' and public meetings- Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta directed competent authorities to decide on applications seeking permission for 'yatras' or public meetings related to election education within three days.
Scope of Section 144- Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) deals with the power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger.
Concerns- Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, highlighted the indiscriminate issuance of blanket Section 144 orders and said:
- "Something very fantastic is happening. In the last six months, blanket orders under section 144 (of CrPC) are being issued for the whole duration of elections from the time of announcement of election by the Election Commission till the end of elections".
Challenging the legitimacy - The plea alleged that the conduct of elections, being the ostensible reason for invoking section 144, is neither a valid ground recognised under the section nor an emergent situation to justify the imposition of "sweeping prohibitory orders".
Impact on elections- It said these blanket orders, issued solely on the grounds of the impending general elections, were "manifestly illegal and unconstitutional" and they "thwart and obstruct public participation in the democratic process - and directly impinges upon freedoms guaranteed under Article 19, the right to vote, and violates a basic feature of the Constitution - i.e., free and fair elections".
Democratic conduct- The plea alleged that the democratic conduct of elections suffers as a result of these prohibitory orders creating a climate of fear and chilling effect among citizens as public participation is made subject to a strict "policing licence or permit regime".
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| | TOI EXPLAINS | | 3. Netas ignore Uttarakhand’s burning issues amid poll fever |  | Fires raging in the forest- As election fervour rises in Uttarakhand, so do the flames in its forests. Despite nearly 100 hectares of green cover being engulfed in April alone, and over 70% of the state's area under threat, political discourse remains strangely silent on the significant ecological and economic impact.
Why worry about fires- Uttarakhand, primarily Himalayan, is India's most disaster-prone state.
- Flash floods, landslides, and earthquakes are constant threats, evidenced by tragedies like the Kedarnath floods in 2013, claiming over 6000 lives
- Recent events, including the 2021 Raini flash floods and Joshimath subsidence, underscore the ongoing risks, prompting mass relocations in towns like Karnaprayag, Mussoorie, and Nainital.
A looming threat- Another key issue is the persistent threat from leopards in hill villages, which worsens due to encroachment on wildlife corridors and urbanisation of forest fringes, resulting in over 50 annual deaths and numerous injuries, necessitating immediate action.
Not on poll agenda- Despite Uttarakhand's yearly toll of over 100 lives to natural disasters, including deadly landslides, both BJP and Congress are silent on the issue during this election season.
- With 13 hazardous glacial lakes identified recently, posing a risk of catastrophic floods, the absence of political discourse on climate change and mitigation strategies is glaring.
NOTA option- Twelve wildlife attack fatalities this year highlight Uttarakhand's ongoing threat, with big cats claiming 264 lives in a decade.
- Villages, gripped by fear, see school closures and restricted movement after dark, prompting boycott threats in Pauri Garhwal and Nainital, villagers threaten to boycott elections or vote for NOTA due to candidates' neglect and the absence of concrete solutions. More here
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| | 4. 'Adultery a ground for divorce, not for child’s custody' |  | A ruling- The Bombay High Court has ruled that adultery — no longer a criminal offence — can be a ground for divorce but not for granting custody of a child and granted the custody of a nine-year-old girl to her mother.
The case- The petitioner, the son of a former legislator, married the woman, a doctor, in 2010. Their daughter was born in 2015. In 2019, the woman claimed that she was removed from their home.
- The petitioner, however, alleged that his wife had left of her own volition.
The complaint- In 2020, the woman lodged a police complaint against her husband and her in-laws, alleging harassment, assault, and criminal intimidation. She claimed that her daughter was taken away from her.
- A family court in February 2023 granted the custody of the child to her mother, the estranged wife of the petitioner, who then moved the high court.
The court battle- The petitioner's counsel, Indira Jaising, submitted to the court that the woman had multiple affairs, and hence, it would not be proper to hand over the custody of the child to her.
- However, the high court judge said the allegations of adulterous behaviour would have no bearing or doubt while deciding the matter of the child's custody.
‘Adultery not linked to motherhood’- “Not being a good wife does not necessarily mean she is not a good mother. Adultery can be a ground for divorce, however, the same cannot be a ground for not granting custody,” the court observed.
‘Child’s welfare paramount’- It said the girl was only nine, which is a pre-puberty age, and in such custody matters, the welfare of the child is paramount.
- The girl was taken care of by her maternal grandmother, and her academic record during her custody with the mother was also good, the court observed.
- The bench directed the petitioner to hand over his daughter's custody to the wife by April 21.
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| | NEWS IN CLUES | | 5. Can you identify this country? | Clue 1: The country is an archipelago, stringing over 7,000 islands together
Clue 2: It is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia
Clue 3: It’s the only country that allows displaying its flag upside down if it’s at war
Scroll below for answer
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| | 6. Why a popular baby food brand is facing govt probe |  | What- The consumer protection regulator CCPA has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) to probe the allegation that Nestle was selling baby products with higher sugar content in less developed countries like India.
