HYDERABAD  TUESDAY  OCTOBER 29, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION FORMER KARNATAKA HC JUDGE K S PUTTASWAMY PASSES AWAY PLAYED LEAD ROLE IN RIGHT TO PRIVACY CASE His petition played a pivotal role in declaration of right to privacy as a fundamental right by the Supreme Court. In a landmark verdict in August 2017, a nine-judge bench declared the right to privacy a fundamental right under Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. The Aadhaar scheme subsequently received legislative sanction Justice Puttaswamy, 98, was the lead petitioner who had moved the SC in 2012 challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme K S PUTTASWAMY 8 FEB 1926 - 28 OCT 2024 ADVOCATE TURNED EMINENT JURIST ■ ■ ■ SC underlined privacy to be “the constitutional core of human dignity” Born on February 8, 1926, Puttaswamy studied at Maharaja’s College, Mysore and obtained a law degree from Govt Law College, Bengaluru He was enrolled as an advocate in January 1952 and practised in Mysuru. He became the Karnataka High Court judge on November 28, 1977 2012 WHEN JUSTICE PUTTASWAMY MOVED SC CHALLENGING THE AADHAAR SCHEME CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ERC puts its foot down, says no tariff hike for any consumer WAR AGAINST TERROR CHARGED UP EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad Infantry combat vehicles take position during a search operation following a terrorist attack on an army convoy, at Akhnoor sector in Jammu on Monday | PTI | P8 Census likely in early 2025 SPECULATION ON LS SEAT DELIMITATION; NDA ALLY TDP DEMANDS POLICY REJIG RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR AND P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi STRONG indications from the Centre on Monday suggested that the much-delayed decadal Census exercise would begin in early 2025, potentially followed by the controversial delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. Since Census is a humongous exercise, it will take over a year for it to be wrapped up and the report cannot be published before 2026. The year 2026 is significant because Article 82 of the Constitution says, “Provided also that until the relevant figures for the first Census taken after the year 2026 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust.” Speaking to this newspaper, THE FINE PRINT former chief statistician Pronab Sen said the delimitation process can be carried out after completing the Census operations in 2026 if the government so desires. “We are at the end of 2024. If the process of Census starts today, the earliest you will be able to finish the exercise is by MarchApril 2026. It takes a year and a half just for preparation. The first step is house listing and it will take 7-8 months. Then the process of preparing for the Census begins. The Constitution says that the delimitation should be based on the first Census on or after 2026,” he said. Delimitation runs the risk of upsetting states in the South as they stand to lose political clout 82 ARTICLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF CITIZENS TO BE UPDATED; NO CASTE CENSUS CLARITY in the Lok Sabha for being successful in population control. Speaking to this paper, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an NDA ally sought reworking of , the delimitation exercise. TDP MP and Parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said, “The delimitation of Lok Sabha seats on the basis of population may lead to Andhra Pradesh losing out in representation as we successfully controlled population through family planning programmes. The state shoudn’t be punished for that. We want to have consultations with the government and various other stakeholders in reworking the policy .” As for the other demand on Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine: including caste census, no decision has been taken on it yet. The government appears cautious about including caste data in the Census, possibly in view of assembly elections in states like Bihar. The Census originally scheduled for 2020-21, got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Year 2025 will represent the start of a new Census cycle — 2025-2035, 2035-2045 and so on. The whole exercise will begin with the updation of the National Register of Citizens. Enumerators are expected to compile data on at least 31 heads, including household composition, amenities, demographic details like whether the head of the household belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. Provided further that such readjustment shall take effect from such date as President may, by order, specify and until such readjustment takes effect, any election to the House may be held on the basis of the territorial constituencies existing before such readjustment; PROVIDED ALSO THAT UNTIL THE RELEVANT FIGURES FOR THE FIRST CENSUS TAKEN AFTER THE YEAR 2026 HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED, IT SHALL NOT BE NECESSARY TO READJUST (a) the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States as readjusted on the basis of the 1971 census; and (b) the division of each State into territorial constituencies as may be readjusted on the basis of the 2001 census, under this article FUTURE TENSE AI behind job losses: Centre M O N I K A YA D A V @ New Delhi THE growing deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in several sectors is casting a shadow over employment stability in India, the Department of Economic Affairs under the Union finance ministry said in its monthly economic review. “Anecdotal reports of the deployment of Artificial Intelligence displacing workers are beginning to emerge. That needs watching,” said the report for September. The Economic Survey 202324, tabled in Parliament in July , had also flagged concerns of more and more companies turning to AI tools to replace human talent. “While AI has considerable potential for boosting productivity, it also has the potential to disrupt employment in certain sectors,” said the survey . Analysing hiring trends, the finance ministry’s report noted that there was a 7% decline in job opportunities in September 2024 compared to the same month last year. It said the Naukri JobSpeak index witnessed an annual growth of 6% in September 2024, driven by a resurgent IT sector. No coercive action on KTR’s kin: HC T G N A I D U @ Hyderabad JUSTICE B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Station House Officer, Mokila police station, to “not take any coercive steps” against Pakala Rajendra Prasad until October 30 while instructing the latter to cooperate with the investigation. Prasad, the brother-in-law of BRS working president KT Rama Rao is accused of arranging a party at his farmhouse in Janwada on October 26. The Court was hearing a lunch motion petition filed by Prasad seeking a stay on proc e e d i n g s u n d e r F I R N o. 311/2024, registered on October 27 charging him under Sections 25, 27, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Sub- stances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act, 1974. Senior counsel Mayur Reddy , appearing for Prasad, argued that his client was a technologist and founder of ETG Group that provides software and application services. He said that his client hosted a family-oriented housewarming event. Mayur Reddy stressed that no drugs were found on the site and asserted that the case was politically motivated. He pointed to a notice served by police to Prasad at 9.30 am on Monday , requiring him to appear at 11 am, as an intimidation tactic. Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mohd. Imran Khan, during the arguments, said that the event was “like a rave party”. He stated that the police would act accordingly if further evidence emerges. Justice Reddy recalled previous orders concerning pubs in localities like Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills etc., and noted that incidents of accidents and noise pollution associated with substance abuse are rising, particularly among affluent youth. He asked the AAG consider restrictions on these establishments and adjourned the case for further proceedings. THE Telangana Electricity Re g u l a t o r y C o m m i s s i o n (TGERC) has rejected the proposal of the Discoms to hike the power charges for the high tension (HT) consumers from `7.15 to `7.65 per unit. With this, there will be no hike in power tariff for any category of consumer for 2024-25, i.e., for next five months. The Commission, which conducted public hearings on October 23 and 24 on the aggregate revenue requirements (ARRs) submitted by the Discoms for 2024-25, announced the order on power tariff on Monday . It may be recalled that the Discoms proposed tariff hike only for HT consumers, but the ERC rejected it too. Accordingly the existing power tariff for , No change in tariff for LT-1(A) domestic category Removal of monthly minimum charge Increase in upper limit of connected load for mushroom production units, rabbit farms from 10 HP to 25 HP all categories of consumers would continue for the next five months. A day before his tenure ends, ERC chairman T Sriranga Rao convened a press meet and announced that there was no tariff hike for any category of consumer. He said that the HT tarif f proposal was also rejected. A couple died and their daughter was hospitalised after they were asphyxiated due to smoke from firecrackers that caught fire in their home in East Chandranagar, Yakutpura late on Monday . The deceased were identified as Mohan Lal and Usha Bai while their daughter Shruti Gupta is battling for life in a private hospital, Rein Bazar police confirmed. A senior officer told TNIE, “The family used to stay on the first floor of the building and were preparing for Deepavali. Prima facie, it appears that the firecrackers they kept in their home for Deepavali caught fire from a stove used by a nearby vendor. The smoke filled the house and the couple died of suffocation. There are no burn marks on the bodies.” Monthly minimum energy charge is reduced from `65 to `50 per month for single phase supply and `200 to `100 per month for three phase supply The Commission also rejected the proposal of the Discoms to club 