Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 18 January 2013 imposed President’s Rule in Jharkhand. The decision came as a follow up of the approval made by the Union Cabinet of India on 17 January 2013 and fall of the state machinery in form of Government on 8 January 2013 after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha the supporting party to BJP led Coalition Government withdrew its support from it.
The President imposed the Rule on the state following the provisions of imposition of President’s Rule on a state mentioned under Article 356 (1) of the Constitution of India, after the failure of Constitutional Machinery in the state.
Madhukar Gupta, the former Union Home Secretary and K. Vijay Kumar, the former Central Reserve Police Force Director General has been appointed as the advisers to the Governor of Jharkhand, Syed Ahmed.
Madhukar Gupta
• He retired as the Union Home Secretary in June 2009.
• He is a former Uttrakhand Cadre IAS Officer
K. Vijay Kumar
• He is an IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu Cadre
• He has served as an adviser in the Ministry of Home Affairs for dealing with Naxal and internal security issues
Showing posts with label NATIONAL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATIONAL. Show all posts
Friday, 18 January 2013
Thursday, 17 January 2013
The Union Cabinet Sanctioned Appointment of 2000 Judges for the Fast-Track Courts
The Union Cabinet, in its letter sent on 9 January 2013, to the high courts as well as the state governments asked them to enhance strength of the subordinate judiciary from 18000 at present to 20000. The Law Ministry approved 80 crore Rupees for recruiting these 2000 additional judges in the country for the fast track courts.
The Law Ministry asked for an approval from the cabinet in the last week of December 2012 which was granted to it. This happened in light of the gang rape of the 23-year-old Para-medical student on 16 December 2012, after which lawyers, officials as well as jurists discussed how long trials put the victims at a disadvantage.
The government additionally was also working upon the proposals to enable states for using the funds which were available for morning as well as evening courts, in order to increase the number of fast track courts even more.
The morning as well as evening courts were set up by the law ministry in 2010. However, the scheme was not successful because only a few states availed it, which resulted in unused funds. The government now proposed to divert these funds for setting up the fast track courts.
Inspite of all such efforts, there are over 3.20 crore cases pending in the various courts of the country. Out of these, a total of 2.76 crore cases were pending in the subordinate courts and 44 lakh were pending in the high courts, as per the Law Ministry.
The Law Ministry asked for an approval from the cabinet in the last week of December 2012 which was granted to it. This happened in light of the gang rape of the 23-year-old Para-medical student on 16 December 2012, after which lawyers, officials as well as jurists discussed how long trials put the victims at a disadvantage.
The government additionally was also working upon the proposals to enable states for using the funds which were available for morning as well as evening courts, in order to increase the number of fast track courts even more.
The morning as well as evening courts were set up by the law ministry in 2010. However, the scheme was not successful because only a few states availed it, which resulted in unused funds. The government now proposed to divert these funds for setting up the fast track courts.
Inspite of all such efforts, there are over 3.20 crore cases pending in the various courts of the country. Out of these, a total of 2.76 crore cases were pending in the subordinate courts and 44 lakh were pending in the high courts, as per the Law Ministry.
Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended Entitlement of Food for 67 percent Population
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs in January 2013 suggested the entitlement of the food under the National Food Security Act to the 67 percent population leaving behind the 33 percent people who are tax-payers and have pucca houses of their own.
The Priority (BPL-below poverty line) and general (APL-above poverty line) are to be replaced with the exclusion and inclusion categories. The beneficiaries would be identified by the state government for the public distribution system of the subsidized rice and wheat.
As per the plans of the standing committee the Union Government would be distributing the subsidized food grains to the 67 percent population that includes 75 percent rural and 50 percent urban population.
This act was sent to the Parliamentary Panel for its reference in December 2011 after it was tabled in the Lok Sabha and was followed by the demands of the Food Security Bill.
Parliamentary Committees
The Parliamentary committees are constituted to take care of the legislative businesses of the Parliament and it comprises of several committees.
Among these the two main committees are:
• The Ad hoc Committee
• The Standing Committee
Ad hoc Committee – these are appointed for specific purpose and they are dissolved after the task assigned to them is completed and the final report is submitted. These committees are the joint and select committees over the Bills and are appointed for specific purposes like Committees on the Draft Five Year Plans, Railway Convention Committee, Hindi Equivalents Committee and more.
The Standing Committee – Each house of the Indian Parliament are supported by standing committees, which includes the Committee on Petitions, the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee, the Committee of Privileges and more.
