|
|
|
|
|
2G press note was altered at last minute: Vahanvati
Delay in defence production worries Antony
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sukhoi set to become ‘Super Sukhoi’
Lighter BrahMos will have same firepower
SC relief for Maj Gen in ration procurement scam
MHA for probe into IAF men abandoning injured policeman
FB post lands govt official in police net
EC cautions Tripura CM against misusing official machinery
Modi to visit Kumbh Mela on February 12
|
|
2G press note was altered at last minute: Vahanvati
New Delhi, February 5 Vahanvati told the JPC that the changes in the press release had been done without his knowledge and his trust had been betrayed in the process. “His trust had been belied,” the former SG told the panel. The deposition from the former Solicitor General came as Raja had earlier trained his guns on Vahanvati saying that the top law officer of the country had reversed his position under pressure after initially supporting the Department of Telecom (DoT) on spectrum allocation. He was asked specific questions by the JPC members about his knowledge of the process undertaken by Raja in 2008 in granting licences on a first-come-first-serve basis. Vahanvati, who was Solicitor General in 2008 and is now Attorney General, denied there had been discussions with him as claimed by Raja about his going ahead with "preemptive and proactive" decisions in a letter. He informed the JPC that the changes in the first-come, first-served policy were never discussed with him and he had nothing to do with issue of 2G spectrum licences. Vahanvati was called for evidence by the JPC as he was the Solicitor General when 122 second generation spectrum licences were issued and he had appeared for certain cases on behalf of DoT in various courts, including telecom tribunal TDSAT. According to JPC Chairman PC Chacko, Vahanvati said he had concurred with the draft press note on the issuance of licences shown to him by the then Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura on January 7, 2008, carrying four paragraphs. But he was not aware of the amendments to the press release at a later stage. The release was subsequently issued on January 10. Chacko said Vahanvati informed that a paragraph was also later deleted from the release. Vahanvati informed the panel that he had made a similar deposition before the CBI. Chacko, meanwhile, said that the panel was likely to wrap up its evidence gathering by next week without calling on any minister to depose, and submit its report in the upcoming budget session. "The panel will wrap up its evidence gathering exercise and start preparing the draft of the report," Chacko said while adding that he hopes to submit the report by March end so it can be discussed in the second half of the budget session in April-May. Reports said the panel was set up to wrap up its evidence gathering by the next hearing on February 12 when it hold a day-long session and call CBI director Ranjit Sinha to brief on the status of the probe the agency is conducting and later take the evidence from Telecom Secretary R Chandrasekhar.
|
|
Delay in defence production worries Antony
Bangalore, February 5 While Antony lauded the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the three Padma awards received by its scientists on the occasion of the last Republic Day, he asked the agency, which manages several research labs across the country, “to speed up”. To underscore his point, Antony mentioned the light combat aircraft (LCA) “Tejas” project. He said he was present at the function and shared the joy with everyone present when Tejas was given the initial operational clearance (IOC) two years ago. Since then, the project had dragged on and there was no real clarity as to when the aircraft would be finally ready for induction into the IAF, he said. “Delay in delivery is a real problem. Please speed up,” Antony said as DRDO chief VK Saraswat listened. The seminar was organised as a run-up to the Aero India exhibition starting here from tomorrow. Antony also pulled up defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delay in the production of intermediate jet trainer (IJT). The minister asked the HAL to “focus on IJT” which was scheduled to enter service with the IAF in June last year as a stage-II trainer, replacing ageing HAL Kiran. But with trials still on to prove the platform as a robust training jet (one prototype crashed during spin tests in April 2011), it is unlikely that the IJT will be accorded initial operational clearance (IOC) anytime soon. Evidently, the Defence Minister is worried because this year itself the IAF will have no choice but to begin retiring most of its HAL Kiran Stage-II trainers. With the IJT nowhere near entering service at that time, the IAF may be faced with a difficult choice to either push its Kirans further or juggle its training syllabus to make up for the lack of stage-II training or acquire intermediate trainer jets from abroad. If the last option is exercised then India’s training arsenal will almost entirely comprise foreign aircraft from 2014-the Swiss Pilatus for basic propeller training, the BAE Hawk for lead-in advanced jet training and another foreign aircraft for intermediate jet training. Expressing hope that a “bit of competition” might spur HAL into action, Antony said for the first time private industry would be invited to bid for manufacturing planes for replacing IAF’s ageing fleet of Avro transport aircrafts. Pointing out that this would signal an end to the HAL’s monopoly over manufacturing planes for the IAF (through technology-transfer agreements with the original equipment manufacturer), Antony said competition with private players would be a good thing for the HAL.
