New Delhi, Oct 15: The Press Council of India (PCI) has asked journalists covering protests and demonstrations to maintain objectivity and impartiality while reporting, visibly display their press identity cards and comply with lawful police instructions.

The guidelines, adopted at a meeting of the council on October 14, ask journalists to refrain from participating in demonstrations, taking sides or provoking confrontations, urge them to maintain distance from clashes, and remain alert to potential threats.

The guidelines come against the backdrop of the detention of several journalists covering recent protests in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Press bodies condemned the police action, alleging that reporters were detained despite displaying press identity cards and that some had their phones and reporting equipment seized.

“In view of the prevailing scenario and the need to facilitate the orderly and effective coverage of protests and demonstrations,” the council said.

It said it adopted the guidelines to promote journalists’ safety, responsible reporting and better coordination with law enforcement authorities.

Under the guidelines, journalists have been advised to carry identity cards issued by their media organisations or PIB/DIP accreditation, as applicable, and keep them visibly displayed while covering demonstrations.

“Remain respectful, follow police orders, avoid arguments during tense situations, and comply with lawful instructions,” the guidelines state, and advise journalists to “calmly assert their press status” when necessary.

The council advised journalists to be alert to changes in crowd behaviour and identify escape routes in advance.

It also recommended carrying emergency kits with first-aid supplies, drinking water, snacks, flashlights, protective goggles, protective headgear, and body armour depending on the threat assessment.

Media organisations have been advised to maintain regular contact with reporters on assignment and designate personnel to monitor their locations and respond to emergencies.

For planned demonstrations, news organisations should coordinate with designated police officers or press liaison personnel to establish communication protocols and identify media staging areas, the guidelines said.

On reporting standards, the council urged journalists to verify information through multiple sources, subject claims by protesters and government authorities to equal scrutiny, and exercise caution while identifying minors, injured people and vulnerable individuals.

New Delhi, Oct 15: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday accepted the resignation of Union minister L Murugan, her office said.

Murugan, who resigned as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday, said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wanted to return to Tamil Nadu to strengthen the BJP in the state.

“The President of India, as advised by the prime minister, has accepted the resignation of Dr L Murugan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India,” a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday said.

This was the third resignation of a Minister of State (MoS) from the Council of Ministers after George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu, who quit in June and July respectively after they were not renominated for Rajya Sabha elections by the BJP.

Murugan has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since September 2021 and was re-elected to the Upper House in April 2024 from Madhya Pradesh. His tenure ends in April 2030. Murugan also said he wants to give up his Rajya Sabha membership.

His resignation has led to speculation about an imminent reshuffle in the Council of Ministers.

New Delhi, Oct 15: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said any terrorist act originating from Pakistan would invite an even stronger response from India, asserting that Operation Sindoor, the Balakot airstrikes and surgical strikes marked a shift from diplomatic condemnation to proactive action against terrorism.

Addressing a Defence Conclave in New Delhi, Singh said India remained committed to peace but its commitment should not be mistaken for weakness.

“Our commitment to peace remains steadfast, yet we are fully prepared to confront any challenge,” he said, adding that India was determined to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests.

Singh said the three military operations symbolised India’s approach of targeting the sources of terrorism rather than limiting its response to diplomatic condemnation.

He also claimed that since 2014, the “shelf life” of most terrorists had fallen to less than a year, with security forces neutralising them within a year of taking up arms against India.

Highlighting the changing security landscape, the Defence Minister warned of emerging threats, including lone-wolf attacks and what he described as “white-collar terrorism”.

He said terrorism was evolving beyond organised groups, making it increasingly difficult for security agencies to identify radicalised individuals and prevent potential attacks.

Singh also referred to the recent incident involving a co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash a passenger aircraft and Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who risked his life to avert a major disaster.

He said the incident highlighted the threat posed by lone-wolf attackers and underscored the importance of alert and responsible citizens in preventing terrorist plots.

“The fight against terrorism requires not only the capabilities of security agencies but also the active participation of aware and responsible citizens,” he said.

Singh described the emerging security environment as one characterised by hybrid, high-tech and hyper warfare. He identified what he termed the “5D Security Threat” — disinformation, destabilisation, disruption, deception and destruction — and called for greater vigilance and preparedness.

On defence preparedness, the minister called for a “smart power” approach that combines advanced weaponry, artificial intelligence, human intelligence and cost-effective technologies to address evolving security challenges.

He said India needed to integrate precision-guided weapons and loitering munitions with affordable, agile and adaptable systems to strengthen its defence capabilities.

Singh attributed India’s growing defence capabilities to reforms undertaken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the government had shifted its focus from meeting immediate military requirements to building a self-reliant and future-ready defence ecosystem.

He said defence production had increased to a record level of over Rs 1.78 lakh crore from around Rs 40,000 crore in 2014, while defence exports had risen to an all-time high of Rs 39,000 crore from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14.

Indian defence products, he said, were now reaching nearly 100 countries.

