Friday, December 11, 1998
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Air Marshal's ACR: Sareen's remarks
deleted NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Defence Ministry has struck down the last ditch effort made by the Chief of Air Staff to pass on the responsibility for the agitation late last year by the ground staff of the force against the anomalies in the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. Bill on allowances to judges moved NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — A Bill seeking to enhance house rent allowance and pension for judges of the Supreme Court and high courts and to provide other benefits was today introduced in the Lok Sabha. |
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CJI: take up challenge of human
rights NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Chief Justice of India urged the citizens to take up the most urgent challenge of human rights while speaking at a function held by the National Human Rights Commission today to mark Human Rights Day.
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Raise farm scientists’ pay: panel 62 as retirement age suggested NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Chadha Committee, constituted by the Agriculture Ministry to recommend the pay package for agricultural scientists and teachers, yesterday recommended a substantial pay hike besides suggesting an increase in retirement age to 62 years from 60 years. HC seeks
information on quackery Bill Symposiums
on concrete technology in Feb 3 of
Birju gang held |
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Air
Marshal's ACR NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Defence Ministry has struck down the last ditch effort made by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen, to pass on the responsibility for the agitation late last year by the ground staff of the force against the anomalies in the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. In an apparent bid to pass on the buck for being unable to control the agitation, which had also reflected the Indian Air Force in bad light, the Chief of Air Staff had passed adverse remarks in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of Air Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command. The Defence Ministry has however struck off these adverse remarks from the personal file of Air Marshal Krishnaswamy on the argument that the officer concerned had not been informed about the remarks made by Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen. Highly placed sources in the Defence Ministry confirmed that the adverse remarks passed by the Air Chief in the ACR of Air Marshal Krishnaswamy, who has an unblemished service record and would be in line to be the Chief of Air Staff after the retirement of the next chief A.Y. Tipnis, had been struck off. While striking off the remarks, which would have seriously damaged the service record and the career prospects of Air Marshal Krishnaswamy, the Ministry informed Air Headquarters that since the officer concerned had not been informed about the same, they were not valid. As per the service rules, the officer concerned has to be informed about the adverse remarks passed in his ACR so that he could also put forward his case and his arguments in regard to the remarks passed against him by his senior officer. A final decision is taken only after going through the explanations of both sides. According to sources, the CAS, who is in charge of completing the ACRs of a number of high ranking Air Force officers, had held Air Marshal Krishnaswamy responsible for being unable to control the agitation by the ground staff at the Bangalore station, which comes under the direct command of the latter. These remarks passed in the ACR were however not communicated to Air Marshal Krishnaswamy, who, according to Air Headquarters sources had a blemishless career record. Since the adverse remarks passed in the ACRs of the senior officers have also to be communicated to the Defence Ministry, the officials there took objection when they were informed that Air Marshal Krishnaswamy had not been informed about the remarks passed against him. The Ministry finally struck off the remarks from the Air Marshal’s ACR. Incidentally, the agitation which had also seen airmen coming out in the open at other stations besides Bangalore, had also brought out varying reactions from Air Headquarters. The effects of the agitations had been strongly felt in Bangalore, Bhuj, Jodhpur, Chandigarh and also Hindon. While the Commanding Officers of the Air Force stations at Bhuj and Jodhpur had been summarily transferred immediately after the agitation, holding them responsible for being unable to control the agitation, there was no action against the Commanding Officers of other stations. Similarly, now while Air Marshal Krishnaswamy was held responsible for being unable to control the agitation, there were apparently no adverse remarks passed against Air Marshal Vinod Patney, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, under whom the Chandigarh and Hindon Air Force stations fall. The Indian Air Force had seen an unprecedented agitation initially from the chopper and transport pilots following major disparities in pay scales arising out of the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. This agitation was followed by a major agitation by the ground staff of the Air Force, which also saw them come out in the open and shouting slogans. The Defence Ministry had
