In a dramatic turn of events, US talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres has reportedly left the United States and shifted to England with her wife Portia de Rossi. According to TMZ, the celebrity couple felt “very disillusioned” with Donald Trump’s historic victory in the US presidential election and wanted to leave USA.
The report said that Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi have relocated to the Cotswolds, a region in South West England. The duo had purchased a house there before the US presidential elections. It is being said that the couple will not return to the United States.
It is interesting to note that DeGeneres earlier endorsed Kamala Harris, expressing her enthusiasm for Harris’ candidacy for president. In August, DeGeneres officially supported Harris on Instagram. “There’s nothing more powerful than a woman whose time has come!! I can’t wait for @KamalaHarris to be our next president,” DeGeneres said.
Following Trump’s victory, Ellen and Portia put their Montecito mansion up for sale and want to list another California property. Ellen DeGeneres received flak and was asked to leave the entertainment industry in 2022 after allegations of toxic behaviour at her workplace surfaced.
On Thursday (21st November), the US Attorney’s Office in the eastern district of New York said that Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and seven other executives had been accused in connection with an alleged years-long plot to bribe Indian officials. US authorities claim that $250 million (Rs 2100 crore) in bribes were paid to certain Indian officials in exchange for preferential terms on solar power contracts obtained by Adani Green Energy Ltd and Azure Power Global Ltd.
In the indictment, eight executives have been named, including three from the Adani Group—Gautam Adani: Chair of the Adani Group. Sagar Adani: Nephew of Gautam Adani and head of Adani Green Energy, Vineet S. Jaain: CEO of Adani Green Energy. It also names two former CEOs of Azure Power—Ranjit Gupta: CEO from July 2019 to April 2022. Rupesh Agarwal: CEO from August 2022 to July 2023. Moreover, three former executives of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a Canadian pension fund managing $450 billion in assets—Cyril Cabanes: Former managing director of infrastructure for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, Saurabh Agarwal: Former managing director, CDPQ India, Deepak Malhotra: Former director of infrastructure for South Asia have also been named in the indictment as defendants.
Unsurprisingly, the news of Gautam Adani being accused of bribing government officials and conspiring to commit securities fraud has the Indian opposition parties and their supportive ecosystem on cloud nine. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh went a step ahead and claimed that Congress’s constant targeting and hate campaign under the garb of demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation against Gautam Adani has been ‘vindicated’.
“The indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) of the US vindicates the demand that the Indian National Congress has been making since Jan 2023 for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the various Modani scams. The INC had asked a hundred questions in its Hum Adani ke Hain (HAHK) series bringing out the various dimensions of these scams and of the intimate nexus that has existed between the PM and his favourite businessman. These questions have remained unanswered. The SEC’s actions also cast poor light on the manner in which its Indian counterpart, namely SEBI, has gone about investigating violations of securities and other laws by the Adani Group and its abject failure to hold the Group to account for the source of its investments, shell companies, etc,” Ramesh posted on X.
The indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) of the US vindicates the demand that the Indian National Congress has been making since Jan 2023 for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the various Modani scams. The…
Meanwhile, Sushant Singh, the Consulting Editor of the leftist propaganda outlet The Caravan took the opportunity to insinuate that Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are complicit in the alleged bribery case.
“So Adani supposedly paid bribes to government officials in India between 2020 and 2024. Of about $250 million or Rs 2000 crore. [Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga.],” Singh posted.
So Adani supposedly paid bribes to government officials in India between 2020 and 2024. Of about $250 million or Rs 2000 crore.
Notorious Supreme Court lawyer and a known Modi detractor Prashant Bhushan also passed off the US Justice Department’s allegations against Gautam Adani as indisputable truth and said, “Adanis indictment in the US is for 5 counts massive bribery & fraud; & relies on irrefutable electronic evidence. It seeks forfeiture of their properties. Adani forgot that US is not ruled by Modi where he could rely upon a pliant ED, SEBI& CBI to get away with anything. #Modani.”
