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Anna supporters erupt in joy
A first in 120 years: Mumbai dabbawalas on strike today
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Anna theme for Ganesh festival
Uproar in LS over land lease to Rajiv trust
Govt takes steps to tackle faculty shortage in medical colleges
Women power comes to fore in foreign service
SSC officers denied benefits of new promotion policy
Flash floods leave a trail of destruction in Assam
No bail for Hasan Ali till Aug 26: SC
Rajnath: Put land acquisition by states on hold
Bodo hawks ready for talks with govt
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Anna supporters erupt in joy
Mumbai/New Delhi, August 18 Activists of the ABVP, the BJP’s student
wing, staged a dharna as a part of the bandh call given to express its solidarity with the anti-corruption crusader. Hazare’s supporters outside Tihar jail broke into cheers and shouted anti-corruption slogans after he got permission with some conditions for his indefinite fast at the historic Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Several schools and colleges remained closed in Madhya Pradesh in support of Hazare’s “India
Against Corruption” campaign. Lawyers at Bhopal also stayed away from work affecting court
proceedings. Rains did not dampen the spirit of protesters who continued to throng the Freedom Park in Bangalore where they continued their dharna for the third day, with veteran Gandhian HS Doreswamy and former Supreme Court Judge Santosh N Hegde among them. The BJP held a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the MG Road but former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa who had said he would participate in it, was conspicuous by his absence. A bandh was also observed in Hazare’s home district of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra with thousands of youth participating in the peaceful protests for a strong Lokpal.
— PTI
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A first in 120 years: Mumbai dabbawalas on strike today
“For the first time in 120 years, we have decided to strike work for a day in support of Anna Hazare,” Sopan More, president, Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, told reporters here today. “We will be joining the rest of the country in support of Anna Hazare,” More added. As part of their one-day strike, more than 5,000 dabbawalas will congregate at Churchgate and hold a march to Azad Maidan, where they will be addressed by their leaders and social workers, More said. The dabbawalas will join thousands of other people from all walks of life who have held protest marches in Mumbai's streets in support of Hazare. For the past two days, people have carried out torchlight processions in different parts of the city in support of Hazare. A number of private companies have given their employees a day off this week so that they could congregate at Azad Maidan and participate in protests. Workers employed at companies as far as Navi Mumbai turned up at the South Mumbai venue holding the Tricolour in support of Anna.
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Anna theme for Ganesh festival
Mumbai, August 18 “Anna Hazare and his fast will be the major theme at most of the Ganesh mandals across Maharashtra,” says Narendra Dahibavkar, co-ordinator, Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, which is the umbrella organisation for Ganesh pandals in the state. “While a few mandals have ordered statues of Annaji in various poses, others are putting up murals featuring him and Baba Ramdev battling the monster of corruption,” says Dahibavkar.
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Police firing on Pune farmers was wrong: Rahul
Pune, August 18 Making an unscheduled visit to a cluster of villages in the area, the AICC general secretary met families of the victims, Shyamrao Tope at Sadawali village, Moreshwar Sathe at Shivrane village and Kantabai Thakar at Yelse village. Condoling the death of farmers in the police firing on August 9, Gandhi said, “What had happened was wrong”, a release from the Youth Congress quoted him as saying. He also joined a prayer meeting held in memory of the farmers killed in the firing. Three farmers were killed and many others injured when Pune rural police allegedly opened fire on a protest against a closed pipeline project that facilitated supply of water from Pavna dam to the industrial township of Pimpri Chinchwad in Mawal taluk on August 9. Gandhi, after calling on relatives of the deceased, visited a hospital where the injured in the firing incident were undergoing treatment, they said. Pune city Congress president Abhay Chhajed said he was “unaware” of Rahul’s programme. No Congress leader from the city was accompanying him, he said. Gandhi’s visit came in the backdrop of the Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine criticising the Congress leader for not visiting the farmers.