later also set up a high powered committee to look into
the growing discontent in the Armed Forces specially in
the IAF. The committee under the Defence Secretary, Mr
Ajit Kumar, was to look into the anomalies arising from
the implementation of the revised pay scales and
allowances for the three forces. |
CJI: take up challenge of
human rights NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice A.S. Anand, urged the citizens to take up the most urgent challenge of human rights while speaking at a function held by the National Human Rights Commission today to mark Human Rights Day. The day also marks the end of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Mr Justice Anand said these challenges lay in areas of maternal and child care, education of children, child labour, child abuse and protection of minorities and weaker sections of society. While stressing the need to streamline the criminal justice system and protection of citizens from custodial violence, Mr Justice Anand said, "Unless human rights are made the focal point in good governance, no progress is either possible or sustainable as no amount of economic development can be sustained without a baseline of respect for human rights." He said the ultimate glory for law and justice, the courts and the judges is when they protect the human rights of the citizens. Referring to the UDHR, Mr Justice Anand said at the threshold of the new millennium, no country could look back on its own record of human rights of this century with any sense of pride. In his welcome address, Justice M.N. Venkatachalliah, Chairman of the NHRC, stressed the importance of a civil society in bringing about change in the country. He said that the learning and wisdom of a civil society should be used to influence the governance of the country. In his message read out on the occasion, the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan said, "Today is the day to recall not only the rights attained over the 50 years but also the rights denied; to pursue the achievement of justice by all and for all; to defend against the abuse of human rights with greater vigilance than ever and to pursue the violators of human rights with greater persistence than ever." The Deputy Chairman of the
Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma Heptullah, spoke on
‘Women’s rights are human rights’ and Dr
L.M. Singhvi, MP, aired his views on ‘Human rights
and implications for social and economic policy.’ |
Bill on allowances to judges moved NEW DELHI, Dec 10 (PTI) — A Bill seeking to enhance house rent allowance and pension for judges of the Supreme Court and high courts and to provide some other benefits to them was today introduced in the Lok Sabha. Keeping in view the steep increase in the market rent of houses, it is proposed to raise the house rent allowance (HRA) to Rs 10,000 a month. Currently the Supreme Court and high court judges get HRA of Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 a month, respectively, if they are not availing of the official accommodation. The Bill, introduced by Law Minister M. Thambi Durai, points out that although there had been a sharp increase in the market rent of houses, the allowances payable to the judges in lieu of official residence, has remained static since 1986. The rates of pension of judges were last revised in November 1986. The Fifth Central Pay Commission recommended revision in the pensionary benefits of the central government employees, including members of the All-India Services. The revised pension rules came into force on January 1, 1996. In view of this, a necessity is felt to increase the pension, additional pension and maximum pension of the judges suitably. It is also proposed to enhance the entitlement of family pension from 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the pension admissible to a judge up to the age of 65 years and thereafter from 25 per cent to 30 per cent of his pension subject to a minimum of Rs 1,275 per month. In the case of a judge who has been elevated from the Bar, he would be entitled to death-cum-retirement gratuity amounting to 20 days’ salary for each completed year of service. It provides for removal of
ceiling of Rs 8,000 per annum as special additional
pension to the judges of the Supreme Court and high
courts. |
No plan to reduce Army’s size NEW DELHI, Dec 10 (PTI) — There is no proposal to reduce the strength of the Army by eight divisions, as reported by the media, Defence Minister George Fernandes informed the Lok Sabha today. Website: There are no confirmed reports about the ISI activists having attempted to hijack the defence website though their involvement in the incident cannot be ruled out, he said in a written reply. To prevent recurrence of such incidents, he said ‘Internic’ has been advised not to change the site parameters without verifying its bona fides, besides installation of a security lock on the site. Missile: The government is aware of Pakistani claims about the payload capacity and range of its missiles as well as the varying estimates of these parameters by independent experts, he said. The Defence Minister said Pakistan’s nuclear weapons as well as their means of delivery have always been a matter of concern for India. Troops: Pakistan made ten attempts at capturing Indian posts on the Saltoro range in the west of Siachen glacier during the last six months and lost 14 soldiers, Mr Fernandes said. China: The Defence Minister said there are no authenticated reports to indicate that China is building