Adanis indictment in the US is for 5 counts massive bribery & fraud; & relies on irrefutable electronic evidence. It seeks forfeiture of their properties. Adani forgot that US is not ruled by Modi where he could rely upon a pliant ED, SEBI& CBI to get away with anything.#Modanipic.twitter.com/G0VWQyTIUW
Is the US deliberately targeting Gautam Adani? Is the Indian opposition doing a self-goal by attacking Adani?
While the Congress party and the leftist ecosystem have already believed and are passing off the US Justice Department’s ‘allegations’ against Adanis as proven truth, it is pertinent to understand that Gautam Adani and other defendants are innocent till the charges against them are proven. The indictment document itself mentions that “the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” Also, the timing of the indictment raises the question if the US is trying to stop Gautam Adani from raising capital by levelling allegations of bribery in India.
Another point worth noting is that the US Department of Justice has accused Gautam Adani of bribing Indian government officials in various state governments between the years 2021 to 2022, of which not a single state was ruled by Modi’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). In fact, all the states mentioned in the indictment document were ruled by the anti-BJP parties at that time. In Tamil Nadu, I.N.D.I. Alliance partner DMK was and continues to be in power, in Odisha Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was in power, in Chhattisgarh Congress was in power, and in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party was in power between Jul 2021 and Feb 2022.
The indictment states that US and Indian companies committed to supply 12 GW of power to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). This was contingent on SECI entering into a Power Purchase Agreement with State Electricity Distribution Companies (SDCs). Adani Green Energy partnered with Azure Power, a US renewable energy company, and Azure was allocated 4 GW, while Adani Green Energy was allocated 8 MW. The SDCs refused to purchase power because it was too expensive. Between July 21 and February 22, Adani Green Energy (in cooperation with Azure Power, a US corporation) paid the equivalent of US $265 million to SDCs situated in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Allegations are of 2021 to 2022
Following parties were in power then
Odisha – BJD Tamil Nadu- DMK and Congress Andhra Pradesh- YSRCP Chattisgarh- Congress
Point number 21 of the indictment says, “The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited, GRIDCO Limited, Jammu Kashmir Power Corporation Limited, Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Corporation Limited, Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited and Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (collectively, the “State Distribution Companies”) were electricity distribution companies in India that were state-owned and state-controlled and performed functions that the state governments in India treated as their own. The State Distribution Companies were “instrumentalities” of the Indian government, and their officers and employees were “foreign officials,” as those terms are used in the FCPA, Title 15, United States Code, Sections 78dd-1(f)(1)(A) and 78dd-3(f)(2)(A).”
As per the US Justice Department, after making the alleged promise of bribes to Indian officials of the mentioned state government, around July 2021 and February 2022, electricity distribution companies for the states and regions of Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh entered into PSAs with SECI with Andhra Pradesh purchasing the maximum amount of solar power.
“Following the promise of bribes to Indian government officials, in or about and between July 2021 and February 2022, electricity distribution companies for the states and regions of Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh entered into PSAs with SECI under the Manufacturing Linked Project. Andhra Pradesh’s electricity distribution companies entered into a PSA with SECI on or about December 1, 2021, pursuant to which the state agreed to purchase approximately seven gigawatts of solar power- by far the largest amount of any Indian state or region,” the indictment document states.
It further claims that in or about and between October 2021 and February 2022, the U.S. Issuer and the Indian Energy Company, through subsidiaries, executed PPAs with SECI. “Pursuant to the PPAs, the U.S. Issuer agreed to supply SECI with approximately 650 megawatts of solar power for the Indian states and region of Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir (collectively, the “650 MW PPAs”) and approximately 2.3 gigawatts of solar power for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (the “2.3 GW PPAs”). Subsidiaries for the Indian Energy Company, likewise, executed their own PPAs with SECI under which the subsidiaries agreed to supply SECI with solar power for the Indian states and region of Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. Following the execution of the Andhra Pradesh-linked PPAs by the Indian Energy Company’s subsidiaries, the Indian Energy Company issued a press release quoting GAUTAM S. ADANI, who touted the signing of “the world’s largest PPA with SECI,” the indictment document reads.
