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Guwahati molestation rocks Assembly; SSP shunted out
CM to order probe into scribe’s role
Vice-Presidential Poll |
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NCW wants role of police, cameraman probed
HC upholds life term to Amarmani Tripathi
Italy moves SC in marines case
Aarushi case: SC issues notice to CBI on Nupur’s bail plea
Court rejects CBI plea for Jagan’s narco test
Tax dept to brief JPC on 2G probe
Survey exposes poor show on population front
Russian Dy PM arriving, civil N-deals on agenda
India-Pak cricket ties set to resume
‘Manual scavenging must end’
Medicine
mess-II
Siamese twins: SC asks govt to set up medical team
India to US: Policy making our sovereign right
Cousin Raj provides healing touch to Uddhav Thackeray Court rejects CBI plea for Jagan’s narco test
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Guwahati molestation rocks Assembly; SSP shunted out
Guwahati, July 16
The protesting legislators stormed the well of the House demanding an adjournment motion to discuss “deteriorating law and order situation” in the state. Speaker Pranab Gogoi ordered the suspension of all 18 AIUDF legislators and called in marshals to evict the protesting legislators. The Speaker later withdrew the suspension, but adjourned the House for 15 minutes. When the House reassembled, AIUDF members again started agitating and continued to disrupt proceedings for 30 minutes before they walked out in protest as the Chair did not heed to their demand for an adjournment motion. Once the Question Hour was over, opposition Asom Gana Parishad and BJP members demanded an adjournment motion to discus law and order situation in the state. In response to the arguments put forward by legislators of the AGP and the BJP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka said the motion was not maintainable as the matter was sub judice. The Speaker then assured the opposition members that he would find another way to facilitate one-hour discussion in the House over the matter. Meanwhile, the state government today shunted out city’s SSP Apurba Jibon Baruah. Earlier, the administration had suspended police official Subhan Chandra Barua on the charge of dereliction of duty. Director General of Assam Police JN Choudhury confirmed the development.
CM to order probe into scribe’s role
“This was a case of unethical journalism. It is all right to film the incident as part of his professional duty, but as part of his social responsibility, the journalist should have informed the police in time to prevent the crime. The police investigation should probe his role. Nobody is above law,” Gogoi said outside the state Assembly here. “The media blames the government and particularly the police on all accounts, but journalists have a responsible role to play in society and in this particular case, they have failed miserably,” the Chief Minister added. Gogoi said seven of the 11 identified accused had been arrested so far. “There are reports that prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita is in Bhubaneswar, but there has not been any confirmation of his arrest so far,” he added. “Tracking of his (Amarjyoti Kalita) mobile phone has pointed to his presence in Bhubaneswar and efforts are on to catch him. Our police is in touch with the Odisha police and we hope to trace him soon,” he said. The Assam police has announced a cash award of Rs 1 lakh for giving information on the whereabouts of the prime accused.
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Vice-Presidential Poll
In an electoral college of 790 MPs, the ruling coalition is confident of garnering more than 480 votes, as of Monday evening, and the poll managers are still counting with more expressions of support pouring in. “Our victory will be very comfortable and I would not hesitate to say that it (number of votes in favour of the UPA candidate) should be in the vicinity of 500,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told The Tribune here. His statement came soon after he escorted Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to the Central Hall where MPs sign on a scroll to be presented to President Pratibha Patil next week when parliamentarians bid her farewell. Bansal and his team of Parliamentary Ministers, Rajiv Shukla, Paban Singh Ghatowar and Harish Rawat, along with a core group of MPs have been crunching the numbers even as they keep an eagle eye on the preparations for the July 19 poll to elect the next President of India. Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached out to the NDA leaders ahead of Saturday’s UPA meeting to seek support for Ansari, the UPA was not perturbed since the coalition knew it had the numbers for its candidate. As things stand today, the ruling coalition has 360 votes, without counting its ally, the Trinamool Congress and the endorsement from the likes of Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (Secular), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Independents, the tally goes up to 441. If the entire Left bloc decided to endorse the candidature of Ansari, the figure would swell to 480. Support from others including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, smaller parties and Independents are still to be counted. On the other side of the political divide, the opposition NDA has enlisted support of 215 MPs including 163 of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Janata Dal (United) with 29 MPs and the Shiv Sena with 15 MPs have decided to remain in the NDA fold unlike their move to break ranks and support Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential elections. The move of the BJP-led coalition in suggesting the name of Janata Dal (United) chief and NDA Convenor Sharad Yadav as a possible candidate for the Vice-President’s election was seen as an attempt to keep the grouping intact. And after JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister expressed the intention of going with the alliance and authorising Sharad Yadav, the die was cast. On his part, Jaswant Singh had shown his interest in being a candidate and established contact with even SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Even though the numbers may be against him, Jaswant Singh could be banking on support across party lines.
