New Delhi, June 16
Besides protecting the country’s borders, the Army is now being armed with legal powers to guard the nation’s rich flora and fauna as well.

The National Board for Wildlife, which meets here on Monday under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, will follow up various recommendations of the Tiger Task Force, including the setting up of the National Wildlife Crime Bureau.

But the most important agenda will be to consider the proposal of empowering the Army with legal "weapons" to assist the forest authorities concerned for protecting flora and fauna and initiate the process of banning diclofenac, a veterinary drug responsible for the death of vultures over the past few years.

According to environment agencies, the sale of Indian tiger and leopard skins is widespread in Tibet. Since the Army is deployed on the borders and is regularly patrolling these tracts, it is being recommended that field commanders in Jammu and Kashmir and the North- East be vested with legal powers as provided to Chief Wildlife Wardens.

As per an MoEF spokesperson, by virtue of their task and deployment, when conferred with legal powers, these officers will be able to assist the forest authorities concerned in ensuring protection of flora and fauna.

The National Board for Wildlife came into existence on September 22, 2003, and has 47 members with the Prime Minister as the Chairman. The agenda for the meeting has about nine items varying from setting up of National Wildlife Crime Bureau to conserving important wetlands, red jungle fowl and lions.

To protect vultures from extinction, two important actions have already been taken. One is to phase out of the drug diclofenac and second is to start a breeding programme to increase their population.

Diclofenac will be phased out as early as possible. The research into viable alternative is being carried out at Vulture Breeding Center, Pinjore, by Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bombay, Natural History Society and Government of Haryana. As per their suggestion, meloxicam is a safe alternative which will be prescribed in future in place of diclofenac.

During the meeting, suggested actions will be discussed like stopping the government purchase and supply of diclofenac to animal husbandry and veterinary departments immediately, withdrawing it, stopping its prescription and initiating the process of banning of it.

Other items on the agenda include the raising of Ecological Task Force Battalion for sanctuaries and funds for awareness and State Board of Wildlife. The Centre acknowledges that there has been a perceptible decline in the population of tigers in the country, therefore, there is a recommendation that a force of disciplined and dedicated individuals be formed for protection of sanctuaries.

Here again the Army will provide assistance. Since most of soldiers retire between the age of 35 and 40 years and are well trained, disciplined, and with considerable experience of operating in any kind of terrain, they are best suited for such jobs.

An ETF battalion will be formed to check poaching, stop biodegradation and prevent denudation and theft of forest wealth in areas where it will be deployed. This force can comprise of ex-servicemen and equipped with adequate mobility and surveillance devices.

New Delhi, June 16
India will soon ratify the International Convention on Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism adopted by the UN General Assembly providing for international cooperation in investigation, prosecution and extradition of those committing terrorists acts involving nuclear devices.

The Union Cabinet, which met here today under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave its clearance for signing and ratification of the convention.

The Nuclear terrorism convention is the first anti-terrorism convention adopted since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and would be opened for signature at the UN headquarters from September 14.

The convention also provides for prosecution and extradition of those involved in terrorist acts of dealing with radioactive material.

After the meeting, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the convention would strengthen international legal framework to combat terrorism and that India was already a party to the 12 international terrorism conventions and protocols.

"By signing and ratifying this convention, India will strengthen its credentials as a responsible partner in the fight against terrorism," Mr Mukherjee said.

The Cabinet also approved an agreement to launch air services between India and Iceland. The agreement would pave the way for establishment of air links between the two countries which would have the right to designate as many airlines as they wish to operate on this route.

Mr Mukherjee said the government also approved the renewal of the agreement with Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for another five years providing for a total financial assistance of Rs 13.45 crore for maintenance of its Delhi office and promoting Indian studies in Canada.

The programmes undertaken by the institute support and promote knowledge amongst scholars of the two countries,

besides enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides, he said.

New Delhi, June 16
In a judgement of far reaching consequences in criminal proceedings, the Supreme Court today held that an appeal of a convicted person against the trial court judgement could not be heard by higher courts unless he had surrendered before the authorities if granted bail by the trial judge while suspending the sentence to enable him to file the appeal.

