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| Thursday, July 20, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Tigers’ death: minister rules out resignation CHENNAI, July 19 — Union Environment and Forests Minister T.R. Baalu today ruled out his resignation owning moral responsibility for the death of 12 tigers at the Nandan Kanan Zoo in Orissa recently. J&K ministers hold
talks with Cong CAT quashes dismissal of
Home Guards PoT Bill |
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| HC seeks record of Alliance Air flight NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Delhi High Court today asked Alliance Air and Indian Airlines to place all records relating to the May 12 flight CD 7411 whose route Delhi-Lucknow-Patna-Calcutta was reportedly changed to accommodate 27 members of Parliament. UPSC to review civil services exam SC orders early hearing
of plea on NRI quota Manch to go ahead with
salt march ‘Must-do’ workshops for tiny tots Vajpayee for strong
action in Fiji Ex-VC held for
harassing daughter-in-law Shankaracharya for
talks with Christians Monsoon active
in Rajasthan
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Tigers’ death: minister rules out resignation CHENNAI, July 19 (PTI) — Union Environment and Forests Minister T.R. Baalu today ruled out his resignation owning moral responsibility for the death of 12 tigers at the Nandan Kanan Zoo in Orissa recently. “Why should I resign. I am not at fault,” he said here when reporters asked for his response to his ministerial colleague Maneka Gandhi’s remark that he should resign like Aviation and Railway Ministers had done in the past over disasters concerning their ministries. Describing the death of the endangered species as a “tragedy”, Mr Baalu said if there were administrative or any other lapses which led to the incident it was for the Orissa Government to take action. Her remark only showed “my sister (Gandhi) is sympathetic to animals,” he added. However, Mr Baalu said a fact-finding committee set up by him immediately after the tragedy had submitted its report and “if there is any wrong it will be rectified.” Mr Baalu was participating in a two-day workshop here where experts spoke on prevention, diagnosis and cure of blood-borne diseases among zoo animals. The workshop was being oragnised by his ministry as a first step to prevent recurrence of zoo tragedies, he added. Meanwhile, a report from Delhi quoted Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi as saying that she had never sought Mr Baalu’s resignation on the issue of the death of tigers. Clarifying reports in a section of the Press, she told reporters that her comments were about the Orissa’s Forest Minister who had reportedly said “the death of 12 tigers was not an important issue”. |
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J&K ministers
hold talks with Cong NEW DELHI, July 19 — A day after the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, met Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, three of the five-member Group of Ministers (GoMs) constituted by the former met the representatives of Congress’ Kashmir Cell in charge Mr Pranab Mukherjee and its other members on the autonomy issue this evening. In the over two-hour meeting, GoMs led by the State Law Minister Mr P.L. Handoo held a “threadbare” discussion on the autonomy resolution, passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly recently, clause by clause, party sources said. The meeting between the two gains significance as the Congress which had opposed the resolution stressed that any negotiation on autonomy could be discussed as per the letter and spirit of the agreement signed by former Prime Minister (Late) Mrs Indira Gandhi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister (Late) Mr Sheikh Abdullah in 1975. Emerging out of the meeting, Mr Handoo told waiting reporters that “the National Conference was trying to build a consensus on the autonomy issue, so that it becomes easier for the Centre to take a firm decision on it.” He said, the GoMs will leave for Hyderabad tomorrow to meet Telugu Desam Party Chief, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, to seek his party’s views on the subject. Mr Pranab Mukherjee merely said that the GoMs of Jammu and Kashmir briefed the Congress members about the history of the resolution and the spirit behind it. The GoMs along with Dr Farooq Abdullah had also called on this morning Samajwadi Party Chief Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav. PTI adds: The Congress Working Committee is meeting here on July 21 to discuss the issue of autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, just three days before the monsoon session of Parliament. The meeting assumes significance as the party is likely to chalk out its strategy on the issue. |
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CAT quashes
