The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	WORLD POPULATION DAY TODAY Poor women face risk of uninformed tubectomies Aditi Tandon/TNS New Delhi, July 10 On January 7 this year, 25-year-old Jitni Devi from Bihar’s Araria was sterilised at a mega camp organised on an ill-equipped school campus. No pre-operative care was given and it was later found that she was three months pregnant. She suffered a miscarriage. Hundreds of poor women across India face the risk of uninformed tubectomies as state governments, in their rush to reduce population, are pushing female sterilisations as the most convenient method of family planning. Out of 48.5 per cent contraceptive use in India, 37.3 per cent is female sterilisation (tubectomies) as against one per cent male sterilisations (non-scalpel vasectomies). That means 77 per cent sterilisations are on females. On the contrary, the figures are 3.1 per cent for oral contraceptive use, 1.7 per cent for intra-uterine insertions, 0.3 per cent for condom use and 0.1 per cent for injectible use (permitted only in private sector). On an average, as many as 50 lakh women are undergoing sterilisations every year and most are under 25 years of age, shows the latest National Family Health Survey data. “In Andhra, the average age of a woman undergoing sterilisation is under 23. It is shocking how young women are being sterilised and spacing methods are being ignored whereas the focus should be otherwise as 25 per cent of India is young,” says AR Nanda, former head, Population Foundation of India. He warns the government against the recently adopted targeted approach to meet family planning goals. “The government is asking states to meet Expected Level of Achievement (ELA). This is worse than setting targets. If this approach continues, we will be back to emergency days of forced sterilisations,” says Nanda. Of late, state governments have been openly announcing sterilisation targets. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan recently announced a target of 7.5 lakh sterilisations and offered incentives like cars and DVD players for surgeons and women who participate in sterilisation camps. Rajasthan announced a scheme wherein lotteries were used to reward acceptors of sterilisation. Bihar has renewed its commitment to family planning this year. The example of Araria, where Jitni Devi was sterilised, is an example wherein 53 women were sterilised in a mass camp in unhygienic conditions without any counselling being offered. Devika Biswas, a health worker from Araria, is fighting a PIL in the Supreme Court.
	Medical admissions Fresh SC norms for judiciary, authorities R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, July 10 Expressing concern over the continued malpractices in medical admissions, the Supreme Court today issued fresh guidelines for the judiciary and authorities, stipulating that students involved in such irregularities should pay compensation to meritorious candidates. “We make it clear that the students who adopt malpractices in collusion with the authorities or otherwise for seeking admissions and if their admissions are found to be irregular or faulty in law by the courts, they shall normally be held responsible for paying compensation to such other candidates who have been denied admission as a result of admission of the wrong candidates,” a Bench comprising Justices Swatanter Kumar and Ranjan Gogoi said. The Bench came out with the ruling while directing the admission of a student, Asha, for the MBBS course at the Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Haryana. She was denied admission last year on the pretext that she was missing at the time of counselling, but was offered the BDS course.
	US hails partnership with India to inspire social innovation Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, July 10 The US today hailed its partnership with India over the last 60 years to inspire social innovation and improve the lives of people all over the world. “The US and India have a long and successful history of working together, particularly in the area of development. We have used transformative technologies to address critical development challenges of food production, climate variability, health, education and energy. For decades, scientists, engineers and social innovators from India and the US have worked side by side,’’ American Ambassador to India Nancy Powell said. She was addressing a function organised to launch the USAID-FICCI Millennium Alliance as an inclusive platform to bring together social impact funds, venture capitalists, corporate foundations, early investors, donors etc. to support and scale innovative solutions to development challenges that affect base of the pyramid populations in India and around the world. The US Agency for International Development is contributing $7.7 million to the Millennium Alliance, which is being matched by FICCI. During US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India in May, India's Technology Development Board had pledged $5 million to the initiative.
