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UGC to probe grant to ineligible colleges: Govt
MANDI TRAGEDY
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Badal breaks down; meets Rajnath in Delhi
Heavy rains force suspension of Kedarnath Yatra for 3 days
Oppn corners govt over Israeli strikes in Gaza
family disputes
Sedition case against Ramdev aide Vaidik
K’taka Cong leader wants rapists shot
Adjournments mar Rajya Sabha proceedings
London exhibition commemorates Sikh soldiers’ role in WW-I
Kohli takes over as Gujarat Guv
Snag hits Katra train
TMC workers storm BJP meet, 30 hurt
HSGPC youth wing to launch protest from today
India reports highest under-5 deaths globally Govt framing guidelines for students’ safety: Irani
IAS aspirants end agitation HP minister GS Bali unhurt in accident
China makes two incursion attempts
in Ladakh SC issues notice to states on plea for mercy killings
175 more Indians to return home from Iraq today
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UGC to probe grant to ineligible colleges: Govt
New Delhi, July 16 “The UGC has reported that instances have come to its notice wherein colleges not eligible for UGC grants were issued sanction letters by UGC secretariat and grants also issued to these colleges. Taking note of these instances, the HRD Ministry has written to the UGC for a thorough investigation of these matters, fix responsibilities and devise an effective internal control to avoid such lapses,” HRD Minister Smriti Irani told Lok Sabha today. She said two FIRs have also been lodged by UGC officials and police investigations are underway in the matter. Besides, departmental actions have been initiated against two “erring” UGC officials. The Minister was replying to a question on whether widespread financial mismanagement and lack of transparency on financial issues in UGC have come to the government’s notice. The DG of Audit Central Expenditure in its draft inspection report for 2012-13 had brought out irrigularities in UGC in the nature of audit paras (question/query/suggestion raised by auditing authority for which compliance is must), funds remaining unutilised with universities since long, lack of monitoring and weak internal control mechanism. The Minister said the UGC chairman has been asked to ensure submission of replies to the pending paras, ensure required inspection and report the outcome of such inspections and expenditure status. UGC, she said, has reported that it has introduced a system of internal mechanism of checks. — PTI
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Govt framing guidelines for students’ safety
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 16 This information was given in Lok Sabha today by HRD Minister Smriti Irani while responding to questions on what the Government was doing to prevent Mandi like tragedies in future. Irani said she had asked the UGC and All India Council for Technical Education to frame guidelines on enforcing students’ students’ safety when they are on educational tours and excursions. “The Ministry is in the process of receiving the recommendations of regulators on the issue. Once we get the recommendations we will write to all educational institutions on the safety guidelines they should adopt to ensure student safety,” Irani told the House in response to a question raised by B. Sriramulu from Andhra Pradesh. One of the recommendations being made is — all educational institutions whose students are embarking on excursions to dams, rivers etc must send written letters of intimation about such trips to the district magistrate concerned so that the state government and the district authorities are in the loop. The tragedy in Mandi happened because extra water was released into the Beas River and hooters, claimed to have been set off by dam authorities on the said date, did not work.
