|
|
|
|
|
Paper trail on EVMs to cost Rs 1,690 cr: EC
EC gives nod to Ramdev yoga camp in Delhi
Cong anti-Dalit, alleges Maya
RTE Act’s no-exam norm set for review
|
|
|
Jagan’s mother meets Rajnath
Aadhaar not must for LPG subsidy: Moily
SC rejects plea for raising judges’ retirement age
Need patience on Indo-Pak ties, says Khurshid
Tribute to Ghadarites
DGCA frames rules for copters on relief ops
Study group to examine officer-jawan relationship
Keshubhai struggles to keep his flock together
Seemandhra remains paralysed, cyclone threat adds to woes AP Police shifts Jagan to hospital
|
|
Paper trail on EVMs to cost Rs 1,690 cr: EC
New Delhi, October 9 Each VVPAT unit would cost Rs 16,200, excluding excise duty, sales tax and transportation, but the price would come down to Rs 13,000 if bulk orders were placed for equipping all 1.3 million EVMs with the system, the EC had told the SC. The total cost would then work out to Rs 1,690 crore. Taking note of the cost factor, a Bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi granted liberty to the EC to introduce the paper trail system in phases and directed the Centre to provide financial assistance for the purchase of VVPAT units. The court said paper trail “is an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections. The confidence of the voters in the EVMs can be achieved only with the introduction of the paper trail”. Pointing out that vote was nothing but an act of expression that had immense importance in any democratic set-up, the SC said paper trail would ensure “fullest transparency in the system and restore confidence of the voters”. The SC delivered the verdict on an appeal filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, challenging the dismissal of his PIL by the Delhi High Court on the issue. He had contended that the present system of voting through EVMs had no provision by which the voter could verify and confirm his own voting. “He is not sure whether his vote is recorded or not, if recorded, whether it is recorded in favour of the person to whom it was intended or not.”
What SC was told
* Each voter verifiable paper audit trail unit will cost
Rs 16,200, excluding excise duty, sales tax and transportation *
The price will come down to Rs 13,000 if bulk orders are placed for equipping all 1.3 million EVMs with the system *
The total cost will then work out to Rs 1,690 crore
what the court said
* It granted liberty to the EC to introduce the paper trail system in phases and directed the Centre to provide financial assistance for the purchase of VVPAT units
|
|
EC gives nod to Ramdev yoga camp in Delhi
New Delhi, October 9 It said there will be no formal or publicised inauguration or closing ceremonies for the camp attended by political functionaries as chief guests or special invitees. — PTI
|
|
|
Cong anti-Dalit, alleges Maya
New Delhi, October 9 A day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi blamed the BSP supremo Mayawati for not promoting leadership among Dalits, she said the anti-Dalit attitude of the Congress was amply visible when the Centre did not declare national mourning when Kanshi Ram passed away on this day in 2006. Mayawati was speaking at the BSP office at 12, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, New Delhi, situated near 15, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, known to house the Congress war-room and is frequented by party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Addressing party workers, Mayawati said: “The behaviour of Opposition parties, especially the Congress, remained extremely casteist and disdainful because of which Congress-led government at the Centre did not declare a national mourning on Kanshi Ram’s death. Our people will never forgive the Congress for that.” She claimed this was a clear evidence that the Congress was not only “anti-Dalit”, but also “casteist” and this should be condemned in strong words. Addressing a programme in Delhi yesterday, Rahul alleged that Mayawati had harmed the Dalit movement in the country by capturing its leadership and not letting anyone else come forward.
