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VOL: 2 ISSUE 46Feb. 26, 2009
New Delhi, Feb 26:
Terming theMadras High Courtviolence as "serious" and"sad", the Supreme Courton Thursday directed thestate government inTamil Nadu to transferfour top copsresponsible for thepolice’ excesses againstlawyers while ordering a judicial probe.A bench headed byChief Justice K GBalakrishnan alsoappointed a retired apexcourt judge Justice BSrikrishna to inquire intothe clash betweenlawyers and police inMadras High Court.The BSrikrishna committeewill submit its interimreport within two weeksto the apex court.The apexcourt, while trying torestore calm among theagitating lawyers’community, directed thestate government totransfers the JointCommissioner ofChennai and threeDeputy Commissionerof Police for their role inthe clashes.However, thebench stopped short ofordering thesuspension of the topcops citing that it wouldbe against the morals ofbureaucracy.The benchallowed the twocommittees set up bythe High Court toassess the damage tothe vehicles and theproperties of the Courtand to look into theinjuries caused to thelawyers to function.The SupremeCourt asked thelawyers, who are on astrike since January 29,to withdraw theiragitation at the earliest.The courtposted the matter forfurther hearing onMarch 3.Appealing tothe agitating lawyers tomaintain decorum anddiscipline in the court,the Bench said theyshould not holdmeetings and shout anyslogans in the Courtcorridors.The apex courthad on Wednesdaygiven a 24 hoursdeadline to the TamilNadu government toinform at whoseinstance the police hadentered the MadrasHigh Court premises onFebruary 19.The advocatebody from Chennai hadobjected to the settingup of the committee bythe Tamil NaduGovernment.The court hadearlier ruled out setting upof a judicial inquiry undera sitting judge.The bench saidthe incident was serious inwhich the judges andlawyers became victim ofthe clash and there was alot of destruction ofproperty.The apex courtsaid that the state shouldgenerously consideroffering financialassistance to the lawyerswhose vehicles weredamaged by the police inthe court premises.The court saidthat for those lawyers whowere injured in the clash,the state will bear theexpenses for theirtreatment.
SC orders judicial probe,transfer of cops
‘
Chennai, Feb 26:
 'Jai Ho,' theoscar winningcomposition of MusicMaestro A R Rahmanrent the air outside theInternational Airport inthe wee hours of today,as the Oscars winnerarrived here to arousing reception.A huge crowdwaiting outside theairport, burst intoapplause as Rahman,accompanied by hismother and wife arrived,carrying two Oscars, hewon for best originalscore and best originalsong 'Jai Ho' for the filmSlumdog Millionaire.As they werescreaming for hisattention, the crowdsurged ahead to greetthe Mozart of Madras asthe security personnelsweat it out to takeRahman to his waitingcar. Rahman's sisters,his family members,Drummer Sivamani withhis team, actorParthiban and scores ofpeople from variouswalks of life andstudents from
Jai Ho' rents air as Rahman arrivesto a rousing reception
Rahman's music schoolaccorded a rousingreception to him.Rahmanarrived at 0215 hrs byan Emirates flight fromUS enroute Dubai asthe 'Congrates Jai HoRahman' illuminatedbanner greeted himoutside the airport.There was music anddance all around theairport and shouts of JaiHo and drum beats rentthe air as Rahman liftedthe Oscars statuetteand waved to the crowd.On behalf ofthe Tamil Nadugovernment,Information MinisterParithi Ilamavazhuthireceived Rahman bypresenting him a goldenshawl.He was given aceremonial drive from theairport to his residence,where he told a televisionchannel 'I dedicate theOscars to the people ofthe country and youngand budding musicartistes.' He said theOscars would not takehim to the west and hewould continue to playmusic for Tamil, Telugu,Hindi and English films.The entirestretch of the road,leading to his residencewas decorated withflowers and illuminatedlights as Rahman,travelling in a open car,stepped into his house ona carpet of roses, amidbursting of crackers andwaving of tri-colour.
