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BJP chief Rajnath dares Congress to JK BANK RECRUITMENT PROCESS A DRAMA, BANK MUST REFUND EXAMINATION FEE TO CANDIDATES: SAT SHARMA declare its prime ministerial candidate Seeks CMTHE intervention and dares Mushtaq for a debate on JK Bank policies regarding Jammu.
NEW YORK, JULY 26: BJP president Rajnath Singh on Friday challenged Congress to declare its prime ministerial candidate before losing sleep over the nominee of his party. "Will the Congress dare announce who will be the prime minister candidate before the general elections?" he said addressing members of the IndiaAmerica Chamber of Commerce. Claiming that there are too many contenders for the job in the Congress Party Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram and other unnamed dark horses, Singh said Congress leaders and workers are confused as to who would be the next prime minister if their party returns to power. He said his party followed democratic principles in the selection of campaign committee and there was consensus unlike in the dictatorial Congress party. "Did we have any problem when we named senior leader L K Advani as Prime Minister Candidate in 2009 and did we had any issues when Atalji was made prime minister in 1999. Congress is now trying to divert the attention of the people from its scams and failures," he said. Singh asserted that there are no Contd p2
In an opinion poll Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi are the two leaders who are most likely to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election. According to the CNN Election Tracker Survey, conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Modi with 19 per cent of the votes is ahead in the prime minister's race followed by Rahul Gandhi with 12 per cent, Manmohan Singh (6 per cent), Sonia Gandhi (5 per cent), Mayawati (3 per cent) and BJP patriarch LK Advani (2 per cent). The figures are a major turnaround from 2009 when Modi had
the support of just 2 per cent of the voters with Manmohan Singh leading with 18 per cent. Advani (15 per cent), Sonia Gandhi (16 per cent), Rahul (6 per cent) and Mayawati (5 per cent) were all much ahead of the Gujarat Chief Minister. In the race between Modi and Rahul, the former is ahead with 33 per cent votes compared to 31 per cent for the Congress leader. Modi is more popular than Rahul in North India (37 per cent vs 29 per cent), Central India (41 per cent vs 33 per cent), West India (43 per cent vs 33 per cent) and East India (34 per cent vs 30 per cent). But Rahul with 37 per cent leads Modi, who has 17 per cent of the votes, in South India. Rahul (45 per cent) is also more popular that Modi Contd p2
JAMMU, JULY 26: BJP Incharge Cells Sat Sharma (C.A.) today strongly criticised the selection list of the Jammu & Kashmir Bank. He demanded the complete cancellation of the selection list and a high level probe into the complete working of the J&K Bank. Talking to the media persons in Jammu Sat Sharma said that J&K Bank is playing with the careers of the youth of Jammu and behaving typically like a Kashmir centric bank working on the guidelines of antinational elements and separatists. Jammu Kashmir Bank has completely ignored tens of thousands of calibrus and meritorious students of Jammu and shown its biased charecter. The manner in which the JK Bank is working seems to be a dangerous consipiracy against the people of Jammu and the nationalist community. The complete hold of the bank is in the hands of Kashmir bureaucrats and politicians. It should not be called as Jammu Kashmir Bank but Kashmir Bank as it has totally marginalised the educated youth of Jammu. Mr. Mushtak should understand that J&K bank is not completely a Pvt. Bank . It acts as a government bank on the behalf of Jammu & Kashmir Government so must come under the RTI Act. 2009. Sat Sharma
=Why this bank ignores the youth of Jammu who have participated in tens of thousands of numbers in the examination? =Why Bank has failed regularly in framing an effective selection procedure so that a fair selection can be done? =Why bank is scared of coming under RTI act 2009? =Why Zonal Head Office Jammu acts like a dummy office with no powers at all? =Why neither the vacancies nor selection list appeared on the official website of the JK Bank?"
advised the corporates of Jammu and the people of Jammu to close their accounts in this mysterious banks which is scared of getting its information public. I suspect that JK Bank is becoming another Swiss bank of the state where billions of black money and the money of anti-nationals and separatists is being stored the bank thus hides the information. JK Bank fears to select the nationalist community in this policy making structure due to this fear of getting exposed. The time has come to boycott this bank and I would rather suggest to name this bank as Kashmir bank and put down the name Jammu associated with this biased bank. I hereby demand that the government should come up with a new bank by the name of Jammu Bank which can work according to the wishes of the nationalist community and form transparent policies from which the people of Jammu can be benefitted.
BRIEFLY
Sarpanch fired upon by militants in Sopore
SRINAGAR: Militants shot and severely injured a Sarpanch at village Krankshvan, Sopore this afternoon,Police said. According to Police that 45 years old Sarpanch Khazir Mohammad Contd p2
JAMMU, JULY 26: Terming the 1999 Kargil War as yet another attempt to capture our territory by Pakistan, BJP National Executive Member, Leader of Legislative Party & Jammu East MLA Ashok Khajuria said that our brave soldiers laid down their lives protecting mother India to defeat the nefarious designs of neighbouring country and they deserve salute. Ashok Khajuria, while remembering the supreme sacrifices of hundreds of Indian soldiers, said that in
NEW DELHI, JULY 26: The Congress on the issue of Telangana said on Friday that the consultations over the issue was over and time has come to take a decision regarding the matter. The process of consultation over the Telangana issue is over and the time has come for a decision, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said on Friday.
"We shall let you know the decision taken," he said in New Delhi amid hectic activity of the party leadership to take a final decision on the issue of separate statehood to Telangana. Digvijaya Singh, incharge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, was talking to reporters after holding separate meetings with chief minister N Kiran Kumar
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differences whatsoever in the choice of BJP's prime ministerial candidate and it will be a smooth sailing. "The BJP is to bring out a vision document on the state of economy with the help of experts and will be made public end of next month. The document will highlight what we will do in the areas of infrastructure, heavy engineering, manufacturing, energy and technology," he said. Turning to the state of economy, he said India is now facing a serious financial crisis of grave magnitude despite the fact that no one in the global economy can ignore India. "The economy of India is not something that makes us feel comfortable or feel proud of. But India was regarded as third largest economy of the world," he said, recalling that when the NDA government stepped down in 2004, the fiscal deficit was 2.5 per cent and current account deficit was surplus. "The economy witnessed a boom period during 1999 to 2004 when the country was ruled by the NDA and the slide started in 2004. The boom that we created lasted till 2008 and then we are now witnessing is one of the worse economic downturns," Singh said. "The rupee value has depreciated drastically to the USD dollar from Rs 37 a USD in 2008 to Rs 60 in 2013 almost doubling in five years. We thought this would be offset by increase in exports and that did not happen too which went up by just one per cent," he said. "It's very unfortunate that savings that has been the biggest strength of India as it provided capital is now falling at a very rapid rate. The small businesses tend to grow with the increase in savings and in the absence they take a major hit. Savings drop and growth rates drop and what else to drop. "The success of Indian story is over. The success story of India is waiting for the BJP to return to power. The UPA had ruined all the economy," he said. Singh said, "We have proved in the BJP-ruled states how we prioritize economic reforms and Gujarat is a shining example of India. The whole world is now talking about Gujarat and foreign governments are keen to study the success story." Singh said the average GDP of BJP-ruled governments are about 10 per cent whereas the nation is only experiencing a growth rate of less than five per cent. "There are only two models - BJP model for growth and Congress model for destruction," he added. The BJP-led NDA government created 67 million jobs in less than five years whereas the CongressUPA created less than 2.7 million jobs between 2004 and 2009," he claimed. On his visit to Washington, Singh said he had discussions with the Congressmen and the Obama administration officials on the issue of difficulties faced by candidates in H1B and L1 visa to work legally in the US. The GDP cost burden will go up by 0.3 to 0.4 per cent due to increase in fees. "We had lodged our protest against the comprehensive immigration reforms bill and they had raised the issue of patents and compulsory drug license issues. There was only one case under these CDL whereas Indonesia had six cases and Canada four cases," he added. He said the BJP government would not be either a capitalistic government or a socialist government but a nationalist government with the interest of India in mind. "We are not against FDI and in fact Vajpayee government was the one that initiated FDI but we are against FDI in retail sector as it would affect the livelihood of many a small business owner," he said. He said that his party would demand to investigate the issue of forgery of signature of MPs in a letter sent to US President Barack Obama.