|
|
|
RTE Act’s no-exam norm set for review
New Delhi, October 9 Set up in June 2012, by the then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, a sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest decision- making body on education in India (whose members include state Education Ministers), has concluded that the RTE law’s norm of automatic promotion for students till Class VIII is severely hampering the quality of children reaching Class X. It is also diluting the critical mass entering India’s higher education sector. The committee, headed by Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal, has decided to seek a review of the no-detention policy. It is for introduction of screening of students at some level of the elementary school cycle, preferably Class VIII. The committee findings will be discussed at the 62nd meeting of CABE to be held here tomorrow. The final report will come later this month. “We invited suggestions from across the country and met ministers, parents and students in different states. Around 20 states have officially opposed the no- detention policy saying the pass percentages of students at Class X are dramatically dipping,” Bhukkal told The Tribune. “Students and parents are demanding screening to ensure academic instruction is taken seriously and hard work incentivised. We will recommend a revision of no-detention norm and introduction of screening under the law,” said Bhukkal. The RTE Act provides for Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) of children at elementary level (Class I to VIII) with the provision of no-detention up to Class VIII. At the 59th meeting of CABE held on June 6, 2012, Education Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Assam, Haryana and Gujarat and education experts objected to the provision blaming it for the declining quality of students at higher and senior secondary levels and for teachers' loss of interest in serious instruction. Sibal had then formed a CABE sub-committee under Bhukkal to “assess the implementation of the CCE in context of the no-detention provision of the RTE Act”. Bhukkal today said the panel had no problems with CCE but it must incorporate some form of screening. Recently, a House panel had also voiced concern saying students would not be motivated to work hard if they knew their promotion to the next grade was guaranteed. Sibal had supported the no-detention, no- exam provision of the RTE Act.
Crucial meet today
* A sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education, the highest decision- making body on education in India, has decided to seek a review of the no-detention policy *
The committee findings will be discussed at the 62nd meeting of CABE to be held on Thursday. The final report will come later this month
|
|
|
Jagan’s mother meets Rajnath
New Delhi, October 9 She is believed to have asked Rajnath that the BJP should stick to the stance adopted by LK Advani during his tenure as the Home Minister in the NDA regime when Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were carved out-that before the division of any state, the Assembly should pass a resolution for division. Jagan had recently praised BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as an efficient administrator. Though he also urged Modi to demonstrate his commitment to secularism. For the grand old party it came as a warning sign and as a pleasant surprise for the saffron fold. Desperate for allies, BJP’s choices are limited as far as Andhra is concerned. Its potential NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu is also agitating in Delhi against the Congress’ proposal to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Though Jagan insists that his party will go alone and tie up only with a secular front at the Centre, his public admiration for Modi, followed by his mother’s meeting the BJP president, has led to speculations that he may be open to the NDA, if the BJP manages it in 2014. Jagan may not go with the BJP in any pre-poll alliance because of his strong minority credentials (he himself is a Christian and is quite popular among Muslims in the state). However, given his strong position, he will definitely be the one providing numbers to the winning side in 2014. “Apart from projecting himself as the only saviour of Andhra, he is also attempting to dispel the prevailing notion that he struck a deal with the Congress to come out of jail. By making pro-Modi noises, he is widening his scope and acceptability,” BJP leaders say. For the BJP, the glad tide comes at a time when it sees itself in a win-win situation in Andhra, where it has a limited presence. Holding the Congress completely responsible for the situation in Andhra, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu today accused the Congress of hobnobbing with the YSR Congress (which favours united Andhra) and the TRS (which favours separate Telengana state) to further its “petty political interests”. “BJP’s stand on Telangana is well known, it is for peaceful division of the state not the people,” he said, accusing the Congress of treating the Telangana issue as an internal party matter.
|
|
|
Aadhaar not must for LPG subsidy: Moily
New Delhi, October 9 The Oil Ministry is implementing the scheme for transfer of LPG subsidy in cash to bank accounts of actual consumers in 97 districts of the country with a view to eliminating diversions and plug leakages. The Aadhaar platform, which provides a resident is a 12-digit unique number after recording bio metric information like fingerprints and iris, is being used to implement the the cash transfer scheme. — PTI
|
|
|
SC rejects plea for raising judges’ retirement age
New Delhi, October 9 A Bench yesterday said an amendment to the Constitution would be required to increase the retirement age of SC and HC judges. Further, the issue was supposed to be decided by the Centre. — TNS The government was aware of the delays in the disposal of cases and the inadequate judge-population ratio. “If the government thinks it necessary, let it take a decision,” the Bench said while thanking the petitioner, lawyer RK Kapoor, for taking up “our cause”.