a pre-emptive military strike capability on its border with India. However, he said China is known to have intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBM) of range varying from 600 km to 4,750 km and 20 ICBMs with a range of 13,000 km. Pokhran: To another question he said the government had taken all necessary precautionary measures before the Pokhran nuclear tests conducted in May, 1998 and surveys taken after the explosion conclusively indicated that no radiation was released into the atmosphere. Ship: A proposal for indigenous construction of an aircraft carrier as replacement for INS Vikrant is under consideration, Mr Fernandes said adding that the cost of the proposed ship is estimated to be about Rs 1700 crore at 1996 prices. He said there have been time and cost overruns in respect of indigenous construction of war-ships mainly due to delay in the receipt of military hardware by shipyards because of the breakdown of the Soviet Union and scarcity of resources. Air Force: He said the striking power of the Indian Air Force has not been declining but in order to maintain and enhance its air strike capability a number of steps have been taken in view of current and future threat perceptions. JCO: One
JCO and two other military men have been reported missing
from the Uri sector since October 21, 1998 and another
army man from the Kargil sector since October 17, he
said. |
Raise farm scientists’ pay:
panel NEW DELHI, Dec 10 (PTI) — The Chadha Committee, constituted by the Agriculture Ministry to recommend the pay package for agricultural scientists and teachers, yesterday recommended a substantial pay hike besides suggesting an increase in retirement age to 62 years from 60 years. The committee recommended that agriculture and allied science education should be treated on a par with technical education and suggested similar pay scales for teachers and scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state agricultural universities as notified by the government for university teachers. It has suggested that deputy directors-general, directors of deemed universities and national professors should get a scale of Rs 24,050 to Rs 26,000, an official Press note said here. For research management positions such as directors, project directors, assistant directors-general, the committee has recommended a separate scale of Rs 18,400 to Rs 22,400. The committee, headed by Dr K.L. Chadha, ICAR National Professor, also recommended the creation of posts of librarian in the scale of Rs 16,400 to Rs 22,400 for each of the deemed universities. It recommended implementation of the new pay scales with effect from January 1, 1998 with the arrears to be paid in one instalment during the period 1998-99. The Chadha Committee has suggested career advancement based on flexible complementing scheme within the pay scales announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for university teachers. The residency period required for moving from the entry level (Rs 8,000 to Rs 13,500) to the next level of scientists (senior scale, Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000) should be kept as five years for M.Sc (agriculture) and four years for Ph.D holders, the report said. The residency period at the level of senior scientist to principal scientist in the scale of Rs 16,400 to Rs 22,400 be kept as eight years, it suggested. The retirement age of agricultural scientists and teachers has been recommended to be increased from 60 to 62 years. It has also suggested adoption of University Grants Commission (UGC) provision of reemployment of scientists up to 65 years. The committee has also recommended to create posts of registrar, comptroller and finance officer and controller of examinations in the deemed universities on a par with the UGC recommended pay scales. The committee has recommended that agricultural scientists and teachers be given non-consultancy allowance on a par with that given to veterinary scientists. It has also suggested review of assessment procedure of the scientists/teachers for adoption of career advance scheme. The report further said pay scales and career advancement schemes recommended for the ICAR may be adopted in toto by all state agricultural universities. The committee said that for posts of project coordinators, heads of divisions, heads of regional stations, joint directors and zonal coordinators, scientists and professors, a lumpsum amount of Rs 1,500 per month should be paid as supervisory allowance. The concept on which the
committee has recommended the pay package in the report
is based on the distinctness of agricultural scientists
and teachers from their counterparts in the conventional
universities in terms of stringent selection procedures,
more number of years spent in education and multifarious
responsibilities of research and teaching, the note said. |
HC seeks information on