The Priority (BPL-below poverty line) and general (APL-above poverty line) are to be replaced with the exclusion and inclusion categories. The beneficiaries would be identified by the state government for the public distribution system of the subsidized rice and wheat.
As per the plans of the standing committee the Union Government would be distributing the subsidized food grains to the 67 percent population that includes 75 percent rural and 50 percent urban population.
This act was sent to the Parliamentary Panel for its reference in December 2011 after it was tabled in the Lok Sabha and was followed by the demands of the Food Security Bill.
Parliamentary Committees
The Parliamentary committees are constituted to take care of the legislative businesses of the Parliament and it comprises of several committees.
Among these the two main committees are:
• The Ad hoc Committee
• The Standing Committee
Ad hoc Committee – these are appointed for specific purpose and they are dissolved after the task assigned to them is completed and the final report is submitted. These committees are the joint and select committees over the Bills and are appointed for specific purposes like Committees on the Draft Five Year Plans, Railway Convention Committee, Hindi Equivalents Committee and more.
The Standing Committee – Each house of the Indian Parliament are supported by standing committees, which includes the Committee on Petitions, the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee, the Committee of Privileges and more.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Khap Panchayats’ Diktat on Dress Code for Women Unlawful
The Supreme Court of India on 14 January 2013 ruled that Khap Panchayats' diktat on dress code for women and asking them not to carry mobile is unlawful. A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai ruled that such diktats are against the fundamental right to life and asked Khap Panchayats, which are caste-based councils, to file their replies on the issue. Right to life is guaranteed to all the citizens of India under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Article 21 in the Constitution of India 1949
Protection of life and personal liberty No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
Article 21 in the Constitution of India 1949
Protection of life and personal liberty No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
First Space Weather Reading Centre of India Scheduled to be opened by mid 2013
The first Shariat panchayat of Punjab scheduled to be inaugurated on 3 March 2013 will be first of its kind in the state. This will allow the Muslim community to deal with the cases. The first Shariat panchayat of the state would be inaugurated in Malerkotla, which is the Muslim town in Sangrur district.
The panchayat would deal with three main types of the disputes and these are inheritance, marriage and divorce. The Punjab Wakf Board chairman Mohd. Izhar Alam explained that the panchayat would ensure speedy and inexpensive settlement of these kinds of disputes in the Muslim community in Punjab. In case the litigants were unsatisfied with verdict of the panchayat, they would be free to move to civil court.
Once the feasibility as well as demand of this panchayat is judged, there would be an inauguration of more panchayats of this kind in Punjab.
Shariat panchayats were already opened in states like Karnataka, Orissa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The panchayat would deal with three main types of the disputes and these are inheritance, marriage and divorce. The Punjab Wakf Board chairman Mohd. Izhar Alam explained that the panchayat would ensure speedy and inexpensive settlement of these kinds of disputes in the Muslim community in Punjab. In case the litigants were unsatisfied with verdict of the panchayat, they would be free to move to civil court.
Once the feasibility as well as demand of this panchayat is judged, there would be an inauguration of more panchayats of this kind in Punjab.
Shariat panchayats were already opened in states like Karnataka, Orissa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Punjab’s First Shariat Panchayat to be inaugurated in March 2013
The first Shariat panchayat of Punjab scheduled to be inaugurated on 3 March 2013 will be first of its kind in the state. This will allow the Muslim community to deal with the cases. The first Shariat panchayat of the state would be inaugurated in Malerkotla, which is the Muslim town in Sangrur district.
The panchayat would deal with three main types of the disputes and these are inheritance, marriage and divorce. The Punjab Wakf Board chairman Mohd. Izhar Alam explained that the panchayat would ensure speedy and inexpensive settlement of these kinds of disputes in the Muslim community in Punjab. In case the litigants were unsatisfied with verdict of the panchayat, they would be free to move to civil court.
Once the feasibility as well as demand of this panchayat is judged, there would be an inauguration of more panchayats of this kind in Punjab.
Shariat panchayats were already opened in states like Karnataka, Orissa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The panchayat would deal with three main types of the disputes and these are inheritance, marriage and divorce. The Punjab Wakf Board chairman Mohd. Izhar Alam explained that the panchayat would ensure speedy and inexpensive settlement of these kinds of disputes in the Muslim community in Punjab. In case the litigants were unsatisfied with verdict of the panchayat, they would be free to move to civil court.
Once the feasibility as well as demand of this panchayat is judged, there would be an inauguration of more panchayats of this kind in Punjab.
