Chilean President Boric Begins State Visit to India; SC to Hear Plea on Places of Worship Act

Chilean President Gabriel Boric is set to begin a five-day state visit to India on Tuesday, his first official visit since assuming office. The visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss issues of mutual interest on the global stage. The two leaders will hold discussions on Tuesday, and later, Boric is scheduled to meet with President Droupadi Murmu.

In a separate development, President Murmu is also set to visit Mumbai on Tuesday to attend the closing ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), according to an official statement.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal on Tuesday, offering a comprehensive database covering social, economic, and fiscal parameters of Indian states spanning three decades, up to the financial year 2022-23.

Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Places of Worship Act

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging the validity of a provision in the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which mandates that the religious character of a place of worship must remain as it was on August 15, 1947.

As per the cause list for April 1, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar will hear the matter. The law prohibits changing the religious character of any place of worship, but the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute at Ayodhya was kept outside its purview.

The plea seeks the Court’s intervention to allow judicial determination of a place’s original religious character. It challenges Section 4(2) of the Act, which bars legal proceedings to change the religious character and prohibits new cases on the matter. The petitioners argue that the Act permits changes to the “structure, edifice, or building” but does not stop scientific surveys to determine the original religious character.

Earlier in February, the Supreme Court expressed its dissatisfaction with the frequent filing of petitions concerning the 1991 Act and indicated that a three-judge bench would hear the pending petitions in April.

Parliament to Reconvene; Amended Waqf Bill Expected to be Tabled

Parliament will reconvene on Tuesday after the weekend and Eid holidays, with the government preparing to table the amended Waqf Bill. Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated on Monday that the government is ready to introduce the bill, but the timing will be decided after consultations once Parliament meets. The ongoing Budget session is scheduled to conclude on April 4, and the Bill must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to become law.

The Opposition has strongly opposed the Bill, calling it unconstitutional and detrimental to the Muslim community. However, Rijiju accused some political factions of spreading falsehoods to mislead society and stir tensions, asserting that the Bill benefits Muslims.