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COMMON ENGG TEST
RUNS INTO ROUGH WEATHER'
Gadkari backs Ramdev on black money
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Justice Lokur sworn in Supreme Court judge
Krishna leaves for China; Beijing issues advisory against India travel
Patnaik sacks another minister
US Defence Secy arrives today
Heat wave kills 15 in Bengal
Andhra bypoll: Two Congress MLAs quit, join Jagan's party
First India-Japan naval exercise this week
Row over woman MLA’s 2nd marriage in Assam
150 booked for Mathura riots
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COMMON ENGG TEST RUNS INTO ROUGH WEATHER' Faculty says HRD Ministry trying to undermine autonomy of IITs Aditi Tandon/TNS
New Delhi, June 4 HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had on May 28 announced that the test would commence in 2013 and both its components (Main and Advanced) would be multiple-choice question based instead of subjective as the IIT faculty had wanted. Sibal’s announcement came after the IIT Council met on May 28 and took the decision overruling the majority views of IIT Senates (faculty bodies). Nowhere to go, the All India IIT Faculty Federation has now petitioned the Prime Minister, asking him to protect the autonomy of IITs. In a letter seeking an audience, federation president K Narasimhan and secretary Atul Mittal have warned the PM of “serious consequences if IIT autonomy is compromised”. The federation has referred to how the IIT Council chaired by HRD Minister overruled the majority opinion of institute faculty. “The IIT Act, 1961 says that in academic matters, IIT Senates will be solely responsible. We presented our views to HRD Ministry but these were overruled by the IIT Council which HRD Minister chairs. We want your intervention to protect our autonomy,” the federation said. The faculty recalled in their letter the vision that led to the establishment of IITs. “IITs were conceived as truly autonomous institutions and our autonomy is the legacy of Nehruvian era. If it gets compromised, there will be serious long term repercussions,” the federation said to PM. Meanwhile, IIT Senates have decided to meet again to take a formal view on the IIT Council decision. IIT Delhi Senate will meet on Wednesday and said the option of going to court was open. As for Sibal, he had, in his meeting with the Federation representatives ahead of IIT Council’s May 28 meeting, said there was no scope of negotiations on the decision to hold the test in 2013. As reported by The Tribune, Sibal had told the faculty that IIT Council could “overrule their majority view”. Excepting IIT Guwahati and IIT Madras, other IITs - Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur, Roorkee and Kanpur - voted to advance the test to 2014 and wanted it to be a screening test with IITs free to design an advanced subjective type test for final admissions. IIT Council has decided that IITs would screen 50,000 students from main component of the proposed JEE by factoring in 50% scores each of school board and the main test. Advanced component of JEE would be designed by IITs and would be the admission test for them. It would not factor in school exam scores.
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Gadkari backs Ramdev on black money
New Delhi, June 4 A day after Ramdev and Anna Hazare sat on a joint day-long fast (an event that evoked more attention for Arvind Kejriwal's sudden exit from the fast venue than the core issue of black money), the yoga guru called on Gadkari to solicit BJP’s support for his fight to bring back black money, while Team Anna held a meeting to reassess its strategy for future. Even though both Ramdev and Gadkari insisted that the meeting should not be misconstrued as a political event, Congress leaders maintained that Gadkari’s support and reactions proved their long-held assertions of saffron backing to Team Anna and Ramdev’s movements. The Congress core group also dedicated substantial time to the challenges posed by the “second Opposition”- the Civil Society. Gadkari said his party would extend support to all engaged in fight against black money and corruption. Gadkari called his bowing down to touch Ramdev's feet a gesture of respect and symbol of Indian culture. Openly backing Ramdev's movement, Gadkari’s poser to Sonia was whether it was anti-national to demand that Indian black money be brought back for the country's well-being. Advising the Congress chief to “rise above politics”, support civil society’s movement and work to save India from price rise, poverty and hunger, the BJP president appealed to other parties to join the movement and sign Ramdev's letter of support. “No politics should be brought into this. Sonia Gandhi should cooperate in further building the environment to fight corruption. This is not against any political party or individual. This is for the welfare of the people,” he said. In his defence, Ramdev said he had reached out to leaders of all parties, including Sonia, to seek support. There is a section within Team Anna, which at present is also struggling to find directions, has reservations about Ramdev because of tax-evasion charges he faces and his attempts to hijack the anti-corruption crusade. The Team reviewed the proposed indefinite fast from July 25 in New Delhi in case the government does not constitute an SIT to probe against 15 ministers, including the Prime Minister, as per its demand, which, incidentally, has already been rejected by the Congress.
