PUBLISHED FROM LUCKNOW
: UPENG/2007/19688
MARKET DATA
BSE SENSEX: 74,339.44
(+486.50 ; 0.66%)
NIFTY 50: 22,570.35
(+167.95 ; 0.75%)
NIFTY BANK: 48,494.95
(+305.95 ; 0.63%)
NIFTY IT: 33,554.40
(+111.85 ; 0.33%)
S&P BSE SmallCap: 47,112.78
(+254.18 ; 0.54%)
Editorial: Prioritising integrity Can’t control elections or pass directions on basis of suspicion, SC tells EVM critics Akhilesh to contest from Kannauj
PM makes big allegation against EC takes cognizance of alleged poll
Rajiv Gandhi over inheritance law code violations by PM Modi, Rahul
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Thursday
claimed that former prime
minister (late) Rajiv Gandhi
had scrapped the inheri-
tance tax because he didn't
want to share his inherited
property with the govern-
ment. Addressing a rally in
Madhya Pradesh's Morena,
PM Modi claimed the Con-
gress wants to impose the
tax again.
"The facts relating to In-
heritance Tax are eye-open-
ing...When former PM Indira
Gandhi died, her children
were going to get her prop-
erty. But there was a rule
earlier, that before the prop-
erty goes to the children,
some part of it was taken
by the government...To save
the property…so that it does
not go to the government,
the then PM Rajiv Gandhi
scrapped the Inheritance
law," he claimed.
The inheritance law was
Sunita Kejriwal to join AAP's Lok Sabha Tamannaah summoned by Maharashtra
campaign, will hold roadshows: Report
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Sunita Kejriwal,
the wife of jailed Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal, is
likely to hold roadshows in
the national capital begin-
ning this weekend, PTI re-
ported.
Ever since Kejriwal was
arrested on March 21 by
the Enforcement Director-
ate (ED) in connection with
the Delhi excise policy case,
Sunita Kejriwal has been
quite active. From address-
ing briefings to attending
INDIA bloc rallies on behalf
of her husband, she is slow-
ly emerging out of the shad-
ows to assume a bigger role
in the party.
"The chief minister's wife is
scheduled to attend her first
roadshow in Kondli reserved
ELDECO, HDFC CAPITAL
INFUSE 350 CRORE IN
JOINT PLATFORM
NEW DELHI: Realty firm
Eldeco Infrastructure and
Prop - erties Ltd and HDFC
Capi - tal Advisors have
committed an additional
Rs 350 crore in their joint
platform to develop hous-
ing projects.
In a state - ment, Elde-
co announced the latest
round of funding of Rs 350
crore towards their joint
platform aimed at devel-
oping residential projects
across India. With this lat-
est funding, the platform
size stands at Rs 850
crore.
With the first and sec
- ond rounds of funding
having been deployed, this
third-round injection of Rs
350 crores will further ac-
celerate the devel - opment
of group housing and plot-
ted development projects
in multiple cities, namely
Delhi, Gurugram, Ludhiana,
Sonipat and Goa.
ucknow news
VOL. 18 | ISSUE NO: 234 | Friday, 26 April 2024 | DAILY MORNING | Page 4 | Price Rs 1.00
scrapped in 1985 by the Ra-
jiv Gandhi government.
PM Modi claimed that the
Congress wants to confis-
cate people's jewellery and
small savings by conducting
an X-ray of their properties
and valuables.
He also accused the Con-
gress of religious appease-
ment. He attacked the par-
ty for giving reservation to
Muslims.
"These (Congress) people
are again using religious
appeasement as a pawn.
Cyber Cell in illegal IPL streaming case
assembly constituency rep-
resented by Kuldeep Kumar
who is AAP's East Delhi Lok
Sabha seat candidate in the
coming weekend," a source
told PTI.
The jailed CM's wife will
also attend roadshows in
the other three Lok Sabha
seats contested by AAP in
Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party is
Massive landslide hits Arunachal
Pradesh highway near Dibang Valley Debate over inheritance tax dominates electoral discourse
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: A massive
landslide occurred on Thurs-
day at the highway between
Hunli and Anini in Arunachal
Pradesh, causing a deep cut
in the road and disrupting
the route connecting Dibang
Valley, which has a border
with China.
Arunachal Pradesh chief
minister Pema Khandu took
to X (formerly X) to address
the landslide incident, stat-
ing that instructions have
been issued for the resto-
ration of connectivity at the
“earliest.”
"Disturbed to learn of the
inconvenience caused to
commuters due to the ex-
tensive damage to the high-
way between Hunli and Ani-
ni. Instructions have been
issued to restore connectivi-
ty at the earliest as this road
connects Dibang Valley to
There is a Congress govern-
ment in Karnataka...They
have declared all the people
of the Muslim community
in Karnataka as OBC. Con-
gress added so many new
people into the OBC com-
munity that earlier OBCs
used to get reservations in
education and government
jobs but now the reservation
they used to get was se-
cretly snatched away from
them," PM Modi added. PM
Modi said that for the Con-
gress, it was always family
contesting the Lok Sabha
polls in alliance with Con-
gress in Delhi. It has fielded
its candidates in East Delhi,
West Delhi, South Delhi and
New Delhi seats. On the oth-
er hand, Congress has field-
ed candidates in North East
Delhi, North West Delhi and
Chandni Chowk seats.
Sunita will also campaign
for AAP candidates in Guja-
the rest of the country," he
wrote on X.
A video that surfaced
online showed a wide and
deep cut in the road with a
continuous flow of rainwa-
ter.
Recently, on April 20, a
magnitude 3.0 earthquake
shook the West Kameng re-
gion of Arunachal Pradesh,
according to data from the
National Centre for Seis-
mology (NCS). The epicen-
tre was situated at Latitude
27.39 and Longitude 92.68,
at a depth of 5 kilometres.
What do we know about
Dibang Valley?
Dibang Valley, the larg-
est district in Arunachal
Pradesh, boasts the lowest
population density in India. It
shares its borders with Tibet
and China to the northwest,
north, and east, bordering
Lower Dibang Valley in the
south and Upper Siang Dis-
first. He also said that the
BJP government in Madhya
Pradesh gave a new identity
to the Chambal region.
PM Modi also attacked
Congress Rahul Gandhi
for "insulting him". He said
some people were unhappy
as such language was being
used against the prime min-
ister of the country.
"I request everyone that
please don't be sad, don't
be angry, they are 'Naam-
dar' and we are 'Kaamdar',"
he added.
PM Modi accused the
Congress of putting Mus-
lims illegally in the OBC list
in Karnataka. He said his
government never discrimi-
nated on religious lines. He
said free ration had been
provided to 80 crore people
without any discrimination.
"Congress says Muslims
have the first right on the
country's resources while
I am saying that the poor
have the first right on it," he
added.
rat and Punjab. Her name is
part of the list of star cam-
paigners of the party for Gu-
jarat.
On Sunday, she had at-
tended the INDIA bloc rally,
wherein she alleged a plot
to kill her husband, currently
in judicial custody till May 7.
“They've put Arvind Kejri-
wal and Hemant Soren in
jail. They've put them in jail
without them being proven
guilty.
This is a dictatorship.
What is the fault of my hus-
band? Is it providing good
education, health facilities?
