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Industry averse to job quota Jaya Jaitly questions Sibal remarks on tapes SC’s no to enlarge definition of rape PM to approve new fuel pricing policy today |
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Defeated candidates in RS nominees list
Pranab supports aerospace projects Army aspirants hurt in stampede Terrorist concentration near LoC CISF security for Gujarat riot witnesses Paper leak rumours: bank exam cancelled
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New Delhi, June 13 The Common Minimum Programme (CPM) adopted by the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre says the government is “very sensitive to the issue of affirmative action, including reservations, in the private sector.” While political parties were not averse to the move, business and industry leaders were almost unanimous in their opposition to the idea. Many of them said such a policy would affect the quality and creativity of Indian industry in an increasingly globalising world, others said it would scare off foreign and even domestic investors. While the Congress supports the move, the BJP wants reservation for educationally and economically backward people, irrespective of caste. The CPM would like the government to create conditions for the social and economic uplift of all sections of society, while the CPI called the proposal for reservation in the private sector a stopgap arrangement to undo the injustice meted out over the centuries to these sections of society. Former Prime Minister V P Singh felt that it was the social responsibility of the corporate sector to reserve jobs for such sections, though he did not think that the move would solve the unemployment problem in general. CPI (M) General Secretary H S Surjeet said, in principle, all sections of society should get facilities for socio-economic progress. But as the SC, ST and other neglected sections had been subjected to oppression for centuries, the government must find ways and means to ensure their upward mobility, he said. CPI National Secretary Shamin Faizi agreed that reservations could not “eliminate unemployment in toto” and called for economic policies that focused on labour-intensive projects to solve this problem. In Mumbai, captains of the Indian industry expressed their ‘serious concern’ over the government’s plans. Though many of them agreed reservation might be a good idea for the uplift of weaker sections Indo-American Chamber of Commerce President V Rangaraj said reservation in the private sector would negate the strides taken by India in high-tech sectors. “Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) President Nanik Rupani said that his organisation would oppose such a policy since it would deter not only foreign investors but also domestic entrepreneurs from setting up new projects and undertaking expansion of existing units. “Seeking to dispel the corporate sector’s misgivings about the legislation providing job reservation in the private sector, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has invited representatives of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to discuss the issue. “Where are the jobs for reservation?” Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat General Secretary Sharad Rao asked. Videocon group chairman Venugopal Dhoot said, “as long as the reservation is within manageable limits of 10 per cent of the total strength, it is okay.” “But the solution should not create a problem for industry and hurt its productivity and efforts to be internationally competitive, said Bajaj Group Chairman Rahul Bajaj. In Uttar Pradesh, political parties are not averse to the idea, though bureaucrats were skeptical about its implementation. Private sector companies cite the lack of qualified persons among these communities as the major reason for their poor representation. The Chief Executive Officer of a Techno park-based Software company said, “unless the government gives them proper education and training, it will not be practical to implement reservation. In Haryana, BJP president Ganeshi Lal favoured reservation in the private sector. As far as reservation of jobs is concerned, Professor Lal said it was obligatory on the part of industrial houses, which got facilities and subsidies from the government to pay back to society by way of reservation. Senior Congress leader and MP Bhupinder Singh Hooda also favoured the move, saying such a move was essential for the welfare of the downtrodden and the backward sections of society. According to Mr Manish Bagrodia, Chairman of the CII’s Punjab unit, reservation in the private sector would be very detrimental to industry. He said reservation already existed at the education level and recruitment in industry should be based entirely on eligibility. Such a policy would also hamper foreign direct investment, he said. Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce and Industry General Secretary K L Jain said reservation in the private sector would be an “impractical step”. “The country’s economic development would suffer if the government enforces it through law. In any case, the private sector is open to absorbing qualified persons, irrespective of caste or creed,” he said. In Ahmedabad, CII Director (Gujarat) Dipankar Roy said that with the opening up of the economy and globalisation, there was absolutely no scope for job reservation in the private sector. Management expert and corporate head Chinubhai R Shah said, “It will be a retrograde step. We cannot compete economically in the highly competitive world. If the government really wants to. In Madhya Pradesh PHDCCI office-bearer R Kothari said, “Any reservation for anybody against the backdrop of an open economy is detrimental. How can I ensure reservation in an MNC?” Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said there was nothing wrong in reservation of jobs in the private sector but a national consensus should be evolved first. According to him, while social and economic justice needs to be provided to the weaker sections, efforts should be also be made to ensure that the quality did not suffer in Indian industry. Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal said he was in favour of reservation on economic grounds. — UNI |
