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Wary of Mulayam’s praise, BJP watches Third Front moves
India asserts freedom of navigation in S China Sea
2 Indians killed in CAR, France orders probe
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Major changes in top bureaucracy soon
Chief Justice AK Sikri to be elevated to Supreme Court
Sanjay Dutt’s fate may be decided by M’rashtra Govt
Holi revellers rounded up after commuters fall off train
NCW gives guidelines to deal with rape cases
No lions poached at Gir in two years: Gujarat
In Assam, seeking info under RTI fraught with danger
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Wary of Mulayam’s praise, BJP watches Third Front moves
New Delhi, March 26 The BJP, which claims good relations with all its allies, including the JD-U and Nitish Kumar (whom the Congress appears to be wooing with the promise of a special financial package for Bihar to blunt threats from allies such as the NCP and the SP) is keeping a keen eye on all Third-Front rumblings and emerging signals from key players. Suspecting that Mulayam was trying to “create confusion” in the minds of the people of UP — a state where both the BJP and SP are fighting for space in two very different and exclusive categories — the saffron party today categorically rejected the SP chief’s overtures. Its reason: credence could not be given to the statements of a leader who had lost his credibility because of his association with the Congress. “His (Mulayam’s) praise (for Advani) has no meaning. He has lost all credibility in UP. He is using his position to support the Congress. His statements indicate his frustration. No one is prepared to believe that he is ready to abandon the UPA,” party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said, rejecting categorically the show of warmth by the SP leader. Though the SP has ruled out future alignment with the BJP, but much is being read into Mulayam’s statement. Clarifying the party stand, general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said praise should not be seen through a political prism, but chief Mulayam baiter and Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma seized the opportunity to target his political adversary yet again. The reason why Yadav’s praise is bad news for the BJP is because the party suspects that the OBC leader, by singing praises of its veteran party leaders, was trying to create confusion in the upper caste Hindu vote bank. “Mulayam did this in 2009 by propagating that the BJP was going with the BSP and Mayawati. He is trying the same stunt again,” a BJP leader said. The party also suspects that Yadav was using the BJP and the Third Front as baits to strike a deal with the Congress. Amid reports that the Centre was wooing the Bihar CM with special status for his state, the BJP said the JD-U was a “trusted” NDA partner and its alliance was strong. Nitish has kept the BJP on the edge about his plans for the 2014 polls. With a clamour within the BJP for making Narendra Modi the prime ministerial candidate, doubts are being raised on whether JD-U will stay in the NDA. Nitish has made clear his reservations about Modi to the BJP. At a rally, he declared support to whoever meets his demand for a special package for Bihar.
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India asserts freedom of navigation in S China Sea
New Delhi, March 26 With China continuing to assert its sovereignty over the entire South China Sea in recent years, Khurshid said, “There can be little doubt that countries like India and Japan must cooperate in ensuring the security of the global commons, including freedom of navigation on the high seas that is critical to both our countries which import large amounts of oil and gas.” India stood with Japan and other like-minded countries in pursuing and implementing these goals and objectives, he said addressing students of Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Khurshid’s three-day visit to Japan for the India-Japan foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue coincides with the PM’s visit to Durban for the BRICS Summit. On the sidelines of the summit, Manmohan Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with the new leader of China tomorrow. The situation in the South China Sea is expected to figure prominently during Khurshid’s talks with his Japanese interlocutors. He is also expected to discuss with them the progress in talks on a civil nuclear energy deal. The two countries had started talks on the proposed nuclear deal in June 2010, within a year of India getting nuclear waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG). Three rounds of talks have already been held but the two sides have failed to resolve their differences. The talks have virtually been stalled since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. The talks on a nuclear deal with India had triggered an outcry in Japan from survivors of the 1945 US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They had expressed fears that the deal would hamper global efforts to realise a world without atomic weapons. In the event of an India-Japan nuclear deal not fructifying, American and French nuclear majors too would find it difficult to enter the Indian nuclear market. Official sources said India was ready to give Japan time to cope with its problems in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. “We are ready for concluding the deal...but we are in no hurry. Let the Japanese take their own time.” Meanwhile, the two sides are also discussing the dates for the PM’s visit later this year. The PM was to go to Tokyo in November last year for the India-Japan annual summit but the trip had to be postponed due to the sudden announcement of elections in that country.