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NCW wants role of police, cameraman probed
New Delhi, July 16 The three-member team had met the victim in Guwahati this Saturday. Soon after the meeting, team member Alka Lamba named the victim, inviting wrath of women rights activists, who accused the member of insensitivity in dealing with the matter. That apart, the commission in its report has slammed the police for delayed action and said the police kept dilly-dallying instead of reaching the spot and helping the victim who was mobbed by more than 20 men and molested. “The police reached half an hour after the first call was made to them,” the report says, terming the role of law enforcers as negligent. The report calls for deployment of more women constables in the area besides seeking explanation from the state over what it had to say on the incident. On the role of the police, the team said the state administration and police personnel lacked coordination. Importantly, the report questions the role and conduct of cameraman Gaurav Jyoti Neog who shot the video of the incident. The development is important considering activists back in Assam led by Akhil Gogoi have been saying from the word go that the cameraman orchestrated the whole incident for his shots. Reports from Assam said the absconding accused in the case - Amarjyoti Kalita - could be a friend of Neog. State CM Tarun Gogoi has announced a reward for anyone giving Kalita’s information.
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HC upholds life term to Amarmani Tripathi
Dehradun/Pithoragarh, July 16
Amarmani Tripathi and Madhumani were found guilty of the murder of the poetess in 2003. Two other accused in the case, Amarmani’s nephew Rohit Chaturvedi and an acquaintance Santosh Roy, were also sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Dehradun in October 2007. The case was shifted from Lucknow to Dehradun on a petition filed by Nidhi Shukla, a sister of the deceased. Nidhi Shukla had pleaded that her family feared that an impartial trial in the case was not possible in Uttar Pradesh as the accused had a political clout there. Prakash Pandey, the man accused of having shot dead Madhumita, was acquitted on the ground of insufficient evidence by the Dehradun Sessions Court. Though the CBI had demanded death penalty for all accused, the Dehradun court had said the case was not the rarest of the rare and felt the four deserved life punishment. “The sister of deceased, Nidhi Shukla had challenged the acquittal of shooter Prakash Pandey in the Nainital High Court, the court delivered the judgment on her petition today sentencing Prakash Pandey to life imprisonment,” said Arvind Vashisth, an advocate for the CBI. “Pandey has also been slapped a fine of Rs 50,000,” said the CBI lawyer.
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Italy moves SC in marines case
New Delhi, July 16 The petition challenges the May 29 order of the Kerala High Court, which held the duo liable to be tried under the jurisdiction of Indian courts. The petitioners have also sought a stay on all further criminal proceedings in the case pending before a Kollam court contending that Kerala Police had no authority to conduct the probe and courts in India have no jurisdiction as the incident occurred outside the Indian territorial waters. The Italian government is being represented by Titus & Co, Advocates and senior advocate Harish Salve, who has settled the petition, will argue the matter in the apex court. — PTI
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Aarushi case: SC issues notice to CBI on Nupur’s bail plea
New Delhi, July 16 A Bench comprising Justices AK Patnaik and JS Khehar passed the order after senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi pleaded for the release of his client, primarily on the basis of the fact that her husband, Rajesh, who was also an accused, had been let out on bail.
