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(20134, 53, 62, 'How not to be a journalist-Markandey Katju', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>As in the case of lawyers and doctors, a formal qualification must be prescribed for journalists</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJournalists comment on everything under the sun. But when someone comments on their profession, they let loose furious fusillades flaunting the slogan, &quot;the freedom of the media in danger&quot;. Most condemn even the suggestion of a public debate on the issue of media regulation and responsibilities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNo one can deny my credentials as a strong supporter of media freedom wherever and whenever it was threatened. But at the same time, I have called for media responsibility. What is wrong with that? Every social activity has to be regulated, because man is by nature a social being, as Aristotle said. No freedom can be absolute, it is always subject to reasonable restrictions in the public interest. It follows that every profession also has to be regulated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nI am against control of the media, but am in favour of regulation. The difference between the two is that in control, there is no freedom, whereas in regulation, there is freedom subject to reasonable restrictions in the public interest. My suggestion for prescribing some minimum qualifications for journalists and regulating the schools of journalism has resulted in denunciations from many quarters. So let me explain my view.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJournalism is a profession. When a professional field is at an undeveloped stage, there is no need for formal training or qualifications. For instance, in Europe, up to the 18th and early 19th centuries, when medical science was still relatively undeveloped, there was no formal qualification required to become a doctor. One sat with a doctor, saw how he worked and became a doctor. But when medical science became a developed field, the need for formal training and qualification became imperative. The same is true of other professions like law, teaching, chartered accountancy etc.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is said that one learns journalism in the field. But one learns much of the legal profession in the field, too, after one has obtained a law degree. Why then the requirement to have a law degree to become a lawyer? Why have the requirement of an MBBS degree to become a doctor? Why not just allow a person to sit with a lawyer or doctor, watch him work for a few years and become a lawyer or a doctor? The answer is that when the field has become developed there is a need for formal training where the theoretical principles and basic skills are taught. Later, when one has completed this formal course and obtained the qualification, one will no doubt learn a lot in the field.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is true that there have been many great journalists without formal training or qualification. But they have been great in spite of this, not because of it. There must have been many journalists who remained mediocre and did not flower into great journalists because they lacked formal training.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nToday, many people enter the field of journalism with little or inadequate training and this often leads to negative effects because they often do not maintain high standards of journalism. Since the media has an important influence in our lives, and since the field of journalism is now quite developed, the time has come when a formal qualification should be prescribed for those wanting to become journalists.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRegarding the view that one learns journalism only by entering in the field, senior journalist Vinod Sharma said in a recent TV discussion that nowadays, what one learns on the job is trickery, making improper compromises etc. So should one not be taught ethical principles in journalism? In the institutes and departments of journalism that have sprouted all over the country, technical and ethical skills in journalism are taught. These will no doubt be of great use when one enters the field after obtaining the qualification.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAlso, this is the age of specialisation. To report on financial matters, for example, one has to have at least a rudimentary idea of finance. All this knowledge can be provided in a good school of journalism. Unfortunately many departments and institutes lack proper teaching staff, facilities and infrastructure. Hence, I have requested the committee constituted by me to give their recommendations.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis committee will study the matter in detail. Everyone is welcome to give their suggestions. The Press Council can also organise a seminar for this purpose and invite the media and others to give their views. After the committee submits its report, I will place it before the Press Council. The council may accept the report or reject it, or accept it with modifications. If the report is accepted, with or without modifications, I will send it to the Central government. If the government does not reject it, it will be sent to Parliament, which, as is the usual procedure, will send it to a select committee. The select committee, after considering it, will send its recommendations to Parliament. It will become law only when the president gives his consent.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is evident that my suggestion is not creating a law (which indeed I have no power to create), and it will have to pass through several procedural stages before it becomes law if at all, it does. What, then, is all the hullabaloo about? Can one not even make a suggestion? It is time that mediapersons realise that I am not their enemy but their friend.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe writer, a former judge of the Supreme Court, is chairman of the Press Council of India\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-25', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 25 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/how-not-to-be-a-journalist/1092798/0', '', NULL),
(20136, 53, 62, 'Soon, all food outlets across the country to get hygiene rating -Dipti Jain', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n At his dhaba in south Delhi''s Kidwai Nagar, Irfan has his cooks wash their hands before preparing dishes. Sweets are kept covered , he claims. As with most small eateries, Irfan''s dhaba is not registered.<br />\r\nSoon, outlets such as Irfan''s may have to start complying with more stringent standards, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) working on new norms on hygiene and cleanliness at food outlets across the country.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAll food outlets, from small dhabas to five-star hotels , will be graded according to their level of food hygiene and cleanliness.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis will mean that a dhaba in your neighbourhood could be rated as level-1 , if cooking practices measure up to the minimum standards laid down by the authority, while a fine dining restaurant may end up getting the top billing. It is also possible for restaurants belonging to the same chain to get different ratings.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFSSAI has also mandated all food outlets to register with their respective state authorities to keep a count of the number of eateries in every state. Besides food joints, the authority also plans to lay down basic norms of compliance for street vendors and hawkers, in collaboration with the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry, to maintain food hygiene.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile the standards will be finalized over the next few months, the deadline for mandatory registration expires in February 2014. Failure to get a licence or get registration done will lead to a penalty. The plan is to initially focus on metros and gradually move to the smaller cities and towns.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Our criteria will be to come up with standards to grade food outlets. They could be graded as stars or as levels. The focus will be to see that they maintain food hygiene and safety so that consumers can make a wiser choice,&quot; a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nApart from cleanliness at the place of cooking, the authority will also lay down guidelines for clean storage and transport facilities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTo ensure that consumers are aware of the hygiene practices being followed, outlets will also have to get, and display , a certificate issued by the authority displayed. Even as the large players have come out in support of the new norms, it is the small food businesses with limited resources that will pose trouble to ensure implementation, experts said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Naturally, the end cost to the consumer will go up as these outlets will need more investments into maintaining cleanliness. But the amount passed on will be very small. The main challenge is to train people in the sector to take these steps,&quot; an official said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe authority, which is planning the standards in collaboration with the health and consumer affairs ministries , along with several other government and private institutions , plans to invite volunteers for training food outlet managers and street vendors.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;In places outside India, they have a holistic process of ensuring food safety. That will be our ultimate aim. We will have to come up with norms which will ensure a win-win situation for both the consumers and the eateries,&quot; the official said. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 26 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Soon-all-food-outlets-across-the-country-to-get-hygiene-rating/articleshow/19208277.cms', '', NULL);
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(20141, 53, 62, 'UK wakes up to caste bias -Shalini Nair', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>London:</em> For a place that is only one-fifteenth the size of London, Coventry has a large number of gurdwaras. Even that might not have seemed so incongruous considering that Sikhs are the largest ethnic minority in this Midlands town - but for the fact that caste-based, dividing lines are drawn within and among these places of worship.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEarlier this month, Britain took the first step towards formally acknowledging that caste-based discrimination exists, with the House of Lords voting in favour of including the concept in the Equality Act of 2010. If it gets the approval of the House of Commons, it will become unlawful to discriminate on the basis of caste in areas of employment, education and the provision of services.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Caste will be added to the list of nine &lsquo;protected characteristics'' in the equality legislation which at present includes race, sex and religion,&quot; said Lord Eric Avebury, a Liberal Democrat peer, who was among those instrumental in moving the amendment. &quot;The government''s inadequate proposals so far only advocate education as a means of eradicating caste, without providing for legal safeguards.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe amendment has tread a protracted path due to the government''s reservations in the face of opposition from two influential Hindu organisations, and denial among dominant Sikh groups about the prevalence of casteism.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDiscrimination in the UK is the result of tenaciously holding on to a sense of caste-based identity in a new homeland, with the hostility continuing from one generation to the next.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRam Lakha, former mayor of Coventry, explains how since the establishment of the town''s oldest temple, the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Parkash, in the ''60s, there has been a gradual alienation of the lower castes who soon set up their own temples. Thus emerged the two Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha temples and Maharishi Valmiki temple besides several others.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLakha himself battled caste prejudices when he was first elected a councillor from an area with a sizeable South Asian population in 1989. &quot;When the local Brahmin leaders got to know that I am from a Dalit community, they started lobbying against my candidature. The only option for me was to contest the next election from the predominantly white neighbouring constituency,&quot; said Lakha, a Labour councillor for 23 years now.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides Coventry, UK''s estimated 480,000 Dalit population is mostly concentrated across 22 areas including Birmingham, Leicester, Bedford, East London and Southall.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>At work and at school</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs the House of Lords debated the amendment this month, scores from most of these places gathered at Parliament Square to make their voices heard. Most were first- or second-generation immigrants from Punjab with stories to tell - about being denied the right to distribute prasad in a gurdwara or perform puja in a temple in the UK, about children facing bullying in schools, about people being singled out at the workplace despite having adopted caste-neutral last names, about businessmen who found that their success couldn''t protect them from prejudices.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLegal recourse has not been an option, for local officials or office managements often don''t even understand the connotations of caste.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnita Kaur, 40, of Leicester was born in Britain and raised with a surname that doesn''t reveal much about her ranking in the caste hierarchy. Nonetheless, she faces brazen queries about her caste at community clubs and temples. Her attempts at shielding her daughter from all this have not been impenetrable either.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Sikhism doesn''t recognise caste. Page 349 of the Guru Granth Sahib says, &lsquo;Do not enquire about one''s caste'',&quot; says Kaur. &quot;Still my daughter gets asked about her caste at school by other children from the community. And when she replies that she doesn''t know, she is told, &lsquo;Go home and ask your parents''.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe first case of alleged caste discrimination to be reported in UK newspapers was in 2010, that of Vijay Begraj and his wife Amardeep, both 34. In the absence of any legal framework on caste, they are still contesting their case at a Birmingham employment tribunal. As a business and finance manager at a law firm, he had worked his way up for six years, the same firm where she was a solicitor. Born in Britain, they believed this alone was their identity until it was redefined for them the day they decided to get married. Since then, he has been a Hindu Dalit and she a Sikh Jat.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Our parents had absolutely no problem with our alliance,&quot; says Vijay, whose father had emigrated from Punjab four decades ago and thought the baggage of caste hierarchy was behind him. &quot;But then my three bosses found out that a girl from their community was planning to marry someone from a &lsquo;lower'' caste.&quot; He says that from warning her that &quot;these people are different creatures&quot; to sending him emails with excerpts from the scriptures reminding him of his ascribed subordinate status, his superiors at work did everything to dissuade them from marrying. Their detailed account - harassment, snide remarks, denial of pay hikes and promotions, culminating in his dismissal after seven years in service and her resignation - has been placed before the tribunal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSatpal Mumum of Caste Watch UK says a member of his group deposed as an expert witness in Vijay''s case to explain the connotations of caste to the court. &quot;In the evening when he returned home, the windows of his house were smashed,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Foreign concept</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government''s reluctance over discrimination legislation for caste was largely based on the uncertainty over its prevalence in the UK. The Government Equalities Office commissioned a report to establish the extent of such discrimination if any. The report, released in December 2010, was emphatic in its finding that there is a need for both discrimination and criminal legislation. It notes that while the caste system had its origins in Hinduism, in the UK it is particularly entrenched in Sikh communities. It cites several cases of alleged discrimination, overt and subtle, against Ravidassias and Valmikis by Jat Sikhs.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA 2009 study by the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance, with academics from three British universities, found 58 per cent of the 300 people surveyed confirming they had been discriminated against because of their caste, and 79 per cent pointing out that the UK police wouldn''t have understood if they had reported such discrimination as a &lsquo;hate crime''.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnother study, in 2006 by the UK Dalit Solidarity Network, went into caste prejudices in temples, the workplace, politics, health care and education. In a foreword to the report, Jeremy Corbyn, DSN chairman and MP, notes that prejudice &quot;has been exported to the UK through the Indian diaspora. The same attitudes of superiority, pollution and separateness appear to be present in South Asian communities now settled in the UK.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCorbyn told The Indian Express, &quot;I represent a constituency in Central London where this is much less prevalent unlike in many other places outside where it is a serious human rights violation, one that is difficult to prove unless the legislation is in place.&quot;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 26 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/uk-wakes-up-to-caste-bias/1093262/', '', NULL),
(20142, 53, 62, 'Constitution Bench to decide on RTE validity', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nLess than a year after it ratified the legal status of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, the Supreme Court has held it &quot;appropriate&quot; for a Constitution Bench to test yet again the constitutional validity of the social welfare legislation enacted with Constitutional amendments.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA Bench, led by Justice K S Radhakrishnan, last week ordered for placing a petition moved by a bunch of Karnataka-based institutions before the Chief Justice of India for constitution of appropriate Bench to hear a legal challenge to Articles 15(5) and 21A. These provisions obligate unaided private schools to reserve 25 per cent seats for students from weaker sections of society.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We remember some of the challenges were given up when the previous matter on this issue was being heard. It was done since a new academic session was scheduled to begin and schools had to reopen. So the matter was immediately heard for an immediate judgment,&quot; observed the bench when it was contended that constitutional validity of these provisions were never dealt with in the April 2012 verdict.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn its 2012 verdict, a three-judge Bench, by a 2:1 majority verdict, had shot down a challenge to the validity of the RTE, consequently obligating private unaided schools to reserve seats.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAppearing for Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust and others, advocate Mukul Rohatgi referred to an order of SC on September 6, 2010 whereby the issue was referred for adjudication to a five-judge Constitution Bench.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Therefore the three-judge Bench heard other issues and did not adjudicate at all on validity of Articles 15(5) and 21A. It was never argued upon if these are violative of the basic structure of the Constitution. Can you put an obligation on private unaided schools by application of these provisions? It remains to be decided,&quot; contended Rohatgi.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 26 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/constitution-bench-to-decide-on-rte-validity/1093288/', '', NULL),
