2 th September Issue-36/2013 (2nd September to 27 August) - 27 August

CLASS NOTES: 2 September-27August, 2013

(Compiled from 11 Newspapers & 7 Magazines)
As the regulator tries to clean up Indias broadcasting space, it should act only after due consultation with all stakeholders. It must also keep off issues of content. More information on TRAI o The mission of TRAI is to create and nurture an environment which will enable the quick growth of the telecommunication sector in the country. o One of the major objectives of TRAI is to provide a transparent policy environment. TRAI has regularly issued orders and directions on various subjects like tariff, interconnections, Direct To Home (DTH) services and mobile number portability. o In 2000, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) was constituted through an amendment of the 1997 act, through an ordinance. The primary objective of TDSATs establishment was to release TRAI from adjudicatory and dispute settlement functions in order to strengthen the regulatory framework. o Any dispute involving parties like licensor, licensee, service provider and consumers are resolved by TDSAT. Also, any direction, order or decision of TRAI can be challenged by appealing in TDSAT. afoul of sound sentencing principles, ought to be seen only in the light of the peculiar facts of those cases and not cited as precedents. He also strikes a note of caution to subordinate courts against any casual or cavalier use of judicial discretion to reduce the quantum of punishment. After all, as courts have often pointed out, rape is a crime against society and not merely against an individual.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

02 September 2013 TRAI v/s broad casters

The fiercest battle the broadcasting industry is fighting today is against the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), whose decision last March to enforce a rule limiting advertisement time on television to 12 minutes-per-hour has news channels up in arms. Citing shrinking revenues due to the ad-cap rule, the channels then moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which on Friday restrained TRAI from taking any coercive action for non-compliance. While TRAI seems to have gone overboard in seeking criminal prosecution of channels, it would be unfair to blame it for going by the rule-book The regulator is acting on behalf of consumers, who form the silent majority, rather than the vocal media businesses, which constitute a minority. Many news channels have a topheavy model with distorted salary patterns News networks have expanded way beyond their means. Their credibility is at an all-time low. A skewed television rating system allowed them to project greater reach than they had; Many channels made a conscious decision to move towards integrated newsrooms to take advantage of technology To only blame the TRAI decision for recent job-cuts - as is being done to exert pressure on it to pull back is disingenuous. In the case of one big network, the downsizing appears to be a result of assertion of control by its new corporate owners. In fact, this issue of corporate ownership and crossmedia holdings - is next on TRAIs agenda.

Sow the wind, reap a storm

The technical group appointed by the Supreme Court has chosen to stick with its recommendation for an indefinite moratorium on GM crop trials. In our country, agricultural biotechnology has been reduced to Bt ( Bacillus thuringensis toxin)-crops and further restricted to Bt cotton and Bt brinjal. Transgenic (or genetic modification) technology, which includes Bt crops, by itself occupies a large canvas to combat abiotic stresses and improve nutritive quality of the grain. In turn, transgenic technology is only one component of agri-biotech, which includes non-GM options such as marker-assisted selection breeding (MAS), reverse breeding, grafting non-GM scion onto GM-root stocks etc. In addition, there is a gamut of strategies to alter specific genes (e.g. zinc finger nuclease, SiRNA etc) to generate desirable variants in a given crop. While there is a huge effort to make regulatory protocols complex and time-consuming for GM-crops, We need to highlight the opportunities missed by not accepting GM crops. These include lost revenues for farmers, breeding companies and consumers, brain drain and lost technology innovations, reduced agricultural

NEWS IN NUTSHELL Much-needed clarity

The Supreme Courts categorical ruling that any compromise between victim and perpetrator in a rape case cannot be grounds for awarding a lesser prison term is a timely restatement of a salutary principle in sentencing policy. Noting that it will only be an additional burden on victims. In the latest judgment in Shimbhu and Another vs. State of Haryana , Chief Justice P. Sathasivam refers to a 2011 case in which the Supreme Court itself had accepted such a compromise, but wisely rules that such verdicts, which seem to run