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Court rejects CBI plea for Jagan’s narco test
Hyderabad, July 16 Citing the Supreme Court guidelines, the special CBI court said that the polygraph tests should not be conducted without the consent of the accused. The CBI, which is probing the high-profile case, sought the court’s permission to conduct these tests on Jagan and his close confidante and auditor Vijay Sai Reddy, saying that both of them did not cooperate during the interrogation. The CBI also challenged the accused to give consent for the test to prove their innocence. It offered to administer low dosage of drugs for the narco test so that there was no harm to their health. Jagan’s counsels contended that there was no question of giving consent to the narco tests as the CBI had gathered all details form them when they were given in police custody and there was nothing else to question under the influence of narcotics. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has permitted Jagan to exercise his vote in the presidential election.
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Tax dept to brief JPC on 2G probe
New Delhi, July 16 Even as the JPC is racing against time to finalise its draft report before the end of the year, reports said that the meeting tomorrow would be a crucial one with officials from the I-T and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) would put forward their assessment. The IT and the CBDT officials would be led by Finance Secretary RS Gujral and would brief the panel about the progress and status of investigations made in the case till now. While reports suggested the JPC Chief PC Chacko had trimmed down the list of witnesses to be summoned, the IT and the CBDT officials would place on record the status of their assessment and tax evasion proceedings.
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Survey exposes poor show on population front
New Delhi, July 16 Replacement level is the level at which the population of an area exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next instead of increasing. The Annual Health Survey (AHS) 2011, released today by the Registrar General of India (RGI), however, reveals India’s poor progress in population stabilisation. It also questions target delivery under the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that is supposed to meet contraception needs of women. It shows that one in five women in the country’s nine high population states has no access to contraceptives though they need these. Resultantly, in six of the eight high population states, women continue to bear more than three children each. Total Fertility Rate (average number of children born to a woman during her reproductive lifespan) is higher than the national average of 2.5 in these six states. Uttarakhand and Odisha are exceptions with 2.3 TFR each. The rest of the states have higher TFRs than the national average of 2.5 -- Bihar (3.7), UP (3.6); Rajasthan (3.2), Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh (3.1 each); Chhattisgarh (2.9) and Assam (2.6). The data is grim considering vastness of this survey. “This is the largest health survey in the world. In India alone we have covered 284 districts in nine states that represent 48% of our population; 59% of all births, 70% infant deaths and 62% of all maternal deaths,” C. Chandramouli, Registrar General of India, said. He pointed to stark inter-district and rural-urban variations in the number of children every woman bears. Within UP, Kanpur Nagar reports a TFR of 2.3 as against Shrawasti at 5.9 - a difference of 3.6 children per woman. “Variations reveal skewed availability of contraceptives. The survey shows that the unmet need for contraception is high - ranging from 19.6% in Rajasthan to 39% in Bihar; 98 districts reported less than 50% current usage of any methods of family planning. That’s a huge number,” Chandramouli said. The survey confirmed what The Tribune reported on World Population Day - India’s population stabilisation programme depends heavily on female sterilisation. “Male sterilisation is practically absent everywhere,” Chandramouli admitted. Among 284 surveyed districts, Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has the least number of children born per woman, 1.7, and also the least TFR.
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Russian Dy PM arriving, civil N-deals on agenda
New Delhi, July 16 Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, a protégé of President Vladimir Putin, will co-chair the crucial meeting with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. The two leaders are also expected to discuss dates for President Putin’s visit to India, likely to take place in October. Just last week, President Putin had told Russian envoys and diplomats that Moscow would foster ties with ‘our longtime partner and friend, India’. The significance of Rogozin’s visit can be gauged from the fact that he will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation that will include the heads of Russian Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, Tactical Missile Armaments Corporation, United Aircraft Building Corporation and Ilyushin Aviation Complex. Rogozin was named as the Deputy Prime Minister late last year and re-confirmed in May after Putin and the current Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev swapped positions.