quackery Bill NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Delhi Government was today asked by the Delhi High Court to inform it by December 18 the exact position of the Quackery Prohibition Bill before the Delhi Assembly. While seeking suggestions from the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) for curbing the activities of quacks in the Capital, a Division Bench of Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice K. Ramamoorthy directed state government counsel Arvind Nigam to find out whether the Bill had lapsed. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by DMA, seeking direction to the state government to take stern action against 30,000 quacks playing with the lives of people in the city. DMA counsel Devendra Singh said despite a specific order by the High Court earlier, the authorities had failed to take action against quacks who were continuing their practice. Contesting petitioner's claim, Mr Nigam drew court's attention to the August 4 affidavit of the Director of Health of the Delhi Government giving details of actions taken by it. He said squads, comprising police crime branch personnel and drug inspectors, examined two lists of unqualified medical practitioners containing 459 names. Of the 83 medical practitioners visited by the squads, 33 were found having no formal qualification, he said. He further said most of the clinics were either found closed or converted into general merchant shops. However, some of the clinics were found to be run by the qualified medical practitioners, Mr Nigam said. The court, during arguments, said it seemed that the government was lacking in will to curb quackery. "If there is a clear will on the part of the government, the quacks cannot operate," the Bench observed. Mr Nigam said the police had registered FIRs against five persons and already arrested two of them. In all 13 complaints were forwarded to the crime branch, he said. He said the Quackery Prohibition Bill was referred to a select committee and sought time for placing before the court the exact position of the Bill. He said the Bill provides for up to 10 years imprisonment and heavy fine against a person found to be practising any system of medicine without a formal qualification. Mr Pramod Gupta, counsel for the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), said medical practitioners other than Allopaths, should be allowed to prescribe Allopathic medicines as the Supreme Court had ruled in its October 8 judgement that any practitioner registered with the state medical registrar could also prescribe allopathic medicines. The apex court ruling
would be automatically applicable to qualified Ayurvedic
practitioners in Delhi after passage of the Delhi
Bharatiya Chikitsa Parishad Bill, 1998, he said. |
Symposiums on concrete technology in
Feb NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — Two international symposiums on latest development in the field of concrete technology, including materials for sustainable development in the 21st century are being held in Hyderabad and New Delhi in February next year. Briefing newspersons about the twin symposiums, the HUDCO Chairman, Mr V.Suresh, said with the rapid depletion of mineral and energy resources, developing countries such as India were vulnerable to resource crunch. In the 21st century the concrete industry will be under pressure to fulfil the two conflicting needs of the human society, namely the protection of environment and meeting of the enormous infrastructural requirements of an increasingly industrialised and urbanised world, Mr Suresh said. The HUDCO Chairman pointed out and added that recent research has shown that low water-cement ratio lasts more than the concrete mixture made with blended cement containing 60 to 70 per cent fly ash or slag by mass. In developing countries
like India an ability to supplement Portland cement with
large amounts of pozzolanic byproducts will help to meet
the infrastructural goals in a sustainable way, Mr Suresh
stressed. |
3 of Birju gang held NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Delhi Police crime branch arrested three members of Birju gang, of Delhi from Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute in North-West Delhi. Sleuths of the crime
branch received information that the gangsters had a plan
to attack a businessman at the Lawrence Road industrial
area in North-West district. The sleuths laid a trap and
arrested them. They were identified as Rakesh Gupta alias
Bobby alias Jumroo, Vikas alias Rahul alias Tula and
Sunil alias Sandeep, the police said. |
'Mahurat' of Punjabi serial NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Punjab Minister of State for Information and Public Relations, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, performed the 'mahurat' of a tele-serial, 'Udik', sponsored by the Punjabi World Channel, here today. A presentation of Gurdev Films, the serial has been produced and directed by S Kesar. The 'mahurat' was attended
by Mr Kishor Motiani, and Mr Pavan Malhotra, Chairman and
Managing Director, respectively, of the channel. |
Canada’s move hailed NEW DELHI, Dec 10 —
The Chairman of the Anti-Terrorist Front, Mr Maninderjit
Singh Bitta, today welcomed the Canadian
government’s decision to declare the LTTE and some
Sikh extremist outfits as ‘terrorist
organisations.’ |
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| Naushad strikes the eighth
note MUMBAI: Naushad Ali known for his mastery over the seven notes in the Indian classical music on Wednesday revealed a hitherto unknown facet of his creative personality by announcing the launch of ‘Aathwan Sur’ (the eighth note), a collection of eight ghazals penned by him. Speaking at a special launch function here, the noted music director recollected his happy carefree days spent in Lucknow the ‘cradle’ of art and culture. ‘Aathwan Sur’ sung by well-known classical singer Hariharan and Preeti Uttam are based on ragaas like pahadi megh and marwa. — PTI Rail fare discount for
elderly Rajasthan cuts
retirement age Flight changes for
today DU degrees for
Kalam, Amartya, Amjad Ali |
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