Kargil martyrs .
state of affairs vis-a-vis attitude of the Congress-led UPA and NCCongress coalition of J&K towards army, Khajuria said that the brave soliders and other para military forces, including Jammu & Kashmir Police personals, have been fighting the across the border sponsored terrorism besides helping in maintaining law and order but unfortunately their services are not recognized. He said that every attempt is made to paint the army as the root of all problems and violator of human rights in this border state just for political mileage.
as judge for key judicial post WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has nominated yet another Indian American legal luminary, Vince Girdhari Chhabria, a noted legal luminary to a key judicial post in California. Nominated to be US district judge for the northern district of Contd p2
Obama nominates ..
California, Chhabria is currently deputy city attorney for government litigation at the San Francisco city attorney's office, where he has worked since 2005. Announcing Chhabria's nomination along with five other judicial posts, Obama said: "These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honoured to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench." "They will serve the American people with integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice," he added. On confirmation by the Senate, Chhabria would become the first South Asian judge in California and the fourth South Asian judge in the US. Chhabria's nomination comes close on the heels of confirmation of Chandigarh-born Sri Srinivasan as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, often described as the second highest court in the US. Chhabria began his legal career by clerking for judge Charles R. Breyer of the US District Court for the Northern District of California from 1998 to 1999. He also worked as an associate at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP from 2002 to 2004. From 2001 to 2002, he clerked for Justice Stephen G. Breyer on the US Supreme Court. In 2001, Chhabria worked at the law firm of Keker & Van Nest, LLP, after completing a one-year clerkship for Judge James R. Browning of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
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and Botsa Satyanarayana, in their separate reports, are understood to have opposed any move to divide the state while Damodar Rajanarasimha, who is from Telangana, backed the statehood demand. Earlier in the day, Congress leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) called on the chief minister and urged him to convey to the leadership their strong opposition to the state's division, party sources said. Seemandhra leaders, who made a beeline to the national capital in a last-ditch attempt to stall a possible decision to carve out Telangana state, held a meeting to chalk out their strategy. The meeting was attended by state and central ministers and Congress MPs from Seemandhra. S. Sailajanth, the state minister heading the group opposed to state's division, told reporters after the meeting that they were confident the state would remain united. He termed as speculations the talk of a likely decision to carve out Telangana state. "We have decided to exhaust all options to ensure the state remains united," he said. Hectic activity in Delhi has began amid the continuing resignations of Seemandhra leaders to mount pressure on the central government. Two Congress legislators on Friday submitted their resignations to the assembly speaker. As many as 16 legislators of the YSR Congress party and one of Congress on Thursday announced their resignations.
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system."After a perfect lift-off at 01:24 am from the European Arianespace spaceport at Kourou, the two-tonne advanced weather satellite was placed in the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 32 minutes later, about 36,000 km above from earth," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) explained. The sophisticated spacecraft is orbiting at perigee (closest to the earth) of 249.9 km and apogee (farthest from the earth) of 35,880 km in the orbit. "The satellite's solar panel was automatically deployed soon after it was separated from the rocket's upper cryogenic stage and our master control facility at Hassan took over its control for further manoeuvres," the ISRO statement said. Hassan is about 200 km from Bangalore. Preliminary checks of the subsystems showed the health of the spacecraft was satisfactory. "The MCT will perform the orbitraising manoeuvres over the next few days using the satellite's propulsion system to place it in the intended geostationary orbit," was further added.The satellite will improve weather forecasting system, including predictions about the monsoon. "This is a big step and will certainly improve our forecasting system," Shailesh Nayak, secretary, union ministry of earth sciences, told reporters in New Delhi. "Insat will send us data on weather every half-an-hour and these will be put in our computing models for preparing weather forecast," he said. Nayak, however, denied commenting on the accuracy. "The accuracy part, we will only come to know after using it for 6-8 months." The satellite's observational instruments will be switched on during the second week of August after it reaches the orbital slot at 82 degrees east to the equatorial plane for extensive tests by the MCF. The four instruments onboard the spacecraft are Imager, Sounder, Data Relay Transponder and Satellite Aided Search & Rescue. The six channel imager can take weather pictures of the earth and has improved features compared to the instrument in (Kalpana-1) and Insat-3A, the two Indian geostationary satellites, which have been providing weather services over the past decade. "The 19-channel sounder payload adds a new dimension to monitor weather through its atmospheric sounding system, and provides vertical profiles of temperature, humidity and integrated ozone," the statement noted. Data relay transponder receives meteorological, hydrological, oceanographic parameters sent by the automatic data collection platforms located at remote uninhabited places and relays them to a processing centre for generating accurate weather forecasts.The search and rescue instrument picks up and relays alert signals originating from the distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land-based
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for criticizing the Rs 33.30 Poverty Line figures of the Planning Commission, saying the opposition party, "should explain why it was Rs 16.73 in 59th NSSO survey of 2003 and accepted by BJP/NDA Govt?". "Unlike the BJP NDA, we have delinked this poverty line from all 150 Central govt schemes including NREGA, ICDS, MDM, NRHM, SSA, PDS except 1. "NSSO survey-1993-94 to 2004-05 the avg. decline in poverty was 0.74%/year. During UPA it accelerated three times to 2.18% pts per year," Maken said on twitter. He instead claimed that during Congress-led UPA, poverty has declined from 37.2 per cent in 2004-5 to 21.9 per cent...a decline from 40.71 crore to 26.93 crore people below the poverty line.
users and relays them to the mission control centre to facilitate speedy search and rescue operations. The state-run space agency will process the satellite's data and the derivation of meteorological parameters with the Indian meteorological department in New Delhi. An indigenously designed and developed meteorological data processing system has been commissioned at IMD, with a mirror site at the space agency's space applications centre at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. JK Bank .. and flourished nepotism and favoritism under his leadership in the bank. The chairman has to break his silence on this issue and I dare Mr. Mushtaq to come for an open debate on its policies and I am sure that I will prove that this bank has damaged the economic stability of the state and done absolutely nothing to encourage entrepreneurship in Jammu region. Today's era is the age of internet, information and technology but I can't understand the compulsions why neither the number of vacancies nor the list of qualifiers was publishes on the official website of the bank. I request the Honb'le Chief Minister to intervene and set up an enquiry to probe the affairs of the bank. BJP will not tolerate these biased policies of the bank. We demand that the hard earned money of Jammuites which was taken as the examination fee must be refunded to the tens of thousands of candidates who were cheated in this whole examination drama. This issue has been raised by us so many times in the assembly also but it seems that JK bank wants to see the anger of the Jammu youth on streets and outside each and every branch of JK bank. Sri Ram .. authorities for not mentioning the number of vacancies of REs for which exams were conducted and results declared abruptly in March this year without publishing selection list. Majority of the selected REs were appointed on the recommendations of the National Conference Ministers who even have not qualified the written test, Mahajan alleged. Mahajan criticized the Bank Chairman, Sheikh Mushtaq for appeasing the National Conference people particularly the Ministers and senior leaders. Mahajan demanded an impartial probe into the whole matter and action against the corrupt Bank officials for playing with the future of the meritorious students. Meanwhile, Mahajan has again voiced the demand for trifurcation of the state on regional basis for getting due share and appealed the people of Jammu region to learn lesson from the misdeeds of the Kashmir centered political parties and gather under a united platform for demand of a separate Jammu state for peace and progress of Jammu people.
LOST OF RC
I Balveer Singh Slathia S/O Gandharb Singh Slathia R/O H.No. 20 Subash Nagar, 2nd Ext , Jammu, Teh. & Distt Jammu I have lost RC of my scooter No. JK02AL-3095. If anybody found the document can please contact me on my mobile number 94191-73721, I am applying for the duplicate of the above mentioned document. Objection if any may conveyed to concerned authority within 7 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Sarpanch fired .
Parry resident of village Krankshvan, Sopore was fired upon by militants when he was coming out from the local Masjid after offering Friday prayers. He was shifted to the Srinagar hospital for treatment. He has got severe injury in his mouth. Doctors are attending him. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area. Sopore police has registered a case in this regard and the investigation has been started.
