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70,000 tribals to be disarmed
Rahul continues UP ‘invasion’
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J&K can witness infiltration in summer months: PC
No move to impose Prez rule
Ahead of final call on Food Security Bill, top officials to review grain situation
Teen’s Death
CBI registers graft case against 9 EPFO officials
India to keep HIV drug prices low
He translated literature and music for celluloid
SC paves way for trial in Gujarat serial blasts case
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70,000 tribals to be disarmed
New Delhi, July 6 The order has clearly caught the government napping as it is now saddled with the task of terminating the services of over 70,000 SPOs recruited in 83 districts of the nine states. The apex court’s order may actually turn out to be a blessing for them because the government appears to have little option but to absorb them as regular policemen. After claiming that they are integral to policing in the Maoist-hit states, it would be difficult for the government to disband the entire force and let them loose, leaving them to fend for themselves. In its scathing judgment delivered on Tuesday, the apex court pointed out that the Union Government had claimed only a limited role in the matter. Although the Centre decided the ‘upper limit’ of such SPOs in the states and also paid 80 per cent of their monthly honorarium, it told the court that it could only issue advisories to the states. Law and order being state subject, it argued, the states were free to recruit, train, deploy and decide service conditions of SPOs, appointed for a temporary period under the Indian Police Act. The Supreme Court was appalled by the arbitrary and purely temporary recruitment of tribal youth. Neither the IPA nor the CPA ( Chhattisgarh Police Act) prescribed a minimum qualification, it noted. The SPOs could be terminated at any time without assigning any reason and they were deemed to be “always on duty”. They were debarred from taking up any other employment or engagement and only those SPOs, who lasted at least a year as SPO, were to be sent for training and that too at the absolute discretion of the Superintendent of Police. The court was informed that different states paid different amounts as ‘honorarium’ to the SPOs , which ranged from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 every month. They were subject to the ‘same discipline’ and ‘command structure’ as the regular police force and their job included enforcing the law, protecting life and property, preserve internal security, protect public property, detect offences and arrest offenders, to prevent crime and to maintain public order.
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Rahul continues UP ‘invasion’ Lucknow/Aligarh, July 6 Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary Deepak Kumar confirmed that Section 144, which prohibits assembly of five or more persons and holding of public meetings, had been promulgated in Aligarh district, giving the district administration discretionary powers to handle the situation. ADM Satwant Singh refused to comment on the likelihood of Rahul’s arrest for violating Section 144. “Let him first arrive and then we would see”, said Singh at the Tappal border of Aligarh district. However, despite heavy police deployment and prohibitory orders, Rahul reached Aligarh district from adjoining Gautam Budh Nagar district where he had started his 'kisan padyatra' yesterday. “The Congress leader reached Bhudasa village within the limits of Aligarh district today evening where he held a chaupal with the farmers and interacted with them at a primary school,” Congress sources said here. He also invited farmers to the Kisan Mahapanchayat to articulate their views before a larger audience and give inputs for proposed amendments to the Land Acquisition Act.
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J&K can witness infiltration in summer months: PC
New Delhi, July 6
“We hope the second half of the year will be violence-free in J&K but these are summer months when infiltration is likely to increase…we are keeping a vigil,” he said at a press conference. In response to a question, he acknowledged that the J&K government has identified certain people who could be brought back to India under the rehabilitation plan. However, there were certain practical issues to be resolved.
“After discussing the issue with the J&K government, I have asked the Home Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry to resolve practical aspects and bring these people to the LoC and rehabilitate them,” he added.
The minister dismissed as ‘exaggerated’ a report in a leading US newspaper that Pakistan had trained 12,000 militants who could be asked to attack India anytime. “We know there are people on the other side of the border ready to infiltrate…the armed forces, paramilitary forces and the J&K Police are fully prepared to prevent any infiltration,” he asserted.
The Home Minister said there was no indication from Pakistan on sending its judicial commission here to take the statement of the magistrate, who had recorded the confession of Ajmal Kasab to pursue the 26/11 attacks case. “There is no indication from Pakistan if and when their team is visiting India. The situation stands where it stood a few weeks ago,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Chidambaram laid the foundation stone for the first-ever super-speciality Referral hospital for paramilitary personnel at Greater Noida. “Today, I can say with a sense of satisfaction that the first six months of 2011 have witnessed the lowest level of violence in over a decade,’’ he said, addressing the function.
Describing as disappointing a Denmark court’s refusal to allow the extradition of Purulia arms drop case mastermind Kim Davy, he rejected the contention that prisoners were subjected to torture in India. “Kim Davy verdict is very disappointing. We reject the argument that prisoners are subjected to torture or that human rights of the accused will be violated.”