(20143, 53, 62, 'Minorities in one state can&#039;t run trusts in another: Supreme Court -Utkarsh Anand', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nIn order to enjoy minority status, an institution not only requires to be set up by people from minority categories in a state but also administered by them, the Supreme Court has ruled. Making it clear that concession under Article 30 is not absolute but subject to restrictions, a Bench of Justices S S Nijjar and M Y Eqbal said that members of a linguistic minority in one state cannot continue running a trust while staying in another state where they are not a minority community.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;In order to claim minority/ linguistic status for an institution in any state, the authorities must be satisfied firstly that the institution has been established by persons who are minority in such a state; and, secondly, right of administration of the said minority/ linguistic institution is also vested in those persons who are minority in state,&quot; said the Bench.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe state government and universities, the Bench noted, can issue directions from time to time for the maintenance of standard and excellence of such institutions. The court held so while dismissing a petition by DAV College Trust and Management Society, started in 1885, against a Bombay High Court judgment. The HC had in 2010 declined to interfere with the Maharashtra government''s decision to withdraw recognition granted on the basis of linguistic minority status after observing that large number of society members were residing in Delhi and not in Maharashtra. Terming as &quot;justified&quot; the HC''s views, the SC said: &quot;... the appellant Trust/ Society is registered at Delhi, majority of trustees reside at Delhi... therefore, these persons cannot be treated as minority in Maharashtra... cannot claim the protection of linguistic minority in the state...&quot;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 26 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/minorities-in-one-state-cant-run-trusts-in-another-supreme-court/1093286/', '', NULL),
(20149, 53, 62, 'Bengal&#039;s panchayat poll face-off -Sulagna Sengupta', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Kolkata: </em>West Bengal''s notification for the panchayat elections marks a flash point in an ongoing tussle between the Mamata Banerjee government and the state election commission. The government notification, issued last week independently of the election authorities, has declared polls in two phases, on April 26 and 30. The election commission, headed by Meera Pandey, has been insisting on three phases.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn Monday, the commission wrote to the government urging it to review the decision. That was one of three options legal experts have cited, the other two being seeking the governor''s intervention and moving the high court. &quot;There is time and we are waiting for their response,&quot; said Pandey.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nInitially, the government had wanted one phase, while the election commission had wanted as many as four. This is apart from differences over the kind of forces each wanted deployed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt began with differences over dates last September. Then chief secretary Samar Ghosh wrote urging the election commission to hold the elections in the end of January. The poll panel wrote to the panchayat department, ruling January out as the commission would need at least six months after the notification. Even if the notification should be issued immediately, it argued, the elections could be held only in February-March, but those months too would have to be ruled out since the assembly would be in session.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEventually, in January, the election commission conveyed to the government its plan for four phases with central paramilitary forces deployed. The government conveyed its wishes - one phase and state armed police. It took the shape of a bargain, with the commission saying it could settle for three phases but insisting on central forces, and the government agreeing to go up to two phases and suggesting that Bengal''s state armed police be joined by such forces from other states.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPandey, an IAS officer of the 1974 batch, retired in 2009 and became state election commissioner. Throughout her career, she carried a reputation for strict adherence to the rulebook. Starting as food secretary, she went on to serve in various departments - water resources investigation,micro and small industries, animal husbandry. She was joint secretary in the health department for a year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHer unyielding stance in the current standoff has resulted in allegations from the ruling Trinamool Congress that she is partial to the CPM, while the opposition sees the tussle as an ego clash Mamata has taken up against Pandey.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Election commissioner mahodaya (madam) is delaying the polls to prevent a CPM defeat,&quot; Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy had said in the days leading to the notification. State Congress chief Pradip Bhattacharya said, &quot;The chief minister should refrain from going into the unnecessary ego clash and abide by what the law says,&quot; and the CPM''s Robin Deb echoed, &quot;It''s high time the government shed its ego and went by law.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe March 22 government notification, issued under section 42 of the West Bengal Panchayat Act, 2003, sets April 26 as the date for 14 districts and April 30 for Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur. The latter three are Congress strongholds and the party has said it takes exception to the decision.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSection 42 allows the government to notify panchayat polls but after consulting the state election commission, which is to issue a matching notification. Section 4 gives the commission the responsibility of conducting the polls.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPanchayat bodies complete their five-year terms on July 8. Unless the deadlock is resolved by then, they would be automatically dissolved and disbursal of funds stopped.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe election commission''s ground for wanting central forces is the possibility of political violence. Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee countered, &quot;In 2008, we wanted CRPF because of violence in Nandigram, Junglemahal and Darjeeling, but not one company could be spared. Now there is peace everywhere, why do you want CRPF?&quot; Besides, he said, the debt-ridden state cannot afford the Rs 400 crore that deployment of central forces would cost.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Since 1988, when the first panchayat election was held, this is the first time government officials are going through such a situation,&quot; said M N Roy, former panchayat secretary.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 26 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bengals-panchayat-poll-faceoff/1093264/', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20151, 53, 62, 'Neso activists protest army act', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Telegraph\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe activists of North East Students'' Organisation (Neso) today staged demonstrations in all the states demanding immediate updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Guwahati, the activists of All Assam Students'' Union (AASU), a constituent body of Neso, staged a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan at Uzan Bazararmed with placards stating &quot;Northeast cannot be dumping ground of illegal migrants,&quot; &quot;Seal Assam-Bangla border&quot; and &quot;Implement Assam Accord&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNeso adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya, after participating in the protests, told The Telegraph that the NRC must be updated in all states of the region to safeguard the identity of the indigenous communities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said the 1951 NRC was prepared in undivided Assam, which comprised Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. &quot;Since the problem of illegal migration has also posed a threat to the identity of local people in other states of the region, the NRC has to be updated there also.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBhattacharyya said it would be wrong to presume that Assam was the only state in the region threatened by illegal influx.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The Assam government has promised to start updating the NRC soon. While Neso will adopt a wait-and-watch policy in case of Assam, pressure will be put on the governments of the other states to prepare the same,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBhattacharyya demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act be repealed in the Northeast because of its draconian provisions.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides the army act, Neso has also demanded repeal of National Security Act, 1980, Punjab Security Act, 1953 and the Assam Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous District), Act, 1953.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe students'' organisation wants the Centre to illustrate political boldness in bringing all the armed groups of the region to the negotiating table.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh through the governors of the states, the Neso stated that violation of human rights had taken place because of the policy of military intervention in political matters. &quot;Hence, Neso demands that political issues be dealt politically,&quot; the memorandum, signed by Neso chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa, stated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe demand assumes significance after the Centre had indicated that militants better surrender as a plan was in the offing not to entertain any more talks with any rebelgroup operating in any part of the country, including the Northeast.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn January 5 in Shillong, joint secretary (Northeast), ministry of home affairs, Shambhu Singh, said, &quot;Let me be very candid with you: we might take a decision that we shall no longer hold talks with any group, anywhere. It is in the pipeline.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMoreover, the students'' organisation demanded that the Centre should demonstrate its sincerity and commitment to all the ongoing political dialogues with different armed groups of the Northeast.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe other demands include granting of special constitutional status to the Northeast, creation of a separate time zone for the region, putting in place an education policy which is relevant to the people of the Northeast, opening up of more border haats, especially with China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, framing of a sustainable eco-system and action plan on climate change, opening of Stilwell Road, making the Northeast a special employment zone and setting up of a common boundary commission to resolve all inter-state boundary conflicts.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ANDREW W. LYNGDOH IN SHILLONG</em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-26', NULL, 1, 'The Telegraph, 26 March, 2013, http://telegraphindia.com/1130326/jsp/northeast/story_16713708.jsp#.UVF17zfeqSI', '', NULL),
(20157, 53, 62, 'Kudankulam will be commissioned in April, Manmohan Singh tells Vladimir Putin in Durban -Diwakar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>DURBAN: </em>India has decided to operationalize unit 1of the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu next month, finally getting past the psychological and political barrier it had faced post-Fukushima.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrime Minister Manmohan Singh conveyed the breakthrough decision to President Vladimir Putin of Russia on the sidelines of BRICS Summit here on Tuesday. He also told Putin about the government''s decision to build Units 3 and 4 of the plant, which had run into strong resistance from locals and People''s Movement Against Nuclear Energy. &quot;I am pleased to inform the President that Kudankulam Unit 1 will be operational very next month. As far as Units 3 and 4 are concerned, we have to secure our internal approvals,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile the Prime Minister did not mention Unit 2 of the power plant, Nuclear Power Corporation of India limited had earlier planned to operationalize it within six months of Unit 1 being commissioned. The significance of Unit 1 going on stream goes far beyond the 1000 MW it''ll generate. It marks the end of diffidence around the country''s nuclear programme because of safety concerns raised by the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan following the April 2011 earthquake.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe disaster and the threat of radiation hazard forced governments worldwide to take a close look at their plans to step up their nuclear energy programmes just when an era of nuclear renaissance appeared to be dawning. The Indian government, like many others, also decided to take a fresh look at safety of the plants, although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ruled out the rollback of the plan to augment nuclear power generation in a hurry.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNuclear Power Corporation of India strengthened safety measures at the Kudankulam plant. But, this had failed to mollify locals and the anti-nuclear activists banded under the banner of People''s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). The decisive move augurs well for the country''s long-term plan to generate 20,000 MW nuclear power by 2020 as part of a larger plan to diversify the country''s energy mix. The focus on nuclear energy is also because it is considered to be clean power, and the commissioning of the Kudankulam plant in the face of protests showed that the Fukushima scare has not altered the safety assessment.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPolitically, the decision will help Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa. Although the AIADMK supremo is supposed to be on a strong political wicket, power scarcity across the state and the resultant popular discontent has emerged as a source of vulnerability. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 28 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kudankulam-will-be-commissioned-in-April-Manmohan-Singh-tells-Vladimir-Putin-in-Durban/articleshow/19249402.cms', '', NULL),
(20158, 53, 62, 'Court issues notice to Kurien in Suryanelli rape case', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>KOTTAYAM: </em>In a setback for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P J Kurien, the principal sessions court, Thodupuzha, on Wednesday ordered that a notice be issued to him on a criminal revision petition filed by the Suriyanelli rape victim.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Thodupuzha sessions court judge, Abraham Mathew, admitted the plea and issued notices to Dharmarajan, a prime accused in the case, two other accused -- Jamal and Unnikrishnan -- and the state government. The hearing has been posted to May 29.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe court said Dharmarajan, currently lodged in the Thiruvananthapuram Poojapura jail, should also be produced in court on May 29.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe victim challenged the dismissal of her earlier complaint filed before Peermedu judicial first class magistrate court seeking further investigation into the alleged involvement of Kurien in the case.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe victim''s advocates also produced before the court the revelations made by Dharmarajan to a TV channel shortly before his arrest recently after he had jumped bail. Dharmarajan claimed he had escorted Kurien to a guesthouse on Feb 19, 1996 where the girl was allegedly sexually exploited. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 28 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Court-issues-notice-to-Kurien-in-Suryanelli-rape-case/articleshow/19249238.cms', '', NULL),
(20159, 53, 62, 'Tax officials told to crack down harder on black money -Lubna Kably', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>MUMBAI: </em>Tax authorities will intensify their efforts to crack down on unaccounted-for money stashed overseas by seeking information from their counterparts in other countries. A recent letter issued by the Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) bears testimony to this intention.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTo ensure that Indian tax authorities have access to information from other countries and can thus tackle the menace of black money and tax avoidance, several measures have been taken during the past few years. The government of India has renegotiated several tax treaties to enable exchange of information - such as the tax treaty with Switzerland. It has entered into many Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) with tax havens (with whom India does not have tax treaties) like Cayman Islands, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands for enabling exchange of information. Domestic tax provisions have been tightened. The Finance Act, 2012 extended the time limit for reopening cases to sixteen years where income relates to an asset located outside India. Details of foreign bank accounts, immovable properties and assets outside India are also required to be filed by tax payers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CBDT chief''s letter points out that such regulatory effort will come to naught if tax officers do not make use of the opportunities for obtaining cross-border information. In January, the CBDT had issued an internal manual - ''The Manual on Exchange of Information for tax purposes with foreign jurisdictions'' which provided guidelines on how to obtain information from authorities of other countries under tax treaties, TIEAs and multinational conventions.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;In many cases in making the references, requests are not being properly framed and only some generalised statements are made. This results in a situation where even if the foreign tax authorities intend to provide assistance to us, they''re not able to do so,&quot; states the CBDT chief''s letter. Commissioners and directors of income tax have been asked to personally monitor cases where information has been sought from overseas.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCBDT''s internal manual points out that tax officers are not making many requests primarily because they are not fully aware of the provisions. For instance, only 39 requests were made during FY 2008-09 seeking information from India''s treaty partners. It increased slightly and 92 and 386 requests were made during FY 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs regards requests made to Indian tax authorities by foreign tax authorities, the CBDT chairperson''s letter states: &quot;It is important to give high priority to such requests. Only timely provision of information will ensure that we will also receive similar assistance from them.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe internal manual not only provides information of the various avenues available under which information can be sought from counterparts in other countries, but also provides formats which the tax officers must follow while making any specific requests to foreign tax authorities, be it treaty or non-treaty countries.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn entire chapter in the internal manual also relates to confidentiality of information received. As regards information received under TIEAs, if such information is treated as secret in the tax haven providing such information, the same shall be disclosed only to relevant authorities including courts. Even under India''s domestic tax laws, a tax-payer, barring certain exceptions, is guaranteed confidentiality of information filed in his return, or made available in various documents produced or statements made to tax authorities, points out the manual. As tax treaties over-ride domestic tax laws, if information is treated as confidential in the country providing such information, it will also be treated as confidential in India and not made public.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe internal manual has also highlighted some case studies of information received which enabled India to act on the same (see box). The CBDT''s chief''s letter has also solicited feedback on the effectiveness of the process of exchange of information and on the internal manual itself.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn official attached to the ministry of finance clarifies that while efforts are on to unearth black money and crack down on cases of round tripping, genuine investors into India and also out of India will not be impacted. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 28 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tax-officials-told-to-crack-down-harder-on-black-money/articleshow/19250004.cms', '', NULL),