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productivity and sustainability, foregone health benefits, especially reducing malnutrition, and many more realized or expected virtues of GM crop China is going full steam with almost 6,000 PhDs in agri-biotech alone (Chinese Academy of Sciences), whereas India has 8,900 PhDs in all sciences put together! GM is not a stand-alone technology. It can blend with conventional technologies, including organic farming. In fact, it is ideal to have a Bt crop as central to organic farming, since the overall objective is to decrease use of chemical pesticides. A leading organic farmer told me that his products are 60-per-cent organic! Biopesticides also work through chemicals and not by magic! Drought-tolerant maize and quality protein maize have been developed using MAS. Golden rice has been developed using the GM approach with two genes, one from daffodil and another from a soil bacterium. Millions of people and cattle in the globe have been eating Bt corn for over 15 years without any authenticated report of health or environmental problems. One needs to worry about water availability, loss of soil fertility and hostile weather conditions. Scientists are already looking for a cold shock protein to overcome drought stress, or a nitrate reductase gene that lets the organism grow with 100 times less nitrogen than normal. If MNCs are only interested in Bt and HT genes to make profits, let our institutions concentrate on abiotic stresses and nutrition quality. Given the level of awareness in the country, both among the literate and the illiterate, GM labelling is unlikely to succeed. There is no GM labelling in the U.S. and people are quite healthy! If drought-resistant cereal is obtained by MAS as well as GM technology, would we label both as genetically modified? Those opposing GM crops ignore scientific evidence of their harmlessness and are depriving the nation of the wider benefits of agribiotechnology Gulf last month. Reports have linked Iranian action to the detention of an Iranian ship in Mumbai for the last two years, suggesting that this was Tehrans way of getting back at New Delhi. MEA sources suggest Iran has never officially linked the two cases. New Delhi has found it difficult to accept Irans suggestion of transferring money from a rupee account for importing its oil to pay the ships creditors on whose complaint a worldwide red corner notice was issued and the vessel detained. Irans Director Said the Indian tanker was detained because it discharged its oily ballast water 48 km away from the Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, causing a 16 km oil slick on the sea. The detention of the Indian ship seems to have emerged as an irritant in Indo-Iran ties, which both sides have so far been unable to defuse. Experience over the years has shown that the numbers of handlooms as well as handloom weavers are declining sharply, and especially the younger generation is not willing to continue or enter into this profession owing to low generation of income and hard labour required to operate looms, a ministry official said () A substantial population of handloom weavers are still living in poor conditions Ignored sector The handloom census conducted by the government in 2010 did in fact show a decline in total looms and a reduction of new entries into the sector. The existing 44 lakh weavers continue to be targeted with the same schemes and welfare measures. Considerable migration from the sector, also evidenced by the census, proves that earlier schemes and measures have not improved their condition either. Case of infrastructure: it is evident that the needs of a decentralised production like in the handloom industry will have to be specialised. Centralised infrastructure will work only for certain processes, while the rest of the processes have to be handled differently. This does not reflect in the design of any of the schemes promoting infrastructure. The introduction of frame looms and stand looms These were introduced two decades ago as alternatives to pit looms but both have yielded poor results due to technical problems

01 September 2013 Handloom sector let down by definition

Any loom, other than powerloom; and includes any hybrid loom on which, at least one process for weaving requires manual intervention or human energy for production. (The new definition of handloom proposed by Ministry of Textiles) The textile industry in India comprises three sectors - the mill, the powerloom and the handloom. Of the total textile production in the country, powerlooms contribute 61.32 per cent, the mills 3.34 per cent and handlooms 11.28 per cent. The recent proposal for the change of definition of handlooms offers different things to these different sectors The powerloom industry, for instance, can now claim the status of handloom, as including one manual process in production is not a difficult proposition. With this small revision, the benefits and budgets allocated for handlooms can be accessed legitimately by the powerloom sector It might as well be a quiet end for the handloom sector as far as state support is concerned. Textile Ministry as stated in this press report:

NEWS IN NUTSHELL Rakesh Sood is PMs Special envoy for Disarmament and NonProliferation
Rakesh Sood is PMs Special envoy New Special envoy for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. The talks finally resulted in a waiver that allowed India to have access to civil nuclear technology despite the fact that the country is not a signatory to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT).

