SYL Canal: 4 meetings done, 5th today; Centre looks to resolve dispute between Punjab, Haryana
The last meeting between the two states, also chaired by Patil, 'was held in a cordial atmosphere' with both Mann and Saini expressing commitment to finding an early resolution to the long-standing water-sharing issue.
The SYL Canal has remained a source of contention between the two states since the 1980s.
Earlier, on the directions of the Supreme Court, the first meeting between the CMs of Punjab and Haryana was held on August 18, 2020. Ast the time Capt Amarinder Singh was the chief minister of Punjab and Manohal Lal Khattar was his Haryana counterpart. The second meeting was held in Chandigarh on October 14, 2022 after the Aam Aadmi Party took over the reins of Punjab. The third meeting was held in Delhi on January 4, 2023, under the leadership of then Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said that the state has already taken a stand that it does not have a single drop of water to share with anyone. 'Haryana is not our enemy. It is our neighbouring state. But we do not have water. How can we supply water to state when we do not have enough for our farming needs? The Centre is not willing to give us an additional water and it expects us to share ours,' he said.
Goyal added that Mann had taken a stand on the issue during the last meeting and the 'will continue with its stand'. During the last meeting, Mann had told Paatil that the groundwater situation in Punjab is very grim and most of the river resources have dried up. Stating that Punjab needs more water to cater to its irrigation needs, he had asserted that the state has no surplus water for others and demanded its legitimate share in the Indus waters. He said that with the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, efforts should be made to bring water from the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) to meet the growing demand. Mann had said that 23 million acre feet of Chenab waters could be diverted to Punjab and further to Haryana, even Madhya Pradesh. He had said that the dispute had become a forever bleeding wound. Both the states are fighting for a few million acre feet of water. He had stated if Punjab gets 23 MAF from the Chenab, the whole dispute will be resolved forever.
It was learnt that Paatil had stated that he had noted the proposal to conduct feasibility studies on the western tributaries Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
Saini, however, had expressed confidence that the SYL issue will be resolved soon, asserting that the Punjab government has also sought a solution to the problem. Saini said meaningful discussions were held in the meeting and that Punjab CM 'also acknowledged that this issue should be resolved as it has remained pending for far too long'.
The two states had indulged in bitter exchange of words over supplying water to Haryana over and above its quota from Bhakra dam in May. Punjab had refused to release even a drop extra and a high drama had ensued when the chairperson of Bhakra Beas Management Board was locked up in a rest house at Nangal. Later, the Centre had announced to deploy CISF at the dam. Punjab government is now squabbling with Centre over the deployment of the central security forces stating that Punjab Police is capable of protecting its dams.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Page sequencing error: SC directs manual evaluation of NEET-UG aspirant's answer script
New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the manual evaluation of the answer script of a NEET-UG 2025 aspirant, who alleged erroneous page sequencing in his question paper. Page sequencing error: SC directs manual evaluation of NEET-UG aspirant's answer script A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan ordered the result of evaluation to be placed on record. "He will have the satisfaction of getting his papers manually checked," the bench said. The aspirant said claimed wrong sequencing of pages in the NEET-UG question paper. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, appearing for the respondents, put of a copy of the question paper on record to explain that the mistake arose due to incorrect stapling. "However, in order to satisfy ourselves, we direct that the petitioner's paper shall be evaluated manually and the result of the evaluation be placed on the record. The said exercise shall be carried out within a period of one week," the bench said. Dave said stapling of question paper was a manual exercise. "The least that could be done is to give the questions in seriatim," the bench said. It added, "Look at the panic of the candidate. It is not an ordinary exam." The law officer said only semi-skilled or semi-literate people were employed for the stapling work. "If we give it to a literate person and if he staples it, we know for sure that one or two questions he can memorise and they can go out," she said, calling it a "rarest of rare" instance. The bench, however, remarked that "17-18 year old" students were dying by suicide. "Please don't try to justify," the top court said and posted the hearing for August 12. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Suicide and the burden of social responsibility
The recent pronouncement by the Supreme Court in Sukdeb Saha v. The State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors. (2025 INSC 893) transcends the confines of a mere legal dispute; it serves as an urgent call for introspection. While directly addressing the tragic death of 17-year-old girl who enrolled in a coaching student preparing for the NEET examination at Aakash Byju's Institute, Vishakhapatnam, the judgment is structured into two primary parts. Part A addresses the specific factual circumstances of X's death and the investigation, while Part B delves into the broader societal issue of student suicides and proposes interim guidelines observing with gravitas that the very "soul of education appears to have been distorted". The Court critiques the contemporary academic paradigm, especially the rigorous competitive examination systems, for fostering a "high-stakes race" where the "joy of learning" is supplanted by "anxiety over rankings", and "failure" is perceived "as a devastating end". The court further lamented that instead of fostering "dignity, confidence, and purpose," education has transformed into a 'pressure-laden path toward narrowly defined goals of achievement, status, and economic security," replacing the "joy of learning" with "anxiety over rankings, results, and relentless performance metrics". Vaccination (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The Court emphasised that mental health is an integral component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, reinforced by India's international human rights obligations. It alludes to philosophical insights from Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Émile and Jiddu Krishnamurti's Education and the Significance of Life to underscore that true education should be holistic, nurturing reason, autonomy, emotional well-being, and integrated intelligence, rather than fostering fear, competition, or conformity. The current system, the Court argues, is a tragic deviation from these ideals. The disturbing statistics cited in the judgement from the NCRB Accidental Deaths