A bench led by acting chief justice Manmohan declined to interfere with the rule, saying it was a policy matter
The Delhi high court on Monday refused to consider a plea challenging the provision that bars third parties from adopting an embryo, saying this was a policy decision of the government and the court would not interfere in this matter.
The provision, Rule 13(1)(a) of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Rules, 2022, rules out the option of embryo adoption by third parties by mandating Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinics to preserve all unused gametes or embryos exclusively for the same recipient which cannot be used by anyone else.
āIn this country, there are large number of kids who are available for adoption. Asking for a trade of embryo cannot be allowed. Itās a policy of the State. We donāt decide the policy of the State. Itās not for us,ā a bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela told the lawyer who appeared for the petitioner Dr Aniruddha Narayan Malpani.
The petition, filed through advocate Mohini Priya, argued that the law āfailed to considerā that recipient for whom the gametes or embryos are preserved, may no longer require them due to successful conception, change in personal circumstances or other medical reasons.
It went on to add that it also violated articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
āThe rule by restricting the use of unused gametes or embryos infringes upon the reproductive rights of the couple, which are intrinsic to the right to life under Article 21. Further by imposing an unjustifiable and excessive restriction on the use of gametes, the rule violates Article 14ās guarantee of equality before the law, as it discriminates against couples who might benefit from donated embryos, especially when they are deprived of access due to stringent provision rule,ā the plea said.
During the hearing, Dr Malpaniās counsel contended that the provision imposes an arbitrary restriction, ignoring the realities of reproductive health care and modern medical advancements and failed to recognise the growing acceptance of embryo or in utero adoption internationally.
The court, however, expressed its unwillingness to entertain the petition saying that it would not interfere with the policy laid down by the state.
Consequently, the counsel withdrew the petition with the liberty to file a representation before the Union health ministry.
Stock market today: The stock market scaled yet another record peak on Monday, September 23, amid healthy buying in almost all the sectors. The S&P BSE SENSEX hit a record high of 84,843.72 levels in the opening deals, while the NSE’s NIFTY50 hit a high of 25,903.40.
At 9:20 AM, the 30-share index of the BSE was trading 232.72 points, or 0.28% higher at 84,777.03 levels, while the broader NIFTY50 was ruling at 25,882.25, up 91 points, or 0.35%.
On the SENSEX, Bharti Airtel (up over 1%) was the biggest gainer, followed by M&M and SBI. On the flip side, ICICI Bank (down over 1%) was the top loser.
Shriram Finance, Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, Divi’s Lab, and M&M were the biggest gainers on the NSE, while ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Hindalco, HCL Tech, and Infosys were the top losers.
Glenmark Pharma shares jumped over 8% as the pharma company announced that its formulation manufacturing facility located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra, has successfully cleared the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection with zero observations.
The inspection was conducted from September 9 to September 20, 2024. In conclusion, the USFDA has issued Form 483 with zero observations.
The stock hit a high of ā¹1763.90 in the early trade.
Vodafone Idea shares were trading nearly 9% higher at ā¹11.42 apiece on the BSE after the debt-ridden telco company on Sunday said it has awarded contracts worth about ā¹30,000 crore to Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung for supply of 4G and 5G network equipment for three years.
After preparing a master plan for cities with populations over one lakh, the government is now set to develop a master plan for 63 towns with populations between 50,000 and one lakh. Once implemented, these towns will have building maps approved based on land use, similar to metropolitan areas. This will help curb arbitrary construction practices. High-level agreement has been reached within the housing department regarding this initiative.
The Chief Minister has emphasized the planned development of small towns, similar to larger cities, and the establishment of building construction standards. In line with this, the housing department is set to prepare building construction and development regulations. These regulations will be implemented in all cities without development authorities, specifically in municipalities and town councils. In the first phase, a master plan is being prepared for 59 cities under the Amrit Scheme, which is nearing completion. In the second phase, plans are underway to prepare a master plan for 63 additional towns. Once the plans are ready, building permits and map approvals will be granted based on these regulations.