(20160, 53, 62, 'My mother deserves pardon if Dutt does: blasts convict&#039;s daughter -Mohan K Korappath', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindustan Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nDaughter of 1993 blasts convict Zaibunnisa Kazi, Shagufta, is set to pull out all stops to try and prevent her mother from going back to jail.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn wake of the hue and cry over support for actor Sanjay Dutt from the cr&egrave;me de la cr&egrave;me of the society, Shagufta entered into the fray arguing that if Dutt could be pardoned, so could her mother, as both had been convicted for storing arms and ammunition.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile Kazi was convicted under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act. Kazi, who has spent eight months of her five year term in jail, is presently out on bail and has been directed to surrender within four weeks of the Supreme Court judgment. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShagufta said press council chairman Markandey Katju was slated to send his appeal to the Governor of Maharashtra on Thursday, requesting pardon for Kazi. &quot;He [Katju] was speaking to news channels where he stated that the appeal would be sent tomorrow [Thursday],&quot; she said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOnce the appeal is sent, Shagufta plans to meet lawyers to discuss the next course of action. &quot;We need to have a back-up plan and not just depend on the appeal for pardon,&quot; she said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShagufta, a designer by profession, said that she decided to write to Katju after seeing the support Dutt was getting. She said her mother had suffered a lot and her health condition had worsened after undergoing an operation recently.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShe pointed out that there had been no recovery of arms from their house and the conviction was based only on the retracted confession of a co-accused. &quot;At least on humanitarian and compassionate grounds she should get some mercy,&quot; Shagufta said.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', NULL, 1, 'The Hindustan Times, 27 March, 2013, http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/My-mother-deserves-pardon-if-Dutt-does-blasts-convict-s-daughter/Article1-1033363.aspx', '', NULL),
(20161, 53, 62, 'Cash-for-cards policy draws ire', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindustan Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticised the Delhi government''s move of linking the monthly cash assistance doled out to Kashmiri migrants to Aadhaar cards and asked the authorities to reconsider its decision.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe party''s leader of opposition VK Malhotra, condemning the move, termed the &quot;unjustified&quot; decision as a ploy of the government to strip the migrants of their Kashmiri identity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The Delhi government is trying to force the Kashmiri migrants to enrol and get Aadhaar cards in order to continue receiving their monthly cash assistance,&quot; Malhotra said. He added that though innocuous, the move was cleverly aimed at getting the migrants registered in the National Capital region that will in turn make them lose their Kashmiri identity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe scheme of providing financial assistance was started way back in 1990 and around 3,500 families currently get the government aid.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', NULL, 1, 'The Hindustan Times, 26 March, 2013, http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Cash-for-cards-policy-draws-ire/Article1-1033265.aspx', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20167, 53, 62, 'Drought-hit farmers allege Sharad Pawar&#039;s partymen are stealing their water-Sreenivasan Jain', '<div align="justify">\r\n-NDTV\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Solapur: </em>Drought has tightened its grip over Maharashtra.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut ask the people of the drought hit village of Ropala in Solapur district, the epicentre of Maharahstra''s drought, and they will tell you it is a crisis created not by nature but political clout.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe villagers live just a few miles from the Ujani dam, one of Maharashtra''s biggest, but don''t receive a drop if its water.\r\n</p>\r\nThey claim it''s because influential people divert the water, a surprising claim given that Ropala village falls in Madha, the Lok Sabha constituency of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the villagers allege the main culprits of water diversion could be Mr Pawar''s own partymen.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJust a few kilometres from the village is the Vithalrao Sugar factory run by four-time MLA and local Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) strongman, Babanrao Shinde, where there is little sign of the drought. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTo crush, melt and cool tonnes of sugar, factories like Mr Vithalrao''s depend heavily on water from the Ujani dam.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nExperts say on an average, sugar factories need about one lakh litres of water a day.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis despite the Maharashtra Chief Minister''s diktat that water will only be used for drinking, not crushing sugar.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut Mr Shinde says his factory does get water from the Ujani dam, right through the cane-crushing season. He says if he had stopped, the cane farmers would be deprived of their earnings.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt''s the same story at the nearby Adinath Sugar factory, run by NCP legislator Shyamal Bagal, where those on duty tell us that that they too received water from Ujani during the season. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEven if water is officially denied to them, local activists allege the sugar barons break rules to get water.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLocal journalists shared with us images of water being pumped from the Sina river, a tributary of the Ujani dam, by the Indreshwar Sugar factory run by Cooperative Minister Harshvardhan Patil - water that was released only for drinking purposes for the villages nearby.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr Patil claims no water is being diverted.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFrom the same river, on the opposite bank, we were also given video of water being pumped out by another factory run by Mr Shinde''s brother.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLittle wonder that Mr Pawar''s concerns on drought in Maharashtra evoke skepticism amongst his own voters. At Ropala village, they say the Maratha strongman just talks, but does nothing on the ground.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-28', '2013-03-28 16:42:52', 1, 'NDTV, 28 March, 2013, http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/drought-hit-farmers-allege-sharad-pawar-s-partymen-are-stealing-their-water-347510?pfrom=home-otherstories', '', NULL),
(20168, 53, 62, 'Govt plans law to ensure 22.5% spending on dalits, tribals -Subodh Ghildiyal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n The Centre is mulling a law to ensure that 22.5% of the Union Budget is exclusively spent for dalit and tribal welfare, a move seen as an outreach to the Congress support base that is bristling at the party''s failure on the flagship demand to restore reservation in promotions. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA law on dalit and tribal sub-plans would go beyond the symbolic to bind the government to spend for these groups in proportion to their population. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPresently, the SC sub-plan (SCSP) and tribal sub-plan (TSP) are governed by executive orders, seen by observers as the reason behind their failing to take off after three decades. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn a significant move, the Union social justice ministry has constituted a working group to thrash out &quot;central legislation on SCSP and TSP for their effective implementation&quot;. Significantly, the panel has been asked to give its report by April-end, a short deadline that insiders say points to the urgency of legislating. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe sub-plans mandate every central ministry or department to spend around 15% and 7.5% of their budget exclusively for dalits and tribals. The schemes have been unsuccessful because of indifference of officialdom and unceasing disputes about which ministry has to spend how much. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMany believe a penal provision in the proposed law can be the catalyst to force the government to hammer out nitty-gritties and enforce implementation for fear of punishment. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile the law, especially with penal provision, has been long advocated by activists and strongly resisted by bureaucracy, Congress seems to be eyeing its political potential ahead of the 2014 elections. The ''Jaipur declaration'' after the ''chintan shivir'' demanded a central legislation for effective implementation of sub-plans that suffer from &quot;insufficient allocation and utilization&quot;. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA statutory status for ''dalit budget'' can help in wooing SCs/STs who are angry at Congress not restoring ''promotion quota'' because of the wishes of OBC leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and its own upper caste lobby. Ideologues believe that Congress did not try hard enough to push the constitutional amendment bill and instead shot from the shoulders of SP and BJP. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThat the law has emerged as a sort of silver bullet in Congress strategy is evident from Andhra Pradesh promulgating it in December. Sources said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has cited it as &quot;priority agenda&quot;. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe twin plans have been mired in bureaucratic resistance and differences. Ahead of the unveiling of the 12th Plan, Union social justice ministry accused the Planning Commission of including the expenditure of exempted ministries to boost the achievements under sub-plans. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government decided to factor in ''estimated consumption proportion of SCs'' to show it under the sub-plan - like how much did the dalits use a road or an airport to include it as money spent under the sub-plan.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-29', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 29 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-plans-law-to-ensure-22-5-spending-on-dalits-tribals/articleshow/19267748.cms', '', NULL),
(20170, 53, 62, 'Bihar RTI activists cope with murder and ‘false cases’ -Santosh Singh', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Patna:</em> RTI activists in Bihar say they are intimidated and threatened by the people they seek to expose, with five of them murdered since 2009. They have mounted pressure on the government to ensure their safety.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRam Kumar Thakur of Ratnauli, an RTI activist, a lawyer and the main witness in a vigilance case, was shot dead last week, the latest of the five murders. The FIR names Ratnauli mukhiya Rajkumar Sahni (accused in the vigilance case) and five others, three of them his sons and the other two his nephews. No one has been arrested yet but DGP Abhayanand assured action when a group of RTI activists met him this week.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The DGP has advised us to file an economic offences case against the mukhiya. We have set April 4 as the deadline for Muzaffarpur police to arrest all the accused, failing which RTI and social activists will start a protest march from April 6,&quot; said Ashish Ranjan, a social activist.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShiv Prakash Rai, an activist who has filed over 1,000 RTI applications in seven years, said the Bihar State Information Commission has received 201 complaints of harassment of RTI activists by police and government officials since March 2012, when the government set up a monitoring cell to supervise such cases. The government order asks the DGP or home department principal secretary to supervise these cases.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe most common harassment complaints are against government officials about whom information is sought; they allegedly threaten RTI applicants that they would &quot;frame them in false cases&quot;. Activists say several complainants have already been slapped cases of &quot;trying to prevent public servants from doing their duty&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAmong examples cited by RTI activists, one is of Hemant Kumar. The Muzaffarpur activist had sought information on transfers and vacancies in Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank. Last December, he was charged in a rape case lodged at Mithanpura police station. Kumar, 28, was arrested and paraded in public. He was soon granted bail by a local court, which noted that the complainant''s statement did not mention &quot;rape&quot;, but only harassment with frequent calls. The local police were issued a show-cause notice. The police station in-charge apologised in court in January.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnother example is that of Samarjit Singh of Sonepur in Chhapra. He exposed an MNREGA job card scam in Jehangir panchayat, leading to nine officials getting booked. Later, he approached the information commission alleging he was facing a &quot;false case&quot;. He also accused a mukhiya of harassing him for having filed the RTI application.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe information commission has forwarded most of the complaints to district superintendents of police and district magistrates. It has not, however, put in place a system to monitor what action has been taken. Chief Information Commissioner R J M Pillai said the commission''s job was to forward the cases to districts concerned. Asked about action taken, he said it is up to district police to revert to the panel.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDGP Abhayanand said: &quot;We coordinate with the information commission. District police have instructions to respond promptly to the info panel''s questions.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBuxar-based activist S P Rai says booking them under the SC/ST Act is &quot;the most dangerous ploy&quot; by government officials. The DGP said it was &quot;difficult to drop&quot; an SC/ST Act case once lodged. &quot;There is a commission to take a final call on such cases. Police cannot drop such cases on their own,&quot; he said. He did not rule out the chances of false cases being filed.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-29', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 29 March, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bihar-rti-activists-cope-with-murder-and--false-cases-/1094673/', '', NULL),
(20172, 54, 77, 'Hotline to redressal-Azera Parveen Rahman', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>A helpline in Odisha is empowering students to act as watchdogs to monitor implementation of the RTE Act, which completes three years in April</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;My teacher does not come to school,&quot; speaks a little voice on one end of the phone line. At the other end, a woman responds reassuringly, asking for the child''s details - name of the school, the district. Within a matter of days, the &lsquo;teacher'' is back in class, having been pulled up for irregularity by higher officials.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA unique initiative by the Odisha government to monitor implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act norms, as well as address students'' concerns, the School Students'' Helpline is bringing about a positive change in the education scenario of the State.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe first of its kind in the country, the helpline - which operates through a toll free number (1800 345 6722) - will complete three years this year, just like the RTE Act itself which will complete its third anniversary on April 1. Started soon after the Act came into being, the helpline has, until now, received nearly 11,000 calls.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to Sanatan Panda, deputy director of Mass Education and the officer-in-charge of the helpline, the idea of such an initiative was conceived as a means to address the &quot;frequent cases of corporal punishment and child sexual abuse in schools that cropped up in the media&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFor instance, had a Class VIII student of the Kiran Kishore High School, Sundergarh not complained to the helpline about two of her school staff sexually harassing the girls of her school, the matter would have remained unresolved. According to the student, the two school peons regularly passed lewd remarks at the girls and misbehaved with them, going to the extent of encouraging the male students to join them!\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhat more, despite complaining to the headmaster, no action was taken. A call to the helpline, however, brought the matter to the limelight and an immediate enquiry was ordered. Stern measures were taken against the culprits, and the headmaster, too, was pulled up for his insensitivity towards his students. Child sexual abuse is a major reason for drop-out amongst girl students.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The helpline acts as a watchdog to monitor the implementation of the RTE Act norms, and address students'' concerns. While the RTE Act covers children from age six to fourteen that is up to Class VIII, the helpline covers all school students up to class X,&quot; Mr. Panda said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe added that most children or their parents do not report violations either because of fear or inhibition. The helpline, which keeps the caller''s identity anonymous, takes care of that.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nApart from child sexual abuse, teacher irregularity, corporal punishment, entitlements, school infrastructure, and mid day meal are some of the other nature of complaints received. According to Balwant Singh, Collector of Keonjhar district, teachers'' attendance and punctuality have taken a positive swing after the helpline - which works with the technical support of UNICEF - has come into force.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn one case, a concerned individuals'' call to the helpline helped a young girl of class IX from being married off by her parents; in another, a school headmaster was suspended after it was found that the school premises were used to accommodate a theatre troupe, affecting the normal functioning of the school.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We, however, don''t initiate any action before an enquiry. At times, some cases are found to be false,&quot; Mr. Panda said, adding that the helpline number adorns the walls of all schools in 30 districts of the State, and works 12 hours a day - from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile the staff in the helpline office are mostly school teachers (eight out of 13), Usha Padhee, commissioner cum secretary of the Department of School and Mass Education, said that plans are now on to bring in trained manpower and counsellors to assess students'' problems better. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The Hindu, 27 March, 2013, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/hotline-to-redressal/article4551385.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/hotline-to-redressal/article4551385.ece</a> </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-29', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 27 March, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/hotline-to-redressal/article4551385.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20173, 53, 62, 'Aakash is no silver bullet-Akshat Rathi', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The government needs to open its eyes and realise that the technological utopia it envisions in the low-cost tablet is no cure for poor education, poverty or inequality</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe last few days have brought the Aakash tablet back into the media limelight. Last Friday, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister M.M. Pallam Raju said that troubles with the manufacturer could doom the project. But the next day, former HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, who started the project, denied Mr. Raju''s comments. He further added: &quot;I want public services to be delivered through Aakash. I want Aakash to be a platform for 1.2 billion people.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBefore Mr. Sibal sets more ridiculous targets and spends taxpayers'' money on them, he needs to be stopped. His fanciful ideas are wrong. First, there is no evidence that a tablet can solve any of the problems that he claims it can. Second, it is not clear how it will ever be able to produce a laptop that costs less than $35.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Root of the idea</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe idea for the Aakash tablet and troubles that the project brings with it have both been inherited from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project launched in 2005 by Nicholas Negroponte of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. OLPC''s hope was that empowering children in the developing world with computers connected to the internet will help them learn faster, develop better skills and reach their full potential.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut there were problems with the idea right from the start. First, it hadn''t been tested on a large enough population to make a reasonable cost-benefit analysis. Second, the project claimed that scaling up production will reduce the cost of each laptop below Rs.5,400 ($100), though they weren''t sure how. Third, OLPC thought better education was the panacea to all problems irrespective of a country''s needs.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDespite these issues, OLPC received backing from the United Nations Development Programme in 2006. With this stamp of approval, its large-scale implementation began. About eight years after its launch, the results are in and OLPC hasn''t done so well.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Tested in Peru</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPeru was the site of the largest experiment. More than 850,000 laptops were given out at a cost of Rs.108 crore ($200 million). In treatment schools where the number of laptops per child was increased from 0.12 to 1.18, a report by the Inter-American Development Bank found that OLPC failed in its goals. Test scores in languages and maths remain dismal. Enrolment isn''t higher than what it was before.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA 2010 study in Romania, another middle-income country, found that those children who were given laptops were, not surprisingly, more proficient in its use. But they did not score anymore in exams than those who didn''t have computers. Even in a low-income country like Nepal, a small-scale study produced the same results. Furthermore, the price of each laptop, up until 2010, remained at more than Rs.10,000 ($200).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMore than 20 lakh laptops have been handed out so far. Berk Ozler, senior economist at the World Bank, argues that OLPC is a mess. A report by Mark Warschauer and Morgan Ames of the University of California Irvine, says: &quot;Unlike Negroponte''s approach of simply handing computers to children and walking away, there needs to be integrated education improvement efforts.&quot; It is not clear how governments all around the world fell for the scheme that is backed by little evidence.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOLPC''s latest victim is India, even though Aakash is not a laptop. Mr. Sibal, like Negroponte, considers Aakash to be the panacea to all problems. It''s not just that. Mr. Sibal also wants Aakash to be the cheapest tablet. This has proved to be a major hurdle. Datawind, a Canadian company, won the tender to provide tablets at a cost of less than $35. Its first version failed miserably because of poor hardware. The newer version seemed more promising, but it looks like Datawind will default on its promise to deliver 1,00,000 units by March 31.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEven if the government somehow, however difficult it may seem, is able to get access to cheap tablets, they are not going to help achieve its aims. Can a laptop overcome the negative impact of a bad teacher or poor school? Can it make children smarter despite the lack of electricity, water, toilets or playgrounds? Can it overcome the limitations of stunted growth among the malnourished? Can Aakash increase productivity of the workforce to counterbalance the money invested in it?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThere is no evidence that it can do any of these things. And yet, the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology &quot;strongly hinges around a low-cost device through which the content created can reach the learner.&quot; This adoption of OLPC''s main idea is fraught with problems. Warschauer and Ames rightly argue that handing out laptops, or in India''s case, tablets, ignores the local context and thus avoids solving any of the targeted problems.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRight now when government officials are themselves confused over the future of Aakash, it is important to step back and analyse the reasons for pressing forward with a hopeless idea. Without concrete evidence, it would be foolish to continue.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>(Akshat Rathi is a science and technology journalist based in the U.K. E-mail: rathi.akshat@gmail.com) </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-29', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 29 March, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/aakash-is-no-silver-bullet/article4558989.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20181, 53, 62, 'Madhya Pradesh topples Bihar, new No. 1 in economic growth -Pradeep Thakur', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nBJP-led Madhya Pradesh dislodges champion Bihar from its numerouno position in terms of highest growth of gross state domestic product. The provisional data released by the Central Statistical Organisation for 2012-13 for states shows Bihar''s growth has slowed, slipping from an impressive 13.26% last year to a single digit 9.48% this year as against 10% clocked by MP.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOther backward states have maintained their upward trajectory, with Jharkhand and Odisha growing at 9.12% and 9.14%, respectively, this year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, a comprehensive comparison have to wait until growth data from Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi, all of which have maintained robust growth in the past years, come in. Provisional GDP figures for these states for 2012-13 are still awaited.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Bihar''s case, the phenomenal economic expansion it had clocked in recent years shows signs of deceleration. It added Rs 13,679 crore to its GDP, taking its economy from Rs 144,278 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 157,957 crore in the current fiscal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn comparison, MP has fared better, adding more than Rs 20,000 crore to its economy during the last one year, and expanding its GDP from Rs 2,01,290 crore last year to Rs 2,21,463 crore this year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGrowth in per capita income has been more disappointing for Bihar. It has added merely Rs 1,090 in 2012-13 to its per capita income, lowest among other states. In comparison, Jharkhand and MP have seen its per capita income rise by more than Rs 2,000. Odisha has also managed to add Rs 1,450 in its per capita income in the last one year - up from Rs 24,134 last year to Rs 25,584 this year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn contrast, Bihar''s per capita stands at Rs 14,268 in the current year, just marginally up from last year''s Rs 13,178.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn the past five years, Bihar has been on a high growth path, consistently recording double-digit rate: 12% in 2008-09; 11% (2010-11) and 13% (2011-12). The only exception was 2009-10 when the state''s GDP grew by a modest 7.09%.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMP has been another consistent performer. It grew by 12.47% in 2008-09 .The following year it defied downturn to post a respectable 9.88%. Though it came down to 7.13% the next year, it bounced back to double digit by managing a rate of 11.81% in 2011-12.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-30', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 30 March, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Madhya-Pradesh-topples-Bihar-new-No-1-in-economic-growth/articleshow/19282822.cms', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20185, 53, 62, 'Starving to live, not die-Goutham Shivshankar and Suhrith Parthasarathy', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>When the Supreme Court has recognised the right to go on hunger strike, why is Irom Sharmila''s protest against impunity of the armed forces a criminal act?</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOver the past 12 years, Irom Sharmila Chanu has carried on an inconceivable hunger strike, which has seen her body wither and her skin turn pale. During this period, she has emerged as the face of the civilian resistance to the immunity, and impunity, granted by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act to the army in Manipur. The Indian state has done its part to disfigure that face, by exhibiting either an inability or unwillingness to meet Sharmila''s demands. Today, it is impossible to think of Sharmila without recalling images of the feeding tube that has been forcibly thrust down her nose to keep her alive. However, the repeal of AFSPA and justice for the 10 civilians who were shot dead in November 2002 by the Assam Rifles in supposed retaliation to an attack by insurgents in Malom, Manipur - which triggered Sharmila''s protest - still remain elusive. Instead, Sharmila''s dissent expressed via her fast unto death has repeatedly been viewed as criminal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSharmila has put the Indian state in a peculiar position, by reconfiguring the dynamics of power through a public sacrifice of her body. Should the state, as it has done so far, view her indefinite fast through the lens of criminality and consider it &quot;an attempt to commit suicide,&quot; when Sharmila has unequivocally asserted her love of living? Or is it incongruous to do so, especially when the Supreme Court, in its recent and much-hailed intervention in the Ram Lila Maidan protests against corruption, has recognised that &quot;hunger strike is a form of protest which has been accepted, both historically and legally in our constitutional jurisprudence&quot;? In fact, Sharmila''s hunger strike is an area of stark legal vacuum. When there is a conflict between her freedom of expression and the Indian state''s interest, and perhaps duty, in keeping her alive, can a balance between these conflicting ends be struck without criminalising Sharmila''s actions?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The history</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nExamples of hunger strikes used as an expression of dissent are copious; the suffragettes used them in their campaign seeking the vote for women in England during the early 20th century. Hunger strikes around the world have typically, though not exclusively, been waged by prisoners. Such was the case when some imprisoned Irish Republicans famously went on a hunger strike in 1981 to protest British rule of Ireland, leading to the death of Bobby Sands and nine others. Prisoners tend to use hunger strikes as a mode of protest, either to advocate a cause disagreeable to the state or to express their dissent against what they believe to be a wrongful conviction. In the former category fall cases like that of Marion Wallace Dunlop, a pioneering suffragette who was sent to prison for printing an extract from the Bill of Rights on the wall of St. Stephen''s Hall in the House of Commons. In prison, Dunlop commenced a hunger strike to continue her protest seeking the right of women to vote. In the latter category fall prisoners like William Coleman, who has been on a hunger strike lasting almost five years in a jail in Connecticut, U.S., to protest what he believes to be his wrongful conviction. Since the global trend has been for persons already imprisoned to resort to a hunger strike, this mode of protest has usually been viewed abroad as a prisoners'' rights issue. The state''s response of force-feeding prisoners has been considered by some as being tantamount to torture and an unacceptable intrusion in the autonomy of the prisoner, akin to rape.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, India''s own experience with hunger strikes, which has been very well documented, has shown that viewing the issue through a prisoners'' rights framework is ill-advised. Our freedom fighters, Mahatma Gandhi in particular, developed and perfected this non-violent form of protest as a facet of satyagraha, and although several hunger strikes were carried out by freedom fighters during periods of incarceration, the resort to this mode of protest has never been an exclusive domain of the imprisoned. For instance, Potti Sreeramulu, a freedom fighter and Gandhian, fasted to his death, in seeking the creation of a separate State of Andhra Pradesh in independent India. The Narmada Bachao Andolan movement witnessed hunger strikes in 2002 to protest the construction of dams over the Maan River in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMore recently, Anna Hazare and his associates carried on hunger strikes against corruption. All of these protests were, and continue to be, carried on for the large part, outside the walls of prison. For this reason, a prisoners'' rights framework may, by itself, be insufficient to view the legality of hunger strikes in India.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Attempted suicide?</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn alternative way to analyse hunger strikes, especially fasts unto death, is through the framework of a constitutional right to die. In India, not a little morbidly, this argument seems to have reached a &quot;dead end.&quot; Although the Supreme Court in P. Rathinam v. Union of India (1994) initially asserted that the Indian constitutional guarantee of a fundamental right to life carries with it a fundamental right to die, subsequent decisions in Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab (1996) and Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011) overruled that view, and it is now conclusively established that Indian citizens do not have a fundamental right to die. In Gian Kaur, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises the &quot;attempt to commit suicide&quot; (i.e. the provision under which Sharmila has been charged, and previously convicted). In Shanbaug, the Supreme Court allowed only for a highly circumscribed right to approach courts to seek withdrawal of life support systems for patients in a permanent vegetative state. Thus, it appears futile to argue that Indian citizens have a right to fast unto death when, according to the apex court, they have no right to die. However, this does not automatically mean that the undertaking of fasts unto death is criminal or that one does not have a fundamental right to hunger strike of a definite period where there is no danger of death being caused. One may not have the right to do something, but to do it nonetheless needn''t be criminal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn independent India, the resort to hunger strikes has usually, though with some exceptions (such as the hunger strike by prisoners within a jail), not been viewed through the lens of criminality. For instance, Potti Sreeramulu was never considered criminal or suicidal by the Indian state for his fatal hunger strike. Anna Hazare likewise has undertaken several indefinite hunger strikes for various causes, but has never been perceived as a criminal on this account. The most prominent example of the Indian state criminalising a fast unto death per se is that of Sharmila''s. If we really believe rape is as vile as we have recently claimed it to be, then would it be just to treat Sharmila''s strike against AFSPA, a law that shields rapists from prosecution, differently from Hazare''s strike against corruption? More importantly, would it be just for a society''s laws to selectively criminalise hunger strikes depending upon the objectives such strikes seek to achieve?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis brings us to the question of whether Sharmila''s case, and more generally fasts unto death, are appropriately viewed as &quot;attempts to commit suicide&quot; under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Any criminal offence, barring certain exceptions, requires the proof of a mens rea, or the existence of a guilty mind. Sharmila has been fasting not with an intention to die, but with an intention to achieve a desired result from the state. Her refusal to consume food or water can be criminalised only if she has acted in furtherance of a conscious endeavour to commit suicide. In the absence of such conscious endeavour, to accuse and prosecute her for an offence under Section 309 is misconceived.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Freedom to express</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe questions of whether to treat Sharmila as criminal and whether the state should be allowed to force-feed her are distinct. As misguided as Sharmila''s prosecution may be, the question regarding the legality of nasally force-feeding her to keep her alive still remains open. The Supreme Court has, on the one hand, held that the threat of going on a hunger strike extended by Baba Ramdev at Ram Lila Maidan, cannot be termed illegal. Presumably, this right that the court spoke of flows from a citizen''s right to freedom of expression. That right is subject to &quot;reasonable restrictions&quot; in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, decency, morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence. If Sharmila''s fast unto death is essentially an exercise of her fundamental right to freedom of expression, the state, in force-feeding her, may presumably be acting in furtherance of its right to impose reasonable restrictions as permitted by our Constitution. However, force-feeding, even if conducted in a humane and largely non-intrusive manner, has been widely considered to be tantamount to torture. Even though the state might merely be imposing restrictions that are reasonable within the meaning of Article 19 of the Constitution, the measure might nonetheless be a violation of Sharmila''s right to life and personal liberty under Article 21.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn our opinion, fasts unto death occupy an area of legal vacuum that offer no easy solutions. Should the state allow Sharmila to die and, in the process, abdicate its duty to protect life? Or must it resort to force-feeding her, even though such actions hit at the core of her bodily integrity? While neither offers a perfectly tailored legal solution, what is certain is that a balance ought to be struck between these starkly conflicting ends without criminalising Sharmila''s actions. For, to do so would be tantamount to stigmatising an exercise by a citizen of her right to freedom of expression in advocating a particular cause when other citizens have used the freedom in exactly the same manner without suffering prosecution, simply because they advocated causes of a different, and less complex, nature.