dismissal of Home Guards NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has termed a Delhi Government order discharging 24 Home Guards from services as violative of the principles of natural justice and ordered their reinstatement. CAT Judge Lakshmi Swaminathan in a recent order in respect of petitions filed by 24 Home Guards said, “The termination orders have been issued without complying with the principles of natural justice or giving a show cause notice to the applicants why their services are being terminated.” The Delhi Government had issued an order to discharge over 100 home guards from their services on February 25 this year with effect from the next day. The Home Guards had challenged the order on the ground that they were discharged within the extended tenure period of three years and, therefore, terminating them from the services without giving one month’s notice was “illegal and arbitrary”. The judge refused to accept the government’s contention that the applicants had no right for regularisation of jobs as “Delhi Home Guards” was a “voluntary organisation” and the volunteers could be discharged from their services at any time if their assistance was not required. The judge said, “the respondents (Delhi Government and Home Guards and Civil Defence) shall take the applicants back in service immediately for remaining part of the unexpired tenure” and thereafter action could be taken against them in accordance with relevant rules and
guidelines. |
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PoT Bill NEW DELHI, July 19 (UNI) — In an effort to arrive at a consensus over the controversial Prevention of Terrorism (PoT) Bill, the Union Law Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, today met the National Human Rights Commission chairperson, Justice J.S. Verma. Sources in the NHRC said the meeting at the commission’s office here lasted over an hour. The meeting is significant in view of the divergent stand of the NHRC and the government over the terrorism Bill. Initially, the Home Ministry took the stand that contrary to the apprehension of the NHRC, the new Bill has a delicate balance to curb terrorism while protecting human rights, but in view of the opposition of the NHRC to the various provisions of the Bill, the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, had assured the commission that it would be consulted on the issue. The government had earlier planned to introduce the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. The NHRC has vehemently opposed the enactment of the Bill, saying that its ‘draconian provisions’ could be misused and abused like the earlier Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and MISA during the days of emergency. According to the NHRC, the enactment of the Bill as recommended by the Law Commission of India could unintentionally provide a weapon capable of gross misuse and violation of human rights which must be avoided. It feel that the existing laws were sufficient to deal with the menace of terrorism if effectively enforced. The NHRC feels that many provisions of the new Bill were more draconian than those of its predecessor, TADA, and would have chilling effect on human rights of individuals. Under it, confessions before a police officer were admissible in evidence, which would increase the possibility of coercion and torture in securing confession which was not only against the torture convention but also defies the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which India is a party. Journalists would be the worst sufferers under the proposed Act as it provides for punishment up to three years jail term for those in possession of information of material assistance in preventing the commission of a terrorist act. This could gravely jeopardise their professional work. Besides, the Bill has even raised the presumption of guilt and shifted the burden to establish his/her innocence on the accused. |
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HC seeks record of Alliance Air flight NEW DELHI, July 19 (UNI) — The Delhi High Court today asked Alliance Air and Indian Airlines to place all records relating to the May 12 flight CD 7411 whose route Delhi-Lucknow-Patna-Calcutta was reportedly changed to accommodate 27 members of Parliament. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice D.K. Jain said the records must be produced within two weeks. Alliance Air Limited is a subsidiary of the state-owned Indian Airlines. The order came following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which alleged that Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Sharad Yadav interfered with the schedule of flight CD 7411. When the plane was taxiing for take off, Prabhu Nath Singh, MP, who was on board rang up Mr Yadav from a mobile phone. The plane soon returned to the parking bay and passengers were told to disembark. Mr Yadav went to the airport and issued an oral order for change of the flight schedule. At 10.15 p.m., the plane took off on a changed flight schedule of Delhi-Patna, dropping Lucknow altogether. The flight flew over Lucknow but made no attempt to land there, said the five petitioners associated with the Centre for Civil Society (CCS). As per flight schedule, the plane was to leave Delhi at 5.40 p.m. for Lucknow, reach there at 6.30 p.m., leave at 7.00 p.m. to reach Patna at 7.30 p.m. It further appears that when one of the flight crew objected to the use of a mobile phone by Mr Singh while the aircraft was taxiing, Mr Singh said, “Shut up. I am talking to your baap (father),’’ the petition said. The incident discloses the utterly shocking state of affairs in a premier public sector corporation which is the instrumentality of state under Article 12 of the Indian Constitution, said the petitioners who had filed another writ petition raising the fundamental issue of violation of citizens’ rights on account of VIPs and VVIPs breaking the traffic illegally by demanding right of way in the national capital. “The citizens have a right ensure that taxes paid by them are not frittered away on the whims and fancies of ministers and MPs,’’ said senior advocate Parag Tripathi. Alliance Air officials said the re-routing was carried out due to technical reasons. First, the flight was delayed because of bad weather. Then it took off and had to return because a passenger developed chest pain and needed medical treatment. Mr Tripathi said oral orders of Mr Yadav in such circumstances per se create grave doubt and suspicion that there had been gross and reckless breach of statutory and public duty. The five petitioners in the case are: Mr J. Bhattacharjee, Advisor on Corporate and Finance Laws, Mr Shreekant Gupta, Reader at Delhi School of Economics, Mr Murad Ali Beg and Mr Veeresh Malik, both journalists, and Ms Indrani Gupta from the Institute of Economic Growth. |
