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Upper caste woman can’t avail quota benefit after marriage, says SC
Advani writes to govt for state
Governing body nod to
110 PGI faculty posts |
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NHRC acts on ‘chaining’ of schoolboy
Nitish assures security
AP Council Bill passed
Thackeray consults senior leaders to outthink Raj
Sangma
rejoins NCP
Advani’s clarion call for joint front UPA confident of getting quota Bill cleared Taxation Laws Bill okayed
Naxalite killed, four arrested
DMK councillor held for Chennai stampede
Parties inside
jail put officials in dock
Lalu’s nephew held, sent to judicial custody
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Upper caste woman can’t avail quota benefit after marriage, says SC
New Delhi, December 20 In the findings based on the guidelines laid down by the apex court in two earlier judgements on almost identical issues, a Bench of Mr Justice S B Sinha and Mr Justice P K Balasubramanyan said that acceptance of the upper caste Hindu woman in the SC and ST fold was not the only criteria for her claiming the reservation benefit. The important factor that has to be considered was the “social or educational backwardness” in the life of the people belonging to these communities. “It is, therefore, beyond any doubt or dispute that a person who is a high caste Hindu and not subjected to any social or educational or backwardness in life; by reason of marriage alone cannot ipso facto become a member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe,” the apex court held. The judgement came on an appeal challenging the election of Ms Sunita as councilor of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), contested by her from a reserved ward after her marriage to Ghanshyam, belonging to SC. She was born to Rajput parents. The appeal was filed by defeated candidate Meera Kanwaria against the Delhi High Court order upholding Sunita’s election to MCD from Subhash Nagar in West Delhi, which was set aside by the city District Judge while deciding the election petition against her filed by the former. Meera Kanwari challenged her election on the ground that she was not entitled to the reservation benefit because she was not born to SC family and could not claim the benefit merely on the strength of her marriage to a man from the community. The area Sub-Divisional Magistrate cancelled Sunita’s SC certificate in 2002 after it was found that it was obtained by committing a “forgery” as she had shown herself a daughter of Ramaye, who was in fact the father-in-law of her husband’s elder brother. As a coincident Ramaye’s daughter - the wife of her husband’s elder brother - was also named Sunita and she took advantage of it and registered herself as SC candidate with the area Sub-Divisional Magistrate to obtain the certificate. After this fact came to light, a criminal complaint was registered against her for committing a fraud on July 10,2002 and her SC certificate was accordingly cancelled, the apex court in its judgement recorded. Sunita’s counsel took the stand that after her marriage to Ghanshyam, she was accepted in the community and was therefore, entitled to reservation benefit. But the court did not agree with this and said “the question as regard to change of caste in view of her marriage although may be relevant in relation to Hindus, but when the question of change of caste is referable to the category belonging to a special class of citizens who require protective discrimination and affirmative action, a different rule will apply.” Otherwise also “once a certificate is cancelled, the election is also liable to be cancelled,” the court ruled.
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Advani writes to govt for state funding of poll
New Delhi, December 20 The letters, also sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Bhairon Singh Shekhawat two to three days back in the wake of MP bribery scam exposed by a TV channel through a sting operation, pointed out that the committee had made the unanimous recommendations in favour of state funding of elections to check corruption and role of black money in the poll process, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told newspersons at a press conference in Parliament. “But the question was raised at that time that how the required money could be raised,” he said, adding that Mr Advani had opined that it was possible that money for the purpose could be drawn from the MPLAD fund. Meanwhile, Union Minister and Member of Parliament Fagan Singh Khulaste was today suspended from the BJP Parliamentary Party over his alleged involvement in the MPLAD scam. Besides being a Whip of the party in Lok Sabha, Mr Kulaste is also the President of the party’s Scheduled Tribes Morcha. Another party MP Chandra Pratap Singh, shown in yesterday’s television expose, was already under suspension in the cash-for-query scam, he said. However, the party decided not to take any action against a third MP Ramswarup Koli, whose name figured in MPLAD scam, as the tapes were not clear and did not show him, Mr Malhotra said. The party had last week suspended six MPs, including one from Rajya Sabha and two former Union Ministers, in the wake of the cash-for-questions scam. The BJP had also decided to recommend to the Lok Sabha Committee probing the scam the suspension of all its five members from the Lower House pending inquiry. One of the suspended former Union Ministers M K Annasaheb Patil is the also the President of the party’s Kisan Morcha. Earlier, addressing the party MPs, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who presided over the Parliamentary Party meeting, asked them to exercise caution in their dealings and warned that corruption would not be tolerated at any cost.
