India names 59-member team for Asian Athletics C'ships in Korea; Neeraj Chopra to skip
New Delhi, Apr 25 (PTI): India on Friday named a 59-member team for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea with star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra expectedly skipping the event while almost all those who had excelled in the just-concluded Federation Cup in Kochi making the cut.
Double Olympic medallist Chopra missing the event was on expected lines as his focus this season will be the Diamond League Meetings and the World Championships in September, besides the NC Classic which he is hosting in Bengaluru on May 24.
He has not competed in the continental showpiece since the 2017 edition in Bhubaneswar where he won a gold. Since then, his focus has remained on the DL Meetings, World Championships and Olympics.
National record holder shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who had won gold in the last edition of the continental championships, was omitted from the squad after he finished a disappointing second in the Federation Cup.
Pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena also missed the bus despite re-writing his own national record as his effort was below the Asian Championships qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India.
But others such as Avinash Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (women's 3000m steeplechase) and Gulveer Singh (5000m and 10000m) have been included in the squad even though they did not take part in the Federation Cup, as they were training and competing abroad after taking AFI’s permission.
Also featuring in the squad for the May 27-31 Asian Championships in Gumi are sprinter Animesh Kujur, who set a new 200m national record, and triple jumper Praveen Chitravel, who equalled his own NR during the Federation Cup.
National record holder in women's javelin throw, Annu Rani would consider herself to be lucky to make it to the squad as she has been struggling for some time to reach the 60m mark.
The 32-year-old did a 60.68m in May 2024 and since then she has been struggling. This year, she produced a 58.82m effort at the Indian Open Throws Competition in Mumbai in March before winning gold with a 56.66m throw -- far below the Asian Championships qualifying distance of 58m -- on Thursday in the Federation Cup.
The Federation Cup (April 21-24) was the last selection event for the Asian Championships and the AFI had made it mandatory for all the athletes -- except who got exemptions -- to compete in it if they want to be picked for the continental championships.
In the last edition in Bangkok, India had finished third behind Japan and China with 27 medals -- 6 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze.
India’s squad:
Men: Animesh Kujur (200m), Anu Kumar and Krishan Kumar (800m), Yoonus Shah (1500m), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh and Abhishek Pal (5000m), Gulveer Singh and Sawan Barwal (10,000m), Praveen Chithravel and Abudlla Aboobacker (triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Sachin Yadav and Yasvir Singh (javelin throw), Samardeep Singh (shot put), Tejaswin Shankar (decathlon), Servin Sebastian and Amit (20km race walk).
4x100m relay: Pranav Pramod Gurav, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar, Amlan Borgohain, Tamilarasu S, Ragul Kumar G, Gurvindervir Singh.
4x400m relay: Vishal TK, Jay Kumar, Manu TS, Rince Joseph, Tushar Manna, Santhosh Kumar, Dharamveer Choudhary, Mohit Kumar.
Women: Nithya Gandhe (200m), Rupal Chaudhary and Vithya Ramraj (400m), Twinkle Chaudhary and Pooja (800m), Lili Das and Pooja (1500m), Parul Chaudhary and Ankita (3000m steeplechase), Sanjivani Jadav and Parul Chaudhary (5000m), Sanjivani Jadhav and Seema (10,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), R Vithya Ramraj and Anu R (400m), Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan (long jump), Pooja (high jump), Seema (discus throw), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Agsara Nandini (heptathlon).
4x100m relay: Nithya Gandhe, Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, Srabani Nanda, Daneshwari AT, V Sudheeksha.
4x400m relay: Rupal Chaudhary, Sneha K, Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew, Kunja Rajitha, Sarndramol Sabu.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
