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MP Digvijay Singh dies in UK
IITs favour old test pattern
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The Tribune Impact
Health Ministry sounds carbide alert
Rape Charge
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G-20 Canada Summit The Safety Net Multi-million dollar safety net has been created in the wake of the threats, including from the Sikh hardliners, during Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit. Wire and concrete fences will also encircle the pedestrian and traffic controlled zones.
Unprecedented security arrangements will mark the two-day G-20 Summit, scheduled to be organised in Toronto from June 26, even as the government of Canada has encircled the convention center with a fenced red zone.
The multi-million dollar safety net has been created in the wake of the threats, including from the Sikh hardliners, during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit. Wire and concrete fences will also encircle the pedestrian and traffic controlled zones. Though, the traffic zones will not be fenced off, yet the traffic will be diverted from the secure zone. There are clear security instructions: From June 25 onwards, the vehicles found violating the rules in the red and yellow zones will be tagged or towed away. Fence will also encircle the hotel Delta Chelsea, Gerrd Street West, Toronto, where international delegates, including the Indian media, will be putting up. They will be allowed to reach the summit in pooled vehicles only. Portions of the underground pedestrian walkway will be closed from tomorrow evening itself. However, the government of India has reportedly conveyed its apprehensions about the probability of the protest, even though there are remote chances of such elements slipping through the tight security net, erected around the summit venue. The Prime Minister, along with senior mediapersons, would leave for Toronto by Air India’s special flight from the Air Force Station, New Delhi, at 12 noon tomorrow. After technical one-night halt at Frankfurt the Prime Minister’s aircraft would depart for Toronto. Earlier on April 13, Dr Manmohan Singh during his 30-minute meeting in Washington with his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, had conveyed his concerns over the surge in the activities of the Sikh separatists in Canada who are trying to revive the militancy in Punjab. Numerous black- listed Sikhs had taken political asylum in Canada. President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Parmjit Singh Sarna has urged the Sikh hardliners, living in Canada, to desist from organising any protest to mark the visit of Dr Manmohan Singh, as it would bring bad name to their community. However, president of the All-India Sikh Students Federation led by Karnail Singh Pirmohammad and leaders of other Sikh outfits urged the Prime Minister to review the “black list”. They pleaded that the “black-listed” Sikhs, against whom no FIR is pending in India, should be allowed to visit their motherland. It is just a coincidence that G-20 is being organised three days after 25th anniversary of the bombing Air-India’s Kanishka flight 182. The ill-fated Montreal-New Delhi Air- India Kanishka flight via Toronto and London had exploded mid-air 45 minutes before it was to land at London’s Heathrow Airport. All 329 passengers on board were killed. Many Sikhs hardliners had faced long trial in Canada in connection with the Kanishka bombing. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also paid homage to 1985 Kanishka bombing victims, who lost their lives in the air tragedy 25 years ago, on the same day. Three days before the Prime Minister’s visit to Toronto, Vivek Katju, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, while briefing the media had stated that the government of India had conveyed its concern about the pro-Khalistan elements, operating from the Canadian soil. A Sikh MP in Canada along with Andrew Kania, MP from the Punjabi-dominant constituency of Brampton (West), on the outskirts of Toronto, had also chosen the occasion to embarrass the Indian government by moving a motion in the Canadian Parliament asking the government to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as ‘genocide’, a few days from the G-20 Summit.
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MP Digvijay Singh dies in UK
London, June 24 He is survived by his wife and two daughters. His elder daughter and wife were in London while he was undergoing treatment. Digvijay Singh, a five-time MP, was at present representing the Banka constituency in the Lok Sabha as an Independent candidate. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar condoled the death of Digvijay Singh. The BJP top brass, too, condoled the death. LK Advani said, “He was a man who was a fighter throughout his life. He worked with us as an effective opposition.”
