CMYK Morning India INDIA RUNNING FAST TOWARD UNPRECEDENTED HEAT CONDITIONS OPINION Rs. 3 PATNA TUESDAY, 3 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—157 (RNI NO: BIHENG / 2014 / 59124) WEIGHTLIFTER HARSHADA BECOMES JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION SPORTS Modi, Scholz talk strategic partnership, global developments AGENCIES BERLIN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and they reviewed the full range of bilateral ties, including giving an impetus to trade as well as cultural linkages. Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday morning on the first leg of his three-nation Europe trip that will also take him to Denmark and France. The visit comes amid the Ukraine crisis, which has united much of Europe against Russia. Prime Minister Modi was received by Chancellor Scholz in a ceremonial welcome at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin upon his arrival for talks. He was accorded the Guard of Honour at the forecourt of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin. The two leaders held a quick tete-a-tete ahead of the delegation-level talks. "Expanding IndiaGermany cooperation. PM @narendramodi and Chancellor Scholz meet in Berlin. @Bundeskanzle," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. This is Prime Minister Modi's first meeting with Osmania Varsity’s no to Rahul’s meet with students Scholz as German Chancellor, who assumed office in December, 2021. "Discussions continue between PM @narendramodi and Chancellor Scholz in Berlin. Both leaders are reviewing the full range of bilateral ties between India and Germany, including giving an impetus to trade as well as cultural linkages. @Bundeskanzler," the PMO tweeted. The two leaders are expected to exchange views on strategic, regional and global developments. "PM @narendramodi and @Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz begin bilateral discussions. This is their first engagement since Chancellor Scholz assumed office in December 2021. The momentum of high level exchanges with our Strategic Partner continues," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. Modi and Scholz cochaired the 6th IndiaGermany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). Launched in 2011, IGC is a unique biennial mechanism which allows the two governments to coordinate on a wide spectrum of bilateral issues. Many ministers from both sides will participate in the IGC. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present in the meeting. The 6th IGC will further strengthen the IndiaGermany strategic partnership, the MEA had said. This is Modi's fifth visit to Germany after becoming prime minister. He had earlier visited the European country in April 2018, July 2017, May 2017 and April 2015. In his departure statement, Modi had said that his visit to Berlin will be an opportunity to hold detailed bilateral discussions with Chancellor Scholz, whom he met at G20 last year in his previous capacity as vicechancellor and finance minister. "I look forward to exchanging views with Chancellor Scholz on strategic, regional and global developments that concern us both," Modi had said ahead of his visit. In 2021, India and Germany commemorated 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations and have been strategic partners since 2000, Modi said. Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe with a bilateral trade of over USD 21 billion. Modi is also scheduled to interact with the Indian diaspora in Germany. AGENCIES Passengers were asked to be seated, says SpiceJet HYDERABAD: Osmania University has refused permission to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a meeting with its students, and while the national party was outraged its cadres staged a protest on Monday decrying the decision and the arrest of their colleagues in this connection. The Congress party slammed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and claimed that his pressure tactics resulted in the varsity's denial of permission. A university official said it was due to various reasons, including the university's executive council passing a resolution last year. NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it has instituted a multidisciplinary team to probe the severe turbulence incident on SpiceJet's Mumbai-Durgapur flight that left 15 people injured. SpiceJet on Monday said the seat belt sign was on and multiple announcements were made by crew members ask- ing passengers to remain seated on its Mumbai-Durgapur flight on Sunday. A total of 15 people -- 12 passengers and three cabin crew members -- were injured in this flight due to severe turbulence, said officials of the DGCA. DGCA chief Arun Kumar told PTI, "We have deputed a multidisciplinary team to carry out regulatory investigation (into this incident)." On Monday, SpiceJet spokesperson said, 'Eleven passengers travelling on SpiceJet flight SG-945 from Mumbai to Durgapur on May 1, which encountered severe turbulence during descent which unfortunately resulted in injuries to a few passengers, were hospitalised.' Eight of those hospitalised have been discharged so far, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said it is providing all possible help to the injured. 'The seat belt sign was on when the aircraft encountered turbulence. Multiple announcements were made by the pilots and the crew instructing passengers to remain seated and keep their seat belt fastened,' the spokesperson mentioned. tion to the authorities to regulate bigamy and polygamy by Muslim husbands by providing for prior permission of existing wife, a certificate from a judicial officer to certify that he has the capacity to provide equal treatment to all wives, declaration of marital history before nikah, etc. The petitioner also sought the framing of laws for compulsory registration of Muslim marriages. The petitioner Reshma, whose husband is stated to be ”planning to divorce” her and solemnise another marriage without her consent or making arrangements for her and their child's maintenance, claimed that bigamy or polygamy by a Muslim husband is permitted under Shariat laws only in exceptional circumstances and ought to be regulated to curb the plight of Muslim women. She contended that bigamy or polygamy without the consent of the existing wife and securing her well-being is ”unconstitutional, anti-Shariat, illegal, arbitrary, harsh, inhuman, and barbaric” and contrary to Articles 14, 15, 21, and 25 of the Constitution. ”Even in countries governed by Shariah (Islamic) law, the second marriage is permitted under special circumstances, such as an illness of the first wife or her inability to bear children. In these cases, with the first wife's consent, a man may marry again and this is referred to as polygamy, a subset of polygamous marriages,” said the petition filed through lawyer Bajrang Vats. ”The Holy Quran permits a Muslim man to marry more than one woman at a time (up to a maximum of four) but does not encourage such behaviour. Polygamy is only permitted in certain circumstances, such as when the death of another man has left his wife with no other means of support,” it added. The petitioner has further stated that polygamy is neither mandatory nor encouraged but is merely permitted as a part of social duty and for charitable motives and that the Holy Quran provides that those men who choose to take multiple wives are under an obligation to treat them equally. DGCA begins probe AGENCIES Muslim wife files PIL against polygamy Court seeks Centre's stand AGENCIES NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a PIL to declare that bigamy or polygamy by a Muslim husband in the absence of prior written consent of the existing wife or wives and arrangements for her accommodation and maintenance is unconstitutional and illegal. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla directed the respondents to file their response and issued notice on the petition that sought a direc- India's Covid positivity rate goes past one pc AGENCIES NEW DELHI: India's Covid case positivity rate went past one per cent again after over two months as the country witnessed a single-day rise of 3,157 infections and 26 fatalities, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday. The rise reported on Monday pushed the overall Covid tally of the country to 4,30,82,345 cases and 5,23,869 deaths, the data said. The number of active cases rose by 408 in a 24hour span to reach 19,500, the data updated at 8 am showed. At 1.07 per cent, the daily positivity went past one per cent again after a little over two months, the ministry said. It was at 1.11 per cent on February 27. The weekly rate was 0.70 per cent, according to the health ministry. The death toll has climbed to 5,23,869 with the 26 new fatalities being reported. The active cases constitutes 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the country's COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the health ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,25,38,976, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 189.23 crore. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. The 26 new fatalities include 21 from Kerala, two from Odisha and one each from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A total of 5,23,869 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,843 from Maharashtra, 69,068 from Kerala, 40,102 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,175 from Delhi, 23,508 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,202 from West Bengal. HC stays arrest of Kumar Vishwas AGENCIES CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday stayed the arrest of former Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas in a case of allegedly making inflammatory statements against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The case was registered against him by the Punjab Police on April 12. "The court stayed the arrest of Vishwas," said Mayank Aggarwal, one of the counsels of Vishwas. The court of Justice Anoop Chitkara fixed July 4 as the next date of hearing. Vishwas had moved the high court last week, seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him. The high court had heard the petition on April 27.