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>(The authors are advocates practising in the Madras High Court) </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-30', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 30 March, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/starving-to-live-not-die/article4562373.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20191, 53, 62, 'Turf tiff over Nirbhaya fund -Ananya Sengupta', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Telegraph\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nMinistries are in the dark over control of the Rs 1,000-crore &quot;Nirbhaya Fund&quot;, announced in last month''s budget and named in the Delhi gang rape victim''s memory, despite government declarations of urgency in dealing with women''s safety issues.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile some ministers believe the home ministry will be the nodal agency to handle the funds, others reckon that the finance ministry will take the reins and disburse the cash to ministries for dealing with women-related schemes.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, the women and child development ministry was the first off the block to stake its claim to the corpus by writing a letter to the Prime Minister two weeks ago. It awaits the final go-ahead.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFinance minister P. Chidambaram had not allotted the fund to any specific ministry when he announced the proposal in the Union budget on February 28.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut women and child development minister Krishna Tirath, who pushed and got many of her proposals incorporated in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill prescribing tougher punishments for crimes against women, wants the corpus to be given to her ministry.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShe has prepared a draft plan on how she intends to use the funds and is preparing to send a second letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying her ministry should be made the nodal agency.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The minister will send the letter on Monday (April 1). The Prime Minister has been out of town recently. She has her plans ready and we are hoping we will get the corpus as we are the nodal agency in dealing with women''s issues,&quot; said an official of Tirath''s ministry.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSources indicated that the ministry was planning to disburse the funds through its existing schemes that deal with the safety and empowerment of women and not create any new standalone programme for the purpose.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrem Narain, secretary in Tirath''s department, has already written to the department of economic affairs, part of the finance ministry, seeking control of the fund. The response is awaited.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nChidambaram had said while announcing the fund that the women and child development ministry, along with other ministries concerned &quot;will be requested to work out the details of the structure, scope and application of the fund&quot;. Funds from the corpus are yet to be released.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut Tirath is ready with her plan. In the letter she plans to send the Prime Minister next week, she has suggested a &quot;one stop crisis centre&quot; to provide medical and legal support to victims of rape and sexual assault and to pay compensation, ministry sources said. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-30', NULL, 1, 'The Telegraph, 30 March, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130330/jsp/nation/story_16727226.jsp#.UVbvyzfcing', '', NULL),
(20192, 53, 62, 'Anti-terror agency boss on rights panel -Nishit Dholabhai', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Telegraph\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe director-general of the National Investigation Agency, Sharad C. Sinha, was today selected member of the National Human Rights Commission at a meeting attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, is understood to have given dissenting notes against two appointments to the NHRC, one being that of Sinha, which was not accepted. No decision has been taken on the other note of dissent against the appointment of a member from the judiciary.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe NHRC chairperson and its five full-time members are selected through a committee comprising the Prime Minister as the chairperson, the Union home minister as convener, and the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker, and the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha as members.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government is said to have concurred with Sushma today to defer one appointment but stood its ground on Sinha.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA presidential assent needed for Sinha''s appointment is likely to be given tomorrow, sources said. An NHRC member is of the rank of a minister of state at the Centre.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn the NHRC, Sinha has been appointed in place of former CBI director P.C. Sharma who retired last year. Sharma was appointed during the NDA regime. Sinha is to retire from the NIA in October this year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSinha, a 1975-batch Haryana cadre officer, was selected from a panel of over 20 names for two posts. The other post is meant for a former Supreme Court judge.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJustice (retired) Cyriac Joseph was a candidate for this post, which became vacant after Justice Govind Prasad Mathur retired in January. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-03-30', NULL, 1, 'The Telegraph, 30 March, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130330/jsp/nation/story_16727210.jsp#.UVbwOTfcing', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20203, 53, 62, 'Women activists protest ‘murder’ of Dalit woman-Rahi Gaikwad', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Activists claim their colleague was brutally raped and murdered</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWomen''s groups staged angry protests on National Highway 28 in Muzaffarpur district after a Dalit woman activist was found dead at Mandai village.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to Rinku Devi of the Janwadi Mahila Samiti - a group that the victim was a member of - the woman was raped and murdered.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The activist was raped and murdered in a brutal fashion. According to the family, sticks and mud were found in her private parts and her mouth was stuffed with a cloth. Her body was found near a cycle shop in the village. When we protested, the police slapped cases on us,&quot; Ms. Devi told The Hindu after speaking to the victim''s family members.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe victim was fighting alleged irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the public distribution system.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Earlier, the police picked up the victim''s husband and son. But we put pressure on them to release them. Family members cannot [carry out] an act so brutal. Everyone in the village knows who the perpetrators are but their lips are sealed in fear,&quot; Ms. Devi said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe SP and the DSP paid a visit to the site on Saturday. The police said they were awaiting the post-mortem report and investigating the case. No arrests have been made yet.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-01', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 31 March, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/women-activists-protest-murder-of-dalit-woman/article4565975.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20215, 53, 62, 'Patent war over drugs goes chronic -Rupali Mukherjee', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>MUMBAI: </em>Turf war between Big Pharma and generic companies, which was largely restricted to exorbitantly priced life-saving drugs for cancer and HIV, is now spilling over to other chronic ailments like diabetes, and threatening to change dynamics of the nearly Rs 70,000 crore Indian pharma market.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTriggering a full-blown patent fight with US-based Merck, domestic generic company Glenmark has launched a more affordable version of the multinational''s blockbuster anti-diabetes drug Januvia. The move is expected to heighten tensions between MNCs and domestic generic companies which have been embroiled in patent disputes over the last couple of years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGlenmark''s launch could also throw up a different patent challenge for the regulators, which have seen two prominent cases where the compulsory licence route was used to launch life-saving drugs at just a fraction of the original price. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGlenmark has priced its diabetes drug around 30% cheaper than Merck''s Januvia, and the savings to patients could be nearly Rs 5,000 a year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMerck''s diabetes therapies Januvia and Janumet, launched in the Indian market in 2008, are part of the ''gliptin'' family. The drugs together are nearly Rs 200-crore brands, making them one of the fastest growing medicines, and are ranked No. 2 in the oral diabetics market (according to IMS data).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nConfirming the move, a company official said, &quot;Glenmark is a responsible company and has launched the products after due diligence and research. Like other branded generics, Glenmark''s Zita &amp; Zita-Met are also branded generics.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ''gliptin'' market in India is estimated at around Rs 500 crore, growing at 25% per year. ''Gliptin'' is an oral once-a-day treatment option. Priced at Rs 43 per tablet, a month''s dose of Merck''s Januvia costs nearly Rs 1,300. Though ''gliptins'' have emerged as a good option in diabetes treatment, their use has been restricted largely because of their high prices, experts say.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA MSD India official said; &quot;We are disappointed in Glenmark''s decision to introduce products that directly infringe upon our intellectual property. We believe our patents for Januvia and Janumet are valid and enforceable and will vigorously defend them. Strong intellectual property protection is essential for growing India''s innovative capacity and economic growth. As an innovative pharmaceutical company, protection of our intellectual property is vital to ensuring that we continue to assume the tremendous monetary risks associated with the discovery of innovative medicines.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn India, where there are over 65 million people with type 2 diabetes, MSD also has a comprehensive strategy to help address the challenge of reducing disease burden and to increase access to our medicines, including India-specific responsible pricing for Januvia and Janumet, the official added.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile Glenmark says that its product is &quot;non-infringing&quot; on Merck''s drug, the details of Merck''s patent on the drug sold in the market, were not available. Experts say that Glenmark''s move will lead to a protracted legal battle with both sides sticking to their point.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLeena Menghaney, legal expert and campaign coordinator for Medicins Sans Frontieres, a medical humanitarian NGO, says &quot;Access issues are also present in non-communicable lifestyle ailments. This becomes more relevant since developing countries are witnessing an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hence, generic companies have a big role to play to bring down prices of drugs used in these ailments.&quot; \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-01', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 1 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Patent-war-over-drugs-goes-chronic/articleshow/19315419.cms', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20219, 53, 62, 'Looms fall silent in silk town -Umanand Jaiswal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Telegraph\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Sualkuchi: </em>The sound of wood striking wood was missing, as was the sight of intricate and colourful patterns on silk taking shape on the loom.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis silk town, around 35km from Guwahati and on the North Bank of the Brahmaputa, seemed to have lost its raison d''etre - producing silk products of fame - after the invasion of similar products bearing the name of another town on the bank of another famed river, Varanasi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIf 26-year-old Mithun Barman''s hands still worked on the loom at Hiralal Kalita''s weaving unit at Kalitapara this morning, it was more to rid himself of the boredom of sitting idle for the past three days than anything meaningful.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe &quot;simple and peaceful&quot; townsfolk didn''t know what curfew was like till yesterday afternoon, when it was imposed to restore order.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nKhanikar Das, a young trader, said the curfew was such a stranger to the residents that yesterday, some of his acquaintances had even requested him to go out with them to &quot;see&quot; the curfew, which had evoked curiosity and fear in equal measure.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe district administration had imposed the curfew after protesters and security personnel were engaged in a running battle that led to injuries to several on both sides. Three persons are still undergoing treatment in Guwahati.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe cause of trouble was the simmering tension sparked off by traders selling Benarasi silk products in the name of Sualkuchi silk - the more expensive pat and muga. Benarasi silk is mainly churned out of mulberry and costs less.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe anger has been there for quite some time. &quot;The two had co-existed in our shops from time immemorial, but of late, some traders had been passing off Benarasi silk products as those made from Assam silk. Besides, over some time, these products were being designed on the lines of the local products, thus threatening the latter''s existence. This should be stopped and I am with the public on this issue. But I am not indulging in any unfair practices,&quot; said Kushal Medhi, whose family has been in the business of both manufacturing and trading for the past 75 years. His stock of Benarasi silk products was also torched yesterday outside his residence, where the police had to fire at protesters.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe number of looms in the town has come down from 25,000 to 12,000, as labour shortage and mounting cost of production has dealt a body blow to brand Sualkuchi, which, in turn, also encouraged traders to bring in more Benarasi products. &quot;Most of the weavers have gone out looking for greener pastures in the past five-six years,&quot; Das said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;If this trend continues, we may have to shut shop soon for malpractice by a few and the administration''s indifference. An integral part of the Assamese way of life will come to an end because silk mekhela and sador are part of the community''s identity. Around 10,000 people from neighbouring districts who work with us have been directly affected. Almost 100 per cent of the households here are involved in making silk products,&quot; Hiralal Kalita said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOfficials said silk weaving provides direct as well as indirect employment to more than 25,000 people throughout the year. More than 12,000 women weavers are also involved. While 70 per cent of the products comprise mekhela and sador, 20 per cent are silk sarees and 10 per cent miscellaneous products.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSualkuchi produces 31,000 lakh linear metres of silk fabrics worth Rs 9,000 lakh, with an approximate annual export of Rs 1,200 lakh.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is clear from the observations of the weavers and traders that it is more a fight to protect a way of life than an attempt to check Benarasi silk &quot;masquerading&quot; as Sualkuchi silk. &quot;The sooner the administration understands, the better it will be for everyone,&quot; Das said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe administration seems to have got the message. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi called up Kamrup deputy commissioner S.K. Roy to ensure that innocents were not harassed and the situation returned to normal soon.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLocal MLA and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is being accused of not doing enough to resolve the problem, too, held a stocktaking meeting.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRoy told The Telegraph that the situation was under control. &quot;We relaxed curfew from 1pm to 4pm and then extended it by an hour. Tomorrow, we will relax it from 7 am to 5 pm. We understand the sentiments of the people,&quot; he said. He said shops would be checked from tomorrow to root out this menace. &quot;I will also move Dispur to conduct such raids all over the state.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGovernment spokesperson Bhupen Kumar Borah told this correspondent: &quot;The government will do everything to protect this great Assamese fabric, which is also our unique identity.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLocal residents today met the deputy commissioner during the curfew relaxation period and sought the unconditional release of the five arrested persons and immediate lifting of curfew.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrahlad Das, a local youth, said the outburst was collective and spontaneous. &quot;It''s a people movement and we will not allow anybody to politicise this identity and livelihood issue. We want solution, not politics.&quot;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-01', NULL, 1, 'The Telegraph, 1 April, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130401/jsp/frontpage/story_16732922.jsp#.UVkZaDfcing', '', NULL),