India cautious as Iran signals inclination to free oil tanker

Tehran and New Delhi were close to an agreement on the fate of the tanker, intercepted in the Persian

Crisis drives India to turn to Iran for oil

Proposal will help New Delhi save on foreign exchange as it pays Tehran in rupee

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As its current account deficit widens and the value of the rupee dwindles, India plans to increase crude oil imports from Iran so as to save $8.5 billion in foreign exchange. centres. Choice for return to Land Bank or owner: Where unutilised land is returned, the State can decide whether it goes to the original owner or the Land Bank. Threshold for private purchase left to government: While the Bill requires the discharge of obligations related to Resettlement and Rehabilitation even in the case of private purchase, provided the purchase exceeds a certain threshold, it leaves the said threshold to the discretion of the State governments. States free to enact other laws: The State governments are free to enact any law to enhance or add to the entitlements enumerated under the Bill.

NEWS IN NUTSHELL The waning of American hegemony

When unrest began in Syria in March 2011, Mr. Obama and his team were desperate to show - after the loss of pro-Western regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and nearmisses in Bahrain and Yemen - that the Arab Awakening did not just threaten authoritarian orders that subordinated their foreign policy to Washington. They wanted to show that leaders committed to foreign policy independence - like Mr. Assad - were vulnerable, too. They also calculated that Mr. Assads ouster would tilt the regional balance against Tehran, generating leverage to force Irans surrender of its right to an internationally safeguarded but indigenous nuclear fuel cycle. Two years ago, Mr. Obama declared that Mr. Assad must go, eviscerating prospects for a political settlement. Mr. Obama further damaged diplomatic prospects with three U.N. Security Council resolutions effectively authorising coercive regime change in Damascus, which Russia and China vetoed A staggeringly fractious opposition, much of which publicly aligns with al-Qaeda and is not supported by anything close to a majority of Syrians, would unseat Mr. Assad, who (according to polls and other evidence) enjoys support from at least half of Syrian society. His administration has presented no evidence that Mr. Assads forces used chemical weapons in Ghouta; when it alleged chemical weapons use at Khan al-Assal in March, it also offered no evidence of government responsibility. By contrast, Russia publicly presented a detailed forensic analysis showing that neither the munitions used at Khan al-Assal nor the chemical agent in them had been industrially manufactured With these positions, Mr. Obama has left himself no option except using force to preserve U.S. credibility. Even if chemical weapons were used, it does not justify U.S. aggression. Syria is not a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC); the 1925 Geneva Protocol, to which it is a party, only proscribes chemical weapons use in war

First law to link land acquisition, rehab

One of the major reasons why land acquisition was delayed was the series of litigation that plagued it. People would go to court against procedures that violated basic norms of due process. Another cause of action were the low rates of compensation. There are acquisition proceedings that have been pending for decades. This law seeks to address all those shortcomings. Few salient features of this landmark law Compensation Compensation for livelihood losers: The Bill provides compensation to those who are dependent on the land being acquired for their livelihood, besides to those losing land. What does the Bill have in store for farmers and rural India, who faced exploitation in land acquisition in the past? Retrospective effect: Where awards are made but no compensation has been paid or possession has not been taken, compensation shall be paid at the rate prescribed under the new Act. Where the award has not been made, the entire process shall be considered to have lapsed. Also, where acquisition took place five years prior to the commencement of the new law but no compensation has been paid/ possession has taken place, the proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed. Share in sale of acquired land increased: The share that has to be distributed amongst farmers in the increased land value (when the acquired land is sold off to another party) has been set at 40%. Strict restrictions on multi-crop acquisition: The acquisition of agricultural and multi-crop land has to be done as a last resort Only a baseline: The Bill only provides the baseline for compensation and has devised a sliding scale which allows States to fix the multiplier (which will determine the final award) depending on distance from urban

