The Indian government in April 2023 eased national security restrictions along the Pakistan border in Gujarat’s Kutch region to facilitate a renewable energy park, official documents show.

The move initially allowed the Solar Energy Corporation of India to develop a hybrid renewable energy project at the site. The SECI had been allotted 23,000 hectares for wind energy, but defence restrictions on solar panels made the project financially unviable. After lobbying by the SECI and the Gujarat government, the defence ministry permitted hybrid projects within 2 km of the border.

Despite this concession, three months later, SECI surrendered the land on instructions from the renewable energy minister. The Gujarat government then reallocated it to the Adani Group, reversing its earlier policy of reserving the land for public sector firms. As a result, Adani Green Energy now controls more land in the park than all other developers combined.

Defence experts have criticised the decision to relax border rules for commercial interests. A former military chief called it “imprudent”, while a retired lieutenant general said it compromised national security for corporate profit.

The defence ministry, Gujarat government, SECI and the Adani Group have not responded to Scroll’s queries. However, the Adani Group told The Guardian – which first reported the story – that its land allocation adhered to all regulations and approvals. Read on.

Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar has been convicted for the murder of a father and son during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. He was on Wednesday held guilty of leading a mob that burned the two men alive in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar area on November 1 that year.

Arguments on the quantum of sentence to be handed to Kumar will be heard on February 18.

Widespread violence broke out in Delhi on October 31, 1984, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, who was then the prime minister, by her Sikh bodyguards. Mobs, allegedly helped by some Congress leaders, had attacked Sikhs and torched their homes. Nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi alone.

In the case against Kumar, the family members of the victims – Jaswant Singh and his son Tarun Deep Singh – alleged that he “instigated and abetted the unruly mob” that set their house on fire. Read on.

The Supreme Court has criticised the practice of political parties announcing “freebies” before elections, suggesting that it was “creating a class of parasites”. The court made the remark in the context of a petition concerning the right to shelter for homeless persons in cities.

“Freebies” is a term frequently used by critics of welfare benefits such as subsidised or free foodgrains and public transport, and concessions in electricity bills. “Unfortunately, because of these freebies... the people are not willing to work,” the bench noted.

During the hearing, Advocate Prashant Bhushan said that some shelters for homeless persons in Delhi had been removed for the purposes of “beautification”. Justice BR Gavai then referred to an affidavit listing out the welfare facilities to be provided at such shelters and remarked: “So, rather than promoting them to be a part of the mainstream of society by contributing to the development of the nation, are we not creating a class of parasites?” Read on.

Investing in public well-being is not ‘populism’: Why the ‘freebie’ debate is flawed

A United Nations report has accused the previous Bangladesh government led by Sheikh Hasina of suppressing dissent and killing protestors last year. The abuses could amount to crimes against humanity, the UN Human Rights Office said on Wednesday.

The UN agency said that it found an “official policy to attack and violently repress anti-government protesters” during the regime led by Hasina’s Awami League. The crimes require further criminal investigation, it added.

Hasina fled to India on August 5 after several weeks of widespread student-led protests against her government. She had been the prime minister of Bangladesh for 16 years. Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government three days later.

A team of the UN human rights agency had been sent to Bangladesh in September at Yunus’ request for an independent investigation of the events. Read on.

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