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Divorced woman to get 50% share in husband's property
internet content
Land
Acquisition Bill |
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SP agenda: Two international airports in UP
Ambika promises to curb indecent portrayal of women
Murder theory ruled out in Manipuri student’s death
Shah takes charge as Aligarh varsity VC
Govt wants MPs’ quota in Central schools raised, will move court
PC stuns Lok Sabha, speaks Bhojpuri
CAG asks Railways to rationalise fares
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Divorced woman to get 50% share in husband's property
New Delhi, May 17 Taking up amendments to the Marriage Laws Amendment Bill, 2010, pending for discussion in the Rajya Sabha, where it was introduced last week, the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today decided to make a clear provision in the law that an equal share (50 pc) in the residential property of a man will go to his wife and children in case of a divorce. The wife will have to move an application seeking the share. Women and children will have an equal right in the residential property acquired by a man, whether acquired before or after the marriage, as the Cabinet today omitted from the Amendment Bill the expression "property acquired during the subsistence of marriage". The old Bill gave divorced women a right in man's property, but did not state the quantum. Women activists felt stating the quantum would ensure justice to women who have to take care of their children and provide for them. Not just that, the Cabinet further amended the Bill granting women and children rights in the movable assets of the man in case of a divorce. Instead of fixing the quantum of share of women and children in movable assets, the Cabinet decided to let the courts of law decide the share, depending on the "living standard of the wife". The relevant amendment in the Bill reads, "Pay such gross sum or share of movable property towards settlement of claim of wife as the courts deem fit considering the living standard of the wife". In another important development, the Cabinet today amended the Bill to ensure that the six-month cooling-off period (which couples need to spend together before moving the joint motion for a divorce) would be reduced only if both the man and the woman concerned move an application to lessen it. The amendment has been made following demands from women rights activists who said a man could force a divorce on a wife if the application for reducing the cooling-off period is not mandated to be moved by both parties. In the earlier Bill, one of the two could move such an application. The amendments follow an assurance from Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who deferred his reply to discussion on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha where several MPs had raised these concerns and sought that the Bill be made woman-friendly. |
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internet
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New Delhi, May 17 “The government would evolve a consensus on rules for control of internet content after talking to various stakeholders, including MPs and representatives of the industry,” Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told the House while replying to the debate on a motion moved by P Rajeeva
(CPM) seeking annulment of rules aimed at regulating internet content notified by the government in April 2011. The motion, moved by P Rajeeve (CPI-M), for annuling the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011, was later defeated by a voice vote. Urging the member to withdraw his motion, Sibal said he would ask all the MPs to write to him if they had any objection to any word in the rules. Thereafter, he would call a meeting of all stakeholders and go by the consensus emerging at the meeting. Justifying the rules, the minister said "these are sensitive issues" as most internet companies were registered abroad and not subjected to Indian laws. Amid a raging row over the need for regulating internet content, a local court recently directed some internet giants to remove objectionable contents from Indian websites. Earlier, Rajeeve said the rules were ultra vires of the provisions of the parent IT Act.
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Land
Acquisition Bill Vibha Sharma/TNS
New Delhi, May 17 Seeking a clearer definition of “public purpose” in this regard, the panel therefore maintained that “public purpose” should be limited to linear infrastructure and irrigation, including multipurpose dams and social sector infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and drinking water or sanitation projects constructed at state expense. In its report submitted to Parliament on Thursday, the Committee headed by BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan also demanded all provisions in the LARR Bill 2011 regarding “irrigated multi-cropped land” to be replaced by “any land under agriculture cultivation” as a safeguard for food security. “Food security cannot be limited to wheat and rice in the imperative need for more nutritional coarse grains, pulses and oilseeds,” it said, in other words asking for single-crop rain-fed areas to be brought under the ambit of the Bill. Arguing its case, the panel said in most developed countries, land is purchased by enterprises rather than acquired by the state, thereby questioning the justification of India persisting with the “anomalous” practice. The three principal factors of production are land, labour and capital. Since there is no question of state acquisition of labour and capital, even at the margin, why should the state at all be involved in acquiring land, which is the most precious and scarce of the three factors for production for private enterprises, PPP enterprises and even public enterprises, said the committee, which reviewed the much-awaited Bill floated by the UPA to resolve growing land-related issues. Sources say under pressure from allies like Trinamool Congress, the UPA may absorb some of the tough conditions. So far, there has been no official comment on how the government intends taking the legislation forward, but sources say the Rural Development Ministry is keen to see it through in the coming monsoon session. If accepted, the tough recommendations will invite criticism from the industry, which is clamouring for expanding the definition of public purpose so that land could be acquired not only for infrastructure or defence purposes but also industrial, commercial or institutional purposes, creating wealth and employment.