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Badal breaks down; meets Rajnath in Delhi
Chandigarh, July 16
The party is preparing for a decisive action, including launching a morcha, as the leadership, especially Badal, is unwilling to compromise on a separate panel. Sources in the party said Badal broke down soon after the start of the meeting. He told the party leaders that he would go to any length to stop the formation of a separate committee in Haryana. "I am willing to go to any length and sacrifice everything (to prevent the Haryana Sikh committee's formation). I am even prepared to sacrifice my government," Badal was quoted as saying by one of his associates. Badal, in fact, stayed away from the crucial Assembly session (in which Budget was presented) today to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders of the BJP in Delhi. Sources said Badal conveyed to Rajnath and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that he was prepared to leave the state government to prevent formation of a separate gurdwara panel in Haryana. However, Rajnath did not give Badal any categorical assurance on his demand to annul the Act passed by the Haryana Assembly to form a separate body, they said. Rajnath told Badal that the Central Government would take legal opinion to find out possible options. Emerging from the meeting in Delhi, Badal said: "The Home Minister has promised to get the legislative enactment and Governor's assent to it legally examined." "We are trying to exhaust all administrative and legal means to get the issue resolved. The Khalsa Panth will not tolerate the conspiracy of the Congress to divide the community," he said. He alleged that the creation of the independent Sikh body was a "conspiracy" of the Congress backed by its central leadership. Badal said he told the Home Minister that the Act was passed illegally by the Haryana Assembly. The subject was part of concurrent list of the Constitution and the legislation should have been vetted by the Union Home Ministry and sent to President for his assent. The Chief Minister was accompanied by SAD MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhinda, Naresh Gujral, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sher Singh Ghubaya. Chandumajra said the Home Minister had promised to seek a report from the Haryana Governor regarding the passage of the Act. Badal's main argument at the party meeting was that he would not like to go down in the history as the Chief Minister under whose watch the SGPC was bifurcated. The Home Minister has promised to get the legislative enactment and Governor's assent to it legally
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Heavy rains force suspension of Kedarnath Yatra for 3 days
Dehradun, July 16 “Yatra to Kedarnath has been suspended for safety reasons till July 18 in view of the met department warning of heavy rains in the area,” Rudraprayag district magistrate Raghav Langar said on phone. Another reason for suspension of the pilgrimage is that both motor roads and the 21-km trek route from Sonprayag to Kedarnath is frequently blocked following showers in the area, he said. About 200 pilgrims, who had gone to the Himalayan shrine to pay obeisance, are being gradually brought down. 35 of them have already reached Sonprayag and the rest will also follow late this afternoon, Langar said. Asked whether the yatra will be resumed on July 19, the DM said much would depend on the weather and the condition of roads. All major rivers and their tributaries are steadily on the rise with rains lashing most parts of the state. However, yatra to Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri continues though on a low key. “Though yatra to Badrinath has not been suspended, the number of visitors to the temple is steadily declining because of inclement weather. Not more than 10-20 people are visiting the shrine on a daily basis at present,” ADM Chamoli Sanjay Kumar said. — PTI
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Oppn corners govt over Israeli strikes in Gaza
New Delhi, July 16 The situation resulted in a stand-off between the government and the Opposition and is expected to spill over tomorrow with the combined Opposition moving notices for suspension of the question hour and discussion be taken up. The Opposition, which has a greater presence in the House than the government, yesterday allowed the passage of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, with the Congress, the Janata Dal (United), the Trinamool Congress and the Left joining issue with the government. The log-jam resulted in stalling of a discussion on Railway Budget, listed in succession. It got entangled in the rule-counter-rule arguments advanced by parties on either side of the aisle and likely to persist unless a way out is found. The convention is that whenever any such motion is admitted, the government is taken into confidence. Sources privy to decision said the once a discussion has been agreed to it will have be held. The only question now remains is whether the Opposition would yield to the discussion being shifted to another day. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the House that she had written to Chairman Hamid Ansari seeking that the discussion be dropped. She said India had good relations with Palestine and Israel and any discourteous reference to either country during the debate could have an impact. Sources in the government told The Tribune that it is mindful of the presence of many Indians in West Asia, including in the war-torn Iraq. “We would not like the issue to cast a shadow and jeopardise our citizens safety”, the sources said adding that there were questions about credentials of Hamas and differences with the Palestine government and the areas controlled by the former. Officials in the Rajya Sabha said while rule 169(xiii) does not allow such discussion if the issue does not primarily concern the Government of India, rule (xvi) does not allow any discourteous references to friendly foreign countries. On his part, former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar maintained that the business cannot be altered by the Chairman as it is a constitutional power, exercised by him
India has diplomatic ties with both the countries - Israel and Palestine - and any discourteous reference to any friendly country could impact India's relations with
them.