31 August 2013 Eminent domain lite

It is not clear how the value of rural land located close to designated urban areas will be realistically determined The new law does well to provide farmers with 20 per cent of their acquired land developed for urbanisation purposes, but is otherwise silent on how the benefits of higher future land values could be shared with all those whose land is acquired. One innovation is the provision allowing the leasing of land for development purposes. This opens the possibility of acquired land reverting to the original owner at a later date. Another important clause provides for the rehabilitation of nonlandowning individuals who lose their livelihood once the land of others is acquired. The biggest source of concern, however, remains land acquisition for private or PPP projects Instead of insisting that companies take responsibility for acquiring the land they need for their projects - at whatever price the market demands - just as they do other factors of production, the government will continue to wield its power of eminent domain on their behalf. Historical evidence suggests government agencies end up supporting private companies rather than farmers and marginalised groups in such situations.

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against another state. Neither designates Washington as its enforcer. More broadly, the United Nations Charter, which America largely drafted, forbids using force except under two circumstances: If an armed attack occurs against a member state; regardless of who used chemical weapons in Syria, no other state was attacked or threatened with attack, so the right of individual or collective selfdefence posited in the Charter does not apply When the Security Council authorises force to maintain or restore international peace and security; Mr. Obamas strike will further accelerate erosion of Americas position in West Asia. Russian and Chinese influence will be enhanced. I&B Minister Manish Tewari told The Hindu that the response to this phase, which has cost approximately Rs. 30 crore, has been very good. Instead of spending money to publicise the mid-day meal, how about spending money to improve the scheme? bureaucracy and state institutions also gives them leverage. But some in Kathmandu are uncomfortable with reports of Indian agencies directly making arrests in their territory, or Nepal Police making arrests and handing them over to India without due process.

Subbarao pushes case for Producer Price Index to gauge price momentum
Need to develop a series of Producer Price Index (PPI) that would help gauge how price momentum builds up in the economy. Several indices which are considered while measuring inflation in the country: Wholesale Price Index (WPI); Consumer Price Index (CPI) (Industrial Workers); CPI (Agricultural Labour); CPI (Rural Labour); CPI (Urban), CPI (Rural) and CPI-combined.

NEWS IN NUTSHELL FGFA project to highlight Indias growing aviation technologies

The Indian version of the fifthgeneration fighter aircraft (FGFA) being developed with Russia will be lighter, more powerful and less visible to enemy radars than the original Russian version While the Russian version of the FGFA is all-metal, ours will have wings and empennage [vertical and horizontal stabilisers] made of composite materials Weve moved from licence production and technology transfer to co-design and co-development. India supplied avionics for the Su30s Russia is building for Malaysia and Indonesia. Co-design offers far greater scope for knowledge sharing compared with licence production. In co-design projects all Intellectual Property Rights are jointly held by parties involved. India is also working on a Multirole Transport Aircraft project with Russia. It is in detailed design stage. With the West, India has so far had only one co-design project Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. It is developed with assistance from Germanys MBB.

Kachchatheevu was not ceded to Sri Lanka, Centre tells court

The Union government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the question of retrieval of Kachchatheevu from Sri Lanka did not arise as no territory belonging to India was ceded to Sri Lanka. The island was a matter of dispute between British India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and there was no agreed boundary. The dispute relating to the status of this island was settled in 1974 by an agreement and both countries examined the entire question from all angles and took into account historical evidence and legal aspects. This position was reiterated in the 1976 agreement. No territory belonging to India was ceded nor sovereignty relinquished since the area in question was in dispute and had never been demarcated. The Centre said as per the two agreements, no fishing rights in Sri Lankan waters were bestowed to Indian fishermen. Under the agreements Indian fishermen and pilgrims will enjoy access to visit Kachchatheevu and will not be required by Sri Lanka to obtain travel documents or visas for these purposes. The right of access is not to be understood to cover fishing rights around the island to Indian fishermen.