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AI pilots told to end stir or face contempt case
New Delhi, May 17 Coming on a day when the stir by derecognised Indian Pilots’ Guild entered the tenth day amid reports that the cash-strapped national carrier’s share in the domestic market had slipped to fourth position, even lower than the beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines, the order by a Division Bench of the High Court that contempt proceedings should be started against striking pilots came as a breather for the government and Air India management. “There is no reason to entertain the plea. There is no urgency, as according to you, there is no strike,” the Division Bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Rajiv Shakdher was quoted as saying, dismissing the IPG’s plea. The IPG had moved the court, challenging its earlier order that restrained the pilots of the national carrier from going on an “illegal strike”. Justice Reva Khetrapal had, on May 9, restrained over 100 pilots owing allegiance to the IPG from continuing the strike over the rescheduling of Dreamliner training and matters relating to their career progression. Apart from managing the crisis outside, inside the Parliament, the government is facing an aggressive Opposition demanding an early resolution to the impasse that has already left the cash-strapped national carrier poorer by almost Rs 200 crore. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has convened a meeting of all “recognised” trade unions of the national carrier next week to discuss issues related to career progression, promotions and the Dharmadhikari committee report on HR integration of the country’s largest airline, that supposedly has an economically unviable employee-aircraft ratio.
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SP agenda: Two international airports in UP
Lucknow, May 17 Major roads and infrastructure projects of the SP government are all scheduled to be developed under the PPP model. These projects include developing world-class facilities in the Buddhist circuit to attract international tourists, an international cricket stadium at Lucknow, connecting all the 75 district headquarters with four-lane roads, expressway between Lucknow and Agra and a northern peripheral road in Ghaziabad. Days before the first Budget Session of the 16th Vidhan Sabha scheduled to begin from May 28, the ruling party today released its development agenda, which has been arrived at after intensive brainstorming in the various departments.
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Tax notice slapped on Ramdev’s trusts
New Delhi, May 17 The I-T notice, for the assessment year 2009-10, on Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, Divya Yoga Mandir Trust and Bharat Swabhiman Trust have been slapped on the income of Rs 120 crore which the department has held as "commercial activities", sources said. Ramdev, who is leading a campaign against black money in the country, heads an organisation that runs the trusts which manages the manufacture and sale of ayurvedic medicines in India and abroad. His trusts have had tax exemption under the provisions relating to charitable organisations for the last few years. The I-T department, which conducted a "special audit" of all the businesses related to Ramdev has found that the sale of these medicines and other Ayurvedic concoctions are a commercial venture and they should not be enjoying any tax exemption, the sources said. Repeated attempts to obtain a response from Ramdev's spokesperson SK Tijarawala failed. Sources said the I-T assessment will strengthen another probe into alleged foreign exchange violations against Ramdev's trusts being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The I-T department has conducted the audit after getting the financial documents of investments and transactions from various banks in the country which operate the accounts of Ramdev's trusts. Sources said another regular audit of the income of his trusts and collection of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is underway. — PTI
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Ambika promises to curb indecent portrayal of women
New Delhi, May 17 She was replying to a suggestion by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who asked the minister to call all-party meeting where “We will give you suggestions as well as strengthen your hands to act against such advertisements”.