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India-Pak cricket ties set to resume
New Delhi, July 16 The decision to resume bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan was taken by the Board's powerful working committee but the final call would be taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by P Chidambaram. The Centre has so far kept a distance from the proposal. Officials in the MHA, which has been repeatedly slamming Pakistan for inaction against the Mumbai attacks’ masterminds, clarified that the Board had not yet sought permission for the series. The ministry had in the past even banned Pakistan players from playing in the cash-rich IPL. Indian and Pakistan have played each other in multi-team tournaments such as the 2011 World Cup that India had hosted, but not in a bilateral series since the 26/11 attacks. "It was decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan. The modalities will be worked out shortly," the BCCI said in a statement after the meeting. It announced three ODIs and two T20 games from December 2012-January 2013. While the one-dayers would be in Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi, the T20 venues would be Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar slammed the BCCI announcement. “Being a Mumbaikar, I feel what is the urgency (to play against Pakistan) when there is no cooperation from the other side?” he said. The BJP and the Shiv Sena echoed similar sentiments. The Maharashtra state Congress indirectly opposed the series, saying there was anger among Indians over Pakistan’s stand on terrorism. The issue of resumption of cricket ties had cropped up when Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai met his counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani in New Delhi on July 5.
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‘Manual scavenging must end’
New Delhi, July 16 But it took actor Aamir Khan to remind the Government that the law needs implementation on ground as well. So today, when Aamir spoke about the plight of scavengers, everyone sat up and listened. One caught a glimpse of the normally elusive Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik, who “thanked” the actor for highlighting the issue. “The PM has assured me something will be done to end the practice and has asked me to see the Welfare Minister,” Khan said outside 7 Race Course Road before leaving to meet Wasnik. Later, the two addressed a joint press conference in a room where commotion ruled and it became difficult to seek real answers. Wasnik was quick to say, “We are happy Aamir has brought this topic into the limelight and I believe everyone has the right to live equally. The Government is working towards resolving this issue and the PM has also turned his attention towards it.” Claims apart, over the years, not much has changed. Sixty one years after India became a Republic, the Government realised in 2011 that it could indeed be the case that the numbers of manual scavengers are understated. It ordered a fresh survey but the results are still awaited.
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Medicine
mess-II
The lack of government control over pricing has been giving manufacturers, retailers and doctors a perfect opportunity to “share the spoils” even as patients groan under high costs. The Tribune had today highlighted high drugs prices; the huge difference between MRP of non-scheduled bulk drugs and their cost of production; and how stockists, retailers and doctors recommending these drugs make a massive profit on this difference. After the MRP-based excise policy came into play, drug manufacturers began flocking to tax-exempt states. Since manufacturers in those states did not have to pay excise duty or income tax, they were free to decide the MRP of drugs. Presently, 80 per cent of the country’s pharmaceutical industry is based out of Himachal, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern hill states. Manufacturers who haven’t shifted to these states have outsourced production to companies located in these tax-free zones. Over 80 per cent drugs in the country are manufactured in tax-exempt states and sold at whimsical MRPs. Interestingly, there is a huge difference in MRP of same formulation manufactured in tax-free states. Sample this: the MRP of Amlodipine and Atenolol tablets (14-tablet pack, recommended for hypertension) manufactured in Baddi (a tax-exempt zone) and marketed from Aurangabad is Rs 17. The same drug manufactured in Sikkim (also a tax-exempt zone) is priced at Rs 70 (for 15 tablets). However, a consumer is more likely to get the medicine manufactured in Sikkim, from the local chemist. Well, the stockist marketing the drug, the chemist selling it and the doctor recommending it have been paid a higher commission by the manufacturer (as he has a huge difference in the production cost and MRP, which is then distributed down the entire retail chain). A leading drug manufacturer in the region shares that distributors and promoters get 40-50 per cent MRP as commission. The chemist pockets 20 per cent commission while the doctor recommending the drug gets 20-40 per cent of it. The commission payout may not be in cash. Drug manufacturers are known to pick up the tab on a credit card or pay the monthly installment of a new car for the beneficiary. Exotic holidays in foreign locales for a “seminar” are now a thing of the past. The scenario is grim not only for the patient but also for the government going by excise collections from the pharma sector post the MRP-based excise regime. Excise collections have reportedly dropped to less than Rs 1,000 crore a year (from Rs 2,600 crore in 2005-06). Another reason for the high drug prices is the growing influence of multi-national drug manufacturers. The market share of six top pharma MNCs now stands at 25 per cent, and these companies have monopolies for many new-age drugs. Since these MNCs import finished formulations from their home countries rather than manufacture the drugs here, costs spiral. (Tomorrow: Controlling drug prices)
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Siamese twins: SC asks govt to set up medical team
New Delhi, July 16 A Bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said the medical team may consist of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Apollo Hospital’s Dr Benjamin Carson, a conjoined twins specialist who has already examined the girls. The Bench said it was for the team of experts to consider all the possibilities and weigh the pros and cons before taking an appropriate decision according to medical science.