	NATURAL RESOURCES Order on auction not feasible, govt tells SC R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, July 10 Auctioning cannot be the only way for proper utilisation of natural resources in the country, the government contended in the Supreme Court today as a five-member Constitution Bench began hearing arguments on the presidential reference seeking clarifications on the SC verdict in the 2G Spectrum case. Attorney-General GE Vahanvati said that in the February 2, 2012, judgment, the SC had directed the government to adopt only the auction route for allocation of all natural resources in order to realise market prices and prevent losses to the exchequer. A two-member Bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi had issued the directive while cancelling the 122 telecom licences granted in 2008 at 2001 prices by the then Telecom Minister, A Raja, on “first-come, first-served” basis. Contending that this ruling would create problems for the government in the implementation of welfare programmes for the weaker sections, the AG said if land was to be auctioned; the poor would never be able to afford houses. Also, every country in the world had its own method for utilisation of natural resources and was not uniformally following the auction route. He was arguing before a Bench comprising Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justices DK Jain, JS Khehar, Dipak Misra and Ranjan Gogoi. Counsel Prashant Bhushan, who had argued the 2G case for the Centre for PIL (CPIL) which had challenged the grant of 2G licences, however, clarified that the SC verdict was restricted to allocation of scarce natural resources and that also for commercial exploitation by private companies. Former Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the CPIL, opposed the presidential reference, contending that the government could not take recourse to this route for seeking a review of the SC verdict in the 2G case. The government had filed a petition in the SC seeking a review of the 2G verdict, but withdrew it only to come back with a presidential reference under Article 143(1) of the Constitution. Such references were meant only for seeking clarifications on the existing or proposed laws and not on judgments delivered by the SC. The 2G verdict had already attained finality following the withdrawal of the review petition by the government and the same issue could not be reopened now by entertaining the presidential reference, Sorabjee argued. The arguments would continue tomorrow.
	‘Multi-tasker’ awaits new assignment Anita Katyal/TNS New Delhi, July 10 After five decades as a political activist, UPA's presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee finds himself in an unusual position of having no identity. All these years, he was known as an MP, minister, Congress spokesperson, Lok Sabha leader or the party troubleshooter. But Mukherjee is not particularly perturbed over what he himself described as "the end of the most important phase" of his life as he is all set to begin a new innings as the next incumbent of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Assured of victory in the July 19 presidential poll, a relaxed and beaming Mukherjee today told mediapersons over tea at his residence that perhaps for the first time he was "incompetent to give them any news" as he had ceased to be a member of the government and had resigned from the Congress. He refused to comment when asked about the UPA government's unfinished agenda, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's refusal to back his candidature or opposition nominee PA Sangma's critical remarks about him. "Whatever I had to say, I have already said," Mukherjee remarked when asked about Mamata. "I thank all the parties that are supporting me and appeal to those which are yet to decide on how they will vote," a clear reference to the Trinamool Congress. As for Sangma's campaign against him, he merely said, "Everybody has his perception. I will not comment on the behaviour of other parties or observations made by my opponent." Having been a full-time politician, who was constantly juggling innumerable assignments, Mukherjee admitted he is not sure what the future holds for him. He did say that he might utilise his time at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by penning his memoirs.
	EC rejects plea against Pranab Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 10 Citing Constitutional provisions and the existing Act on Presidential elections, the Election Commission of India today refused entertain a plea filed by the BJP-led NDA alliance challenging the validity of the nomination papers filed by UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee. The EC told the petitioners that their plea was not maintainable before the Commission as it cannot question the validity of the nomination papers in this case. The powers were wrested with the Returning Officer (in this case, the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha). An appeal of the same will have to filed in the Supreme Court by filing an election petition, the reply said. Satya Pal Jain, Subramanian Swamy and Bhartruhari Mahtab had filed the petition making certain allegations with regard to the decision of the Returning Officer and requested the EC that the Returning Officer may be directed to re-scrutinise the nomination papers of Pranab Mukherjee and decide the same after deciding all objections. The EC today said, “Scrutiny of nominations for election of the President is governed by the provisions of Section-5E of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.” Sub-section (3) of the said Section says “In the event of any objection to any nomination paper, the Returning Officer is required to decide the objections, after such summary enquiry, if any, as the Returning Officer thinks necessary.” In the present case, the Returning Officer has passed a detailed speaking order while rejecting the objections against the nomination papers of Mukherjee, the EC observed. The EC reply went on to cite the Constitution, saying clause (1) of Article 71 provides, “All doubts and disputes arising in connection with the election of a President or Vice-President shall be inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court whose decision shall be final.” Even the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, stems from the same Article 71. It goes on to describe ‘Disputes Regarding Elections’ and has detailed provisions laying down the manner in which all such doubts and disputes shall be inquired into and decided by the Supreme Court. Mamata will decide in my favour: Pranab Dehradun: Pranab Mukherjee, United Progressive Alliance (UPA)’s presidential candidate, has expressed hope that Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of his home state West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress, would take a decision in his favour. Pranab Mukherjee, who visited Dehradun to elicit the support for the July 19 presidential polls, said, “She has said that she would take a decision on the issue of support to a presidential candidate 3-4 days before the election. I am hopeful that she will take a decision in my favour.”
