Shimla, July 14
The media may be averse to any kind of formal regulation and controls but global media experts feel an independent regulatory body was absolutely essential for electronic media in the country and warn that leaving matters to the market forces could lead to its collapse.

Prof Biswarup Sen from the University of Oregon pointed out that the traditional media like television was on the decline in the USA, Europe and other advanced countries, as evident from the falling TRPs (television ration points), due to emergence of a new web-based media.

However, in India with a huge illiterate and semi-literate population and Internet still out of reach for most, both print and electronic media were on the ascendant.

Electronic media was still a growing industry and the experience so far in terms of contents had been a mixed one, calling for a regulatory mechanism.

Government control was not desirable but the need for independent regulatory body established by law could not be over-emphasised.

In the USA the Federal Communications Commission was in place to ensure unbiased coverage, maintaining ethics, prescribing time limit for advertisements and other such matters.

It not only had powers impose heavy penalties on the erring channels but could also cancel the broadcasting licence.

In India there was a ‘free for all’ like situation and channels could get away with anything, even a fake sting operation.

Allowing such a situation to persist was not in the long-term interest of the electronic media and if left to market forces it could well see a collapse like the one witnessed by the banking sector in the USA.

Daya Kishan Thussu from the University of Westminster also favoured a professional body to regulate the media to take care of sensitive issues like national security, decency and moral values.

Like elsewhere in the world in India too the growing commercialisation of airwaves had contributed to the proliferation of all-news channels, broadcasting to a fragmenting television audience and dependent on corporate advertising.

With more than 56 news channels, unrivalled by any other country, India had the world’s most linguistically diverse, competitive and increasingly ratings-conscious television news but with an indigenous look.

The flip-side in a market-driven, 24/7 broadcasting ecology was that content was dictated by the marketing man whose main concern was the TRP. As a result television news in India was veering towards infotainment.

It would have serious social impact as the contents promote individualism, redefining the traditional gender and family relationships to fuel capitalist tendencies. There was little focus on the vital social and economic issues facing the country.

Shimla, July 14
Commercialisation of electronic media with entry of private channels has adversely impacted state-owned television network.

This was stated by former director-general of Doordarshan Bhaskar Ghosh while delivering a keynote address at a two-day international conference on “50 Years of Indian Television: Contemporary Issues” that began at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study here today.

He observed: “Competitive private channels have taken toll on the state broadcaster by breaking its monopoly. The scenario changed drastically when transnational televisions were received first from CNN’s coverage of the 1st Gulf War and then by the advent of Star TV out of Hong Kong.”

He said the challenge by transnational television channels was too much for the national broadcaster and it started five 24- hour new channels but without any “real” content to show.

It required at least 3 months producing a 30-minute programme but these channels were launched without any groundwork and results were disastrous, he pointed out.

However, he claimed that the state-owned network still continued to be the biggest network in the country and the one with the largest reach.

Director of the institute Peter Ronald dSouza said that there was a “digital and literacy divide” in the country that made television the most important medium for rural areas.

Shimla, July 14
The police today resorted to firing in the air to disperse clashing SFI and ABVP students on the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) campus.

District police chief RM Sharma said the police was forced to fire three rounds in the air to disperse the clashing SFI and ABVP activists.

The police, which had already been deployed in adequate numbers in view of the apprehension of trouble, fired three rounds at about 6 pm to prevent the situation from worsening.

The SP said the police was forced to resort to firing in the air as the students were clashing and pelting stones at each other.

“About half a dozen students from both outfits were injured in the melee, which is a run up to the holding of student elections in HPU,” said Sharma.

He added that trouble had been brewing between the two outfits that also clashed at Sanjauli college yesterday.

He said the situation was under control as over 100 police personnel were deployed in HPU while reserve police force had been kept as stand-by.

The police was now looking for students who created trouble and pelted stones at other students.

Shimla, July 14
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will seek legal opinion to examine the possibility of filing a defamation case against the complainants in the CPMT paper leak controversy, which had put its own examination system under close scanner.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive council (EC) of HPU chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Sunil Kumar Gupta here today.

It was on the basis of a complaint filed by a Mandi resident that the government had ordered a CID inquiry into the allegations of leak of the pre-medical entrance paper.

The needle of suspicion in the alleged paper leak case had been on local coaching centre Vidyapeeth after 23 of its students cleared the pre-medical entrance test.

The fact that seven of its 23 successful candidates figured in the merit list led to further suspicion.

The CID gave a clean chit to HPU and the coaching centre after its special investigating team completed the inquiry.

Treading a cautious path HPU which conducts the exam too favoured holding of an inquiry in view of the fact that in 2006 the HP-CPMT paper was actually leaked and sold to candidates for several lakhs.

The PMT entrance examination in 2006 was cancelled and held afresh. The VC said Rs 50 lakh had been sanctioned for providing internet connectivity in the hostels.

It also approved the affiliation fee for various courses in over 250 colleges, both government and private in the state.

It has also been decided to hold SCA elections in Sanskrit College. The EC also approved contractual appointments for another year at HPU.

Shimla, July 14
As he prepares to make foray into real time acting as the main lead in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, Adnan Sami busy shooting for his latest album “Sharmili” takes out time to give music tips to his 15-year-old son Azaan, whom he has met after a hiatus of 10 long years.

“Even though each time I embark on a new journey in terms of an album, concert or acting, I am jittery, I love to venture into areas which allow me to explore my creativity,” says a slimmer Sami.

Sans any starry airs he interacts with co-stars and people with the same warmth and love he exudes to perfection on camera.

However, completing his album started with singing sensation Michael Jackson is his first priority.

