New Delhi, May 18: The Supreme Court on Monday flagged low conviction rates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and said that more than 90 percent of such trials culminate in acquittals.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan made the observations while granting bail to a Jammu and Kashmir resident, Syed Iftikhar Andrabi, accused in a narco-terrorism case.

The top court referred to data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and said that the country-wide percentage of convictions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the five years from 2019-23 hovers between 2 percent and 6 percent.

“In other words, there is a 94 percent to 98 percent possibility of acquittal in such cases in the country. When it comes to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the percentage of conviction is abysmal, to say the least. For the aforesaid period, the annual rate of conviction is always less than 1 percent. It means that at the end of the trial, there is a 99 percent possibility of acquittal in such cases. With such statistics staring at our face, the question is, should we continue the detention of the appellant or defer the consideration to a later stage, simply because the charges are serious?” the bench said.
The top court also said that, on due consideration, it believed that Andrabi has made out a case for the grant of bail during the pendency of the trial, as there is no recovery of cash or contraband from the person of the appellant or from the premises used by the appellant, either as his residence or place of work.

“All statements implicating the appellant have been made before the police, including the confessions allegedly made by the appellant himself, which, prima facie, are self-incriminating and hit by Section 25 of the Evidence Act, 1872. The appellant has no prior antecedents of being connected with the narcotic trade or in terrorist activities. At least, no such material has been placed on record. On the contrary, it is stated that the appellant is an ardent advocate of the constitutional, federal and democratic set-up of India. He is a supporter of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, a registered mainstream political party,” the bench noted.

Andrabi had challenged an order passed by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which dismissed his bail plea, saying the scrutiny of cellphone records indicated that he had been in touch with terror operatives across the border.

Narrating the sequence of events leading to the apprehension of the accused, the NIA had said that on June 11, 2020, police intercepted a car belonging to Abdul Momin Peer at Kairo Bridge, Handwara. During a search, Rs 20.01 lakh in cash and 2 kg of heroin were seized, and Peer was arrested. Later, on his disclosure, the police arrested Andrabi and Islam-ul-Haq Peer.

Investigation revealed that the accused were allegedly involved in cross-border smuggling and supply of heroin in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country after procuring the same from their associates in Pakistan, the chargesheet said.

Andrabi and Abdul Momin Peer had visited Pakistan several times during 2016-17 to meet the operatives of terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, it said, adding that the amount generated from the sale of heroin was used by the accused to further the terrorist activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

GREATER KASHMIR ADD TO THE REPORT

The appellant was represented by senior advocate Shadan Farasat along with other advocates including Talha Abdul Rahman, Umair Andrabi, Tanisha, Naseer H Jafri, Dilwar H Barlaskar, Uzair, Sudhanshu Tewari, Deepesh Kasana, Faizan Ahmed and M Shaz Khan. 

The senior counsel vehemently argued that four of the co-accused have been granted bail; one by the Apex Court and three by the High Court. Therefore, there was no reason why the appellant should continue to languish in jail, he said. 

To the allegations levelled against appellant being accused no 2 in the case, it was submitted that there was no material on record to show even a prima facie case against him under the NDPS Act. The recovery of cash and contraband allegedly on June 11, 2020 from the bedroom of accused No 1 was already reported in the public domain as having been recovered from the accused No 1, on June 10, 2020 at Bemina, Srinagar. In any view of the matter, it was argued that there was no recovery either from the person of the appellant or from any premises used by the appellant as his residence or working place.

It was further argued the charge of terror cannot stand independent of the charge under the NDPS Act. “When there is no evidence of sale or purchase of narcotics nor is there any admissible evidence of recovery of narcotics or funds from the appellant, not to speak of having found him in conscious possession of any narcotic; the whole premise of terror funding charges against the appellant under the UAP Act collapses.”

Oslo, May 18: India and Norway have firmed up a Green Strategic Partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store held wide-ranging talks during which they called for resolving the tensions in Ukraine and West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy.

The two leaders held talks on Monday focusing on expanding cooperation in areas such as clean energy, climate resilience, blue economy, green shipping, digital technology, space and Arctic research.

“India and Norway both believe in a rules-based order, dialogue, and diplomacy. We are in agreement that no issue can be resolved through military conflict,” Modi said in his televised media statement after the talks.

“Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, we support and will continue to support, every effort toward an early end to the conflicts and the restoration of peace,” he said.