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2 Indians killed in CAR, France orders probe
Durban/New Delhi, March 26 French President Francois Hollande talked to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also sent a letter to him expressing regret over the incident at the Bangui airport in the civil war-torn CAR. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also talked to his Indian counterpart AK Antony to convey his regret over the incident in which two Indian nationals were killed and six others injured during firing by French troops guarding the airport, Defence Ministry officials said. Both Singh and Antony expressed distress over the incident and asked France to ensure safety of Indian nationals in the CAR. Singh has directed that all efforts be made to ensure the safety of approximately 100 Indian nationals in the CAR, mainly in and around Bangui. During his telephonic talk with Antony, Drian said France is conducting a high-level inquiry into the incident and said the Indian government would be informed about its outcome, the officials added. The French Defence Minister also conveyed his condolences to the families of Indian nationals killed in the incident. The incident took place when three vehicles carrying Chadian and Indian nationals entered the airport at M’Poko, French Defence Ministry said in a release. "The French forces in charge of protecting the airport of the Central African capital at M’Poko intervened this morning in a particularly confusing situation against three vehicles threatening to penetrate it, at a time when the forces had just been fired at from an unknown source," the release said. — PTI How it happened
The incident took place when three vehicles carrying Chadian and Indian nationals entered the airport at M'Poko and the French forces in charge of protecting the airport of the Central African capital at intervened
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Major changes in top bureaucracy soon New Delhi, March 26 Although hectic lobbying is currently on for these top positions, Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth could get lucky as he is likely to get an extension beyond his two-year term which ends this May. A Cabinet Secretary is the senior-most IAS officer and plays a key role in the implementation of the government’s policies. Since there is less than a year to go for the next Lok Sabha election, there is a growing view in the UPA government that Seth should be retained for the remaining term of the ruling coalition for the sake of continuity. Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar, known to be an efficient officer, is being retained by the government but in a different post. She has been designated Mission Director, Direct Benefits Transfer, and entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing this programme, billed by the UPA government as a “game changer”. The ruling coalition is depending on the successful implementation of its new flagship programme to refurbish its dented image and improve its electoral prospects on the same lines as the rural job guarantee scheme and the farm loan waiver during UPA-I. Three key ministries — defence, home and foreign affairs — will have new faces at the helm as a hunt is currently on for their successors. Home Secretary RK Singh, who has not enjoyed a good rapport with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, demits office by June-end. The contenders for this crucial post include Steel Secretary Dilip Rai Singh and Madhav Lal, secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Personnel Secretary PK Mishra is also said to be in the race but there is speculation that he could be accommodated as a member, UPSC. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai retires in July. India’s Ambassador to Germany Sujata Singh is said to be a front runner for this post. In case, she does make the cut, she will be the third woman in that position. Mathai took over from Nirupama Rao who was subsequently named India’s Ambassador to the US. However, SS Jaishankar, India’s Ambassador to China, and Secretary (West) Sudhir Vyas are also in contention. Vyas is currently in favour because of his successful handling of the Italian marines row. Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma is likely to be replaced by RK Mathur, Secretary, Defence Production. Sharma could succeed present CAG Vinod Rai whose term ends this May. Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar, who retires this month-end, is also being considered for this key constitutional post while Food and Consumer Affairs Secretary Pankaj Agarwal is tipped to succeed him.