The minister expressed confidence that India would achieve defence production worth Rs 2 lakh crore in the current year and Rs 3 lakh crore by 2029, while targeting defence exports worth Rs 50,000 crore by the same year.

Emphasising domestic manufacturing, Singh said more than 500 companies were engaged in the defence sector, while over 16,000 micro, small and medium enterprises were contributing to the country’s defence industrial ecosystem.

He said the government had earmarked 75 per cent of the defence modernisation budget for procurement from Indian industries and highlighted initiatives to promote indigenous defence equipment and technology.

Singh also highlighted the role of start-ups and young innovators in developing drones, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity and robotics.

He said the Ministry of Defence had approved procurement of goods and services worth over Rs 2,400 crore from start-ups and MSMEs and sanctioned projects worth more than Rs 1,500 crore for developing new technologies.

The minister said India was steadily progressing towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, with 159 of the 175 ammunition variants used by the armed forces now being produced domestically.

Singh concluded by expressing confidence that India would emerge as a developed nation by the centenary of its independence and provide global leadership in technology, the economy and defence.

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Supreme Court on Thursday held that Hindus belonging to backward classes cannot claim quota benefits of that category after converting to Islam, saying backwardness suffered in the antecedent social order can’t be carried forward.

The court also said that a person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism cannot be believed to be a member of a scheduled caste.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s plea against the Madras High Court order which held that a person converting to Islam can’t claim reservation under Backward Class (Muslim) category, solely on the basis of conversion.

While upholding the high court order which had quashed the Tamil Nadu government’s notification to grant reservation to converted Muslims, the top court said it called for no interference.

“No statutory benefit, protection, reservation, or other entitlement under Article 16(4) of the Constitution, the enjoyment of which is predicated upon a particular Hindu social order, can be claimed or extended merely on the basis of such antecedent membership after the person has converted to Islam, Christianity, or any other non-Hindu social order,” the bench held.

It said the court has reached the conclusion that a person who converts from the Hindu social order to a non-Hindu social order cannot claim affirmative action under Article 16(4) of the Constitution merely on the basis of the social backwardness associated with his pre-conversion status.

“A backwardness suffered in the antecedent social order cannot by itself be carried forward so as to confer upon him the status of a backward class in the region to which he has converted…,” it said.

The top court further held that a person, who professes a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism cannot be believed to be a member of a scheduled caste.

“Consequently, upon conversion to a religion not specified therein, such person ceases to possess the scheduled caste status attached to his antecedent caste and cannot claim any affirmative action benefit of a backward class under Article 16(4) of the Constitution, which is predicated upon membership of a scheduled caste status,” it said.

It said that conversion to a non-Hindu social order does not by itself concur membership of any particular notified backward class community.

“A person’s pre-conversion caste or community status cannot, merely by reason of conversion, be transposed into membership of a distinct notified backward class community in the post-conversion social order,” it said, adding social backwardness, which forms the basis of the person’s pre-conversion status, cannot by itself be the only legal foundation for conferring upon a membership of a different notified backward class community after conversion.

It said conversely, where a person, after having converted from the Hindu social order to a non-Hindu social order, reconverts to Hindu social order, the question of his entitlement to affirmative action under Article 16 (4) cannot be determined merely by reference to his antecedent status.

“Such entitlement would require an independent fact specific determination by the competent authority as to whether the original caste or social identity has genuinely revived upon reconversion, and whether the person satisfies the applicable constitutional and legal requirements for such affirmative action,” it held.

It concluded, “We, therefore, affirm the conclusion of the high court, though our reasoning focuses on the constitutional foundation set out above. A person who converts to Islam does not, by that act alone, become a member of any one of the seven notified backward-class communities in the state. This former caste or community patterns cannot automatically be transposed into the Muslim backward-class category, nor can a private religion body conclusively determine such statutory entitlement.”

On August 7, the top court had reserved its decision on the plea moved by the state government against the high court verdict.

The state government had contended that the object behind its order of March 9, 2024 was to ensure that persons belonging to socially and educationally backward communities are not deprived of reservation benefits solely on account of conversion to Islam.

The HC’s verdict came on a petition filed by one Sameer Ahamed, who converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2015, with the conversion being notified through a Gazette notification in 2016.

He subsequently married according to Islamic rites and sought a certificate identifying him as belonging to the “Muslim Lebbai” community to avail reservation benefits.

The state contended that it has the authority, based on the report of the TN Backward Classes Commission, to issue backward classes (Muslim) community certificates to eligible persons who had embraced Islam among the backward classes, most backward classes, denotified communities and Scheduled Castes (SCs).

On June 25, the high court held that a person converting to Islam was not entitled to claim reservation under the Backward Class (Muslim) category solely on the basis of conversion and declared unconstitutional the Government Order issued on March 9, 2024.

It further observed that a person converting to Islam could only be treated as a Muslim and could not, by virtue of conversion alone, be classified as belonging to any specific notified Backward Class Muslim community for reservation purposes.