Excerpts taken from Adani Indictment document (Source: US Justice Department)
Notably, the press release mentioned in the indictment document was issued by AGEL in December 2021, in which it had said that AGEL has signed an “agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to supply 4,667 MW of green power. This is the world’s largest ever green power purchase agreement.” The press release further mentioned that the AGEL-SECI agreement to supply 4,667 MW is part of a manufacturing-linked solar tender of 8,000 MW awarded to AGEL by SECI in June 2020. “So far, AGEL has signed PPAs with SECI for a total generation capacity of close to 6000 MW of the 8,000 MW awarded in 2020. AGEL expects to close the balance 2000 MW PPA in the next two to three months,” the press release reads.
Even if it is believed that bribery allegations levelled against the Adani Group are somehow true, the Congress party and other opposition parties should answer why their state government purchased power from AGEL since they have long been accusing Gautam Adani of being close to Prime Minister Modi and taking favours from the BJP government in Centre. Also, Congress, DMK, BJD and YSRCP should answer if they accepted bribes from the Adani Group since anything the US says is a universal truth for the anti-BJP parties.
Rahul Gandhi demands Adani’s arrest, based on mere allegations in a US court
Sounding like a US deep state stooge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded Gautam Adani’s arrest merely because an American probe agency is saying so, as if India is a US colony.
"US agency is saying Adani has done a crime so point is why's he not in jail?"
Rahul Gandhi has got an impromptu assignment by class-teacher, using words Adani, Modi, and Jail.
Another baseless noise before the Winter Session of Parliament?
Besides, the timing of the indictment is also questionable as it comes right ahead of the winter session of the parliament. Many crucial bills are likely to be tabled during the session, including the much-debated Waqf Amendment Bill. Just as it was seen during the Hindenburg-Adani episode, the opposition parties went berserk against the ruling dispensation accusing them of being complicit in the Adani Group’s alleged ‘stock manipulation’ and ‘fraudulent’ market practices, however, a Supreme Court-appointed six-member committee eventually said in its report that there was “no evident pattern of manipulation” in Adani’s group of companies and there was also no regulatory failure. In January this year, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea asking for a probe by the CBI into the allegations against the Adani group.
It appears that after the Haryana debacle, it is being said that Adani’s indictment is an effort by the US deep state to keep Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party’s perennial PM aspirant relevant in headlines. And given the timing of the indictment, it seems that controversy around the Adani group is being stirred to bring down the Indian stock market and hand the opposition an issue to stall the parliament. Notably, Adani Group stocks fell as much as 20% when trading resumed in Indian equity markets on Thursday.
The Adani indictment seems to be the US deep state and the outgoing Democrat administration’s last-ditch effort to tarnish India’s image and thus the Indo-US ties given Gautam Adani’s supposed liking for the President-elect Donald Trump. It was reported earlier that after Trump’s historic win, Gautam Adani announced a whopping $10 billion investment in US energy and infrastructure projects which would generate nearly 15000 jobs. Trump had earlier said he would ease the restrictions on energy production as well as expedite project approvals.
Adani Group responds to indictment by US Justice Department
In an exchange filing on Thursday, Adani Green Energy Limited said, “The United States Department of Justice and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission have issued a criminal indictment and brought a civil complaint, respectively, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, against our Board members, Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani. The United States Department of Justice have also included our Board member, Vneet Jaain, in such criminal indictment. In light of these developments, our subsidiaries have presently decided not to proceed with the proposed USD-denominated bond offerings.”
Meanwhile, an Adani Group spokesperson rubbished allegations levelled against the Directors of ‘Adani Green’ by the US Department of Justice and the SEC. “The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against the directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied,” it stated. The Indian conglomerate further stated that all legal recourse is being sought.
