Monday, September 20, 1999
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World biophysics
conference begins Army called in flood-hit MP, death
toll 7 |
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No right to quota
promotions: SC Central varsities stir on Sept 23 India to ‘crush’
Laden’s plans Cong observer for Pilibhit |
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World biophysics conference begins NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (PTI) — An international conference on biophysics, where scientists would share their views on molecular mechanism of living systems to get a better insight into complicated diseases, was inaugurated here today. Over 600 scientists from 50 countries will participate in the six-day conference to discuss the latest research and development in the field of biophysics, said G. Govil, a senior biophysicist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and Chairman of the national organizing committee. Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the conference, hosted by India for the first time, is being held under the joint auspices of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB), the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the Indian Biophysical Society (IBS). Two 1991 Nobel laureates, Richard Ernst and Erwin Neher, will attend the conference which was inaugurated by G. Mehta, President of the INSA. A strong contingent of 225 Indian scientists would attend the scientific sessions of the conference beginning from tomorrow. Large number of scientists from the USA, Japan, France, UK, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Bangladesh and Nepal would also be present at the conference. Scientists would share their views on the frontline areas of biophysics like individualised medicine, auto-immune diseases, non-invasive diagnosis and molecular mechanism of living systems by looking at a single cell, Vice-Chairman of the organising committee D. Balasubramanium said. The conference also paid
tribute to G.N. Ramachandran, the pioneering Indian
biophysicist who did outstanding research work to
describe protein structures, by releasing a scientific
title. |
Army called in flood-hit MP, death toll 7 BHOPAL, Sept 19 (UNI) — The Army has been called in to help in relief and rescue operations as parts of five districts in Madhya Pradesh continued to reel under serious floods with the Narmada rising further. Official sources said the flood situation was grim in Sehore, Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur, Raisen and Vidisha districts where several villages have been marooned as the rivers and rivulets are in spate. With one more death reported from Badi Kala in Raisen district, the death toll in the current spell of heavy rains triggered due to low depression over the state has risen to seven. Helicopters have been pressed into service to airlift the marooned villagers to safer places. Hundreds have already been shifted to relief camps. Following Chief Minister Digvijay Singh’s directives, the authorities have rushed food, clothes and medicines to the affected people. The administration is also taking all efforts to prevent the outbreak of any disease in the flood-hit areas. Although two columns of the Army and units of Home Guards have been deployed, the administration has sought more Army assistance in view of the deteriorating flood situation. The Narmada was flowing 16 feet above the danger mark because of continuous release of water from Bargi and Tawa dams. According to Central
Water Commission officials, the quantity of water being
released from Bargi and Tawa dams has been reduced, but
the water level in the Narmada was on the rise due to
heavy rainfall in the catchment area. |
Ladakh Scouts get Army
chief’s banner NEW DELHI, Sept 19 — Another golden chapter was added to the rich regimental history of sacrifices, gallantry and courage to the Ladakh Scouts when it became the first ever regiment of the Indian Army to be presented with “Chief of Army Staff’s Banner” by General V.P. Malik in Leh. The “banner” was presented by the Army Chief to Capt Naresh Vishnoi of Ladakh Scouts at an impressive ceremony held at Ibex parade ground at Phyang in Leh yesterday, a release issued by the Army said. Speaking at the function, General Malik praised the Ladakh Scouts for the courage shown by them during Operation Vijay in Chorbatla and Turtuk sectors of Kargil during the conflict with Pakistan. Nunnus, as they are affectionately called, had played a stellar role in the resounding victory of the nation against a well-entrenched and advantageously positioned enemy in difficult terrain and hostile weather conditions. “The country is proud of its valliant soldiers for throwing the (Pakistani) intruders out of every inch in this region,” General Malik told the gathering after a march past by the Ladakh Scouts, which was led by Col R.M.B. Baruah. The Ladakh Scouts, also called ‘Snow Warriors”, has already been awarded with a unit citation after it threw the enemy out from Chorbatla and Turtuk (now called as Haneefuddin sub-sector). The regiment has also been decorated with a Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), four Vir Chakras (VC) and three Sena Medals (SM) for its services rendered during Operation Vijay. Maj Sonam Wangchuk was decorated with the MVC, Subedar Chhering Stobdan, Subedar Lobzang Chhotak (posthumous), Havildar Tsewang Rigzin (posthumous) and Sepoy Tsering Dorjay were given VCs. Naib Sub Tundup Dorje, Hav Ghulam Qadir and Naik Tashi Nurboo were awarded Sena Medals. Later speaking to war widows, Mrs Ranjana Malik, president of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), said it would be ensured that no widow or children of a martyred soldier was neglected. She said jobs would be provided to the wives of those killed during Operation Vijay while education would be provided to their wards. Mrs Malik later distributed sewing machines among the widows and a special gift to seven-year-old Urgan Narbo whose father Lance Naik Lobzang Dongdom had laid down his life while fighting the enemy. The Ladakh Scouts, which
comprises two wings — Karakoram and Indus — had
also received battle honours for recapturing 804 sq km
Chankura territory from the enemy during the 1971 war. |
