New Delhi, October 19
The Supreme Court today expressed shock over the criteria for determining the poverty level of people, observing that even an income of two dollars a day per person was not much these days.

A Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma made the remark upon being informed by senior counsel Colin Gonsalves that all those who spent more than Rs 17 per day in Delhi or Rs 11 in villages were being treated as above poverty line (APL) families for the purpose of being covered under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

The Bench said even the $2 cap per person per day suggested by a planning commission committee headed by Arjun Sengupta for deciding the below poverty line (BPL) population was not “too much”.

The court also expressed displeasure over the bogus ration cards and the vast differences between the number of BPL families estimated by the Centre and the states and asked the Centre to reconcile the figures. Those holding bogus ration cards should be given a two-week deadline through newspaper advertisements for surrendering these and those who failed to comply should be prosecuted, the Bench felt.

During four hours of arguments on a PIL over the PDS, procurement and wastage of foodgrain, the Bench said it had not placed any restrictions on the government for the procurement of rice and wheat under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme meant for farmers.

“There was no suggestion by the court that procurement should be curtailed” due to lack of storage facilities available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and other government agencies that resulted in rotting of foodgrain, it said.

“Procure as much as necessary, but preserve the foodgrain properly,” the Bench told Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran. Taking note of the fact that the procurement season began this month, the Bench said, “Whatever is procured should not be allowed to rot.” The Bench also wanted to know how much foodgrain got wasted in other countries due to lack of warehouses as compared to that in India.

When the ASG said only 7,000 tonne rice and wheat stored in Punjab and Haryana had become rotten, and not 70,000 tonne as reported, the Bench wanted to know why even that much was allowed to go bad when people were faced with starvation. Further, the figures for other states had not been provided.

The apex court also felt that some states were unable to provide 35 kg of rice and wheat to each BPL family as the number of such families according to them was much higher than the estimate of the Centre.

At this, the ASG said the Planning Commission was in touch with the states to reconcile the figures relating to the number of BPL families. The court was, however, not convinced. This job had been going on since 2008, it noted, and wanted to know how much more time this would take. Reconciliation was likely to be completed in another six months, the Centre said. The arguments would continue on Thursday.

Hyderabad, October 19
Blaming industrialised nations for pursuing a development path that has the potential to “threaten human existence” in developing countries, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today made a strong pitch for better scientific coordination within the developing world to quicken the pace of scientific knowledge and application relevant to its needs.

“The challenges before developing countries are similar, whether it is in combating tropical diseases, transforming traditional agriculture, or predicting and tackling natural disasters. These problems do not receive adequate attention in advanced industrialised countries. Nor should we expect others to solve our problems for us,” he said.

The PM was speaking after inaugurating the 21st general meeting of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) here. Over 350 scientists from 53 countries are participating in the three-day deliberations on problems of mutual concern.

Stating that the developing world was constrained by lack of well-organised systems and critical mass of expertise in its scientific establishments, the Prime Minister called for collaboration among scientific communities as science alone could provide alternative and more sustainable way of developing societies and economies without “injuring and destroying the natural bounty of Mother Earth”.

He stressed the need for developing countries to put science on a pedestal. “We need to invest in science and scientific infrastructure in our schools and our laboratories. We need to promote an eco-system that rewards innovation, creativity and excellence and change our pedagogical methods that emphasise on memory rather than inquiry,” he said. Pointing out that the impact of climate change was the most devastating in the developing world, the Prime Minister lamented that scientists from advanced countries dominated many of the scientific processes in the area.

Hyderabad, October 19
Amidst protests, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today laid the foundation stone for the prestigious campus of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) here. The Mumbai-based TIFR, a premier autonomous research institute under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy, has been allocated 210 acres of land at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) to establish its second campus involving an investment of over Rs 2,500 crore spread over 10 years.

A section of HCU employees and students has been opposing land allotment, saying it was arbitrary and undemocratic. The protesters staged demonstrations and burnt the effigy of university authorities

on the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit. The opposition parties, including the CPI and the CPM, have already written to the Prime Minister, seeking his intervention to cancel the land allotment.

However, the state government and the HCU authorities defended the decision and said it was a proud moment for AP to get the project which would boost research efforts.