 
Times Chennai E-PaperFeb. 26, 2009Page 2
Gangtok, Feb. 26
Acclaimedagriculture scientist Prof MS Swaminathan, alsofamous as 'Father of GreenRevolution in India', hasbeen announced by SikkimUniversity as its chancellor.Sikkim University,the 23rd varsity in India,announced theappointment of Prof MSSwaminathan onWednesday in acommunique.''A trained plantgeneticist, ProfessorSwaminathan'sadvocacy of sustainableagricultural has led to theGreen Revolution inIndia.itmade him anacknowledged world leaderin the field ofsustainablefood security,''thecommuniquesaid.ProfSwaminathanis currently aRajya Sabhamember, aposition towhich he was nominatedby the Centre inrecognition to hisoutstanding contributiontowards the sphere ofagriculture.ProfSwaminathan, also thechairman of the NationalCommission onAgriculture, Food andNutrition Security of India(National Commission onFarmers), is also holdingthe UNESCO-CousteauChair in Ecotechnologyat the M S SwaminathanResearch Foundation inChennai.Among theendless list of awardsreceived by ProfSwaminathan, thenotables are the RamonMagsaysay Award forCommunity Leadershipin 1971, the AlbertEinstein World ScienceAward in 1986 and thefirst World Food Prize in1987 and the Volvo andTyler Prize forEnvironment.He also baggedthe Indira Gandhi Prizefor Peace andDisarmament andDevelopment in 2000,the Franklin D Rooseveltfour Freedoms Medaland the Mahatma GandhiPrize of Unescoin 2000.
- Agencies
M S Swaminathan appointedSikkim University Chancellor
Chennai, Feb. 26 :
 Tamil Nadu ChiefMinister M Karunanidhi,who is recuperating after aspinal surgery, would cometo the State Assembly onFebruary 27, the last day ofthe brief Budget Session.Announcing thisin the State Assembly,Finance Minister andLeader of the House KAnbazhagan said the ChiefMinister was keen to attendthe proceedings and mightmake it to the House on thelast day though doctorshad advised him completerest.The ChiefMinister was very muchinterested to attend theHouse at least for a dayduring the BudgetSession and he woulddefinitely come to theAssembly on February27 with the help ofdoctors.Mr Anbazhagansaid like the ChiefMinister, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh wasalso taking rest after aheart surgery and was allset to take up official workin a couple of days.He wished boththe leaders long life. ''Ialso wish OppositionLeader J Jayalalithaa onthe occasion of her 61stbirthday. She should livelong to see thecontinuance of the DMKRegime in the State.'' Onthe AIADMK's demandfor the dissolution of theState Assembly followingthe February 19 violentclash between thelawyers and the police,the Minister said no onehad the right to demandthe dissolution of theHouse.''One candemand the dismissal ofthe government and notthe dissolution of theHouse,'' he claimed.
- Agencies
CM to attend Assembly onFeb 27:Minister
Chennai, Feb. 26:
Tamil Nadu ChiefMinister M Karunanidhi,who underwent a spinalcord surgery, will bedischarged from hospitalon March 1 and has beenadvised rest for the nextfour weeks.The 84-year-oldChief Minister wasexamined by Delhi-basedspine surgeon Dr ArvindJaiswal, who performedthe surgery on February 11at the Sri RamachandraMedical College Hospital(SRMCH) here, and all thesutures were removed onWednesday, a medicalbulletin issued onWednesday night said."He(Karunanidhi) was madeto stand and sit on achair. He has beenadvised rest for next fourweeks and had also beenadvised variousphysiotherapy exercises.He will be dischargedfrom the hospital onMarch 1," SRMCH ChiefOrthopaedic Surgeon DrS S K Marthandam,heading a team of 14doctors set up to monitorthe Chief Minister'shealth condition, said.Karunanidhiwas admitted to thehospital on January 26 fortreatment of a musclestrain that had beencausing pain in his spinalcord and the doctors onFeb 9 decided to performthe surgery as there wasno reduction in the pain.Accordingly, heunderwent a three-hour-long minimal invasivesurgery under generalanaesthesia.