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Chief Justice AK Sikri to be elevated to Supreme Court
The collegium has also cleared another proposal for elevating Madhya Pradesh HC CJ Sharad Bobde to the SC. Justice Sikri (59) took over as CJ of the Punjab and Haryana HC in September 2012. Earlier, he was Acting CJ of the Delhi HC since October 2011 and a judge of that HC since July 1999. He will have a six-year stint in the SC. He was a gold medalist for getting first position in LL.B at the Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre. Justice Bobde (57) had become a senior advocate in 1998. He became an additional judge of the Bombay HC in March 2000 and the CJ of Madhya Pradesh HC in October 2012. During his eight-year tenure at the SC, he is expected to be the CJI for about 18 months before his retirement in April 2021. With these two appointments expected to be made in a fortnight, the SC will have 30 judges against its strength of 31, including the CJI. However, a sitting SC judge Aftab Alam is slated to retire on April 18. This will be followed by the retirement of CJI Altamas Kabir on July 18, paving the way for Justice P Sathasivam who will hold the top office till April 26, 2014. Going by the present practice of appointing the senior-most judge of the SC as the CJI, Justice RM Lodha will succeed Justice Sathasivam and will head the Indian judiciary till September 27, 2014. Justice Lodha will be followed by Justice HL Dattu (from September 2014-December 2, 2015), Justice TS Thakur (till January 3, 2017), Justice JS Khehar (till August 27, 2017) and Justice Dipak Misra (till October 2, 2018).
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Bengal firm on holding panchayat poll on its terms
Kolkata, March 26 After meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and later, the Trinamool Congress legal cell head Kalyana Banerjee, Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee told newsmen at the Writers Building today that the state government was firm on holding a two-phase election on April 26 and 30. These will be conducted fully under the supervision of the state police which, he claimed, was competent enough to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. A notification was published in the government gazette and the EC has been asked to conduct the polls accordingly. Mukherjee said the government had taken the decision according to the provisions of the State Election Act which had nothing to do with the National Election Commission Act. “We have taken all the decisions including poll dates, filing of nominations, dates of counting and declaration of the results etc. The EC’s duty is to execute the decisions and nothing else,” he added. But according to a Supreme Court’s ruling, the state EC enjoys the same powers and the working jurisdiction as the Election Commission of India in conducting free, fair and peaceful elections to the state Assembly, panchayats, municipal and other local bodies. If the state EC is denied that right, it can approach the court. State Election Commissioner Mira Pande met Governor MK Narayanan again today at the Raj Bhawan and sought his intervention. She still favours holding a three-phase poll with the deployment of Central forces. She also told the Governor that she would have to approach the Supreme Court. However, the Panchayat Minister said that she could go anywhere she liked, even to the President and that it would not bother the state government. Collision course
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Sanjay Dutt’s fate may be decided by M’rashtra Govt
According to sources in the state government's Law Department, any request to Governor K Sankaranarayanan to commute Dutt's sentence would have to be forwarded to the state government for further action. The Governor, it is felt, would have to act on the advice of the state government. A number of personalities from Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju (retd) to senior political leaders and assorted Bollywood stars have appealed to the Governor to pardon the actor. Dutt was found guilty under the Arms Act for acquiring and keeping several weapons from the Dawood Ibrahim gang which allegedly carried out the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. Raj Bhawan officials have also briefed the media here that the Governor too would seek advice from the state government’s Law Department and the Advocate General before taking a decision on the matter. Among those who have sought a reprieve for Dutt include Samajwadi Party leaders including its former leader Amar Singh and its sitting Lok Sabha MP Jaya
Prada. state to advise
A request to the Governor will have to be forwarded to the state govt for further action
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Holi revellers rounded up after commuters fall off train
Mumbai, March 26 The youths were picked up between Sion and Kurla railway stations where
the mishap occurred, the police said. The accident occurred when Holi revellers threw colour at the commuters standing on the doorways of the running trains. The passengers lost their balance and fell on the tracks after the colour caused their eyes to burn, they later told the police. While one of the eight passengers died in the accident, two others were taken to hospital in a critical condition, the police added. “We suspect that the colour was thrown from either a train coming from the opposite direction or from one of the bridges running above the tracks,” a police officer said. Following the incident, the police warned
slum-dwellers living in the vicinity against throwing colour, balloons and plastic bags filled with water at moving trains. “We have picked up several youths and let them off after warning them,” a GRP official said. The police and the GRP have posted personnel in plain clothes at railway platforms and sensitive locations to nab offenders, sources said.
