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PARLIAMENT session: Day 7
LS passes 2 Bills amid pandemonium
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Journalist, scientist among 11 held for K’taka terror plot
Make hallmarking of gold mandatory, CAG tells Govt
Special train to carry back northeasterners to Bangalore
It’s good cop vs bad cop in Andhra
Govt lifts ban on bulk SMSes, MMSes
After ‘God particle’, Indian scientists focus on SUSY
CBI registers 4 fresh cases in NRHM scam
No indigenous vaccine to battle cervical cancer
Law Commission for separate law to rein in khaps
Hawara, 4 others plead guilty in twin blast case
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Seven parties protest disruption, want coal allocations probed
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 30
To underscore the sullen mood, these parties including, the SP, the Left and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), decided to stage a sit-in in front of Parliament tomorrow to demand a judicial inquiry by a Supreme Court judge and cancellation of the allocation. After the attempt to forge unity among opposition parties failed to materialise on Monday, leaders of the Left parties convinced the SP chief to convene a meeting of non-UPA, non-NDA parties that made headway today. Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Basudeb Acharia (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and N Nageswara Rao (TDP), said all parties were keen that an inquiry be held into the issue, the guilty punished and Parliament get going. Attempts are on to rope in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Meanwhile, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in Parliament as a “brazen attempt to defend an indefensible policy”. He also criticised the BJP for its hypocrisy in disrupting Parliament demanding resignation of the PM. “It (the BJP) had pioneered the captive coal block route. It brought the coal privatisation Bill in Parliament. The NDA government had de-regulated coal pricing and taken a series of steps to weaken Coal India Limited (CIL),” he said. On the suggestion to switch over to competitive bidding, Karat felt the move would lead to private monopoly and formation of cartels with public utilities and state-run corporations unable to compete.
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LS passes 2 Bills amid pandemonium
New Delhi, August 30 In the Rajya Sabha, the BJP forced two adjournments at 11 am and noon before it was adjourned for the day at 2 pm. The two Bills were passed even as BJP members entered the Well of the House seeking resignation of the Prime Minister over coal blocks allocation. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day within minutes of the passing of the two Bills around noon. A Bill regulating chemical weapons in accordance with international convention and another to set up more AIIMS-like institutes were passed with voice vote amid sloganeering by BJP MPs. However, five other Bills-relating to money laundering, banking laws, protection of women against sexual harassment at workplace, North-Eastern reorganisation and the national institute of mental health sciences-could not be taken up. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2012, will replace the ordinance that allowed six AIIMS-like institutes to become operational from September 15. The Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000, on the prohibition of development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction.
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Journalist, scientist among 11 held for K’taka terror plot Bangalore, August 30 They apparently wanted to kill a columnist who had written an allegedly anti-Islam article in a
Kannada publication. Muti-ur-Rehman Siddiqui (25), a crime reporter, has been arrested by police along with 10 other accused, some of whom were picked by the police from Bangalore and others arrested from Hubli in North Karnataka. Those arrested from Hubli include those identified as Imran Bahadduri, Zakir Husain Sheik, Wahid Husain Kanakkanavara and Jafar Iqbal Sollapuri, all in the 26 to 30 age group. Bangalore-based suspects Akram and Siddiqui are reportedly the prime accused in the plot to assassinate the pro-Hindu columnist of a Kannada daily. Bangalore city police commissioner JP Mirji said a foreign-made pistol has been recovered from the suspects. He said those arrested were also planning to target prominent personalities of the state, including MPs, MLAs and journalists. Mirji said the terror suspects have links with Saudi Arabia-based outfits. They have backers in other states of India also, he said adding that their activities had the potential of creating communal tension. Mirji said further details could not be revealed as the investigation was on.
terror Links * Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau said the arrested have links with Lashkar-e-Toiba and HuJI *
They wanted to kill a columnist who had written an allegedly anti-Islam article in a Kannada publication *
They were also planning to target prominent personalities of the state, including MPs, MLAs and journalists
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Make hallmarking of gold mandatory, CAG tells Govt
New Delhi, August 30 As per CAG, not just has the proposal for covering hallmarking under mandatory certification, initiated way back in 2006, not materialised even after six year, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) -- the administrative authority of hallmarking -- has not been conducting the required number of surprise surveillance visits, thereby leading to the possibility of inadequate compliance of existing standards increasing substantially. “The BIS Act had not been amended to cover hallmarking under mandatory certification. Meanwhile, the buyers of jewellery continued to suffer,” the auditor said. “The Consumer Affairs Ministry and the BIS may consider bringing the hallmarking of gold jewellery under mandatory certification so as to safeguard the interest of the consumers,” it asserted. Notably, the World Gold Council data reveals that India imports about 800 tonnes of gold every year, of which 80 per cent -- as much as 640 tonnes -- is used for making jewellery. But now that the prices have zoomed past the Rs 30,000-mark, the precious yellow metal is no longer just a women’s desire but has become a key constituent of any hardcore investor’s portfolio. Hallmarking is the official recording of the proportionate content of the precious metal in a precious metal article. In India gold hallmarking was launched by the BIS in April 2000 with the objective of providing third party assurance to consumers regarding the purity of gold. The practice, however, is purely voluntary at present.