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Jaya Jaitly questions Sibal remarks on tapes New Delhi, June 13 In a letter to Mr Sibal, Ms Jaitly said “as a minister, to make any statement on the matter is of grave concern”. “This demonstrates that you are privy to information to which you ought not to be, and which can legitimately be in the domain of only a few people, and certainly not yours,” she said in the letter written on June 10, which was released to the Press today. The Samata leader’s missive comes in the wake of reported comments made by Mr Sibal days after the Congress-led UPA government had assumed office that the Tehelka tapes were not electronically manipulated. Mr Sibal had soon after the Congress-led government assumed office
stated that the Tehelka tapes were not electronically doctored. “This undermines the entire process of the
forensic examination,” she said. “Till date, the identity of the expert has not been disclosed. The report of the expert is lying in a sealed cover with the commission. The commission has, in fact, notified a date in June for the expert to be present in Delhi, unseal and open the report and make it available to all those
who have received notices,” she said. In order to “protect the expert from any undue influence being exercised”, the Justice Phukan Commission of Inquiry had, in fact, ordered that the identity of the expert, who had examined the authenticity of the tapes, be kept secret. “You should also disclose whether you or any other person attempted in any manner to influence the forensic expert to tailor the report to suit your political requirements,” she said. “It seems you were constantly working in the interests of Tehelka journalists, both then and at this time, as the statements then and now are almost identical in nature”, she added in the letter. |
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SC’s no to enlarge definition of rape
New Delhi, June 13 While giving a series of guidelines on the recording of evidence in rape cases by trial courts, a Bench comprising the then Chief Justice S. Rajendra Babu and Mr Justice G. P. Mathur expressed its inability to enlarge the definition of rape saying that such an exercise would “result in good deal of chaos and confusion and will not be in the interest of the society”. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Sakshi, an organisation providing legal, medical, residential, psychological assistance to women, particularly those who are victims of any kind of sexual abuse. Appearing for Sakshi, counsel Meenakshi Arora had posed the question “given that modern feminist legal theory and jurisprudence look at rape as an experience of humiliation, degradation and violation rather than an outdated notion of penile/vaginal penetration, whether the term ‘rape’ should today be understood to also include all forms of forcible penetrations, including penile/ oral penetration, penile/ anal penetration, object or finger/vaginal and object or finger/anal penetration?” The court said the main question requiring consideration was whether by a process of judicial interpretation the provisions of the Section 375 of the IPC could be so altered so as to include all forms of penetration such as penile/ vaginal penetration, penile/ oral penetration, penile/anal penetration, finger/vagina and finger/anal penetration and object/vagina penetration within its ambit. Referring to the historical perspective of the IPC and dictionary meaning of sexual intercourse, Justice Mathur, writing for the Bench, said “only heterosexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by the penis coupled with the explanation that penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual intercourse necessary for the offence of rape has been held to come within the purview of the Section 375 of the IPC.” The wide definition, which the petitioner wanted to give to “rape” as defined under Section 375 of the IPC so that the same might become offence punishable under Section 376, had neither been considered nor accepted by any court in India so far, he said.
— PTI |
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Uphaar victims’ kin decry safety norms
New Delhi, June 13 Paying respects to the departed souls on the seventh anniversary of the tragedy, all the 28 families, which had lost their near and dear ones when a massive fire gutted the cinema hall during the screening of Hindi movie Border, gathered at the Smriti Upvan, constructed outside the hall in memory of the victims in Green Park, a south Delhi area. In a statement issued on the occasion, the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AOVUT) said “seven years since the tragedy public safety still remains low priority for our government and to our society”. “AOVUT’s legal battle continues and justice seems a far cry. Criminal case filed by the CBI is still at a trial stage despite the high court order for day to day hearing.”
