New Delhi, December 15
In the eight months since the ambitious Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 was notified, only four northeastern states and two UTs have notified Rules of the Act to officially make its provisions a reality.

Among leaders in the area are Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands which have adopted the Rules framed by the Centre. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Orissa and Sikkim have taken guidance from the Central RTE Rules to notify their own state specific rules for the Act that guarantees free and compulsory education to children from 6 to 14 years.

A majority of the states are yet to notify the Rules though they have drafted the State RTE Rules. In this category are Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, West Bengal and Karnataka, Assam, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttrakhand.

Heartening, however, is that 25 states have already banned detention and expulsion of students from schools and 27 states have banned corporal punishment. In the latter bracket is West Bengal, in the news this year for the suicide of Rouvanjit Rawla of Le Martiniere Boys School and Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, Haryana and Delhi. These states have also barred detention or expulsion of students - which are mandatory under the RTE Rules.

On the infrastructural side, the latest projections made by the Human Resource Development Ministry say that for all eligible children to be covered under the Act, 14.25 lakh new classrooms would be required.

These have to be in place in three years, with one year almost gone since the Act was notified on April 1.

As many as 655 new residential schools would be needed under the law, and 5.08 lakh additional teachers, of which 4.55 lakh have been approved for appointment in 2010-1011.

The projected requirement of part time instructors for art and physical education is 3.10 lakh, with 1.13 lakh approved for the next year. Further, India will need 8.52 crore uniforms for the estimated number of children who will annually enter the school system.

Chandigarh, December 15
In a significant ruling, the Armed Forces Tribunal has held that a soldier is entitled to disability pension and related benefits for injuries sustained while on authorised leave. Today’s ruling comes in variance with an earlier order by the Tribunal in November that had ruled that benefits could not be granted to an individual for injuries suffered while on leave if the activity he was involved with had no link with military service.

The Tribunal’s bench comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen H S Panag observed that the Leave Rules for the Army stipulated that an individual on authorised leave was deemed to be on duty. The bench held that disability pension could be granted in such instances so long as the activity the person was involved in was not illegal, inconsistent with military service or something he should not be doing by virtue of being a soldier.

Allowing a petition filed by Raj Pal of the artillery, the bench ordered that he be paid disability pension with applicable arrears along with 10 per cent interest within six months. Raj Pal was injured while travelling in a civilian jeep in the course of performing domestic chores. He had suffered three injuries with a cumulative disability of 30 per cent. The incident had taken place in 2000 and he was discharged from the Army in 2003.

The bench also ruled that the principle of aggravation of disability attributable to military service was applicable in this case as the petitioner had been discharged about three years after the incident and was in regular military service in the interim period.

While observing that each case pertaining to disability in such instances should be considered separately on circumstances of the case, the bench also held that there could not be two yardsticks to determine disability, one sustained when present inside a military station and the other sustained elsewhere.

New Delhi, December 15
Making the stance of the government clear, Defence Minister A K Antony today said any person found guilty in the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai would not be spared.

Among those facing the probe are three retired chiefs of the forces and a number of IAS officers in Maharashtra who were involved in allowing the construction of the 31-storeyed housing society in Colaba on land that was in “possession” of the Army.

Antony told reporters that “whoever is found guilty will be punished. Nobody will be spared.” He was at an aerospace seminar organised jointly by the Think-Tank Centre for Air Power Studies and the CII. “We want to maintain integrity. We will not ignore it,” Antony said. The Defence Minister said: “Whenever allegations are proved, we take strong action. No other agency takes this strong action. Only the armed forces have been taking strong action.”

At present, he confirmed, inquiries were being held by the CBI and the Army to fix responsibility. “These investigations are going on. We will take whatever action is required.” The 100-metre-high building is within the security perimeter of the naval establishments in Colaba and the Navy had raised an alarm stating that the high-rise posed a grave security risk as all vital installations were easily visible from the tall building. A Defence Ministry probe had revealed that several serving and retired Army officers and Defence Estates officials had colluded with the private housing society to construct the building there.