Patriotism is in his blood. He
is an IITan, he could've gone
abroad, but he prioritises
patriotism. As IRS, he took
leaves to do public service.
He has put his life at stake
for people," she had said.
trict in the southwest.
The region, characterised
by a temperate climate, is
adorned with verdant moun-
tains, abundant rainfall,
rushing rivers, majestic wa-
terfalls, and vibrant wildlife.
The area is home to di-
verse bird species, roaming
wild animals, and seclud-
ed Idu hamlets. Residents
adorned in colourful attire
engage in singing, dancing,
and hunting while upholding
ancient customs and tradi-
tions.
The district is renowned
for its rich biodiversity, in-
cluding medicinal plants
like Coptis Teeta (Eroh) and
Taxus Bacata.
Positioned in the north-
easternmost corner of
Arunachal Pradesh, Dibang
Valley spans between
95°15'E and 96°35'E Lon-
gitudes, and 28°22'N and
29°27'N Latitudes.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Election
Commission on Thursday
took cognisance of alleged
model code of conduct vi-
olations by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Con-
gress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The poll panel has sought
responses from both the
Congress and Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party by April 29.
In its letter to BJP presi-
dent Jagat Prakash Nadda,
the Election Commission
said that the star cam-
paigners are expected to
contribute to a ‘higher quali-
ty of discourse, inter alia, by
way of providing an all-India
perspective, which some-
times gets distorted in the
heat of the contests at the
local level’.
The EC directed Nadda to
inform all star campaigners
in his party of the high stan-
dards of political discourse
expected from them. It
asked the BJP chief to re-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra
Cyber Police on Thursday is-
sued a summons to actress
Tamannaah Bhatia to ap-
pear before it on April 29 for
questioning in connection
with the illegal streaming of
Indian Premier League (IPL)
2023 matches on FairPlay
application, which she and
other actors allegedly pro-
moted
According to officials, Bha-
tia and some other actors al-
legedly promoted viewing of
the IPL matches on Fairplay.
They have also been alleged
of accepting bets on gaming
applications linked to IPL
matches.The Fairplay app is
allegedly connected to the
Mahadev Open Book (MOB)
platform.
According to the people
familiar with the matter, the
agency will record Bhatia’s
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The debate
over inheritance tax and
redistribution of wealth has
overshadowed the divisive
electoral rhetoric. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
seized on comments of
Indian Overseas Congress
president Sam Pitroda,
who said that the idea of
an inheritance tax should
be debated and discussed.
He accused the Opposition
party of intending to grab
the wealth of people ac-
cumulated through hard
work, and taxing them even
“after death”.
Congress leader Jairam
Ramesh said the Modi
government advocated an
inheritance tax in the past.
He pointed to comments of
former BJP minister of state
for finance Jayant Sinha
and former finance minis-
spond by 11 am on April 29
on the complaints raised by
Congress, CPI and CPI (ML).
The Congress and oth-
er two opposition parties
had moved the EC against
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's remark in Banswara
in Rajasthan. During a ral-
ly, the prime minister had
said,"The Congress mani-
festo says they will calcu-
late the gold with mothers
and sisters, and then dis-
tribute that property. They
will distribute it to whom
- Manmohan Singh's gov-
ernment had said that Mus-
statement as a witness in
the case.
They promoted and en-
dorsed the application,
which had illegally put
hoardings across the city
of live telecast of IPL 2023,
without obtaining any per-
missions from Viacom 18
which had the exclusive
rights to broadcast the crick-
et tournament, said offi-
cials.
“We have summoned the
actress on April 29,” said a
Maharashtra Cyber Police
ter Arun Jaitley in 2018. Ra-
mesh said Jaitley praised
the concept for “spurring
large endowments to hospi-
tals, and universities in the
West”. “Over to you Prime
Minister Modi- what is your
party’s stance on this is-
sue,” Ramesh said on X.
Pawar attacks Modi
Nationalist Congress Par-
ty (NCP) founder Sharad
Pawar lashed out at Modi,
saying his attacks on one
community in his speech-
es were unacceptable and
shameful. “His statement
is shameful as he is the
prime minister of the coun-
try, who is expected to lead
all and ensure everyone’s
interest, but he is talking
so bad about a commu-
nity,” 83-year-old Pawar,
who heads the NCP (Sha-
radchandra Pawar) faction
of the party, said at a cam-
paign rally in support of Shiv
R.N.I. Reg. No.
lims have the first right on
the country's assets."
"Earlier, when their (Con-
gress) government was in
power, they had said that
Muslims have the first right
on the country's assets. This
means to whom will this
property be distributed? It
will be distributed among
those who have more chil-
dren. It will be distributed
to the infiltrators. Should
your hard-earned money go
to the infiltrators? Do you
approve of this?” Modi had
said.
In its letter to Congress
official investigating. A case
has been registered after a
complaint lodged by Viacom
18. In the first information
report, the broadcasting
company claimed that it lost
around 100 crore due to il-
legal broadcast of the IPL
matches.
Viacom 18’s anti-piracy
team found that from 31
March 2023 to 7 April 2023,
the Fairplay app had also
shown Tata IPL matches live
illegally.
The primary investigation
Sena (UBT) Anant Geete in
Raigad late on Tuesday.
Geete is running against
the incumbent Member of
Parliament Sunil Tatkare,
who shifted his allegiance
to deputy chief minister Ajit
Pawar when the NCP split
in July last year.
Tejashwi Yadav wades
into mangalsutra debate
Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) leader Tejashwi Ya-
dav on Wednesday hit out
at Modi over his mangal-
sutra remark as he remind-
ed him of lives lost during
the Covid pandemic, the
Pulwama terror attack,
and during clashes with
Chinese troops at the bor-
der. Talking to reporters
in Patna, Bihar’s former
deputy chief minister said,
“The prime minister should
tell us who is responsible
for ‘mangalsutras’ being
snatched (a metaphor for
chief Mallikarjun Kharge,
the Election Commission
also directed him to convey
the same message to the
grand old party's star cam-
paigners about the quality
of discourse expected from
them. It also attached a
copy of complaint lodged
by the BJP against Gandhi.
The BJP quoted excerpts
from Gandhi's purported
speech in Kerala's Kotta-
yam where he allegedly
said,"If a daughter gradu-
ates from a university, her
parents congratulate in
Malayalam. When a broth-
er loses the other brother,
he communicates in Ma-
layalam. Thus, Kerala is
Malayalam, Malayalam is
Kerala."
“I hear PM giving speech-
es where he says one na-
tion, one language, and
one religion. How can you
tell people of Tamil to not
speak Tamil, people of
Kerala to not speak Malay-
alam?" he allegedly said.
by the Enforcement Direc-
torate (ED), which is probing
the Mahadev betting app
case, revealed that promot-
ers linked with the Mahadev
Open Book (MOB) platform
used funds from various
shell companies to pay Bol-
lywood celebs to promote
and endorse their apps.
The agency has claimed
that more than 40 celebri-
ties were under scrutiny for
promoting FairPlay during
the IPL 2023 season.
Earlier this week, actor
Sanjay Dutt was also sum-
moned in connection with
the case. The agency has
also recorded statements of
people linked to actors Dutt,
Jacqueline Fernandez, and
rapper Badshah, who have
been alleged to promoting
the betting app and urging
viewers to tune in on the ap-
plication to watch the crick-
et matches.
widowhood) from so many
women during the outbreak
of Covid, after demonetisa-
tion, in the Pulwama terror
attack and skirmishes with
Chinese troops along the
border.”