Shariat panchayats were already opened in states like Karnataka, Orissa, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
President releases a commemorative stamp on Shri Aditya Vikram Birla
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a Commemorative Stamp on Shri Aditya Vikram Birla on January 14, 2013 at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The theme of the stamp released today is ‘1st Indian Global Industrialist’. The stamp is designed with the picture of Shri Birla against the backdrop of the plant of one of his companies which rose to become the world’s largest integrated Aluminium plant.
This commemorative stamp is a unique recognition of the late Mr. Aditya Birla’s endeavours to pioneer the globalisation of India. Born into one of the largest business families of India and grandson of Late Shri G.D. Birla a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
Visa on Arrival Scheme becomes more Popular Twenty Six Percent Growth in 2012
The “Visa on Arrival” (VoA) Scheme of the government has increasingly become popular with the tourists. The scheme registered a growth of 26 % in the year 2012 over the figures of 2011. A total number of 16,084 VoAs were issued during 2012 as compared to 12,761 VoAs issued during 2011. The highest number of 4604 VoAs were issued to the tourists from Japan followed by New Zealand ( 3150 ) and The Philippines ( 2444).
The following are the other important highlights of VoAs issued during the year 2012:
( i) The number of VoAs issued during 2012 were Japan (4,604), New Zealand (3,150), the Philippines
(2,444), Indonesia (2,426), Singapore (1,974), Finland (914), Vietnam (186), Cambodia (157), Luxembourg (110), Myanmar (109) and Laos (10).
(ii) During 2012, the highest number of VoAs were issued at Delhi airport (9,596), followed by Mumbai (3,276), Chennai (2,273) and Kolkata (939).
(iii) During the month of December 2012, a total number of 2,181 VoAs were issued as compared to 1,640 VoAs during the month of December 2011, registering a growth of 33.0%.
(iv) The number of VoAs issued during December 2012 for nationals of the eleven countries were Japan (691), New Zealand (505), Indonesia (310), Singapore (256), the Philippines (239), Finland (104), Vietnam (34), Myanmar (20),Cambodia (13), Luxembourg (9) and Laos (0).
As a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, the Government launched the “Visa on Arrival” (VoA) Scheme in January 2010 for citizens of five countries, viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, visiting India for tourism purposes. The Government extended this Scheme to the citizens of six more countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011.
The following are the other important highlights of VoAs issued during the year 2012:
( i) The number of VoAs issued during 2012 were Japan (4,604), New Zealand (3,150), the Philippines
(2,444), Indonesia (2,426), Singapore (1,974), Finland (914), Vietnam (186), Cambodia (157), Luxembourg (110), Myanmar (109) and Laos (10).
(ii) During 2012, the highest number of VoAs were issued at Delhi airport (9,596), followed by Mumbai (3,276), Chennai (2,273) and Kolkata (939).
(iii) During the month of December 2012, a total number of 2,181 VoAs were issued as compared to 1,640 VoAs during the month of December 2011, registering a growth of 33.0%.
(iv) The number of VoAs issued during December 2012 for nationals of the eleven countries were Japan (691), New Zealand (505), Indonesia (310), Singapore (256), the Philippines (239), Finland (104), Vietnam (34), Myanmar (20),Cambodia (13), Luxembourg (9) and Laos (0).
As a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, the Government launched the “Visa on Arrival” (VoA) Scheme in January 2010 for citizens of five countries, viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, visiting India for tourism purposes. The Government extended this Scheme to the citizens of six more countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011.
Monday, 14 January 2013
International flower show in Sikkim
Sikkim will host the second international flower show to showcase the floral potential of the Himalayan State.
The five-day long show will commence on February 23 and will host 15,000 different varieties of flowers.
“Flower-growers from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, the US, Taiwan, Nepal and Thailand have confirmed their participation while Delhi , Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and seven North-eastern states will also participate.
In all 25 international flora companies, 30 national flora companies and 190 States flower growers’ organisations, associations and groups have confirmed their participation.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Indian Regional Language Internet Use
According to the Vernacular Report, 2012, of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), released, a higher percentage of rural people are aware of regional language content than urban users.
In India, 45 million users access content in the local language. Around 64 per cent of rural Internet users (24.3 million active users out of a total 38 million) use the Internet in the local language. But only 25 per cent of the total 84 million urban users browse the Net in regional languages (20.9 million).
By and large, the applications that are most used by regional language users include emails, search engines and news content, text chat, matrimonial services and online banking services. In rural areas, the report shows a bias in favour of sites offering government services, land records and private initiatives such as eChoupal, which provides aggregated information of interest to farmers and facilitates sale of farm produce.