TRANSFER NOTICE I Ram Krishan S/O B R Karnathia R/O Kana Chak Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle No JK02G-2580 in favour of Ravinder Singh S/O Gori Lal R/O Dhossa Teh Gandho Distt. Doda. Objection if any may be Conveyed to RTO Jammu With in 7 Days. TRANSFER NOTICE
I Dr Sindhoor Sigh S/O Shonka Ram R/O H. No. 42 Ext. 2 Subash Nagar Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle No. JK02U-9605 in favour of Sandeep Sudan S/O Mahesh Kumar R/O Indra N agar Miran Sahib R.S Pura Jammu. Objection if any may be Conveyed to RTO Jammu With in 7 Days.
Five orphaned .
was first reported by local newspapers. Pratapgarh is about 160 km from state capital Lucknow. The children are all aged between 17 and seven, and were earlier residents of Jamua village in Pratapgarh district. For the past four months, after their parents died, the children have made a graveyard a little outside the village their home - they have two broken cots and a plastic sheet to protect them from elements. The siblings, four boys and a girl, were deserted by relatives who feared the children too may be infected with HIV. After local newspapers reported their plight, the news spread. The district administration swung into action, and has assured the children a home under the Indira Aawas scheme. A senior district official told IANS that all efforts would be made to bring the children back into the mainstream. District officials have since ordered a medical check-up of the children to ascertain if they too are HIVpositive. A district official said that even if the children test HIV-positive, proper treatment would be given to them, and they will be taken care of. Obama nominates Indian American
TRANSFER NOTICE I Sohan Lal S/O Madan Lal R/O Berola Teh Akhnoor Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle No JK02R-9466 in favour of Gopal Dass S/O Gian Chand R/O Osssu Udhampur. Objection if any may be Conveyed to RTO Jammu With in 7 Days. TRANSFER NOTICE
I H.LMaini S/O Sh. R.C Maini R/O 35 D/C andhi Nagar Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle No JK11-0729 in favour of Gopal Sharma S/O Sh Durga Dass R/O Bhour Cap W No. 1Jammu. Objection if any may be Conveyed to RTO Jammu With in 7 Days.
Modi top ..
(18 per cent) amongst Muslim voters. Sixty-six per cent Congress supporters want Rahul to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate while 79 per cent BJP supporters want Modi to be projected for the post. While current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is considered to be an honest leader by 25 per cent of those surveyed, 14 per cent say he has little control over decisions and nine per cent say that he has allowed corruption to flourish. The satisfaction level with his regime has fallen to 49 per cent in July 2013 from 56 per cent two years ago. There is a sliver lining too with Manmohan still the most liked among top leaders with 63 per cent votes followed by Rahul Gandhi (56 per cent) and Modi (54 per
TRANSFER NOTICE I ijay Kumar S/O Prem Nath R/O Near Shrine Board Colony Noai Kara Jammu have applied for the transfer of Vehicle No. JK20-1866 in favour of Rakesh Kumar S/O Amarjeet Lal R/O H.No 236Mira Sahib Jammu. Objection if any may be Conveyed to RTO Jammu With in 7 Days.
(Dr. T.S. Ashok Kumar) IFS Secretary & Controller of Examinations, J&K Public Service Commission.
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and mutually benefitting strategy and setting achievable goals. She said that domain experts working in the area of innovation will be collaborating with the State in coming days and sharing their valuable experiences for successful implementation of the road map. She said Universities and Technology Institutes can develop Technology Incubation Centers to help and nurture talented students to realise their potential for innovation. She said J&K State innovation council can create a separate fund to finance innovation projects which are identified and assessed as having considerable social benefit and impact. She said steps should also be taken towards fostering creativity in education, industries and other sectors, moreover, She suggested that the State Innovation Council can also include members of National Level bodies to facilitate greater exchange and benefits.
Bhalla felicitates JKCCE topper Ms. Neha J&K State Innovation Council setup to encourage talented youth: CS Warns strict action against encroachers
Interaction session held to discuss innovation road map
SRINAGAR, JULY 26: Terming setting up of the J&K State Innovation Council as an important step towards encouraging new ideas and innovations among the talented youth in the State, Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday Friday said that Jammu and Kashmir Government has already set out on the path to scout for innovation in the State. The Chief Secretary was speaking during the interaction session to discuss and exchange ideas for the formulation of State's Innovation Road Map for creating an innovation ecosystem and its effective implementation. Experts from National Innovation Council and Confederation of Indian industries, NIF, CSIR, and members of J&K State innovation Council participated in the interaction session. The Chief Secretary said that the State Innovation Council is keeping constant touch
JAMMU, JULY 26-Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Mr. Raman Bhalla today felicitated Jammu and Kashmir Combined Competitive Examination topper Ms. Neha Sharma of Trikuta Nagar,. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bhalla said that youth of Jammu and Kashmir have ample talent and calibre to bring laurels for State and they have proved their mettle in various fields .He called upon the students to work hard and strive to achieve their goals and work for the development of the state and
nation. He said 'Education sector is the priority of the Government', adding that in this regard Government is making all out efforts to upgrade educational institutions with improved infrastructure so that the students can avail quality education. The Minister congratulated Dr Neha for her splendid performance and wished her a bright career ahead He called upon the parents to ensure education of their children specially the girl child and urged upon the students to follow the path of this topper who has set a benchmark
with their hard work. Later, a deputation of Trikuta Nagar Sector-1 met the Minister and apprised him about the encroachment in a nallah. They informed that this has cause lots of problem to the people as the chocked water outlet has caused damage to their property. Mr. Bhalla directed the accompanied JMC and UEED officers to immediate remove the encroachment and debris from the nallah so that the people of the area get relief from the problem.
with the National Innovation Council to make use of its experience at the National Level to enable the State to crystalize the programme in an effective manner. He said that the State Innovation Council has already taken steps to put in place an effective institutional mechanism to identify and support innovation in local Universities, Colleges, Schools, MSME and R&D institutes adding that directions have already been issued to the Science and Technology Department
along with School and Higher Education Department to give orientation to the Education System towards innovations. Chief Secretary also expressed gratitude to Ms Veena Upadhyay an expert from the National Innovation Council and her team of experts for their presentations and sharing valuable experiences to support the State carry forward the work of encouraging and supporting innovations in various fields and to prepare an effec-
tive road map for future. Earlier, Ms Veena Upadhyay, while expressing her gratitude to the State Government for holding the interaction session said that the innovation road map should be inclusive covering high level to lower level technologies with maximum social benefit at minimum cost. Ms. Upadhyay gave a detailed presentation touching various aspects of innovation and its significance, highlighting the need for multipronged, cross-sectoral
Kishtwar while speaking on the occasion stressed upon the employees to work with zeal and zest so that the development target set by the government are achieved. ACD asked the field functionaries to have the clear vision of the scheme and strive hard to fulfil the goals and objectives of the flagship programme in letter and spirit. Sunil Bhutyal Block Development Officer Negseni in his speech deliv-
ered the salient features of the MG NREGA programme and briefed the functionaries about the vision, objective and impact of the programme. Besides this, he enjoined upon all the employees to work vigorously so that the people of area do not remain bereft of the benefits of the programme. Others who spoke on the occasion included Shokat Hayat Matoo, Ms Seema Parihar, Ajaz Hussain Butt and Shiv Kumar.