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Delay in maintenance order violates woman’s rights: SC
R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, July 16 The step comes after the apex court observed that adjudication delays amounted to violation of their fundamental rights as well as the legal provisions meant for protecting their dignity. “Delay in adjudication by the family court is not only against human rights but also against the basic embodiment of dignity of an individual,” a Bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and V Gopala Gowda held. “Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was conceived to ameliorate the agony, anguish and financial suffering of a woman who left her matrimonial home,” the Bench noted while coming to the rescue of a woman whose plea for maintenance had been allowed by a family court in Rajasthan after nine years. The family court had directed her husband to pay her Rs 4,000 a month (Rs 2,500 for her and Rs 1,500 for her son) from the date of the order in August 2011. The wife challenged it in the Rajasthan High Court, pleading for maintenance from the date of her application in August 2002. The High Court granted her plea in May 2012, prompting the husband to come to the Supreme Court in appeal. Dismissing the appeal yesterday, the Supreme Court said: “It is the obligation of the husband to see that the wife does not become a destitute, a beggar. A situation is not to be maladroitly created where she is compelled to resign to her fate and think of a life of dust unto dust. It is totally impermissible.” The Supreme Court further held that the family courts should not allow adjournments in such cases in an extremely liberal manner, remaining oblivious to the objects and reasons behind the Family Court Act, 1984, thereby, keeping the “windows of wisdom closed and the sense of judicial responsiveness suspended” and exposing the affected women to destitution and emotional fracture.
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Sedition case against Ramdev aide Vaidik
Varanasi, July 16 The case was filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate and has been listed for hearing July 25. The petitioner, lawyer KC Tripathi, sought the arrest of Vaidik, who is also a journalist, for sedition. Tripathi argued that the journalist had committed a crime by meeting a terrorist accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that left 166 people dead. Vaidik met Saeed in Lahore where he had gone as a member of an Indian delegation that also included Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid. Vaidik’s meeting triggered outrage, with the government denouncing the meeting. — IANS
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K’taka Cong leader wants rapists shot
Bangalore, July 16 Kumar was participating in a discussion in the Karnataka Assembly today about the recent rape of a 22-year-old woman in the Fraser Town area of Bangalore. On the night of July 11, the main accused along with his five associates, took the woman and her male friend in a car around 12.15 am after intimidating them. The crime came to light after the girl and her friends lodged a police complaint. The victim, whose parents stay in an apartment in Frazer Town here, has been pursuing postgraduate studies outside Bangalore. She was in the city to see her parents. The accused, Haider, was arrested from Shivaji Nagar here on Sunday (July 13) but his associates are still on the run. — TNS
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Adjournments mar Rajya Sabha proceedings
New Delhi, July 16 Just ahead of the listed short-duration discussion on unprecedented spurt in violence in the Gaza and West Bank areas of Palestine was to begin, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the House that India had diplomatic ties with both the countries and any discourteous reference to any one could impact India’s relations with them. Sources in the BJP said since India enjoys good relations with both the countries, a discussion at this point of time (which would have meant condemnation of Israel) would not have augured well for the new government. Apparently, India is also in touch with Israel for rescuing captive Indians in strife-torn Iraq. “Discussions on sensitive issues in the absence of PM Narendra Modi should not be encouraged,” they added. — TNS
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London exhibition commemorates Sikh soldiers’ role in WW-I
Christened “Empire, Faith & War: The Sikhs and World War One”, the exhibition is being held at the 11-week event at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London University. It also marks the launch of a three-year project to reveal the untold story of how one of the world’s smallest communities played a disproportionately major role in the war. From the blood-soaked trenches of the Somme and Gallipoli to the deserts and heat of Africa and the Middle East, Sikhs, although accounting for less than 1% of the population of British India at the time, made up nearly 20% of the British Indian Army and other Indian troops, proved critical in the early months of the fighting on the Western Front. A cinema zone featuring rare archive film footages, including of the first Sikh fighter pilot, sound recordings of Sikh POWs, war photographs, illustrations and original artefacts from the days of the Sikh Empire, and talks by expert speakers are among the highlights of the exhibition.