30 August 2013 Is Nepal sensitive to Indias concerns ?

Bhatkal arrest sign of special relationship, but unease in some sections Bhatkals arrest comes soon after Abdul Karim Tunda, the alleged Laskhar-e-Taiba operative, was reportedly picked up from Nepal. In June, an alleged criminal from Bihar, Bablu Dubey, was arrested and handed over to the Bihar Police. In 2010, two leaders, from a Naga and Assamese militant outfit, were also reported to be picked up in Nepal. In February 2008, Amit Kumar, an alleged kingpin of a kidney racket, was arrested by the Nepal Police and handed over. The border is porous. Many elements use it as an entry-point to India, or a base to conduct activities against us. It is also easy to live in Nepal while remaining inconspicuous Irrespective of the party or government in power, the police-topolice and intelligence-to-intelligence ties are excellent. The intelligence source quoted above admitted that these ties often were based on informal arrangements, given that a new extradition treaty had not been finalised Indias role in Nepals domestic politics, their deep ties with the

Questions over fuel leak in GSLV

The GSLV as well as its older sibling, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), use a similar second stage. The tank for this stage was being made with an aluminium alloy, known as Afnor 7020 that has a propensity to develop cracks over time. For that reason, ISRO, on the advice of a national expert committee constituted about a decade ago, decided to shift to a different aluminium alloy, AA 2219, that has been widely used in several launch vehicles. It is learnt that the GSLV second stage tank, which is now being closely scrutinised, was made of the

Doubts over efficacy of Bharat Nirman ad campaign JTS Institute

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old alloy. Questions are, therefore, being asked whether the space agency should have risked using a propellant tank made of the old alloy when an alternative was available. Second stage propellant tanks made of Afnor 7020 had flown in 21 missions of the PSLV as well as the seven previous flights of the GSLV without this kind of problem occurring, countered S. Ramakrishnan, director of ISROs Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. When the assembly of the second stage of the latest GSLV mission started, a suitable tank made of the new alloy was not available, No person shall manufacture, sell, purchase, keep, transport or use any animal trap except with prior permission in writing of the Chief Wild Life Warden given for educational and scientific purposes. NATOs bombing of Libya offered no chance for the Security Council to hear on-the-ground reports from the U.N. Secretary Generals Special Representative. The French intervention in Mali earlier this year came after Paris failed to address the African International Support Missions (AFISMA) long-standing request - endorsed by the UNSC for financial and logistical assistance. The quick and dirty multilateralism that the West wants and achieves through coalitions of the willing is no substitute for the U.N.s deliberative process. political dynamics are running ahead of due process There is neither any justification for the Wests imminent military intervention nor substance to its claim that the assault will be limited and short-lived More information on CWC The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. Its full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The agreement is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is an independent organization based in the Hague, in the Netherlands. The main obligation under the convention is the prohibition of use and production of chemical weapons, as well as the destruction of all chemical weapons. The destruction activities are verified by the OPCW. As of January 2013, around 78% of the (declared) stockpile of chemical weapons has thus been destroyed. The convention also has provisions for systematic evaluation of chemical and military plants, as well as for investigations of allegations of use and production of chemical weapons based on intelligence of other state parties.

Cabinet approves TUFS for XII Plan

A major focus on powerlooms with a total outlay of Rs.11,900 crore. Aimed to promote indigenous manufacturing of textile machinery. Interest reimbursement (IR) on second hand imported shuttleless looms shall be reduced from 5 per cent to 2 per cent. On the other hand, for new shuttleless looms, capital subsidy would be raised from 10 per cent to 15 percent The capital subsidy for handloom and silk sectors would be increased from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. Margin money subsidy cap would be increased from Rs.45 lakh to Rs. 75 lakh in respect of MSME and jute sectors. Focus will be on powerlooms with a total outlay of Rs.11,900 crore 29/08

GSAT-7, first Navy satellite, launched

Indias first full-fledged military communications satellite, From the Kourou spaceport of French Guiana in South America. The multiple-band spacecraft will be used exclusively by the Navy to shore up secure, real-time communications among its warships, submarines, aircraft and land systems. GSAT-7/ INSAT-4F The UHF band is being used for the first time in an INSAT and will boost communication and intelligence network across a wide region. The premium S band will enable communication from mobile platforms like ships. The Ku band allows high-density data transmission, including voice and video. A special ground infrastructure has also been created.

