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SC junks common entrance test for medical courses
Modi readies campaign strategy;
12 committees likely to be set up
Narendra Modi with Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Thursday. A Tribune photo
States to decide retirement age of college teachers: SC
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Marxist leader Samar Mukherjee dead
Bhutan’s PDP keen to boost ties with India
SC quashes Gujarat’s plea on Lokayukta
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SC junks common entrance test for medical courses
New Delhi, July 18 Such an examination, introduced by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) in the name of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), also violated the fundamental rights of medical institutions to carry on their trade and business as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, the SC held. A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who retired today, delivered the 203-page judgment on scores of petitions filed by medical institutions across the country challenging the validity of NEET and the powers of MCI and DCI. “We have no hesitation in holding that the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) 2010 (Part II) and the Post-Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulation 2010 (Part II) whereby the MCI introduced the single NEET and the corresponding amendments in the Dentists Act, 1948 are ultra vires the provisions of Articles 19(1)(g), 25, 26(a), 29(1) and 30(1) of the Constitution,” the Bench said in a 2-1 split verdict. Justice Anil R Dave gave the dissenting verdict while Justice Vikramajit Sen went with the CJI in striking down the provisions for NEET. NEET had the effect of denuding the states, state-run universities and all medical colleges and institutions, including those enjoying Constitutional provisions under these Articles, from admitting students to their MBBS, BDS and post-graduate courses according to their own procedures, beliefs and dispensations, the majority verdict held. These rights of the colleges and institutions had already been declared as “an integral facet of the right to administer” by the Supreme Court in the TMA Pai Foundation case, the Bench pointed out. Further, the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and the Dentists Act, 1948 had empowered the MCI and the DCI only to lay down standards which would be uniformly applicable to all medical colleges and institutions in India in order to ensure the excellence of medical education in India. The two Acts “do not contemplate anything different.” “As an offshoot of the above, we also have no hesitation in holding that the MCI is not empowered under the 1956 Act to actually conduct the NEET,” it held. Quashing the 2012 notifications relating to NEET, the SC clarified that this would not invalidate the admissions already given on the basis of NEET and by other private medical institutions.
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Modi readies campaign strategy; 12 committees likely to be set up
New Delhi, July 18 The party is expected to make a formal announcement on its “big decisions” on Friday as some chinks (read differences) still need to be ironed out. The strategy includes formulation of different sub-committees and a point-by-point marking of each and every polling booth in the country to ensure maximum mobilisation of votes at each centre. At the third meeting of the parliamentary board — the party’s highest decision-making body — after he took over as the chief of the election campaign committee, Modi placed on the table the final draft of his strategy for the 2014 General Election after incorporating suggestions made at the earlier two meetings. Sources said the high-level meeting, attended by topmost leaders — Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley — discussed Modi’s plan. It includes the setting up of more than 12 sub-committees to execute different aspects of the campaign strategy for the coming state and General Elections. The leaders also discussed state-wise action plans formulated by Modi and his team and suggested some more changes and amendments. The BJP is expected to make a formal announcement on different teams and related issues after discussing the suggestions with its ideological mentor - the RSS. In the meantime, sources said that the broad plan was ready. “All parliamentary board members and general secretaries will be involved in some or the other way. Modi wants to involve everyone in election planning,” they said adding that different committees would look after different aspects of the election-promotional material, rallies, management, campaign and manifesto. Modi wants to take everyone along and that is why instead of one committee, he has decided to have different subcommittees for different issues. Apparently, the proposed shift towards Hindutva and the Ram temple - the party’s original poll planks - was also discussed at today’s meeting. The RSS, it seems, is in favour of the Ram temple issue being brought to the fore along with development and good governance as poll planks. A key aspect of the strategy is to mobilise the party’s cadre at the ground level with a region and state-specific policy. “The aim will be to maximise polling booth mobilisation,” they said. High on Modi’s agenda is the involvement of social media, internet, websites, telephones and mobiles to apprise people, particularly youth who constitute 65 per cent of the population of the country, about ideology and vision of the party.
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States to decide retirement age of college teachers: SC
New Delhi, July 18 A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who retired today, accepted the states’ contention that the right to alter the terms and conditions of service of the state universities and colleges are within the domain of the state government. The proposal to raise the retirement age had been made to meet the situation arising from shortage of teachers in universities and in other teaching institutions, pointing out that this had already been done in centrally-funded institutions. The UGC had made it part of a scheme to revise the pay scales of teachers under which the Centre offered to meet 80 per cent of the financial burden for a limited period from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2010. After this, the states would have to meet the entire liability. But the states were only willing to revise the pay scales in order to avail of the 80 per cent assistance, and not the proposal on retirement.
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Marxist leader Samar Mukherjee dead
Kolkata, July 18
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Bhutan’s PDP keen to boost ties with India
New Delhi, July 18
“My party and I attach the greatest importance to our relations with India which have been consciously nurtured and strengthened over many decades,” PDP president Tshering Tobgay, said in his letter to PM Manmohan Singh. — TNS
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SC quashes Gujarat’s plea on Lokayukta New Delhi/Ahmedabad, July 18 A five-judge Bench headed by outgoing Chief Justice Altamas Kabir did not find merit in the curative petition filed by the Modi government after dismissal of review petition and appeal against the Gujarat High Court's decision holding Justice Mehta’s appointment by Governor Kamla Beniwal as valid and legal. Stunned by the SC rebuff, the Gujarat Government is so far undecided on its next course of action. On the apex court judgment, state Finance Minister Nitin Patel said: “We welcome the judgment.” But he declined to comment if the government would now invite Justice Mehta to take over as the
Lokayukta.
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Almost a month after he was appointed BJP's chief campaigner for the coming Lok Sabha elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is ready with the final draft of his campaign strategy.