— PTI |
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PM to approve new fuel pricing policy today New Delhi, June 13 Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar are expected to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow, with the two ministers today being closeted in a meeting with Petroleum Secretary and Cabinet-Secretary-designate B.K. Chaturvedi, senior Finance Ministry officials. The new package, expected to be announced tomorrow, will enable oil companies to revise prices — first time since December 31, 2003. This is the second meeting of Mr Chidambaram and Mr Aiyar in the past five days. Official sources said the new package was likely to consist of a oil price stabilisation fund and price band for transport fuels between which the oil companies have to fix the retail prices. The customs and excise duty on petroleum products is also expected to be reduced to enable oil marketing companies to minimise their losses in the wake of high volatility in international crude oil prices, sources said. |
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Defeated candidates in RS nominees list Chennai, June 13 The most prominent is Mr T.T.V. Dinakaran, close confidant of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who lost from the Periyakulam Lok Sabha constituency. Mr Dinakaran's nomination did not come as a surprise as, apart from being the AIADMK organising secretary, he is also the nephew of Ms Sasikala, the best friend of Ms Jayalalithaa. He is also an accused in the disproportionate assets case registered against Ms Jayalalithaa. Three losers in the last Lok Sabha elections and a former bureaucrat-turned-politician figure in the AIADMK's list of four candidates for the Rajya Sabha announced today. The nominees include Mr S. Anbalagan and Mr N.R. Govindarajar, who lost from Rasipuram and Gobichettipalayam Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. The fourth nominee is Mr K. Malaisamy, a retired bureaucrat and former Lok Sabha member, who was denied the ticket in the last general election. The elections have been notified for six Rajya Sabha vacancies in Tamil Nadu, and the AIADMK is expected to win four on the basis of its strength in the Assembly. The combined opposition can comfortably with the remaining two. The main opposition party in the state, DMK, is unlikely to field any candidate as it has already promised the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) one Rajya Sabha seat which will go to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health Minister, who has to get elected within six months to either of the two Houses of Parliament. The sixth seat is expected to go to the Congress. |
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Pranab supports aerospace projects Bangalore, June 13 DRDO sources stated that he promised all support to the various ongoing flight development programmes. HAL sources said that the Defence Minister, accompanied by Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri V.K. Aatre, was received at the airport in the morning by HAL Chairman N.R. Mohanty, along with other senior DRDO personnel. Two prototypes of the LCA and IJT each and all variants of the ALH flew on the occasion. He also visited the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the flagship agency for the LCA, and several DRDO laboratories, including the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS). |
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Army aspirants hurt in stampede
Ara (Bihar), June 13 District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar told reporters that hundreds of youths and their relatives had assembled at the main gate of the Police Lines during the recruitment drive this morning. The stampede took place as the aspirants rushed for collecting the entry passes and started throwing stones on the policemen who tried to control the crowd, he said and added that a few aspirants also got trapped in a big hole close to the main gate. Four policemen, including a senior police officer, besides eight of the job-seekers were injured in the
stampede. — PTI |
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Terrorist concentration near LoC New Delhi, June 13 Apprehending an increase in infiltration in the coming months, officials of the security agencies held a meeting here recently to review the development. Nearly 250 terrorists of various groups have lately come close to the frontier, most of them in Uri, Keran, Neelam valley and Lepa sectors of J&K, the sources said here quoting reports from field intelligence units. They said the terrorists are believed to be belonging to different groups, particularly Lashker-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. “There are reports that some of the terrorists have already carried out reconnaissance to find gaps to cross over,” the sources said, adding “there may be an increase in infiltration suddenly in the coming months and all preparations are being made to meet any eventuality.” They pointed out that infiltration has seen a gradual increase over the last few months after witnessing a slowdown following announcement of ceasefire in October last year.
— PTI |
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CISF security for Gujarat riot witnesses New Delhi, June 13 “The witnesses have been put up at six clusters across Gujarat and a few places in some other states for security reasons”, official sources said. “Teesta Stelvad, lawyer of the victims, has also been provided the CISF security in view of threat perception to her,” they said. Refusing to divulge the strength of deployment for the purpose, sources said the personnel were trained in personal protection and sensitised about their requirement in given circumstances. Prior to deploying the security, a team of top officials from Central Government agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau and the CISF, visited Gujarat to making an assessment about the security requirements.
— PTI |
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Paper leak rumours: bank exam cancelled Kolkata, June 13 The trouble began when a group of examinees at the Manindra Chandra College in Shyambazar area of North Kolkata tried to stall the examination alleging that photocopies of the second paper of the examination, scheduled at 11.30 am, were doing the rounds inside the campus since 10.30 am. The police personnel rushed in shortly after the agitating youths started exchanging heated words with invigilators and used lathis to disperse them. After the initial chaos, a team of officials of the Allahabad Bank rushed to the centre to sort out the problem. The examination at this centre was later declared cancelled.
— PTI |
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