JAMMU, JULY 26Minister for Roads and Buildings Mr. Abdul Majid Wani on Friday conducted an extensive tour of Jammu city and took stock of the problems of the people. During the tour, the Minister visited Govind Nagar, Gol Gujral, Vikas Lane Talab Tillo and its adjoining areas. Interacting with the people, the Minister said that government is making concrete efforts to redress their problems and various micro and mega developmental projects
are underway for improving the core amenities and facilities for the people. En-route, several deputations and individuals met the Minister and apprised him with their problems. Besides, uninterrupted water and power supply to the area, the locals also demanded black-topping of the interior roads and widening of Revenue Complex road connecting the 4th Tawi Bridge to ease the traffic congestion in the area. The Minister issued on-the-
spot directions to the concerned officers for attending the peoples' problem and to take steps for their early redressal. He also directed for constituting a joint team of officers of JMC, R&B, Revenue and PDD to assess the problems of the locals and suggest measures for their redressal. Among others, Commissioner JMC K. L. Khajuria and other officers of line departments accompanied the Minister during the tour.
the minister with their demands and problems. The main demands projected include a CAPD store in the area , lift irrigation scheme for Baggan, expansion of Baggan road under PMGSY, dispensary, electric poles, opening of J&K bank branch and up gradation of High School Upper Baggan Dr Manohar Lal Sharma gave
a patient hearing to the demands of the people and assured them of timely disposal of their problems The minister said that government has initiated several steps to explore the tourism potential of Billawar and with coming up of Mata Sukrala Devi and Mata Bala Sundri Shrine Boards the development of the area will
increase manifold in coming time. Dr Sharma said the scenic landscapes of Ghatt, Sujjara, Machhedi has huge tourism potential and with the completion of Billawar - Machhedi road steps will be taken to establish tourism infrastructure in these areas. Responding to the projected demands of the people Dr
SRINAGAR, JULY 26:Minister for Agriculture, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir on Friday said that the Agriculture and its associated departments have pivotal role in the success of NABARD funding projects. He urged upon the officers to put in their efforts by taking proactive role in such projects so that GDP from Agriculture sector is increased besides the people associated with Agriculture, Horticulture and its allied sectors are benefited. The Minister was addressing a high level meeting of offi-
cers convened to review NABARD funding in various projects in the Agriculture sector in J&K. Mr. Mir said that government has opened the doors of support by launching various schemes and projects for the welfare and development of the people related with agriculture sector. The Minister emphasized for adopting latest scientific methods and techniques for increased agriculture production besides improving quality. He also stressed for identifying the research fields in the agriculture sector.
On the occasion, the Minister was apprised about various Agro based projects to be implemented with NABARD funding in various States of the country through PowerPoint presentation. Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, Principal Secretary Finance, Commissioner Secretary Agriculture, Directors of Agriculture, Horticulture, MD Agro Departments, MD JKHPMC, Director Planning Agriculture, Director Research, SKUAST and other concerned officers were present in the meeting.
EDUCATION AGE
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Examination is conducted by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). Besides ICAR other universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi also conduct entrance examinations for the vacancies in their respective institutes. Personal Skills: People interested in floriculture as a career should be patient, analytical and observant. They must be detail oriented and accurate in their work. As in any horticultural career field, a love of nature is essential. Creativity and artistic flair along with physical stamina and manual dexterity will make candidates apt to work in this field. Good verbal communication skills are essential for interacting with both suppliers and customers. Computer skills are helpful for placing supply orders, maintaining inventory records, and doing book keeping for those intending to turn entrepreneurs and manage their own businesses. JOB PROSPECTS & CAREER OPTIONS Floriculture is a colourful career which offers aspirants good growth prospects and opportunity to explore new avenues. Qualified floriculture specialists can be employed at various levels both in the government sector as well as the corporate sector. Some of the potential employers are : Floriculture units- Floriculturists are involved in the propagation and growing of cut flowers, flowering potted plants, foliage plants and bedding plants. They plant , prune, water, fertilize, harvest and ship these plants as well as monitor and manipulate the environment under which they are grown both indoors in green houses and outdoors in field production where the climate is favourable. Outdoor design consultancy firmsCompanies engaged in horticulture landscaping and plantation employ floriculturists and horticulturists in supervisory positions and for development and maintenance of gardens. City planners and builders-and those who carry out maintenance at various sites employ floriculturists and horticulturists. Educational institutions offering related courses- Floriculturists may teach at the college and university level. Floriculturists in college teaching follow the typical career path from instructor to assistant professor to associate professor to full professor. Cosmetics and perfume industryValue addition in the form of extraction of pigments, essential oils, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds has emerged as one of the frontline avenues in floriculture and it is in this connection that floriculturists are employed in perfume industry. Self employment- You can set up your own venture, growing flowers for the domestic or export market, growing ornamental plants, running nurseries, or providing gardening and landscaping advisory services. REMUNERATION Salaries depend on the nature of work one is involved in. While gardeners and labourers may get paid anything between Rs2000 to Rs 3000 per month, Freelance workers, designers and consultants may negotiate their pay packets depending on the place and nature of work. As this industry depends on lifestyle and purchasing power of the public in general, and on the availability of raw materials and finished products remunerations and profits may vary. Researchers and academicians are paid as per the government norms.
CAREER IN FLORICULTURE
INTRODUCTION Floriculture or flower farming as it is popularly called is a discipline of Horticulture, and is the study of growing and marketing flowers and foliage plants. Floriculture includes cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for sales or for use as raw materials in cosmetic and perfume industry and the pharmaceutical sector. The persons associated with this field are called floriculturists. Officially Floriculture began in the late 1800's in England where flowers were grown in large estates, and now has spread to most other countries as well. The floral industry today has grown to much larger proportions and offers a wide scope for growth and profits. The countries involved in the import of flowers are Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Japan while those involved in export are Columbia, Israel, Spain and Kenya. In India, Floriculture industry comprises flower trade, production of nursery plants and potted plants, seed and bulb production, micro propagation and extraction of essential oils. Though the annual domestic demand for the flowers is growing at a rate of over 25% and international demand at around Rs 90,000 crore India's share in international market of flowers is negligible. India has a blooming future as far as floriculture is concerned. Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic conditions, versatile human resources etc offer India a unique scope for judicious employment of existing resources and exploration of avenues yet untouched. Karnataka is the leader in floriculture, accounting for 75% of India's total flower production. The state has the highest area under modern cut flowers, and 40 flower growing and exporting units. The expert committee set up by Govt. of India for promotion of export oriented floriculture units has identified Bangalore, Pune, New Delhi and Hyderabad as the major areas suitable for such activity especially for cut flowers. APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) is the registering authority for such units. The employment opportunities in this field are as varied as the nature of work itself. One can join the field of floriculture as farm/estate managers, plantation experts and supervisors, project coordinators etc. Research and teaching are some other avenues of employment in the field. Marketing of Floriculture products for different ventures is emerging as a potential segment of this field. Besides one can work as consultant, landscape architect etc with proper training. One can also work as entrepreneur and offer employment to others. In addition to these careers which involve research and actual growing of crops, floriculture also provides service career opportunities which include such jobs as floral designers, groundskeepers, landscape designers, architects and horticultural therapists. Such jobs require practitioners to deal directly with clients. Professional qualification combined with an inclination towards gardening and such other activities produces efficient floriculturists and landscaping professionals. The skills and knowledge required are imparted under the professional courses of floriculture and landscaping. ELIGIBILITY & COURSE AREAS Floriculture is not available as a subject at the undergraduate/degree level. Those who wish to join the floriculture stream should enroll for an undergraduate course in Agriculture (i.e a BSc Agriculture degree) after which they can opt for an MSc in Horticulture at the post graduate level. An MSc in Horticulture offers specialisations in floriculture,
pomology (cultivation of fruits), and olericulture ( cultivation of vegetables). Students graduating in these subjects find jobs with companies as supervisors, farm or estate managers, handling largescale production of certain varieties of flowers. A combined knowledge of floriculture with management enables one to get managerial or marketing positions with organisations involved in the processing and marketing of flowers and flowering plants. Those with PhD in floriculture, horticulture and related fields can get placed with reputed Research & Development cells of companies and corporate houses. Course Areas: Courses in floriculture are available as specialisations at the postgraduate and doctoral levels. Besides there are Certificate courses and diploma courses offered by some universities. Most colleges do not conduct a separate course for floriculture or horticulture at the under-graduate level, but treat it as part of the academic curriculum of agriculture. The basic eligibility criteria for a B.Sc. in Agriculture is 10+2 with sciences including Physics and Biology. For
an M.Sc. in Horticulture, one must have a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture or a related subject. For Ph.D the basic eligibility criteria is a Master's degree in Horticulture/Agriculture or allied sciences and the other qualifications required may vary from one university to another for eg, some universities require that the candidate must be qualified in Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) conducted by UGC. Duration: An undergraduate course in agriculture may take anything from 3-4 years for completion. An MSc course is usually a two year course. The duration of Diploma and Certificate courses varies according to the schedule of the Universities and Institutes offering such courses. Selection: In most of the States, selection to the graduate course in Agriculture colleges is on the basis of an All India Entrance Examination in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Maths of plus 2 level OR on the basis of the entrance examination conducted by the concerned universities. For admission to masters degree programme, an All India Entrance
Over 50 Delhi University students Uttar Pradesh bags award for free denied PhD admission
NEW DELHI: More than 50 Delhi University students have been denied admission to the PhD course in Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies due to late declaration of the master's result by the same varsity, an official said on Friday. "It is a travesty that these candidates were denied the opportunity for admissions due to no fault of theirs. It is DU (Delhi University) that did not declare the result of the master's examination in May," said Sachin N, elected executive member of Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA). Students applying for the PhD programme were called for the entrance examination. Those who qualified were called for the viva. It was only during the admission process that the authorities notified that admission could not be granted as their results had not been declared. "They should be granted provisional admission till the results are out. It is very unfair because these students had also already declared in their admission forms that their results were awaited," added Sachin N. He added that since Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies is an interdisciplinary department, such a process would lead to students losing an academic year.
laptop scheme
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government's ambitious free laptop scheme to class XII passout students has bagged the Certificate of Excellence Award in the category of Best Government Initiative in Education at a conclave held in Hyderabad. A state government spokesperson said the award came Uttar Pradesh's way at the e-India Governance Summit 2013 organised at Hyderabad between July 2324.
