Jaipur, Feb 6: Cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park will soon be able to move freely into Rajasthan, as a new wildlife corridor is in the works, state Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma confirmed this to media.

“A corridor will be developed to connect Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allowing free movement of tigers and cheetahs between the two states. With this, cheetahs from Kuno will be able to enter Rajasthan naturally,” Sharma said.

The project will be jointly monitored by both state governments, with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) set to be signed soon in the presence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

The corridor, spanning approximately 6,500 square km, will stretch from Dholpur to Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary, facilitating a more natural habitat for the big cats.

India’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction program saw eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi released into Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, marking the species’ return to the country.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released five more cheetahs into the wild at Kuno on Wednesday. Among them was Veera, a female cheetah who gave birth to two cubs on February 4. The other released cheetahs included Asha and her three cubs. Additionally, two cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, have been roaming freely since their release on International Cheetah Day, December 4, 2024.

Officials confirmed that Rajasthan was originally considered as a site for the relocated cheetahs, but due to logistical challenges, they were moved to Madhya Pradesh instead. However, the upcoming corridor will now ease movement for the animals, reducing the efforts required to track them as they frequently cross state borders.

This corridor will be a win-win for both the cheetahs and wildlife authorities, ensuring a seamless and safer habitat for the species, officials said.

New Delhi, Feb 6: With Gujarat government forming a committee to study the modalities for drafting and implementing a law on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), many Parliamentarians from Uttar Pradesh have welcomed the move and are also rallying support for a similar legislation in their state.

SP Singh Baghel, the Union Minister of State (MoS), representing Agra LS constituency, has emerged as the leading face to offer support to the law.

“This was in our manifesto, so it was implemented. Everything else in the manifesto will also be implemented. The country cannot run on tribal customs, it will function only according to the Constitution and the laws enacted by Parliament. A truly equal society will be achieved only when the UCC is implemented,” the Union Minister emphasized.

Many BJP MPs from the state made similar assertions on the law, that has evoked fierce resistance from the Opposition parties, with the latter accusing the Centre and BJP-ruled states of bulldozing the rights of minorities with such legislations.

BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar expressed confidence that Uttar Pradesh would soon follow Gujarat’s lead.

“UCC will come in UP also. The states being ruled by nationalist and patriotic parties, which are working to fulfil the Prime Minister’s resolution of Viksit Bharat, will implement it,” he told IANS.

Backing the call for UCC, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma and former UP CM told media, “This is a good start, and it will be better for states to adopt it as soon as possible.”

Many UP lawmakers argued that a uniform legal framework is essential for creating a “truly equal society.”

Echoing the sentiment, UP BJP MP Asim Arun pointed out that the concept of a Uniform Civil Code was envisioned by B. R. Ambedkar and is also enshrined in the Constitution.

“Baba Saheb Ambedkar gave this instruction; it is not just in the resolution of BJP but also in the Constitution. The previous party saw it as appeasement and thought it would cause harm.”

“Everyone should have equal rights, whether male or female. I thank Uttarakhand’s double-engine government for taking the first step forward. The UP government is also planning on this,” he added.

Speaking to IANS, Ravi Kishan, the BJP Parliamentarian from Gorakhpur LS seat, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to fulfilling its promises including UCC.

“There is no difference between BJP and PM Modi’s actions and words. Wherever there is a need and demand for it, it will definitely be implemented,” he said.

The UCC aims to replace religion-based personal laws with a single legal framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and maintenance for all citizens.

The objective is to establish “one nation, one law,” ensuring legal uniformity regardless of religious beliefs. Article 44 of the Indian Constitution calls upon the state to work towards securing a Uniform Civil Code across the country.

Currently, Goa is the only Indian state that follows a Uniform Civil Code, having inherited it from the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867. In Goa, personal laws do not vary based on religion, and all citizens adhere to a common civil framework.

In 2024, Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to implement UCC, setting a precedent for others to follow. The Uttarakhand UCC Bill covers marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, and property rights while banning polygamy and ensuring gender equality. Following Uttarakhand’s lead, Gujarat is now poised to become the second state in India to implement UCC.

New Delhi, Feb 6: The Congress on Thursday submitted adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha, demanding an urgent discussion on the deportation of over 100 illegal Indian immigrants by the United States (US) and urged the Centre to clarify its stance and outline diplomatic efforts being made to ensure the dignified treatment of deported individuals.

The Indian nationals who were deported from the US for illegally arriving in the country on Wednesday claimed that they were sent back on the military aircraft with their hands and legs cuffed throughout the journey.

Congress MPs KC Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, and Manickam Tagore moved the motions, stressing the need to “urgently address the issue to prevent further dehumanisation” and to “uphold the dignity” of the deported Indians.

Venugopal, in his adjournment motion, called for a discussion on the “ongoing abrupt deportations of illegal Indian immigrants by the US government.”

The motion urged the Centre to clarify its stance and outline diplomatic efforts being made to ensure the dignified treatment of deported individuals.

“This crisis underscores the need for strong policies to prevent illegal migration and create structured legal avenues for those seeking employment abroad.

“There is an urgent need for intervention to dismantle human trafficking networks, provide financial and social reintegration support to deportees, and establish transparent migration frameworks to protect Indians from such predicaments in the future,” Venugopal added.

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, also submitted an adjournment motion, describing the deportations as “deeply distressing and humiliating.”

Similarly, Congress whip Manickam Tagore sought a discussion on the “inhumane deportation of Indian nationals by the United States” and urged the government to take necessary steps to prevent their mistreatment abroad.

The development comes a day after a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar on Wednesday.

The deportees included 33 people each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and two from Chandigarh. Among them were 25 women and 12 minors, the youngest being just four-years-old.

The US military C-17 aircraft, which took off from Texas on Tuesday, landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport amid tight security. The flight also carried 11 crew members and 45 US officials overseeing the deportation process.

This was the first round of deportations under the Trump administration, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Washington next week — his first after Donald Trump’s re-election as US President.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had earlier stated that India is open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including in the US.

He conveyed India’s readiness to accept these migrants post-verification to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.

President Trump had announced the crackdown last month, stating, “For the first time in history, we are locating and loading illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to the places from which they came.”

Meanwhile, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the deportations, arguing that many of these individuals had contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency instead of being sent back.

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 7,25,000 illegal immigrants from India live in the US, making it the third-largest population of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador.

Many of those facing deportation from Punjab had entered the US through illegal routes, spending lakhs of rupees in the process.

With Trump’s administration intensifying its crackdown on illegal immigration, uncertainty looms over the fate of thousands of Indians living without legal status in the US.