About hallmarking
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Special train to carry back northeasterners to Bangalore
Guwahati, August 30
NFR spokesman Jayanta Sarma said the special train would have 18 coaches. Anybody could travel in the train through it had been specially arranged for those who wanted to go back to their places of work and study in southern states. More such special trains might be arranged in future, depending on the requirement, he added. The Assam Government had earlier requested the Railways to run special trains to ferry back those who were willing to go back to the places of their work and study in southern states. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had said his government was ready to provide even special flight for return of those who had fled South India. About 40,000 persons of N-E origin, including about 20,000 from Assam, had left southern states recently out of panic. A sizeable number of those were from Manipur and Nagaland.
100 held for Assam bandh violence
State bans bandhs
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It’s good cop vs bad cop in Andhra
Hyderabad, August 30 Assistant Superintendent of police (ASP) of Ramapachodavaram division Naveen Kumar filed a complaint before the local magistrate, alleging that his boss was trying to “eliminate” him. Kumar, an IPS officer of 2008 batch, charged the SP with attempt to murder, harassment and obstruction of his duties. He claimed that he had recorded evidence of the SP being hand-in-glove with marijuana smugglers and receiving huge protection money. The ASP has been at loggerheads with his boss ever since he took charge in Ramapachodavaram about five months ago. With the local police refusing to register a case since the accused being a senior IPS officer, the ASP took the matter to the notice of the local magistrate. Taking a serious view of the spat, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy ordered an inquiry by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Eluru range) G Suryaprakash Rao. “Once the DIG submits his report, we will take appropriate action,” the Home Minister said. Meanwhile, the SP declined to comment on the allegations made by his sub-ordinate officer. “It is for my senior officers to take note of the charges and respond. Since I am the head of the district police, I cannot comment on the allegations if they are directed against me,” Varma said. The ASP claimed that he faced a threat to his life from the SP and there had been an attempt on his life in the past. In his complaint, Kumar said the local police had recently taken into custody a few marijuana smugglers and also shot one of them in an encounter. The ASP alleged that the SP had threatened the local police that he would put them behind bars, if they did not release the captives.
Police war *
ASP Kumar has charged the SP with attempt to murder, harassment and obstruction of his duties *
Andhra Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy has ordered an inquiry by DIG (Eluru range)
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Govt lifts ban on bulk SMSes, MMSes
New Delhi, August 30 The decision was taken after the social unrest that gripped various parts of the country due to the rumours generated through SMSes, MMSes and web contents reduced in last few days, a Home Ministry spokesperson said. The restriction on sending more than five SMSes in one go and more than 20 KB of data through mobile phones came into force on August 17. On August 23, the government increased the number of SMSes to 20 per day. — PTI
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After ‘God particle’, Indian scientists focus on SUSY
New Delhi, August 30 Following the Indian participation at CERN and the Large Hardron Collider (LHC), several international consortia have approached the country for participation in their programmes. India is participating in FAIR (Facility for Antiprotons and Ions Research) project in Germany and also the TMT project in the US. “India is also participating in the next phase of CERN experiments, which may lead to discovery of SUSY, perhaps the dark matter candidate. Beyond that we hope to find something that is totally unexpected,” said Prof Atul Gurtu, Coordinator of the Indian part of CERN experiments between 2003-11. Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a meet on “India at the Large Hardron Collider (LHC),” today, Gurtu said scientists need to establish the identity of the new particle (Higgs) to establish beyond doubt that it certainly is what they had been looking for all along and go deeper to uncover the other dark secrets of the universe — like the existence of dark matter. “Scientists have found Higgs Boson, the particle which is thought to give all other matter its mass. Up till now the discovered particle appears to be Higgs in every way. However, we need more data to establish its identity beyond doubt. Scientists have to establish its properties, do background checks to confirm whether the discovered particle is indeed Higgs Boson,” points out Gurtu. While more background checks are required to confirm that the new particle, which look like Higgs, is indeed that, CERN scientists also have their eyes on something beyond — the even more mysterious SUSY particle, a weakly interacting but massive particle that could explain the composition of the baffling dark matter. And to do that they will have to go beyond the Standard Model -- the existing mathematical model that explains the behaviour of elementary particles. Dark matter is supposed to be the substance that fills a major part of the universe but cannot be seen and SUSY or the super-symmetry particle is believed to be the secret behind dark matter.