The new campus will accommodate 200 permanent faculty, 1000 students and 300 post-doctoral researchers. Apart from these, TIFR will have 1,000 technical non-technical staff by 2020. Speaking after laying the foundation stone, the Prime Minister said that expansion of human resource pool in the area of science and technology and creation of a stimulating institutional environment to tap latent capabilities through innovation were the two major objectives before the country’s scientific community.

Patna, October 19
Asserting that central funds did not belong to the Congress, senior BJP leader LK Advani today attacked the PM and the UPA chairperson for their statement on central aid to Bihar saying they had not done any special favour. "They should know that central funds do not belong to the Congress. It is the hard-earned money of tax payers and people of the country," Advani said without naming Singh and Gandhi.

Addressing his first election meeting at Motihari today, Advani said people had adjudged Nitish Kumar as the ‘most able chief minister the state ever had’. Therefore, it was not expected from the Prime Minister, because of his image, that he would praise the Bihar CM but unfortunately it did not happen. No leader from the JD (U) shared the dais with Advani either at Motihari, Muzaffarpur or Darbhanga, the three venues of his meeting.

Charging the RJD and Congress with having ruined Bihar in course of their rule for a very long period, Advani said that the state was characterised by corruption, anarchy and jungle-raj till the NDA came to power five years ago. Now the state has come out of the dark ages and seeds of development sown by Nitish Kumar government had started bearing fruits. In view of the performance of this government, he sought another term for this government from the people of Bihar. Calling the RJD and the Congress, two sides of the same coin, he said these two parties were befooling the people by contesting the elections separately.

New Delhi, October 19
The minimum support price (MSP) for wheat is likely to be hiked by a nominal Rs 20 for the rabi season, taking it up to Rs 1,120 a quintal for the 2010-11 season, at a Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs meeting on Wednesday.

However, with the government aiming to reduce the country’s dependence on imports of pulses, the procurement rate for masoor and gram is likely to see a more substantial hike.

Sources say the proposed hike is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and whether or not they are accepted depends upon the CCEA members.

As per CACP recommendations, while the MSP for wheat will be increased to Rs 1,120 a quintal from Rs 1,100, the MSP for masoor is likely to see the maximum increase, rising to Rs 2,250 from Rs 1,830 per quintal.

The MSP of gram or chana dal can rise from Rs 1,760 to Rs 2,100 per quintal, and that of mustard seeds to Rs 1,850 from Rs 1,830 per quintal. The MSP of safflower is likely to be fixed at Rs 1,800, Rs 120 higher from Rs 1,680 per quintal last season.

Demanding a more substantial increase in the wheat MSP, wheat farmers will expectedly raise a hue and cry. However, the government, saddled with overflowing wheat stock, wants to divert the attention of farmers toward pulses and thereby reduce the country’s dependence on import of the commodity.

The aim is to increase the output to 16.5 million tonnes during 2010-11, which is why the MSP of kharif pulses has been increased significantly. Moreover, unlike pulses, India is self-sufficient in wheat production and harvested record crop of 80.71 million tonnes in 2009-10. The situation currently is that wheat is selling in open market at a price much lesser than the MSP.

New Delhi, October 19
By 2012, all senior secondary schools in India will teach uniform syllabus in commerce, science and math. After finalising a core curriculum in science, math for adoption in schools across all boards - CBSE, HCS and ICSE - from the 2011 session, the Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) - highest decision-making body for school matters - today decided to work on a common curriculum for commerce.

The draft commerce curriculum was circulated today to representatives of 33 boards, including those from states, attending the two-day 39th COBSE meeting in Rajasthan. All these boards agreed to adapt the same as per their requirements.

The idea is to have a basic common curriculum on the basis of which students can be tested for entry to professional courses. With a uniform science, math and commerce and finally humanities syllabus at schools, the HRD Ministry is moving towards a single entrance test to medical, engineering and commerce colleges (under the proposed National Testing Scheme). This arrangement will allow all aspirants a level playing field.

The COBSE meeting which is happening under the chairmanship of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal will end with a major resolution to change the question paper design at school level in a way that it promotes critical thinking and not rote memorisation.

Chairman COBSE Vineet Joshi told The Tribune today, “The resolution aims at changing the way we set our question papers. Right now, most answers require memorisation but little application of mind. We are working for a system of paper setting which brings out the child’s thinking abilities and thereby his intelligence.”