- Agencies
Karunanidhi to be discharged on Mar 1
Chennai, Feb. 26
A five-memberteam comprising AnnaUniversity (Chennai)professors and an officialof the directorate oftechnical education(DoTE) on Wednesdayinspected the PMRInstitute of Technology insuburban Adyalampattu,a self-financing collegewhich was in the newsrecently for allegedimpersonation of faculty."We havevideo-graphed thedeposition of all staff,managementrepresentatives andstudents. We verified thevarious charges againstthe institution. Afterexamining the recordeddeposition, we will submita report to the universityon our findings," amember of the inspectionteam told media."The team willmeet parents separatelyand submit a final reportwithin ten days. Initially,the team was slated toinspect the college onFebruary 18, two daysafter classes resumed onthe campus. But thecollege managementrepresented to usseeking time till March 2to rectify certaininadequacies. Wedecided to send the teamtoday," vice chancellor PMannar Jawahar said.The teamcomprised professors PKanagasabapathy, PDevadas Manoharan, VJayabalan and T VGeetha; and additionaldirector of technicaleducation ElwinChandramouli. Theuniversity had earlier thismonth threatened toissue a show causenotice to the collegemanagement asking whyits affiliation should notbe withdrawn theinstitution allegedlyproduced a couple ofschool teachers andoutsiders as facultyduring an inspection.This hadsparked a students'unrest on February 9.The protesting studentsand parents alleged thatthere was noinfrastructure on thecampus and demandedthat they be transferred toother colleges. Thestudents of the PMREngineering College, asister-institution also joined the protest.However, officialsmade it clear that studentscannot be transferred fromone college to another inthe middle of an academicyear and decided to deputea team to assess theground realities on thecampus and take actionaccordingly. The officialsalso instructed the collegemanagement to rectify thedeficiencies on thecampus."Originally, theuniversity did not mentionabout infrastructuraldeficiencies in our college.The students hadsubsequently raised theissue of the aeronauticallaboratory being ill-equipped. Now twolaboratories are in placeand we have procured theequipment for the thirdlaboratory which will beinstalled soon. Thesupplier had delayeddelivery of the equipment.We have the requiredstaff," P Muthuvel Raj,chairman, PMR group ofinstitutions said.
- TNN
Varsity team talks toPMR staff, students
Chennai, Feb. 26
Security hasbeen intensified at theDGP's office herefollowing reports thatagitating advocatescould picket the building,officials said."Commandoswere posted at the DGP'soffice, while security wasstrengthened up at thecity commissioner'soffice," they said.In the wake ofthe lawyers-police clashat the Madras High Courton February 19, theadvocates have beendemanding action againsttop police officials,including the DGP andCommissioner. Severalpeople were injured whenpolice resorted tolathicharge then.
-Agencies
Security beefed up at DGP's office
Chennai, Feb. 26
 The St John'sInternational ResidentialSchool in Palanjur nearChennai has come upwith a full scholarshipscheme that will annuallyfund the education ofthree candidates fromthe next academic year.The scholarship hasbeen instituted inmemory of the founder ofthe institution."The BishopRajakumar FullScholarship Scheme isaimed at helpingdeserving candidatesbelonging to threecategories children ofState governmentemployees, centralgovernment employeesand print media journalists from TamilNadu. One student willbe selected in eachcategory every year andawarded a fullscholarship. A high levelcommittee will be formedto decide the workingmodalities of the schemeincluding the criteria forselection," R KishoreKumar, senior principal,St John's InternationalResidential School, saidat the XVI annual day ofthe institutionscelebrated last week.According tohim, the school has alsoset up a research anddevelopment divisionwhich will study thelearning difficultiesnormally experienced bythe students and work onCorrecting Techniques' tocounter learningdisabilities. Chandraayan I& II project director MAnnadurai, Central Boardof Secondary Education(Chennai Region) jointsecretary N Nagaraju andUnited States vice consul inChennai Ravindra MSrivastava participated inthe annual daycelebrations, a pressrelease said.
