New Delhi, August 4
The Supreme Court today stayed the Bombay High Court order seeking the Pradhan Committee report on Maharashtra government’s response to Mumbai terror attacks.

A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, stayed the July 23 HC order that had also directed Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief KP Raghuvanshi to appear before it and Chief Secretary Johny Joseph to provide details of safety measures for ATS.

The Bench, which included Justices P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan, however, refused to stay the proceedings in the HC on a PIL filed by the Society of Indian Law Firms and others. The PIL has sought action against the authorities for their failure to take prompt action to minimise the impact of the terror attack.

Posting the case for further hearing on August 21, the apex court also issued notice to the society on the state government’s petition challenging the HC proceedings. During the course of today’s hearing, the CJI raised doubts over the HC’s wisdom in seeking the committee’s report in a sealed cover. Making the report public would result in further debates on television channels, he said.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, who appeared for the state government, said those who had organised the attack from Pakistan were watching Indian television channels to keep themselves updated on the developments.

The Bench felt the judiciary did not have the expertise for guiding the ATS on how to deal with terrorism. Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the ATS, took exception to the HC summoning the ATS chief.

Senior advocate Lalit Bhasin, president of the All India Bar Association, however, defended the HC directives, contending that the state had failed to protect the lives of the victims.

Gurgaon, August 4
Telephone as well as doorbells of Deep Joshi (62), a Gurgaon-based social activist, have not stopped ringing ever since the word of his having won this year’s Ramon Magsaysay award spread.

The coveted award, which is accompanied by congratulations from the country’s top administrators and frantic interview calls from print as well as electronic mediapersons, obviously means a lot for him. “The award is an acknowledgment of the fact that with commitment, sympathy and motivation, one can create a positive difference in the lives of the underprivileged sections of society,” Joshi observed while talking to mediapersons at his residence here this evening.

Joshi, who has won this year’s Ramon Magsaysay award for his pioneering social work in the development of rural communities, is the co-founder of the Professional Assistance for Development Action (Pradan).

The organisation works for the development of rural communities, including uplift of rural and tribal poor, promoting self-help groups, encouraging locally suitable economic activities and introducing systems to improve livelihoods of rural people. Joshi holds a master’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), besides another master’s in management from Sloan School.

“The idea of helping others requires a keen interest in them…you need to put in your head and heart together to help them create a better world for themselves,” he asserted, adding that it was a demanding field.

Coming from a professional business background, Joshi said he was drawn towards the development of the country’s rural population after he saw a community health project spearheaded by a doctor couple in 1977.

Advocating the idea of targeting human welfare with all available resources, Joshi maintained that sending a mission to the moon seemed pointless as a large chunk of population continued to live in abject poverty.

Regarding the continuance of slackness in government functioning as a welfare state, Joshi noted that there were a number of good socially oriented policies framed by the government, but ensuring their proper implementation was must so that their benefit actually reached the targeted people. As of now, Joshi wants to establish an educational system in Pradan to continue the efforts initiated by him in collaboration with the government and educational institutions.

New Delhi, August 4
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will seek to persuade Australia to lift the ban on uranium exports to India during his visit Down Under.

The minister left here today on a five-day trip during which the issue of racial attacks on Indian students will be high on his agenda.

A veil of secrecy, however, is being maintained on the negotiations the two countries have been holding on uranium exports to India ever since New Delhi got a clean waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) in September last year to undertake nuclear commerce.

Australia, which too had supported the unconditional waiver for India at the NSG, has, however, remained non-committal on supplying uranium to India.

Australia, which is one of the world’s largest producers of uranium, has strong domestic laws, barring the export of uranium to countries, which are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

While the previous government indicated some flexibility on the issue, the new Labor Party government led by Kevin Rudd is more stubborn on it. It still appears to be a difficult task for New Delhi to convince Canberra. However, sources pointed out that India’s impeccable record of non-proliferation would strengthen New Delhi’s case and gradually there would be a move in this context. They also pointed out that since Australia had supported India at the NSG, it was obvious that in principal Canberra supported India's nuclear ambitions and logically the support would come sooner than later. While in Australia, Krishna will meet his counterpart Stephen Smith on August 7 in Cairns. He will also meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He will also participate in the Annual Post Forum Dialogue Meeting of the Pacific Island Forum in Cairns.