Chidambaram said he had written to the External Affairs Ministry making all these points and requesting it to ask the Government of Denmark that the latter should immediately file an appeal in a higher court there.
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No move to impose Prez rule Hyderabad, July 6 The trouble started when police stopped the agitators from undertaking a protest march from the campus to the Martyrs' Memorial at Gun Park. Some of the students hurled stones at the police, which responded by firing teargas shells. A group of protesters also rained stones on the OU police station, located on the campus. The Telangana bandh call has forced the local authorities of the State Road Transport Corporation to suspend all services across the region. Meanwhile, with Telangana pressure mounting on the Centre, the Congress core group met at PM Manmohan Singh’s residence to discuss the political crisis. Sources said the party’s top leadership agreed on a wait-and-watch policy on the issue. There is pressure from various political parties to sack Maran.
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Ahead of final call on Food Security Bill, top officials to review grain situation
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) is meeting next week to take a decision on the crucial Food Bill and allowing foodgrain export. Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed UPA-II’s flagship proposal with Thomas and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Ahead of taking the final call, the ground situation needs to be assessed regarding storage and off-take, senior officials said, explaining that officers of the rank of Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary would visit allocated states to review district-wise allocation of grain during their visits and ensure that the overall off-take position is improved immediately. Officials have also been directed to inspect distribution centres and to see that PDS foodgrain is easily available in all parts of states. During these special tours, officials will also inspect godowns of the FCI and other procurement agencies to review storage management to maintain quality control. An overstocked Centre is currently stuck in a peculiar state with states refusing to pick up stocks put up for sale through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) despite attractive prices. This is proving to be a major problem for the government as it mulls over the Right to Food Law and the long-pending demand of opening up exports in the face of rising global food prices. Food Secretary BC Gupta said the government was fully aware of the gravity of the situation and immediate measures were being taken to improve overall grain off-take and storage. Joint Secretaries C. Viswanath and Ravneet Kaur have been allocated Punjab, Haryana and Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, respectively. Rs 119.5 cr for fodder scheme The Centre has released Rs 119.5 crore to 12 states under the Accelerated Fodder Development Programme in the current financial year so far. Punjab will receive Rs 7.75 crore out of its total allocation of Rs 15.5 crore. The programme aims to bridge the shortfall in demand for fodder from crop residues and agricultural byproducts and accelerate production to enhance availability of fodder year-round. The livestock sector in India contributes nearly 32% of total agricultural output.
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temple treasure
New Delhi, July 6 A Bench comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik also suggested the appointment of a curator for preserving the treasure and deciding the articles that should be exhibited in a museum and those to be kept in vaults. The apex court passed the order on a petition filed by the heir of erstwhile king of Travancore Raja Rama Varma, challenging the January 31 verdict of the Kerala High Court for the takeover of the assets and management of the temple by the state government. Expressing concern over media reports on the ownership and the value of the treasure, the Bench passed an order restraining the SC-appointed stock taking committee members and the observers from “expressing their opinion” on the subject till further directions. The Bench also clarified that its earlier order giving liberty to the observers to decide the procedure for documentation did not mean that they could “dispense with” photography and video-recording which were “mandatory.”
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Teen’s Death
New Delhi, July 6 The issuance of the notice came after the NHRC received a complaint based on one of the media reports that 13-year-old Dilshan was shot dead allegedly by an army personnel as he tried to trespass into the defence area. The incident occurred on July 3 at the Island Grounds area that houses Army residential quarters, where Dilshan had allegedly gone to pick some fruits. Meanwhile, Army Chief General VK Singh promised strong action against anybody found guilty, but said the entire force should not be defamed if any individual was suspected. “Whoever has committed any mistake in the incident, be it an officer or a jawan, strong action will be taken against him,” Singh said. A Lt
Colonel and a jawan have been questioned by the crime branch-CID in connection with the incident.
— PTI Army chief promises action against guilty New Delhi, July 6 "Whoever is involved, be it an officer or a soldier or anybody else, in the killing, action will be taken against that individual," he told reporters.