dark matter
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CBI registers 4 fresh cases in NRHM scam
New Delhi, August 30 The agency started a search operation last evening at six locations in Ghaziabad, Lucknow and Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Vapi in Gujarat in connection with the case. The search operations are continuing today, CBI sources said. — PTI
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No indigenous vaccine to battle cervical cancer
New Delhi, August 30 The ministry also admitted that the number of cervical cancer cases was increasing by the day, but added that available scientific evidence did not point to the spread of human papilloma virus (HPV), a major risk factor for cervical cancer in India. The total number of cervical cancer cases rose from 1,01,938 in 2009 to 1,03,821 in 2010 and finally to 1,05,740 last year. This increase is pan India. In the north, Punjab has the highest incidence of cervical cancer followed by Haryana and Delhi. The cases in Punjab rose from 2,288 in 2009 to 2,389 in 2011. In Haryana, these rose from 2,112 in 2009 to 2,238 last year; and in Delhi from 1,175 two years ago to 1,287 now. A surge was also reported from Jammu and Kashmir - from 975 in 2009 to 1,014 in 2011. In Himachal, it was 636 two years ago to 662 in 2011; in Chandigarh, it has gone from 74 to 81. In its reply, the ministry stated, “Human papilloma virus 16 and 18 are the most common genotypes (strains) accounting for about 70 per cent of HPV infections in India. However, based on available studies, evidence is not enough to conclude that HPV is spreading in India.” The government did not, however, rule out the fact that cases of cervical cancer were rising. This is an area of concern considering that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the apex drug regulatory body in India, has not granted permission to any agency to indigenously developed a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths among
Indian women.
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Honour Killings R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, August 30 Under the proposal sent to the Law Ministry, the new law would have a provision for a three-to-seven-year jail term for "khap panchayat" members for assembling to condemn any marriage or relationship, Law Commission member Amarjit Singh said. To be known as the Prevention of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances (in the name of Honour and Tradition), the law would restrain panchayats or caste elders from interfering with the life and liberty of young couples. "As there is a need to divest the panchayats or caste elders of their self-assumed hegemony and controlling influence in these matters," the law would prohibit congregation for the purpose of disapproving an intended marriage or the conduct of young couples. Given the social milieu and powerful background of caste combines that put intense pressure on parents and relatives to go to any extent to punish the "sinning" couples in order to restore the community honour, it had become necessary to deal with this fundamental problem, the commission said. "The law as it stands today does not act either as a deterrence or has a sobering influence on caste combinations and assemblies that regard themselves as being outside the pale of law," it said. The penal provisions under the proposed law would be in addition to the IPC provisions dealing with abetment and conspiracy.
PROPOSED LAW
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Hawara, 4 others plead guilty in twin blast case
New Delhi, August 30 With Hawara, the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and his four accomplices admitting their guilts, Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Siddhartha sentenced them to jail terms already undergone by them during adjudication of the twin blast case. Others who pleaded guilty and were sentenced along with Hawara are BKI members Balwinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Vikas Sehgal and Jagannath Yadav. With the court sentencing them to jail term already undergone by them, the four others, barring Hawara, who have already spent over seven years in jail, would be released. Hawara is currently serving life term for assassinating former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. He is also facing trial in another case and cannot be released. In the twin blasts case, Hawara was charged only for harbouring Jaspal and Vikas, who were actively involved in executing the blasts. The blasts had taken place on May 22, 2005 and the bombs were triggered by crude devices during the screening of the controversial Hindi film ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal’. — PTI
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New Delhi, August 30
The Law Commission today recommended enactment of a separate law to sternly deal with honour killings and "diktats" of
"khap panchayats" against same "gotra", inter-caste, inter-community and inter-religion marriages.
The solutions to the problems and the issues that are facing us today can only be found through discussion in Parliament. If someone thinks that either everything will happen according to their wishes or nothing will happen - then this cannot happen in a democracy.
— Sonia Gandhi,
AICC chief
The percentage of cervical cancer to total cancer cases in the country has remained around 10 per cent in the past three years, shows the data which the Health Ministry submitted in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question by Punjab MP Avinash Rai Khanna.