Lt Gen Saha is Colonel of Assam Rifles
The newly promoted General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, has taken over as Colonel of the Assam Regiment. Though the baton of the Colonel of the regiment is conventionally held by the senior most officer of the regiment, Lt Gen Saha is the second-senior most Assam Regiment officer. Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh, who was Lt Gen Saha’s predecessor at Srinagar before moving to the Army Headquarters as the Adjutant General recently, is the senior most officer from the Assam Regiment, but lost out to Saha in the voting by senior regimental officers to select the Colonel. The previous Colonel was Lt Gen RN Singh who retired as the Director General Military Intelligence last month. As Colonel of the regiment, Lt Gen Saha would be responsible for the regimental affairs and welfare of the 73-year-old regiment that comprises 23 battalions, including 15 regular, three Rashtriya Rifles, three Territorial Army and two Arunachal Scouts battalions. Gallantry at Darapari
July 16 is observed as Darapari Day by the Sixth Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles (Raj Rif) to commemorate the battles against Pakistani intruders in Jammu and Kashmir that resulted in the battalion becoming one of the earliest recipients of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India’s highest award for gallantry as well as the Battle Honour Darapari. In November 1947, 6 Raj Rif was airlifted to Srinagar and thence deployed in the Uri sector, where it earned its Maha Vir Chakra. Later, in July, the battalion was tasked to capture Darapari Hill, which was heavily defended by Pakistani irregulars. As automatic fire felled leading troops, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh encouraged his men and charged the nearest machinegun, killing its crew. Despite injuries from a grenade burst, he charged the next trench and bayoneted two men. As he was charging towards the third trench, he was hit in the head. In his dying moments, he lobbed a grenade at the trench, killing its occupants. For his actions, he was decorated with the PVC.
Hike in bond money for Army docs
While there has been a significant hike in the bond money payable by armed forces doctors opting out of service before the end of the stipulated period, the exodus continues, albeit with a slight increase this year. With effect from 2014, the bond money for graduate and postgraduate courses has been hiked from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, while that for super specialty courses, it has been fixed to Rs 30 lakh. While 19 military doctors left each year in 2012 and 2013 after paying the bond money, the number has already touched 21 this year. The armed forces, which have an authorised strength of about 6,300 doctors, are facing a shortage of medical officers, especially specialists in some disciplines. The government has also approved increasing the bond money by Rs 1 lakh each year for the next five years. — Vijay Mohan
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Kohli takes over as Gujarat Guv
Gandhinagar, July 16 In a brief chat with the mediapersons after his swearing-in, the Delhi-based retired teacher Kohli said in Gujarat he was feeling like “having come home.” He said he was happy to be appointed the governor of Gujarat which was the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel “and now of the present prime minister Narendra Modi.” He said he had the opportunity of visiting Gujarat twice in the past, once during an election when he stayed in Bhavnagar for over a month. Kohli said he was confident that there would be no friction between him and the Patel government and the administration would move smoothly in the best interest of the people of the state. His apparent reference was the conflict his predecessor Kamala Beniwal had with the Modi government in the state over the appointment of a Lokayukta and other issues in the recent past.
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Snag hits Katra train
Katra, July 16 The superfast train from New Delhi to Katra was on its second run when the incident took place about 5 km before the Katra railway station. Katra Station Superintendent Jugal Sharma said the train had reached Katra at 7am against the scheduled arrival of 5.10am. He said the train got stuck in a tunnel due to failure of its engine inside the tunnel. “Since Katra is a new station, another engine was rushed from Udhampur,” he said. Sharma said he was awaiting details of the delay and the engine failure. “There was no problem in the tunnel or the track. Another engine was pressed into service to carry forward the journey,” he said.