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Justice Lokur sworn in Supreme Court judge
New Delhi, June 4 Before his elevation to the SC, Justice Lokur has been the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh and Gauhati High Courts. As the CJ of the Andhra HC, Justice Lokur was part of the Bench which quashed on May 28 a Central government order providing for 4.5 per cent sub-quota for the minorities in jobs and education out of the 27 per cent reservation meant for the other backward classes (OBCs). The Minority Affairs Ministry headed by Salman Khurshid has already set the ball rolling for challenging the HC judgment in the SC.
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Krishna leaves for China; Beijing issues advisory against India travel
New Delhi, June 4 However, on the eve of Krishna’s visit, China put New Delhi in a difficult situation by issuing an advisory, cautioning its citizens against travelling to India due to the recent nation-wide strike over the recent hike in the price of petrol. Though there was no official reaction from India, the advisory, dated June 1 and posted on the Chinese Embassy website, is being seen as a retaliatory move against India recently issuing an advisory cautioning its traders against doing business in the Chinese business hub of Yiwu in view of three incidents of kidnappings of Indian traders by local suppliers to settle trade disputes. “According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees,’’ the Chinese advisory said. It is expected that Krishna will take up the advisory issue when he holds bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the SCO meet. This is the Indian foreign minister’s second visit to China this year. He had last visited Beijing in February to inaugurate the new building of the Indian Embassy. India, which currently enjoys the status of an observer in the SCO along with Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia, has been seeking full membership in the grouping for some time but opinion in divided between China and Russia over the induction of new members into the six-nation grouping. At present, it comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Though the SCO was former in 1996 primarily as a confidence-building mechanism to resolve border disputes, its member countries have over the past few years increased cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism. The SCO has also intensified its focus on Afghanistan, which is likely to be granted the observer status in the grouping.
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Patnaik sacks another minister
Bhubaneswar, June 4 Housing and Urban Development Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak was shown the door three days after Patnaik dismissed two other ministers Anjali Behera and Sanjeev Sahu for allegedly conspiring to topple his government. "I have forwarded a letter requesting the Governor to dismiss Sarda Prasad Nayak, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Department," Patnaik told reporters here. Tightening the screws on the dissidents, Patnaik had suspended Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra and two legislators Pravat Biswal and Bibhuti Balabantray from the BJD after the aborted coup came to light on May 29. — PTI
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US Defence Secy arrives today
New Delhi, June 4 Panetta may even suggest that the two nations move beyond the transactional nature of ties, especially as the US makes a definite eastward shift in its military policy. Notably, Panetta's visit is just one week ahead of this year's India-US strategic dialogue, which will be held in Washington on June 13. Recent commentary by experts point out that US is a seller and India is a buyer of equipment, and that is where the relationship ends. India has ordered around $10 billion (approx Rs 50,000 crore) worth of military hardware from the US, including transport and reconnaissance planes. Unlike the US-led NATO grouping, the militaries of India and the US may not operate together in a real-time environment in the foreseeable future, hence the deadlock in relations. The two countries have joint naval, air force and army exercises. Panetta, a former Director of the CIA, will be on his first visit to India in his capacity as Secretary of Defence. It will be the first such visit since former Secretary of Defence Robert Gates met counterpart in New Delhi in January 2010. Panetta will meet Defence Minister AK Antony, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the day and will also deliver a lecture at the government think-tank Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA). Sources said it was clear that the US would want a greater commitment from India on Afghanistan after the NATO troop draw-down from 2014.
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Heat wave kills 15 in Bengal
Kolkata, June 4 While 5 persons died in the Asansol colliery area, 4 died in Durgapur industrial belt, 2 in Malda, one each at Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and Garia in southern part of Kolkata. Most of them were victims of sun-stroke and died before being brought to the hospitals. Several others who suffered heat wave had been admitted to the hospitals at Purulia, Bankura and Burdwan. The temperatures recorded today in these areas varied from 42°C to 48°C, while in Kolkata and its surrounding areas, the high temperature was recorded at 42-43°C.