KCR bus yatra
Bharat Rashtra Samithi
(BRS) president and former
Telangana chief minister
K Chandrashekar Rao on
Wednesday commenced
his 17-day long bus yatra to
campaign for the party in
the Lok Sabha elections in
the state scheduled to be
held on May 13. “The bus
yatra will continue non-stop
for 17 days and conclude
with a public rally at Siddipet
on May 10. During the yatra,
the BRS chief will address
road shows and meetings
in as many as 40 towns cov-
ering various parliamentary
constituencies in the state,”
the BRS said in a statement.
2 Lucknow, Friday, 26 April 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

Fuelling Dreams
EDITORIAL
Prioritising integrity
A country attracts better foreign investment when it has
organisations with strong principles and values. In fact,
courts have also viewed cases of loss of confidence very
seriously and have held integrity to be integral. Indian
courts have categorically held that once an employer los- THE NEXUS OF GOOD MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STUDY IQ, IS HELPING CIVIL SERVICES ASPIRANTS
es confidence in an employee and this bona fide loss of
confidence is affirmed, the punishment order must be SUCCEED—INSPIRING THEM TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION FOR SOCIETAL GOOD IN THE FUTURE
considered immune from challenge. It is indeed gratifying to
This is because discharging a position of trust and confi- note that as many as 121
dence demands unwavering integrity. Generally, courts do aspirants who were pro-
not interfere with a bona fide loss of confidence. vided free interview guid-
In M/s Francis Klein & Co. Pvt. Ltd. v. The Workmen, ance under Nexus of Good
1971, the Supreme Court held that when an employer los- Mentorship Programme
es trust in his employee, particularly in respect of a person by Study IQ qualified for
who was discharging an office of trust and confidence, the civil services this year.
there can be no justification for directing his reinstate- Compliments to all this that
ment back into services upon challenge. made it but they should re-
In this case, the Apex court held the post of Durwan for member that their journey
guarding valuable property in an industrial concern to be a begins now.
post of confidence. Their worth will not be de-
When one of the colleagues of the employee called the termined by what they did to
employee to assist him in apprehending a thief, the refus- make it to the civil services
al to do so by the employee was sufficient to justify the but what they do now.” This
loss of confidence by the employer. was posted on social media.
In the wellknown case by the name of Air India Corpora- What surprised me was the
tion v. V.A. Rebellow, 1972, the Apex Court held that Air In- overwhelming response to
dia’s contention was that it lost confidence in the employ- this post. Not many were
ee due to grave suspicion regarding his private conduct aware that Nexus of Good
and behaviour with air-hostess- was indulging in such an ac-
es. Owing to the impact tivity and some even sought
The Court held that if the man- of erratic weather the details of Nexus of Good
agement was not fully satisfied on food prices, in providing such guidance.
beyond suspicion about his climate change can Nexus of Good is all about
general conduct and behaviour potentially impact enabling the good to be dis-
while dealing with them, it can- inflation, posing risks played so that the naysayers
not be said that loss of confi- to economic stability start believing that good
dence was not bona fide. and poverty alleviation can happen, because it is
It stands established that efforts globally; already happening. Nexus
once a bona fide loss of confi- 75 poor and least of Good is also about scal-
dence is affirmed, the order of developed countries ing the good work that is
termination must be considered lose, on average, already happening. The key
immune from challenge. 1.3 per cent of their factor therefore is public-pri-
The opinion formed by the em- GDP annually due to vate partnership. As many as 121 candidates, who were guided under the Nexus of Good Mentorship programme, have qualified for civil services this year
ployer about the suitability of his natural disasters There is a belief that way in inculcating a sense of impact of what was being done a lot of ground work organisation to assist me in Nexus of Good is all about
employee for the job assigned to whereas innovation and ef- commitment towards good done. Along with this, I was and posed some extreme- doing the groundwork. enabling the good to be
him, even though erroneous, if bonafide, is final and not ficiency will come from the work and partnership with also guiding those that qual- ly relevant questions. I was I found Study IQ ideal for displayed so that the
subject to review by the industrial adjudicator. private domain, for scaling, the private domain to scale ified for the Personality Test. also impressed at the pro- this. We soon entered into naysayers start believing
In dicta of Abheraj Jaswal v. M/s Godrej Boyce Manu- public (read government) good work. Here, too, it was being done fessional manner in which an informal arrangement that good can happen,
facturing, 2011, the Division Bench of Delhi High Court participation is essential, This was one of the prima- randomly for those that ap- all the activities were being wherein I was to be the because it is already
upheld the termination of the workman who was charged especially in evolving econ- ry driving forces behind initi- proached me for guidance carried out. I was looking for Chief Mentor and Study IQ happening
with breach of trust by diverting the customers to a third omies where government ating Nexus of Good Mentor- in an unstructured manner. an organisation that could did all the groundwork re-
party. has an extremely important ship Programme. Many civil As I was indulging in all assist me in taking forward garding analyses of Detailed civil services in 2023 (2022
In Johnson and Johnson Ltd. v. Gajendra Singh Rawat, role to play. services aspirants had been this, someone from Study the guidance to aspirants, Application Form (DAF), or- exam).
2016, a Single Bench of Delhi High Court upheld the termi- There are a large number approaching me in the past, IQ approached me for an in- especially those that quali- ganising sessions on Zoom For the year 2024 (2023
nation of the workman for loss of confidence for theft and of examples (Akshay Patra seeking guidance on how terview. This recording was fied for the Personality Test. where I could guide, consti- exam), results of which
stealing the privileged and confidential documents from being one of them) where to prepare for arguably the done virtually during COVID I had few things to offer tute WhatsApp Group for in- were declared recently,
the office and threatening the employer to circulate it to the government and the toughest exam in the coun- times but provided me an on account of personal ex- teractive session and set up there has been a distinct
the outside agencies. private domains have come try. opportunity to understand perience. When I appeared one-on-one physical interac- improvement as 121 candi-
In Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. v. M. Chandrasekhar together and scaled good I did that in an unstruc- what this organisation was in 1979 for the first time, I tions with the aspirants. dates have qualified. Many
Reddy, 2005, the Apex court upheld the termination on work. Hence, it is important tured manner during the doing. didn’t do very well in the Per- The condition was that no of these successful candi-
the ground of loss of confidence. In this case, the employ- to take as many civil ser- initial couple of years post- I was truly impressed with sonality Test, getting only fee would be charged from dates have formally joined
er lost confidence in the employee who removed security vants as possible on board retirement. As I was already the quality of videos they around 55 percent marks. the aspirants for Personal- the Nexus of Good. Some
documents and was terminated. for each good to be under- in touch with a large number were making for UPSC Civil I couldn’t make it to the In- ity Test guidance under the have also agreed to men-
The Supreme Court upheld the termination on the stood and scaled. There of young civil servants on Services Exams (UPSC CSE). dian Administrative Service Nexus of Good Mentorship tor future aspirants to civil
ground of loss of confidence. are already a large number social media, I approached Despite having done my (IAS) and landed in the Indi- programme. The advantage service. As the Nexus of
Integrity is considered more important than financial of serving and retired civil them to mentor such aspi- masters in Political Science, an Police Service (IPS). to Study IQ obviously was Good movement gains mo-
gains. The law of the land dictates that one’s principles servants on board Nexus of rants. I was pleasantly sur- I gained enormously watch- What I did during the next that they could take credit mentum, these young offi-
should not be compromised regardless of possible gain. Good as members and do- prised by the response. ing these videos on complex year made all the differ- for those that qualified. cers will have an important
In Divisional Controller, Karnataka State Road Transport nors to take the movement Around 200 of them thoughts of political thinkers ence. I secured 80 per cent The result during the role to play in identifying,
Corporation v. M.G. Vittal, 2011, the Supreme Court ruled forward. agreed to join the list of like Plato and Aristotle. Lat- (perhaps the highest in the first year of this partner- understanding, appreciat-
on a case where one helper in the Road Transport Cor- This momentum has to mentors. This was primar- er, I had the occasion to visit country) and qualified with ship between Study IQ and ing, replicating and scaling
poration was charged with breaking in and opening the sustain and gain pace. It ily being done on my own the headquarters of Study a good rank in IAS. I could Nexus of Good Mentorship good work. They will hope-
cash room in collusion with four other employees. He was was felt that getting young and was cumbersome and IQ in Gurgaon for an off- now share this strategy in Programme was pretty en- fully become the beacons
dismissed after an inquiry. new entrants to the civil ser- time-consuming. There was line interview. The person a structured manner to the couraging. As many as 70 of spreading goodness, the
The Industrial Tribunal held the inquiry bad for insuffi- vices on board will go a long also no way to assess the who interviewed me had aspirants but I needed an aspirants qualified for the essence of Nexus of Good.