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TMC workers storm BJP meet, 30 hurt
Kolkata, June 16 Reports say TMC supporters targeted the BJP workers, injuring 30 of them. Twelve seriously injured workers were admitted to the Suri hospital. The TMC workers threw stones at the 15 buses carrying the BJP supporters from the remote areas to the meeting. They also burned three buses. State BJP president Rahul Sinha and newly elected BJP MP Babul Supriyo, who were present at the meeting to welcome the TMC workers, remained unhurt in the incident. The TMC, however, officially denied the charges and alleged that it was the internal dispute in the BJP that led to the incident. An FIR was lodged at the local police station against the local TMC MLA and other leaders for masterminding the “attack” on Babul Supriyo, Sinha and other BJP workers. But the police reportedly did not take any action against the accused. Anubrata Mondol was accused of killing the dissident TMC leader, Sagar Mondol, and three others. But CM Mamata Banerjee gave him a clean chit. However, the case pertaining to the death of the TMC leader is still in the High Court and the next hearing is scheduled for August 1.
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HSGPC youth wing to launch protest from today
Karnal, July 16 The Akal Takht had accused the trio of defying its directive and forming a separate Sikh body to manage shrines in Haryana and would remain excommunicated as long as they did not approach the Akal Takht and sought forgiveness. The decision to launch an agitation was taken at a meeting of the HSGPC youth wing that was led by state president Amrinder Singh Arora. Arora said: “This decision (of excommunication) has been taken on the behest of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, which is against the harmony of the community. It should be recalled as it hurts the sentiments of the community members.” He said: “The Akal Takht is the supreme authority of the community, but it is a condemnable decision in which the key members of the HSGPC have been excommunicated by the Akal Takht.” Arora said the activists would start the statewide protest from Karnal on Thursday where they would burn the effigies of Badal and Makkar. He said the separate Sikh committee was a long-pending demand of the Haryana Sikhs, which had been fulfilled after a long battle. He appealed to the members of the Sikh community to stay united and maintain peace.
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India reports highest under-5 deaths globally New Delhi, July 16 The UN MDG Report 2014, which was released today, states that despite substantial progress, the world is still falling short of the MDG child mortality target. The 2014 stocktaking report, based on the 2012 data available from countries, says India has the highest under-five mortality of children in the world and reported a whopping 1.4 million deaths of children before they reached their fifth birthday. The report acknowledges the few gains that have been made. For instance, the global rate of under-five mortality in 2012 was almost half of its 1990 rate, dropping from 90 to 48 deaths per thousand live births. The estimated number of under-five deaths fell from about 12.6 million to 6.6 million over the same period. About 17,000 fewer children died each day in 2012 than in 1990. All regions, with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, reduced their under-five mortality rate by more than half, but India continues to lead the child mortality burden even now. What’s even more distressing is – preventable diseases are today the most common cause of under-five child mortality and half of these deaths are happening in the neo natal period (0 to 27 days). “Most of the 6.6 million deaths in children under the age of five in 2012 were from leading preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrohea and malaria. Of these, 2.9 million deaths occurred in the first 28 days of life— the neonatal period. Many under-five deaths occurred in children weakened by under nutrition – a contributing factor in nearly half of all under-five deaths globally,” states the report, which is monitoring the world’s progress as the MDG deadline approaches. The findings
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Govt
framing guidelines for students’ safety: Irani
New Delhi, July 16 This information was given in Lok Sabha by HRD Minister Smriti Irani while responding to questions on what the government was doing to prevent Mandi like tragedies in future. Irani said she had asked the UGC and All India Council for Technical Education to frame guidelines on students’ safety when they are on educational tours and excursions. “The Ministry is in the process of receiving the recommendations of regulators on the issue,” she said.
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New Delhi, July 16 Amid protests by Opposition, the minister said: “A three-member committee was set up on March 12 to look into the matter.” The Opposition said the exam “discriminated” against candidates opting for Hindi and regional languages. — TNS
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HP minister GS Bali unhurt in accident
Ropar/Dharamsala, July 16 While no one was injured, Bali shifted driver Arvind to the PGI, Chandigarh. Bali was going to Delhi from Kangra. The accident took place around 3.30 pm soon after Bali's car crossed the Solkhian toll plaza. Bali said he was occupying the co-driver's seat and noticed the driver suddenly losing control of the vehicle. "I applied the hand brakes and took control of the steering wheel as the car turned towards the fields," said Bali. The condition of driver is stated to be stable.