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India to US: Policy making our sovereign right
New Delhi, Julu 16
In his reaction to the US President's remarks that India must carry out difficult economic reforms, Sharma said, “He (Obama) has every right to convey what his perceptions are but the policy making is a sovereign decision and India's FDI policy regime is investor-friendly.” Obamba in an interview noted India prohibits foreign investment in too many sectors such as retail.
— PTI
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Cousin Raj provides healing touch to Uddhav Thackeray Mumbai, July 16 Raj, who was on his way to Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district, turned back on hearing of his cousin's ill-health. After dropping in at the hospital, Raj returned later in the evening to escort Uddhav home. Raj himself drove the vehicle with Uddhav sparking off intense excitement among the rank and file of both the Shiv Sena and the MNS. Shiv Sena leaders and activists who had gathered at the hospital cheered after Uddhav was discharged from hospital after an angiography. However, Bal Thackeray’s heir looked visibly ill as he was driven home in his black Mercedes. Uddhav Thackeray, who was accompanied by his family physician after he complained of chest pain this morning was immediately admitted to the ICCU of the hospital where a number of tests were conducted on him. According to information put out by the Shiv Sena, Thackeray had not been keeping well for a while but continued with his official engagements. Uddhav was last seen in public when the UPA’s presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee came call on the family last week.
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Court rejects CBI plea for Jagan’s narco test Hyderabad, July 16 Citing the Supreme Court guidelines, the special CBI court said that the polygraph tests should not be conducted without the consent of the accused. The CBI, which is probing the high-profile case, sought the court’s permission to conduct these tests on Jagan and his close confidante and auditor Vijay Sai Reddy, saying that both of them did not cooperate during the interrogation. The CBI also challenged the accused to give consent for the test to prove their innocence. It offered to administer low dosage of drugs for the narco test so that there was no harm to their health. Jagan’s counsels contended that there was no question of giving consent to the narco tests as the CBI had gathered all details form them when they were given in police custody and there was nothing else to question under the influence of narcotics. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has permitted Jagan to exercise his vote in the presidential election.
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The first day of monsoon session of Assam Assembly witnessed stormy scenes over the July 9 incident of molestation of a girl in a busy locality along the Guwahati-Shillong road here.
India-Pakistan cricket ties seemed set for revival on Monday almost five years after the Mumbai attacks. The Board for Cricket Control
(BCCI) in India agreed to three ODIs and two T20 matches between the arch-rivals, evoking strong reactions from the
BJP, Shiv Sena, former Captain Sunil Gavaskar and even the Maharashtra Congress.
New Delhi, July 16
Guwahati, July 16
New Delhi, July 16
The court also reversed the Sessions Court’s judgment of acquitting Prakash Pandey, the alleged shooter in the murder case, and awarded him life sentence.
Chandigarh, July 16