1. ‘One nation, one election’: Ram Nath Kovind panel puts forward recommendations in its report
2. India polls 2024: Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu appointed new election commissioners
3. PM holds talks with Bhutanese counterpart; Modi to travel to Bhutan next week
4. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: J&K to have over 3.4 lakh first-time voters
5. CAA law will never be taken back by India’s govt, says Shah:

What Else

• Nijjar killing: New Zealand clarifies position after Deputy PM remarks on ‘evidence’ linking India to murder
• Indian govt bans 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites over obscene and vulgar content
• Taiwan deploys forces after tracking Chinese military aircraft, naval ships circling it
• China names former South Africa envoy Chen Xiaodong as new foreign vice-minister
• Pakistan: Curtain rises on five-year plan for economic revival
• Pakistan: PTI core committee demands Imran’s immediate release

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‘One nation, one election’: Ram Nath Kovind panel puts forward recommendations in its report

• The panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted a report on the concept of ‘one nation, one poll’ to President Droupadi Murmu on Thu.
• This committee in its 18626 pages report proposed amendments to at least 5 articles of the Constitution to facilitate synchronized elections across the country
• Established in Sept 2023, the committee was tasked to study the feasibility of concurrent elections at various levels, including the LS, assemblies, and local bodies.
• Recommendations: Lok Sabha and state assembly elections could be held concurrently in the initial phase, followed by local body elections within 100 days thereafter.
• In case of assembly dissolution, the panel proposed the possibility of conducting fresh polls to complete the remainder of the 5-year term.
• To facilitate the first round of synchronized polls, the committee proposed aligning the tenure of all state assemblies with the subsequent LS elections.
• One voter ID card for all elections at various levels of governance.
• Bolstering infrastructure, manpower, and security forces to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
• The submission of the committee’s report coincides with the imminent announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by India’s election commission.
• The committee comprised Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Fin Comm chairman N K Singh, among others. (here)

India polls 2024: Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu appointed new election commissioners

• Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu were appointed as 2 new election commissioners, a govt notification said late on Mar 14 evening.
• The notification came hours after Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that 2 new election commissioners were chosen by a panel led by PM Modi
• The development comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the country, scheduled for this summer.
• However, the Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions challenging the appointment process under the CEC and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which excluded the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel. (here) [In fact, in SC order, which included CJI in penal was valid till the house passed the act]

PM holds talks with Bhutanese counterpart; Modi to travel to Bhutan next week

• PM Modi will visit Bhutan next week, announced the visiting Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay after the two leaders met in Delhi on Thu night.
• Tobgay is on a 5-day visit to India, and is expected to return on Mon, after which Modi will travel there, officials said.
• No press statement was made after the meeting, but PM posted on “X” that he had “productive discussions encompassing various aspects of [India-Bhutan’s] unique and special partnership”
• He thanked the King of Bhutan and PM Tobgay for the invitation to Bhutan next week.
• Mr. Tobgay said that he had thanked Mr. Modi for his “steadfast support to Bhutan” during their meeting and confirmed the Prime Minister’s acceptance.
• Model code
• The announcement is significant as it not only indicates the strong ties between Bhutan and India, with their PM exchanging back-to-back visits but could cast a shadow on when dates for general elections would be announced.
• Tobgay is in India on his first international visit after winning elections in Jan this year.
• During his visit to Delhi, where he met with EAM S. Jaishankar, and is due to meet the Min of Fin, Trade and Energy on Fri (here)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: J&K to have over 3.4 lakh first-time voters

• The UT,  J&K will have over 3 lakh 1^st-time voters in the coming Parliamentary and Assembly Polls.
• The Chief Election Commissioner of India said that 3.40 lac first-time eligible voters.
• The Election Commission said that around 86.9 lakh voters including 44.34 lakh men and 42.55 lakh women are registered in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The number also included 67,400 persons with disabilities and 158 transgenders.
• There will be 11,629 polling stations with an average of 747 voters per polling station to be set up in the UT.
• The Election Commission said that 77,290 voters are above 85 years of age which includes 2,886 being over 100 years. (here)
• Former Punjab CM’s wife, Preneet Kaur, joins BJP, eyes Patiala contest: Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, who was suspended by the Congress in Feb 2023 due to alleged ‘anti-party’ activities, made a significant move on Thu by joining the BJP.
• Her decision, occurring on the brink of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections expected in Apr-May, marks a notable political shift.
• Addressing the media following her decision, she expressed her commitment to serving her constituency, state, and nation under the leadership of PM Modi. (here)
• SAD chief Badal denies speculations of tie-up with BJP in Punjab but says ‘like-minded parties’ welcome: On a day the ruling AAP named its candidates for 8 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal denied speculations of reaching any alliance with the BJP but did not entirely rule out the possibility of a tie-up in future. (here)

CAA law will never be taken back by India’s govt, says Shah:

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said that the law will never be taken back and no compromise with it will be made by the BJP-led govt.
• After the controversial CAA was notified days back, the govt faced a lot of criticism from the opposition parties.
• He refuted the allegations of the opposition that a new vote bank is being created by the BJP through the controversial law.
• Shah refuted the opposition’s charges that the BJP is using CAA for political gains.
• He said that the BJP, in its 2019 manifesto, had clearly stated that they would bring the CAA and provide citizenship to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. (here)
• CAA Protests erupt outside Arvind Kejriwal’s residence after Delhi CM’s remarks: Protests erupted outside Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s residence after he slammed the BJP-led federal govt over the implementation of the CAA.
• Kejriwal claimed that the CAA’s implementation would lead to an unprecedented influx of people from the neighboring Muslim-majority nations into India.
• Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s reported comments against him over the CAA, Kejriwal said that the country is more important than an individual like himself.
• Kejriwal alleged that the BJP wants to bring in poor minorities from Pakistan and settle them in India by giving them jobs and houses that belong to locals.
• “Implementing the CAA will make the country unsafe and create a law-and-order situation,” the AAP leader claimed. (here) [while they are already in India]
• CAA completely insignificant in Assam: Himanta– CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thu claimed that the CAA is completely insignificant in Assam, from where there will be the “least number of applications” for Indian citizenship.
• “People seeking citizenship have to give evidence that they entered before 2014 and the NRC will be the proof in Assam, but in other states, this does not exist. If they have not applied for NRC, it becomes clear that they were not there in the state before the cut-off date, and as such cannot get citizenship,” he said. (here)

Nijjar killing: New Zealand clarifies position after Deputy PM remarks on ‘evidence’ linking India to murder

• New Zealand’s Dy PM Winston Peters underscored the need to give the current investigation some time before concluding the claims made by the Ottowa against India regarding the death of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
• New Zealand, which is a member of the 5-Eyes alliance, maintains its stance that if the accusations made by Canada are proven correct, it would raise serious concerns.
• Spox for Peters, underlining its country’s stance stated that it was extremely important for the ongoing probe to conclude before making any further judgment
• “New Zealand’s position on the allegations remains unchanged; .. this is an ongoing criminal investigation. It needs to run its course before clear conclusions can be drawn,”
• Five-Eyes comprises the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• India has rebuffed the accusations calling them “absurd and motivated”.
• Peters meets Indian counterpart Jaishankar: Peters, who met with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in New Delhi affirmed that his visit to India played a significant role in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.
• “Minister Jaishankar and I agreed to work together to unlock more opportunities and achieve a step up in the relationship between New Zealand and India,” he added (here)

Indian govt bans 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites over obscene and vulgar content

• India’s I&B Min on Thu banned 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene, vulgar, and in some cases pornographic content.
• Not just OTT platforms, the ministry has also pulled down websites, apps, and several social media accounts.
• In total 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store, 3 on Apple App Store) and 57 social media accounts have been disabled.
• The statement read, “A significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene, vulgar, and portrayed women in a demeaning manner”.
• It adds, “It depicted nudity and sexual acts in various inappropriate contexts, such as relationships between teachers and students, incestuous family relationships, etc.” (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Taiwan deploys forces after tracking Chinese military aircraft, naval ships circling it

• Taiwan dispatched aircraft and naval ships and deployed ADMS to monitor Chinese military planes and naval vessels that encircled it, the defense ministry said on Thu.
• The MND of Taiwan reported monitoring 26 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels encircling the nation from 6 am on Wed to 6 am on Thu, Taiwan News reported.
• 7 Chinese military aircraft breached the median of the Taiwan Strait.
• Additionally, the MND tracked 10 aircraft in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, 3 in the NE ADIZ, and one in the S ADIZ.
• This incident marks the latest in a series of provocations, with Taiwan having tracked Chinese military aircraft 151 times and naval vessels 85 times this month alone. (here)

China names former South Africa envoy Chen Xiaodong as new foreign vice-minister

• China’s former top envoy to South Africa and Singapore Chen Xiaodong has been named as a foreign vice-minister, as Beijing continues to reshuffle its diplomatic team.
• The appointment of Chen – who just returned to Beijing this week after a 3-year stint in the African nation – was announced on Thu.
• It comes as Beijing is trying to shore up ties with neighboring countries and other emerging economies amid a geopolitical and ideological feud with the US-led West.
• During a farewell meeting with S African President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, Chen hailed the “bond of camaraderie plus brotherhood” between the two countries, claiming that bilateral ties had entered a “golden era”.
• Xi also attended the Brics summit during his visit to South Africa – one of the Chinese leader’s 4 trips abroad last year and seen as a highlight of Chen’s time as ambassador.
• Chen, 58, joined the foreign service in 1987 after graduating with a major in Arabic from Beijing International Studies University, the alma mater of China’s top diplomat Wang Yi. (here)

Pakistan: Curtain rises on five-year plan for economic revival

• In an attempt to stabilize the nation’s faltering economy, the newly elected govt has embarked on crafting a detailed 5-year strategy aimed at rejuvenating key economic sectors
• In this regard, PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Thu, laying down a complete roadmap for the country’s economic resurgence over the next half-decade.
• Roadmap sets sights on reducing poverty, creating jobs, boosting taxes
• PM Shehbaz looks to cool down political, and social unrest
• Govt to provide farmers with direct fertilizer subsidy, quality seeds
• Aims to scale up the Danish school model across the country (here)

Pakistan: PTI core committee demands Imran’s immediate release

• PTI core committee on Thu denounced former PM Imran Khan’s detention and demanded an immediate order for his release from imprisonment.
• The committee discussed various issues, especially the delay of appeals in cases against PTI’s founding chairman, the security of his wife, Bushra Bibi, and the recount of votes in various constituencies in Punjab in detail.
• According to a statement, during the meeting, the PTI legal team provided an overview to the core committee regarding Mr Khan’s cases.
• The forum strongly condemned the incarceration of the PTI founding chairman in these cases.
• The committee reiterated its demand that all those constituencies should also be audited in the light of the actual Form-45s and all PTI’s “stolen” seats should be returned to the party by the Constitution and law. (here)