|
|
|
Need patience on Indo-Pak ties, says Khurshid
New Delhi, October 9 “I think much as we feel upset and concerned and hurt by what is happening on the border and the LoC, I think we have to show some perseverance, some patience and some fortitude to ensure that we don't play into the hands of the forces that want to create trouble,” he said. He was responding to a question while returning from Sri Lanka on the fate of the Indo-Pak dialogue process in the wake of infiltration attempt by 35 to 40 terrorists backed by suspected Pakistani special forces in the Keran sector along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Asked if the Nawaz Sharif government can be trusted in view of repeated ceasefire violations , Khurshid made it clear that dialogue is the way forward to resolve issues. — PTI
|
|
|
Bengal’s Rly station named after Komagata Maru
Aditi Tandon/TNS
New Delhi, October 9 The Budge Budge railway station on Kolkata’s outskirts was from where the British forcibly tried to send back Indian passengers of Komagata Maru to Punjab to prevent them from consolidating at the height of the Ghadar movement in 1914. A year ahead of the Ghadar centenary, the Centre has named the railway station as “Komagata Maru Budge Budge station” to salute the martyrs of September 29, 1914. This is the first Indian memoir of the victims. So far, the sole reminders of the Budge Budge incident were two plaques: one near the Gateway to the Pacific in Vancouver and another at Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver. The Budge Budge riot is significant in the Ghadar history as it culminated in a massacre of Indians by the British, who didn’t want them to land in Kolkata and wanted them instead to return to Punjab. The ship — Komagata Maru — a Japanese streamliner, itself is iconic in the Ghadar tradition for its complex journey from Hong Kong to Canada and then India. Records show that a wealthy Sikh businessman Bhai Gurdit Singh hired the ship in 1914 to challenge the exclusionist Canadian laws, which sought to prevent the so-called “brown invasion” by Indian immigrants. The ship reached Vancouver on May 23, 1914 but was forced to go back two months after it anchored in Canada. Meanwhile, its passengers had developed an anti-British sentiment under the influence of Ghadar literature. On its way back, the ship sailed to Calcutta instead of Hong Kong and was stopped by the British, who detained its passengers demanding their return to Punjab from the Budge Budge station. Resistance was met with firing that killed 29 Indians and injured the minor son of Gurdit Singh who escaped to safety.
|
|
|
DGCA frames rules for copters on relief ops
Chandigarh, October 9 In June, about 50,000 stranded persons were evacuated from the upper regions of the state in what was stated to be the largest ever helicopter airlift operation in India. Besides Air Force and Army choppers, a large number of civilian helicopters along with their air crew had been requisitioned for the job. During the relief operations, three civilian and an IAF helicopter were lost and 20 persons were killed in what the DGCA termed as avoidable accidents. "Proper selection of helipad, adhering to security instructions, not flying in bad weather, not stretching the capabilities of the chopper and proper hill training of the pilots would have ensured an accident-free operation," said a circular issued to aviation operators by the DGCA about a month ago. While making its recommendations about the role and responsibility expected from each agency involved in such operations, the DGCA states that since a majority of pilots flying civil helicopters in India have military background, they would well be advised to draw a judicial and rational balance between "flight safety" and "mission accomplishment." Flight safety would remain of paramount importance and the pilots should stretch themselves and their machine only up to a certain limit and not beyond. "It is always better to live another day to save more lives than take an irrational step in the heat of the moment," reads the circular. Stating that it was expected that aviation operators would rise to occasion during a calamity and support government authorities whole-heartedly, the DGCA has suggested that on specific instructions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, relief operations would be given priority over all other commercial activities. On requisition, they would move the helicopters and ground crew to the disaster site at the earliest by shortest route and during relief operations, they would undertake all flights. It would be the operators' responsibility to ensure that the crew composition is as per severity of weather, terrain, task, landing areas, security and safety concerns. proper maintenance in field conditions, rest and relief to air and ground crew, coordination with other operators and authorities concerned and full compliance of rules and technical parameters. Listing out suggestions for state governments, the DGCA has called for regular maintenance of airports and helipads. In Uttarakhand, the Gauchar airstrip had to be prepared before IAF aircraft could land on it.