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and Bhagwati saying that they had read Krishna Iyer's judgment closely and found that there was nothing useful that they could add to it. If the full text of Krishna Iyer's judgment had been available to them "sufficiently in advance," they said they would not have delivered a separate order saying "fuller reasons" will follow! And so the majority view is articulated only in the self-confessedly "hurried" judgment of Krishna Iyer. Appointments Many years later, a nine judge Bench of the Supreme Court decided by a majority that primacy in the matter of appointments to the superior judiciary vests with the Judiciary and not the Executive (Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association, 1993). M.M. Punchhi, a dissenting judge, wrote in his judgment that he had hoped that some "meaningful meetings" would be held, so that the court could strive to reach a unanimous decision. He complained that he was "overtaken" when he received the draft opinion of Justice J.S. Verma for himself and on behalf of four others. In despair he wrote "the fait accompli appeared a stark reality; the majority opinion an accomplishment." Here there was no retirement looming large, and so one can only wonder why meetings could not be held. These instances, spread over four decades, are telling. Pressure of work Today, the judges of the Supreme Court, like judges of all other courts in the country, are more overworked than ever before. Under the pressure of special leave petitions they are left with little time for reflection on their own, let alone time for "collegiate" decision making with their colleagues. If the court has still managed to deliver great judgments from time to time, it is only because their authors were superhuman. This is a problem which needs to be seriously addressed now for the sake of the law. After all, Supreme Court judges sit in divisions of two, three, five or more (and not singly) only because the law laid down by the court must be well considered and authoritative. Numerical strength Fortunately, the strength of the Supreme Court has now risen to 31. It is time now to have a permanent Constitution Bench of five judges, whose composition should remain fixed for a full court term. The judges on this Bench should be free from all the other kind of cases which presently occupy their time. It is only then that they can form their views, confer among themselves and respond to each other's concerns. Also, retiring judges should stay off Benches dealing with "heavy" cases, where judgments are likely to be "reserved." From about three months prior to their retirement, they should confine themselves to "admission" work or decide smaller cases where judgments can be delivered then and there (or "orally" as we lawyers like to put it). The growth of the law should not be stunted by dates of superannuation. (Raju Ramachandran is senior advocate, Supreme Court of India.)
There is clearly more to the anti-Modi letter which some Members of Parliament have supposedly addressed to the US President than meets the eye. The missive, apparently the brainchild of an independent Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, has called upon Mr Barack Obama to deny Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi a visa to visit the US anytime in the future. As it turns out, there appears to be some fraud involved, because a number of MPs whose signatures are found in the letter have denied ever signing such a note. One of them, Mr Sitaram Yechury, even alleged that his signature on the letter appeared to be a "cut and paste" job - meaning that his signature could have been lifted from another piece of document and affixed on this infamous letter. With many supposed signatories backing out and the Independent MP sticking to his claim that they had indeed signed the letter, the issue stinks and deserves to be thoroughly probed. Since the matter involves Members of Parliament, both the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha must initiate a House inquiry into the murky affair. If the probe throws up a prima facie case of wrongdoing, as many suspect it to be, the police must step in and the law should be allowed to take its course. Meanwhile, the Congress has been behaving in a strangely ambivalent manner on the episode. Instead of taking a strong stand on the alleged forgery, the party's leaders have distanced themselves from the affair and are sitting on the sidelines, watching the issue unfold. Obviously, they do not wish to dilute the so-called embarrassment that the discredited letter has caused to Mr Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. That's engaging in cheap politics. But the more they remain vague on the matter, the more the impression will gain ground that they have had a role to play in the execution of the disgraceful act, or at least they knew of the act and did nothing to prevent it. Let us for a moment leave aside the questionable credibility of the letter itself. While political detractors of Mr Modi have the right to vent their opposition to him, there are limits to which they should go in their mission. The very act of petitioning the head of a foreign regime against a democratically elected Chief Minister of the country is condemnable. Mr Modi's critics can fight him politically at home; they can move the courts against him on allegations that they believe are true. But by seeking the intervention of a foreign head of state in their domestic political battles, they are making a mockery of the very democratic institutions of which they are the beneficiaries. Through their dubious letter, the MPs have sought to subordinate Parliament to the White House. It is amazing that these MPs should have allowed their bilious hatred for Mr Modi to lead them to this most ridiculous act which has shamed the country. That they should have released the letter to the media now to coincide it with the visit of BJP president Rajnath Singh to that country, demonstrates the sordid politics at play. It is for the US Administration to decide whether it should give a visa to Mr Modi. It is entirely unbecoming of a free country and its elected representatives to formally petition the US President on such matters, and moreso through a dubiously-crafted letter.
Supreme Court judges who are about to leave office should stay away from cases in which judgments are likely to be reserved
In his dissent in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) case last week, Justice A.R. Dave said he had to be "quick and short" because the Chief Justice was soon retiring. Due to paucity of time, he said the judges had no discussion on the subject before they started writing their judgments. In making this public disclosure of the judges not being able to confer, Justice Dave is not alone. Distinguished predecessors over the last 40 years have voiced similar complaints. It is worth recalling examples of some momentous cases where collective decision-making
did not happen. Kesavananda Bharati (1973) is the most celebrated case in Indian constitutional law. It is the majority opinion in this case which laid down the basic structure doctrine (that the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution did not extend to destroying its essential features). In his judgment, Justice Chandrachud (a 'minority' judge) wrote that the impending retirement of Chief Justice Sikri did not leave enough time after the conclusion of arguments for an exchange of draft judgments. Of the 13 judges who constituted the bench, he said that he had the benefit of fully knowing the views of only four of them. Later, Justice Jaganmohan Reddy (a 'majority' Judge) wrote in his autobiography (The Judiciary I Served, 1999) that there were only eight judges at a conference convened by Sikri to discuss the case. He records that Justice A.N. Ray had told him that he had not been invited, that when he asked Sikri why some had not been called he said that he knew the views of those others but not those of the judges he had invited, and that he (Reddy) had told Sikri that it was not proper. Land act Some years later, Chandrachud as Chief Justice presided over a five judge Constitution Bench, which heard a challenge to the validity of the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, 1976 (Bhim Singhji, 1980). The judgment was delivered on November 13, 1980 since Justice Krishna Iyer was retiring two days later. Justice Tulzapurkar delivered a detailed judgment striking down the Act. On the other hand, Justice A.P. Sen wrote a detailed judgment declaring certain provisions of Sections 23 and 27 of the Act as invalid, but the rest of the Act as valid. In a very short order of seven paragraphs, Justices Chandrachud and Bhagwati declared the Act valid except for Section 27 (1) (unlike Sen who found fault with Section 23 as well) saying that "fuller reasons" would follow later. Krishna Iyer wrote an uncharacteristically short judgment agreeing with Chandrachud and Bhagwati saying: "I have not had the leisurely advantage of my learned Brothers' full judgments save some discussion but my impending retirement impels a hurried recording of my reasons for subscribing to the order passed just now." Almost five years later, just before Chandrachud's retirement in July 1985, a short order was delivered by him
Some years later, Chandrachud as Chief Justice presided over a five judge Constitution Bench, which heard a challenge to the validity of the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, 1976 (Bhim Singhji, 1980). The judgment was delivered on November 13, 1980 since Justice Krishna Iyer was retiring two days later.