29 August 2013

Defending the indefensible in Syria

The Obama administrations attempts to circumvent the U.N. Charter in this regard represent one of the greatest threats to the comity of nations since the Second World War. As Ian Hurd, a political scientist at Northwestern University, notes, the United States has always been careful to justify its aggression under the Article 2(4) of the Charter, which generally prohibits unauthorised intervention. President Barack Obama instead plans to justify his attack on Syria based on principles contained in the Geneva Conventions and the Chemical Weapons Convention, neither of which is applicable in this context. Syria is not even a signatory to the CWC. In effect, the United States is asking a sovereign state to comply with the provisions of a treaty it has not signed, failing which it will intervene militarily. This is now a recurrent pattern: the U.N. Monitoring team in Iraq, which in 2003 found little evidence to substantiate the Bush administrations WMD claims, was discredited by the West for standing up to its warmongering.

New wildlife Bill is against research, say scientists

A compulsory prison term could follow a minor violation such as trespassing New amendments proposed to the Wildlife Protection Act (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA) Concerns are that researchers will have to face disproportionate penalties for relatively minor violations. For instance, Section 51A (1) of the Bill, if approved, will imply a compulsory prison term of up to three years for relatively minor research permit violations. These could be submitting a research report late or trespassing

NEWS IN NUTSHELL Indo-U.S. space ties ready for take-off: NASA chief
Indias very first rocket-launch, fifty years ago, from Thumba in Kerala was of an American-made Nike Apache rocket; After this launch, ties went sour

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as sanctions and technology denial became their mainstay and the U.S. went on to intervene to pre-empt the sale of cryogenic engine technology to India. It is exciting to have the United States and India join together and now getting ready to do more studies on Marss atmosphere with MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) Indias space agency works on a shoestring annual budget of $ 1 billion. In contrast, NASAs Mars Curiosity rover alone cost about $ 2 billion. NASA is forbidden by law from working with China L-band is most prominent for us right now because it will potentially enable us to look at what we call the shifting of Earth, what causes earthquakes. identification and characterisation of as many Earth-threatening asteroids as possible Under the swap facility, RBI will undertake sell/buy U.S. dollar-Indian rupee forex swaps for fixed tenor with the oil marketing companies through a designated bank. This move is expected reduce speculation in the foreign exchange markets, where major demand for dollar is coming from oil companies. 20-week-old foetus can be aborted India has one of the most progressive abortion laws in the world which permit the termination of pregnancy even in the case of a failed contraceptive. But most people believe abortion is illegal and do not approach public health facilities for the procedure. Health activists and gynaecologists have been demanding more amendments to the MTP Act to permit trained non-MBBS graduates and mid-level healthcare providers like Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and nurses to perform abortions so that these facilities are accessible and confidentiality is maintained. There may not be any mala fide intention for non-reporting but the registration system is so complicated and difficult. Even the DLCs which were constituted to simplify the procedure are highly bureaucratic Stringent laws to prevent selective abortions were depriving 85 per cent of women, including unmarried women and adolescents, who actually need this facility .

New super-heavy element discovered

The discovery of a new superheavy element with atomic number 115 and it may soon join the periodic table. The new super-heavy element is yet to be named 28/08

28 August 2013

Gynaecologists, activists demand expansion of abortion services

Health Ministry plans to roll out awareness campaign for abortions soon Even as the Central Health Management and Information System of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) recorded 11.06 lakh abortions in India in 2008-09, there is no official data available on unsafe abortions in the country. This, when the Registrar General of India Sample Registration System (RGI-SRS) estimates that 8 per cent of maternal deaths in India are attributed to abortions The quality of data on comprehensive abortion care for most States is poor, with incomplete reporting on most indicators. The utilisation of services in both certified public and private sector facilities is very low, with second trimester service delivery being abysmal. While the District Level Committees (DLCs) to be established for certification of private and NGO sector facilities to provide quality services, following amendments in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in 2002 have been constituted in many States, they are ineffective. Andaman and Nicobar Islands do not have abortion facilities for a 20-week-old foetus, though 27 public facilities provide abortion facilities for up to 12-week-old foetus. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh has no public health facilities where a

Row with Myanmar on border demarcation Assam Rifles, the designated border force of that segment, had objected to Myanmarese troops camping in the area Near border pillar 76 Both sides have resolved not to undertake any construction on either side

NEWS IN NUTSHELL Task force set up for currency swap arrangement

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has constituted a task force comprising representatives from the Ministry, Department of Economic Affairs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SBI, industry bodies FICCI, CII and Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) to work out currency swap arrangements with key trading partners of India.