Avoid risks, pilots told
* A sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education, the highest decision- making body on education in India, has decided to seek a review of the no-detention policy *
The committee findings will be discussed at the 62nd meeting of CABE to be held on Thursday. The final report will come later this month
|
|
|
Study group to examine officer-jawan relationship
Chandigarh, October 9 Sources said a Major General from the Artillery posted at the Army War College, Mhow, is heading the group that has been tasked with taking a holistic view of the issues concerning command functions, inter-personal relations and human resource management concerns, and identify weak links and suggest measures to boost camaraderie and intra-unit discipline. The officer-jawan relation in the Army has come under focus several times in the recent past, with instances of collective indiscipline, clashes and physical confrontation of varying degrees being reported from some units. Several factors such as shortage of officers, prolonged deployment in hard areas, socio-economic changes and societal influence have been attributed to this. As many as 168 personnel from the 226 Field Regiment, including the unit’s commanding officer (CO), second-in-command, four other officers and 17 junior commissioned officers were held blameworthy by a court of inquiry (COI) constituted to investigate the circumstances under which jawans clashed with officers when the unit was on a field firing exercise during May 2012. While recording of the summary of evidence (SOE) in the case of four officers involved in the fracas is complete, the trials by way of district court martial (DCM) and summary court martial (SCM) of some of the jawans involved have commenced. The unit’s CO, Colonel P Kadam, two officers and some jawans had been injured in the melee that had resulted after one of the unit jawans had allegedly misbehaved with one of the officers’ wife. Based upon the findings of the COI, disciplinary action, which entails a possible trial by general court martial (GCM) depending upon the outcome of subsequent proceedings, was recommended against all six officers as well as some JCOs and other ranks. Sources said at least two jawans face charges under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code for using criminal force on a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. While the trial by the GCM of officers and other ranks could still take some time to commence, more DCMs and SCMs are expected to convene shortly. The trials are taking place in various locations in Jand K.
The nyoma clash
* In May 2012, Army jawans had clashed with officers when the artillery unit was on a field firing exercise at Nyoma in Ladakh *
A court of inquiry had held 168 personnel from the 226 Field Regiment, including officers and junior commissioned officers, accountable *
District court martial and summary court martial trials of some of the jawans commence
|
|
|
UP violence was politically motivated, says Rahul
Lucknow, October 9 Addressing twin political rallies at Aligarh and Rampur in western Uttar Pradesh, Rahul virtually launched the Congress’ election campaign in Muslim-dominated districts. Speaking at the exhibition ground in Aligarh city, he said, “The common people don’t want to fight. There are certain political forces that feel if there is no fight, they will not win. That’s why they want Hindus and Muslims to fight. One caste is made to fight another.” Taking a dig at the Akhilesh Yadav government, he derisively asked: “Kuch ho raha hai yahan? Laptop chal raha hai? Rozgar mil raha hai? Wayde bade-bade kiye the (Is anything happening here? Are the laptops working? Are you getting employment? Big promises were made).” Asking the people of the state to put pressure on the state government for implementing the recently passed Food Security Act, he said the Act might not be implemented in Uttar Pradesh before 2014 elections as the SP government feared it would benefit the Congress. According to him, the Land Acquisition Bill would benefit farmers of Aligarh as it was their persistent protest that had inspired him to take up their fight to Parliament and get it passed against all odds. At Rampur, Rahul hit out at senior minister and Muslim face of the Samajwadi Party Mohd Azam Khan charging him of not effecting any development in the region. “It is said that even the old plywood factories have closed down. The transport industry has also suffered, bringing hardship to the people,” he said.
|
|
|
Keshubhai struggles to keep his flock together
Ahmedabad, October 9 Having failed to make much headway in the December, 2012, state Assembly elections when the party contested all the 182 seats but won only two, including Visavaadar in Junagadh district, the seat held by Keshubhai Patel as the chief minister and reclaimed by him this time, the GPP rank and file, most of them having come from the BJP ranks, was totally demoralized and are on the look for escape routes to return to the parent organisation. Modi’s anointment as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate brought with it wild “rumours” that the Gujarat CM had been given a free hand to try to bring back in the party fold some of the estranged leaders who had suffered severely in the electoral battles in their respective states and would be willing to return to the BJP if accepted unconditionally. Though it was neither unusual nor was it the first time, but Modi’s calling on Patel to seek his blessings on the occasion of his birthday last month gave further credence to the theory that the former chief minister, one of the founder leaders of the erstwhile Jana Sangh and later the BJP in the state, was on his way back to the parent organisation which he had left on the eve of the Assembly elections last year due to differences with Modi. As the BJP gathered to celebrate Modi’s completion of 12 years in the office, all the top leaders of the GPP called on Keshubhai at his official residence in Gandhinagar to seek a clarification and assurance from the former chief minister to scoff at the rumours. Later GPP general secretary Gordhan Jhadaphiya, also a former minister in the Naredra Modi cabinet, said there was no truth in the reports that Patel was keen to return to his parent organisation or the GPP’s merger with the BJP. Claiming that the GPP was developing as the viable alternative to the BJP in the state, Jhadaphiya alleged that the BJP state leadership had deliberately spread