and Suicides report, 2022 are a grim testament to this crisis: India recorded approximately 13,044 student suicides in 2022, with 2,248 attributed directly to examination failure. This number has more than doubled from 5,425 in 2001 to 13,044 in 2022. The Court reiterated the phrase "suicide epidemic" given in Amit Kumar & Ors. vs Union of India & Ors. (2025 INSC 384) to describe this alarming rise, attributing a majority of these deaths to "unbearable pressure imposed upon students by institutional and societal expectations". Emile Durkheim, the French sociologist and pioneer in the study of suicide, argued that suicide is a social fact shaped by collective forces rather than individual pathology alone. In India, several key social factors contribute significantly to suicide trends, including the disintegration of families, weakening of social bonds, the isolation that often accompanies urbanisation, property disputes, medical illness, examination stress, and failure in romantic relationships. The Union Government had taken several preventive measures to address student suicides. In 2023, the ministry of education released the UMMEED Guidelines to sensitise schools and identify at-risk students and launched MANODARPAN under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Yojna to provide mental health support through helplines, counselling, and digital resources. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022), introduced by the ministry of health, adopted a multi-sectoral approach focused on youth. Responding to rising student suicides, especially in hubs like Kota and Hyderabad, the Supreme Court directed the formation of a National Task Force on Student Mental Health, chaired by Justice (retd) Ravindra Bhat, to identify root causes and recommend reforms. The Court, invoking Article 21, recognised mental health as integral to the right to life, dignity, and autonomy. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 further decriminalised suicide attempts, presuming severe stress and mandating State care and rehabilitation instead of punishment. India's obligations under international frameworks such as International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and WHO's Mental Health Action Plan reinforced its duty to protect mental health. However, despite these efforts, a unified and enforceable national framework for student suicide prevention remained absent making urgent, coordinated action imperative, especially in high-stress educational environments. Recognising a legislative and regulatory vacuum and the urgency of the crisis, the Court, drawing parallels with the Vishaka Guidelines, issued interim guidelines under Article 32 read with 141 of the Constitution to establish a preventive, remedial, and supportive framework for mental health protection and suicide prevention across all educational institutions. These guidelines include mandates directing all educational institutions in India including schools, colleges, universities, coaching centres, and hostels, regardless of affiliation, to adopt uniform mental health policies; appointment of qualified counsellors in establishments with over 100 students, optimal student-to-counsellor ratios and mentorship during academic transitions; prohibition of unethical academic practices like batch segregation and public shaming; prominent display of suicide helpline numbers; inclusive engagement with marginalised students; confidential grievance mechanisms for harassment and bullying with accountability for institutional inaction; regular parental sensitisation programmes; and a focus on holistic development through extracurricular activities and exam reforms to reduce academic pressure. Suicide is a mirror held up to society, reflecting the deepest anxieties and failures that a person faces. This advocates for a call to action for policymakers, so that through interventions, a deeper connection, compassion, and a sense of community can be formed trying to heal the social fabric and bring hope to those who feel most alone. It also calls for the promotion of teaching well-being and happiness through education, empathy, emotional literacy, and destigmatised dialogue. This article is authored by Jisu Ketan Pattanaik, assistant professor, sociology and Sumit Kumar Singh, research assistant, National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Maharashtra will file review petition to bring back elephant Madhuri from Vantara: Fadnavis
Responding to strong public sentiment in favour of the return of Madhuri, the female elephant belonging to a Math in the Kolhapur district, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Tuesday the state government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court to bring her back from Vantara in Gujarat. Following widespread protests across Kolhapur against Madhuri's rehabilitation—also known as Mahadevi—to the Vantara facility from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt, CM Fadnavis convened a meeting with top ministers and stakeholders to discuss the issue. Vantara is a state-of-the-art animal rescue centre run by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation. The controversy arose in July when the Bombay High Court ordered the rehabilitation of the ailing elephant, which was housed in the Nandani Math in Shirol taluka, based on a petition by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The Supreme Court had also upheld the decision of the Bombay High Court subsequently. 'Considering the traditions of Nandani Math and the sentiments of the local people, efforts will be made to bring back Madhuri through a legal process. Madhuri has been in Nandani Math for the last 34 years, and there is a public sentiment that Madhuri should return to Nandani Math. Keeping this public sentiment in mind, the state government will file a review petition,' said Fadnavis. 'The Math should also include the state government in its petition. Also, a separate detailed position will be presented in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Forest Department,' he added. Fadnavis said once Madhuri is brought back, the government will set up a dedicated team, including a veterinarian, to care for her and provide any necessary support. 'If necessary, arrangements like a rescue centre will be made, and facilities will be provided accordingly. A request will also be made through the state government in this petition to appoint an independent committee by the Supreme Court to investigate the matters,' the chief minister said. Fadnavis said criminal charges against protesters would be withdrawn. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the Forest Department should collect information about all the elephants taken out of Maharashtra. Congress MLC Satej Patil said his party stands with the local people on the issue, and believes that the female elephant, who is an integral part of the math, should be returned. Former Lok Sabha lawmaker Raju Shetti said a conspiracy was hatched to snatch the female elephant from the math. 'Several mutts in Maharashtra and Karnataka are getting notices to take away the elephants. This has to be stopped and probed,' said Shetti. On July 30, when the team from Vantara came to transport Madhuri, there was an outpour of grief by residents, who refused to allow the vehicle to move.