-Agencies
St John's school announcesscholarships
 
Page 3
 
Times Chennai E-PaperFeb. 26, 2009
Chennai, Feb. 26
Indicating theTamil Nadu government'sreadiness to reconsidernotification of the amendedversion of the Code ofCriminal Procedure (CrPC)in the state, finance ministerK Anbazhagan told the stateassembly on Wednesdaythat the government wouldtake a suitable decision onthe matter within a week.Advocates havebeen opposing amendmentsto the present form of theCrPC, and have been urgingthe state government not tonotify the amendmentswhich had already beenpassed by the both housesof the Parliament andobtained the Presidentialassent on January 21.Following this, lawyers in thestate had abstained fromcourts on February 18protesting the possiblenotification of theamendments in the state.On Wednesday,Anbazhagan, whilereplying to a debate on thebudget, said thegovernment would take anappropriate decision on thematter within a week. Asper the amended Section401 of the Code, policecannot arrest any personaccused of havingcommitted an offencecarrying a sentence of lessthan seven years. Insteadof the arrest, the accusedshall be served with amemo of appearancedirecting them to appearbefore the jurisdictionalpolice for inquiry.Assailing thisprovision, lawyers havebeen arguing that thiswould prompt the police tobook every accused forgrave offences so that theperson concerned could bearrested instead of simplybeing asked to appear forinquiry.However, asenior advocate of theMadras high court said theamended Code, whichreceived the Presidentialassent on January 21codifies several mandatorypre-arrest formalities laiddown by the SupremeCourt in the D K Basu andother cases, andexpresses a lot ofsensitivity to womenvictims of grave offencessuch as rape."Ranging from incamera hearing, preferablyby a woman judge, insexual harassment cases,to a useful victimcompensation scheme,this version of the CrPC isfull of pro-human rightelements," he said, addingthat the amended Section372 even empowers avictim, besides theprosecution, to appealagainst the acquittal oraward of lesser sentenceto an accused.
- TNN
CrPC amendments may be sacrificed
Chennai, Feb. 26
 The stategovernment on Wednesdayappointed deputy inspectorgeneral of police,administration, M Ravi as joint commissioner of policefor the city's north zone. SNSeshasai, who wastransferred and posted as joint commissioner, northzone, following the police-lawyers clash at the highcourt had not taken charge.He has now been posted asDIG, CB-CID, Chennai. Theearlier joint commissioner,north, M Ramasubramani,under whose jurisdiction thehigh court police station falls,had been shifted as DIGrailways, but he has gonegone on leave. He is now onthe waiting list said anotification on Wednesdayfrom the GovernmentCoimbatore DIG PSivanandi, Madurai DIG SSKrishnamoorthy, MaduraiSP M Manohar, who hadbeen ordered to be shiftedby the election commissionin previous elections havenow been transferred toposts unrelated to electionwork. In the run-up to the2004 Lok Sabha elections,then DIG intelligenceSivanandi had beenordered to be shifted by theelection commission,following a complaint bythe DMK. Krishnamoorthiand Manohar were shiftedduring the recently heldTirumangalam by-election.Sivanandi wason Wednesday transferredas DIG railways, whileKrishnamoorthy becomesDIG, CB-CID, SIT,Chennai in an existingvacancy. Manohar hasbeen posted as deputycommissioner of police,traffic police, south,Chennai.Ashok KumarDas, DIG, technicalservices, was transferredas Ramanathapuram DIG.VA Ravikumar, DIG ofCBCID will be the new DIGfor Coimbatore range.Nirmal Kumar Joshi, DC,traffic, Chennai sourth willbe the deputycommissioner ofPulianthope vice SPanneerselvam.TiruvannamalaiSP V Balakrishnan wastransferred as Madurai SPand Panneerselvam will bethe new SP forTiruvannamalai. NKSenthamaraikannan willbe the new DC,Washermanpet in the city.S Santhi is the SP for thenewly created Tirupurdistrict.