Detox for Pollution Boards Making the Gross Domestic Product the sole measure of national development for many years has left Indians with a natural environment that is among the most polluted in the world. Regardless of that dismal outcome, and in spite of settled law that polluters should pay, the Centre and State governments continue to balk at stronger enforcement of environmental laws. New evidence from a study by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences on the approach of the States to their environment protection duties only confirms the view that they pay no more than lip service. The findings make it clear that the position of Chairman of a State Pollution Control Board is often used to reward political loyalists. This has been done even when the candidates lack prescribed qualifications, brazenly violating the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981. The malaise, though, is not of recent origin. An evaluation of SPCBs done more than a dozen years ago during the Eighth Plan and published by the Planning Commission referred to 'the predominance of nontechnical members in most of the Boards and the lack of professionals.' The effects of such policies of convenience were felt acutely over the last decade when GDP growth was robust. Unsurprisingly, India today brings up the rear in air quality even among Asian countries. Last year, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests disclosed that the Central Pollution Control Board had identified 43 critically polluted industrial clusters in 2009 for remediation. The outcomes are far from clear. Moreover, the poor record of SPCBs became evident when the CPCB issued 118 directions, after surprise checks, on failure of industries to comply with water and air quality laws between 2009 and 2012. Surprise checks and directions to State Boards can, however, cover only a small portion of industrial activity. Major laws relating to pollution remain a dead letter in most States, with rivers turned into sewers transporting waste downstream. Such contemptuous disregard for the environment can continue only at the cost of public health. There is a strong case to compel the SPCBs to publish, in real time on the Internet, data they gather under various laws and rules, particularly on water and air quality, noise pollution, and disposal of different types of waste. Lack of transparency in their working should be eliminated by setting up oversight panels with civil society representatives and independent technical members from reputed institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology. The moribund environment protection boards need a thorough shake-up, starting with the appointment of individuals with the right credentials to lead them.
Despite overtaking Japan as the third largest economy, India has lost its leadership role in the continent because, unlike its eastern neighbours, it has ignored its poor
The stock response of the Bharatiya Janata Party to the argument that Godhra makes Narendra Modi politically untouchable is "What about 1984?" There are several inadequate comebacks to that question and the best of them is that no one should use one pogrom to justify another. I once heard this used to good effect by the columnist, Aakar Patel, in a television discussion. This answer has the virtue of not being party-political nor attempting in some grotesque way to demonstrate that the pogrom permitted and encouraged by the Congress government in Delhi in 1984 was morally less horrible than the pogrom that occurred on the BJP's watch in Gujarat in 2002. The problem with this response, though, is that it doesn't answer the questions that fly in close formation behind the "What about 1984?" question, namely, "Why is the BJP worse than the Congress?" and, relatedly, "Why is Narendra Modi any worse than Rajiv Gandhi?" specially given the latter's infamous comment, "When a big tree falls, the earth shakes," which seemed, retrospectively, to rationalize the systematic killing of Sikhs in the days that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination. These are important questions regardless of
who asks them. The fact that they are often asked by Narendra Modi's unlovely supporters isn't a good reason for not taking them seriously. It has been nearly thirty years since the earth shook, and for those who didn't live through the horror of those days as reasoning adults, it is worth rehearsing the hideous significance of 1984 in the history of the republic. There had been communal violence right through the early history of the republic with mostly Muslims at the receiving end. The complicity of the lower echelons of the state apparatus in this violence - Uttar Pradesh's Provincial Armed Constabulary was notorious for its institutionalized animus against Muslims - was widely recognized. But the scale on which Sikhs were killed, the participation of Congressmen at every level, the total complicity of the police and the fact that the butchery happened in the country's capital, in Delhi, made 1984 a watershed in the history of the republic. In a previous column, I wrote about Modi doubling down on the Gujarat killings by refusing any expression of regret or responsibility and also by continuing to sponsor individuals like Maya Kodnani who had taken an active part in the violence. In this context, we should remember the way in which Rajiv Gandhi's Congress exploited the Delhi pogrom by running a fear-mongering election campaign that suggested that 1984 was a feature not a bug. I remember a Congress advertisement that unsubtly suggested that Indians ought to vote for the party of firm governance if their taxidrivers made them nervous, this, remember, at a time when Sikhs drove taxis in large numbers in Indian cities. I remember the Congress's election doggerel: "Chunauti nayi, ek sandesh,/ Mazboot hai haath, akhand hai desh." This, roughly translated, encouraged voters to vote for the 'Hand' (the Congress's election symbol) if they wanted a government capable of preserving India's unity. The use of the word, akhand, to indicate the unity and integrity of the nation was significant: the Congress, unprecedentedly, was using a word from the sangh parivar's playbook, stealing the idea of a majoritarian "akhand Bharat". Similarly, the reluctance of the Congress to purge itself of members accused of participating in the 1984 pogrom, its willingness to field them as parliamentary candidates and to appoint them to ministerial office, doesn't add up to a record that can be virtuously contrasted with the BJP's and Narendra Modi's brazenness after Godhra. 1984 had two major consequences. First, it radically undermined the Congress's claim to being a secular party that respected the political tradition of pluralism pioneered by its colonial avatar and consolidated by Nehru in the early years of the republic. The willingness of the Congress under Indira Gandhi to use sectarian issues for political ends had been
evident before 1984 but the party's willingness to sell its pluralist soul for immediate political advantage was most vividly illustrated in the days and months after her death. The Congress, after 1984, stood out more and more clearly as a party that couldn't even be accused of not having the courage of its convictions because it didn't have any convictions at all. Pluralism and its traditional opposition
Muslim ten years from now. It doesn't work even as a thought experiment. And the reason it doesn't work is that the BJP's ideology is essentially the encrustation of prejudice around an inconvenient and irreducible fact: the substantial and undeferential presence of minority communities in the republic, specially Muslims who, for the sangh parivar, are the unfinished business of Partition. The idea that
In a previous column, I wrote about Modi doubling down on the Gujarat killings by refusing any expression of regret or responsibility and also by continuing to sponsor individuals like Maya Kodnani who had taken an active part in the violence. In this context, we should remember the way in which Rajiv Gandhi's Congress exploited the Delhi pogrom by running a fearmongering election campaign that suggested that 1984 was a feature not a bug.
to majoritarianism became labels that the Congress used for brand management in particular political contexts, not as principles that shaped its political agenda. The second consequence of 1984 was that Indira Gandhi's assassination sealed the Congress's long transition to dynastic rule in blood. The rhetoric of martyrdom that debases the political utterances of the Congress faithful dates back to that time. From being a great pan-Indian party that made a subcontinent cohere into a republic, the Congress after 1984 regressed into a de- natured dynastic rump. Let us return to our question, namely, "What makes Modi and the BJP worse than the Congress and its dynasts, given the horror of 1984?" The answer is simple and unedifying. The Congress, by a kind of historical default, is a pluralist party that is opportunistically communal while the BJP is an ideologically communal (or majoritarian) party that is opportunistically 'secular'. The difference between the Congress and the BJP doesn't lie mainly in the willingness of the former to express contrition about pogroms it helped organize; it is, perhaps, best illustrated by the fact that twenty years after the 1984 pogrom, the Congress assumed office with a Sikh at the helm who served as prime minister for two terms. Try to imagine a BJP government headed by a the BJP might appoint a Muslim head of government (as opposed to, say, the nomination of President Kalam to titular office) is unthinkable. It doesn't follow from this that Manmohan Singh's prime ministership is a sign of the Congress's political virtue; it isn't. It is, if anything, a symptom of the dynastic dysfunction that has diminished the Congress. But the reason his prime ministership is possible is that the Congress isn't ideologically committed to anti-Sikh bigotry (despite 1984) in the way that the BJP is committed to Hindu supremacy and the subordination of Muslims. That's why Narendra Modi so excites the sangh parivar's rank and file: the Gujarat Model is the BJP's test run for India, and it isn't the economics of it that sets the pulses of its cadres racing. So the reason the dynastic Congress isn't as dangerous as Modi's BJP is dispiriting but straightforward: while the Congress is capable of communalism, it isn't constituted by bigotry. With Modi, even when he's talking economics and good governance, we get the "burqa of secularism" and Muslims as road kill. It's not his fault; from the time that Golwalkar sketched out his vision of an India where religious minorities were docile helots, bigotry has been Hindutva's calling card.