Last March, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot, speaking at a conference on mobile web initiatives, said the biggest challenge that would have to be addressed was the non-availability of online content in regional languages. According to the IAMAI report, Internet non-users have mentioned that lack of content in local language as one of the major reasons, along with lack of infrastructure.
With a low working knowledge of English in India (according to the National Readership Survey, 2006, only 18.2% of the population is English-literate; 34.2% in urban and 11.1% in rural areas), Internet penetration in India is only 12%, since content is primarily available in English.
The study covered the top metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, the cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune, and 12 smaller cities. Five non-metro towns and 10 small towns were also included in the study. It was conducted by the e-Technology group of the Indian Market Research Bureau and the IAMAI, an industry body representing the online and mobile industry in India.
Election Commission announced Date of Election and By-Elections in 10 States
The Election Commission of India on 11 January 2012 announced the dates for elections and by-elections in the Legislative Assemblies of 10 states. The elections/by-elections would be held in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab.
The states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland would go for the regular polls for 60 members in each state. The by-polls in Tripura are scheduled for 14 February 2013 and for Meghalaya and Nagaland the decided date of 23 February 2013 and the results would be announced on 28 February 2013.
Rest of the constituencies of seven different states, where the Assembly by-elections is scheduled for includes Kalyanpur (SC) (Bihar), Alagpur (Assam), Chandgad (Maharashtra), Chalfilh (ST) (Mizoram), Moga (Punjab), Bhatpar (Uttar Pradesh) and English Bazar, Nalhati Birbhum, and Rejinagar (West Bengal).
The date of by-polls for the states of Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab is 23 February 2013 and for Bihar, Maharashtra and Assam the date is 24 February 2013. The results of the by-elections for these states too would be declared on 28 February 2013.
Electoral Strength of the three North-Eastern States and Date of expiry of their Assemblies:
The states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland would go for the regular polls for 60 members in each state. The by-polls in Tripura are scheduled for 14 February 2013 and for Meghalaya and Nagaland the decided date of 23 February 2013 and the results would be announced on 28 February 2013.
Rest of the constituencies of seven different states, where the Assembly by-elections is scheduled for includes Kalyanpur (SC) (Bihar), Alagpur (Assam), Chandgad (Maharashtra), Chalfilh (ST) (Mizoram), Moga (Punjab), Bhatpar (Uttar Pradesh) and English Bazar, Nalhati Birbhum, and Rejinagar (West Bengal).
The date of by-polls for the states of Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab is 23 February 2013 and for Bihar, Maharashtra and Assam the date is 24 February 2013. The results of the by-elections for these states too would be declared on 28 February 2013.
Electoral Strength of the three North-Eastern States and Date of expiry of their Assemblies:
State | Strength | Date of Expiry of terms of State Assemblies |
Meghalaya | 14.81 lakh | 10 March 2013 |
Tripura | 23.52 lakh | 16 March 2013 |
Nagaland | 11.81 lakh | 18 March 2013 |
Note: All these three states have 60 seats in their Legislative Assemblies'
The model code of conduct to be followed for the regular polls and the by-elections in all the ten states are applicable for both the Central and State Governments along with the Political Parties and contestants and it came into effect immediately after the dates were announced.
The model code of conduct to be followed for the regular polls and the by-elections in all the ten states are applicable for both the Central and State Governments along with the Political Parties and contestants and it came into effect immediately after the dates were announced.
Arunachal Pradesh Collaborated with NSDL for Adoption of National Pension Scheme
The state of Arunachal Pradesh on 9 January 2013 entered into an agreement with signing of MoU with National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), permitting it to work as a Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) for adoption of the National Pension System (NPS).
National Pension Scheme NPS is an initiative of the Union Government of India and Arunachal Pradesh is the 26th State to adopt it. Around 44 lakh subscribers across the Central Government, State Government, central and State autonomous bodies, a few corporates and other citizens are associated with NPS.
The NPS scheme will be benefitting more than 6160 employees who had joined the services of the State Government on or after1 January 2008.
About National Pension System
• NPS is a system wherein eligible Government subscribers contribute a fixed portion of their salaries and an equivalent contribution is made by the respective State Governments every month.
• These amounts are transferred to empanelled Pension Fund Managers (PFMs) for subsequent contribution in instruments such as Government securities, corporate and equities.
• The National Pension Scheme is under effect from 1 January 2004. As on date 11.043 crore rupees has been deposited in the State Government exchequer.
