Daily Bulletin: SC to hear petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370, Cabinet to consider relaxing some FDI norms; day's top stories

Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging abrogation of Article 370, related issues today The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. [caption id=“attachment_7207411” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Kashmiri women walking in a deserted street during restrictions in Srinagar. Reuters[/caption] The apex court will also hear petitions seeking the removal of other restrictions, including the communication blockade in the State. While the petition against the scrapping of Article 370 has been filed by advocate ML Sharma, National Conference MPs Mohd Akbar Lone and Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi have challenged the changes made in the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir by the Centre. They have also been joined by former IAS officer Shah Faesal and former JNU student leader Shehla Rashid and several others. A petition has also been filed by CPM leader Sitaram Yechury seeking production of his party colleague Mohd Tarigami who has been detained by the authorities. All the matters relating to Article 370 and subsequent developments are listed for hearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. High schools, shops and businesses to re-open today in areas of Kashmir where restrictions have been eased High schools in the Kashmir Valley will reopen from Wednesday in areas where restrictions have been lifted, officials said on Tuesday. They also said shops and business establishments can open in areas where there are no restrictions. Addressing a press conference, Jammu and Kashmir Director of Information and Public Relations Sehrish Asgar said, “The education department has decided to open all high schools in Kashmir Valley from tomorrow in the areas where relaxations have been provided.” She said restrictions on the movement of people have now been eased in 81 police station areas across the Valley. “The restrictions have been eased out in more police station areas, now taking the total number to 81. The curbs will be eased out in 10 more areas on Thursday,” she said. Asgar said landline telephone services will be restored in 15 more exchanges by Tuesday evening. Briefing the reporters about the status of schools, Director, School Education (Kashmir) Younis Malik said 3,037 primary schools and 774 middle schools have re-opened across the Valley. He said there has been a significant improvement in the attendance of teachers in the schools in the past week. “We are making best efforts to increase student attendance in the schools,” he said. Giving details about the situation, Srinagar SSP Haseeb Mughal, said no major untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the valley. Many services including mobile and internet were suspended since 5 August when the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganised the state into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. INX media case: SC extends interim protection to P Chidambaram from ED’s arrest  Supreme Court on Tuesday extended interim protection granted to former Home Minister P Chidambaram from arrest in a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The top court will continue to hear on Wednesday, the plea of P Chidambaram against Delhi High Court’s order dismissing his anticipatory bail plea. Earlier, Kapil Sibal, a counsel appearing for the senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, had moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to produce latter’s statement recorded by it in the INX Media case. The counsel sought the agency to produce the transcripts of the statement recorded by them on 19 December 2018 and 1 January and 21 January 2019 before the apex court. A bench of Justices R Banumathi and AS Bopanna was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) moved by Chidambaram against the Delhi High Court order denying him anticipatory bail in the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The top court on Tuesday had extended for one day the protection from arrest granted to Chidambaram in the ED case, which is slated to end on Wednesday (28 August). A Special court had also extended the CBI remand of the Congress leader by four days in a corruption case filed by the CBI in INX media scam. The agency had sought an extension contending that they have to “unravel the larger conspiracy”. Cabinet to consider relaxing FDI norms in single-brand retail, digital media today The Union Cabinet will consider today (Wednesday) relaxing foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in several sectors, including single-brand retail and digital media, to attract overseas players, sources said. Other sectors where FDI rules would be eased are coal mining and contract manufacturing. The government may approve proposal to allow 100 per cent FDI in contract manufacturing, they said. In the existing foreign investment policy, 100 per cent foreign direct investment is permitted in the manufacturing sector under the automatic route. A manufacturer is also allowed to sell products manufactured in India through wholesale and retail channels, including through e-commerce, without the government’s approval. But, the policy does not talk about contract manufacturing and it is not clearly defined in the policy. “Big technology firms across the world are going for this, so there is a need for clarification on the matter,” the sources said. Oppo Reno 2-series to be announced today Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is announcing its brand new Reno 2-series of smartphones. There are expected to be at least three smartphones that the company will announce which are likely going to be called the Reno 2, Reno 2Z and the Reno 2A. Quad-cameras is going to be the theme of the Reno 2-series and the Oppo Reno 2, in particular, would likely compete with the Redmi K20. Harry Styles says he is open to a One Direction reunion Harry Styles, in an interview with Rolling Stone, revealed that he is open to a reunion with his former One Direction bandmates, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne. “I don’t think I’d ever say I’d never do it again, because I don’t feel that way. If there’s a time when we all really want to do it, that’s the only time for us to do it, because I don’t think it should be about anything else other than the fact that we’re all like, ‘Hey, this was really fun. We should do this again’,” Styles said