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UPSC to review civil services exam NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has appointed a nine-member committee headed by well-known economist, Prof Y.K. Alagh, to examine the present scheme of civil service examinations and recommend changes. The committee would evaluate the effectiveness of the scheme and review the rules for the examinations, apart from studying the feasibility of adopting an improved method of allocation of services, according to its terms of reference. It would also examine whether the present practice of a common main written examination and the differential assessment of candidates by an interview board personality test to determine the relative suitability of candidates for different services, could be a viable mechanism, an official statement said. Besides Professor Alagh, other members of the committee are former Lt Governor of Delhi Tejinder Khanna, former Chairman of Audit Board Dr B.P. Mathur, SCOPE Chairman, Dr U. Kohali, former Chairperson of University Grants Commission Prof A.S. Desai, Vice-Chancellor of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences Dr Madhava Menon, and Additional Secretary of Department of Personnel D.C. Gupta. The committee, which is expected to submit its report within six months, has been asked to suggest modifications, additions or deletions in the subjects of the preliminary or main examinations. It would also examine the desirability of associating the UPSC with assessment of officers in terms of satisfactory completion of their induction training in training institutions, according to the terms of reference. The committee would invite public opinion and hold wide-ranging consultations with academician, management and training institutions, public representatives and cadre-controlling authorities, the statement. The need for amending the current practices of selecting cadres arose due to “considerable changes” in the administrative mechanism in the country, opening up of the economy and advancements in the field of technology, it said. Due to these developments, work environment of the bureaucracy, which earlier had a regulating or controlling role, has now changed to a facilitating role, It added. |
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SC orders early hearing
of plea on NRI quota NEW DELHI, July 19 — A three-Judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice A.S. Anand, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, directed early hearing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Bombay High Court judgement of June 30, reducing the NRI quota in private and unaided engineering colleges for the session 2000-2001 from 15 to 5 per cent. In an interim order, the judges directed that the students who had already been admitted to private engineering colleges in Maharashtra against the 15 per cent NRI quota would not be disturbed till the hearing and disposal of the SLP filed by K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering. The interim order was given during mentioning of the case by counsel for the petitioner, Mr Krishan Mahajan, for urgent intervention of the court on the facts and circumstances of the case. The High Court in its June 30 judgement had also directed that if any vacancy remained after filling of the NRI quota, the rest of the seats would be advertised by the management and could be filled only after two weeks of the date of advertisement with preference being given to the meritorious students. The petition stated that if the operation of the High Court order was not stayed, the petitioners and the students concerned under the NRI quota would be put to irreparable loss. |
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Manch to go
ahead with salt march NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has decided to go ahead with its ‘salt agitation’ if the government fails to lift the ban on ordinary salt by August 9. The SJM’s foot march, will begin from Dandi on October 2 and end at Sabarmati. Participants of the march will sell salt on vehicles on their way to the Parliament House in Delhi, SJM officials said. They said that the Central government had issued a preliminary notification proposing a future withdrawal of the compulsory iodisation of edible salt but the MNC lobbyists were working hard against it. Though iodisation costs only a few paise per kg, the price of salt is Rs 6 per kg at present whereas common salt costs only Rs 2 per kg, the leaders added. The iodisation of edible salt was made mandatory by the central government in 1998. Most of this salt is produced by the MNCs. The SJM leaders said that only 0.2 per cent of the country’s population was suffering from shortage of iodine which is available in common salt besides vegetables and foodgrains. SJM fears that the lobbyists will find new ways to jack up salt prices, one of which could be supplementing iron through salt as a lot of people suffer from iron deficiency. Senior BJP and SJM leaders had recently held a meeting to narrow down differences on key economic issues and since then SJM leaders have refrained from criticising the government. The decision to go ahead with the protest march indicates the SJM’s desire for an early lifting of ban on ordinary salt. |