The complete NPS activity is regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority which has been created especially for this purpose by the Centre.
About National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL)
NSDL is the first and largest depository in India which was established in August 1996. It is promoted by institutions of national stature responsible for economic development of the country. It had established a national infrastructure of international standards that handles most of the securities held and settled in dematerialised form in the Indian capital market.
NSDL is promoted by Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) - the largest development bank of India, Unit Trust of India (UTI) - the largest mutual fund in India and National Stock Exchange (NSE) - the largest stock exchange in India. Some of the prominent banks in the country have taken a stake in NSDL.
National Pension Scheme NPS is an initiative of the Union Government of India and Arunachal Pradesh is the 26th State to adopt it. Around 44 lakh subscribers across the Central Government, State Government, central and State autonomous bodies, a few corporates and other citizens are associated with NPS.
The NPS scheme will be benefitting more than 6160 employees who had joined the services of the State Government on or after1 January 2008.
About National Pension System
• NPS is a system wherein eligible Government subscribers contribute a fixed portion of their salaries and an equivalent contribution is made by the respective State Governments every month.
• These amounts are transferred to empanelled Pension Fund Managers (PFMs) for subsequent contribution in instruments such as Government securities, corporate and equities.
• The National Pension Scheme is under effect from 1 January 2004. As on date 11.043 crore rupees has been deposited in the State Government exchequer.
The complete NPS activity is regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority which has been created especially for this purpose by the Centre.
About National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL)
NSDL is the first and largest depository in India which was established in August 1996. It is promoted by institutions of national stature responsible for economic development of the country. It had established a national infrastructure of international standards that handles most of the securities held and settled in dematerialised form in the Indian capital market.
NSDL is promoted by Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) - the largest development bank of India, Unit Trust of India (UTI) - the largest mutual fund in India and National Stock Exchange (NSE) - the largest stock exchange in India. Some of the prominent banks in the country have taken a stake in NSDL.
BRICS countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in health sector
Health officials of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – during the 2nd BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting - has come to the conclusion that multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) due to its high prevalence and incidence mostly among the marginalized and vulnerable sections of society, thus agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas of manufacturing affordable health products and developing advanced health technologies.
The health ministers during the meet also resolved to reduce the prevalence of TB through innovation for new drugs/vaccine, diagnostics and promotion of consortia of tuberculosis researchers to collaborate on clinical trials of drugs and strengthening access to affordable medicines and delivery of quality care.
The Ministers also agreed to adopt and improve systems for notification of TB patients, availability of anti-TB drugs at facilities by improving supplier performance, procurement systems and logistics and management of HIV-associated tuberculosis in the primary health care. They resolved to share experience and expertise in the areas of surveillance, existing and new strategies to prevent the spread of HIV, and in rapid scale up of affordable treatment.
Importantly, the nations committed to strengthen cooperation to combat malaria through enhanced diagnostics, research and development and to facilitate common access to technologies developed or under development in the BRICS countries.
The health ministers during the meet also resolved to reduce the prevalence of TB through innovation for new drugs/vaccine, diagnostics and promotion of consortia of tuberculosis researchers to collaborate on clinical trials of drugs and strengthening access to affordable medicines and delivery of quality care.
The Ministers also agreed to adopt and improve systems for notification of TB patients, availability of anti-TB drugs at facilities by improving supplier performance, procurement systems and logistics and management of HIV-associated tuberculosis in the primary health care. They resolved to share experience and expertise in the areas of surveillance, existing and new strategies to prevent the spread of HIV, and in rapid scale up of affordable treatment.
Importantly, the nations committed to strengthen cooperation to combat malaria through enhanced diagnostics, research and development and to facilitate common access to technologies developed or under development in the BRICS countries.
The meeting has adopted Delhi Communique, which will see concrete plans on issues like integrated management of non-communicable prevention, coordination and financing of research and development for medical products, strengthening health surveillance and drug discovery and development along with emphasizes on the child survival through progressive reduction in the maternal mortality, infant mortality, neo-natal mortality and under-five mortality, to achieve Millennium Development Goals.
This is the second meeting of BRICS health ministers following the first at Beijing in July 2011. The Beijing Declaration emphasised the need for technology transfer as a means to empower developing countries, and the importance of generic medicines in realizing the right to health. It also emphasised the fostering of cooperation among BRICS countries to make available and improve medical technology. It was agreed to establish a technical working group to discuss specific proposals.