(20222, 53, 62, 'The fear that triggered call for forces', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Telegraph\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nChief minister Mamata Banerjee will not know Pushpa Tudu. Neither will state election commissioner Mira Pande.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSuch an assertion can be made because Pushpa Tudu does not want her real name to be published - a wish that tells the human story behind the stand-off between the Bengal government and the state election commission.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEarly last week, Pushpa Tudu (name changed), a probable CPM gram panchayat candidate, was addressing a small gathering in Burdwan''s Jemua when six men on motorcycles arrived.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nStopping a couple of feet from her, they delivered a familiar message: if she dared to contest the panchayat polls, her family would not see her alive again. Then they sped off.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSince then, Pushpa, the wife of a labourer who collects dry sal leaves and makes plates from them, has stopped addressing gatherings and confines herself to her home.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;My life is more important than politics. I am scared. I have decided not to contest the polls even if the party selects me and there are enough security personnel,&quot; she told The Telegraph, requesting that her real name should not be published as she fears a reprisal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Now that they are in power, the Trinamul Congress will stop at nothing to win the panchayat polls,&quot; she added.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nKanchan Murmu, 35, a labourer who attended the gathering, said: &quot;Soon after the men on bikes left, I also fled from the meeting.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn large swathes of south Bengal, where the CPM''s word was once law, the hunter has now become the hunted.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn districts once considered the bastion of the Left - North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan, Birbhum and Bankura - the combine''s cadres are on the run, allegedly terrorised by Trinamul and unsure how many of the panchayat seats they will be able to contest.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSuch reports from the ground are certain to have travelled up the official ladder and reached the state government as well as the election commission.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe fear can be gauged in Burdwan, once considered the &quot;Red Fort&quot; of Bengal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Left''s tally in the 26-seat district came down from 23 in the 2006 Assembly polls to nine in the 2011 elections. Many CPM activists hounded out of their homes after the 2011 debacle do not have the courage to return home for fear of Trinamul attacks.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn a district where the CPM once evoked fear, crushing its opponents at will, its cadres are now cowering in terror and keeping several of its party offices shut, a turn of fate that has befallen the party in several other parts of south Bengal as well.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CPM claims that in blocks such as Mangalkot, Raina and Ketugram, nearly 100 party activists have fled their homes and dare not return. &quot;When people are fearful of returning home, how will they contest the panchayat elections?&quot; asked Pankaj Roy Sarkar, a CPM local committee secretary in Durgapur. &quot;Our comrades are being assaulted.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn March 20, the CPM''s Jharna Mardi (name changed) was canvassing support for her candidacy in Galsi when she was attacked allegedly by Trinamul activists for having the &quot;temerity&quot; of harbouring hopes of contesting an election. She had to be hospitalised with head injuries. A police case was lodged but no one was arrested.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe alleged atrocity prompted the district secretary of the CPM to repeat a demand often made by the Opposition and rejected by the government.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This is why we need the central paramilitary forces during the panchayat elections,&quot; said Burdwan CPM secretary Amal Haldar. &quot;The police in Bengal are biased and do not take any action against Trinamul workers. Trinamul activists have been threatening that they won''t allow our party workers to file nominations. We have complained to the police but no action has been taken.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnlike in Burdwan, where the CPM can at least lodge police complaints, in most of the other south Bengal districts, the party leadership is too scared to do so.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Birbhum, another Left bastion overrun by Trinamul, CPM secretary Dilip Ganguly admitted that even though ruling party activists were &quot;terrorising&quot; cadres, no one was willing to lodge police complaints for fear of reprisals.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Trinamul is attacking our cadres mainly in Nanoor, Bolpur, Labpur and Dubrajpur,&quot; Ganguly said. &quot;But they would rather suffer in silence than complain to the police. They know that the police will not take any action and instead, Trinamul''s tyranny will worsen.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe alleged that at Pukurhans village in Nanoor, which has witnessed several bloody political clashes, a CPM leader''s wife was told that her husband would be killed if he campaigned for the CPM during the panchayat polls.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I cannot mention his name because our comrades want to maintain anonymity. After the threat, the leader is so scared that he is shunning all party work,&quot; Ganguly said. &quot;There is nothing we can do to motivate him because we cannot guarantee his protection.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt the other end of south Bengal, at Canning in South 24-Parganas, a district where Trinamul had swept the 2008 panchayat elections and formed the zilla parishad, a CPM leader who has switched to Trinamul, said his former party''s &quot;past sins&quot; were &quot;catching up&quot; with it.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;What is happening to the CPM today is exactly what had happened to the Opposition when the Marxists were at the helm of affairs,&quot; he said. &quot;Trinamul has simply taken a leaf out of the CPM''s book. If Trinamul is intimidating and terrorising the Opposition, as the Left is now claiming, then they should realise that this is exactly what they had done when they were in a position to do so.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPartha Chatterjee, Trinamul secretary-general and industries minister, denied the allegations of Trinamul terror tactics but added that the CPM had started the &quot;politics of violence&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We don''t bother about what the CPM is saying. The people of Bengal have seen their violent face in the 34 years of Left Front rule. They were the ones who started the politics of violence - in Netai, Singur, Nandigram, Nanoor and Keshpur. Now people are no longer with them, so they are saying all these things,&quot; Chatterjee said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe picture is much the same in the other south Bengal districts where the Left once held sway.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Bankura, the CPM has been complaining that Trinamul is using the police to harass party comrades.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAmiya Patra, the CPM secretary of Bankura, said a leader in Kalapathar under Bankura Sadar police station was picked up by the police on Thursday after Trinamul supporters complained against him.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn West Midnapore, CPM district secretariat member Dahareswar Sen claimed that in Sabang, Pingla and Sankrail, once Maoist strongholds, masked Trinamul activists were roaming around ordering CPM leaders not to campaign.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAdditional director-general of police, law and order, Banibrata Basu refused comment on the Left''s allegations, merely saying: &quot;If anyone lodges a complaint, the police will take action.&quot;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-01', NULL, 1, 'The Telegraph, 1 April, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130401/jsp/bengal/story_16732522.jsp#.UVkdnzfcing', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20233, 53, 62, 'Supreme Court rules for cheap cancer drug -Subodh Varma', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<img src="tinymce/uploaded/Patents_1.bmp" alt="Patents" /> \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Supreme Court on Monday rejected pharma giant Novartis AG''s plea to preserve its patent over a life-saving cancer drug, Glivec, drawing a huge sigh of relief from thousands of patients in India and in dozens of developing countries as the fear of an almost 15-fold escalation of drug costs receded. It is the biggest setback for multinational pharma companies, which have been denied patent protection for a series of life-saving drugs in recent years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nInvented in 1991, Glivec is a miracle cure for a type of blood cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this form of cancer, certain bone marrow cells go rogue and produce excessive white blood cells, causing mild fatigue and hip pain initially, but slipping into an out-of-control crisis of zooming platelet and white cell counts. It used to be fatal, but with Glivec, the survival rate is over 95%. Imanitib, the active component, is on the National Essential Drugs List in India.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndia has an estimated 3 lakh CML patients, with 20,000 added every year. Glivec is sold by Novartis for about Rs 1.2 lakh per month. Indian manufacturers sell the same drug at a monthly cost of Rs 8,000. This was the reason why Novartis launched a seven-year-long legal battle to protect its patent on the drug.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis, which reported a net profit of $9.6 billion in 2012 on sales of $57 billion, criticized the judgment. In a statement Ranjit Shahani, vice chairman and managing director, Novartis India said, &quot;This ruling is a setback for patients that will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhen the drug was first commercially sold in 2001, India was moving over from the old patent regime to a new one after signing the international trade and patent related agreements in 1995. The new patent law came into force in 2005. Novartis could not get a patent on Glivec as it dated from an earlier time when a different patent law prevailed. It tried but the patent tribunal rejected the claim in 2006.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfter going through various appeals, Novartis ended up in the apex court pleading that a crucial section 3 (d) of the new patent law was not applicable to Glivec. This section says that just discovering a new form of a substance is not enough to grant a patent, if it does not enhance its &quot;known efficacy&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis was arguing that a new &quot;beta crystalline&quot; form of Glivec is more effective and hence qualifies as a new invention, and hence should get patent protection.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Supreme Court, in a 112-page analysis of all the claims and counter- arguments disagreed. It said that the beta crystalline form was nothing new. It has always existed in the original amorphous form.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe landmark judgement means that Indian companies like Natco and Cipla can continue making and selling Glivec, not only for India but to most third world countries.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMonday''s Supreme Court judgment dims hopes for some other pharma giants fighting legal battles on patents. Pfizer''s cancer drug Sutent and Roche''s hepatitis C treatment Pegasys and Merck &amp; Co''s asthma treatment aerosol suspension formulation lost their patented status in India last year, decisions the companies are fighting to have reversed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMany pharma giants are concentrating their legal fire-power on India because it is an $11 billion a year market growing at 13-14 percent annually. Equally important is that India has emerged as the ''pharmacy of the world&quot; selling over $26 billion worth of cheap generic (non-patent) drugs to most of the poor and still developing countries. It is estimated that about 80% of the HIV/AIDS patients in the developing world are surviving because of cheap Indian drugs.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Chronic Myeloid Leukemia</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCML is a type of blood cancer. It affects mostly adults in their 40s and 50s. The disease tends to progress more slowly than acute forms of blood cancer. The incidence of CML in India is 4-5 cases per 100,000 population. It constitutes 10% of all cancers Treatment includes targeted therapy and bone marrow transplant. Targeted therapy involves the administration of oral drugs and is given for at least five years. Some patients may need it for a lifetime though.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCost of Glivec used for targeted therapy in CML patients: 1 lakh per month (approx)\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCost of its generic versions : 8,000 -10 ,000 per month\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNo. of cancer centres in India: 450 approx (half are in the private sector) \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-02', '2013-04-02 10:59:17', 1, 'The Times of India, 1 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Supreme-Court-rules-for-cheap-cancer-drug/articleshow/19331267.cms', '', NULL);
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(20242, 53, 62, 'We will not yield to pressure to grant patents, says Sharma-Sujay Mehdudia', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nUnion Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has termed &quot;historic&quot; the Supreme Court''s rejection of Novartis'' claim for patent for its anti-cancer drug Glivec.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said the Indian Patent Act was in conformity with its international obligations under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement. &quot;It is a historic judgment. It reaffirms the position of Indian law and, in particular, provisions of Section 3D, which mandates... a substantive innovation... for grant of a fresh patent,&quot; he said in a statement here.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAlong with his Ministry, Mr. Sharma has been a strong votary of a compulsory licensing regime and has favoured no-compromise approach to the issue of life-saving drugs. &quot;We have a commitment to the people of India, especially the poor, and will not succumb to any kind of pressure to grant patents beyond their normal lives....&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis does not have a patent for Glivec in the Indian market as the drug was introduced here before India adopted its new patent regime.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, since the new version of the drug is just a small improvement on the older one, India has rejected the company''s patent appli cation.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-02', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 2 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/we-will-not-yield-to-pressure-to-grant-patents-says-sharma/article4571671.ece', '', NULL);
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(20251, 53, 62, 'Diversion of Himachal forest land: Activists, tribals see red-Chander Suta Dogra', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The government does it purely on the strength of a certificate issued by the district administration</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEven as the recent affidavit submitted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) before the Supreme Court in the Vedanta case has caused dismay among tribal communities and activists for the dilution of its stand on diverting forest lands of tribal communities, the Ministry has gone a step further and allowed diversion of forest land in Himachal Pradesh purely on the strength of a certificate issued by the district administration.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Union Ministry, acting on the request of the Himachal Chief Minister, accepted his contention that rights and concessions on forest land throughout the State including tribal areas have been settled long back, and therefore there are no compliance issues under the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nActivists have since been trying to undo the damage. The MoEF has agreed that in the case of Himachal the deputy commissioner''s certificate will be &quot;considered as sufficient evidence to meet the procedural requirement&quot; of the Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Hydel projects</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRoughly 70% of all forest diversion in the State has been done for hydel projects and transmission lines, and around 67% of the State comes under forest land. Settlement of forest rights in the State was done more than hundred years ago in 1894, 1905 and 1911. Since 1981, 10335 hectares of forest land has been diverted for various purposes. Of these, hydel projects have cornered 4031 hectares while transmission lines, 2266 hectares.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNow, activists of nine grassroots organizations have in a letter to the Environment Minister challenged the claim of the Himachal Government that forest rights have been settled and demanded that a NoC from the gram sabha should be compulsory in accordance with the Ministry''s circular of 2009.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMembers of Himdhara, an environment action group, one of the signatories to the letter, say: &quot;The claim of the Himachal Pradesh government that the forest rights have already been settled in the State under the ''Forest Settlement process'' of 70s is untenable. In forest settlement, the rights were recognised as customary rights, and in other words as ''concessions'' to local community but these were taken back by the State, as and when it wanted to divert forests, without following any legal procedure or paying compensation to the affected people. On the other hand FRA provides legal status to these customary rights recording them as &lsquo;inalienable and non transferable''&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Flouting of FRA Act</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe organizations -- Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Saal Ghaati Bachao Sangharsh Morcha, Himalaya Bachao Samiti, Himgiri Lok Jagriti Samiti, Sutlej Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti and others - quoting from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs status report on implementation of the FRA, which notes its weak implementation in Himachal, have questioned that even if the forest rights have been settled, is the HP government free to contravene the provisions of the Act which requires their identification, verification and recognition?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nR.S. Negi of Him Lok Jagriti Manch, Kinnaur, says: &quot;The real interest of the government is to make easy the forest diversion process for hydroprower projects, even at the cost of local people''s rights.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThey have also objected to the action of the MoEF in agreeing to the demand of the Chief Minister without consulting the Ministry of Tribal Affairs which is the nodal ministry for the implementation of FRA 2006, saying that if such an advice had been sought, it would have been revealed that the State was in the process of implementation of the FRA and would have led to rejection of the request.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne of the first projects to get approval according to the new system, with the deputy commissioner''s certificate, has been the Bajoli holi hydel project in Chamba district, last October, requiring 73.30 hectares of forest land.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-02', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 2 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/diversion-of-himachal-forest-land-activists-tribals-see-red/article4571664.ece', '', NULL);
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(20255, 53, 62, 'CAG rips into Delhi govt for messing up services, utilities', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe report of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) on the Delhi government for the year ended March 2012 is a scathing indictment of many departments and public utilities. Healthcare, transport, power, water and sewage and even showcase infrastructure projects and schemes have been put under the lens and the picture that has emerged is not all that pretty. The report was tabled in the Delhi assembly on Tuesday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIf you have been wondering why government hospitals often fail to provide ambulances on time, the report says that at two major hospitals - Lok Nayak Hospital and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital - ambulances are used for commuting, odd errands and even transporting bodies to the mortuary! The hospitals are in a mess with a squeeze on space, shortage of medicines and vacancies for critical posts.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNot only has Delhi Transco failed miserably to keep pace with the growing demand for power, it has also given an undue advantage to private discoms through rebates and failed to penalize them for non-payment, the report says. Delhi Jal Board has spent a lot of funds over the past 18 years but failed to augment water supply and plug wastage.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnd the PWD, which has a monopoly on the city''s infrastructure projects, seems to be extremely reluctant to penalize contractors for delays and deviations.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<strong><em>The chargesheet</em></strong>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHealth: Govt hospital ambulances used for transporting medicines, doctors, cash and bodies\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWater: 28.4% of residents not getting piped water. Delhi Jal Board lost Rs 3,950cr to short billing. Rs600cr spent on augmenting supply but no results were seen\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTransco: Transmission capacity of 2,380 MVA added, well short of the 7,420 MVA target. No penalty on discomsBRPL &amp; BYPL for irregular payments\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTransport: Cluster bus scheme hastily implemented, resulting in fund outgo of Rs 15.48cr despite a partial rollout\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHoursing for poor: Centre approved 1,10,584 dwelling units under JNNURM, only 10,684 units were completed\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 3 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/CAG-rips-into-Delhi-govt-for-messing-up-services-utilities/articleshow/19351848.cms', '', NULL),