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Larger bench of SC to hear pleas of death row convicts
NEW DELHI, JULY 26: A larger bench of the Supreme Court will hear from October 22 a batch of petitions seeking commutation of their death sentence into life imprisonment on account of delay in carrying out the execution following the dismissal of their mercy petitions by the President.Death sentence matters will be taken up immediately after the Dussehra holidays from October 22, a bench, comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said.Before taking over as the CJI, Justice Sathasivam had told PTI that there was a need for authoritative pronouncements by a larger bench or a Constitution Bench on issues like mercy pleas to avoid conflicting views by smaller benches.The hearing by a larger bench assumes significance as on April 12, a two-judge bench had held that long delay in disposing off mercy pleas by the President or the Governor of persons convicted under antiterror laws or similar statutes cannot be a ground for commutation of death sentence.The ruling was pronounced while rejecting the plea of Khalistani terrorist and death row convict Devinderpal Singh Bhullar.When the April 12 judgement was delivered, there were over 20 convicts facing execution. Later on, an apex court bench had granted relief to a condemned prisoner M N Das who had sought conversion of his death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of delay in deciding his mercy plea. On February 18 this year, a bench headed by Justice Sathasivam, which in an urgent hearing had stayed the execution of death sentence of sandalwood smuggler Veerapans associates in a Karnataka jail, had said it would wait for the Bhullars case judgement before dealing with other identical petitions.It had stayed the execution of death sentence of Veerappans elder brother Gnanaprakash and his aides Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran. The outcome of the hearing before a larger bench will also have its bearing on three persons Murgan, Santhan and Perarivalan who are awaiting execution after conviction under TADA in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A bench headed by Justice Sathasivam had on April 6 stayed the execution of eight more death row prisoners, convicted in different murder cases, whose clemency pleas were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. The eight convicts facing death row in different cases are Suresh, Ramji, Gurmeet Singh, Praveen Kumar, Sonia and her husband Sanjeev, Sundar Singh and Jafar Ali.
cannot provide meal to one mouth, he added. After Dr. Amartya Sens controversial remarks that he would not like to see Mr. Modi as Indias Prime Minister,
another noted economist Jagdish Bhagwati had told CNN-IBN in an interview that he has no particular affection for either Mr. Modi or Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
unfortunate.BJP is not a part of it. Views expressed by member/s can only be construed as their personal opinion, she said. Dr. Sen had hit
back at Mr. Mitra, saying if former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asks him to return the Bharat Ratna, he will do so.
Masood had claimed that a mere Rs. 5 was sufficient for a meal in Delhi. Mr. Maken, in a statement,
attacked BJP for criticizing the Rs. 33.30 Poverty Line figures of the Planning Commission, saying the
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SPANISH TRAIN CRASH: POLICE LOWER DEATH COUNT TO 78
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, SPAIN, JULY 26: Spanish police on Friday detained the driver of a train that crashed in northwestern Spain, lowered the death toll from 80 to 78 and took possession of the black boxes of the train expected to shed light on why it was going faster than the speed limit on the curve where it derailed. Police scientists examining the remains of those killed in Spains worst train crash in decades lowered the death count from 80 people to 78 on Friday and said the count could change as they continue their work identifying body parts and associating them with others. Investigators, meanwhile, have taken possession of the black boxes of the train, which hurtled at high-speed along a curve and derailed, court spokeswoman Maria Pardo Rios said on Friday. The boxes record trains trip data, including speed and distances and braking and are similar to flight recorders for airplanes. The revised death toll came as
bourhood. The two sides also reviewed the status of various measures for bilateral defence cooperation and the progress
in areas pursuant to their discussions in February this year during the French President's visit to India, the statement said. The Ministers noted
forensic scientists matched body parts with each other at a makeshift morgue in Santiago de Compostela, in the northwestern Galicia region, where the train crashed on Wednesday just as it was entering the outskirts of the city, said Antonio de Amo, the police chief in charge of the scientific service for Spains National Police. Mr. De Amo said police are still working to identify what they believe are the remains of six people. The driver, Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, was officially detained in the hospital where he was recover-
ing, said Jaime Iglesias, the National Police chief of the Galicia region where the crash happened just on the outskirts of the regional capital, Santiago de Compostela. Mr. Iglesias said that Mr. Garzon Amo would be questioned as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident. The driver, under guard by police, cannot yet testify because of his medical condition, Mr. Iglesias said, adding that he did not have details of the medical condition but that it could delay efforts by police to question him.
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (SPAIN), JULY 26: Probe of deadly derailment in Spain focuses on train speed By all accounts, the train was going way too fast as it curled around a gentle bend. Then in an instant, one car tumbled off the track, followed by the rest of the locomotive, which seemed to come apart like a zipper being pulled. The derailment sent pieces of the sleek train plowing across the ground in a ghastly jumble of smashed metal, dirt and smoke. But a day after Spain suffered its deadliest rail disaster in decades, which killed 80 people and maimed scores of others, one question surpassed all others: Why was the train moving so fast? Investigators opened a probe on Thursday into possible failings by the 52-year-old driver and the trains in-built speed-regulation systems. Experts said one, or both, must be at fault for the disastrous Wednesday night crash of the train that was carrying 218 passengers and five crew
Spain train crash: King Juan Carlos visits injured survivors PROTESTS AFTER TUNISIAN OPPOSITION LEADER KILLED
TUNIS, TUNISIA, JULY 26: Angry anti-government demonstrations broke out on Thursday across Tunisia after gunmen killed the leader of a leftist opposition party, raising fears of new chaos on the difficult road to democracy in the cradle of the Arab Spring. Just five months after a similar assassination plunged the country into crisis, two gunmen shot Mohammed Brahmi, leader of the Popular Current party, in his car outside his home. Tunisia is struggling after overthrowing dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. Many Tunisians are fed up with the government led by the moderate Islamist ruling party, Ennahda, which appears unable to handle a faltering economy, address popular unrest over unmet expectations and crack down on a rising extremist Islamist movement. Protesters immediately blamed the latest killing on the government. Soon after news broke, crowds gathered outside the Interior Ministry in the heart of Tunis calling for its downfall. There were also demonstrations around the country, including in Sidi Bouzid, Brahmis impoverished home town and the birthplace of the countrys revolution. Crowds in the nearby town of Meknassi burned down the local headquarters of Ennahda, which rules in a coalition with two secular parties. The Popular Front coalition of leftist parties that included Brahmis called for civil disobedience in all locations of the country until the fall of the governing coalition. The countrys largest trade unions called for a general strike on Friday that will shutter the government, public transportation and most shops freeing people up for what are expected to be large anti-government protests. There were
members to Santiago de Compostela, a destination of Catholic pilgrimage preparing to celebrate its most revered saint. Instead, this stunned city of nearly 100,000 converted its sports arena into a shelter for the dead and the grieving. All Spaniards feel the pain of the families, said Spains head of state, King Juan Carlos, as he and Queen Sofia met hospitalised survivors of the crash 4 kilometres south of Santiago de Compostela. The royal couple dressed in funereal black.
For a native of Santiago like me, this is the saddest day, said Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who toured the crash scene and declared a national three-day mourning period. The regional government of Galicia, in northwest Spain, said 94 people remained hospitalised, 31 of them in critical condition, including four children. The U.S. State Department said one American died and at least five others were hurt but cautioned that those figures could be revised upward.
no immediate claims of responsibility for Brahmis killing. The two attackers sped off on a moped, according to a neighbour cited by the state news agency. Local media reported Brahmi was shot 11 times and his daughter witnessed his killing. The killing immediately brought to mind the assassination of Chokri Belaid, also a member of the Popular Front coalition, who was killed in his car out-
side his home in February. Many members of Belaids party hold the government responsible for his assassination, believing it either turned a blind eye to Islamist extremists or actively used them to target their opponents. The government has blamed Belaids assassination on Islamist militants and said that six suspects are still on the run and their names will soon be revealed.