Curbing Unplanned Expansion
The lack of building standards in small towns has led to illegal construction becoming a significant issue, resulting in unplanned urban expansion. Without the implementation of model development regulations, people are constructing buildings arbitrarily. Residential and commercial buildings constructed in violation of standards, particularly on land adjacent to roads, are increasing risks. In response, preparations are underway to implement these regulations.
Current Approval Process for Maps
In cities without development authorities, maps are currently approved according to the regulations of the municipal boards. This process does not consider land use or Floor Area Ratio (FAR), leading to significant irregularities in approving large maps.
Since the trailer for Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s film ‘Stree 2’ was released, people have been getting the vibe that the film is going to be a big hit. However, no one had any idea just how big of a hit it would be. In 2018, ‘Stree’ surprised everyone by earning nearly 130 crores without a big star cast or explosive publicity. At that time, it was the biggest sleeper hit of its era.
When it came to ‘Stree 2’, the most common prediction was that the film had the potential to earn up to 300 crores in net collection. But who could have guessed that the audience would be so crazy for ‘Stree 2’ that it would double the expected earnings.
Even after more than a month since its release, the powerful ‘Stree’, the ultimate film in Dinesh Vijan’s horror universe, is still performing remarkably well at the box office.
AAP national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday once again turned the lens on Prime Minister Narendra Modiās age and questioned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on if it supported the BJPās politics of using central probe agencies to topple Opposition governments, force senior leaders to retire, and induct corrupt people into the party.
In his first āJanta ki Adalatā public meeting at Jantar Mantar after stepping down as chief minister, days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy case, Kejriwal asked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat five questions.
āThe way Modi ji is breaking other parties by luring or threatening them with the ED, CBI, and bringing down governments, is this right for the countryās democracy?ā¦ā he asked.
He also asked Bhagwat if he agreed with the BJPās politics of inducting āmost corruptā leaders. Pointing out that the BJP was born from the RSSā womb, Kejriwal asked its chief if he had advised Modi against this.
In another question, he asked Bhagwat how he felt when BJP national president J P Nadda said before the Lok Sabha elections that his party didnāt need the RSS.
Kejriwal went on to say the RSS and BJP made a rule that a politician will have to retire after turning 75 years old. āVeteran leaders like L K Advani ji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji were retired, but nowĀ Amit ShahĀ ji is saying the rule will not apply to Modi ji,ā said Kejriwal, adding that he hoped the RSS chief and other leaders would answer his questions.
Air India’s Malabar Princess created history on June 10, 1948, when it touched down in London – the 40-seater Lockheed Constellation 749A aircraft that flew from Mumbai was the airline’s first international flight. Seventy-six years later Air India has chosen the same destination for the international debut of its flagship A350 aircraft and its new soft product called “Vista Verve”. A350 is the first new aircraft type to be introduced by any Indian airline in over a decade. For Air India which has been facing flak on many of its ageing legacy fleet, these swanky planes and the new onboard experience could well be the indication that its story of transformation is finally taking off.
The airline changed ownership from the government to Tata Group in January 2022.
“It has not been easy to transform an organisation which needed large investments, both in terms of infrastructure, people and processes,” says Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India.
Early Sunday (September 22, 2024), Hezbollah launched over 100 rockets into northern Israel, with some landing near Haifa, while Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes on Lebanon. A Hezbollah leader announced an āopen-ended battle of reckoning,ā as both sides edged closer to all-out war.
The overnight rocket barrage was a response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon that resulted in numerous casualties, including a veteran Hezbollah commander, along with a rare strike on the group’s communication systems. Air raid sirens across northern Israel sent hundreds of thousands scrambling for shelter.
One rocket hit near a residential building in Kiryat Bialik, close to Haifa, injuring at least three people and igniting fires in buildings and cars.
Lebanonās Health Ministry said that three persons were killed and another four wounded in Israeli strikes near the border, without saying whether they were civilians or combatants.
