The Evening Wrap: Centre to examine Sixth Schedule inclusion and Statehood for Ladakh

The Union government has agreed to examine how the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution can be implemented in Ladakh’s context, according to an understanding reached between civil society leaders and officials of the Union Home Ministry. In the next meeting, legal and constitutional experts from the civil society and government officials will come together to discuss the legality and the context of granting Statehood to Ladakh, and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule. The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution protects tribal populations, allowing for the creation of autonomous development councils, which can frame laws on land, public health, agriculture. As of now, 10 autonomous councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. On February 24, members of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, representing the Buddhist majority and Shia Muslim-dominated regions respectively in Ladakh met the Home Ministry officials for a third round of meetings since December 4. The LAB and KDA are jointly demanding Statehood for Ladakh, the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule thus giving it a tribal status, job reservations for local residents, and a Lok Sabha seat each for Leh and Kargil. The meeting ended on a positive note, according to former BJP MP Thupstan Chhewang, who is also the chief of the Ladakh Buddhist Association. He has been spearheading the talks and the movement to ensure a constitutional safeguard for the region. Along with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, he had threatened to sit on a fast unto death in sub-zero temperatures if their demands were not met, but now says this will be postponed while the meetings with the government officials continue. Sajjad Kargili of the KDA said that Home Ministry officials assured them that the issue of creating a Service Selection Board for Ladakh would be resolved soon, and they were examining whether gazetted jobs could be provided along the lines of Sixth Schedule areas of the northeastern States. Haldwani violence ‘mastermind’ arrested from Delhi Abdul Malik, the alleged mastermind behind the recent violence in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, has been arrested from Delhi. Nainital SSP Prahlad Narayan Meena said six teams were formed to search for Malik and his son Abdul Moid in different States including Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One of these teams arrested Malik from Delhi on February 24 but his son is still on the run, Meena told reporters. Malik allegedly built an “illegal” madrasa in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani. Its demolition led to the violence in the area on February 8. Malik had vehemently opposed the administration’s action, and his wife Safia had gone to the court challenging the Municipal Corporation notice for its demolition. Six people have been killed, and more than a hundred including police personnel and journalists were injured in the violence. New criminal laws to come into effect from July 1 The three criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, will come into effect from July 1, 2024, said a Union Home Ministry notification on February 24. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of July, 2024 as the date on which the provisions of the said Sanhita, except the provisions of the entry relating to section 106(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in the First Schedule, shall come into force,” the notification said. The three Bills are set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. It was passed in Parliament during the Winter session. On December 25, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the three bills. Section 106(2) which provides for a punishment of “0-10 years” in “hit and run” cases has been put on hold. Transporters and drivers across the country went on a strike earlier this year to protest the provisions of Section 106 (2) of the BNS. Section 106(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita says, “Whoever causes death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a Magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.” Congress, AAP seal alliance deal for 2024 Lok Sabha polls The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party sealed a seat-sharing agreement for Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh, in a bid to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. In a joint press conference addressed by leaders of both parties on February 24, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik said that after prolonged discussions, the two parties decided that the AAP will contest from the New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and East Delhi seats, while the Congress will contest from the Chandni Chowk, Northeast Delhi, and Northwest Delhi seats. “In Gujarat, the AAP will contest from Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats, while the Congress will contest from the remaining 24. In Haryana, the AAP will contest from Kurukshetra, while Congress will contest from the remaining nine seats,” Wasnik said. The Congress will be contesting both seats from Goa and the single seat from Chandigarh, as a part of the alliance deal. Leaders from the two parties had announced last week that they had reached a “mutual understanding” not to enter into any alliance in Punjab, and will both be fielding their own candidates for all thirteen seats. Asked why the two parties had not joined hands in Punjab, Wasnik said that “special circumstances” exist in the State. In Assam as well, the AAP has announced that it will be contesting three seats. Once bitter rivals, the two parties are now both part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that was formed in an attempt to unite the Opposition and take on the BJP. The AAP has announced that Botad MLA Umesh Makwana will be its candidate from the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seat, while Chaitar Vasava will contest from Bharuch. The