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Andhra bypoll: Two Congress MLAs quit, join Jagan's party
Hyderabad, June 4 Congress MLAs Alla Nani and SK Ranga Rao, both hailing from the coastal Andhra region, met Assembly Speaker N Manohar and submitted their resignations. Their decision came in midst of the campaign for the by-elections to be held on June 12 for 18 Assembly seats and Nellore Lok Sabha constituency. Nani represents Eluru constituency in West Godavari district, while Ranga Rao represents Bobbili in Vizianagaram district. Some more legislators and MPs loyal to Jagan are likely to follow the suit. The trend may well turn into an exodus in the event of the fledgling YSR Congress Party winning a majority of seats in the coming by-polls, seen in political circles as the "semi-final" before the 2014 Assembly elections. "We are pained to see that Jagan's family has become a victim of political witch-hunt. His arrest and subsequent developments have hurt us. As ardent followers of late YS Rajasekhar Reddy, it is our responsibility to stand by his family in this hour of crisis," the MLAs said. Another Congress MP from Anakapally in Vishakhapatnam district Sabbam Hari and Telugu Desam Party MLA from Kurnool district Balanagi Reddy are also sailing with Jagan's party. "Our aim is to make Jagan the Chief Minister," declared Ranga Rao. He also said many more Congress legislators were ready to switch loyalty. The by-poll results will be declared on June 15. The outcome is likely to trigger major changes in the state politics.
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First India-Japan naval exercise this week
A flotilla of four Indian Naval warships that is presently in an exercise with the South Korean Navy will be directed towards Japan on June 9 and 10, sources in the Ministry of Defence said. In 2007, Naval exercises with Japan were held under the trilateral ‘Malabar’ series along with the United States. It led to China raising objections, saying that was anti-China grouping. India, possibly, not wanting to antagonise China, then onward insisted that it would exercise only in bilateral format. India and Japan, both not on the best of terms with China, have clearly moved closer to each other by cementing military ties. The decision to have a first-ever bilateral exercise involving Naval warships was taken last November during Defence Minister AK Antony’s Japan visit. Indian warships in the exercise will be stealth frigate INS Shivalik, destroyer INS Rana, Missile Corvette INS Karmuk and Tanker and Replenishment Ship INS Shakti. The exercise is being undertaken by the Navy as part of the Long Range Overseas Deployment (LROD) of its fleet. In return for the latest exercise, the Indian Navy will host “passage exercises” whenever Japanese warships travel through the region on the way up or down from anti-piracy deployment later this year. Last October, two ships from Japan were in Kochi on their way to the Gulf of Aden. Till January this year, India and Japan were running independent anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. It is now that the two nations along with China cooperate in scheduling of their warships accompanying merchant vessels through piracy-infested waters.
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Row over woman MLA’s 2nd marriage in Assam
Guwahati, June 4 Nath met her second husband Jackie alias Zakir Hussain on Facebook. Making light of raging protests in her home district in Barak Valley, the legislator said the people from her constituency in Cachar district should take note of the work done by her since 2006. The MLA’s first husband has lodged an FIR on May 22 stating that Rumi Nath had been kidnapped. Subsequently, Cachar district SP D Bora had informed the Speaker of the Assam Assembly that the legislator was missing and efforts were on to trace her. However, surfacing in the state capital with her new husband, Nath claimed that she had never been abducted and was on a holiday to neighbouring Tripura with her husband. She denied media reports that she had sneaked into Bangladesh. Nath admitted that she had got converted into Islam and subsequently got married to Jackie alias Zakir Hussain who is an employee in a government department. She accused her first husband of torturing her physically and mentally. “I have already filed an FIR against my first husband who had tortured me both physically and mentally for the past three years. My divorce papers are ready,” she said.
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150 booked for Mathura riots Lucknow, June 4 Agra range IG Javed Akhtar said eight FIRs had been registered in connection with the case. FIRs had also been lodged against 1,500 unidentified persons, he added. Around 10 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence that occurred on June 1. With the situation somewhat limping back to normalcy, the curfew was today relaxed for four hours in two phases. Meanwhile, the government has transferred the Mathura district magistrate and the SSP. While DM Sanjay Kumar was replaced by Alok Tiwari, NR Padmja replaced SSP Dharmvir.
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The IITs today took their tussle with the HRD Minister Kapil Sibal over the common engineering entrance test to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s doorstep.
The IIT faculty wants the test - to be conducted from 2013 for admission to all centrally funded technical institutes in India - advanced to 2014 apart from the freedom to determine its structure and schedule.
Scathing observations against the Opposition and Civil Society by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the CWC received strong reactions from BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who sought to know from the Congress leadership whether Ramdev's demand for bringing back black money was anti-national.
Already gripped by the poll fatigue, Andhra Pradesh voters may well have to face another bout of by-elections, if the trend of political migrations continues. The first batch of resignations came in today with two ruling Congress legislators quitting the party and expressing solidarity with YSR Congress Party and its jailed MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
New Dehi, June 4