- A Swiss NGO, Public Eye, and International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) have claimed that their analysis showed that Nestle sold baby products with higher sugar content in less developed South Asian countries including India, Africa and Latin American nations as compared to markets in Europe.
The case- According to the report, Nestle's wheat-based product, Cerelac for six-month-old babies is sold without any added sugars in the UK and Germany but 15 Cerelac products analysed from India contained 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving on average.
- The sugar content was declared on the packaging in India, the report said.
- The highest sugar content in the product was 6 grams in Thailand.
- In the Philippines, sugar content was found to be 7.3 grams in five out of eight samples tested and the information was not even declared on the packaging, according to the report.
FSSAI's got a task- "We have written to the FSSAI to take cognizance of the report on Nestle's baby product," Consumer Affairs Secretary and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) chief Nidhi Khare told PTI.
- The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also taken note of the report and issued a notice to the FSSAI.
Nestle’s defence- Nestle India on Thursday said it has reduced added sugar in baby food products in India by up to 30% in recent years.
- "Reduction of added sugars is a priority for Nestle India. Over the past 5 years, we have already reduced added sugars up to 30 per cent, depending on the variant, " the company spokesperson said.
Earlier this month…- The government on April 10 asked all the e-commerce companies to remove drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, from the health drinks category from their portals.
- This followed an inquiry by the NCPCR, a statutory body.
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| | | 8. Does latest Israel-Iran exchange suggest a climbdown? |  | A retaliation- Days after Iranian missile and drone attacks, Israel launched a retaliatory drone attack on Iran on Friday that saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan.
- Israel had vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of fighting in Gaza.
- Allies have urged Israel to hold back on any response to the attack that could spiral.
- Group of Seven (G-7) foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Muted Iranian response- No Iranian official directly acknowledged the possibility that Israel attacked.
- Iranian state-run media also sought to downplay the incident in its news reports.
- When Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at a public event, he hailed Tehran's unprecedented retaliatory attack on Israel almost a week ago but did not mention explosions heard in his country's Isfahan city.
A climbdown?- The limited scale of the attack and Iran's muted response signal a successful effort by diplomats to avert all-out war since an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.
- Following an apparent Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, Iran, which does not recognise Israel, responded by launching hundreds of drones and missiles to attack Israel in an unprecedented assault — all largely shot down by Israel and its allies.
- The Israeli strike overnight Friday was seen as retaliation against Iran but without targeting or hurting its nuclear programme.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency said there has been no damage to Iranian atomic sites.
And…- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeatedly declined to confirm the reported Israeli attack on Iran, saying his country “has not been involved in any offensive operations". Read all updates here
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| | 9. US vetoes Palestinian bid for a full UN membership |  | What- The United States vetoed a Palestinian bid for full United Nations membership, despite global concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- The move was expected, occurring amid Israel's six-month military offensive in retaliation for a deadly attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.
International support- Twelve countries supported the draft resolution, with Britain and Switzerland abstaining. Palestinian leaders criticised the US veto, calling it "blatant aggression" and vowing to persist in their efforts for recognition.
- While lauded by Israel, the move drew criticism from Palestine, denouncing it as "unfair, immoral, and unjustified."
Draft resolution- The draft resolution aimed to elevate Palestine from its status as a "non-member observer state" to full membership in the United Nations, potentially making it the 194th member.
- With approximately 140 countries already recognizing Palestine, widespread support for its admission was expected in the General Assembly, where no vetoes exist.
US justification- US Ambassador Robert Wood reiterated the country's support for a two-state solution through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Quest for UN membership- Palestine's pursuit of full UN membership dates back to 2011, and it currently holds non-member observer state status granted in 2012.
- The state's participation in UN proceedings is allowed, but it lacks voting rights on resolutions, similar to the Holy See representing the Vatican.
UN Secretary-General's warning- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned about escalating tensions in West Asia saying, “The failure to make progress towards a two-state solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence.”
Gaza conflict toll- The UN, citing the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said that between October 7 last year and April 17, at least 33,899 Palestinians have been killed and 76,664 injured, while 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 33 children, were killed in Israel.
- As of April 17, 133 Israelis and foreign nationals are held captive in Gaza, with some bodies still withheld.
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| | | | ANSWER TO NEWS IN CLUES |  | The Philippines. India delivered BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of a $375 million deal signed in 2022. The Indian Air Force used C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to transport the missiles. Delivery of ground systems for the BrahMos system began last month. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. The Philippines plans to deploy three batteries of the BrahMos missile system along its coast for regional defence. The deal received multiple approvals from partner nations. BrahMos, a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is recognized as one of the world's most successful missile programs, enhancing India's deterrence capabilities. For more | |
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| Written by: Prabhash K Dutta, Rajesh Sharma
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