On Thursday, 21st November, the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) in the Navi Mumbai area of Maharashtra demolished the illegal Dargah built atop a hill at Panvel’s Paragon region. This comes almost a month after the CIDCO had assured action against the illegal dargah that was posing a potential threat to national security as complained by the local Hindu activists. The Dargah notably was located on the CIDCO property near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport site.
As per the local report by NDTV Marathi, the authorities at the CIDCO, with the help of the police and local administration, demolished the dargah of ‘Hazrat Khwaja Peer Karam Ali’ built illegally on its land. A massive police force was deployed in the area as the dargah that was illegally built on CIDCO land was removed.
CIDCO removed illegally constructed durgah on squattd CIDCO plot; Dargah at Panvel was overseeing the new Navi Mumbai airport n suspicious surveillance activities were noticed misusing religious construction which was posing serious security threat to airport!#NaviMumbaiAirportpic.twitter.com/g9dW0Ho3V6
Local reports suggest that the caretakers of the Dargah knocked on the doors of Panvel Court after obtaining repeated notices from the CIDCO authorities stating that the Dargah had been illegally built in the year 2011. The Dargah authorities claimed in the court that the religious property was 200 years old and that it was not illegally built. However, they failed to generate substantial evidence to back their claims following which the court ordered the removal of the claimed religious property.
The CIDCO then on 25th October stated that it would take due action against the illegally built Dargah. Several Hindu organizations who raised the issue also further exposed that the encroachment was illegally constructed in the year 2012 by painting a few stones atop the hill. The said construction was then illegally expanded over a period of 15 years.
In the month of October this year, the Hindu IT cell, one of the Hindu organizations, wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs complaining that an Islamic religious property had come up from nowhere near the Navi Mumbai International Airport.
“An illegal structure adjacent to the upcoming international airport is a threat to national security. Knowing the strategic importance of Mumbai, it poses a high-security threat. Although a notice has been served by CIDCO to remove the illegal structure, there has been no action taken by the authorities,” the complaint read.
Meanwhile, another Hindu organization, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, who had demanded demolition of Dargah in the year 2023, stated that around 1 acre of land was illegally captured by the Dargah construction. The organization said that the Dargah’s construction started just by painting a few rocks. However, later the construction was expanded to further build a compound, fountain, dome, water tanks, outhouse, guesthouse, and a parking lot.
letter obtained by OpIndia
The letter further said that the illegal structure was posing a potential threat to national security, given its location close to the Navi Mumbai International Airport site.
“It is often observed that when the issue of removing illegal dargahs, mazars, and other constructions is raised, the administration remains passive, citing law-and-order concerns. Whereas action is swiftly taken against other unauthorized constructions. It is crucial that this construction be removed, just like any other illegal structure,’ a complaint letter written by a Hindu organization to CIDCO recently read.
Following this, CIDCO assured action post-voting. A day after the voting for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections concluded, the authorities initiated action against the illegal structure.
On Wednesday, 20th November, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal police to take control of a Mosque in Egra, East Midnapore, following a violent clash between two groups of Muslims that left one person dead. The police have been instructed to monitor the entry and exit of Muslims and regulate activities at the Mosque.
“Humanity is above all. Which religion says that you have to practice murder?” the court said as it heard the matter of two groups of Muslims fighting over the timing of prayers at the Mosque.
As per the report by The Times of India, the decision was made during a hearing on a petition alleging non-compliance with an earlier court order. On November 7th, 2024, the court had instructed two groups of Muslims in a mosque located in Egra, East Midnapore, to offer namaz at separate times. However, the directive was ignored, leading to severe violence on November 13th, 2024.
During the clash, one person was also reported to have lost his life, and eight others were seriously injured. Following the incident, three FIRs were registered, and two individuals were arrested under the suspicion of violence. In response, the High Court ordered that the mosque be placed under police control, with access restricted to individuals approved by the inspector in charge of the Egra police station.