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CBI registers graft case against 9 EPFO officials
New Delhi, July 6 Officials said a case was also registered against four employees of Delhi-based firm and searches were being conducted at 23 locations in and around the national capital. The CBI has alleged that the EPFO officials had entered into a criminal conspiracy with four officials of a Delhi-based firm, B L Kashyap & Sons Ltd. “In pursuance to this criminal conspiracy the accused allegedly created false records in respect of certain employees engaged, inflated the number of excluded employees, manipulated the period of engagement of employees and thereby manipulated the amount of Provident Fund liability which was due and payable by the said private firm,” a CBI spokesman said. The case was filed against S K Khanna, the then Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner (North Zone), presently posted in the same capacity in Chandigarh, M S Kalia, the then Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-1 , Delhi (South), now posted as RPFC Ludhiana and C S Gogna, the then Enforcement Officer, EPFO, Delhi (South) currently working at Jaipur. — PTI
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India to keep HIV drug prices low
New Delhi, July 6 Such clauses pave the way for patents regime, thereby reducing the availability of low-cost generic drugs. Indian drugs cater to 86 per cent of People Living with HIV (PLHIVs) globally. This assurance was given by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in his meeting with the visiting UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, who hailed the move. “We reject data exclusivity clauses in free trade agreements,” Sharma said, prompting a quick reaction from Sidibé, who stated, “Millions of people will die if India cannot produce generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, and Africa will be the most affected. For me, it is an issue of life or death.” In Africa, 1500 new HIV infections are reported every day, and these people need the first line ARV drugs. The cost of the least expensive first generation treatment regimen has dropped to less than $86 per patient per year. However, as increasing number of people move towards more efficacious first-line treatment, drug prices could double compared to first-generation regimens.
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He translated literature and music for celluloid
He was 66. For a film-maker whose films like Uski Roti ( 1969), Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Duvidha and Naukar Ki Kameez, rarely managed a national release, the popularity he enjoyed was immense. Perhaps, for the fact that he won more awards for his films than the releases and new-wave cinema was more written about than seen in the 1970s. Even after the demise of the new-wave cinema, Kaul’s films remained at the centre of creative appreciation for two reasons; he made outstanding documentaries and his amazing understanding of Indian classical music, which he explored in his films and documentaries, not only as a subject but as a technique as well. Secondly, he belonged to that rare breed of film-makers in India who tried to translate complex works of literature for celluloid. Both “Uski Roti” and “Ashaadh Ka Ek Din” were based on the short stories written by Mohan Rakesh, a celebrated Hindi writer from Jalandhar. “Duvidha” ( 1970)was based on a folk- tale from Rajasthan written by Vijaydan Detha- the story explored purity of extra-terrestrial love as compared to the physical love of a man. “Naukar Ki Kameez” , authored by well-known novelist Vinod Kumar Shukla was based on the tale of an ordinary boy whose house was flooded every year during rains, in a novel by the same name. “Idiot” based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, received the Filmfare Critics Award for the best film, four times. All the characters explored by him were complex, vulnerable beings. His films were different from the way films were made in the 1970s because he did not treat celluloid as a visual medium. To him, films were temporal, therefore time acquired greater significance in the narrative rather than visually engaging sets. Highly influenced by the French film maker Robert Bresson, Kaul treated his characters as acted upon, people who surrender to the unknown forces of time. Kaul was a trained Dhrupad singer and will be best remembered for the finesse with which he made documentary films based on Hindustani classical music. “Siddheshwari”, based on the amazing life of thumri singer of Banaras, Siddheshwari Devi, which he described as a poetic documentary, won several laurels ( including the National Award for the best documentary in 1989). “Dhrupad”, was made on the delicate fabric of composite culture represented by Dagarvani, the Dhrupad singers of the Dagar lineage, descendants of Pt Haridas, who later had to convert to Islam. He was aware of the limited audience for his films, he knew his films were better-known in Europe than in India. Perhaps he was ahead of his times. The Indian audience is now mature enough to appreciate the new idiom of cinema which Kaul explored in the 1970s and 1980s.
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SC paves way for trial in Gujarat serial blasts case New Delhi, July 6 The apex court said things have considerably "settled down" after the Godhra killings and hence the claim of the accused that the trial could not be held in a fair manner was mere apprehension. It, however, granted liberty to the accused to move the court again if and when there were genuine apprehensions of the trial being held in a vitiated atmosphere. The apex court had in 2009 stayed the trial against the accused after the latter sought transfer of the cases outside the state on the ground that the prosecution and the investigating agencies were in favour of the ruling party. — PTI
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Home Minister P Chidambaram made it clear that “there is no move to impose President's rule”.
He said the Centre had not taken any final decision on whether or not to give statehood to Telangana as the “consultation process is still in progress”.
New Delhi, July 6
For him, film making was a social act, an attempt to understand the world we live in, distorted by education and media. One of the pioneers of parallel cinema in India, Mani Kaul passed away on Wednesday morning in Delhi.