— PTI
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Uproar in LS over land lease to Rajiv trust
New Delhi, August 18 As the Opposition pressed charges against the Haryana Government, the Treasury Benches erupted into a frenzy to prevent the BJP from raising the matter in the Zero Hour even though Speaker Meira Kumar had granted permission for the same. The chaos led to the House first being adjourned during the Question Hour until 12 noon and then for the entire post noon session until lunch at 2 pm. Only two questions could be taken up out of the 20 that were listed in the Question Hour. It all began with BJP’s Ghaziabad member and former party president Rajnath Singh giving a notice for the suspension of Question Hour to raise this “urgent” matter. Although the Speaker concurred with him over the gravity of the mass acquisition of village land to the detriment of farmers, she requested him to allow the Question Hour to run and speak during the zero hour. “I agree this is a highly contentious issue. But the Question Hour had not been held for long. Let us have the Question Hour and you can speak during the zero hour,” the Speaker said, buying peace for some time until the first adjournment happened at 11.30 am. Later, when the House reconvened at 12 noon, Congress MPs started raising objections to the state issue being raised in the Parliament and repeatedly disrupted Rajnath Singh from making a mention that involved a Trust headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Pawan Bansal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, intervened to say, “The freedom of speech in the House is being misused. We had said state issues should not be raised as it creates troubles. But you have no problems as you have to simply create disruptions whereas we want the House to run.” Bansal spoke even as Deputy Speaker Karia Munda reminded him that the Speaker had herself permitted Rajnath Singh to make a mention in the zero hour.
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Govt takes steps to tackle faculty shortage in medical colleges
The statement came from Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad while replying to discussions during the consideration and passing of the Indian Medical Council Amendment Act 2011 which replaces the ordinance whereby a new Board of Governors of the MCI was created for a year, replacing the old one. Earlier trashing the Opposition apprehensions over the credibility of certain members of the MCI board, the minister said they were all distinguished professionals, Padma Shris and Padma Vibhushans. “They are not our relatives. I advise the House not to go by wild allegations. Whenever there are few coveted positions and several takers, such allegations are bound to be levelled,” an agitated Azad said, reading at length the academic records of Board members, including chairman KK Talwar, members K S Sharma, Harbhajan Singh Rassam, Rajiv Chintaman Yeravdekar and Purushotham Lal. With the BJP unconvinced, Azad dared its members to move a notice of privilege against him if they thought he was lying. That apart, the minister mostly talked of the massive crunch of human resources in health. Not giving any assurance over when the pending National Council for Human Resources in Health Bill (overarching health regulator that will subsume the MCI) would go to the Cabinet for clearance, Azad said his target was to create 15,000 MD seats in the five years as minister. Of those, 8000 have already been created since 2009 and an additional 7,000 would be added. “My target is 15,000 MD seats in five years whereas in 62 years we have created just 13,000. We have already added 8,000 MBBS seats. There were 32,000 when I assumed charge; there are 40,000 now,” he said. These additions were made possible after the government recently relaxed teaching norms by allowing one professor to teach two MD students instead of one and by relaxing the retirement age from 55 years to 65 in government institutions and 70 years in private ones. Azad slams IMA Azad today slammed the Indian Medical Association for disrupting the government’s proposal to roll out a three-year rural healthcare course to address the issue of doctor shortage in villages. “When they came to see me, I told them to send just 600 doctors to the primary health centres in villages. They refused. What right do these IMA bosses then have to represent the entire medical fraternity,” he asked, admitting that the government’s schemes aimed to attract doctors to villages had failed.
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Women power comes to fore in foreign service
Her no-nonsense approach took even the arrogant Australian officials by surprise as they launched measures on a war-footing to contain violence against the Indians. And early this year when a pro-democracy movement erupted in Libya, it was again a woman Indian diplomat, M Manimekalai, who personally supervised the entire operation to evacuate nearly 16,000 Indians from the North African nation. The fair sex has truly carved out a niche for itself in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) if one goes by their increasing number in the diplomatic corps. There are some 125 women among nearly 600 Indian diplomats today. And how can one forget that until recently, Nirupama Rao was India’s top diplomat, navigating the country’s foreign policy from the South Block. She is now headed for Washington to take over as the Indian Ambassador to the US, succeeding yet another woman, Meera Shankar. Things have certainly changed for the better in the elite service. Until a decade ago, women were considered only for soft assignments. Not for them the ambassadorial postings to China, Pakistan or the United States or heading an important division at the MEA headquarters. They had to fight male chauvinism on a regular basis, quite often earning the wrath of their superiors in the process. One woman diplomat, who would not like to be quoted, said chauvinism still exists but there is certainly a change in the situation. “Thanks to Nirupama Rao and earlier Chokila Iyer (who was the Foreign Secretary in 2001-2002), women are certainly getting a fair deal in the service now,” She added. Until Iyer’s appointment as the Foreign Secretary, no woman officer had been appointed even Secretary in the MEA. The government's decision to break the glass ceiling against women in the diplomatic corps had come as a big surprise to everyone then. Women diplomats are today serving the country in different capacities all over the world. To name a few, Bhaswati Mukherjee is the Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Chitra Narayan is the envoy to Switzerland and Monica Mohta to Poland, Narinder Chauhan is the Deputy High Commissioner to Canada, Preeti Saran is the Consul General of India in Toronto and Nagma Mallick is the Deputy Chief of Mission in Thailand. Many other women are heading important divisions at the MEA headquarters. Asked how they rate their women colleagues in the diplomatic corps, one male official first tried to be evasive. But when pressed for a response, he acknowledged that they are quite good and efficient, fully capable of dealing with sensitive issues. Above all, they understand the male psychology better, he added.