Prompt engineering the talk of tech world?

cient evidence. It was argued that the employee had been
acquitted in the criminal case.
The court held that reinstatement cannot be directed in
case of loss of confidence even if the employee is able to
secure acquittal or discharge in a criminal case. Serious
loss of confidence is viewed from the employer’s perspec- Raktim Mukherjee is about
tive, and even acquittal in a criminal case does not help in to finish his computer
a disciplinary case. engineering degree, and
In a case of Punjab Dairy Development Corporation, he’s got his sights set on a
1997, the Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of an em- job that’s all about the fu-
ployee from service after holding a domestic inquiry on ture: prompt engineering.
the charge that he inflated the quantum of milk supplies Prompt engineers play a
and fat contents. vital role in optimising AI
The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal on the ground interactions by crafting pre-
that the management had lost confidence that the em- cise queries that yield accu-
ployee would truthfully and carefully carry out his duties. rate results. They’re not just
It is important for entities to have strong policies and modern-day technology
not tolerate any kind of loss of confidence. Integrity is the guides; they’re architects
most valuable trait to have in the workplace and anywhere of efficient communication
in the country. It is the foundation of strong ethical stan- between humans and ma-
dards. chines, driving innovation in
the tech landscape.
In simple terms, a prompt
is a natural language text
that ensures the generative
AI performs a specific task.
To make it simpler, prompt
is a message we give to AI
systems, like ChatGPT or
Google Bard, to get them to
do something for us. Prompt
engineering is all about mak-
ing sure we give them the
right instructions so they can
give us the best possible an-
swers.
It’s like teaching them how
to understand what we want
and respond in a helpful way.
So, why is suddenly prompt
engineering so much in de-
mand? Forbes reported a re-
markable 42% surge in AI job
listings, signaling the swift
rise of prompt engineering
as a coveted career path in
the era of AI. “The potential
applications of Generative AI
across various industries are
limitless, showcasing its ver-
satility in enhancing a wide
range of jobs. Generative AI
has the capacity to fuel in-
novation, boost productivity,
and improve outcomes, ulti-
mately streamlining process-
es and making tasks more
manageable for individuals.
In today’s era, where
AI-driven solutions are in-
creasingly prevalent—rang-
ing from chatbots in custom-
er service to AI-generated
content— prompt engineer-
ing serves as the vital link for
facilitating effective commu-
nication between humans
and AI,” said Dr Shamik
Tiwari, Dean and Professor
at the School of Comput-
er Science & Engineering,
IILM University, Gurugram.
Prof (Dr) Saikat Maity of the
department of CSE, Sister
Nivedita University, Kolkata,
doesn’t mince words when
he informed that people in a
variety of positions, such as
data scientists, marketers,
educators, journalists, au-
thors, corporate executives,
and entrepreneurs, might
benefit from prompt engi-
neering.
“Prompt engineering will
be crucial in producing var-
ious types of content, such
as robotic process automa-
tion bots, 3D assets, scripts,
robot instructions, and other
kinds of content and digital
artefacts, as generative AI
technologies advance,” he
said.
Despite prompt engineer-
ing’s rapid rise in the gener-
ative AI domain, there are
looming concerns about its
future scope. A recent report
has shed light on these ap-
prehensions, indicating that
when compared to more es-
tablished AI careers like data
science, the allure of prompt
engineering diminishes. But
then, the numbers prove oth-
erwise. A Bloomberg Intel-
ligence report last year pre-
dicted that the generative AI
market is about to skyrocket.
From being worth $40 bil-
lion in 2022, it’s expected to
hit a whopping $1.3 trillion
over the next decade. “The
role of a prompt engineer is
vital in the rapidly changing
field of AI. These engineers
specialise in creating and re-
fining prompts, fundamental
inputs guiding AI models to
produce accurate and rele-
vant outputs. With AI technol-
ogy advancing swiftly and its
adoption across industries
increasing, the demand for
prompt engineers is grow-
ing, especially in high-growth
skills like natural language
processing.
According to recent re-
ports, India is expected to ex-
perience a surge in demand
for prompt engineering, with
an estimated increase of
over 20%. This growth is be-
ing driven by the rising com-
plexity of AI technology and
its integration across various
industries.
As AI systems become
more sophisticated, there is
a greater need for prompt
engineers who can tailor
prompts to specific mod-
els and applications,” said
Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO,
TeamLease Degree Ap-
prenticeship. To become a
prompt engineer, one needs
a bachelor’s degree in com-
puter science, data science,
engineering, or a related
field. Alongside your degree,
obtaining a certification in
prompt engineering can be
beneficial. “Traditional engi-
neers need to have strong
knowledge of machine learn-
ing, deep learning, natural
language processing, trans-
formers, large language
models, programming skills
(Python).
All these skills are usu-
ally covered in BTECHCSE
specialisation in AI/ML pro-
grammes,” said Dr Tiwari.
Hariom Seth, Founder of
Tagglabs, stresses the im-
portance of strong commu-
nication skills for prompt
engineers. Despite concerns
that AI advancements might
jeopardize coding roles, Seth
doesn’t dismiss the signifi-
cance of coding expertise.
“A prompt engineer will
have to learn to be an effec-
tive communicator. He/she
will have to learn to regularly
practise their skills and be
clear and concise with their
prompts. And an engineer
with an expertise in coding
might be able to meticulous-
ly craft prompts for coding to
generate deeper responses
from the AI model,” he said.
Reddy emphasises how
a prompt engineer needs to
have diverse skills, combin-
ing technical expertise with
domain-specific knowledge.
From proficiency in pro-
gramming languages like
Python, familiarity with
machine learning frame-
works such as TensorFlow
or PyTorch, to a robust un-
derstanding of computer
science, mathematics, and
statistics are essential for a
prompt engineer.