“Religion involves sentiment, consciousness, and emotions. If any of these factors are exceeded, hatred arises out of that. Above all is humanity… This is interference with the administration of justice. The mosque should be taken over by police, and entry to it would be subject to the approval of the inspector in charge of Egra police station,” the Court headed by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh said.
The court emphasized that its decision was made after thorough deliberation and warned Muslims that any further violence resulting in fatalities could lead to a complete ban on offering namaz in the mosque. Stressing that “no one should die over a religious matter,” the court also directed the district administration to convene a meeting to address the issue.
The High Court was informed that the core of the dispute revolved around a claim of ownership of the mosque by one individual, while a rival group also sought to offer prayers there. The second group approached the High Court and alleged that they were being stopped from offering prayers at the Mosque. On November 7th, 2024, the court had instructed two groups of Muslims to offer namaz at separate times. However, the directive was ignored, leading to violence.
On 21st November, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi said there is “media jihad” amid disinformation campaign during the recent by-elections in the Moradabad district.
He took to X (previously Twitter) and stated, “Just look at the list of journalists covering Moradabad from where most lies were spread in the UP by-elections through edited videos and pictures,” along with the names of the reporters.
कंटे छंटे वीडियो व तस्वीरों के जरिए यूपी उपचुनाव में जिस मुरादाबाद से सर्वाधिक झूठ फैलाया गया, वहां कवरेज कर रहे पत्रकारों की सूची भर देख लीजिए !! #मीडियाजिहादpic.twitter.com/YZ0F6OlpKF
The names of local newspapers and networks, as well as national media outlets like Republic Bharat and News 18, are included in this list which included the names of 32 journalists, all of whom are members of the Muslim community. Furthermore, it is reported that Moradabad is home to around 100 active Muslim YouTubers.
Tripathi previously made a similar list of the names of the journalists active during the Bahraich violence which led to the brutal murder of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra. All the journalists from mainstream media to small-scale media institutions were Muslims. “Just read the names of the journalists sending news from Bahraich, you will understand how unbiased and true the news is. A group of YouTubers is employed separately and the whole system is engaged in saving the rioters and spreading lies,” he had charged.
बहराइच से ख़बरें भेज रहे पत्रकारों के नाम भर पढ लीजिये,समझ आ जाएगा कि ख़बरें कितनी निष्पक्ष व सच्ची हैं,यूट्यूबरों की जमात अलग से जुटी है,पूरा सिस्टम ही भिड़ा है दंगाइयों को बचाने में,झूठ फैलाने में !! pic.twitter.com/5JcFGYdfzn
“The video of Gopal Mishra taking down the green flag did come out, but why the video of the attack on the idol of Goddess Durga, firing, stone pelting and then the brutal killing of Gopal Mishra from the same house disappeared. The answer to this is hidden in this list of journalists of Bahraich,” he further remarked. Reporters from India TV, PTI, and ANI were on the list. He had published the names of thirteen well-known journalists. Waris Ali, Bahraich’s information officer, was ousted when the list went viral, according to the BJP leader.
What happened in Moradabad during the by-election
During the voting on 20th November, a lot of alarming news came out of Moradabad. The UP BJP complained about “fake voting,” particularly in the seats of Moradabad’s Kundarki and Sisamau, in a letter to the Election Commission. The party stated in a letter to the chief electoral officer that people came from outside to vote and they were provided with fake identification cards.
The letter read, “In the above-mentioned assembly, people coming from outside districts were lodged in the mosques and madrasas located in the assembly, and fake voting is being done by making fake identity cards of these people. These people are doing fake voting in the name of voters who are not in the district or who have died.”
It added, “Therefore, you are requested to conduct voting at all the booths in the above-mentioned assembly only after ensuring identification and by conducting a thorough search. Fake voters coming from other districts should be identified and stopped from voting, and strict action should be taken against them so that fair voting can be conducted.”
