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Act on petition to save tigers, SC asks Centre
Veda to stay on in India
Road accidents leave 19 dead in Uttaranchal
News Analysis by Rajeev Sharma
Snake man gets UK’s top prize
We also work at home, says SC Judge
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Mamata, Subrata
lock horns
Missile company’s MD sacked 24 tourists rescued from
ropeway
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Act on petition to save tigers, SC asks Centre
New Delhi, May 1 The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests had already agreed to implement the 12 of proposals spelt out in the petition by Mr Navin Raheja with the help of the states. A Bench of Mr Justice Y. K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice P. P. Naolekar directed the Ministry to consider the remaining 7 issues also. Mr Raheja had resigned from the 'Project Tiger' few years back as no concrete results were forthcoming out of the project because the authorities had failed to put into action the policy on it. He had moved a public interest litigation (PIL) in the apex court in 1998 seeking the court's mandamus to the government for implementing the project properly. The Court on Friday last directed Ministry's counsel A. D. N. Rao to hold discussions with Mr Raheja for preparing a draft or a brief note on the 12 agreed issues as well as the remaining 7 on which the government was "silent". It directed the said note to be placed before the Bench so that appropriate directions could be issued to the Centre and the state governments for the time-bound implementation of the 'Project Tiger'. The Ministry, in its affidavit, had said it had arrived at a consensus with the state governments sregarding implementation of the 12 proposals but it had no comments to offer on the remaining 7 issues. The 12 issues, which the government agreed to implement with the help of the state governments were: Timly release of funds to tiger reserves, filling up of vacant posts of forest officials, timly payment of compensation to owners of cattle killed by tigers. Organisation of field formation in forests to prevent poaching, proper training to forest officials and guards, legal powers to forest officers to take action against culprits, settlement right to tribals, intelligence networking, incentives and rewards for catching poachers were other issues. The issues also included proper transfer and posting policy for forest officials, setting up of rationalisation committees and creation of effective communication networks in the reserved parks. The seven issues on which govt was silent included setting up of legal cell in reserved forest areas, education of local population about the importance of the species through media, interbreeding and gender exchange, development of peripherial area of the reserved park, tourism and raising of fund through it,. Relocation of roads and rail lines from sancturies and parks and control on giving licences for guns were the remaining such issues on which govt was silent. Mr Raheja has sought implementation of all the 19 points raised in the petition, saying that they formed the foundations of the policy on 'Project Tiger'. |
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Veda to stay on in India
New Delhi, May 1 CUPA organised a function at the Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore on Friday where animal lovers proposed “an elephantine thanks” to the Prime Minister on Veda’s behalf for allowing her to stay on in her natural habitat. Relieved that Veda would now not be sent to Armenia’s Yervan Zoo, the animal lovers fed Veda bananas. CUPA had appealed to the Prime Minister, President, External Affairs Minister and Union Minister for Environment and Forests to cancel the commitment to send Veda to Armenia in view of the unsuitable climatic conditions and poor track record of the zoo with regard to elephants. In a formal note of thanks to Dr Manmohan Singh, CUPA has said that his decision at the meeting of the National Board of Wildlife to ban the gifting of animals to Heads of State and his decision revoking the commitment of sending Veda to Armenia has “greater implications for the welfare of captive wildlife and conservation. CUPA vice-president and founder trustee Suparna Bakshi Ganguly told TNS that the Prime Minister’s “compassionate decision will set a precedent for other countries to follow.” CUPA is also sending letters of thanks to the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, External Affiars Minister, Natwar Singh, Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Thiru A. Raja, Karnataka Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi and animal rights activist and MP Maneka Gandhi for their interest in the case. Brinda Nandkumar, senior counsel and animal rights activist who filed a review petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging Veda’s transfer last month, broke a coconut in Sri Vinayak Temple in Jai Nagar on Friday morning and participated in the celebrations. Brinda told TNS that CUPA had filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court on February 14 challenging Veda’s transfer on grounds of cruelty and violation of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and the National Zoo Policy. The Karnataka High Court dismissed the petition on March 4 and held Veda’s transfer as valid as the state government had been given permission by the Central Zoo Authority. Brinda said while they were getting ready to move the apex court, the Prime Minister announced at the meeting of the National Board of Wildlife that animals would not be gifted to Heads of State. |
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Road accidents leave 19 dead in Uttaranchal
Dehra Dun, May 1 The bus was carrying a marriage party on its way from Chamiyala Binaykhal. While seven persons died on the spot after the bus fell into a gorge, two persons succumbed to injuries when they were being taken to the hospital. Those injured seriously were referred to the Doon Hospital in Dehra Dun, officials said. The bus remained stuck on a tree for sometime after the accident. The district administration along with locals began the rescue operation late at night. Five persons of a marriage party, including the groom and his father, died in a car accident near Bhrampuri, 11 km from Rishikesh on the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway. The marriage party was on its way to Dehra Dun. The district officials said bad weather conditions led the car to lose balance causing the accident. In another accident, five persons were killed when a jeep carrying 12 persons fell into a deep gorge in Gopeshwar. The jeep was on its way to Sitel from Ghat. The injured were rushed to the hospital, officials said. |