Lucknow News (English Daily) Lucknow, Friday, 26 April 2024 3

Not shying away from dealing with issue

InBrief
RAPIDO AND ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA’S
INITIATIVE REVOLUTIONIZES VOTER TRANSPORT

but won’t allow scope to be expanded: SC

LUCKNOW: In a resolute commitment to fortify the nation's
democratic fabric, Rapido, India's foremost commute app,
assumes a pivotal role in national duty with the launch of
the "SawaariZimmedariKi" initiative. In collaboration with
the Election Commission of India (ECI), Rapido sets forth
to champion civic engagement during the Indian General OUR CORRESPONDENT dealing with the issue but it, I can say 90 per cent prob- ing on May 8. While hearing
Elections 2024. As part of this historic endeavor, Rapido we will not allow the scope lem will be resolved”. the pleas in September last
pledges to provide free bike taxi rides to voters across Uttar NEW DELHI: The Supreme to be expanded,” a bench of “You please kindly go year, the apex court had
Pradesh, encompassing major cities such as Ghaziabad, Court on Wednesday said it justices J K Maheshwari and through 2023 rules and observed that it would not
Noida, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Go- was not shying away from Sanjay Karol said. the advisory,” the bench want to give any interim di-
rakhpur. On election day, voters can avail free rides on the dealing with the issue relat- The bench observed that said. “… after going through rection in the matter and
Rapido app using the code ‘VOTENOW’ and exercise their ing to orders passed by var- the 2023 rules are now in these 2023 rules, if maxi- that it would take a call after
democratic right. The initiative aims to facilitate residents' ious civic bodies regarding place and should be studied. mum problems are being going through the relevant
voting rights and ensure a more inclusive electoral pro- stray dogs, especially in Ker- One of the lawyers said the resolved, then we can say statutes, rules, their imple-
cess. This concerted effort aligns with Rapido's nationwide ala and Mumbai, but it will bench may give them some in some limited words that mentation and the issues
campaign, deploying over 10 lakh captains across more not allow the scope of the time to go through the 2023 looking into the 2023 rules, raised before it.
than 100 cities to provide free rides on election-day. matter under consideration rules and they will get back the authorities may exam- One of the advocates
RADIO CITY TO REDEFINE ENTERTAINMENT WITH to be expanded. to the court. “Kindly see, that ine the issues and deal with had said that separate high
THEIR LAUNCH ON JIOTV The apex court observed is the crux of the matter,” the the problems according to courts have taken different
LUCKNOW: Radio City, a trailblazer in vibrant music and en- that the parties before it bench said. law. views on the issue. During nent cities of the states. The court against the decisions
gaging content, is thrilled to announce its debut on JioTV. should go through the Animal Another lawyer referred to “And if any cause arises the previous hearings, the top court had said a balance of some high courts, includ-
This pioneering fusion marks a significant milestone as Birth Control Rules, 2023 as a recent advisory issued by even thereafter, the parties apex court had asked the has to be maintained be- ing the Bombay High Court
Radio City becomes the first-ever radio station in the coun- many of the issues raised the Animal Welfare Board are at liberty to go and take AWBI to file an affidavit en- tween the safety of people and Kerala High Court, to
try to introduce a 24x7 video channel under the banner before it may get resolved. of India (AWBI) for the imple- recourse before the high closing data on dog bites and animal rights. Some allow municipal authorities
of RC Studio. This launch on JioTV not only extends the “Let us also clarify one thing. mentation of the 2023 rules courts…,” it said and posted during the last few years in NGOs and individual peti- to deal with the menace of
reach of Radio City but also provides advertisers with lim- We are not shying away from and said, “If we all go through the matter for further hear- different states and promi- tioners have moved the apex stray dogs as per the rules.

Kotak Bank promoter “Rawlplug and Saketh Seven Star Industries Ltd. join
itless opportunities to engage with a nationwide audience.
Through this association, Radio City will be able to reach
out to JioTV’s massive audience base across the country.
The JioTV mobile app – which has over 1,000 channels
in more than 16 languages and 12 genres from over 200 donated Rs 60 cr to forces to revolutionize India’s constructionrangelandscape”
BJP via electoral bonds LUCKNOW: Two global man-
broadcasters is available to all the Jio subscribes across of products and ser-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
the country. Through this launch, Radio City will touch the vices that set industry stan-
nerves of the younger, digitally savvy generation, leveraging dards.
their attraction to screens to reignite their interest in radio. OUR CORRESPONDENT (SBI) to the Election Com- ufacturing powerhouses, Sa- Additionally, Saketh Seven
By embracing the new digital platform, Radio City will deliv- mission. keth Seven Star Industries Star Industries Ltd. (SSSIL)
er phenomenal content that echoes with the Gen Z. RC Stu- NEW DELHI: Infina Finance, The data was made public Ltd. (SSSIL) and Rawlplug stands as one of the top 10
dio will also be available on connected TVs through JioTV+ one of the promoter group last month. Infina Finance Products and Services India companies in Maharashtra,
which comes as a part of JioFiber and AirFiber. entities of Kotak Mahindra Private Ltd, according to Ltd., have joined forces to providing Zinc and Alumi-
REALME EXPANDS THE REALME NARZO LINEUP Bank - currently facing RBI its website, was incorpo- usher in a new era of inno- num flake coating and Me-
WITH THE REALME NARZO 70 SERIES 5G action, had donated elector- rated in 2008 and is in the vation and excellence in In- chanical Zinc coating for in-
NEW DELHI: realme, the most reliable smartphone service al bonds worth Rs 60 crore business of capital market dia's engineering sector. This house products, serving as a
provider, today announced the launch of realme NARZO 70 to the BJP. Infina Finance, financing and proprietary monumental partnership reliable backup for premium
Series 5G, the newest addition to the realme NARZO line- owned by the Kotak family, trading and investments. In- marks the official launch of lplug traces its origins back first wall plug, revolutionizing fastener companies within
up. The series unveiled two breakthrough smartphones: is listed as one of the pro- fina, a non-deposit accept- Rawlplug in India and under- to 1887 when Rawlings the construction and DIY in- the region. With a commit-
realme NARZO 70x 5G & realme NARZO 70 5G. realme moter group entities of Ko- ing, systemically important scores a commitment to re- Brothers, a small plumbing dustries. Renamed Rawlplug ment to quality and innova-
NARZO series is a stylish line of smartphones that deliv- tak Mahindra Bank. non-banking financial com- define the future of construc- and electrical engineering in 1919, the company has tion, SSSIL has established
ers a comprehensive user experience. With a massive However, it does not own pany registered with the tion and engineering across company, was founded in since been at the forefront itself as a trusted partner in
user base exceeding 16 million in India, the realme NARZO any shares in the private sec- RBI, had reported a profit the nation. London. The company's of fixing technology and tools the engineering landscape,
series epitomizes the future of smartphone technology. tor lender, which has been of Rs 105.55 crore in 2022- Rooted in a rich history of breakthrough came in 1910 for the construction industry, driving forward the vision of a
These devices are designed with advanced technology barred by the RBI from issu- 23. engineering ingenuity, Raw- when it invented the world's offering a comprehensive robust and sustainable India.