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Governing body nod to
110 PGI faculty posts
New Delhi, December 20 The staff promotions had been due for the last three years and their approval should bring cheer to the faculty before the New Year. PGI Director Prof K.K. Talwar told TNS that the Governing Body chaired by the Health Minister and President of the Institute, Anbumani Ramadoss also gave a nod to the proposal for setting up a Geriatric Medicine ward at PGI. “Dr Ramadoss is keen to start it. We already have colleagues working on the proposal.” Professor Talwar said that the “big news is the staff promotions from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, Associate to Additional Professor and Additional Professor to Professor.” He said that these people had been slogging on the same post for the last three years, as interviews had not been held. The PGI Director said that candidates selected through the direct job stream for 110 faculty posts had appeared in interviews between November 22 to 26 and December 8 to 12. According to sources at the PGI, the institute follows the pattern of selection to faculty posts through open competition. The other stream is of time-bound promotions where candidates become eligible for assessment promotions and face interview boards. Candidates whose promotions have been approved by the Governing Body appeared before a selection committee in November-end and early this month. Prominent among those who attended the hour-long Governing Body meeting at Nirman Bhavan, Health Ministry headquarters here today were Health Secretary Prasanna Hota, Additional Secretary, Finance, Health Ministry, Sanjiv Mishra, Chief Secretary, Haryana, Meenakshi Anand Choudhary, UT Advisor Lalit Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University, Prof K.N. Pathak, Chairman of the Selection Committee, Prof Ranjit Raoy Choudary and Head of the Department of Nephrology, Dr Vinay Sakhija and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr Amod Gupta, both from the PGI, Chandigarh.
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NHRC acts on ‘chaining’ of schoolboy
New Delhi, December 20 Taking suo motu cognisance of a news report, the Commission observed that if the report was true, it raised a serious issue of violation of rights of a child by a non-governmental organisation. The report, published on Monday under the headline 'Residential school keeps boy chained', alleged that the management of a residential bridge school, set up under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, chained Daniel, a Class II boy, at Veldurthy to prevent him from running away from school. Daniel's feet were shackled with a chain and locked. According to the news report, the school management was too strict regarding attendance of students as absenteesim could have affected the flow of government funds to the school. Community Mobilisation Officer Mohammed Issac, who inspected the school on Sunday, found the boy in shackles. He freed the boy and lodged a complaint with the police for illegal confinement under Section 341 of the Indian Penal Code. |
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Nitish assures security
Patna, December 20 Incidentally, over 10,000 businessmen have moved out of the state in the past one decade. Addressing the first-ever "trade panchayat", organised by the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Nitish Kumar urged the business community and prospective investors to overcome fear psychosis related to abductions and extortions as he was determined to change the scene . Mr Kumar said, "There is an environment of change now. The government is by your side to give a befitting reply to law breakers. Come forward fearlessly and inspire others to invest here.Together only we can build a new Bihar." It may be noted that there were 1,111 cases of abduction between 1995 and 2005 as was submitted before the Patna High Court recently by none other than the state DGP, Mr Ashish Ranjan Sinha. The Deputy Chief Minister who is also the in charge of finance portfolio, Mr Sushil Modi, interacted with representatives of traders and entrepreneurs from all 38 districts in the state who came here to attend the day-long 'trade panchayat'. In the backdrop of the assurance by the Chief Minister to deal firmly with abductors and extortionists, the Bihar Chamber of Commernce President, Mr Moti Lal Khaitan, promised all cooperation to the government by the traders and manufacturers in doubling the present Rs 2,396 crore of the collected tax in next three-four years.