During the Kundarki assembly constituency by-election, a video of Samajwadi Party candidate Haji Rizwan near the Bhikanpur Kulwara polling station also went viral on social media. He is seen objecting to the checking of the ID/ Aadhaar cards of the voters by the cops. Furthermore, he also protested against the police barricades. He questioned who authorized them to look through the voter slips and what is the purpose of this checkpoint.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission and the administration took action against seven policemen in three districts on the allegations of influencing the voting process, including two constables and a sub-inspector in the Kundarki assembly constituency of Moradabad. Two sub-inspectors were suspended in the Sisamau assembly seat over a voter ID card verification matter, and two inspectors in Muzaffarnagar were removed for violating regulations. Departmental action against them has been instructed after complaints were received regarding their role at the polling stations to guarantee free and fair elections.
In Malaysia’s Terengganu state, a carpenter has become the first person to undergo public caning at an Islamic Mosque for repeated ‘khalwat’ (close proximity) offenses, as ruled by the Terengganu Syariah High Court. The accused person has been identified as Mohammad Affendi Awang, 42.
As per the local reports, Awang was sentenced to six strokes of the cane and fined RM 4,000, with a six-month imprisonment as an alternative if the fine is not paid. He pleaded guilty as the authorities claimed that he breached Section 31(a) of the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offenses (Takzir) Enactment (Amendment) 2022.
The Terengganu Syariah High Court has ordered the punishment to be executed at Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Mosque in Kuala Terengganu on December 6th, after Friday prayers. During the court hearing, the judge emphasized that the primary purpose of the punishment under Islamic law was to ‘deter and educate’ the offender.
“A true believer does not fall into the same hole twice. You (Mohd Affendi) were previously caned and imprisoned, yet you committed the same offense again. The first punishment (caning for khalwat) should have been enough to instill remorse,” the court noted.
This is notably the third time that the Awang has been punished for close proximity offense at the Mosque. Previously, he was fined RM 2,700 and sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to ‘khalwat’ on July 11th last year at the Kemaman Syariah Lower Court.
A father of five, he was later again sentenced by the Terengganu Syariah High Court to four strokes of the cane and an RM 3,000 fine for repeated khalwat offenses, making it the first case in Terengganu where such a punishment was imposed and executed.
Local reports suggest that under the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offenses (Takzir) Enactment (Amendment) 2022, penalties for repeated khalwat offenses, effective from January 1st, 2022, include up to six beatings of the cane, an RM 5,000 fine, or three years of imprisonment.
To note, khalwat is an offense that occurs when a man and woman are found alone together in close proximity. Malaysia has a dual-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws governing Muslims operating alongside secular laws.
Terengganu is controlled by the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), which has pushed for a harsher interpretation of Islamic law. In 2018, the state caned two women in front of dozens of people after they were found guilty of trying lesbian intercourse, sparking an outcry from human rights organizations.
In the given case, the caning punishment will be executed at Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Mosque in Kuala Terengganu on December 6th, after Friday prayers.
On Wednesday(20th November), the Union Food Ministry informed that the government’s incredible drive towards digitisation has revolutionised India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) and established new standards for food security initiatives around the world.
According to an official statement, 5.8 crore phony ration cards have been eliminated as a result of the system’s makeover.
The system serves 80.6 crore beneficiaries and uses electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification and Aadhaar-based identification.
It further read, “These efforts have resulted in substantial reductions in leakages and enhanced targeting.”
The ministry mentioned that almost all of the 20.4 crore ration cards have been digitalized, with 98.7% of beneficiaries’ credentials being validated through biometric identification and 99.8% being connected to Aadhaar.
Aadhaar-based authentication during distribution is made possible by the ministry’s deployment of 5.33 lakh e-PoS (Electronic Point of Sale) devices throughout fair-pricing stores across the country, guaranteeing that beneficiaries are identified appropriately.
The press release stated, “Today, Aadhaar authentication is used for distributing approximately 98 per cent of total foodgrains, reducing leakages to ineligible beneficiaries and mitigating any risk of pilferage.”