Sibal wants the resolution adopted tomorrow, which means in the future years, the question papers at secondary school level would look different. At least 1.25 lakh senior secondary schools will have to adopt these changes as and when they come by. The start of examination reforms will happen tomorrow when COBSE agrees to a system of question paper setting which discourages rote.

New Delhi, October 19
France, which has been a supplier of key equipment for the Indian armed forces even during the Cold War period, is now looking to expand its military relations with India.

French Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud in an interaction with the media in the National Capital said France was ready to deepen relations with India. A tie-up for transfer of know-how like the one France has with Brazil was possible only if the two countries agreed, said Guillaud in reply to a question.

He is in India on a four day-tour ahead of the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s slated visit. The two countries will be holding a defence strategic dialogue in the next two weeks.

At present French company DCNS, in joint collaboration with the Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai, is building six scorpene submarines. The French are keen for the next order of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines, which India is looking to make, and has sent out a request for information from global builders. French company Thales is majorly into avionics of aircrafts.

Apart from this, French company Raffale is in the race as one of the six contenders to supply fighters to the IAF. The Mirage 2000, a fighter the French supplied for the IAF more than two decades ago, is due for an upgrade. The French CDS is due to visit Mumbai to see the submarine construction.

Guillaud went on to recount that India and France had common interests. Among others is the India Ocean - The French have a few island territories in the Ocean. The economic sea-lanes are vital for the world and “it’s everybody’s interest to guarantee the stability”. He termed “the underlying instability in the Middle East, the rise of Islamic terrorism in the area and the burst of maritime piracy are as many risk factors and threat” as another threat.

The French will be sending in its nuclear-powered sea-borne aircraft carrier the Charles De Gaule for the next series of exercise Varuna with the Indian Navy slated for January next year.

The French CDS met the NSA Shiv Shankar Menon and the service chiefs.

New Delhi, October 19
More than 75,000 foreign tourists arrived at the National Capital during the Commonwealth Games (CWG) held fortnight i.e. October 1-14, the Tourism Ministry today said.

A ministry statement said 75,606 foreign tourists arrived in the Capital during the period, adding that the figures were based on information provided by the immigration authorities at the Delhi airport.

The information was collected to give the correct picture to different stakeholders in the tourism sector of FTAs, it added.

Sector stakeholders like hotels, restaurants, tour and travel operators are upset with the dismal performance of their businesses during the Games with many claiming that the actual number of overseas tourists arriving in the Capital, especially for the sporting mega event, was way below the government’s expected mark of one lakh plus.

Despite the government figures released today, industry experts continue to believe that the Games did not exactly spell good business for the sector. They say October in any case is the beginning of the prime tourist season, especially for north India. The season ending March sees more than two-thirds of the overseas arrivals that the country may see throughout the year.

Incidentally, around 52 lakh tourists had arrived between January and December last year.

They believe that not all those who landed here during the Games period ended up staying here. Besides a large number among the figures released by the government may also include athletes and Games’ delegates.

New Delhi, October 19
The Supreme Court has ruled that commuters have a fundamental right to use the roads without any impediment and asked the government to put in place by June 2011 a suitable law to regulate the activities of street hawkers/vendors in the National Capital.

A Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly, however, said it equally recognised the fundamental right of street vendors/ hawkers, to earn their livelihood but the same should be subjected to reasonable restrictions.

The apex court also noted that the burgeoning population has resulted in rapid urbanisation but there seems to be no restriction placed on people purchasing “any number of cars, three wheelers and scooters”. “This court is giving this direction in exercise of its jurisdiction to protect the fundamental right of the citizens,” it said.

The hawkers and vendors’ right to carry on hawking has been recognised as a fundamental right under Article 19(1) (g) of the Constitution.

“At the same time, the right of the commuters to move freely and use the roads without any impediment is also a fundamental right under Article 9(1)(d). These two apparently conflicting rights must be harmonised and regulated by subjecting them to reasonable restrictions only under a law,” Justice Ganguly, writing the judgement, said.

The apex court said a suitable law on the issue was required as ad hoc policy measures lacking statutory backing cannot serve the purpose.

“The fundamental right of the hawkers, just because they are poor and unorganised, cannot be left in a state of limbo nor can it be left to be decided by the varying standards of a scheme which changes from time to time under orders of this court,” the Bench said. — PTI