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Kashmir internal matter of India: US Senator
New Delhi, August 18 McCain, who contested the 2008 presidential election against US President Barack Obama in 2008 as a Republican nominee, made it clear that Kashmir was an internal matter of India and Washington or any other nation had no business to comment on the sovereign affairs of this country. Addressing a press conference here, McCain, who met National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon this morning, said he had had been encouraged from what he saw in Kashmir during his just-concluded visit to the state. The sense of security was returning to one of the most beautiful places on earth, thanks to increased economic activity in the state and better handling of issues by the authorities. McCain said he had met Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and top army officials during the course of his visit. Asked if he had discussed the Kashmir issue with Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani during his visit to Pakistan, the Senator replied in the negative, adding that the focus was on US-Pak ties. McCain also spoke about the ‘troubled connections’ between the Pakistani military and terrorist groups like the Haqqani network and the LeT. McCain hoped Pakistan would emerge "a successful democratic nation" and underlined the need for strengthening democratic civilian rule in that country. The senator said the US had resolved not to let the Taliban return to Afghanistan and was trying to help develop a secure nation that "will not be a base for terrorists". "The US has a critical stake in India's success," McCain said. He expressed confidence that the India-US relationship "can be and should be the indispensable partnership of the 21st century". US not involved in Hazare’s protest New Delhi: In an obvious reference to the ongoing agitation by the Anna Hazare team in support of a strong Lokpal Bill, US Senator John McCain today hoped that India would resolve its ‘current political disputes’ through its own democratic systems peacefully and democratically. “The US does not involve itself in what is taking place in the world’s largest democracy and neither has it any intention..,” McCain told a press conference when asked about speculation that he cancelled his political appointments following the comments by Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi suggesting the US was behind Hazare’s agitation. He said the current protests were “expression” of a democratic system, which might not be one of the most pleasant experiences. — TNS
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SSC officers denied benefits of new promotion policy
Chandigarh, August 18 Consequently, male SSC officers are eligible for promotion to Captain after 9 years of service while women officers can become Captain after 5 years vis-à-vis just 2 years for regular officers or SSC officers commissioned in 2006 and after. Further, while regular and post-2006 SSC officers can become Major and Lieutenant Colonel after 6 and 13 years of service, respectively, the affected SSC officers have been rendered ineligible for promotion to these ranks. Army sources familiar with the issue said this anomaly could affect a few hundred officers. Taking up a petition filed by a woman officer, Jasreen Dhillon, based in the Western Command, the Armed Forces Tribunal yesterday issued notices to the Union of India and the others concerned. To make military service more attractive and to rationalise varied promotional avenues, the government implemented the recommendations of the A V Singh Committee in December 2004, under which time-bound promotions were provided for the ranks of Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel after 2, 6 and 13 years of service, respectively. The earlier time span for these promotions was 5, 10 and 15-18 years. The government’s sanction letter sated that the new policy was applicable to all officers of all arms and services, except the medical fraternity for which separate orders were issued later. According to the petition, no cut-off date was prescribed and no exception was carved out for any cadre and the policy was applicable to all officers, including those from the SSC and women. In May 2005, however, Army Headquarters issued a letter stating that SSC male officers would continue to be governed by the policy issued in 1974, which provided that such officers would remain lieutenants for their entire service and be promoted to captain after 9 years. The letter also said that women officers would be promoted to Captain after 5 years of service as per the policy applicable to them at the time of commissioning. The rationale given by Army Headquarters was that under Army Rule 2 (d) (iii), the service of such officers is not considered as “reckonable commissioned service” and that only permanent commissioned officers were considered as having “reckonable commissioned service”. The petition has contended that this rule is meant to determine seniority between members and the accused in a court martial and has nothing to do with promotions or administrative aspects. Later in 2005, the gazette notification clarified that the new policy as applicable to regular officers, was also extended to SSC officers, including women. Then in 2006, the SSC scheme was modified to make it more attractive and the earlier stipulation of 5 years extendable by 5 years and then by 4 years (5+5+4) was changed to 10 years extendable by 4 years (10+4). Officers were given an option to switch over to the new scheme, but those who opted to remain under the 5+5+4 pattern were again denied the benefits of the AV Singh Committee.