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AP Council Bill passed
New Delhi, December 20 The Bill was passed with 85 votes in favour and 25 against after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pressed for a division. The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier. Significantly, the Opposition, the BJP, voted in favour of the Bill along with the Congress-led treasury bench, while the TDP, the AIADMK and Left parties voted against the Bill. Divergent views were expressed on the Bill, which sought the revival of the second chamber which was dissolved in 1985. While TDP leader C Ramachandraiah opposed the Bill, saying that it would only amount to wasteful expenditure. Opposing the Bill, the leader of the Opposition in the state, said the legislation was an attempt to “satisfy those who could not get seats in the Assembly elections.” BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu favoured the Bill, saying that the democratic principles and practices could only be strengthened by strengthening democratic machineries. Replying to a brief debate, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said “through this Bill, I am obeying the resolution of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.” The state Assembly last year passed a resolution for the revival of the Legislative Council in the state. |
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Thackeray consults senior leaders to outthink Raj
Mumbai, December 20 The elder Thackeray left for Mahableshwar, a hill station outside Mumbai, with son and heir Uddhav and senior colleagues Sunday evening hours after the revolt by Raj. Sources say, the elder Thackeray is locked in a strategy session to prevent the Shiv Sena’s rank and file from defecting to the Raj camp. Bal Thackeray, who had earlier delegated power to his son, is back to his hands-on self, sounding out party leaders who have followed him to the ‘chintan bhaitak’ at Mahableshwar, sources said. Belying his 80 years, Bal Thackeray told his aides before leaving Mumbai that he would hit the roads in Maharashtra to save the party he founded 39 years ago. Meanwhile, the Uddhav camp has begun to woo Shiv Sena leaders across the state who are likely to jump into Raj Thackeray’s camp. Several such leaders have been called for a meeting with Bal and Uddhav at Mahableshwar, sources said. Uddhav, who has been accused of isolating his father from the party’s rank and file, is believed to have asked aides not to deny appointments to any party office-bearer seeking to meet the supremo. On the other hand Raj Thackeray is closeted with his supporters formulating his next course of action. He is to hit the campaign trail across Maharashtra to drum up support for the new outfit planned in the New Year.
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Sangma
rejoins NCP New Delhi, December 20 Mr Sangma rejoined the NCP in the presence of party president Sharad Pawar and other leaders, including Mr D. P. Tripathi and Mr Tariq Anwar. Mr Pawar announced that Mr Sangma, who had resigned as Lok Sabha member, would be fielded again from his constituency in Meghalaya. Mr
Sangma said he was “extremely happy” to be back in the NCP. “I can
never get the NCP out of me,” he said. Mr Sangma said he was
grateful to Mr Pawar for his “large-heartedness.” “I am happy
that I will now be of some help to my leader Sharad Pawar,” he said. Asked
about his reservations on foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi, Mr Sangma said
it was a closed chapter. “After she declined to become Prime Minister
I thanked her for the decision,” he said, adding that, “the future
is more important.” Mr Sangma, along with Mr Pawar and Mr Anwar,
had raised the issue of Ms Gandhi’s foreign origin and were later
removed from the Congress. Mr Sangma, who has been working to
strenthen the NCP in the North-East for the past one year, said he had
decided to rejoin the party a year back. “I am completing the
formality today,” he said. Mr Sangma said the party had good
prospects in Assam where no party will get a clear majority. Answering
queries he said the NCP had “preliminary” discussions with the CPI
and the CPM in the state. On the question about the possibility of
the NCP joining hands with Ms Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in
the West Bengal poll, Mr Pawar said his party was talking to the CPI and
the CPM. Mr Sangma said it was not practical to have a universal
approach in the present politics. He said while the NCP had tie-up with
the Congress in some states, it was the principal opposition party in
Meghalaya. |
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Advani’s clarion call for joint front against CPM
Kolkata, December 20 Mr Advani arrived in Kolkata on Saturday at the invitation of the TMC chief to inaugurate a political convention at Netaji Indoor Stadium, where the former Chief Minister, Mr Siddhartha Shankar Ray, also shared the dais with him. However, the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, also WBPCC(l) chief, though invited, skipped the meeting on the Congress’s political differences with the BJP. The BJP President said only under Ms Banerjee’s leadership the anti-left forces in the state could dislodge the CPM from power. He asked the leaders of all anti-Left parties, irrespective of their political and ideological differences, to get united and fight the Assembly elections against the CPM. Mr Advani said the BJP was not bothered if any “mahajot” was formed in the state against the Left Front or not, but it should be ensured by the anti-Left parties that their votes were not divided again thus facilitating the easy victory of the CPM. He felt that when “the Lalu zamana” could be brought to an end in Bihar by the NDA partners, the people of Bengal could also make an end to the CPM misrule of over two decades. A former Congress Chief Minister, Mr Ray, once again urged the leaders of both the Congress and the Trinamool Congress to get united and jointly fight the elections against the CPM. He said the people were wanting a change in the government and all the anti-Left parties should take the opportunity of jointly fighting the elections and dislodging the CPM from power. Mr Ray claimed the CPM’s popularity had already been eroded to the bottom but still they were in power because the Opposition was divided. Moreover, being in power for so long at a stretch, the CPM, like Mr Lalu Prasad in Bihar,could have the advantage of using the police and the administration in their electioneering. But this time, the Chief Election Commissioner was more alert and firm for holding free, fair and peaceful elections, he added.