|
|
|
Sukhoi set to become ‘Super Sukhoi’
Bangalore, February 5 IAF Chief Air Chief Marshall NAK Browne today said “talks are on with Russia on the Super Sukhoi”. The latest lot of 42 for which an agreement was signed on December 24 will not be the upgraded class, the IAF Chief added while answering queries on the sidelines of an Aero-India function. There are 230 Sukhois in the IAF inventory and another 42 were added when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India. The plan is to upgrade the first 80 Su-30MKIs to the level ‘Super Sukhois’ which will have highly advanced radars and weapon systems, sources said. Sukhoi-30 MKIs have been inducted into IAF in four phases with licenced production having started in India in 2001. Though there has been speculation as to the signing of the upgrade contract, the IAF chief clarified that some issues were still to be finalised. The initial plan is to integrate more than the 290-km range BrahMos Cruise missile. A long-range cruise missile will also be added other than the BrahMos. This will be for range of about 350 km and a request for information (RFI) was issued late last year for procuring such a weapon system from global suppliers. The aircraft would also have the highly-advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) named the ‘Zhuk-AESA’ Radar system. This can track 30 aerial targets in the track-while-scan mode and engage six targets simultaneously in attack mode.
|
|
|
Lighter BrahMos will have same firepower
Bangalore, February 5 "We are only reducing the weight of the missile. We are not reducing any of its firepower", BrahMos Aerospace CEO and MD Sivathanu Pillai told this reporter at the sidelines of a seminar here today. Pillai said the Su-30 fighter jets with which the BrahMos missile was being integrated was designed to carry a maximum load of 1.5 tonnes. While the weight of the ordinary BrahMos is three tonnes, the aircraft version weighs 2.5 tonne. But even at 2.5 tonnes, it was one tonne in excess for the Russian fighter. Pillai said the aircraft was needed to be strengthened for carrying the missile and for this purpose the aircraft was being redesigned and various parts of the aircraft was being freshly made.
|
|
|
SC relief for Maj Gen in ration procurement scam
Chandigarh, February 5 The apex court’s directive four days ago that upholds a Delhi High Court order in the case implies that the proceedings against the officer Maj Gen BPS Mander, now retired, stand quashed and he may be granted notional promotion along with consequential service and financial benefits, legal experts said. A Court of Inquiry instituted to look into irregularities in procurement of dry rations had, in 2006, indicted former Director General, Supplies and Transport (DGST), Lt Gen SK Sahni, former Additional DGST Maj Gen Mander and eight other officers. The then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, had directed disciplinary action against Lt Gen SK Sahni and five others while administrative action was ordered against Maj Gen Mander and three other officers. The matter had seen long drawn legal wrangling in military and civilian courts as all officers had challenged the proceedings against them. Taking the Army to task over the manner in which the proceedings against the officers were conducted, the Delhi High Court had observed that in Maj Gen Mander’s case there was no sufficient material available with the Army to render nugatory the approval of the Selection Board for promotion as well as the clearance of the ACC in June 2006. Further, by January, 2007 the decision of the High Court in Lt Gen Sahni’s case had made it unequivocally clear that the respondents had violated the dictates of applicable Army Rules and hence the said court of inquiry could not be relied upon at all. Non application of the concerned provisions had prejudiced the officers’ case. “It has become an odious practice, to which authorities routinely succumb, to initiate anonymous or pseudonymous complaints against the person who is in the reckoning for promotion. It is axiomatic that there must be sound and legally admissible evidence available before any officer or employee is denied his promotion. In the present case, we reiterate and reaffirm that there was none at the time by which the petitioner's promotion was rescinded,” the court observed. Remarking that it is one of the cardinal features of the Constitution that a person joining the Armed Forces does not cease to be a citizen so as to wholly deprive him of his rights under the Constitution, the High Court observed the Supreme Court had ruled over 30 years ago and reiterated thereafter (yet regretfully unheeded by the respondents) that service in the Armed Forces can no longer be viewed as a support or adjunct of the rulers.