(20263, 53, 62, 'RIL, Adani Power got undue favours from Gujarat PSUs', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Business Standard\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>CAG says GSPL did not safeguard its own interest leading to passing on of undue benefit of Rs 52 cr to RIL</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn what could add more teeth to the opposition party''s allegations against the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)''s latest report has brought out fresh details of undue favour by state public sector undertakings (PSUs) to Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Adani Power Limited (APL).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs per the CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2012, Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL) was responsible for deviation from the agreed terms of recovery of transportation charges for transportation of gas from the specified entry point of the company''s pipeline network led to passing of undue benefit of Rs  52.27 crore to RIL.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSimilarly, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), as per CAG report, was involved in non-adherence to the terms of power purchase agreement (PPA), which led to short recovery of penalty of Rs  160.26 crore and passing of undue benefit to Adani Power Limited (APL).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCAG is of the view that GSPL did not safeguard its own interest leading to passing on of undue benefit of Rs  52.27 crore to RIL. GSPL had entered into a gas transportation agreement (GTA) with RIL for transportation of D6 gas from Bhadbhut in Bharuch district to RIL refinery in Jamnagar on March 2007.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, when RIL began transporting gas from its KG-D6 filed to its refinery and GSPL started transporting the D6 gas from Bhadbhut to RIL''s refinery in Jamnagar, the latter did not invoke the GTA terms and instead charged RIL a single rate on the quantity transported, thereby passing of undue benefit of Rs  52.27 crore to RIL.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn the other hand, the CAG report observed that GUVNL recovered a penalty of only Rs  79.82 crore from APL for its failure to supply power and also for the short supply of power against GUVNL''s entitlement in the power generated by APL during August 2009 to January 2012.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to CAG, the actual penalty to be recovered by GUVNL from APL as per PPA terms amounted to Rs  240.08 crore.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Business Standard, 2 April, 2013, http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ril-adani-power-got-undue-favours-from-gujarat-psus-cag-113040200451_1.html#.UVvDWd2TRSQ.twitter', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20266, 53, 62, 'Government approves Rs 4,620 crore road projects, including 3 in Assam', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe government today approved road projects worth Rs 4,620 crore in Assam and Madhya Pradesh for the widening of National Highways.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAll the four projects, including three in Assam for widening of stretches of National Highways 37 under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North Eastern Region (SARDP-NE) at a cost of Rs 1,933 crore, were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The CCEA has given its approval for the four-laning of the Jabalpur-Bhopal section of National Highway-12 under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase III, on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll) mode of delivery,&quot; an official statement said about the Madhya Pradesh project.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe project in Bhopal and Jabalpur districts of the state at an estimated cost of Rs 2,686.91 crore will widen 294.21 km stretch, it said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout the Assam projects, the statement said they will entail an expenditure of Rs 1,933 crore for widening various stretches under National Highway 37 on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) ( Annuity) mode of delivery.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe projects include widening of Jorhat to Demow section at a cost of Rs 874.69 crore, Numaligarh to Jorhat section at a cost of Rs 584.68 and Demow to Bogibil junction section of NH 37, the statement said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe project cost in all the three schemes exclude land acquisition and other pre-construction activities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe statement said the projects will expedite improvement of infrastructure in Assam and reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic besides improving employment potential for local labourers for project activities.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Economic Times, 2 April, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/government-approves-rs-4620-crore-road-projects-including-3-in-assam/articleshow/19347527.cms', '', NULL),
(20275, 53, 62, 'Ajay Maken ticks off Chavan, tells him to stop slum demolition', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Mumbai: </em>Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ajay Maken on Tuesday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, asking him to stop demolition of the houses of slum dwellers, after a delegation of the National Alliance of People''s Movements headed by Medha Patkar met him in New Delhi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe asked Mr. Chavan to see that the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) was implemented with much more enthusiasm and in the spirit of achieving a slum-free State.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMs. Patkar had informed the Minister that a list of 19 slum communities was finalised in May 2011 by the Maharashtra government for notification or declaring them slums. However, Mr. Maken noted, this process was not yet completed, resulting in basic amenities not being provided to lakhs of slum dwellers residing in these areas. This also resulted in no funds being invested in new development plans in these areas, depriving the poor of a decent shelter and basic infrastructure, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn the absence of a notification, private builders and developers were allegedly taking advantage of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme and grabbing land from slums by evicting the poor and using it for commercial purposes, Mr. Maken pointed out. &quot;You will agree that slum dwellers, who build and serve the cities like Mumbai, when evicted without an alternative, face immense injustice, harassment and deprivation of their basic right to shelter.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr. Maken said the Union government launched RAY in 2011 and Central assistance was being extended to States that were willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers and undertake reservation of land for economically weaker sections/low income groups, earmark 25 per cent of the municipal budget for basic services to the urban poor and bring in legislative amendments and policy changes to redress land and affordable housing shortage. Fifty per cent of the cost of providing basic civic and social infrastructure and amenities of housing including rental and transit for in situredevelopment of slums was to be borne by the Centre.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 3 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/ajay-maken-ticks-off-chavan-tells-him-to-stop-slum-demolition/article4575218.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20278, 53, 62, 'Fast track courts likely for cases involving “innocent Muslimsâ€-Sandeep Joshi', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Shinde assures MPs that such courts will be set up to expedite trial</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAmid charges of &quot;innocent&quot; Muslims being falsely implicated in terror cases, the Union government is likely to set up fast track courts to expedite their trial.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHome Minister Sushilkumar Shinde gave the assurance to a group of MPs and civil rights activists who met him to demand a &quot;clear-cut time frame&quot; for setting up such courts and freeing all the accused who have been in prison for two years or more.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe delegation presented a 14-point charter of demands, seeking immediate action to end the persecution of &quot;innocent&quot; Muslims who were &quot;being falsely implicated on the charges of terrorist activities with fabricated evidence.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNotably, Mr. Shinde recently wrote to Minority Affairs Minister K. Rahman Khan, backing the proposal to establish special courts for expeditious trial of terror cases involving &quot;innocent&quot; Muslim youths. Besides Muslims organisations and human rights groups, some political parties have demanded a mechanism to ensure that &quot;innocent&quot; Muslims are not held on fabricated charges.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe memorandum - signed by CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and Rajya Sabha MPs Mani Shankar Ayyar, A.S. Malihabadi, Mohammed Addeb and Aziz Pasha - has also demanded a mechanism to secure compensation and reparation for, and rehabilitation of, those acquitted by courts. It sought a probe against police officers who had arrested &quot;innocent&quot; Muslims and fabricated evidence against them, and strict penal action, if they were found guilty.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDemanding an official audit of all counter-terrorism agencies to &quot;investigate their practices in framing innocent Muslim youth,&quot; the delegation, which included members of the People''s Campaign Against Politics of Terror (PCPT), sought an end to &quot;protracted police custody&quot; of an alleged accused person.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSignificantly, in December last, answering a question in the Rajya Sabha from Janata Dal (United) member Sabir Ali about details &quot;of innocent Muslims languishing in various jails,&quot; Mr. Shinde said data from the National Crime Records Bureau showed that as on December 2011, the total number of undertrials in prisons was more than 2.41 lakh, of whom 51,206 or 21.2 per cent of the total inmates were Muslims. Likewise, there were more than 1.28 lakh convicts lodged in various jails, including 22,943 Muslims.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 3 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/fast-track-courts-likely-for-cases-involving-innocent-muslims/article4575275.ece', '', NULL),
(20284, 53, 62, 'SFI leader’s death causes furore', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Police do not deny that it was a case of death in police custody, but say they exercised restraint</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Kolkata: </em>The death of a State committee member of the Students Federation of India (SFI), students'' wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), allegedly in police custody has created a stir here and raised fresh questions about police excesses in the State.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSudipta Gupta, who completed his post-graduation from the Rabindra Bharati University earlier this year, was arrested when he was participating in a law violation programme organised by four Left students unions on Tuesday to protest the government''s move to put on hold students union elections.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr. Gupta died of his injuries in the State-run SSKM hospital on Tuesday evening. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n Even as senior CPI (M) leaders and SFI leadership alleged that he died after he was beaten up and pushed by the police from the vehicle taking the arrested students to a city correctional home, the police maintained that he died of the injuries he sustained after hitting a lamp post.  \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJawed Shamin, Joint Commissioner (Headquarters) of police, admitted that there was an altercation between the arrested students and the policemen accompanying them in the vehicle, prior to Mr. Gupta suffering severe head injuries when he collided with a lamppost near the Presidency Central Correctional Home.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe police had exercised restraint and they resorted to the standard procedure of taking those arrested to the correctional home in a bus, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n Senior CPI(M) leader and secretary of the party''s South 24 Parganas district committee Sujan Chakraborty, however, alleged that the student died after he was beaten up the police and was pushed out of the bus.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDescribing the incident as &quot;brutal and inhuman,&quot; he said seven students were injured in the incident.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The incident occurred when he [Mr. Gupta] was in police custody. Whatever the police may say, they cannot evade their responsibility in his death,&quot; SFI''s all-India general secretary Ritabrata Banerjee said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSFI leaders also alleged the student lay unattended for over half-an-hour at the hospital. Denying the allegation, superintendent of the SSKM Hospital Tamal Kanti Ghosh said the hospital authorities did all they could and the student was immediately transferred to the critical care unit. There were signs of poly trauma with facial injuries and injuries on the head, he said adding that the exact reasons of the death could be ascertained only after a post-mortem.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n A pall of gloom descended on members of the students'' unions that had organised the law violation programme. Scores of them gathered outside the SSKM hospital.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCPI(M) State secretary Biman Basu was among the senior Left leaders who visited the hospital.<br />\r\n <em><br />\r\nSudipta Gupta, a State committee member of the CPI (M)''s students'' wing, was arrested for participating in a law violation programme</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Left leaders say he was pushed out the police vehicle and collided with a lamp post, which caused his death</em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 3 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/sfi-leaders-death-causes-furore/article4575345.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20285, 53, 62, 'Opinion: Mamata Banerjee base dented -Subrata Nagchoudhury', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe State Election Commission moving the Calcutta High Court against the Mamata Banerjee government''s unilateral declaration of panchayat election dates is a stunning development. Whatever the outcome of the court battle, the state already stands to accept that the dates it had proposed - April 26, 30 - are not going to be the schedule for the rural polls under any circumstances.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides, it is largely believed that the court would not do anything to undermine the power and authority of the SEC as enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution vests in the SECs the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to panchayats and municipal bodies.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhat''s puzzling is why has the All India Trinamool Congress, which till sometime ago was unanimously tipped to sweep the panchayat polls, allowed things to drag to such an end? Disillusionment among Mamata''s supporters, if any, was considered to be largely restricted to the urban core; her rural sway being intact. Various internal assessments pegged the TMC tally to be between 11 and 14 zilla parishads of the total 17 going to the polls. Zilla parishads or district councils are the uppermost level in the three-tier panchayat system - the other two being panchayat samitis and gram panchayats. Even CPM insiders, till recently, admitted in private the prospect of a whitewash.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAgainst such a backdrop, the Mamata government''s rigidity over the panchayat polls is being seen as an indication of cracks in its confidence. The TMC supremo''s latest round of district tours indicated some dent in its rural base. Her Junglemahal trip must have been particularly discouraging given the crowd turnout. In North Bengal, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is planning to fight the polls with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and independent of the TMC. The rift with the Congress will also hurt Mamata''s party. Some quarters see a gameplan to postpone the polls behind the face-off with the SEC.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, it''s not the first time the TMC government has taken on statutory bodies or constitutional authorities. One can even see a pattern in its disregard towards such bodies, from the governor to the State Human Rights Commission, from police chiefs to judicial commissions, when differences occur.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith the SEC going to court, the Mamata regime may finally be forced to admit the limits of its powers.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 3 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/behind-mamata-clash-with-sec-dent-in-rural-base/1096824/', '', NULL),
(20288, 53, 62, 'Bihar lowers wage under MGNREGA -Jitendra and Alok Gupta', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Down to Earth\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>State blames poor financial condition for the move</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Bihar government has defended its recent move to lower its minimum wage rate offered to unskilled labourers, saying the state is in poor financial condition. Bihar has lowered its wage rate offered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from Rs 144 to Rs 135, while the state minimum wage is Rs 168. This is despite the Supreme Court ruling, in many cases, that any wage less than the state wage rate is tantamount to forced labour.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAmrit Lal Meena, principal secretary of state rural development department said the wage revision has been done because of the Union government''s inability to pay the minimum wage difference. &quot;The state has to cough up Rs 450 crore annually to pay the wages of labourers,&quot; he said. He also cited the decision of the Karnataka High Court on minimum wages. In 2009, workers'' unions, including Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court against the wage rate under MGNREGA. The petitioners termed the wage rate &quot;unconstitutional&quot; as it was lower than the state''s minimum wage rate. In September 2011, the court ruled in the unions'' favour and directed the Central government to bring MGNREGA wages on  par with the states'' minimum wages. Three months later, the Union government challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court. In January 2012, the Supreme Court Bench declined to stay the high court judgement and suggested that the Centre decide the issue through consultations. The case is pending.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMeena pointed out that state was paying minimum wage of Rs 144 since October last year when the Central government had fixed Rs 122 in April, 2012. He maintained that the decision to lower wages was a difficult one but that state is unable to bear the monetary burden. &quot;We are waiting for the Supreme Court''s order to further revise minimum wage in the state,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPeople''s organisations like National Alliance of People''s Movements in Bihar and People''s Action for Employment Guarantee have condemned the state''s move, which is effective from April 2, terming it as anti-poor. They have appealed to the Bihar government to take back its decision and have demanded adequate resources from the Centre to pay current minimum wage of Rs 168 per day to labourers.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-03', NULL, 1, 'Down to Earth, 2 April, 2013, http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/bihar-lowers-wage-under-mgnrega', '', NULL),