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‘Must-do’ workshops for tiny tots NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — A day jammed with classes of yoga, aerobics, music, cooking, creative writing and leadership development workshops may read well on the day planner of a busy adult. Only, you will be intrigued that they happen to be on the list of “must do” for school kids, instead. As children return to school after the summer break, they have hardly had the conventional break their parents enjoyed — of spending sleepy afternoons at granny’s place or pursuing an occasional hobby course of music or dance. Breathing down their necks is parental aspirations who are all set to churn prodigies out of their children. And, cashing in on the demand is a plethora of children’s summer workshops, which promise almost everything under the sun — personality development, leadership training, classical dance, maths, creative writing, theatre and yoga coupled with aerobics. The takers for this instant workshops are kids between three-year olds and seven-year olds, who want to make the best use of their free summer time. “Workshops are an instant hit in summer time because parents want their children to be fruitfully occupied and they don’t mind if it’s a classroom-like atmosphere they are coming back to in the summer holidays, says Dr Veena Upadhyaya, who conducts personality development workshops for school-going children. Explaining the spurt of such workshops, Dr Upadhyaya says, “Earlier parents had more time for their children and there was always someone at home to guide them. But with the trend of working couples and nuclear families, children are left alone at home and end up watching television, which many parents don’t approved of. Thus they want their children to learn something during summer break.” “We are not trying to supplement school but are providing a happy alternative where children don’t realise that they are doing something hard, says Ms Seema Suri, who tries to impart training in toy making, yoga, aerobics, story writing to children as small as three years old. The workshops serve as a classroom-cum-creche-cum-holiday club, says Ms Sarin who is herself a mother. The concept of a multi-disciplinary workshop where children between the age group of three and five are taught junior science, pottery, salad making, yoga and invention was floated by three mothers, says Ms Sarin, adding that the three opened the workshop to provide a fun place for such children. But, are children as small as them expected to understand junior science, pottery or even feel like doing aerobics? “The attention span of small children is very limited thus the activity has to be changed every 10 minutes. Besides themes and the manner of imparting them are changed day to day to hold their attention, she says. But we are just trying to start off our children’s mental abilities quicker, says the workshop organiser. The holder of creative writing workshops says, “It’s important to arrest the child’s imagination and channelise it. Thus they are given a situation on which they have to produce a story and they come up with the most bewildering and imaginative stories. Dr Upadhyaya concedes that one reason why parents send their children to such workshops is to fulfil their ambitions regarding the child. “Parents come with huge expectations which are sometimes frightening. And all parents want their children to perform on stage. We try to explain that backbenchers also have potential — they are only seeing things differently. But it’s difficult to convince all,” she says. |
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Vajpayee for strong
action in Fiji NEW DELHI, July 19 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today stressed the need for a “strong action”in Fiji so that there was “effective progress” there towards early restoration of democratic and
constitutional government within the framework of Fiji’s 1997 Constitution. Talking to Australian Prime Minister John Howard this afternoon, Mr Vajpayee said that “strong action needs to be taken so that there is effective progress in Fiji towards our common goal”. Both India and Australia are in touch with the Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahendra Pal Chaudhry. Mr Howard had called up Mr
Vajpayee, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said adding that the two Prime Ministers expressed deep concern over what was happening in that country. He also informed that Mr Chaudhry has been in touch with him and had said that various measures should be taken in the context of the Commonwealth framework. Mr Howard informed Mr Vajpayee of the measures that the Australian government had taken in recent days, the spokesman said adding that the both Prime Ministers agreed to remain in touch with each other. While the spokesman declined to give details of the measures that New Delhi proposed to take with regards to developments in Fiji, the sources said that Indian response is deliberately and purposefully low keyed. Indian strategy is to encourage international action against Fiji and not to take any hasty action which might have an adverse fall-out on the Indian community in Fiji. The Foreign Secretary, Mr Lalit Mansingh, is leaving for Pretoria to attend a high-level meeting of the officials of the Commonwealth where Fiji would be under sharp
