Forex reserves decline by USD 2.36 bn to USD 583.53 bn
Mumbai, (PTI): India's forex reserves declined by USD 2.36 billion to USD 583.53 billion during the week ended October 20, according to the Reserve Bank of India data.
In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had increased by USD 1.153 billion to USD 585.895 billion.
In October 2021, the country's forex kitty reached an all-time high of USD 645 billion. The reserves took a hit as the central bank deployed the reserves to defend the rupee amid pressures caused majorly by global developments since last year.
For the week ended October 20, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, decreased by USD 4.15 billion to USD 515.2 billion, according to the Weekly Statistical Supplement released by the RBI.
Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.
Gold reserves were up by USD 1.85 billion to USD 45.42 billion during the week, the RBI said.
The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were down by USD 70 million to USD 17.93 billion, the apex bank said.
India's reserve position with the IMF increased by USD 6 million to USD 4.98 billion in the reporting week, the apex bank data showed.
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Justice Nirzar Desai of Gujarat HC questions ban on videography inside police station
video goes viral
Ahmedabad: A video of Justice Nirzar S Desai of the Gujarat High Court sharply questioning the state government over the legality of prohibiting videography inside police stations has gone viral on social media, reigniting the debate on citizens' rights and police accountability.
In a pointed exchange during court proceedings, Justice Desai asked the state’s lawyer:
"Tell me under which section videography is prohibited. Today we are living in an era of transparency. Assuming police are doing something illegal and a citizen intends to videograph it – which provision of law empowers you to stop someone from taking videography? Under which provision of law have you stopped the accused from video recording?"
The video has sparked widespread public interest, especially in the context of earlier legal interpretations around filming inside police premises.
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Background: Courts on videography in police stations
The question of whether video recording inside a police station is a punishable offence has previously been addressed by the Bombay High Court. In Ravindra Shitalrao Upadyay v. State of Maharashtra (2022 SCC OnLine Bom 2015), the Aurangabad bench ruled that such recording does not fall under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, which deals with spying. The court noted that police stations are not categorized as "prohibited places" under Section 2(8) of the Act. Therefore, secretly recording inside a police station cannot be treated as an offence under the Official Secrets Act.