-Agencies
 
Reshuffle in police department :Ravi is new JC for Chennai North Zone
Chennai, Feb 26 :
 The Ministry ofTourism, Government ofIndia has conferred theNational Tourism Award2007-08 in Two-StarCategory to Hotel Pandian inEgmore for the second time.Union HomeMinister P Chidambarampresented the award inpresence of the UnionMinister for Tourism andCulture, Ambika Soni at afunction in New Delhi lastevening, a release fromHotel Pandian said here onWednesdayP F Manoraj,Executive Director of HotelPandian and his spouse NitaPamela Manoraj receivedthe award at the NationalTourism Awards Function atConvention Hall, The Ashokin New Delhi.''It is indeed ahonour and a greatprivilege to be chosen toreceive the NationalTourism Award for thesecond time'', an elated MrManoraj said afterreceiving the prestigiousaward.Hotel Pandian, aunit of Harrington HotelsPrivate Limited, PandianGroup of Companies, is anISO-Certified Two-StarHotel in Egmore, theaccommodation hub of thecity.It has 90 air-conditioned and non-a/crooms, 24-hour check-out,round-the-clock roomservice, Multi-CuisineRestaurant, Permit Room(Bar), Banquet Halls, On-line reservation, WiFi,internet browsing, safedeposit, money changing,western money, travelcounter, same day laundry,doctor on call and businesscommunication.The hotel had thehonour of having receivedthe best Two Star Hotel inTamil Nadu in 1996. 1997-98 and 1999-2000Regional Tourism Award forExcellence in Two-Starcategory by Ministry ofTourism, Government ofIndia and 2003-2004 -National Tourism Award foroutstanding performancein Two-Star Category byMinistry of Tourism,Government of India.
-Agencies
Tourism Ministry confers nationalaward for Hotel Pandian
DRDO to make indigenous Arjun tank hi-tech
Chennai Feb 26 :
 The DefenceResearch andDevelopment Organization(DRDO) will be developingaround 12 futuristicsystems in five years forincorporation into India'sfirst indigenously builtArjun main battle tank(MBT), an official saidhere."The futuristictechnology systemsinclude automatic targettracking, defensive aids,laser warning, tanksimulator systems. We arelooking at developingrobotic vehicles that wouldwork on tele-link," R.Jayakumar, associatedirector of the DRDO'sCombat VehiclesResearch andDevelopmentEstablishment (CVRDE),told reporters. Theorganisation also plans toautomate the tracking oftargets."With the firingand mobility powers of thetank being satisfactory, thefocus is now on making thevehicle invisible to theenemy throughdevelopment of detectionavoidance and laserwarning systems," saidJayakumar. One of the labsunder the DRDO, CVRDEis also in the process ofdeveloping tank simulatorssimilar to flight simulators."Afterundergoing simulatortraining, a soldier cancomfortably operate thevehicle," said Jayakumar.When asked about thestatus of the Indian Army'sorder for 124 Arjun tanks,CVRDE director S.Sundaresh said: "Theorder will be completed thisyear. We are confident ofgetting more orders, whichwould enable us to havemore local componentcontent in the battlemachine."Presently, thelocal content is around 50percent. The engine andpower train has beenimported from Germany."We plan tosource engines fromCummins India for futureorders. If more orderscome by, we can reducethe imported content to 25percent," Sundareshadded.The researchorganisation hastransferred the technologyto the Heavy VehiclesFactory in Avadi town."More than 10,000drawings running intoaround 2,000 pages havebeen passed on to thevehicle manufacturer,"Sundaresh said.Asked about thedelays in developing thetank, officials said the armyfroze its specifications onlyin November 1985.“The tank wasunveiled in 1995. It takes atleast 10 years for anycountry to develop a battletank from the scratch. Thearmy put the pre-productiontanks (15 units) to rigoroustests totalling more than70,000 km and fired over7,000 rounds. No other tankwould have undergone suchtests," said Jayakumar.Meanwhile tocommemorate the DRDO'sgolden jubilee, five of its labs- CVRDE, VehiclesResearch and DevelopmentEstablishment,Ahmednagar; Research andDevelopment Establishment(Engineers), Dighi; Snowand Avalanche StudyEstablishment, Manali; andCentre for ArtificialIntelligence and Robotics,Bangalore - will hold a twoday exhibition here startingFeb 28.
-Agencies
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