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Flash floods leave a trail of destruction in Assam
Guwahati, August 18 With two more deaths reported from the neighbouring flood-hit Lakhimpur district, the toll due to flood in the state since August 15 has gone up to nine. Surface communication to Dhemaji district was snapped with flood waters sweeping away portions of the arterial national highway and the meter gauge railway track passing through the district. The situation is still grim though flood waters have receded since Wednesday, an official source said. Over 7000 flood-hit people are lodged in 12 relief camps set up by the administration as informed by state disaster management authority here. With the administration trying hard to provide succour to the flood-hit, various non-government organisations including All Assam Students Union (AASU), Asom Jatyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), have responded to the situation by distributing relief materials like food, cloth to the flood-hit. The NGOs alleged failure of the administration to provide safe drinking water and baby food to the stranded people. The flash floods first hit the areas on August 15 when swirling Gai-nadi (Gai River) that flows down from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam plains through Dhemaji district suddenly changed its course near Sisiborgaon inundating seceral villages after causing a major breach to the NH 52 as well as the Rangiya-Murkongselek metre gauge railway track.
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No bail for Hasan Ali till Aug 26: SC
New Delhi, August 18 As the arguments remained inconclusive, the Bench posted the next hearing for August 24, clarifying that the stay order would continue till August 26. Hasan Ali had been taken into custody on March 7 this year. In the appeal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) contended that the HC had failed to appreciate the recovery of documents during raids on the premises of Hasan Ali, showing a “huge” bank balance of $ 8 billion and receipt of $ 300 million from international arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi. “The transfer of $ 300 million from Kashoggi’s Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, to Ali’s account in the UBS Bank of Switzerland had been clearly tagged with a comment “funds from weapon sales,” the ED said. Ali was also facing cases for allegedly possessing several forged passports and carrying on illegal business in antiques and art treasures, besides money laundering.
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Rajnath: Put land acquisition by states on hold
New Delhi, August 18 Rajnath, who earlier in the Lok Sabha raised the issue of panchayat land being acquired in Ullawas village near Gurgaon, Haryana, for Rajiv Gandhi Eye Hospital, however, dismissed any need to ask the BJP/NDA chief ministers to hold their horses, claiming that there was no forcible land acquisition in any BJP-led states. He alleged a deep conspiracy of the land mafia guiding land acquisitions by the state governments under Sections 4 and 6, benefiting the land sharks and builders and specifically mentioned Harayna reminding how Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had been citing Haryana as a model state for land acquisition. The former BJP president professing to espouse the cause of farmers alleged that the Haryana Government was indulging in the loot of the farmers and natural resources.
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Bodo hawks ready for talks with govt
Guwahati, August 18 While being brought before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court here, the NDFB leader said, “Right now, a ceasefire has been declared by us and it is on the right track. We are prepared to talk to anybody, any party to realise our dream.” The NDFB chairman, who is the prime accused in the October 30, 2008, serial blasts in Assam, is at present lodged in jail after his arrest in Bangladesh last year. Several civil society organisations of the Bodo tribe have been trying to persuade the government to release him from jail to facilitate dialogue with the outfit. The Assam Government too has entrusted Bodo National Convention (BNC), a banner organisation of civil society organisations and Bodo political parties, to convince the NDFB leader to come forward for talks.
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Legal officer stabbed in court
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Mumbai, August 18
New Delhi, August 18
New Delhi, August 18