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China makes two incursion attempts in Ladakh Jammu, July 16 Chinese troops reportedly made two incursion attempts in Demchok and the Chumar areas of Ladakh yesterday and on July 13 and were pushed back into their territory following the use of banner drill and other modes. “We are not alarmed by these reported Chinese incursions. They are a sort of every day routine for us here in Ladakh in the absence of delineation of the LAC,” said a senior civil administration source. “The border here in this vast region is not fenced like in the RS Pura sector of the Jammu region. The land is open and whenever Chinese troops enter our territory or our troops go into their territory because of difference in perception of the LAC, the situation is handled via banner drills,” he said.
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SC issues notice to states on plea for mercy killings
The Bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha issued notice to the states even as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi pleaded against entertaining the PIL, contending that the issue was better left to Parliament. The SC noted that the matter pertained not only to the Constitution, but also morality, religion and medical science. The other members of the Bench are Justices JS Khehar, J Chelameswar, AK Sikri and RF Nariman. A two-judge Bench of the SC had, on March 7, 2011, laid down a law allowing brain-dead patients in a permanently vegetative state (PVS) to die by withdrawing the life support system with the consent of the high court concerned. It had ruled that its ruling would hold good until Parliament enacted a law on the subject. But on February 25 this year, a larger Bench of three judges found fault with the 2011 verdict, delivered in a case pertaining to a rape victim lying in coma for nearly 30 years in a Mumbai hospital. The 2011 verdict was based on a misinterpretation of a 1996 judgment (Gian Kaur vs State of Punjab) of a Constitution Bench, the 3-judge Bench had held. The Constitution Bench had not expressed any binding view on the subject of euthanasia and had merely reiterated that legislature would be the appropriate authority to allow mercy killings of terminally ill and suffering patients, a Bench comprising the then Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh had clarified. This Bench had delivered its verdict on a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause in 2005, pleading for a declaration that the right to die with dignity was a fundamental right within the fold of the “right to live with dignity” guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Acknowledging that the issue required the careful consideration of a Constitution Bench “for the benefit of humanity as a whole,” it referred the matter to such a Bench. What court said The Constitution Bench had not expressed any binding view on the subject of euthanasia and had merely reiterated that legislature would be the appropriate authority to allow mercy killings of terminally ill and suffering patients, a Bench comprising the then Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Shiva Kirti Singh had clarified
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175 more Indians to return home from Iraq today
New Delhi, July 16 “Another Special Flight coming from Iraq. Approximately 175 Indians to depart Najaf late on Wednesday night; will reach Delhi early tomorrow,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry tweeted. With the arrival of the fresh batch, the total number of Indians who have returned from the war-torn country will cross 2,500. While 2,500 tickets have already been utilised to bring back the Indians, an additional 1,000 tickets by the employers for the Indian workers have been facilitated by the mission, officials said. There were about 10,000 Indians before the start of the serious strife between government troops and Sunni militants backed by al-Qaeda in Iraq. With MEA facilitating the departures, it is estimated that there are about 7000 Indians who remain in the non-conflict zones.—PTI
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Dehradun, July 16
Ropar/Dharamsala, July 16
The UGC has reported that instances have come to its notice wherein colleges not eligible for UGC grants were issued sanction letters by UGC secretariat and grants also issued to these colleges. Taking note of these instances, the HRD Ministry has written to the UGC for a thorough investigation, fix responsibilities and devise an effective internal control to avoid such
lapses.
under the rules. “That cannot be eroded at the whims of the government. Otherwise it will set an unprecedented and dangerous trend”, he said.
As the world turns its attention to the centenary of the Great War, the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) has organised an exhibition to commemorate the remarkable, but largely forgotten, contribution of Sikh soldiers and their families during the First World War.
The child mortality rate has almost halved since 1990; six million fewer children died in 2012 than in 1990
New Delhi, July 16