Lucknow, August 4
Describing it as a “minor incident” BSP minister for parliamentary affairs Lalji Verma today refused to recommend a CBI probe into the loot and arson of UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi's Lucknow house on the night of July 15.

In protest Congress MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha staged a walk out for the remaining day. Verma maintained that the chief minister was committed to punish the guilty in the matter. “An impartial CB-CID inquiry was being conducted which would bring out truth”, claimed Verma.

Charging the Congress-led UPA government with not accepting a CBI probe into most of the recommendations made by the BSP government, Verma said that of the 24 CBI probes recommended by the Mayawati government since assuming office on May 13, 2007 only 7 had been accepted by the Central government.

“Be it the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, Allahabad madarsa rape case or the bungling in police recruitment - none of the recommendations were accepted.”

In protest, Congress MLAs led by Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari staged a walkout and announced to boycott the House for the remaining part of the day.

Congress raised the matter as soon as the house assembled demanding a debate under suspension of rules.

Leader of Opposition Shivpal Yadav speaking in solidarity described July 15 as the “darkest day in the history of democracy”. Leader of the house Mayawati cut him short by standing up and asking, “Have you forgotten June 2 1995”. A stunned Yadav sat down in silence. In the uproar that followed Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar adjourned the house till Zero Hour.

Panchkula, August 4
Booking a room at any Haryana Tourism Resort is now just a click away. The new online room reservation system was launched by Minister of State for Tourism, Kiran Choudhry, here on Tuesday.

The tourists will now be able to book rooms using the Internet from anywhere in the world under the G2C facilities. The booking can be cancelled through the same mode. In its first phase, the new system has been implemented in 26 top A and B category resorts of Haryana Tourism. “The facility to check the rooms availability online will bring about transparency and more efficiency in the functioning of the department,” said Chaudhary, while addressing mediapersons after launch at Red Bishop Tourist Resort, Panchkula.

The new arrangement would also benefit travel agents and tour operators, which, in turn, would boost the state tourism. “It will also help the government in developing a focused marketing plan for Haryana Tourism through maintenance and extraction of the comprehensive guest history at the HTC resorts.”

Chandigarh, August 4
The Supreme Court collegium has cleared for elevation the names of four judicial officers of district and sessions judge level. Available information from Delhi suggests the names of KK Garg and Gurdev Singh from Punjab, along with Ram Chand Gupta and MS Sullar from Haryana, have been cleared.

Sullar is currently holding the charge of Haryana legal remembrancer, while Gupta is the Registrar-General; Garg is Chandigarh Sessions Judge and Gurdev Singh is posted as Jalandhar Sessions Judge.

The file containing their names will now go to the law ministry and the President of India before the warrants of appointment are issued. The entire process is likely to take a few days time.

As of now, the high court has 46 judges, against the sanctioned strength of 68. The number is expected to go down to 45 with Justice KS Garewal all set to take up a new assignment after retiring from the high court upon attaining the age of superannuation. Currently, Justice Nirmal Yadav is not holding the court following the surfacing of her name in the cash for judge scam.

Initially, the names of two more judges were to be recommended for elevation, but it is believed the names of session judges GK Rai from Punjab and SK Sardana from Haryana have been held back by the high court for the time being.

New Delhi, August 4
India and Singapore today signed a joint action plan on tourism cooperation. Minister of Tourism Kumari Selja and Singapore Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education S. Iswaran witnessed the signing by tourism officials of India and Singapore.

The plan reiterates provisions of cooperation enshrined in the bilateral agreement on tourism signed between India and Singapore on January 24, 1994.

New Delhi, August 4
The Congress is in no hurry to take action against Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh, who has been booked in a corruption case by the Himachal Pradesh Vigilance Bureau.

Senior Congress leaders are of the opinion that an FIR is no basis for asking for a resignation. “We are not going to ask him to step down on the basis of an FIR. If and when the charge sheet is filed we will see,” they say

From the official platform the Congress refused to comment on the corruption case against Virbhadra Singh, saying that it had no information on the issue.

“I have no information on the issue. I will talk to Virbhadraji and only then I will be able to comment,” party spokesman Manish Tewari said when asked whether the Union Steel Minister should resign.

Calling it an act of “political vendetta” by the BJP government in the state, Virbhardra Singh has called the FIR a cheap gimmick to damage him and the Congress party through false and baseless accusations and unscrupulous vilification.