The process is still in progress for the remaining PDS recipients in fair-price shops nationwide, while the government’s eKYC project has verified 64% of all PDS beneficiaries.
A vehicle position tracking system that is connected to railways for real-time food shipment monitoring is one of the end-to-end supply chain management systems that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has put in place on the supply side.
The ‘One Nation One Ration Card system’ has made it accessible to beneficiaries to employ their current cards to collect rations anywhere in India, enabling statewide portability.
The ministry pointed out, “Through digitisation, rightful targeting, and supply chain innovations, the Government of India has set a global benchmark for state-sponsored food security initiatives.”
Ghost cards and fraudulent entries are removed from the system, and targeted delivery to actual beneficiaries is ensured by the digital transformation, which covers the whole PDS chain from procurement to distribution.
On Wednesday, 20th November, as the voting for the Maharashtra state assembly elections 2024 went underway, one of the voters from the Solapur district of Maharashtra illegally shot a video portraying his favor for the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate. The accused person shot the video while inside the polling booth and exposed that he voted for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Dilip Sopal. As per OpIndia sources, the voter who shot the video and posted it on social media has been identified as Rutwik Pawar.
As per the initial reports, the incident is said to have happened in the Barshi taluka of Solapur district at an 84-number poll station. Chaos erupted after the video went viral over the internet provoking the poll authorities to investigate the matter.
The citizens criticized the matter saying that the voter illegally shot the video when phones weren’t allowed inside the polling booth. This incident also raised questions about the local administration and the poll officials as the locals argued about how the voter could carry the mobile phone inside the polling station when it was strictly not allowed.
Barshi ECI official Prakash Gaikwad took cognizance of the event and stated that strict action against the accused voter would be taken. Gaikwad also said that a police complaint against the accused voter will be filed. Notably, several similar incidents were reported from Baramati constituency and Wardha constituency. However, no action has yet been initiated in these cases.
It is crucial to note that 184 candidates from 11 constituencies in Solapur contested for the MLA race. Around 38 lakh voters from the district are believed to have exercised their right to elect 11 of 184 candidates. The results of the same will be declared on 23rd November.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently imposed a hefty monetary penalty of Rs. 213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position. The penalty imposition on Meta came in the case pertaining to the implementation of WhatsApp’s 2021 Privacy Policy, involving controversial data collection and sharing practices with other Meta entities.
In addition to the penalty, the CCI on Monday (18th November) issued cease-and-desist directions and mandated behavioural remedies be implemented within a stipulated timeline. The CCI identified two key markets in its investigation: the market for over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps through smartphones in India and the market for online display advertising in India.
The Commission concluded that WhatsApp, operated by Meta, holds a dominant position in the OTT messaging app market in India. Similarly, Meta was found to have a leading position in the online display advertising market compared to its competitors.
In January 2021, WhatsApp introduced updates to its terms of service and privacy policy, notifying users via in-app prompts. Effective from the 8th of February, 2021, the new policy required users to accept expanded data collection terms, including mandatory sharing of user data with other Meta companies.
Unlike the 2016 privacy policy, which allowed users to opt out of data sharing with Facebook, the 2021 update removed this choice, compelling users to accept the terms or lose access to WhatsApp. The CCI found this ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ policy to be an unfair condition under the Competition Act, as it forced users to comply with expanded data collection and sharing terms, undermining their autonomy.
Given WhatsApp’s network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the update constituted an abuse of Meta’s dominant position, violating Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Act. The Commission also highlighted anti-competitive practices arising from the sharing of user data between Meta entities. Sharing WhatsApp user data with other Meta companies for purposes beyond providing WhatsApp services creates significant entry barriers for competitors, violating Section 4(2)(c) of the Act.
Meta leveraged its dominance in the OTT messaging app market to strengthen its position in the online display advertising market, contravening Section 4(2)(e) of the Act. To address the identified anti-competitive harm, the CCI directed Meta and WhatsApp to implement several measures. WhatsApp is prohibited from sharing user data collected on its platform with other Meta companies for advertising purposes for five years. After this period, certain provisions will apply to regulate such data sharing.