This is the second meeting of BRICS health ministers following the first at Beijing in July 2011. The Beijing Declaration emphasised the need for technology transfer as a means to empower developing countries, and the importance of generic medicines in realizing the right to health. It also emphasised the fostering of cooperation among BRICS countries to make available and improve medical technology. It was agreed to establish a technical working group to discuss specific proposals.
Government has launched LPG portability
The Government of India has launched a scheme offering portability for LPG connections. This means if a customer is not satisfied with his present distributor, he has the choice to shift his connection to another dealer. However, unlike mobile services where you could change the service provider or the mobile company, an LPG consumer will have the option to change the dealer within the same distribution company but not the oil company. For example, a consumer of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will have the option to choose from other IOC dealers but will not be able to switch to dealers of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) or Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The pilot project has been launched in Chandigarh. The service would be extended to 25 more districts in the next fiscal. This will help in providing better services to 13.5 crore customers and end the monopolistic practices of the cooking gas distributors GOI has also launched new IT/web-enabled initiative, ‘Lakshya’ to enable consumers book and track refills online as well on mobile phone. It would enhance transparency in distribution of cylinders. Under the new initiative, customers can rate their distributors on service and anybody found wanting could possibly face termination of dealership. Now each distributor is being automatically rated from 5 stars to no star on a graded scale using transaction data. The distributor who supplies 85 per cent of cylinders booked in less than two days is rated 5 stars and the distributor who supplies 85 per cent of cylinders beyond 10 days is rated with no star. Others are rated in between according to their delivery pattern. The rating will help consumers select distributorships once portability is available. |
Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association given suggestions for dealing crimes against women
The Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association submitted their suggestions and recommendations to the J S Verma committee, constituted to suggest changes in the law to deal with growing incidents of crime against women.
The association’s recommendations include adding a separate section in the IPC to define aggravated rape, including gangrape and violent assault with the intention to cause bodily harm, as well as acid attacks; amending the law to ensure rape proved to be committed by a juvenile attracts the same punishment “after the convict attains majority”; and defining honour killing and punishing it with death.
It has, however, opposed castration of rapists as punishment, terming it as “repugnant to a civilised society”.
The association has supported a Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems but suggested access to a database, while available to all citizens, should be through due process on individual request. It should not be publicly available. Specifically, the idea of keeping a public naming-and-shaming database of rape convicts or other criminals is strongly rejected by them because it will be a source of undeserved punishment to family members of such convicts.
The association’s other suggestions to the Verma panel include: make marital rape a punishable offence and rape gender neutral; punish public remarks derogatory to women at par with a statement derogatory to SCs and STs; make gram panchayats responsible for reporting crimes against women in their jurisdiction and tie their funding to their performance in this area. Giving directives on behaviour of individuals by khaps and similar extra legal bodies should be made punishable if these are illegal or contravene fundamental rights.
The association’s recommendations include adding a separate section in the IPC to define aggravated rape, including gangrape and violent assault with the intention to cause bodily harm, as well as acid attacks; amending the law to ensure rape proved to be committed by a juvenile attracts the same punishment “after the convict attains majority”; and defining honour killing and punishing it with death.
It has, however, opposed castration of rapists as punishment, terming it as “repugnant to a civilised society”.
The association has supported a Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems but suggested access to a database, while available to all citizens, should be through due process on individual request. It should not be publicly available. Specifically, the idea of keeping a public naming-and-shaming database of rape convicts or other criminals is strongly rejected by them because it will be a source of undeserved punishment to family members of such convicts.
The association’s other suggestions to the Verma panel include: make marital rape a punishable offence and rape gender neutral; punish public remarks derogatory to women at par with a statement derogatory to SCs and STs; make gram panchayats responsible for reporting crimes against women in their jurisdiction and tie their funding to their performance in this area. Giving directives on behaviour of individuals by khaps and similar extra legal bodies should be made punishable if these are illegal or contravene fundamental rights.
Friday, 11 January 2013
President of India to inaugurate the 125th year celebrations of Uttar Pradesh Legislature
President of India Pranab Mukherjee will undertake a one day visit to Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) on January 8, 2013 to inaugurate the 125th year celebrations of Uttar Pradesh Legislature. He will also release a Postage Stamp on Vidhan Bhawan on the occasion.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) Commissioned its First Wind Power Project
National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) in the Month of January 2013 commissioned its first wind power project at Gandikota in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
Nalco which is the Government-owned manufacturer and distributor of aluminum products had invested around 275 crore rupees for the 50-MW Suzlon-erected project.
