New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a review petition filed against its April 26 verdict refusing mandatory cross-verification of the votes cast in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

After perusing the review petition, a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that no case for review was made out as he dismissed the plea.

“We have carefully perused the review petition, as also the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of the judgment dated 26.04.2024 is made out. The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” added the bench also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta.

In a detailed order passed on April 26, the top court said that while it acknowledged the fundamental right of voters to ensure their vote is accurately recorded and counted, the same cannot be equated with the right to 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips, or a right to physical access to the VVPAT slips, which the voter should be permitted to put in the drop box.

It had said that giving physical access to VVPAT slips to the voters is “problematic and impractical”, and will lead to “misuse, malpractices, and disputes”.

The Supreme Court had also rejected the submission to return to the ballot paper system as “foible and unsound”, adding that the weakness of the ballot paper system was well-known and documented.

It had passed two directions not because it had any doubt, but to only further strengthen the integrity of the election process.

First, all Symbol Loading Units (SLUs) will be sealed on or after May 1 on completion of the symbol loading process and will be kept in the strong room at least for 45 days post declaration of results.

Second, the burnt memory of microcontrollers in 5 per cent of the EVMs per Assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency will be checked and verified by a team of engineers from EVM manufacturers post announcement of results on a written request made by the candidates securing second and third-highest votes within seven days from the date of the declaration of results

It had said that the District Election Officer in consultation with the team of engineers will certify the authenticity and intactness of the burnt memory or the microcontroller.

The review petition, filed under Article 137 of the Constitution, claimed that there were “mistakes and errors apparent on the face of the impugned order”, adding that the judgment was liable to be reviewed.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) The Maharashtra government and National Skill Development Corporation (NCDC) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a centre in Pune for conducting skill-based certificate courses.

NCDC will provide training according to the skill requirements of manpower in different countries and make available job opportunities to students abroad.

MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar and NCDC team headed by CEO Vedmani Tiwari.

The government will provide space for the proposed training centre to NSDC on the premises of the Government Distance Education Tantra Niketan Sanstha in Pune.

The MoU signing took place days after the DCM and Finance and Planning Minister Ajit Pawar in the additional budget for 2024-25 had announced a slew of schemes for youth and skill development including the Mukhyamantri Karya Prashikshan Yojana, the establishment of the Center of Excellence in technical education, applied knowledge and skill development.

–IANS

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Chandigarh, July 30 (IANS) Punjab Governor-designate Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday arrived at the Raj Bhavan here in a ceremonial procession.

On his arrival along with his wife Anita, Governor-designate Kataria was given the Guard of Honour by the contingent of Punjab Police.

Earlier, Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora welcomed Governor-designate Kataria at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport.

The Governor will take the oath of office on Wednesday.

–IANS

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Chandigarh, July 30 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday urged teachers to contribute significantly to the country’s development, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.

“Just as you have brought glory to your parents with hard work, in the same way, you must work to hone the future generations to enhance the honour and respect of the country,” he said while addressing teachers at the state-level orientation programme for newly-appointed Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) held in Panchkula near here.

The Chief Minister also distributed appointment letters among newly recruited TGT teachers.

The Chief Minister said within the next two days, the waiting list of TGTs, along with the detailed results, will be released with transparency.

He congratulated the newly appointed TGTs and highlighted that in this result the daughters have achieved remarkable positions through their outstanding performance.

The Chief Minister said these teachers will play a crucial role in shaping future generations to build a developed India. He commended their success, which is a result of their hard work, and said many teachers do the noble work of teaching children in slum areas even after their official duties.

“A teacher must embody the spirit of promoting education. By spreading knowledge, you not only contribute to the growth of others but also elevate your own name and progress,” he said.

He also outlined the government’s commitment to simplifying the lives of its people and accelerating development, building on the foundation laid by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The government’s efforts have led to significant advancements, including the establishment of universities, medical colleges, and other educational institutions across the state. Notably, the vision to ensure that girls do not have to travel more than 20 km for higher education has been realised, improving access to college facilities for female students.

Taking a dig at previous administrations, the Chief Minister pointed out that before 2014 recruitment lists were often published in newspapers before the results were announced.

“In contrast, today’s news highlights stories of individuals like the son of a rickshaw puller achieving the rank of HCS in Haryana.” This shift, he emphasized, has been brought about by the current government over the past decade.

–IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday described the Wayanad landslide disaster as one of the worst-ever witnessed in the state as the death toll touched 93 and is expected to go higher with many injured, buried or missing.

The worst affected areas include Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Pothukalu and the locals from these areas who managed to escape are shattered as hundreds of homes have been totally destroyed.

“The figure of the dead is not the final one as rescue operations are continuing. Till now 34 bodies have been identified and 18 have been handed over to relatives.

“The rescue operations will stop after dark. As many as 128 people have been injured and a few areas have been completely washed away as there were heavy rains in the affected areas for the last few days,” said CM Vijayan.

“It’s a tragedy which one cannot ever think of. Just imagine these people, including children, went to sleep last night and tragedy struck and many were swept away by nature’s fury.

“In Malappuram District 16 bodies were found floating in the Chaliyar River. Dismembered body parts have also been taken out of the river.

“A team led by a Lieutenant Colonel has rescued people trapped in the Mundakayil market area using a ropeway which the Army set up,” added CM Vijayan.

“The first landslide occurred at 2 A.M. and then again at 4.10 A.M. The road connecting Mundakayil to Churalpara has been washed away. The river which was flowing in the affected area has branched out and is flowing in two directions, flooding homes,” said Vijayan.

“There will be more people trapped in the area and a massive rescue effort is presently on, in which numerous agencies including the three Defence forces, NDRF, the fire department and the police are doing their best and it will continue,” added Vijayan.

“After the tragedy struck, I received calls from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, West Bengal Governor A Bose. Each of them pledged their full support for the state,” said CM Vijayan.

He said there are around 3,069 people in various camps in the affected areas.

CM Vijayan said after hearing about the tragedy, contributions to the Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund have started pouring in from various quarters.

Meanwhile the Army team, after several hours of hard work, set up a temporary Bailey Bridge and was able to rescue numerous people who were trapped at Mundakayil area.

Late on Tuesday evening an IAF helicopter also arrived after it failed to arrive due to the inclement weather in the morning.

The injured people are now being transported to hospitals in the helicopter.

–IANS

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