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UPA confident of getting quota Bill cleared New Delhi, December 20 The BJP has opposed the Bill on the ground that it has kept minority institutions out of its purview. However, there were indications that the Opposition was not united on the issue and several NDA partners, including the Janata Dal (U) and the Biju Janata Dal, would vote in its favour. Realising that the BJP could well be isolated on the issue, the government has decided to go ahead with the Bill without introducing any amendments to it. “We have nothing to lose ...if it is passed, we get the credit and we also expose the chinks in the Opposition ranks. If the numbers don’t add up, it will only expose the BJP,” said a senior UPA minister. UPA floor managers, however, maintained that it was comfortably placed in the Lok Sabha where the UPA and its supporting parties account for 343 members as against the Opposition’s 181 in a House which presently has an effective strength of 522. However, the vote in the Rajya Sabha could prove to be a close call as the UPA here has 135 members, while the Opposition comes close with 100 members in the House of 234. The government, however, is confident that in addition to its own members, it would be able to enlist the support of 25-35 Opposition members. Since it is a Constitutional Amendment Bill, it has to be passed with two-third majority. While the government exuded confidence, the BJP is clearly in a dilemma though publicly it stuck to its position that it would oppose the waiver given to the minority institutions. It has issued a whip to is members but its deputy leader in Lok Sabha V.K.Malhotra maintained that a final decision on the party’s strategy would be taken tomorrow. |
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Taxation Laws Bill okayed New Delhi, December 20 Replying to a debate on the Bill, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the government would amend the Income tax Act to make it simpler and prevent its abuse. Responding to the criticism levelled by former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha that the government had “smuggled” the Bill, Mr Chidambaram said the legislation had already been passed by the Lok Sabha and there was no question of smuggling it. The Opposition wanted that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee. Finance Minister P Chidambaram has forecast a growth rate of 7-8 per cent this fiscal. Replying to a debate on the Supplementary Demands for Grants in Rajya Sabha today, he expressed confidence about meeting fiscal and revenue deficit targets for the current fiscal. The House later returned the supplementary demands totalling Rs 9080 crore along with the relevant appropriation bills by a voice vote. |
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Naxalite killed, four arrested
Patna, December 20 The police and the STF launched a joint offensive against Maoists after the ultras blew up the stone crushing factory of former state BJP President Gopal Narayan Singh near Kaimur on Sunday. The police, however, said before blowing up the factory, the Maoists asked all labourers to come out and allowed them to escape unhurt. In another incident, 17 Maoists surrendered before the police in Muzaffarpur yesterday. The surrender was an outcome of the continuous raids against the Maoists by the police and the STF in the area over the past few days. The Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, had asked the administration to undertake devlopmental activities in the Naxal-affected areas on the one hand and to carry out raids and other security measures on the other. |
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DMK councillor held for Chennai stampede
Chennai, December 20 Councillor, Dhanasekaran was charged with spreading rumours that flood-relief coupons would be exhausted early morning and that people should reach the centre as soon as possible which led to the stampede, the police said. Following the arrest, DMK President M. Karunanidhi has convened a meeting of the office-bearers of the party’s city unit to discuss the matter. The party described the arrest of its councillor as an “alleged attempt by the ruling All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government to malign it”. |
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Parties inside
jail put officials in dock
Mumbai, December 20 The reports had alleged that gangster Abu Salem, had thrown a party in the prison on November 24 when he was sent to the judicial custody. Judge Pramod Kode of the TADA court today asked Salem’s lawyer Harjot Singh about the allegations but Singh denied. The reports said members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang in the Arthur Road Central jail had a merry reunion with Salem. The reports further alleged that imported liquor and food from an outside restaurant besides imported cigarettes were provided to Salem and friends. |
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Lalu’s nephew held, sent to judicial custody
Patna, December 20 The police today arrested Nagendra from Shastrinagar in Patna for his alleged involvement in the forcible possession of a piece of land in the area during which he had opened fire injuring one woman, Gyan Devi. The incident took place on May 29 last year.
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