Supreme Court can award fixed jail term while commuting death sentence
Plea against 30-year sentence without remission misconceived, says Bench The Supreme Court is competent and has the jurisdiction to fix a particular number of years with or without remission when it commutes the death sentence to life term It was held that life imprisonment could not be equivalent to imprisonment for 14 or 20 years, rather it always meant the whole natural life.

Tribal people use RTI to access information on forest land titles

Maharashtras Thane district They were demanding this information for months, with over a thousand of them going on a RTI Satyagraha in April. Allegedly received titles only for a small part of their land. Seeking documents related to their claims on forest land and wanted to know on what basis land was distributed by the State.

RBI to open forex swap window for OMCs

Forex swap window to meet the entire daily dollar requirements of three public sector oil marketing companies IOC, HPCL and BPCL.

A task only half finished

The fact that there is still no verdict in the Delhi rape trial is a sobering reminder that the Criminal Law

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Amendment Act 2013 is insufficient reform The courts are divided over whether the police have an obligation or not by law to investigate allegations of rape before registering an FIR. If a police investigation has to take place before the registration of an FIR, delays will inevitably occur and the failure to register FIRs in rape cases will continue. The second procedural issue is fast track courts Provides that the trial of offences under Section 376 (rape) and Sections 376A-D Must be completed within two months from the date of filing the charge sheet. However, the Delhi rape case, prosecuted in a fast track court, has already taken over eight months. Therefore, procedural rules must be examined including the grounds for an order of in camera proceedings A third issue is the protection of good Samaritans. The CrPC must be amended to provide that members of the public who act as good Samaritans should not be treated as wrongdoers and unnecessarily questioned or harassed by the police. The police have been left out of legislative reforms altogether Model Police Act is in cold storage. The Model Act, which was intended to replace the archaic Indian Police Act of 1861 1) functional autonomy; 2) encouraging professionalism; 3) accountability; and, presciently, 4) jurisdiction. Second, the Model Act focussed on encouraging professionalism. The PADC recommended abolition of the rank of constable and replacing it with a primary rank of Grade II civil police officer. However, a recruit can attain this officer rank only after undergoing a three-year training course as a stipendiary cadet, culminating in a bachelors degree in police studies. As a result, even the lowest level of the police force will have a bachelors degree. Third was the principle of accountability. The police Act proposed introducing criminal penalties for the most common defaults of the police such as nonregistration of FIRs, unlawful arrest, detention, search or seizure. Fourth, and most presciently, was the issue of jurisdiction. Duty-bound to assist victims of sexual offences irrespective of the crimes jurisdiction.

Faithful to a cause
Based on a bill that Dabholkar championed for almost 20 years, it could be the first such legislation in India. It seeks to curtail superstitious practices which are misused to exploit people or cause them financial or physical harm. Seeks to ban a range of superstitious practices including black magic, displaying so-called miracles to earn money, or insisting that mantras , not medicines, will cure critical injuries like snakebites. Also, assaulting and humiliating people under the guise of exorcising ghosts, and the sexual exploitation of women after claiming supernatural powers will also be banned. While inculcating a scientific temper is one of the Constitutions Directive Principles, seeking to regulate personal faith and beliefs is always tricky. Many saw it as an impediment to the freedom of religion and feared it would even ban poojas where the priest was paid for his services. Or painful, self-inflicted religious practices. The ordinance targets forced and exploitative practices, not those that are voluntary or that do not take a physical or financial toll on people. Weeding out motivated complaints and distinguishing a forced ritual from a voluntary one will be a serious challenge The law will gain greater meaning when there is a parallel process of social reform and education against superstition, the very tradition that Dabholkar himself epitomised.