	2G scam Behura blames it all on Raja Girja Shankar Kaura/TNS New Delhi, July 10 In an attempt to put the complete onus of issuing of telecom licences in 2008 on first-come-first-serve basis on A Raja, former Telecom Secretary Siddarth Behura today told the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the 2G Spectrum scam that he had found advancing the cut-off date to grant licences as unusual and had raised the issue with the former telecom minister. Behura, himself a key accused in the 2G scam, told the panel that the decision to change the cut-off date from October 30, 2007 to September 25, 2007 had been taken before he joined the department. He said that he had found that as unusual and had taken up the matter with Raja. Behura became the first accused in the 2G scam case to depose before the JPC. He was the Telecom Secretary between January 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009 when the licences were doled out by Raja. He had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee examining the CAG report on 2G on December 7, 2010. He was arrested in February last year, along with Raja and his personal secretary RK Chandolia on charges of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct. He informed the JPC that all the decisions like revision in cut-off date, acceptance of TRAI recommendations by the Telecom Commission and re-interpretation of the first come first serve policy took place before he took up the posting in 2008 and no major decision was taken during his tenure. The JPC had summoned him earlier to appear as a witness before it on April 11 and 18 also but he had written to the panel seeking more time to prepare before appearing. Behura was then lodged in Tihar jail and a local court had allowed him to appear before the committee. He was given bail by the Supreme Court in May. Behura told the JPC that during his meetings with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary, he got the impression that the 2G licence issue had been settled.
	Portugal’s top court questions India’s locus standi in Salem case Syed Ali Ahmed/TNS New Delhi, July 10 Portugal’s top court, in its recent order, has questioned India’s locus standi in challenging the order cancelling extradition of underworld don Abu Salem to India. In its order, the Constitutional Court of Portugal said India could not suo motu approach the top court challenging its Supreme Court’s order earlier this year. The court order is being examined by Indian authorities and other available legal options are being explored. The CBI said Abu Salem was accused in the 1993 Bombay Blasts case. He was accused in several other heinous offences by other law enforcement agencies across the country.
	Bhushan dismissed as DGCA chief Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 10 EK Bharat Bhushan was today removed as chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — India’s civil aviation watchdog. Prashant Narain Sukul, a Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, would now hold the position as an additional charge, sources said. The sudden development, just days after Bhushan’s tenure was extended till this year-end, led to conflicting reports. Ministry officials termed it a routine movement, saying that Bharat Bhushan was merely relieved of his “additional charge” as the DGCA chief. Sources, however, said that his recent warnings to Air India and Kingfisher Airlines to pay dues to their employees could have worked against him. His batting in favour of erstwhile Air India pilots, who have fallen out of grace with the government, may have gone against him, they said. Though some officials also maintained that Bhushan was asked to quit because of the way airfares of private airlines had skyrocketed during the Air India pilots’ stir. It was only last week that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved the extension of additional charge of the post of DGCA to Bhushan for another year “with effect from 1.12.2011 or till the appointment of a regular incumbent, whichever is earlier”. As the DGCA, Bhushan brought in stringent measures to prevent airlines from compromising on safety matters on account of financial trouble. The 1979 batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, who took over from Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi in December 2010 as the DGCA chief, will continue to serve as additional secretary in the ministry, the sources said.