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NCW gives guidelines to deal with rape cases
Chandigarh, March 26 A spokesman for the Haryana Government stated this here yesterday while taking suo motu cognisance of reports about the rape of a 32-year-old woman by three persons, who also made a video clip of the incident and circulated it. The NCW has not only constituted an inquiry committee but has also made certain recommendations to be followed by the authorities concerned. The spokesman said the commission had recommended that there should be strict guidelines for providing psychological help to the victim, by way of counselling sessions, and the witness. The NCW has also recommended holding of gender sensitisation programmes at the level of the gram panchayat. The commission has also suggested that prevention should be the focus of the law enforcing agencies. Continuous dialogue at every level with all sections of society can help in curbing this menace. Speedy trial, strict punishment and ample media coverage of such speedy trials can help in demoralising the negative thoughts of uncivilised and immoral males. This will also motivate girls and women who are at the receiving end to speak out about any verbal, physical or emotional humiliation.
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No lions poached at Gir in two years: Gujarat
The Minister of State for Forest and Environment told the state Assembly in a written reply that a series of precautionary measures taken by the state government and the support extended by the people in the Saurashtra region had helped in stopping poaching in the only abode of the Asiatic Lion. He admitted that 92 lions died in the Gir forest in the past two years, an equal number of 46 each year. Of the total casualties, as many as 83 died of natural causes and the remaining nine met with accidental deaths, particularly due to fall in deep wells. The casualties included 43 cubs, 20 males and the remaining lionesses. He said the state government had launched a drive to cover all the unprotected wells in the sanctuary and in its adjacent villages to stop accidental deaths. The minister did not feel that 46 deaths a year, particularly due to natural causes, was in any way alarming. In the sanctuary that recorded 411 lions in the last census - 97 males, 162 females and remaining cubs - around 11 per cent deaths a year was natural and could not be attributed to any man-made causes or failure of the government to protect the highly threatened species, he said. He also quoted reports from experts to point out that survival of new-born cubs in the first year was always very low which explained the high rate of casualties among the cubs. The minister said the government had started a gene-pool system at the Rampara Virdi centre in the sanctuary to carry out an experiment to ascertain whether cubs born out of matching of genes from two distant localities in the sanctuary could ensure a better survival rate among new-born cubs. He said five cubs had been born through gene-pooling last year and had been kept under observation at the Rampara
centre.
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In Assam, seeking info under RTI fraught with danger Guwahati, March 26 A public hearing held by an NGO here for such aggrieved citizens was attended by about 13 persons who described how their lives have been endangered after they filed an RTI application seeking information. “My husband was hacked to death in front of my eyes on September 2, 2012, after he had sought information about PDS items in the local fair price shop. The culprits are still moving around freely,” said Sharati Singh of Bishnupur village in Dhemaji district. Motiram Nath of Goroimara village in Darrang said he was threatened at gunpoint by contractors and goons after he had asked for information on safe drinking water scheme. Sanjit Das of Ghagra village under Dhekiajuli police station in Sonitpur district narrated how he was gripped by fear after masked gunmen fired at his house on March 9 and warned him against seeking information under the RTI Act. He was even arrested on false charges that were levelled against him by the persons who were alarmed after he had sought information under the RTI Act. Das has been using provisions under the RTI Act to seek information about the public distribution system since April 2010, but he has been repeatedly denied information and threatened with dire consequences. Prafulla Chandra Das of Athgaon Chapori village in Morigaon was assaulted for not withdrawing the application seeking information on MGNREGA schemes. “The number of incidents of threat and assault on persons seeking information under the RTI Act is increasing alarmingly,” said Raju Narzary, convener of People’s Rights Forum (PRF), which organised the public hearing here.
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5-month-old undergoes heart surgery
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A day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets new Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Africa, India today reached out to Japan with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid asserting individual nations’ right to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
New Delhi, March 26
Mumbai, March 26
Ahmedabad, March 26