Contradicting Centre, CBI says no sanction needed for prosecution in courtmonitored cases
Union government tells court InterMinisterial Committee has been set up to locate missing files relating to coal blocks allocation The CBI said, No sanction under Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act is necessary where cases are monitored by a constitutional court.

Compromise in rape cases out of the question: SC

Rape is an offence against society, and not a matter to be left for the parties to settle Rape is a non-compoundable offence The Bench pointed out that that the legislature through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 deleted this proviso in the wake of increasing crimes against women. In the interest of avoiding harassment of victim, it is not safe to consider compromise reached between parties 27/08

27 August 2013

Suspend the MPs, Madam Speaker

The Supreme Court has often refused to interfere with legislation out of deference to the wisdom of the legislature. Who can forget the memorable speeches of Burke, Gladstone, Churchill and F.E. Smith (later Lord Birkenhead) in the House of Commons? Our Parliament has produced equally powerful speakers - Atal Behari Vajpayee was perhaps the last of these greats The tragedy today is that nobody is allowed to speak even five sentences without an interruption. It would have been impossible to draft our Constitution if the Constituent Assembly had conducted its proceedings like our present Parliament. Chapter XXVII of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha have set out in detail how members are to conduct themselves and the powers of the Speaker to suspend members. Rules 349, 350, 351, 352,

36 projects worth Rs.1.83 lakh crore cleared

The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) has approved 36 projects in the road, railways, power and oil and gas sectors worth Rs.1.83 lakh crore stalled on account of various issues, including regulatory hurdles. Reliance Powers 4,000 MW ultra mega power project (UMPP) at Sasan in Madhya Pradesh, L&Ts Metro Rail project, Hindalco Industries project and Essar Powers Jharkhand project.

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 Para 5 of the summary enjoins a member not to interrupt another, to maintain silence, to resume his seat when the Speaker calls out order. A member is prohibited from coming to the pit of the House as a measure of protest. The rules even go further: no member should speak unless he is called upon by the Speaker to speak and, unbelievably: two members should not keep standing in the House at the same time!

2 September - 27 August Nasa to launch Moon mission next month

Nasa is making final preparations to launch a small car-sized robotic Moon probe next month in an attempt to answer prevailing questions about the lunar atmosphere. The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) will orbit the Moon to gather detailed information about lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky, Nasa said. The mission has many firsts, including the first flight of the Minotaur V rocket, testing of a high-data-rate laser communication system, and the first launch beyond Earth orbit from the agencys Virginia Space Coast launch facility.

Hamid Karzai to meet Nawaz Sharif

The first high-level exchange with Pakistan since the new government took over. 53 Afghan Taliban - including top ranking commander Mullah Biradar, a close comrade of Mullah Omar are to be set free. Bilateral trade reached $2.44 billion in 2012. Pakistans exports stood at $2.24 billion, The two countries signed the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) in 2010, which serves as a key instrument for the facilitation of Afghanistans access to foreign markets through Pakistani sea-ports and land routes. Both sides are engaged in efforts for optimal utilization of the APTTA and its extension to Central Asia. To support Afghanistans reconstruction and socio-economic development, Pakistan has been providing bilateral assistance worth $330 million in diverse fields, including infrastructure, health, and education. Pakistan has also offered $20 million for the Afghan National Security Forces

NEWS IN NUTSHELL Iran could sue U.S. over 1953 coup

Irans Parliament has approved fast tracking debate on a bill that seeks to sue the U.S. for its involvement in the 1953 coup that overthrew the countrys democratically elected prime minister. New declassified documents revealed recently offer more details of how the CIA orchestrated the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh 60 years ago. The coup restored the oppressive regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian revolution by followers of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Rape conviction poor, situation worsening: SC

90 per cent of the rape cases ended in acquittal Expanding the scope of the petition, the Bench issued notice to the Chief Secretaries of all the States and the administrators of the Union Territories, seeking their response in eight weeks on rehabilitation schemes for victims

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