Center and Cong spar over Katchatheevu issue
The controversy over ceding Katchatheevu
island to Sri Lanka kept alive on Monday .
PM Modi in a post on X accused Congress and DMK of not caring about
the fishermen of TamilNadu while ceding the territory in 1974 .
External Affairs Minister ( EAM ) S.
Jaishankar in BJP headquarters said that it was wrong to say that Katchatheevu
was an “old issue” and was being brought
because of Lok Sabha elections .
“ It has been frequently raised in Parliament,
“ Mr. Jaishankar said .
The Congress quoted a RTI reply that said
earlier that the island was situated on the “ Srilankan side of the International
Maritime Boundary line “ .
About the Katchatheevu island :
The island was disputed between India and Sri Lanka after independence .
The island was used both by Srilankan
fisherman and fisherman from Tamil Nadu .
In 1974 Indira Gandhi government ceded the
island to Sri Lanka under “ Indo Sri Lanka Maritime Agreement ” .
In a reply to the Supreme Court earlier the
NDA government had said that the island can not be recaptured as it was ceded
under an agreement . The Government also said that recapture can lead to war
between the two counties.
Importance is present context :
Katchatheevu is westernmost island of Sri
Lanka and Srilankan Navy is stationed here .
Indian fishermen cross the boundary quite
frequently, which causes their arrest by Srilankan Navy . If the island were
with India , India could have lots of maritime territory which could have saved
fishermen facing Srilankan authorities .
Katchatheevu
island is westernmost island of Srilanka
No coercive action overtax notices against Congress in view
of pills : IT department
The Income Tax department stated in the Supreme Court on Monday to not
take any action on tax demands of ₹3500 crore raised in March in view of Lok
Sabha polls .
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing
the courts said , “ since elections are going on we do not want any problem to arise from any
political party ….. we will not take any coercive steps till the case is heard again on June 24 ,2024
“
The total tax demand from the Congress Party
is of ₹35,00 crore .
In a latest notice IT department had raised a
demand of ₹1745 crore for 2014 -15 and 2016-17
Tax authorities have already withdrawn ₹135
crore from the party fund .
Congress lost its appeal against Income Tax demand in IT
Appellate Tribunal and Delhi High
Court .
Supreme Court allows Hindu worship to continue inside
Gyanvapi premises
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Hindu
priest to continue worship inside the cellar of the Tahkhana of Hindu Mosque .
While the Muslims were allowed to perform
Nawaz at the premises of the site .
The court ordered that the status quo be
maintained by both sides .
The Hindu side claimed that the entire area of
Gyanvapi Mosque belonged to a temple of Swayambhu Lord Adi Vishveswar since
Satyug .
While the Muslim side claimed it to be only a
ruse to encroach into the Mosque land .
Kejriwal sent to Tihar jail for judicial custody till April
15
The rouse Avenue court on Monday sent Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Judicial custody till April 15 , in
connection with money laundering case in Delhi Excise Policy case .
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju from ED
aide submitted in court that the AAP chief had not been cooperating with the
investigation . Mr Kejriwal was said to be giving evasive replies .
Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj name in ED submission
The ED in its application also said that when
Mr. Kejriwal was asked about Vijay Nair , he had stated that Mr. Nair didn’t
report to him , but to Delhi cabinet minister Atishi Marlena and Saurav
Bhardwaj .
Mr Nair was the communication in charge of AAP
, and the first person to be arrested in Delhi Excise Policy case .
ED said that Mr Kejriwal was shown
evidence of Hawala transfer of ₹45 crore , corroborated with call records ,
proof of payment and WhatsApp
messages even the Mr Kejriwal showed
unawareness . The beneficiary of all these was AAP headed by Arvind Kejriwal .
Delhi Excise policy Scam
In 2021 Delhi Government formulated
new rules to give licenses for liquor shops .
There were several procedural lapses in policy
making . The policy came into force in
November 2021 but was scrapped in July 2022 .
In an investigation ordered by Delhi LG , ED
claimed that AAP got 6% kickbacks in giving licenses to private entities .
The money was used in Delhi and Goa elections
.
A South Group gained license after paying AAP
and possibly BRS , ₹ 100 crore . K Kavitha was part of the group .
World
Israeli airstrike destroys Iranian consulate in Syria
An Israeli air strike has destroyed the
consular section of Israel’s embassy in Syria , killing a senior Iranian
military official , Syrian state media said on Monday .
Iranian state television has said that the
strike killed Iranian military advisor Gen Ali Reza Jahadi who led the elite
Quds forces in Lebanon and Syria until 2006. . The Iranian ambassador said that
at least seven people died in the attack .
Israel has not commented on this .
Israel has been attacking pro Iranian sites in
Syria and not commenting on that even in past .
Israel withdraws from Shifa hospital after two weeks raid
After a two week raid on Gaza’s largest
hospital . The Israeli military claimed that it has killed more than 200
militants and arrested hundreds more .
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) has
claimed that 20 patients died and
dozens were put at risk during the raid .
Israeli MPs give approval to bill to ban AlJazeera
The Israeli Parliament passed a bill on Monday
, giving top officials authority to bar from Israel the Al Jazeera Channel .
Al Jazeera reporters have been reporting from
Gaza despite military operations by Israel .
Few reporters have even died . Israel earlier
accused some of reporters of being “ terror operatives “ .
Court suspends jail terms of Imran, wife in Toshakhana
case
A Pakistani High court on Monday suspended the
14 year old sentence handed out to him and his wife , Bushra Biwi in theToshakhan corruption case .
The beleaguered couple were given 14 years of
jail . The beleaguered couple were sentenced to 14 years in jail , each by
accountability court for alleged
corruption in state gifts .
Science
Team
led by PRL Ahmedabad find ozone on Jupiter’s moon
An International team of scientists led by
scientists from PRL ( Plasma Research laboratory ) , Ahmedabad has discovered
strong evidence of the presence of ozone on Jupiter’s moon Callisto .
Callisto is the third largest moon in the
solar system after Ganymede and Titan .
It is primarily composed of water ice , Rocky
materials and some organic compounds .
Presence of Ozone layer means that like earth
the planet is protected from Ultraviolet light this enhances the possibility of
existence of life in Callisto .
Text / Context
Ladakh
Protest ; a hunger for Justice
Sonam Wangchuk called off his 21 day hunger
strike starting 6 March on March 26
. They called it “ climate fast “ . It
will be continued by women , youths , monks as they will start a new 21 day
fast .
All these are for the demand of sixth schedule
status to Ladakh . Bringing Ladakh to sixth schedule will give it special
status , will give more autonomy to make laws , outsiders will be prevented
from settling , and do other industrial work in the area .
Why
demand of Sixth Schedule
Rapid urbanization and Tourism growth is
straining Ladakh’s resources , Particularly water , leading concerns about
sustsibikuty .
Tourism has exacerbated the problem of water .
Ladakh faces challenges of climate change such
as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ( GLOF )
, permafrost degradation and rising temperature .
Despite these challenges mining , renewable
energy projects continue to grow .