No right to quota promotions: SC NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (PTI, UNI) — A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that candidates, who got jobs through reservation quota, could not be entitled to seniority over general category employees as a matter of right. “We hold that both Articles 16(4) and 16(4a) do not confer any Fundamental Rights nor do they impose any constitutional duties but are only in the nature of enabling provisions vesting a discretion in the State to consider providing reservation if the circumstances mentioned in these articles so warranted,” the Bench said. Both Articles 16(4) and 16(4A) say though Article 16 provided for “equality of opportunity for all citizens in the matters relating to employment or to appointment to any office under the State”, it would not “prevent the State from making any provision for reservation...”. The bench comprising Chief Justice A.S. Anand, Justice K. Venkataswami, Justice G.B. Pattanaik, Justice S.P. Kurdukar and Justice M.J. Rao held that “in the matter of due representation in service for backward classes and Scheduled Castes and tribes, maintenance of efficieny of administration is of paramount importance.” The judgement written for the Bench by Justice rao, clarified the apex court’s earlier judgement on the issue. Extra-judicial confession In a significant judgement, the Supreme Court has held that extra judicial confession, by itself, if otherwise in conformity with the law, can be treated as substantive evidence and in appropriate cases it can be used to punish an offender. “We, however, hasten to add here that this statement of law stands qualified to the extent that the court should insist on some assuring material or circumstances to treat the same as a piece of substantive evidence,” observed a three-judge Bench, headed by Mr Justice K.T. Thomas, while dismissing an appeal against a judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The two other judges on the Bench were Mr Justice D.R. Mohapatra and Mr Justice U.C. Banerjee. The question involved in the case was the justifiability of an order of acquittal passed by the high court by the reason of lack of probative value of an extra-judicial confession, as found by the high court in an appeal against the conviction and sentence for rape and murder under Section 376 read with Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. The victim, a 10-year-old girl, was allegedly raped and murdered on November 18, 1989. The body was found next morning in the verandah of a building. The accused could not be traced. After 20 days, one Gurdeep Singh, out of sheer remorse, made an extra-judicial confession to Jaspal Singh, a witness in the case, that he in a drunken state had raped and killed the girl. Though there was no direct evidence available on the record so as to attribute the commission of the crime to Gurdeep Singh, it was only on the basis of an extra-judicial confession that the Sessions Judge thought it fit to pass the sentence for life imprisonment, which was reversed by the high court. Turning on to the issue of probative value and total evidenciary impact on the case of the extra-judicial confession, the Supreme Court said that one could not but return a verdict on non-credit worthiness of such a piece of circumstantial evidence. “The delay in recording extra-judicial confession before a person, unconnected with the police, is always a matter of great suspect. In our view the high court was right in rejecting the confessional statement,” it said. Ruling on period of limitation In another significant ruling having bearing on thousands of civil cases, the Supreme Court has held that the period of limitation runs from the date of the decree and not from the date when the decree was actually drawn up and signed by the Judge. “A decree holder does not have the benefit of exclusion of the time taken for obtaining the certified copy of the decree like the appellant who prefers an appeal, much less can he claim to deduct time taken by the court in drawing up and signing the decree,” a Division Bench of the apex court has said. Under the Limitation
Act, execution applications like plaints have to be
presented in the court within the time prescribed by the
Act, the bench comprising Justice K. Venkataswami and
Justice S.S.M. Quadri observed. |
Central universities stir on
Sept 23 NEW DELHI, Sept 19 — The central university teachers would observe one-day token strike on September 23 to protest against the "draconian" measures of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which include a ban on creating and filling up of plan and non-plan posts. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA), which has decided to join the stir, has appealed to the JNU Student Union and Karamchari Sangathan to join the strike. The UGC has imposed a 10 per cent mandatory cut on non-plan and non-salary expenditure, moratorium on all new expenditure and on existing schemes and proposals, the JNUTA said. These measures, the
JNUTA said were a "brutal" assault on higher
education, which had already been a victim of a steady
and pernicious cut in the funds. If enforced, these
restrictions would irrevocably damage universities, the
JNUTA added. |
India to ‘crush’ Laden’s plans BHUBANESWAR, Sept 19 (PTI) — The government today said the Saudi-born Osama bin Laden’s threat to launch Jehad (holy war) and promote religious terrorism in India will be crushed with the same firmness as the country drove back Pakistani aggressors from Kargil. Laden’s threat was yet another instance of religious terrorism and an attempt to disturb the democratic process in India as also communal peace in the country, Union Home Minister L. K. Advani told reporters here. “Terrorist organisations and their foreign patrons are mistaken if they think that India is a soft state that will be deterred by their violent threats and acts,” he said referring to international terrorism mastermind Laden’s reported declaration of ‘Jehad’ against India and the USA. “Laden’s call also contained a threat to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Home Minister said. “This has come in
the wake of stepped-up attacks by ISI-backed terrorist
organisations on Indian security forces and citizens
after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat in Kargil,”
he said adding that “the war in Kargil is over but
Pakistan’s proxy war against India is
continuing.”Laden’s threat, Advani said, and
continued terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and
the North-East once again “reminded the electorate
that the country must have a strong and uncompromisingly
nationalistic government at the Centre to effectively
foil the menace of terrorism and separatism. Advani said
terrorism and religious fundamentalism made an explosive
mix from which the world must be saved. |
Cong observer for Pilibhit NEW DELHI, Sept 19 — Dr Satwant Singh Mohi, Secretary of the PPCC, has been appointed the AICC observer for the Pilibhit parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Dr Mohi, a senior dalit leader is also the President of the Minorities and Dalit Morcha. Union Minister, Maneka
Gandhi is seeking re-election from Pilibhit and
challenging her is Mrs Raj Rai Singh, of the Congress. |
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| Film on inhuman face of
bureaucracy CALCUTTA: ‘Dukhiram’, a scathing attack on red tape and the inhuman face of bureaucracy, was premiered here by Films Division recently. For inclusion in the Indian panorama for the International Film Festival at Delhi in January next, the feature film has been directed and scripted by award-winning film maker, Kanu Gopal Das, and produced by Films Division. — PTI Petition against Amrita
Singh rejected Idli shop
ransacked Man consumes
silver, dies 5 die in road
mishaps Family breakdown
affects kids |
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