Chennai/New Delhi, Dec 15
After being virtually wiped out, terror group LTTE is trying to regroup and is planning to target high-profile personalities like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

"We received an alert from a central agency about a possible threat to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet in Tamil Nadu and to several other VVIPs who may visit the state", Tamil Nadu DGP Lethika Saran said. Based on this information, she said, the state has been put on high alert and "we have strengthened the intelligence machinery to check if there is any truth in the matter".

According to an intelligence input, some cadres of the LTTE, who escaped the wrath of the Sri Lankan Army during the all-out operations in the island nation earlier this year, were trying to regroup in India and planning attacks on top political leaders, particularly when they travel in Tamil Nadu.

Security agencies have taken the input seriously as former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE suicide squad members in the southern state in 1991. Prime Minister Singh is likely to visit Tamil Nadu next month to attend some public functions.

"Though LTTE is now a weak force and all top leaders were killed during the Sri Lankan Army's assault, attempts to regroup by some cadres is a disturbing report," an official said. — PTI

New Delhi, December 15
Former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan today maintained that ex-judge of Madras High Court HL Gokhale had not provided any information on the alleged attempt in June 2009 by then Telecom Minister A Raja to influence an HC judge that warranted his action against “any Union Minister.”

In a press statement, Justice Balakrishnan, who now heads the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), also made it clear that he neither suppressed facts nor tried to save anybody. In fact, all details were brought to the notice of Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on August 18, 2009. Justice Gokhale, now a judge of the Supreme Court, had also taken the press release route yesterday to clarify that as the Chief Justice of the HC he had informed Justice Balakrishnan, who was the CJI then, about Raja trying to influence HC judge S Regupathi through an advocate RK Chandramohan.

From the two press releases, it now transpires that Justice Gokhale is maintaining that he communicated the name of Raja to the CJI as he had attached Justice Regupathi’s complaint in which Raja had been mentioned.

However, the former CJI has taken the stand that since Raja’s name was not in Justice Gokhale’s letter he was not in a position to take any action. Also, he could not have disclosed the contents of a communication between a HC judge and the Chief Justice of that HC. Justice Balakrishnan reiterated: “I maintain that I did not receive any letter from Justice Regupathi addressed to me, and it is not the practice also to have correspondence with the judges, but always seek report from the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned, in case any issue brought to the notice of the CJI warrants so, which I did in this case.

“In matters of this nature, the Chief Justice of India can only go by the conclusive report of the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned, and that alone could be relied and acted upon. And in this issue, as per the report of the Chief Justice, Madras High Court, there was no cogent ground made out for a case against any Union Minister.” The NHRC chairman further maintained that if the Judge (Regupathi) concerned had felt that “anybody, be it a Union Minister, tried to influence his judicial function, he could have proceeded against him, without seeking any direction from the CJI or the CJ of HC, under the contempt of the Court.”

According to Justice Regupathi, who has since retired, advocate Chandramohan, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Bar Council, had handed over his cellphone stating that Raja wanted to talk in connection with the bail plea of two “family friends” (father-son) involved in a mark sheet forgery case. However, he had refused to talk to the minister.

Justice Balakrishnan said that from the media reports subsequent to the press release by Justice Gokhale, “it appears that I suppressed certain facts to save somebody.”

“There was no question of suppressing the report of the Chief Justice of Madras High Court….All these matters were brought to the notice of the Union Law Minister on August 18, 2009,” the NHRC chief said. “I am certain that in the report received from the Chief Justice of Madras HC, no name of the Union Minister was mentioned, and that there was no case that any minister himself made a telephonic call to the judge or threatened or influence him. Hence, no action could have been taken based on that report of the Chief Justice of the Madras HC,” Justice Balakrishnan reiterated.

The former CJI’s two-page press statement had begun with the point: “It appears that an attempt is being made to create a wedge between the high institutions of judiciary and attach motives over the allegations of a Union Minister having spoken to a Judge to influence his judicial function, which is unfortunate.”

“I am issuing this statement only with the hope that the facts will not be twisted and henceforth no motives will be attached to the judiciary.”