	UP Haj panel’s website hacked 170 names of prospective pilgrims included Shahira Naim/TNS Lucknow, July 10 In a major fraud, computer-savvy criminals have hacked the state Haj Committee’s website to include 170 new names of prospective pilgrims. Of these, 18 had not even applied while another 152 had been waitlisted. In this connection, a named FIR against the 170 people has been lodged at Hazratganj police station. Haj Minister Mohammad Azam Khan has ordered a departmental inquiry. The minister has not ruled out the involvement of officials of the Central Haj Committee. Describing it as a serious crime, the minister said it is an indication of the moral fibre of the people involved who wish to perform the sacred task of Haj through such fraudulent methods. The passports of 27 such people have already been seized and they are being questioned to find out as to who were the persons who helped them find a place in the list through the fraud as also the amount which changed hands for the purpose. Police sources claim that either the data entry records of people shortlisted for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and those in the waiting list had been tampered with or the website itself had been hacked. Lucknow IG Ashutosh Pandey said the matter came to light when the name of a prospective Haj pilgrim from Meerut who had come to the Lucknow office to submit his passport was not found in the final list. When his name was not found even in the waiting list, the officials were alarmed, leading to a detailed scrutiny of the list in which the anomaly was discovered. Two private companies responsible for the data entry and editing as well as seven groups of the Haj Committee officials looking after the entire selection process are under scrutiny. The Lucknow IG said to make the selection process for Haj pilgrims transparent, computerisation had been initiated starting 2008. The Central Haj Committee had assigned the state Haj Committee two login IDs and passwords to facilitate data entry. To execute this task, seven groups of departmental employees had been formed.
	Be ready for LS poll anytime, Mulayam tells partymen Shahira Naim/TNS Lucknow, July 10 Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav today urged his partymen to pull up their socks as according to him, Lok Sabha polls may be declared anytime in 2013. Giving his partymen a target of winning 50 seats in the Parliamentary elections, the SP patriarch told them that they should work hard such that the next government in New Delhi cannot be formed without SP’s support. Fast-tracking his party’s preparations for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Yadav today appointed 58 observers for as many Parliamentary constituencies where the party had lost in 2009. Yadav chaired a two-hour-long meeting at the party headquarters, which was also attended by general secretary Ramgopal Yadav and other ministers and elected representatives. A significant decision taken at today’s meeting was not to allow ministers of the Akhilesh Yadav government and legislators to contest the Lok Sabha polls. The newly-appointed 58 observers are expected to submit a detailed report to the national leadership by July 30.
	Failed FM being dumped at Raisina: Sangma Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, July 10 Opposition-backed presidential candidate PA Sangma today said the Rashtrapati Bhavan was being used as a “dumping ground” for “failed” former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. “Raisina Hill is being used as a dumping ground for the failed Finance Minister,” Sangma told reporters here. Putting on a brave front despite the main opposition grouping lacking in numbers at the moment, Sangma said he was sure of winning. “There are no ifs. I will win. I have never lost an election in my life. My winning margin has always increased in every election,” Sangma said. The Opposition in Maharashtra is split over backing Sangma with the BJP supporting him while its ally Shiv Sena is backing Mukherjee for the post of the President. Sangma said he hoped the sena and his former party, the Nationalist Congress Party, changed their minds to support his candidature. “I have come here to appeal to parties, specially the NCP and Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena,” he said. Though Thackeray has refused to meet him, Sangma did not give up hope. “Not everything in politics happens through meetings.... we also have channels,” he said. Sangma also went on to say that the ruling Congress was in the midst of a “political churning”. Referring to a newspaper interview by Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who blamed the Congress for losing its “ideological direction”, Sangma said the grand old party would see major upheavals in near future. Poking fun of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sangma wondered why Khurshid was still in office. “If I were the Prime Minister, I would have sacked him,” he said. Insisting that there was schism between the PM’s office and the party leadership, Sangma said the minister enjoyed support at the highest level. “Despite making these remarks, how is Khurshid continuing in the Union Cabinet? Why has he not been sacked? This means that it is not he but 10, Janpath, which is saying these things,” Sangma said. “I have been saying that this poll is going to be a political churner. The churning has started with Khurshid’s statement,” Sangma said.