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Murder theory ruled out in Manipuri student’s death
Bangalore, May 17 The mysterious death of Richard and suicide by a girl student from the North East in Gurgaon became a nation-wide issue, bringing to the fore the issue of racial profiling of people from north-eastern states in other parts of the country. “The final report by the doctors was submitted to the police yesterday. The death of young Richard was not a case of murder or culpable homicide. These two possibilities are ruled out,” G Prakash, SP of Bangalore (Rural) district, told this reporter. Two doctors of Bangalore’s Victoria Hospital (including the professor and head of the pathology department), who prepared the final report, also made the startling revelation that young Richard had a heart condition which could be “hereditary”. The doctors have suggested that his heart might be subjected to further pathological tests to ascertain the gravity of the problem. The doctors gave their final report after studying the report prepared by the forensic lab here, the histopathological examination report and the preliminary post-mortem report. According to Prakash, the doctors observed that the external and internal injury marks found on Richard’s body “individually or collectively” could not have caused him death. “That means the two-wheeler accident Richard had a couple of days before his death or the scuffle he had with two hostel mates had nothing to do with his death,” Prakash said. Richard, a student of the Acharya School of Architecture, Bangalore, was found lying for hours on his hostel bed on April 18 and was declared dead by the college doctor. While police recorded the death in the Unnatural Death Register (UDR), Richard’s friends insisted that he died from the beating he received at the hands of two other students during a scuffle in his hostel the previous evening (April 17). Protests forced Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to intervene and say that CBI would be asked to investigate Richard’s death if the state government did not show interest in the case. Though the police was initially reluctant to treat Richard’s death as a case of murder, it later changed the UDR case into a case of murder and booked the two boys with whom Richard had a fight.
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Shah takes charge as Aligarh varsity VC
Aligarh, May 17 General Shah (63) was the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff from October 1, 2006, to August 30, 2008. He is the recipient of the highest peacetime military award Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) and the Sena Medal (SM) for his distinguished service. After assuming charge, General Shah paid floral tribute at the tomb of the founder of the university, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Addressing the students and the media, he said he would focus on restoring peace and maintaining discipline so that the academic activity could continue unhindered. He announced that he would soon launch some important steps to protect interests of the AMU staff and students.
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Govt wants MPs’ quota in Central schools raised, will move court
New Delhi, May 17 Making these remarks during discussions on the Central Educational Institutions Amendment Bill 2012 (which was passed), Sibal said the review petition being considered would list the problems being faced by the government following the 1998 judgment and seek that the old judgment be “changed”. “I will ask my ministry to file a petition if possible,” he said, adding that the petition would demand that MPs should get admission quota for “at least six children” a year. The earlier quota for MPs was two children a year. When Samajwadi Party’s Shailendra Kumar raised the point, Sibal said, “We are with you. But we are bound by the law. If I say something at my level and a contempt notice is issued, the government will face a problem. We are considering a review petition,” he said. The proposed petition, Sibal added, would also seek to allow MPs to recommend admission in KVs in a neighbouring area if there is no Central school in their constituency. Way back in November 1998, the Delhi High Court had quashed the discretionary quota of ministers and MPs for admission of students in KVs, terming it as violation of the Constitution and citing its misuse for political interests. The order was passed by a division bench of Justice RC Lahoti and Justice CK Mahajan. The HRD Ministry had earlier consulted the Law Ministry on raising MPs’ quota from two students a year to six, but was told that such a provision would be “unconstitutional”. Sibal had, after taking over as HRD Minister, relinquished his own discretionary quota of 1,200 admissions to KVs every year. Sibal has wanted to scrap MPs’ quota as well, but has met with huge resistance. The Bill allows central educational institutions three more years, starting from 2011, to implement 27 per cent quota for OBCs in admissions. It also provides for OBC reservation in institutes located in tribal areas.
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PC stuns Lok Sabha, speaks Bhojpuri
New Delhi, May 17 He told the members, "Hum sabkee bhawna samjhat bani (I understand the sentiments of all of you)," as surprised members, including the Speaker herself a Bhojpuri, could not believe their ears for a brief moment. The Home Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Motion moved today by MPs from Eastern UP and Bihar, including Jagdambika Pal, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Shailendra Kumar and Uma Shankar Singh, all Bhojpuri-speaking MPs seeking inclusion of Bhojpuri, their mother tongue, in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to accord it the official language status. It took the members a while before it sunk in and when it did the overjoyed members thumped the desks furiously recording their pleasure at the Home Minister’s gesture.
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CAG asks Railways to rationalise fares
New Delhi, May 17 CAG has also said that the public sector behemoth is incurring expenditure above budgetary provisions.
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NIA allowed to quiz Pragya
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New Delhi, May 17
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Woman and children will have 50% share in the residential property of a man in case of a divorce