Nalco signed a power purchase agreement with the State’s power transmission utility Transco and has begun inoculation of power to the State grid. The windmill project had received clearance from the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
Also, setting up of the second wind power is on the line which is supposed to be of 50 MW, and will be situated in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. The cost of this project is estimated to be around 190 crore rupees.
Nalco, a large thermal power consumer for its aluminium smelting in Odisha, is appreciative to generate renewable energy under electricity regulations.
As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufactures Association (WTMA) had reported that public sector units have so far established around 1135 MW of wind power projects in the country, besides solar power projects of 27 MW.
Nalco which is the Government-owned manufacturer and distributor of aluminum products had invested around 275 crore rupees for the 50-MW Suzlon-erected project.
Nalco signed a power purchase agreement with the State’s power transmission utility Transco and has begun inoculation of power to the State grid. The windmill project had received clearance from the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
Also, setting up of the second wind power is on the line which is supposed to be of 50 MW, and will be situated in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. The cost of this project is estimated to be around 190 crore rupees.
Nalco, a large thermal power consumer for its aluminium smelting in Odisha, is appreciative to generate renewable energy under electricity regulations.
As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufactures Association (WTMA) had reported that public sector units have so far established around 1135 MW of wind power projects in the country, besides solar power projects of 27 MW.
India likely to miss UN goals for poverty, hunger, infant mortality: Report
Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Srikant Kumar Jena, released the Statistical Year Book, 2013 and the Annual Review Report of Twenty Point Programme (TPP).
The coverage includes subjects like National Product, Five Year Plans, Public Finance, Taxes, Balance of Payments, Banks, Insurance; various sectors of economy viz Agriculture, Industry, Mining; chapters on trade, transportation, tourism & infrastructure like Roads, Civil Aviation, Indian Railways, Shipping; social sectors like Housing, Education, Labor & Employment, Health & Family Welfare, Rural & Urban Development; chapters on Environment & Forest, Rainfall and a variety of other subjects ranging from Crime & Accidents to Electoral Statistics, India G20 & World .
According to the report India is expected to miss the crucial UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG), including those related to reduction in poverty, hunger and infant mortality. The poverty ratio is likely to be 26.7% by 2015 as against the target of 23.9%, while infant mortality rate (IMR) would be 43 per 1,000 live births against the milestone of bringing it down to 27.
India was supposed to halve the percentage of population below the national poverty line by 2015 over the 1990 level. In 1990, poverty ratio was 47.8% that came down to 37.2% in 2004-05. India was also required to reduce the mortality rate for children underfive years to 42 per 1,000 live births by 2015. However, the current estimates suggest that it would be around 52 when the MDG deadline lapses.
The latest data suggests that maternal mortality rate (MMR) would come down to 139 per 1 lakh births by 2015 from 437 in 1990, while the nation is expected to reduce MMR by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 to 109 per 1 lakh births.
Malnutrition continues to be a major hurdle. The trend of the proportion of underweight (severe & moderate) children below three years shows that India is going slow in eliminating the effect of malnourishment. From estimated 52% in 1990, the proportion of underweight children below three years is required to be reduced to 26% by 2015.
According to official estimates, the proportion of underweight children has declined from 43% during 1998-99 to 40% in 2005-06. At the historical rate of decline, the proportion is expected to come down to only about 33% by 2015 vis-àvis the target of 26%.
While India is expected to lag behind on health indicators, the performance is upto the mark on education front.
The coverage includes subjects like National Product, Five Year Plans, Public Finance, Taxes, Balance of Payments, Banks, Insurance; various sectors of economy viz Agriculture, Industry, Mining; chapters on trade, transportation, tourism & infrastructure like Roads, Civil Aviation, Indian Railways, Shipping; social sectors like Housing, Education, Labor & Employment, Health & Family Welfare, Rural & Urban Development; chapters on Environment & Forest, Rainfall and a variety of other subjects ranging from Crime & Accidents to Electoral Statistics, India G20 & World .
According to the report India is expected to miss the crucial UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG), including those related to reduction in poverty, hunger and infant mortality. The poverty ratio is likely to be 26.7% by 2015 as against the target of 23.9%, while infant mortality rate (IMR) would be 43 per 1,000 live births against the milestone of bringing it down to 27.
India was supposed to halve the percentage of population below the national poverty line by 2015 over the 1990 level. In 1990, poverty ratio was 47.8% that came down to 37.2% in 2004-05. India was also required to reduce the mortality rate for children underfive years to 42 per 1,000 live births by 2015. However, the current estimates suggest that it would be around 52 when the MDG deadline lapses.