11 kV 33 kV and 131 kV , categories into one and collect 11 kV tariff for all the three categories. The proposal to hike the fixed charges for the consumers, who consume beyond 300 units per month, from `10 to `50 too was rejected by the CONTINUED P5 Commission. A N O T H E R TATA J E W E L ED RAIDS SIDDU’S 1ST PVT PLANT FOR PREMISES OFOTHERS MILITARY PLANE CLOSE AIDE, TAKES WINGS D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad This C-295 aircraft factory reflects the new work culture of New India Narendra Modi, prime minister POLICY SHIFT Under the C295 deal, 56 aircraft are to be delivered to the country. Sixteen of them will be supplied directly by Airbus from Spain. The remaining 40 will be produced in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, according to an official press release AFTER an impressive roadshow in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus plant to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in the city . It is the country’s first assembly line where at least 18,000 components of the aircraft will be manufactured. “Till now we had the vision of Make in India, now proudly we extend it to Make in India, Make for the World,” Modi said in his address. Commissioning the project shows India’s work culture has changed for good, he said. The country cannot only commission project on time but can manufacture and deliver goods on time. In October 2022, the foundation stone of the project was laid, and within two years, work on production of a C-295 has started, he said. Modi also recalled that another plant to manufacture Bombardier train coaches was commissioned in record time. Now, coaches manufactured there are exported, proving India means business, he pointed out. For his part, Sanchez called the Tata group a “giant among giants”. “Today, we are not only officially inaugurating a cutting-edge industrial facility ...This partnership between Airbus and Tata will contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry and will open new doors for the arrival of other European companies,” he said. Spain is an integral part of the Airbus consortium that represents values of cooperation, modernity and progress, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez during a roadshow in Gujarat’s Vadodara on Monday | PTI Couple dies, girl hospitalised as firecracker smoke fills their home A J AY T O M A R & S W E T H A V I M A L A M @ Hyderabad Reduction in fixed charges of LT-II(B) non-domestic/commercial for `60/kW to `30/kW for consumption up to 50 units Meanwhile, investigation into the fire that gutted a shop selling firecrackers on Sunday has brought to sharp focus the Curbs have nothing to do with Deepavali: Anand Responding to concerns regarding a police notification prohibiting gathering of five or more persons in public places, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand on Monday clarified that the ban “has nothing to do with the Deepavali festival celebrations” | P2 dangers posed to citizens by such outlets. Most of these shops rarely adopt safety measures and very few even bother obtaining trade licences. The shop that was gutted on Sunday only had a temporary licence to conduct business in an open area, but was instead operating out of a ground-plusmezzanine-floor store, said Y Nagi Reddy DG, Fire Safety , . The ED on Monday raided the residences of K’taka CM Siddaramaiah’s close aide, ex-MUDA officials, and a builder, to gather more documents on alleged irregularities in allocation of sites by MUDA 4 RSS workers get lifer for killing CPM man in 2011 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kannur FOUR RSS workers were on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a CPM worker at Thalassery in Kerala’s Kannur district in 2011. The Thalassery Additional Sessions Court also ordered each of the convicts—Pranu Babu, Nidheesh, Shijin, and Ujesh—to a pay fine of `50,000 to the family of the victim, Ashraf. There were eight accused in the original chargesheet. Two of them—Shijith and Sujith— died before the trial began. Two others—Binesh and M R Sreejith—were acquitted citing lack of evidence. As per the case, eight persons associated with the RSS and BJP attacked CPM worker Ashraf around 9.30 am on May 19, 2011, while he was selling fish on the Kappummal-Subedar road in Thalassery. They allegedly killed him due to political enmity . The prosecution said the reason behind the attack was that Ashraf and some other CPM members allegedly destroyed RSS flags during a rally to celebrate the victory of CPM leader K K Narayanan in the Assembly election from Dharmadam in May 2011. According to the chargesheet, the accused persons assembled unlawfully armed with deadly , weapons, and committed rioting. They wrongfully restrained Ashraf, preventing his escape. Thereafter, they voluntarily inflicted grievous injuries on the victim, it said. Ashraf was critically injured with wounds all over his body . He died at 3.50 am on May 21 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. A total of 26 witnesses were examined by the prosecution in the court.