and premium features, enabling users to stay at the fore- ing fresh credit cards. As per The firm posted a to-
front of trends while expressing their unique style. realme the shareholding data with tal income of Rs 227.84 BJP NAMES TASHI GYALSON AS LADAKH CANDIDATE
& Amazon have strategically engaged to bring the realme the BSE, as of March 2024, crore during the fiscal. On NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday named Tashi Gyalson as its candidate from the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, dropping
NARZO line-up and to provide consumers with an en- the promoter and promoter Wednesday, the Reserve sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who reacted defiantly and asserted that he will soon announce his next
hanced shopping experience. realme NARZO series is ex- group entities hold a 25.89 Bank of India (RBI) barred course of action. Gyalson is the chairmancum-chief executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development
clusively available on Amazon.in and has been committed per cent stake in Kotak Ma- Kotak Mahindra Bank from Council in Leh. Hours after the announcement, Namgyal said his supporters across the Union Territory are voicing
to bringing advanced technology to its users. In line with hindra Bank. onboarding new customers disapproval over the decision. He shared a statement with news agency following the BJP’s decision to drop him.
realme’s dual-platform strategy, realme launched its first Uday Kotak is the promot- through its online and mo- “Today, the BJP announced a new candidate for the Ladakh parliamentary constituency, replacing the sitting MP
online store on Amazon in March 2023. er and single largest share- bile banking channels and without providing transparent and compelling justification,” his statement said.
COLORS’ ‘KRISHNA MOHINI’: FIVE COLORS’ DUOS holder of Kotak Mahindra issuing fresh credit cards
THAT PERSONIFY THE POWER OF A SAARTHI Bank, with a 25.71 per cent with immediate effect after
COLORS is all set to launch its new show, ‘Krishna Mohini’, stake. The remaining 0.18 the regulator found “serious
a heartwarming family drama that demonstrates the im- per cent stake is held by oth- deficiencies” in the lender’s
portance of having a saaRthi (guiding force) in one’s life. er promoter group entities. IT risk management.
Celebrating the endearing bond between a brother and sis- The Mumbai-based Infina These actions, the RBI
ter residing in Dwarka, Gujarat, the upcoming show follows Finance donated electoral said, are necessitated
Krishna (played by Debattama Saha), who is her young- bonds worth Rs 60 crore to based on significant con-
er brother Mohan’s (played by Ketaki Kulkarni) ‘SaaRthi’, the Bharatiya Janata Party cerns arising out of the Re-
standing firm like a lighthouse to illuminate the darkest (BJP). The NBFC firm pur- serve Bank’s IT examination
paths for him amid life's challenges. COLORS has pre- chased these bonds in the of the bank for the years
sented the strength and value SaaRthis bring into our lives denomination of Rs 1 crore 2022 and 2023, and its
through its diverse shows with characters that are selfless- in 2019, 2020 and 2021, continued failure to address
ly giving. Let's cherish the profound relationship between according to the data given these concerns in a compre-
an individual and their guiding force as we look back at by the State Bank of India hensive and timely manner.
five memorable duos from the channel’s shows that epit-
omized the essence of a true ‘SaaRthi’. In the upcoming Akhilesh to contest from Kannauj
show ‘Krishna Mohini’, viewers will witness the journey of OUR CORRESPONDENT phasising the significance of
Krishna, an optimistic and devoted sister who is her young- Kannauj’s historical legacy,
er brother Mohan's saaRthi and pillar of strength. Embody- LUCKNOW: Yet again Sam- Akhilesh Yadav, in response
ing the essence of sisterhood, Krishna is prepared to brave ajwadi Party has made a to speculations, reiterated his
any storm to protect her beloved brother. change in the candidate’s commitment to the elector-
list. This time it is Kannauj as ate, asserting, “The people
ECIL, BEL REFUSE TO DISCLOSE NAMES OF Samajwadi Party president have made up their minds
MANUFACTURERS OF EVM, VVPAT UNDER RTI Akhilesh Yadav gears up to that the INDIA Alliance is com-
NEW DELHI: In a significant development on Wednes- contest the Lok Sabha elec- ing as the future and BJP will
day, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and tion in place of his nephew Tej be consigned to the dustbin
Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), both public sector units un- Pratap Yadav. of history in this election…”
der the Ministry of Defence, have declined to provide in- Announcing this move, Sa- This declaration follows
formation regarding the manufacturers and suppliers of majwadi Party leader Ram recent developments within
components used in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) Gopal Yadav affirmed that the party, including the an-
and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). Citing Akhilesh Yadav will officially nouncement of Tej Pratap
“commercial confidence,” the companies withheld the file his nomination on Thurs- Yadav as the initial candidate
information in response to Right To Information (RTI) re- day, dispelling any doubts sur- from Kannauj. However, local
quests submitted by activist Venkatesh Nayak. Nayak’s rounding his candidature. party dynamics prompted a
RTI applications aimed to uncover the identities and con- Samajwadi Party in its offi- re-evaluation, with concerns
tact details of those involved in the production of EVMs cial X declared that Akhilesh raised by SP workers in Kan-
and VVPATs, which are integral to the electoral process, will file the nomination at nauj regarding Tej Pratap’s
allowing voters to verify their ballot choices. 12 noon as candidate. Em- candidacy. “Akhilesh Yadav,
respecting the party’s con-
sensus, affirmed his decision
to contest the election,” Ram
Gopal said.
Tej Pratap Singh Yadav,
known for his political lineage,
had previously represented
the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat
from 2014-19. The electoral
landscape in Kannauj has
witnessed fluctuations, with
the BJP securing a surprise
victory in 2019. Despite this
setback, the Samajwadi Par-
ty remains resolute, buoyed
by its historical dominance in
the region.
4 Lucknow, Friday, 26 April 2024
QUESTIONS ECI ON FIVE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF EVM-VVPAT, RESERVES VERDICT
Can’t control elections or pass directions Modi, Rahul slugfest
on basis of suspicion, SC tells EVM critics continues with new
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Wednesday re-
served its judgement on sev-
eral petitions questioning the
reliability of Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs), stating it
lacks the authority to “control
the elections” or issue direc-
tives based on mere doubts
about EVMs.
The petitions suggest that
EVMs could be manipulated
to alter election outcomes.
The bench, comprising Jus-
tices Sanjiv Khanna and
Dipankar Datta, highlighted
that it cannot alter the mind-
set of those sceptical about
EVMs who favour a return to
paper ballots.
The bench reserved its ver-
dict on a batch of pleas seek-
ing complete cross-verifica-
tion of votes cast using EVMs
with Voter Verifiable Paper
Audit Trail (VVPAT), after tak-
ing note of the answers to
queries it had posed to the
Election Commission.
It sought answers from
an official of the poll pan-
el to five questions related
to the functioning of EVMs
including whether the mi-
crocontrollers fitted in them
are reprogrammable: 1. Is
Plea in SC seeks SIT probe into alleged
quid pro quo between parties, corporates
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court has been approached
with a request for a special
investigation team (SIT) to
conduct a court-supervised
inquiry into alleged “quid
pro quo” transactions involv-
ing political parties, corpora-
tions, and law enforcement
officials.
This comes after the apex
court’s five-judge bench in-
validated the anonymous
political funding through
electoral bonds on February
15, a system introduced by
the current government.