Bharuch seat had become a bone of contention between the two parties as AAP was keen on the seat, while the late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Patel was also vocal about wanting to contest from the seat. ‘We will win’, Ukraine President Zelensky tells war anniversary ceremony President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on February 24 that Ukraine would defeat Russia as the war entered a third year. “We have been fighting for this for 730 days of our lives. We will win on the greatest day of our lives,” Zelensky told an open-air anniversary event in Kyiv. “Any normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow Ukraine to end,” Zelensky said, stressing that the war must end “on our terms”, with a “just” peace. He spoke alongside the Canadian, Italian and Belgian Prime Ministers and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen who came to Kyiv to mark two years since Russia’s invasion. Zelensky hugged the leaders and handed medals to soldiers at a ceremony at Kyiv’s Gostomel airport, targeted by Russia in the first days of its invasion. “Two years ago, we met the enemy landing force here with fire; two years later, we meet our friends and partners here,” the President said. In briefUttar Pradesh government cancels police constable recruitment exam The Uttar Pradesh government on February 24 announced the cancellation of the recently held examination to recruit police constables in the State. In an X post, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said orders have been issued to re-conduct the exam within six months. “There can be no compromise with the sanctity of examinations. Those who toy with the hard work of youngsters will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest action is certain to be taken against such unruly elements,” he said in Hindi. The examination was conducted on February 17 and 18. Ahead of UCC, Assam decides to repeal Muslim Marriages Act Ahead of introducing a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, the Assam government decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935. Tourism Minister and government spokesperson, Jayanta Malla Baruah said that the decision to repeal the Act was made as the State is heading towards the UCC. The Minister said district commissioners and district registrars will be authorised to take custody of registration records currently in the custody of 94 Muslim marriage registrars on the repeal of the legislation under the overall supervision, guidance, and control of the State’s Inspector General of Registration. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 24 February 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Centre to examine Sixth Schedule inclusion and Statehood for Ladakh The [Union government has agreed to examine how the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution can be implemented in Ladakh’s context]( according to an understanding reached between civil society leaders and officials of the Union Home Ministry. In the next meeting, legal and constitutional experts from the civil society and government officials will come together to discuss the legality and the context of granting Statehood to Ladakh, and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule. The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution protects tribal populations, allowing for the creation of autonomous development councils, which can frame laws on land, public health, agriculture. As of now, 10 autonomous councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. On February 24, members of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, representing the Buddhist majority and Shia Muslim-dominated regions respectively in Ladakh met the Home Ministry officials for a third round of meetings since December 4. The LAB and KDA are jointly demanding Statehood for Ladakh, the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule thus giving it a tribal status, job reservations for local residents, and a Lok Sabha seat each for Leh and Kargil. The meeting ended on a positive note, according to former BJP MP Thupstan Chhewang, who is also the chief of the Ladakh Buddhist Association. He has been spearheading the talks and the movement to ensure a constitutional safeguard for the region. Along with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, he had threatened to sit on a fast unto death in sub-zero temperatures if their demands were not met, but now says this will be postponed while the meetings with the government officials continue. Sajjad Kargili of the KDA said that Home Ministry officials assured them that the issue of creating a Service Selection Board for Ladakh would be resolved soon, and they were examining whether gazetted jobs could be provided along the lines of Sixth Schedule areas of the northeastern States. Haldwani violence ‘mastermind’ arrested from Delhi [Abdul Malik, the alleged mastermind behind the recent violence in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, has been arrested from Delhi.]( Nainital SSP Prahlad Narayan Meena said six teams were formed to search for Malik and his son Abdul Moid in different States including Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One of these teams arrested Malik from Delhi on February 24 but his son is still on the run, Meena told reporters. Malik allegedly built an “illegal” madrasa in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani. Its demolition led to the violence in the area on February 8. Malik had vehemently opposed the administration’s action, and his wife Safia had gone to the court challenging the Municipal Corporation notice for its demolition. Six people have been killed, and more than a hundred including police personnel and journalists were injured in the violence. New criminal laws to come into effect from July 1 [The three criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, will come into effect from July 1, 2024]( said a Union Home Ministry notification on February 24. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of July, 2024 as the date on which the provisions of the said Sanhita, except the provisions of the entry relating to section 106(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in the First Schedule, shall come into force,” the notification said. The three Bills are set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. It was passed in Parliament during the Winter session. On December 25, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the three bills. Section 106(2) which provides for a punishment of “0-10 years” in “hit and run” cases has been put on hold. Transporters and drivers across the country went on a strike earlier this year to protest the provisions of Section 106 (2) of the BNS. Section 106(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita says, “Whoever causes death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a Magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.” Congress, AAP seal alliance deal for 2024 Lok Sabha polls [The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party sealed a seat-sharing agreement for Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh, in a bid to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.]( In a joint press conference addressed by leaders of both parties on February 24, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik said that after prolonged discussions, the two parties decided that the AAP will contest from the New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and East Delhi seats, while the Congress will contest from the Chandni Chowk, Northeast Delhi, and Northwest Delhi seats. “In Gujarat, the AAP will contest from Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats, while the Congress will contest from the remaining 24. In Haryana, the AAP will contest from Kurukshetra, while Congress will contest from the remaining nine seats,” Wasnik said. The Congress will be contesting both seats from Goa and the single seat from Chandigarh, as a part of the alliance deal. Leaders from the two parties had announced last week that they had reached a “mutual understanding” not to enter into any alliance in Punjab, and will both be fielding their own candidates for all thirteen seats. Asked why the two parties had not joined hands in Punjab, Wasnik said that “special circumstances” exist in the State. In Assam as well, the AAP has announced that it will be contesting three seats. Once bitter rivals, the two parties are now both part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) that was formed in an attempt to unite the Opposition and take on the BJP. The AAP has announced that Botad MLA Umesh Makwana will be its candidate from the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seat, while Chaitar Vasava will contest from Bharuch. The Bharuch seat had become a bone of contention between the two parties as AAP was keen on the seat, while the late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Patel was also vocal about wanting to contest from the seat. ‘We will win’, Ukraine President Zelensky tells war anniversary ceremony President [Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on February 24 that Ukraine would defeat Russia]( as the war entered a third year. “We have been fighting for this for 730 days of our lives. We will win on the greatest day of our lives,” Zelensky told an open-air anniversary event in Kyiv. “Any normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow Ukraine to end,” Zelensky said, stressing that the war must end “on our terms”, with a “just” peace. He spoke alongside the Canadian, Italian and Belgian Prime Ministers and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen who came to Kyiv to mark two years since Russia’s invasion. Zelensky hugged the leaders and handed medals to soldiers at a ceremony at Kyiv’s Gostomel airport, targeted by Russia in the first days of its invasion. “Two years ago, we met the enemy landing force here with fire; two years later, we meet our friends and partners here,” the President said. In brief Uttar Pradesh government cancels police constable recruitment exam The [Uttar Pradesh government on February 24 announced the cancellation of the recently held examination to recruit police constables]( in the State. In an X post, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said orders have been issued to re-conduct the exam within six months. “There can be no compromise with the sanctity of examinations. Those who toy with the hard work of youngsters will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest action is certain to be taken against such unruly elements,” he said in Hindi. The examination was conducted on February 17 and 18. Ahead of UCC, Assam decides to repeal Muslim Marriages Act Ahead of introducing a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, the [Assam government decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935](. Tourism Minister and government spokesperson, Jayanta Malla Baruah said that the decision to repeal the Act was made as the State is heading towards the UCC. The Minister said district commissioners and district registrars will be authorised to take custody of registration records currently in the custody of 94 Muslim marriage registrars on the repeal of the legislation under the overall supervision, guidance, and control of the State’s Inspector General of Registration. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[FATF plenary finalises changes to its assessment process on non-profit outfits] FATF plenary finalises changes to its assessment process on non-profit outfits]( [[Google’s pause on Gemini’s ability to generate AI images of people | Explained] Google’s pause on Gemini’s ability to generate AI images of people | Explained]( [[Why we need to educate students to identify fake news] Why we need to educate students to identify fake news]( [[Hockey | No denying Janneke Schopman’s contribution but missing Olympics made her stay untenable] Hockey | No denying Janneke Schopman’s contribution but missing Olympics made her stay untenable]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [click here]( Manage your newsletter subscription preferences [here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](