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News Analysis by Rajeev Sharma
New Delhi, May 1 In his address to the India-China Business Forum, Premier Wen Jiabao, who was in India from April 9 to 12, clearly spelt out what China needs, where its strength lies in collaboration with India and the chinks in its economic juggernaut, which can derail this engine. Nevertheless, the sheer size of the country is an insurance against an economic collapse, though periodic overheating, inflation and recession will remain natural accompaniment of their growth. China, Mr Wen explained, required India’s high technology especially space, Maritimes technology and software, and offered cooperation in the infrastructure areas which India needs. Import of value added high technology against export of high earning, labour intensive work, please note. Currently, Indian exports is dominated by raw material to support China’s construction industry. But this industry is going to taper off soon after the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Indian business, therefore, needs to quickly expand economic cooperation and export areas. Indian economic planners and analysts must also delve deeper into China’s economic miracle. China’s economy has been fuelled by FDI, foreign expertise, and re-exports based on cheap labour. India’s tortoise economy, on the other hand, is basically indigenous mainly supported by a large domestic market. Foreign enterprise, through FDI, have started to take control of large sections of China’s economy, deliberately stunting R&D to retain qualitative advantage of the parent companies abroad. This is a lesson in FDI India must learn from China. Finally, the impact of demographic changes in the two countries in the next 15 years must not be lost sight of. China will increasingly face shortage of working age population driving up labour costs, while India’s active work force will register significant increase fuelling both intellectual and blue-collar work force. Therefore, the awe among Indians about the dragon swallowing the tiger is grossly misplaced and misleading. In the political and strategic areas, Mr Wen Jiabao’s visit witnessed cautious forward movements. The agreement on “Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Development” should be looked at in depth. It is apparent that the Chinese trap has been avoided. China has used the platform of strategic partnership with other countries to drive its own agenda on specific issues. Here, the addition of “peace and development” can arrest Chinese designs if India can read the intentions and play its part accordingly. The text of the agreement on “Political Parameters and Guiding Principles” for the resolution of the Sino-Indian border issue is finally more realistic. The parameters are expanded and in much greater detail than the earlier Chinese proposed “Mutual Understanding, Mutual Accommodation, and Mutual Adjustment” or MUMAMA. While the Chinese precept of historical evidence and geographical features wherever suitable finds mention in the guiding principles, they occupy a minor position. The basics in the principles are political and strategic settlement taking the sensitivities of both sides, and no transfer of populated areas.
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Snake man gets UK’s top prize
Chennai, May 1 The Chennai-based herpetologist and founder of the famous Snake Park and Crocodile Bank, received the award for his project “King Cobra as a flagship species for the vanishing rainforests of the Western Ghats”. Princess Anne of the United Kingdom, who is the patron of the Whitley Laing Foundation, presented the award to Mr Whitaker at a function in London. The award carries a £30,000 cash prize, and a cut glass trophy with a citation. Among the eight award winners, two are from India. The other Indian to receive the award was Mr Charudutt Mishra for his project on conservation of snow leopards in the Himalayan high altitudes. Mr Whitaker said the foundation received about 100 entries from across the world, of which eight were short listed for the award. Mr Whitaker’s proposal concerns the protection of King Cobra and its habitat by setting up a research station in a rainforest. For implementing his project, he has chosen Agumbe in Dakshina Canara district of Karnataka. He said it was in the same area where he sighted a King Cobra during early 1970s. “I call the place the capital of King Cobra,” he remarked. He was also involved in the rescue of King Cobras that had strayed into human habitations in and around Agumbe. Mr Whitaker bought eight acres of land in Agumbe in January this year, where the research station will be set up. The area receives about 10,000 mm rainfall annually. The station will undertake research on King Cobra biology, hill stream ecology, forest produce sustainability, soil conservation and will emphasise on applied studies. |
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We also work at home, says SC Judge
New Delhi, May 1 "The working hours of Supreme Court Judge are not from 10.30 am to 4 pm," Supreme Court Judge Y .K. Sabharwal told the valedictory session of an All-India Seminar on Judicial Reforms with Special Reference to Arrears of Court Cases. "If it were only so, I would have suggested for increase of working hours at least by 4 to 6 hours per day not only from Monday to Friday but on Saturdays and Sundays and other holidays, too. But, as Justice Sabharwal yesterday put it, "a judge has to put in about 8 to 10 hours per day at his or her residential office."
— UNI |
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Mamata, Subrata
lock horns Kolkata, May 1 Though Mr Mukherjee was still the Mayor, it was certain that henceforth he would not be allowed to hold the Mayor’s chair since a new leader had been elected. Altogether 53 councillors, who were present at an emergency meeting called by Ms Banerjee, on Thursday elected Mr Khan as their leader in place of Mr Mukherjee.
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Missile company’s MD sacked
New Delhi, May 1 The action though had been initiated against him by the previous NDA government after complaints of alleged financial bunglings in deals signed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the order of dismissal was served on him last week, the officials said. |
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24 tourists rescued from
ropeway Dehra Dun, May 1
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Wage board for scribes soon, says minister
Coimbatore, May 1 To a question on the long-pending demand of the employees, he told reporters here that all the papers with regard to the matter were with him.
— PTI |
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