	HC hikes Best Bakery witnesses’ compensation to Rs 3 lakh Mumbai, July 10 Terming as “inadequate” the Rs 2,000 compensation given by Gujarat government to four key witnesses in the post-Godhra ‘Best Bakery’ riots case, the Bombay High Court today hiked it to Rs 3 lakh, considering their “ordeal”. The High Court had yesterday heavily relied upon the testimonies of the four employees of the bakery, who had received grievous injuries during the riots, to uphold life sentence to four accused in the case in which five others were acquitted for want of evidence. "Compensation given to these witnesses is inadequate taking into consideration the ordeal they have undergone. Hence, we direct Gujarat government to deposit compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to these four eyewitnesses," a division bench of justices VM Kanade and PD Kode ordered. Noting that a number of witnesses had turned hostile in the case, the court said it was high time that the state government developed a mechanism for providing protection to witnesses. Relying on statements of four injured eyewitnesses — Tufil Ahmed Siddiqui, Raees Khan, Shahzad Khan Pathan and Shailun Khan Pathan — the court had upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to four accused — Sanjay Thakkar, Bahadur Singh Chauhan, Sanabhai Baria and Dinesh Rajbhar. It had, however, reversed the conviction of five other accused — Rajubhai Baria, Pankaj Gosavi, Jagdish Rajput, Suresh alias Lalo Devjibhai Vasava and Shailesh Tadvi — after observing that no witnesses identified them as part of the mob that attacked Best Bakery and no specific role was attributed to them. On March 1, 2002, two days after the carnage in which 59 kar sevaks were burnt alive in Sabarmati Express at Godhra, a mob had attacked Best Bakery in Vadodara, looting and burning it down and killing 14 people. The mob targeted the Muslims taking shelter inside, including the Sheikh family which ran the bakery. — PTI
	Pilot strike hits Kingfisher flights Mumbai, July 10 Troubled Kingfisher Airlines cancelled some of its flights after a section of its pilots went on a flash strike today in protest against delay in payment of salaries. According to the airline, it was forced to cancel five flights serviced by its ATR aircraft. Flights to Dharamsala, Dehra Dun and Shimla from Delhi were cancelled, airline officials here said. However, flights in its Mumbai-Delhi sector, which are operated with A320 aircraft, were normal. After a strike threat last week, the airline management had begun paying salaries of employees. However, the company said it would pay salaries of pilots and engineers later this month. — TNS
	floods in assam Rights panel flays water resources dept’s tragic apathy Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, July 10 Taking suo motu cognizance of the plight of lakhs of people in Assam reeling under floods as reported in newspapers, a two-member Division Bench of Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Assam government to institute an inquiry into the functioning of Assam Water Resources Department in the wake of its failure to mitigate flood and save people of the state from flood-related devastation. A spokesman of the AHRC said accusing the Assam Water Resources Department of “wholesale violation of human right of the most tragic dimension” in the recent devastating floods, a division bench of the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) comprising Chairperson Justice Dr Aftab Hussain Saikia and member Jyoti Prasad Chaliha has, in a landmark decision, taken suo motu cognizance of the matter on the basis of reports published in a section of the press. The AHRC has asked the Chief Secretary of Assam to facilitate an inquiry into allegations against the Water Resources Department by a three-member committee including a technical expert and headed by an officer not below the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. The AHRC expressed grave concern over the reported “looting of several hundred crores of rupees” by a section of unscrupulous officials of the Assam Water Resources Department, which resulted in indescribable suffering, hardship and destitution of lakhs of people besides loss of well over a hundred lives and countless animal deaths. “According to the report, this department remains in slumber during the major part of the year when weather condition is suitable for work but wakes up just before the onset of the flood season and whatever little work is done is washed away by the flood,” the AHRC observed.