Temple attack: PM urges Canada to uphold the law

Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the violence at the Hindu Sabha Temple at Brampton near Toronto and said such actions will "never weaken India's resolve".

Such acts of violence will never weaken India's resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law," said Mr. Modi in a message. 

The issue was also taken up by the Congress with senior leader Pawan Khera urging the Centre to "take it up very strongly with the Canadian authorities”. 

J&K Assembly's first session begins, L-G calls for restoration of Statehood

In his address on the first day of the first session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha underscored the need to restore Statehood to the Union Territory. 

Mr Sinha said, "The government will make all efforts for the restoration of full Statehood and constitutional guarantees available to a State. 

It would be a befitting reciprocation of the faith reposed by the people in our democratic institutions. It reflected the enduring faith of the people in democratic processes."

Himachal urges the Centre to explore the possibility of running toy trains on green hydrogen on the Kalka-Shimla route

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the Centre to explore the possibility of running trains on the Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway, a UNESCO world heritage site, on green hydrogen – a clean energy source 

Mr Sukhu said the transition would help the hill State in achieving its goal of becoming a 'green energy State' by 2026.

The Kalka-Shimla railway is a narrow-gauge railway in Himachal Pradesh, which traverses a mostly- mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. On 8 July 2008, UNESCO declared the heritage railway as a World Heritage Site.

Does data justify the subdivision of quotas?

The argument underlying the Supreme Court verdict is that despite its progressive aims, India's reservation system is plagued by uneven outcomes. Some SC groups seem to have progressed more than others over the decades. 

This has led to calls for a more nuanced approach to affirmative action one that recognises the heterogeneity within the SC category itself.

Broader takeaway from the data are that while there is some heterogeneity within the SC category, the disparities between SC groups and upper-caste groups (general category) remain far more pronounced.

In States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, less than 50% of SC households report having these certificates, meaning that a large portion of SCs are excluded from the benefits that are supposed to uplift them. 

India, Algeria sign pact to elevate defence cooperation, enhance strategic interests

India and Algeria concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral defence cooperation. This was signed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan and his counterpart, Chief of Staff of Algerian People's National Army Said Chanegriha.

General Chauhan was on an official visit to the North African nation from October 31 to November 3. 

"The MoU elevates the defence partnership between both nations, fostering mutual understanding and enhancing strategic interests," the Integrated Defence Staff said. 

This MoU represents not only a step forward in bilateral military cooperation but also lays down the foundation for long-term collaboration across a variety of sectors, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. 

SC issues directions to States, and UTs to improve remission policy for convicts

The Supreme Court has issued a slew of directions aimed at standardising and improving the transparency of policies governing permanent remission for convicts in the country. 

The directions of the Bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih mandate greater accessibility to policy information, timely communication of decisions, and individualised consideration of cases to prevent arbitrary conditions. 

The Bench was hearing a suo motu case of 2021 titled "Policy Strategy for Grant of Bail" and directed all States and Union Territories to inform convicts of any rejection of applications for permanent remission. 

They will also have to forward copies of these rejections to the district legal services authorities concerned to ensure appropriate steps were taken to provide legal aid to the convicts.