Morning Brief: SC Backs Government On Aadhaar; Rail Safety Panel Formed; Jharkhand Bans Illegal Slaughter Houses

Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here's What You Need To Know Today.

SC Backs Government On Aadhaar: The Union government’s plan to make Aadhaar a basic identity document was backed by the Supreme Court on Monday. The top court said it would not be wrong to make the unique ID mandatory for opening bank accounts, getting mobile connections or passports. “If we understand the previous orders in the right context, we think you cannot enforce it (Aadhaar) for extending benefits but you can do it otherwise… something like opening a bank account… it is not a benefit, so Aadhaar can be pressed,” said Chief Justice of India J S Khehar.

Aadhaar For Prisoners: Prison authorities across India were told by the Union Home Ministry to make inmates “Aadhaar seeded”, in a move that would bring over four lakh prisoners under the ambit of the Unique Identification Authority of India. According to National Crime Records Bureau’s 2015 statistics, there are 1,401 jails across India housing more than 4.19 lakh prisoners. The ministry has also asked jail officials to use Aadhaar for identifying visitors to prisons.

Rail Safety Panel Set Up: The Union Home Ministry has announced the setting up of an expert committee to come up with steps to strengthen security around railway tracks and other assets. This comes after a spate of train accidents indicating sabotage. The decision was taken at a meeting between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The Railway Minister had earlier written to the Home Minister seeking a detailed probe by National Investigation Agency into at least six incidents where effort was made to cause an accident.

Green Light For Mental Healthcare Bill: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, which decriminalises suicide and provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness. The bill also has a provision to protect and restore the property right of the mentally ill people, Health Minister J P Nadda said in the Lok Sabha, just before it was passed by the house by a voice vote. All amendments moved by the opposition members were defeated.

Gujarat Polls: Yogi Adityanath Star Campaigner: Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party president Jitu Vaghani has announced that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be the party’s star campaigner for the state elections along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. “After gathering more than 300 seats in UP elections, BJP has set a target of 150 seats in Gujarat. An initial list of BJP campaigners has been drawn and Yogi Adityanath will be one of the star campaigners,” he said.

Jawan’s Suicide: Reporter Booked Under OSA: A month after the alleged suicide of Lance Naik Roy Mathew following the release of a sting video, in which he had spoken on the sahayak system in the Indian Army, Nashik police booked journalist Poonam Aggarwal under sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and those relating to criminal trespass and abetment to suicide under the Indian Penal Code. The Army also accused the journalist of posing ‘leading questions’ to Mathew while carrying out the sting operation.

Jharkhand Bans Illegal Slaughter Houses: Just days after the Yogi Adityanath government launched a crackdown on illegal slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh, another Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state, Jharkhand, decided to ban all illegal abattoirs in the state on Monday. The slaughter houses were given 72 hours to shut their illegal businesses if they failed to obtain licence from relevant authorities.

Azam Khan Urges Muslims To Stop Eating Meat: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Monday called for a nationwide ban on slaughter of animals. “Cow slaughter should be banned across the country. Why is it so that it is legal in states like Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura but not in other states?” He also advised the Muslims to stop eating meat. “I appeal to the Muslim fraternity that they think upon it. It is not mandated in Islam that Muslims should eat meat. I appeal to the people that they should stop eating meat,” he said.

Pension Fund Rules Eased: Government employees can now withdraw from their pension fund to meet family expenses, thanks to new rules announced by the government. The new rules allow withdrawals for education, obligatory expenses, illness and purchase of consumer durables. The Centre also increased the withdrawal limit related to housing, housing loan repayment, purchase of land and renovations to existing homes.

MUST READ OP-EDS

Cast In Modi Mould, Adityanath Is What UP Needs: As Narendra Modi did in Gujarat over the last 10 years before becoming the Prime Minister, there is no reason to suspect why the new Chief Minister will not do the same. Power brings great responsibility and for a Yogi, a patriot and ardent nationalist who loves his country, there can be no better opportunity to show his mettle as Chief Minister of UP.

Who Sold A Dummy To Whom? The government seems to be laying great store by its measures aimed at curbing the use of cash in commercial and financial transactions to curb corruption. Perversely, they increase the scope for corruption.

Campaign finance — what really matters? India’s parliamentary political system means that individual lawmakers have limited agenda-setting power, almost no ability to represent constituencies rather than party platforms, and negligible prospects for effecting change.

Dismantling The Permit Raj In Housing: Construction cannot begin without a prohibitively large number of government approvals. Stringent land-use regulations have been a major source of housing market distortions in Indian cities.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

Aadhaar, Money Bills And The Coercive Power Of The Weak State In India: A strong state will respect the separation of powers and focus on implementing ordinary laws efficiently, and draconian laws will be the exception, not the rule. There can be no rule of law in a weak state. India needs a strong state, a state willing to follow the laws it makes.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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