|
|
|
HAL flaunts Dhruv to counter IAF snub
Bangalore, October 9 “The first indigenous chopper of India ALH-Dhruv (Advanced Light Helicopter-Dhruv) designed, developed, produced and maintained by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to meet the requirement of military and civil operators, achieved the milestone of flying one lakh hours today. The landmark has been achieved in the early hours today with the flying of helicopter IA 3104 of 301 Army Aviation Sqn (Spl ops)”, HAL said in a statement here today. “It is a proud moment for us. Dhruv has proved its mettle over the years”, HAL chairman RK Tyagi was quoted to have said. Tyagi thanked Indian armed forces, BSF and other customers for their support to Dhruv. The helicopter has been also exported to Ecuador, Mauritius, Nepal and Maldives. “One lakh hours flown by the machine is an awesome feat to achieve. It is a dream machine for any pilot”, Lt Col Kapil Agarwal who flew the chopper today on this historic occasion, was quoted to have said. The ALH is being operated by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, BSF and state governments since 2002. At present, more than 132 Dhruv helicopters are being in use with the defence forces of the country. Twelve civil variant Dhruv helicopters are also in active operation by their respective users. “The Ecuador Air Force (FAE) operates six Dhruv helicopters with their President choosing to fly in them”, the HAL statement pointed out. Lately, tension has been building up between the HAL and its biggest customer, the IAF, over development of products by HAL. IAF’s bid to scuttle the HAL’s ambitious project of developing a basic trainer aircraft for the IAF met with failure after the Defence Minister AK Antony intervened and asked the HAL to go ahead with the project. The IAF’s recent move to bar PSUs (read HAL) from bidding for transport aircrafts to replace the aging fleet of Avros has been challenged by Union Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel.
|
|
|
Seemandhra remains paralysed, cyclone threat adds to woes Hyderabad, October 9 The anti-bifurcation stir in Seemandhra continues to cripple normal life. The threat of southern power grid collapse is looming large with more than 30,000 employees of the electricity department vowing to continue their indefinite strike. Public transport has been virtually non-existent in Seemandhra for the past couple of months. Hospitals, both government-run and private, are unable to provide even emergency services. Train services have been badly affected. Air travellers are likely to face trouble in the coming days as major airports like Visakapatnam and Vijayawada are being run on back-up power. With major power stations being shut down, there is already a power shortage of 4,000 MW per day. The state has a demand of 11,000 MW per day. The mobile phone services are down in several areas of the state. Internet and ATM services have also been badly affected. Over 6 lakh employees are on indefinite strike demanding that the state be kept united. With petrol and diesel distributors likely to join the agitation next week, the situation threatens to spin out of control in the days to come. The Chief Minister held two rounds of talks with the representatives of power department employees yesterday but to no avail. During his talks with the striking NGOs, the Chief Minister, who hails from Rayalaseema region, said he was committed to the cause of united Andhra Pradesh. Fresh round of talks fail
* Fresh round of talks between Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, agitating staff fails *
Threat of southern power grid collapse looms large with more than 30,000 power employees on strike
z Public transport virtually non-existent in Seemandhra hospitals, unable to provide even emergency services
|
|
|
AP Police shifts Jagan to hospital Hyderabad, October 9 “We lifted him (from his residence Lotus Pond in Jubillee Hills in the city) and are taking him to Nizam Institute for Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hospital on doctors' advice,” said DCP (west zone) V Satyanarayana. A team of policemen swooped on Jagan's house at around 11 pm and lifted him before putting him into an ambulance and taking him straight to the hospital. There was no resistance from Jagan's supporters at the time of the police action. Doctors, who examined Jagan earlier today, advised him to call off the hunger strike as his sugar level was falling. A doctor from the hospital said Jagan was refusing to take treatment but he would be given treatment forcibly after efforts were made to convince him for some more time. Meanwhile, Jagan's mother Vijayamma and other leaders visited the hospital to enquire about his condition. — PTI
|
|
| 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 | |
New Delhi, October 9
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has framed guidelines for the utilisation of helicopters in disaster management and suggested specific roles for various agencies involved in relief operations. The move comes in the wake of heavy deployment of military and civilian helicopters for relief operations in Uttarakhand which witnessed flash floods and landslips earlier this year.
In June, about 50,000 stranded persons were evacuated from the upper regions of the state in what was stated to be the largest ever helicopter airlift operation in India.
