Morning Digest: PM Modi likely to respond to Motion of Thanks debate in Lok Sabha today; Delhi HC to hear Kejriwal’s plea against arrest today, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day HC hearing today on Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a corruption case related to the excise policy ‘scam’. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener has also challenged a June 26 order of the trial court, which remanded him in CBI’s custody for three days. The court had subsequently, on June 29, extended Mr. Kejriwal’s judicial custody till July 12, saying his name had surfaced as one of the main conspirators. It had also remarked that his further custodial interrogation might be required as the investigation is under way.

Ruling BJP says Modi’s third term is for stability and development, Opposition counters

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur on July 1 said the mandate for the BJP’s third term in office was one for stability and development .Opening the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Mr. Thakur said India was once a fragile economy; in the past 10 years, the country has become the world’s fifth-largest and also the fastest-growing economy. Soon, however, the BJP MP raised the Hindutva pitch, saying India was, is and will remain “Sanatan”.

Supreme Court rules on Trump immunity, delaying trial

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on July 1 that Donald Trump enjoys some immunity from prosecution as a former President, a ruling that will likely delay his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election .The 6-3 decision split along ideological lines comes four months ahead of the election in which Mr. Trump is the Republican candidate to take on Democrat Joe Biden. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, in his majority opinion, said a President enjoys “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.

Pakistani court sentences Christian man to death for posting hateful content against Muslims

A court in Pakistan sentenced a Christian man to death for sharing what it said was hateful content against Muslims on social media after one of the worst mob attacks on Christians in the eastern Punjab province last year, his lawyer said on July 1, adding he will appeal the verdict. In August 2023, groups of Muslim men burned dozens of homes and churches in the city of Jaranwala after some residents claimed they saw two Christian men tearing out pages from Islam’s holy book, the Koran, throwing them on the ground and writing insulting remarks on other pages, authorities said. The two men were later arrested.

India’s power consumption rises nearly 9% to 152.38 billion units in June

India’s power consumption rose by nearly 9% to 152.38 billion units (BU) in June compared to the year-ago period mainly due to scorching heat which forced excessive use of cooling appliances like air conditioners and desert coolers. In June 2023, the power consumption stood at 140.27 BU, according to official data. The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) also rose to 245.41 GW in June 2024 against 223.29 GW in the year-ago month. The peak power demand was recorded at 224.10 GW in June 2023.

T20 World Cup 2024 | Markram’s South Africa can be proud of its stirring World Cup campaign

A warm March night ebbed away at Dhaka and South Africa had just lost the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal against New Zealand. Graeme Smith trudged into the post-match press-conference hall and an insensitive reporter said: “Earlier you were all called chokers, now they are saying jokers.” Smith, moist eyes and a tremulous voice, handled that question with grace and subsequently explained why the Proteas lost. But the word choke became this constant shadow and an easy cliche that trailed South Africa. But what transpired at Bridgetown on Saturday was never a choke as that would be a lazy inference.

Dinesh Karthik named Royal Challengers Bengaluru Mentor

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on Monday, announced the recently retired Dinesh Karthik as its batting coach and mentor. As a player, the former India wicketkeeper-batter had two different stints with RCB, with the most recent being from 2022 to 2024. During this period, RCB reached the IPL Playoffs twice, in 2022 and 2024, and the 39-year-old played an instrumental role both times.

Centre defends fact-check unit as Bombay HC hears arguments on IT Amendment Rules

The Bombay High Court on Monday started hearing arguments presented by Maharashtra along with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on the IT Amendment Rules, 2021, which were challenged by satirist Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, the Association of Indian Magazines and News Broadcast and Digital Association seeking a stay on the notification of formation of a fact-check unit.

New criminal laws to prioritise justice instead of punishment: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that it would take up to three-four years for the “entire process” and relevant “technical aspects” of the three criminal laws to become fully applicable. After the entire process was implemented, a person would get justice even from the Supreme Court within three years of registration of the First Information Report (FIR). Mr. Shah said the new laws would prioritise justice instead of punishment.

Rahul and Rajnath spar in Parliament over compensation for Agniveers

The Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of soldiers, which was a major poll issue in the recently concluded General Election, led to a heated exchange between the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Parliament on July 1. Asking Mr. Gandhi to not mislead the House by “making wrong statements”, Mr. Singh said the next of kin of Agniveers killed in the line of duty received financial assistance of ₹1 crore.

June PMI signals manufacturing recovery, fresh hires at 19-year high

Manufacturing activity rebounded in June after losing some traction in May, with an uptick in new orders, output and input purchases, even as producers raised goods’ prices by the greatest extent in more than two years, and scaled up hiring to the highest level in at least 19 years, as per a survey-based index. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased to 58.3 in June, from May’s 57.5, indicating a sharper improvement in business conditions. A reading of over 50 on the index signals a rise in activity levels.

Take action against Kolkata Police Commissioner, DCP Central: WB Governor writes to CM

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanding that it is highly necessary to take “appropriate punitive action in accordance with law against Shri Vineet Goyal, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Smt. Indira Mukherjee, DCP, and the Police contingent posted at Raj Bhavan”. Referring to the allegations against him made by a Raj Bhawan employee against him, Governor described it and concocted and fabricated allegations and said that if the Constitution and the laws are not followed in matters concerning the Constitutional office of the Governor, it is dangerous and appalling to think of the procedure that would be adopted by the officers and his subordinates in cases involving the common man.

Macron aims to thwart French far right in election runoff

French President Emmanuel Macron and his allies were on July 1 beginning a week of intense campaigning ahead of the second round of legislative elections to prevent the far-right from taking an absolute majority and control of government in a historic first. The far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen won a resounding victory in the first round of the polls on June 30, with Mr. Macron’s centrists trailing in third behind a left-wing coalition. But the key suspense ahead of the second round on July 7 was whether the RN would win an absolute majority in the new National Assembly, enabling it to form a government and make Ms. Le Pen’s protege Jordan Bardella, 28, Prime Minister.

J&K L-G, DGP see new criminal laws as ‘enabler, booster’ to fighting terror

As the J&K police started implementing the new criminal laws in J&K on Monday, J&K Lieutenant Governor and Director General of Police (DGP) R.R. Swain expressed hope that these laws will “further strengthen” the State’s might to tackle terrorism .“To establish the rule of law, fear (playing on the minds of officials) needs to be lowered. These new laws will be an enabler, a booster and a helpful framework under which the rule of law will be established. The idea of individual rights should not be allowed to sink the boat full of people,” DGP Swain said. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) retains two seats, BJP wins one in Maharashtra Legislative Council election

After registering morale-boosting victories in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has won two out of the four seats it contested in the biennial Maharashtra Legislative Council election. The ruling Mahayuti alliance retained its Konkan Graduates seat. The results for the biennial election to the Upper House of the State Legislature were announced on Monday. Polling was held on June 26.

Govt. yet to decide on extending dates to freeze administrative boundaries

The deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils, towns, municipal bodies among others ended on June 30, 2024. It had not been extended till July 1, Monday. A senior government official told The Hindu that a “decision is yet to be taken and discussions are being held” on the issue. The ambiguity has a direct impact on the dates of the next Census exercise that was last held in 2011. The deadline has been extended nine times since December 2020. A former Census official said an order for a “post-facto” extension could also be issued on a later date but if it was not extended it meant doors were open for the next Census exercise in the next three-six months.