The State Bank of India,
designated as the official
institution for the scheme,
complied with a Supreme
EC STARTS EXAMINING
COMPLAINTS
NEW DELHI: The Election
Commission is reported-
ly scrutinising allegations
regarding a speech by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in Rajasthan.
In his address, Modi
implied that a Congress
victory could lead to the
reallocation of wealth to
the Muslim community,
referencing a statement
by former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh about
the minority’s entitlement
to the nation’s resources.
Following the speech, the
Congress and the CPI-M
independently called for
the Election Commis-
sion’s intervention.
NITIN GADKARI FAINTS
DURING A CAMPAIGN
YAVATMAL (Maharash-
tra): Union minister Nitin
Gadkari on Wednesday
fainted while speaking at
an election rally in eastern
Maharashtra’s Yavatmal
district.
The BJP leader was cam-
paigning at Pusad which
comes under the Yavat-
malWashim Lok Sabha
constituency. As he suf-
fered a fainting fit, the se-
curity personnel accom-
panying him carried him
off-stage.
claims & counterclaims
the microcontroller housed
in the control unit or the
VVPAT?
2. Is the microcontroller
programmed only once?
3. How many symbol load-
ing units are in use?
4. The EC previously stat-
ed that EVMs are retained
for 30 days, citing a 30-day
limitation period for filing an
election petition. However,
the Representation of the
People Act specifies a 45-
day period. Could you clarify
this inconsistency?
5. Are the EVMs, VVPATs,
and control units stored to-
gether or separately? Senior
Deputy Election Commis-
sioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas,
while responding to the
question about microcontrol-
lers, said they are one-time
Court order to disclose
transaction data to the Elec-
tion Commission, which
subsequently made the in-
formation public.
Introduced on January 2,
2018, the electoral bonds
scheme was promoted as
a transparent alternative to
cash contributions to politi-
cal parties.
Cancellation of over 25,000 jobs:
Bengal moves SC against HC order
OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOLKATA: The state gov-
ernment has filed a Special
Leave Petition (SLP) at the
Supreme Court on Wednes-
day challenging the judge-
ment of the special bench
of Calcutta High Court
which cancelled the ap-
pointment of 25,753 candi-
dates, which includes both
teaching and non-teaching
staff who were appointed
in 2016.
Reportedly, the state ar-
gued that the High Court
instead of segregating the
valid from invalid appoint-
ments has set the 2016 re-
cruitment entirely.
It was further pleaded
that the special bench had
relied upon oral arguments
without the support of af-
fidavits. It was stated that
the result of this judgement
would create a vacuum in
the state unless the new se-
MARKETS RETAIN BULL RUN FOR 4TH DAY IN ROW
MUMBAI: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ticked higher for the fourth straight session on Wednesday,
helped by buying in metal and com - modity stocks amid a positive trend in global equities. The 30-share BSE
Sensex climbed 114.49 points or 0.16 per cent to settle at 73,852.94. During the day, it jumped 383.16 points or
0.51 per cent to 74,121.61. The NSE Nifty advanced 34.40 points or 0.15 per cent to 22,402.40.
programmable at the time of
manufacture and installed in
all the three units of EVMs–
the balloting unit, VVPAT and
the control unit.
They cannot be repro-
grammed thereafter, he as-
serted. Advocate Prashant
Bhushan, representing the
NGO ‘Association for Dem-
ocratic Reforms’, contested
the EC’s claim, referencing a
private report suggesting the
possibility of reprogramming
EVM memory during symbol
loading.
Justice Khanna told Bhu-
shan that the court has to
rely on the data and infor-
mation provided by the EC,
a constitutional body, which
says the programme in the
memory of an EVM can be
written only once.
However, two NGOs, Com-
mon Cause and Centre for
Public Interest Litigation,
have labelled the scheme
a “scam” and are urging an
investigation into the fund-
ing sources of companies,
including “shell” and un-
profitable entities, that have
donated to political parties,
as revealed by the Election
lection process is complet-
ed. Hence, it will impact the
students considering the up-
coming new academic ses-
sion. Following the Supreme
Court’s direction, a special
bench was constituted by
the Chief Justice of Calcutta
High Court to hear the mat-
ters related to the 2016 se-
lection process of Group C
and D, assistant teacher ap-
pointments in classes IX-X
and XI-XII.
The apex court had asked
the special bench to com-
plete the hearing within six
months. Commission in
a report submitted to the
court had specified the total
number of recommenda-
tions in the four categories
and the number of alleged
irregularities.
However, in the judge-
ment, it was mentioned that
during the hearing the SSC
did not discount the fact
that possibilities of further
“If you are prejudiced or
predisposed about some-
thing, then we cannot help
it. We cannot change your
thought process,” the bench
told Bhushan.
Justice Datta questioned
the feasibility of issuing man-
dates based on suspicions,
especially when no manip-
ulation incidents have been
reported.
The court recalled previous
directives on VVPAT usage
and increasing the number
of VVPAT verifications per
assembly segment. It ex-
pressed its limitation to only
strengthen the EVM system
if necessary, rather than re-
verting to paper ballots.
The bench clarified that
the matter was relisted for
further EC clarification on
EVM FAQs. During the hear-
ing, Vyas told the court that
microcontrollers installed
in balloting unit, control
unit and VVPAT cannot be
accessed physically in any
manner as there is a tam-
per detection feature which
makes an EVM inoperative
the moment anyone tries to
open the machine. Vyas said
EVMs are stored for 45 days
after the polling in conformi-
ty with the limitation period
Commission’s data.
The petition, represented
by advocate Prashant Bhu-
shan, also calls for the re-
covery of donations made
by companies in “quid pro
quo” arrangements identi-
fied as criminal proceeds.
The petitioners argue that,
unlike previous scandals
without a clear money trail,
the electoral bond issue is
traceable and warrants a
court-guided investigation,
similar to actions taken in
past cases. They assert that
key investigative bodies
may have been complicit in
corruption, with firms under
their scrutiny potentially do-
nating large sums to influ-
ence investigations.
The plea suggests that the
illegalities may exist. The
SSC was directed to conduct
a fresh selection process a
fortnight after the declara-
tion of the Lok Sabha Elec-
tion result. Appointments for
preparation, evaluation and
scanning of OMR sheets will
be made by SSC by open
tender and after declaring
the eligibility criteria and
other terms and conditions
of the contract, the Bench
directed. Observing that it
has given “anxious consid-
eration to the passionate
for filing an election petition
under the Representation of
the People Act.
“On the 46th day, the re-
turning officer writes to the
registrar general of the high
court on whether any elec-
tion petition has been filed. If
the registrar general informs
about filing of election peti-
tion, then EVMs of that con-
stituency are sealed and pre-
served for future purpose,”
he said.
When senior advocate
Santosh Paul, appearing for
one of the petitioners, said
that source code of EVMs
should also be disclosed for
transparency, the court re-
jected his contention, saying
“No, the source code cannot
be disclosed as there is a
chance of it to be misused.”
The final verdict was re-
served after a two-day hear-
ing, with additional clarifi-
cations sought from the EC.
The NGO has also challenged
the EC’s decision to replace
transparent VVPAT glass
with an opaque one, limiting
slip visibility, and advocates
for reinstating paper ballots.
The ongoing seven-phase
Lok Sabha elections com-
menced on April 19, with re-
sults expected on June 4.