“The Jacksons, including Janet and Jermaine, are keen that the album planned earlier with Jacko should be completed at the earliest as it would be their real tribute towards the great singer,” he says.

The album, he says, is to be shot in America and Mumbai for which the Jacksons would be coming over to India.

Having turned the dreams of his father Arshad Sami Khan, a Pakistan Air force pilot and later a diplomat, into reality, he says the legacy must pass on to his son, Azaan.

“I have both singing and acting in my genes and so, there is no question of my not following in the footsteps of my father,” says Azaan, who is already working on his first album.

“My father who per force had to opt for a conventional career always said he lived his dreams through me so all my creative expressions are dedicated to him as he always encouraged me to do what I loved the most,” says Azaan.

Hamirpur, July 14
Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Minister Ravinder Ravi today raided the Hamirpur-based offices of the IPH Department and found 10 per cent staff absent from duty in their offices.

The minister, who was on his way from the Thural constituency to Shimla dropped in the IPH office complex without any prior information at 10.30 am and after verifying the attendance record found officials and few officers absent.

Though the minister had not initiated any strict action for the negligence of duty, had marked all of them absent in the attendance registers.

Since all three offices of the IPH- chief engineers office, circle and division office are based in a single building, the minister immediately covered all wings.

While many lower and middle-level officials were found absent, even few officers had not reached the office by then.

It was learnt that most of the absentees were local employees and people coming from distances had reached the office well in time.

The minister also warned the IPH officials of stringent action in future and disciplinary action would be taken in such cases of wilful absence from the office.

He also directed officers to maintain registers in every office in which every officer should enter if any employee, including officer, was going out for any official work.

While talking to The Tribune IPH minister said, “On my visit I found 10 per cent employees missing from their duties in the morning which is a matter of serious concern, since the government has promised to provide effective and responsive administration we want that every employee should be in his office in time.”

“I have taken a lenient view in this case this time, but in future strict action will follow,” he added.

Solan, July 14
With geological surveys pointing to oil availability in the area surrounding Kasauli, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has begun exploration work in Gussan village below Kasauli.

The ONGC has rented land from local villagers for a period of three years for the purpose and has already begun exploration work after seeking an oil exploration license from the state government.

This license was initially granted for a period of six months and had been extended for a period of another six months, informed the state geologist, Arun Sharma.

The state government has also facilitated the ONGC by issuing an inescapability certificate to them for the temporary acquisition of land for the exploratory drilling work in January.

The ONGC later took permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to fell 97 trees that fell in the exploratory area prior to undertaking any drilling work.

This exploration was being seen as major work and it was learnt that ONGC officials after beginning drilling work here would undertake similar work at Nahan and Kangra.

It was on the basis of satellite imagery and geological surveys that the ONGC has zeroed in on the site.

An amount of Rs 50 to 100 crore has been initially earmarked for the project. The ONGC, after studying the geology of the area, has found that the area under study lay towards the outer Himalaya.

The exposed rocks in the area mainly belong to the tertiary type, with a few exposures of pre-tertiary Bandla and Bilaspur limestone forming the base of the Paleocene sediments.

This exploration has raised much hope enthusiasm among the state government and the locals and if oil was actually discovered, it could change the economy of the small town.

Shimla, July 14
New Transport Minister Mohinder Singh Thakur ruled out the possibility of enhancing bus fares, despite 928 routes where buses were being plied uneconomically.

Addressing a press conference here today, Thakur said despite the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) being in loss there was no proposal to increase the bus fares.

“All possible efforts will be made to increase the profitability of the HRTC, besides improving service and efficiency,” he added.

The minister said the Transport Department had identified 536 black spots in consultation with the Public Works Department (PWD), which were accident-prone.

“We are keen to tackle these black spots as it is mainly due to fault in the road condition that most of the accidents occur at these points,” he said.

Thakur said 619 posts of driver were being filled and another 550 posts were still lying vacant.

“The pending overtime allowance due to conductors for the past six months will be cleared at the earliest and a sum of Rs 1.2 crore has already been released while an equal amount will be given in a day or two,” he said.

The minister announced that the government had issued show-cause notice to the Messer’s Eicher for blacklisting as the 12 new mini buses provided by them showed mechanical fault.

Thakur said in future the bodies of the buses would be made at the workshop of the HRTC at Mandi and Parwanoo. He added no bodies would be made from Delhi or any other place outside the state.

Shimla, July 14
Two persons were killed when a private van met with an accident on the Bharari- Lakkar Bazaar road here today.

The mishap took place when the van (HP-51-0848) rolled down 100 feet into a deep gorge killing 40-year-old Manohar Bisht and Bharat Bhushan Kalia, both locals. The other person travelling in the van also died.

In another incident the body of a 40-year-old man Gulab was found from the nullah near Hotel Holiday Home.

The deceased was a resident of Kaslog village in Arki subdivision of Solan district. The police is investigating the cause of the death.

It will coordinate with government functionaries and create awareness among different stakeholders about needs of the special children.

It will also help the administration to activate the local-level committees set up under the chairmanship of respective deputy commissioners for the appointment of legal guardians of mentally retarded.

Apart from this, the arrangements for meals shall be made invariably in the canteen of the factory.

Sundernagar, July 14
Vijay Kumar (11), a resident of Bhor village, was electrocuted at his house today. The incident took place when the boy was reportedly alone in the house.

He was going upstairs when he touched the iron railing of the stairs and received an electric shock.

The matter came to the notice of family members when they returned home after two hours.

Sources said the reason behind the incident could be leakage in the electric wiring of the house.

Later, the body of the victim was handed over to family members after a post- mortem examination.