ECONOMY
PNB Q1 PROFIT INCHES UP EPFO starts registration of digital signatures of employers 2.4% TO RS 1,275 CRORE
NEW DELHI, JULY 26: Online transfer of PF accounts on changing jobs will soon be a reality as retirement fund manager EPFO has started registering digital signatures of employers, a prerequisite for providing the facility. According to an official circular, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has directed its over 120 field offices to depute a nodal officer to facilitate the registration of digital signatures of firms. The facility of uploading digital signatures will be available on the Online Transfer Claim Portal through the EPFO website, www.Epfindia.Gov.In. According to EPFO, the success of online transfer of PF accounts would depend on how many employers register their digital signatures, which are essential to authenticate transfer claims. Taking the first step towards launching online PF transfer claim facilities, EPFO had earlier this month unveiled a revised claim form for the purpose. EPFO is likely to start the online PF transfer claim facility by the end of next month. With this, EPF subscribers would be able to apply online to transfer their accounts through their new employers. The revised transfer claim form can be presented after verification by the present NEW DELHI, JULY 26: Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Friday posted a marginal 2.4 percent growth in net profit at Rs 1,275 crore during the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal due to higher provisioning. The bank had a net profit of Rs 1,246 crore during the April-June quarter of the previous fiscal. Total income of the bank rose to Rs 11,747 as against Rs 11,722 crore in the same quarter a year ago, PNB Chairman and Managing Director K R Kamath said here. However, interest income during the quarter declined by 1.4 percent at Rs 10,405 crore against Rs 10,554 crore in the first quarter of the previous fiscal. The gross non-performance asset (NPA) as a proportion of advances went up significantly to 4.84 percent against 3.34 percent at the end of June last year. Net NPA also rose to 2.98 percent during the period from 1.68 percent in the same period of previous year. In absolute terms, the gross NPA
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employer or the previous employer. Previously, the form could be submitted only after verification by the present employer. EPFO has set up a central clearance house to enable subscribers to apply online for PF withdrawal and transfer claim settlements. During 2012-13, 107.62 lakh claims were settled, of which 88 per cent were processed within 30 days, as prescribed by the body's citizen charter. EPFO expects 1.2 crore claims in 201314, including around 13 lakh PF transfer claims. It plans online settlements of about 10 lakh transfer claims of tech-savy applicants from industries such as IT this fiscal.
rose by 51 percent to Rs 15,090 crore while net NPA increased by 84 percent to Rs 9,060 crore at the end of June 2012 on year-on-year basis. One big account in gems and jewellery segment (Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery) failed during the quarter, he said, adding, Rs 1,600 crore turned NPA. Thus, the bank made provision of Rs 401 crore for exposure to the Winsome account out of the total provision of Rs 674 crore during the quarter. When asked if the bank is considering to further
lower the base rate, Kamath said there is no plan as of now. "We are watching the market," he said. On a deposit rate hike he said, there is no plan as liquidity is comfortable as of now. Asked about rising bad loans, Kamath said: "This has been an area of concern but we have been able to contain this in the last two quarters." Lower than expected performance, pulled down shares of PNB by 5.15 percent to Rs 595.95 apiece at the end of today's trading session on the BSE.
MISC
gle resulted in Taylor's run out in the same over. In a matter of deliveries, Zimbabwe went from 109 for one to 109 for three, almost effectively taking the sting out of their attempted
8
J&K fencers bag overall 2nd place in Mini National
JAMMU, JULY 26: The team of young fencers from the state returned home with overall runners-up trophy in the boys section in the just concluded 4th Mini Fencing Championship held at Nashik in Maharashtra. To claim the runners-up trophy, J&K fencers won three medals, including gold in Sarbe individual competition. Earlier, in Sabre team event, J&K lost to Manipur 13-15 in a close contest to finish second in the team championship. The Sabre team was comprised of Mayank Sharma, Amit Chib, Abhishek Chib and Tanish Mahajan. In individual Sabre event, Amit Chib clinched gold while Mayank Sharma finished third to secure a
stump to hit it for a six over long on to reach his half-century in style. Sibanda and Masakadza added 64 runs from 57 deliveries before a breakthrough arrived. Just when the duo was starting to settle down, Kohli brought back Unadkat and the move worked instantly. Unadkat started with a short delivery to Sibanda who failed to clear Amit Mishra at deep midwicket. He fell for 55 from 65 deliveries. At this stage, Zimbabwe were 109 for two in the 21st over. Skipper Brendon Taylor walked out with the entire nation's hopes of orchestrating an upset on his broad shoulders. But that was out of question within moments of his arrival as a hesitant attempt to take a quick sin-
chase. Malcolm Waller walked out with the score at 127 for four in the 27th over. But, Zimbabwe suffered another setback as a set Masakadza threw his wicket away. Mishra was lucky to get a wicket off a half-tracker when Masakadza failed to clear Shami Ahmed when he tried to play an aerial shot over short fine leg. He departed for 34. Elton Chigumbura walked out but couldn't garner a big partnership as Mishra dismissed Waller. Waller attempted a sweep and Mishra struck with another googly. He used three googlies to pick up as many wickets in the first ODI and he unleashed another lethal one to send back Waller. Zimbabwe were down 133 for six in the 31st over.
J&K fencing team with overall Fencing Championship. bronze medal. Meanwhile, president of J&K Amateur Fencing Association, M J Sharma and secretary, Vijay Sharma congratulated the young fencers their performance at the maiden participa-
runners-up trophy won in Mini tion in Mini National. The winning team was accompanied by Shottu Lal Sharma as coach while Ujjwal Gupta, Javed Ahmed, Nakul Sharma and Monika Sharma were managers.
JOHANNESBURG, JULY 26: The 2013 World Transplant Summer Games will take place in the South African port city of Durban from Sunday. More than 1,800 participants from 50 countries and regions will take part in the Games, in which there would be over 50 events including golf, volleyball, bowling, athletics, swimming, tennis and squash. The Games are the biggest organ donor awareness event in the world, those
who will compete in the event will be recipients of either solid organs or bone marrow. The event is aimed at encouraging the public to be organ donors and offer hope to those waiting transplants. The World Transplant Games Federation president Olivier Coustere Thursday said: "Countries that have hosted the event have experienced a 30 percent or higher increase in organ donation rates." James Nxumalo, Mayor of Ethekwini
Municipality where the games would be held, Thursday expressed joy at hosting the competition. "The world transplant games are a celebration of the human spirit, giving individuals with previously life-threatening illnesses the chance to compete in a high-level sports event and prove that they can not only lead normal, fulfilling lives, but push the boundaries of their physical endurance," Nxumalo said.
on insistence of Mr. Randhir Singh. "Mr. Randhir Singh recently spent 15 days in June/July 2013 shuttling between London and Lausanne and meeting most of the IOC members to get conditions put in Ethics Code to harm the interest of few persons within IOA and also get the scheduled IOA meetings delayed and both of you (Chautala and Bhanot) are aware of it," he wrote.
"The venues blocked for both the meetings for 25 August and 29 September by me, will stand blocked for the meeting as committed by me and be rest assured there will be no backing out on the commitments done by me. "I confirm and assure you of my unconditional support and respect for both of you and you will always find me standing behind you whenever you require my services."
Clean as a whistle` Bolt aims to renew faith in athletics following drug scandal
revealed that he was even more focused and ready to do better to inspire people and show them that it was possible, insisting that he never took drugs along with admitting that more care needed to be exercised as an athlete now that there were many things on the banned list. Bolt said that he was tested just day before Thursday and it was all part of the routine and added that he was fast because he had a talent. Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson recently tested positive, as did American Tyson Gay, the fastest man in the world this year, the report said.
LONDON: After fellow Jamaican athletes failed crucial drug tests, six-time Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt has assured that he wants to help restore faith in the sport, adding that he would work even harder to help the country and the sport. According to BBC, Bolt
PARIS: Serbia`s Viktor Troicki, a former world number 12 and a Davis Cup winner in 2010, was banned for 18 months for flouting doping rules, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said. The 27-year-old Troicki was found guilty of failing to provide a blood sample during a drugs test at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. "Mr Troicki provided a urine sample, but did not provide a blood sample," said an ITF statement on Thursday. "He asserted to an independent tribunal that he was assured by the doping control officer (DCO) that it would be acceptable not to provide a sample on account of him feeling unwell that day. "However, the tribunal concluded that the DCO told Mr Troicki that she could not advise him as to whether his reason for not providing a blood sample was valid, and that no such assurances were given by her."
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