SIT should consist of active
or retired investigators of
unblemished reputation, se-
lected by the Supreme Court
and overseen by a retired
judge, to probe the alleged
collusion among public ser-
vants, political entities, busi-
nesses, and officials from
investigative agencies.
Additionally, the petition
seeks an examination of po-
tential violations of the Com-
panies Act, 2013, by compa-
nies that donated to political
parties via electoral bonds
shortly after their establish-
ment, and the imposition of
penalties as per the Act. The
petitioners claim that the
data indicates a pattern of
corporate donations to polit-
ical parties in exchange
plea” that persons who had
obtained the appointments
legally would be prejudiced
if the entire selection pro-
cess is cancelled, the Spe-
cial Bench said it hardly had
any choice left.
The court held that all
appointments granted in
the selection processes in-
volved were violative of Arti-
cles 14 (equality before the
law) and 16 (prohibiting dis-
crimination in employment
in any government office) of
the Constitution.
Lucknow News (English Daily)
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: As the highoc-
tane campaign for the sec-
ond phase of Lok Sabha
polls reaches its peak, verbal
duels continued on Wednes-
day between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Con-
gress leader Rahul Gandhi.
PM Modi who has been hit-
ting out against the Congress
over the past few days by
raising issues like “redistribu- ‘loot during your lifetime, loot how much injustice has been
tion of wealth’’ and the Oppo- after your death’,” the Prime done,” Rahul Gandhi said,
sition party’s plans to snatch Minister said, taking a cue while addressing the party’s
away reservations from Dal- from Life Insurance Corpo- ‘Social Justice Conference’ at
its and tribals, latched on the ration’s “zindagi ke saath Delhi’s Jawahar Bhawan.
“inheritance tax’’ which was bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi” “Look at how Prime Min-
mentioned by senior Con- tagline. “As long as you live, ister Narendra Modi reacted
gress leader Sam Pitroda, Congress’s high taxation will the moment I said let’s test
who leads the overseas wing make you suffer. When you how much injustice has been
of the Congress. are dead, they will put the done. They are saying this is
Though the Congress burden of inheritance tax,” an attempt to break down
swung into damage control he told the gathering. the country. Through the
mode and distanced itself Union Home Minister Amit X-ray (wealth survey), we will
from the remarks, the com- Shah appealed to the people get to know the problem,”
ments of Pitroda kicked up a to take Pitroda’s remarks se- the former Congress chief
controversy and he clarified riously. “Their hidden plans said.
that his remarks had nothing have come out in the open. “Those who call them-
to do with the party policy. People should take note. selves ‘deshbakt’ are scared
However, the BJP and PM And the Congress must of the ‘X-ray’ of caste cen-
Modi would not let the op- withdraw the mention of the sus,” Rahul Gandhi assert-
portunity slip away from their survey from its manifesto,” ed, and said that no force
hands. he said. In his election ral- can stop it. Gandhi also
PM Modi widened his lies over the past few days, said it is his life’s mission
sharp attack on the Congress the Prime Minister alleged to ensure justice for the 90
by using the comments of that the Congress plans to percent of the population
Pitroda on tax inheritance. conduct a survey and put against whom injustice has
Addressing a poll rally at Ch- into motion a wealth redis- been done.
hattisgarh’s Surguja, he said tribution plan. He has also “Injustice is being done to
the Congress’s “dangerous claimed that property and 90 per cent of Indians. The
intentions are coming out in jewellery owned by citizens moment I called to check
the open”. would be surveyed, taken this injustice, the Prime Min-
“Now Congress is saying away and redistributed. ister and the BJP started at-
that it will impose an Inheri- Amid continuing row, Con- tacking me,” Rahul Gandhi
tance Tax and tax the inher- gress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged. Later, at a rally in
itance received by people clarified on his “wealth sur- Amravati in Maharashtra,
from their parents.” “The vey’’ remark and said he the Congress leader said
wealth you accumulate with only wanted to find out the that during the past decade
your hard work won’t pass amount of injustice the coun- of the Modi government,
down to your children. The try was facing. “I have not India’s wealth has concen-
Congress’s hand will snatch said we will take action yet. trated in the hands of only a
it. The Congress’s mantra is I am just saying let’s find out handful billionaires.
19 Students of AESL from Lucknow secure
99 Percentile and above in JEE Main 2024
OUR CORRESPONDENT
LUCKNOW : Aakash Edu-
cational Services Limited
(AESL), the national leader
in test preparatory services,
proudly unveils the excep-
tional achievement of its 19
Lucknow -based students
who scored 99 percentile
and above in the Joint En-
trance Examination (JEE) their extraordinary accom- and coaching, pivotal in our
Main 2024 second session. plishment by the National journey. Without their unwav-
Among the notable achiev- Testing Agency late night on ering guidance, mastering
ers, Satyansh Gupta secured April 24, 2024 has set a new numerous subjects within a
99.93 percentile, Suraj Ku- benchmark of excellence. condensed timeframe would
mar secured 99.92, Utkarsh Enrolled in Aakash’s re- have been an insurmount-
Agarwal secured 99.89, nowned classroom program, able challenge.”
Ayush Baranwal secured these exceptional students Dr. HR Rao, Regional Di-
99.89, Naveen Kumar se- embarked on a rigorous rector, Aakash Educational
cured 99.83, Kshitij Narayan journey to conquer the for- Services Limited (AESL), ex-
secured 99.76 (100 percen- midable IIT JEE, recognized tends his heartfelt congratu-
tile in Chemistry). Also, 13 globally as one of the tough- lations to the students, em-
other students have secured est entrance examinations. phasizing, “Their remarkable
99 and above percentile. Their ascent is a testament performance is a testament
Their stellar performance to their relentless dedication to AESL’S commitment and
not only underscores their in mastering core concepts determination to providing
unwavering commitment and adhering to a disciplined students with comprehen-
but also brings to the fore study regimen. Expressing sive coaching and innovative
their profound grasp of the their heartfelt gratitude, they learning solutions, empower-
subjects tested in one of acknowledged, “Our success ing them to excel in competi-
India's most challenging ex- is indebted to Aakash for its tive examinations.”
aminations. The unveiling of meticulously crafted content
Owner, Publisher,
STOINIS EAGER TO PLAY FOR AUS DESPITE Printer Jamil Ahmad, 5,
MISSING CA CONTRACT Shahanajaf Road (Bheri
CHENNAI: Despite missing out on Cricket Australia’s wali Kothi) Lucknow.
central contract for the 2024- 25 season, all-round- Printed at National
er Marcus Stoinis wants to use the impact hundred Art Press 207, New
against Chennai Super Kings as a leverage to extend Hyderabad, Lucknow.
his white ball career beyond the upcoming T20 World Published from 5,
Cup. Stoinis, who was not included in the 23-player Shahnajaf Road (Bheri wali
central contract list, made an unbeaten 124 off 63 balls Kothi) Lucknow.
for Lucknow Super Giants here on Tuesday. However, Editor
Stoinis didn’t read much into him missing the CA con- Shabana
tract which was announced on March 28. “I’ve got a
great relationship with the (Australia) coach (Andrew Mobile: 9450364562
E-Mail:
McDonald). Me not getting a contract, I knew that jamilindia@gmail.com
a while ago. “I think it is great to give younger kids a LucknowNews1@gmail.com
crack and let them take my spot.