focus. |
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Ex-VC held for harassing daughter-in-law RANCHI, July 19 (PTI) — Former Vice-Chancellor of Ranchi University Devendra Prasad Gupta, his son and daughter have been arrested for allegedly harassing Mr Gupta’s daughter-in-law and driving her out of the house, the police said today. Mr Gupta, his son Bhupendra and daughter Suman Prabha were later produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate here who remanded them in judicial custody for six days. The fourth accused, Shivarani Devi, wife of the former Vice-Chancellor, was absconding, the police said. The arrests were made yesterday following the issue of warrants against them by the First Class Judicial Magistrate of Munger. In an FIR lodged against them, Ms Sangita Rani, wife of Mr Bhupendra Kumar, alleged that her husband used to pressure her for transferring her father’s property in his name. When she refused to do so, she was tortured by the family and was finally driven out of the house. Mr Bhupendra married for the second time without divorcing Sangita. |
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Shankaracharya for
talks with Christians
PURI, July 19 (PTI) — The Shankaracharya of
Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, has agreed to start a dialogue with church leaders to reconcile differences between the Christian community and Hindutva forces. “I am prepared to meet and talk to any church leader,” the Shankaracharya said but insisted that the conclave should be held after a preparatory meeting between leaders of the two communities to dispel any existing misgivings, a church leader who called on him at his math told newsmen here
yesterday. Sajan K George, national convener of Bangalore-based Global Council for Indian Christians, said the Shankaracharya’s response was “positive” with respect to his suggestion that he (the seer) should be part of a meeting of gurus of different religious communities proposed to be held at Delhi. George quoted the seer as saying that common areas of interests should be identified before the dialogue starts at the national level. The seer said he was ready to meet Pope John Paul II whenever he visited India.
Monsoon active
in Rajasthan NEW DELHI, July 19 — Monsoon has been active in East Rajasthan and the plains of West Uttar Pradesh. Rainfall: Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Himachal Pradesh, East Rajasthan and the hills of West Uttar Pradesh, at many places in Punjab and the plains of West Uttar Pradesh, at a few places in Haryana and East Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir. Weather was mainly dry in West Rajasthan. Haryana: Ambala and Chhachhrauli 5 each, Chandigarh and Naraingarh 3 each, Kalka 2 and Mahendragarh, Rohtak and Tohana 1 each. Himachal Pradesh: Kahu and Paonta 7 each, Kasauli 6, Nahan 4, Bhanjar and Nagrota Surian 3 each, Arki, Bhuntar, Dharampur and Mandi 2 each and Berthin, Guhar, Jubbal, Kumarsain, Rajgarh, Shimla, Sunni Bhajji and Solan 1 each. Jammu and Kashmir: Batote 1. Punjab: Balachaur and Nangal 3 each, Ropar 2 and Garhshanker and Nawanshahr 1 each. Rajasthan: Banwargarh Colony 7, Maluwa and Sawai Madhopur 5 each, Bharoti and Chiwali 4 each, Agar, Annawar, Bhimsagar, Gopalpura, Karoli, Kama, Radia Bandh and Sikaria 3 each, Basawa, Basssi, Chittorgarh, Dheel Bandh, Dausa, Jhalawar, Lalsot, Mora Sagar, Morel Dam, Raduwas, Rain Baserra, Sawan Bhdu and Umedsagar 2 each and Araiya, Bamanwas, Baran, Bandikui, Bhilwara, Jagar Bandh, Khandar, Mandel, Mandoti, Pancholas, Raeloni, Rampur, Sapotra and Santhalsagar 1 each. Uttar Pradesh: Jhansi 16, Marora 5 each, Dehradun, Kaerniaghat and Narora 4 each, Haripur, Mukhlispur, Palliakalan and Shardanagar 3 each, Banbasa, Hardwar, Mirzapur and Neemsar 2 each and Bareilly, Chandradeepghat, Dabri, Regoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi 1 each. Forecast valid until the morning 21st: Rain or thundershowers will occur at most places in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the hills of West Uttar Pradesh, at many places in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, East Rajasthan and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and at a few places in West Rajasthan. Heavy rainfall warning: Heavy rain is likely at a few places with very heavy rain at isolated places in Haryana and East Rajasthan during the next 48 hours. Heavy rain is also likely at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and West Uttar Pradesh during the same period. Forecast for Delhi and neighbourhood valid until the morning of 21st: Overcast sky with a few spells of rain/thundershowers. Heavy rain likely in some areas. Farmers weather bulletin for Delhi. Forecast valid until the morning of 21st: Moderate to rather heavy rain will occur at many places. Heavy rainfall warning: Heavy rain is likely at a few places during the next 48 hours. Outlook for the subsequent two days: No large change. |
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