Hezbollahās deputy leader Naim Kassem said his group is now in an ā³open-ended battle of reckoningā with Israel, threatening more displacement for people in Israelās north.
āWe admit that we are pained. We are humans. But as we are pained ā you will also be pained,ā Kassem said at the funeral of top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil. He said a barrage of rockets fired by the group deep into Israel early on Sunday (September 22, 2024) was only the beginning, vowing to destroy Israelās economy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would take whatever action was necessary to restore security in the north and allow people to return to their homes.
āNo country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We canāt accept it either,ā he said.
The Israeli military said it carried out strikes across southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, hitting about 400 militant sites, including rocket launchers. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said those strikes had thwarted an even larger attack.
The state government may grant its employees a Diwali gift in the form of a DA and bonus. According to senior officials in the administration, the relevant file is being prepared. About 800,000 employees will benefit from the bonus, while 1.5 million state employees and teachers will come under the scope of the DA hike. The DA will be increased from 50% to 54%, with the benefits calculated from July. The bonus is calculated based on the basic pay and DA. Last year, state employees received approximately ā¹7,000 as a bonus. There is a provision for bonuses for non-gazetted officers as well.
A positive decision will be made regarding ad-hoc teachers and education friends.
Under the direction of the Chairman of the Legislative Council, a meeting was held on Saturday with the Leader of the House and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya to address the issues faced by teachers in the basic, secondary, and higher education departments. The meeting reached an agreement to take positive decisions regarding the salaries and appointments of ad-hoc teachers and the honorarium of education friends.
During the meeting, teacher MLA Raj Bahadur Singh Chandel and graduate MLA Devendra Pratap Singh requested the withdrawal of the November 9, 2023, order concerning ad-hoc teachers in unaided secondary schools (aided colleges). They noted that since then, court rulings have been issued regarding salary payments, but the department has not issued any orders. The Deputy Chief Minister asked how many people this affects, to which the teacher MLA responded that approximately 1,200 individuals remain. This will not impose an additional financial burden on the government. They agreed to make a decision within a month.
The meeting also addressed the issue of teachers regulated under the March 22, 2016, order who are not receiving pensions. The teacher MLA mentioned that there were requests to include ad-hoc and qualifying services, but this has not been done. The Deputy Chief Minister inquired about the reasons for this, and they also agreed to reach a decision within a month.
Teacher leaders raised the issue of vigilance checks for 40,000 teachers and staff from 1981 to 2020. It was suggested that those with complaints should be called in for questioning, and unnecessary harassment of all teachers and staff should be avoided. They also requested that the Director of Education (Secondary) issue a letter regarding this matter.
The MLC mentioned that there are no established regulations for service security, disciplinary procedures, suspension, or approval in the State Education Service Selection Commission. In response, the Additional Chief Secretary stated that regulations are being created, and they agreed to incorporate Sections 12, 18, and 21 of the Selection Board Regulations 1998 into these new regulations.
AAP leader Atishi officially assumed the role of Delhi Chief Minister today, placing an empty chair beside her own to signify her continued allegiance to Arvind Kejriwal. Speaking to the media after taking charge of the office, Atishi drew parallels between her situation and the story of Bharat from the Ramayana, who ruled in Lord Ramās absence by placing his sandals on the throne.
āToday, I carry the same burden as Bharat did. Just as he placed Lord Ramās sandals on the throne and ruled, I will govern Delhi for the next four months with the same spirit,ā she said.
Atishi stated that the people of Delhi would soon bring Arvind Kejriwal to power in the upcoming elections.
“This chair belongs to Arvind Kejriwal, and I am certain that in the February elections, the people of Delhi will once again elect him as their Chief Minister. Until then, this chair will remain in this office, waiting for him to return,” she added.
Atishi was sworn in as the eighth and the only third woman chief minister, after Congress’ Sheila Dikshit and BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, of Delhi on Saturday. Five cabinet ministers — four from the previous ministry and a new face — were also sworn in along with her.