— PTI
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IITs favour old test pattern
JEE Reforms
New Delhi, June 24 For the final entry to the technical institutes, aspirants who clear the first level of screening- comprising Class XII board exams and national aptitude test - would have to write an exam featuring long questions that demand reasoning ability from the students. This format would potentially prohibit the coaching industry, believes the IIT-JEE reform panel set up this February, to draft reforms for the entry to IITs and other technical institutes in India. In the draft report (not final till vetted by IIT directors, IIT Council and the National Institute of Technology Council) submitted to the HRD ministry, the committee has proposed that the final exam for the entry to IITs should be in paper-pencil format instead of the optical response sheet pattern and questions should be such as demand long, reasoned answers. IITs, which shifted to fully objective type question banks in 2006, are finding it hard to cope with the results that fetch them coached students with meager intellect. For short-listing students in initial screening, the panel backs 70 per cent weightage to Class XII boards and 30 per cent to the national aptitude test which will assess the student’s general knowledge, logic and communication skills. This on-line test would be allowed three times in a year. The candidate’s best score would be final. Speaking to The Tribune, Prof MS Ananth, Director, IIT Madras, and member, IIT-JEE reform panel, said today that the report submitted to the ministry was only a draft and would be presented before the IIT directors in July before it goes to IIT and NIT councils. Meanwhile, Kapil Sibal told The Tribune that the draft report recommendations were only indicative in nature and were not final. “We will have to take this to state education ministers. Also, wider debate is required on whether we need add-on exams.”
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SAVING SUKHNA Dehradun institute to study Sukhna catchment Jotirmay Thapliyal Tribune News Service
Dehradun, June 24 The efforts of the FRI have come at a time when The Tribune, in its lead story on June 3, “Sukhna is dying, save it”, highlighted the plight of the Sukhna. It’s struggling to survive the continuous deposition of silt apart from fast-spreading pernicious weed. The Tribune has since then started a campaign to save the Sukhna. Following The Tribune news reports, the premier forestry research institution of South Asia, FRI’s services have been sought by the Chandigarh authorities to assess the health status of Sukhna’s catchment area, which has faced a long neglect. Institute’s Director SS Negi, who returned from Chandigarh a week ago, confirmed today FRI’s new initiative at the Sukhna at the behest of the Chandigarh forest authorities. “We have been approached by the Department of Forests, Chandigarh, that has asked us to conduct a survey of the Sukhna catchment area to help identify indicator plant species, which will reveal the health of the catchment’s eco system and help arrest flow of silt into the lake,” Dr Negi said, adding that the indicator species are important from biodiversity point of view. A team of the FRI from Botany Division has already started preparations for the survey of indicator species that is to begin shortly. The survey will be carried out on the basis of various criterion and would also reveal the species of eco system importance in the Sukhna catchment. After identification, these indicator species would be regularly monitored and thus keep a tab on the health of the catchment. Dr Negi describes the Sukhna catchment as a rich biodiversity. Apart from varied plant species, faunal species like butterflies, insects and spiders are also in abundance there. This is not the first time that the FRI has been involved in a Sukhna project. A few years back, the institute had come up with its first-ever scientific management plans for the Sukhna Wild Life Sanctuary. The ambitious plan for sanctuary had proposed putting it into three zones identified as wilderness, eco tourism and the restoration zones. The plan entails activities, including habitat improvement, weed eradication, grassland development, soil and water conservation, fire protection, wildlife health disease monitoring and wildlife conservation. It may take more than a year to Botany Division scientists to complete the task of identification of the indicator species. Interestingly, the FRI has also been instrumental in setting up of a Forestry Extension Centre at Botanical Garden in Chandigarh. The centre aims at sensitising researchers, academicians, forest officials and villagers vis-à-vis forestry. The institute also contemplates treating sick Chandigarh trees affected with red ants.
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Health Ministry sounds carbide alert
New Delhi, June 24 In a circular to all the State Food (Health) authorities, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stressed the need to take legal action for violation the PFA Rules. The circular also invited attention of the enforcement authorities in the states to the provisions that circumstantial evidence of presence of calcium carbide in godowns/wooden crates/premises kept together with fruits may be evidence for the courts that artificial ripening has been used by the vendor. The FSSAI also circulated a copy of procedure for detection of acetylene in godown or treatment chamber for detection of artificial ripening of fruits. — TNS
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Rape Charge
Bangalore, June 24 He was held by the CID on May 9 after a woman from Shimoga, wife of Halappa’s friend, accused him of rape. The case has been adjourned for hearing on a future date. — TNS
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We
have been approached by the Department of Forests, Chandigarh,
that has asked us to conduct a survey of the Sukhna catchment
area. It will reveal the health of the catchment’s eco system
and help arrest flow of silt into the lake