Delving into India-Norway ties, Modi said the relations are being elevated to a Green Strategic Partnership.

“Through this strategic partnership, our companies will develop global solutions across sectors – from clean energy to climate resilience, and from the blue economy to green shipping – by combining India’s scale, speed, and talent with Norway’s technology and capital,” he said.

The prime minister said the ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ will be beneficial for the entire world.

The prime minister also touched upon the upswing in India-Europe ties and described it as a “golden era” of the relationship.

“Today, the world is passing through a period of instability and uncertainty. Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, many parts of the world continue to face conflict. At such a time, India and Europe are entering a new golden era in their relationship.”

In his remarks, Modi thanked Norway for supporting India after last year’s Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

“I was scheduled to visit Norway last year, but the trip had to be postponed due to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. During that difficult time, Norway stood firmly with India against terrorism, reflecting the strength of our friendship,” he said.

“Today, as I visit Norway, I express my heartfelt gratitude for that solidarity,” he added.

In his remarks, Modi also underlined the need for reform of global institutions to deal with emerging global challenges.

“We are also in agreement that reform of global institutions is essential to address the growing global challenges. And eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is our shared commitment,” he said.

The prime minister met Store hours after landing in Oslo.

Modi also referred to the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association, describing it as a blueprint for ensuring shared progress and prosperity. He said the pact envisages USD 100 billion investment in India and creation of one million jobs over the next 15 years.

The prime minister said both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in sustainability, ocean energy, geology and health, while linking universities and start-up ecosystems in sectors such as engineering, artificial intelligence, cyber and digital technologies.

He said cooperation in skill development and talent mobility would also expand further.

Highlighting Arctic cooperation, Modi described Norway as an important country in the Arctic region and thanked it for supporting the operation of India’s Arctic research station “Himadri”.

He also welcomed the signing of an MoU between ISRO and the Norwegian Space Agency, saying it would give a new dimension to bilateral space cooperation.

Modi also hailed Norway’s decision to join the India-led Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. “As two major maritime nations, we will work together to strengthen cooperation in the marine economy, maritime security, and capacity building,” he said.

The prime minister said the two sides also signed a triangular development cooperation agreement under which they would work together in countries of the Global South through India’s digital public infrastructure projects.

From the Arctic to outer space, and from green shipping to food and energy security, cooperation between India and Norway was reaching new frontiers, Modi said.

A joint statement said the two prime ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism.

“The leaders called for dismantling of terror infrastructure and safe havens, and for decisive and concerted international efforts to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner and in accordance with international law,” it said.

“They reiterated their commitment for strong and concerted action against terrorists and terrorist groups, including those listed in the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime and their affiliates, proxies, sponsors, backers and financiers.”

“They reaffirmed strong commitment to continue taking active measures to disrupt the terror financing channels, including at the UN and FATF,” it added.

New Delhi, May 18: The Union Public Service Commission, for the first time, will release the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, soon after the Exam, to enhance transparency and uphold the highest standards of conduct of examination.

Terming it as “a new beginning”, the UPSC Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar, said, “For the first time, the Union Public Service Commission will release the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services Examination. This initiative reflects the Commission’s ongoing endeavour to bring greater transparency, responsiveness, and timely communication with candidates”. He further added, “The policy aims to make the examination process more participative while upholding its sanctity, integrity, and merit-based framework.”

After the release of provisional answer key, candidates of the Civil services examination, can submit their representations, if any, till May 31, 2026, 6PM, through a dedicated online portal i.e. “Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)” available at Candidates will be able to submit their representations by indicating the correct key as per their understanding, along with a brief description and supporting documents from three authentic sources. This will not only enable candidates to make an early and informed assessment of their performance in the examination but also provide them adequate time and opportunity to submit their representations.

All representations received from candidates will be placed before the team(s) of subject expert(s) for a comprehensive and meticulous review. These experts possess domain knowledge and subject expertise. They will carefully examine each representation, assess the supporting documents, and record their considered views regarding the correctness of the Answer Key for the concerned questions. The Answer Key will thereafter be finalized only after due consideration of all representations received.

This new reform has been introduced to address, the long-standing demand from candidates for publication of Provisional Answer Keys. This was also, in furtherance of the Commission’s commitment towards transparency, accountability, and strengthening the confidence of candidates in the examination system, the Commission has implemented the policy of publishing the Provisional Answer Keys.UPSC Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar terms early release of provisional answer Key, a ‘new beginning’ towards greater transparency