WhatsApp must provide a detailed explanation of the types of user data shared with other Meta companies, specifying the purposes for each type of data. Data sharing for purposes other than providing WhatsApp services cannot be a condition for using WhatsApp in India.
All users, including those who accepted the 2021 update, must be offered an opt-out option for nonservice-related data sharing via a prominent in-app notification. Users should be able to review and modify their choices through a clear tab in the app’s settings. Future policy updates must comply with these requirements.
Meta says it “disagrees” with CCI’s decision to impose Rs 213 crore penalty, will appeal
On Tuesday, Meta said it disagrees with the Competition Commission of India’s decision to slap a penalty and plans to appeal against the CCI order. A Meta spokesperson in a statement argued that the 2021 update did not change the privacy of people’s personal messages and was offered as a choice for users at the time. “We also ensured no one would have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of the WhatsApp service because of this update,” the spokesperson added.
“The update was about introducing optional business features on WhatsApp, and provided further transparency about how we collect and use data. And since that time, WhatsApp has been incredibly valuable to people and businesses, enabling organizations and government institutions to deliver citizen services through COVID and beyond, and as well as supporting small businesses, all of which furthers the Indian economy. WhatsApp is able to do all of this because it offers services supported by Meta.”
The Meta spokesperson said they are committed to finding a path forward that allows them to continue providing the experiences that people and businesses have come to expect from them.
Violence was perpetrated by a Muslim mob alleging obstruction in voting during the Meerapur assembly by-election in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh on 20th November. Many videos of the incident went viral on social media and a police inspector is seen holding a pistol in his hand in one of the clips. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called it an attempt to intimidate voters and demanded the suspension of the inspector. However, Muzaffarnagar police countered these allegations and netizens also accused him of lying.
Akhilesh Yadav shared a 28-second video on 20th November in which several women are seen standing in front of the policemen. They are asking the cops not to fire bullets and assuring them to stop something immediately. At the same time, a police inspector can be heard warning some people standing far away while holding a pistol. Several stones are spotted on the road. “Election Commission should immediately suspend SHO (Station House Officer) of Kakarwali police station area of Meerapur because he is stopping voters from casting their votes by threatening them with a revolver,” he posted. He tagged several handles including Election Commission in his tweet.
People have put the truth in front of Akhilesh Yadav as multiple netizens uploaded the full video of the incident which is 1 minute 48 seconds below his tweet. The mob can be seen rioting and attacking the policemen. Many women are standing on the roofs of houses. Cops are taking cover behind the walls to escape the assault. A policeman is seen trying to chase away the rioters with a pistol in his hand as the footage ends.
The name of the police inspector seen in the video is Rajiv Sharma. He is currently SHO Kakaroli. Muzaffarnagar police termed Akhilesh Yadav’s tweet as a conspiracy. Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) IPS Abhishek Singh stated that an edited portion of a long video is being shared as part of a well-planned conspiracy. He described Sharma’s action as an attempt to control the situation. He said that action is underway and a case has been registered against the miscreants.
In fact, according to IPS Abhishek Singh, the police arrived at the location after receiving reports of conflict between two parties. Some began trying to block the route as soon as the police arrived. As the police attempted to remove the road barricade, the attackers started hurling stones at them. The police used the necessary force to quell this violence. The rioters left the area once the police intervened, and put the women forward.
According to the information gathered by OpIndia, there was also an effort to bring cell phones into the polling station during the Meerapur assembly by-election in addition to traffic blockages and stone pelting. Abdullah, the son of Arshad Rana, the candidate for Asaduddin Owaisi’s party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in the Meerapur assembly, attempted to enter the booth with a mobile phone. When the police stopped him, he started quarreling. However, Abdullah’s clamor did not affect the police and he had to go to the booth without a mobile phone.