New Delhi, December 15
These are clearly testing times for the Congress and the DMK. The Congress first faced its major challenge in the coalition management last month when it forced an important ally, the DMK, to remove A Raja as the telecommunication minister after stinging observations were made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on 2G Spectrum allocation.

Although the Congress and the DMK managed to weather that storm, today’s CBI raids at the offices and residences of close supporters of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s family members could strain relations between the two allies even if these do not result in an immediate break-up.

The DMK leadership is stated to be unhappy with today’s developments, but has chosen to remain silent on the issue which, according to the Congress, shows that their ties remain unaffected. However, it is keeping an eye on the party meeting called by Karunanidhi on Saturday following which the DMK is expected to come out with a formal reaction that will throw light on the future of Congress-DMK relations.

Despite the uneasiness in the Congress, party insiders are confident that political compulsions will force the DMK leadership to continue the alliance. “The DMK is an extremely mature political party.... Karunanidhi is not known to take hasty decision. He will weigh the pros and cons and then come out with a well-thought-out decision,” remarked a senior Congress leader, adding that the DMK chief has immense respect for both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Congress also points to Karunanidhi’s pragmatic reaction when raids were conducted on A Raja, known to be the DMK’s Dalit face. Karunanidhi had said that Raja would be thrown out, if he was found guilty.

Maintaining that the relationship will survive these developments, AICC media department chief Janardan Dwivedi said, “These raids are part of a larger inquiry. As far as our allies go, we trust them.”

The Congress believes the DMK cannot afford to alienate it since it faces a crucial assembly election in Tamil Nadu early next year. Since the CBI inquiry is expected to linger on, the DMK will need the Centre’s protection in the coming months. The DMK, according to another senior leader, needs the alliance more than the Congress. It is well aware that in case it walks out of the UPA, its political rival, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, is more than willing to take its place.

On the other hand, with its own reputation taking a severe beating on the issue of corruption, the Congress is convinced it has to put its house in order even if it means upsetting its allies.

Hyderabad, December 15
A Christian missionary college here ran into trouble today when its principal refused entry to students for wearing black robes, an attire associated with devotees of Lord Ayyappa.

Angry students of Little Flower Junior College went berserk, damaged college furniture and raised slogans against the management for hurting their religious sentiments. Tension prevailed on the college premises when the police descended on the scene and baton-charged the protesters.

The trouble started in the morning when Principal Brother Franklin asked a few students who came barefoot wearing black dresses to leave the college premises. Though the students informed him that they were on a 41-day “Ayyappa Deeksha”, he did not relent. Another Ayyappa devotee was pushed out of the gate when he tried to argue with the college staff. This angered the non-Christian students who came out of the classes and started shouting slogans against the management.

Within minutes, the message was flashed to nearby colleges. Hundreds of students assembled in front of Little Flower Junior College and started throwing stones at the college building. They gate-crashed into the premises, ransacked the furniture, broke the window panes of the classrooms and destroyed the principal’s room. They even manhandled the college staff who tried to put up resistance.

The agitating students blocked the highway in front of the college and held up the traffic for more than an hour. They raised slogans against the college management and demanded an apology from the principal.

Following a complaint by college management, police rushed to the college and resorted to baton-charge to disperse the agitating mob.

Little Flower Junior College, established by the Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel, was started in July 1974 as a part of Little Flower High School, Hyderabad, and was shifted to the new campus at Uppal in July 1982.

Kolkata, December 15
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today cancelled their visits to Balurghat and Sagardhihi in Bengal after their helicopter developed a technical snag.

The ministers were scheduled to lay the foundation stone of new rail lines from Balurghat-Hilli and Gajol to Itahar. Also, the duo was supposed to flag off the Katihar-Malda and Malda-Balurghat DMU services at Balurghat station.

According to sources, when the two ministers reached the helipad at around 11 am they were told that their copter had developed a technical snag that needed an urgent repair. To make matters worse, there was no other helicopter available at the time. So, the two ministers decided to cancel their visit. The Balurghat function has been re-scheduled for tomorrow.