Rejecting a challenge to the Supreme Court Rules, 1966, laid down to regulate hearing of appeals on the ground that Section 389 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) permitted trial courts to suspend the sentence pending the appeal and grant of bail to a convict, a Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Altamas Kabir said “the position is crystal clear that the criminal appeal cannot be posted unless proof of surrender has been furnished by the appellant who has been convicted.”

It said Rule 13A of Order XXI, introduced in the Supreme Court Rules in 1983 clearly laid down that the a convicted person had to surrender when filing an appeal and if the person had not surrendered, the appeal “shall” not be registered, The court pointed out that the requirement of surrender was “mandatory in character and have to be complied with, except when an order is passed for exemption.”

The apex court went further to add that even if a special court was authorised to formulate its own procedure for conducting the trial in special circumstances, that could not do away with the requirement of surrender as stipulated under Order XXI Rule 13A.

The rules were framed by the Supreme Court in exercise of its powers conferred under Article 145 of the Constitution and the same had been approved by the President of India, the Bench observed.

The ruling came on an appeal of Mayuram Subramanian Srinivasan, convicted by a Mumbai Special Court securities transaction case. The court ordered that his appeal would only be listed for hearing after his surrender, while his lawyer Kamini Jaiswal had contended that her client’s sentence was suspended by the special court to enable him to file the appeal and he could continue to be on bail till his appeal was disposed of.

While elaborating about the power of a special court, the Bench said it could be permitted to regulate the procedure before it but that in no way authorised it to regulate the proceedings before this court.

It further clarified that Section 389 of the CrPC though empowered the trial judge to release a convicted person on bail for such period that will afford him sufficient time to present an appeal and obtain orders of the appellate court on bail and the sentence “shall be deemed to be suspended” only to move the appeal.

The Bench was of the view that the provisions of Section 389 of the CrPC and that of the Supreme Court Rules were independent of each other and would have to be considered on their own standing.

Lucknow, June 16
The move to give an unemployment allowance of Rs 500 a month is aimed to awaken the out-of-work youth from across the country to demand that if it can happen in Uttar Pradesh why not elsewhere, said Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today.

While launching the scheme by handing over cheques to 300 beneficiaries, he began his election campaign by promising to increase the dole to Rs 1,000 a month if the youth gave him the opportunity.

Throwing a challenge at other states to emulate the Uttar Pradesh model, the Chief Minister addressing an audience at the Ambedkar Maidan said the day was a historic day for him.

“Despite no cooperation from the Central Government, I have been able to raise resources to give an unemployment allowance as promised which others had laughed at and termed as wishful thinking”, he said.

Hitting out at the Central Government for creating roadblocks for him, Mr Yadav confessed that he would have introduced the scheme earlier but for the refusal of the Centre. He said he had written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard but instead of responding himself, I received a reply from an official saying that the scheme was not viable and could not be supported”.

Thanking his officials and colleagues for helping to raise resources internally for the scheme, he retorted that, “those who don’t want social change were opposed to the scheme.”

Claiming to have provided jobs to close to 4 lakh young men and women during his 3-year tenure he ridiculed the slogan of “Garibi hatao” by saying that even then he had protested that it was not possible to remove poverty without removing unemployment.

New Delhi, June 16
The BJP today expressed concern over allegation made by the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of erosion of autonomy of the institute.

''It was necessary that the nature of the premier institution, involved in health and medical education in the country, be protected,'' BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Noting that the AIIMS Director P Venugopal had proceeded on leave protesting against interference and humiliations heaped upon him by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss during the last two years, he said that Dr Venugopal was a world renowned cardiac surgeon and if he says he feels let down and humiliated, it is a serious charge.''

''The way the UPA ministers functioned, whether it was Dr Ramadoss, Dr Arjun Singh or Mrs Meira Kumar, it seemed they were running their ministries like a 'chiefain' with a licence to deal with their ministries as they wanted,'' he said.

He said it was time for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get into action and dispel the impression that he occupied the in Prime Minister's seat but none of his power.

''The ministers come and go but the prestige of an institution like AIIMS should not be lost,'' Mr Prasad said.