|
|
|
MHA for probe into IAF men abandoning injured policeman New Delhi, February 5 In a letter dated January 30, RK Singh has asserted that the action of the Air Force personnel is disturbing and reflects on their battle hardness. The letter ends by RK Singh requesting the Defence Secretary for an inquiry into the incident and to “take action as deemed fit”. Singh has asserted that the Air Force personnel who abandoned their Mi-17 helicopter, weapons and the injured policeman violated a standard operating procedure. On the afternoon of January 18, a road opening party
(ROP) of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) was reportedly attacked by armed cadres of the CPI (Maoist) near Puswara village in
Sukma. A Head Constable was killed and an Assistant Sub-Inspector was injured. The Chhattisgarh Police requested the IAF to airlift the injured police official from the Timelwada CAF camp. Towards the evening, the helicopter attempted to land at the camp, but CPI (Maoist) members allegedly fired at it from the surrounding hills. The Chhattisgarh Police wireless operator, who was one of the seven occupants of the chopper, sustained bullet injuries. Due to continuous firing, the helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at a place located about 2 km away from the Chintagufa police station in
Sukma. The six IAF personnel including two Garud Commandos allegedly abandoned their equipment and the injured man. They made their way to the police station, while the condition of the operator deteriorated. At night, COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force rescued the injured operator.
|
|
|
FB post lands govt official in police net
Agra, February 5 Sanjay Chaudhari, a civil engineer with the Uttar Pradesh Government, was booked under the IT Act here for uploading derogatory cartoons and posting objectionable comments on the two leaders, SSP Agra SC Dubey said. A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered against Chaudhari for trying to disturb communal harmony by making undesirable comments against a particular community, the police said. The engineer, who also runs an NGO, has pleaded innocence claiming that some unscrupulous elements uploaded the content after hacking his Facebook account. In November last year, two Mumbai girls were arrested for allegedly writing objectionable comments relating to late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackrey. — PTI
|
|
|
EC cautions Tripura CM against misusing official machinery
New Delhi, February 5 The action against Sarkar was taken at a meeting of the Election Commission chaired by Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath here, after discussing the issue and the chief minister's reply to the allegations against him. Sarkar was accused of giving an interview to a cable television channel on January 15 in his office in the Secretariat, where he made political comments praising his government and criticised the Opposition. "The commission has considered the reply submitted by you and has concluded that you had given the interview in your office on 15.1.2013... wherein, you had made political comments praising your government and making comments against the Opposition. "The above action on your part amounts to using your official infrastructure for political purpose which is not allowed under the provisions of Model Code of Conduct... The Commission has decided to caution you to be more careful in future," an EC order said. Considering the interview as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which was in force at the time, the Congress had complained to the EC who asked Sarkar to explain his position. Tripura goes to polls on February 14 to elect its 60- member assembly. The Model Code of Conduct was enforced in the state on January 11, the day the poll body announced the schedule for elections. — PTI
|
|
|
Modi to visit Kumbh Mela on February 12
Ahmedabad, February 5 Speculation was on about Modi’s likely trip to Allahabad in connection with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-organised Sant Sammelan there on February 7 which, among other issues, was expected to discuss BJP’s prospective candidates for the prime minister’s post. Modi is said to be one of the most favourites for the post. His visit to Allahabad assumes significance as the VHP remains vertically divided on the issue of supporting his candidature for the country’s top executive post. While supporters of former VHP international president Ashok Singhal are believed to be in favour of Modi being named the prime ministerial candidate, the Gujarat unit of the VHP, which is considered loyal to Singhal’s successor Pravin Togadia, a sworn enemy of Modi, is strongly opposing the move. Togadia developed differences with Modi soon after the 2002 communal riots as he felt the state government was not doing enough to protect VHP workers accused of being involved in the riots. He was also not happy that soon after coming to power, Modi had started ignoring him though he believed that the VHP’s contributions were immense in his landslide victory in the 2002 state Assembly elections. Claiming that Modi had actually done nothing for the cause of Hindutva despite his “self-acclaimed” title of “Hindu Hriday Samrat”, the Togadia faction of the VHP demanded that Modi could be named prime ministerial candidate only after he openly swore in the name of
Hindutva.
The significance
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Concern over delay in defence production was the guiding theme of Defence Minister AK Antony’s speech delivered at a seminar here today.