The latest data suggests that maternal mortality rate (MMR) would come down to 139 per 1 lakh births by 2015 from 437 in 1990, while the nation is expected to reduce MMR by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 to 109 per 1 lakh births.
Malnutrition continues to be a major hurdle. The trend of the proportion of underweight (severe & moderate) children below three years shows that India is going slow in eliminating the effect of malnourishment. From estimated 52% in 1990, the proportion of underweight children below three years is required to be reduced to 26% by 2015.
According to official estimates, the proportion of underweight children has declined from 43% during 1998-99 to 40% in 2005-06. At the historical rate of decline, the proportion is expected to come down to only about 33% by 2015 vis-àvis the target of 26%.
While India is expected to lag behind on health indicators, the performance is upto the mark on education front.
Government launches CCTNS pilot project
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has launched the pilot phase of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System in New Delhi.
The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) aims at creation of a nation-wide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled sophisticated tracking system around 'investigation of crime and detection of criminals'. It will help in effective policing and sharing data of crimes and criminals among 14,000 police stations across the country
The Rs 2,000 crore project, approved in 2009, spans across all the 35 states and Union Territories.
It will bring more transparency in police administration as a person can lodge complaint on-line and get a status report of the complaint on-line too.
The broad objectives of the CCTNS project are streamlining investigation and prosecution processes, strengthening of intelligence gathering machinery, improved public delivery system and citizen-friendly interface, nationwide sharing of information across on crime and criminals and improving efficiency and effectiveness of police functioning. It will also:
a) Facilitate collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, transfer and sharing of data and Information among Police Stations, District, State headquarters and other organization/agencies, including those at Government of India level.
b) Help in enabling and assisting the senior Police Officers in better management of Police Force
c) Keeping track of the progress of the crime and criminal investigation and prosecution Cases, including progress of cases in the court
d) Help in reducing the manual and redundant record keeping.
The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) aims at creation of a nation-wide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled sophisticated tracking system around 'investigation of crime and detection of criminals'. It will help in effective policing and sharing data of crimes and criminals among 14,000 police stations across the country
The Rs 2,000 crore project, approved in 2009, spans across all the 35 states and Union Territories.
It will bring more transparency in police administration as a person can lodge complaint on-line and get a status report of the complaint on-line too.
The broad objectives of the CCTNS project are streamlining investigation and prosecution processes, strengthening of intelligence gathering machinery, improved public delivery system and citizen-friendly interface, nationwide sharing of information across on crime and criminals and improving efficiency and effectiveness of police functioning. It will also:
a) Facilitate collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, transfer and sharing of data and Information among Police Stations, District, State headquarters and other organization/agencies, including those at Government of India level.
b) Help in enabling and assisting the senior Police Officers in better management of Police Force
c) Keeping track of the progress of the crime and criminal investigation and prosecution Cases, including progress of cases in the court
d) Help in reducing the manual and redundant record keeping.
India’s First Successful Intestinal Transplant Performed on a Software Engineer
The first successful and healthy intestinal transplant surgery in India was given to a software engineer on 24 November 2012 at Medanta Medicity, Gurgaon. Because around 60 percent intestinal transplants are not successful due to jettison and higher degree of infection of transplanted organ, therefore the hospital authorities waited for announcing the results till patient recovered completely. The earlier attempts of intestinal transplant in India have always failed.
The chairman managing director of Medanta, Dr Naresh Trehan announced that this was the first successful intestinal transplant in India and it provided new hopes to the country. In context with the intestinal transplant for the Delhi gangrape victim, Dr Trehan declared that the victim was not medically fit for the surgery.
In the patient who received the first successful intestinal transplant in India, merely 28 cm of small intestine was left out of 600 cm. Rest of it was removed completely. Small intestine performs the function of food absorption as well as digestion. But after finding the cadaver donour, the transplant was successfully completed on 24 November 2012. The cost of surgery was 30 lakh Rupees.
The chairman managing director of Medanta, Dr Naresh Trehan announced that this was the first successful intestinal transplant in India and it provided new hopes to the country. In context with the intestinal transplant for the Delhi gangrape victim, Dr Trehan declared that the victim was not medically fit for the surgery.
In the patient who received the first successful intestinal transplant in India, merely 28 cm of small intestine was left out of 600 cm. Rest of it was removed completely. Small intestine performs the function of food absorption as well as digestion. But after finding the cadaver donour, the transplant was successfully completed on 24 November 2012. The cost of surgery was 30 lakh Rupees.
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