(20299, 53, 62, 'Autopsy shows all injuries to Kolkata student&#039;s body sustained before death: sources -Monideepa Banerjie and Mala Das', '<div align="justify">\r\n-NDTV\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Kolkata: </em>It took nearly two and a half hours for the hearse of Sudipto Gupta, the 22-year-old student activist who died in police custody, to make its way from central Kolkata to the crematorium.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThousands paid tribute to him outside the office of the Students Federation of India, the student wing of the CPI(M), of which Mr Gupta was a member.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGrief and anger filled the streets of the city as the government denied that he had died after being hit over and over on the head by the police, after he was arrested during a students'' protest on Tuesday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn autopsy report released today said that he had a broken jaw and fractures on his head, as well as injury marks all over his body.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr Gupta was among hundreds of students who were protesting against the government''s decision to postpone college union elections. They were forced by the police onto a bus that was meant to take them to jail. Mr Gupta''s friends say he was battered by the police till he was unrecognisable. The police claims that he fell out of the bus and hit his head on a lamp-post.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nChief Minister Mamata Banerjee said this morning that his death was an accident, which has infuriated opposition parties, who say her conclusion shows a resistance to a fair inquiry. &quot;Any death is very unfortunate, and this one is too,&quot; she said, promising to help his family.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe State Human Rights Commission will investigate the death.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the CPM wants a judicial inquiry. &quot;The SFI student leader has died in police custody, so the state government is solely responsible,&quot; CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe driver of the bus that was taking Mr Gupta and other activists to jail has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide, provoking ridicule from the Left and others, who say he is being made the scapegoat for a clear example of police brutality.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'NDTV, 3 April, 2013, http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/autopsy-shows-all-injuries-to-kolkata-student-s-body-sustained-before-death-sources-349748?pfrom=home-lateststories', '', NULL),
(20301, 53, 62, 'Rights body directs police to probe SFI leader’s death', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Opposition, including the Left Front, has demanded a thorough probe into the incident.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTaking a serious view of the death of Students'' Federation of India leader Sudipta Gupta in police custody, the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) directed the City Police Commissioner on Wednesday to probe the matter and submit a report within seven days.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and directed the Commissioner of City Police to probe the matter by an officer not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police,&quot; WBHRC joint secretary Sujay Kumar Halder told The Hindu, adding that the Commissioner had been asked to include his own remarks on the incident.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Commission has also formed its own investigating team to examine witnesses and other evidence to find out the cause of the death of Gupta, who died on Tuesday evening hours after sustaining serious injuries while being taken to a correctional home in the city. &quot;The investigation team comprises the Commission''s Additional Director General, police, and its Registrar.&quot; Mr. Haldar said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile the SFI leadership alleged that Gupta was beaten up by the police and pushed out of the vehicle carrying its supporters arrested at a law violation programme earlier in the day, the police maintained that he died after hitting a lamppost.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Judicial probe demand</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Opposition, including the Left Front, has demanded a thorough probe into the incident.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDemanding a judicial inquiry, Left Front Committee chairperson Biman Bose said there was hardly any scope left for investigating agencies to probe the matter after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tried to pass off the death as an accident.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We are sure that the department inquiry will not reveal much.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCommenting on Ms. Banerjee''s remarks Pradesh Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said she had come to a conclusion even before an inquiry into the matter had even started. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rights-body-directs-police-to-probe-sfi-leaders-death/article4578128.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20302, 53, 62, 'A question of standards, not principle-Vinay Sitapati', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nIndia is no insecure dictatorship junking international obligations for cheap populism. The highest court of the world''s largest democracy has made a nuanced distinction between real innovation and marketing gimmickry. Yet, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis''s response to the recent Supreme Court verdict in Novartis vs Union of India has been imperial in tone. The judgment &quot;discourages innovative drug discovery&quot;, it claimed. It accused Indian law of lagging behind the global standard and bemoaned &quot;India''s growing non-recognition of intellectual property rights&quot;. Is there any worth to this whining?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe facts are this. Novartis patented Imatineb, an anti-cancer drug, in the US in 1993. This was before 1995, when India''s international intellectual property rights (IPR) obligations began kicking in; so manufacturers in India were free to copy this drug. In 1998, Novartis attempted a new Indian patent for a modified version of that original drug, claiming in their application that while providing no new medicinal benefits, the new drug &quot;stores better and is easier to process&quot;. If the new patent were granted, Novartis would have gotten a 20-year monopoly on the &quot;new product&quot;. The stakes were high. Novartis''s version costs well over Rs 1 lakh a month, while generic versions - which the new patent would have rendered illegal - cost less than a tenth of that. We all like Manichaean struggles, and many good-versus-evil narratives could be spun around this fight: a rich multinational looting the poor, a scruffy upstart taking on a global leader, Third World populism killing the international rule of law or the West binding the rest in an unfair legal tangle. Which narrative did the Indian legal system buy into?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWell, India has reformed its patent laws to comply with the international IPR regime. The key change has been to allow patents for products, not just processes (to put it crudely, under the new law, a rose that is grown another way is still a rose that can''t be copied). This new regime favours Western pharmaceuticals, which can zealously protect their products from imitations. Besides, Novartis''s patent quest was entertained by four different judicial bodies: the patent office, the specialist Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court. These are technically competent: the IPAB is an expert body and the 112-page SC judgment contains chemical equations and diagrams. They are also independent: the Supreme Court is perhaps the only one in the world where politicians play no overt role in appointments. These decisions were on clear legal grounds, publicly available and subject to appeal. The message has been consistent: Indian law meets international standards, and Novartis''s new drug was not innovative and useful enough to merit a separate patent. The courts avoided easy black-and-whites to give Novartis a fair hearing, yet upheld the letter of the law. This was the rule of law at its fairest. The US Chamber of Commerce has criticised the verdict, complaining that even China and Russia have given patent rights to this new drug. But would these two autocracies have provided Novartis with even a tenth of the due process that India''s legal system did?\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nContrary to Novartis''s eruptions, the judgment is loaded in favour of innovators. It upholds the &quot;product patent&quot; regime that is the cornerstone of the international IPR regime. The court did not claim that the exigencies of poverty trump the rights of innovators. What it did do was protect genuine innovators. But it also prevented companies from tweaking a patent about to expire, pretending to have created a &quot;new product&quot;, thus extending the patent period - a chicanery known as &quot;evergreening&quot;. This is not idle angst. That Western pharmaceuticals sometimes game patent laws is an open industry secret. In their exhaustive empirical study of America''s patent regime, Innovation and its Discontents, two American academics argue that that the idiotically low bar for approving patents has actually hurt innovation in America, while benefiting a few grasping pharmaceutical companies.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTheir findings echo those conducted by the European Union in its 2009 &quot;Pharmaceutical Sector Inquiry Report&quot;. The report found a wide variety of patent abuses that Western pharmaceuticals commit, causing a &quot;decline of novel medicines reaching the market&quot;. This is more alarming in countries where the poor cannot pay for expensive medicine, a concern that Indian politicians of all stripes expressed in 2005. During the parliamentary debate, some MPs even referred to the high cost of Novartis''s drugs compared to generic versions available. As a compromise, Parliament amended our patent laws by imposing a standard for granting patents higher than in the US, but still compliant with India''s global obligations. The question then is not one of principle (innovation versus socialism), but one of standards (higher versus lower) within a bandwidth compliant with international norms. Parliament wanted to discourage non-innovative marketing tactics from ratcheting up the price of medicines. The court was right to uphold this legislative intent.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe US Chamber of Commerce''s petulance apart, industry is less bothered with the commercial travails of one Novartis (a company that just paid its outgoing CEO $78 million can hardly play the poor victim). Industry at large is concerned about policy predictability. The narrow scope of the judgment and the fair treatment of Novartis should reassure investors that they are not subject to the whims of populism - the kind of leviathan heavy-handedness that was the hallmark of Pranab Mukherjee''s forgettable years as finance minister. The judgment is as investment-friendly as the 2012 verdict where the SC resisted intense government pressure and saved Vodafone from the whimsical wrath of the taxman. It provides a clear standard on which medical research, both local and foreign, can rely for genuine innovations.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Supreme Court of India has much to account for. For an institution so preachy, it is often blind to its own opacity. It could do more to untie procedural knots and judicial delays. For all it flaws though, it remains uniquely capable of cutting through comic-book narratives and easy ideologies with a remarkable judgment that balances rewards for genuine innovation with the clamour for affordable medicine. And it has done this by simply upholding the rule of law. China take note.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The writer is a PhD candidate at Princeton University and visiting scholar at Centre for Policy Research, Delhi </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-question-of-standards-not-principle/1097224/0', '', NULL),
(20309, 53, 62, 'Common timetable for admissions under RTE-Asha Sridhar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Chennai: </em>Private non-minority unaided schools in the city will, hereafter, have to follow a streamlined admission procedure for intake of students under the 25 per cent quota mandated by the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA government order (G.O.) issued by the school education department on Monday prescribes not just a common schedule for issue of application forms and declaration of admission results, but also provides standardised format for collecting and receiving data from schools and a uniform admission form which has to be distributed by schools free of cost.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Though we had issued guidelines for admission the previous academic year, and collected details about admissions made under the 25 per cent reservation category from schools, we wanted to streamline the procedure further this year so that we can verify the nature of admissions made,&quot; a senior official said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to the G.O., schools will have to display the intake of seats at the entry level class under the 25 per cent quota by April 2, notify the date of issue of application forms on May 2, and issue application forms between May 3 and 9 each year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe completed application forms, along with the necessary age, address and other proof has to be submitted on or before May 9, following which parents should be given a registration slip from the school. This slip, for which the format has been provided, will include the date of hearing appeals of rejected candidates.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA department official said declaration of the age of the child by a parent or guardian will also be valid, as mentioned in the Tamil Nadu Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn May 11, the list of both eligible and ineligible candidates, along with reason of rejection should be displayed. If the number of applications exceeds the number of seats, random selection will be carried out at 10.30 a.m. on May 14. Names of the selected students, along with a waiting list comprising 10 per cent of the applicants, have to be put up by the school the same afternoon.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBy May 20, schools will have to submit a return statement with details about the number of seats, admissions made, and vacant seats along with other criteria in the prescribed format.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn timing of the admission schedule, an official of a CBSE school said, &quot;The provision of 25 per cent reservation to economically-weaker sections and disadvantaged groups is not new, and schools are aware that they have set aside the stipulated number of seats irrespective of when the admission is conducted. It is not the timing of the admission schedule, but the question of how many applications qualify under the 25 per cent quota.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn official from a group of institutions that has two matriculation schools, while welcoming the common admission schedule, expressed concern about the provision not reaching out to intended beneficiaries.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There must be a clear mechanism for verification of applications received under RTE,&quot; the official said, adding there was little clarity among schools last year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;When one school starts admissions, other schools are compelled to follow suit. It makes it difficult for parents who have applied to more than one school,&quot; the official said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCalling the G.O. a progressive step, social activist Narayanan. A said, mechanisms must be in place to ensure there is no discrimination inside the school. &quot;There is so much ignorance about provisions of the RTE. An awareness campaign must be launched immediately to educate parents,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn official said, other than the director of matriculation schools, who will be the nodal officer at the State-level, there will be district-level committees headed by the chief educational officer along with DEO, DEEO and the IMS to monitor the implementation of the Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nParents can approach the district-level committee with grievances, the official said. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/common-timetable-for-admissions-under-rte/article4577832.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20310, 53, 62, 'RTE: Education forum demands PM&#039;s intervention', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nIn view of unsatisfactory progress by schools in meeting the March 31 RTE deadline, an education forum today indicated moving to court for ensuring legal entitlement under the Act and demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s intervention in the matter. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRTE Forum, a platform of national education networks and teachers, among others said they would demand that the Prime Minister convenes a meeting of chief ministers to ensure efficient implementation of the RTE Act. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe forum''s suggestion came after a stock-taking review conducted by it in about 2700 schools spread across 17 states found that five per cent of schools still run in single classroom while 22 per cent do not have safe drinking water. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We want the Prime Minister to call a meeting of the chief ministers and ask them to come up with a road map and conduct review meeting every six months for proper implementation of the Act. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We do not have enough allocation for RTE implementation. Government should show the commitment,&quot; convenor of the forum Ambarish Rai said. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHis comments came a day after HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju ruled out extending the deadline at the CABE meeting even as both Congress and non-Congress ruled states were in favour of extension. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSpelling out several parameters where the schools were found lacking, Rai did not rule out the possibility of &quot;going to court&quot;. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said &quot;non-fulfilment of the rights is a violation of fundamental right and protection of Constitution is the responsibility of the judiciary&quot; and demanded setting up of a monitoring committee under the court for looking into implementation of the provisions under the Act. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There is a lot to be done to improve the scenario in many states Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where only a small percentage of schools have separate toilets for girls,&quot; the forum said in its report. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTalking about discrimination in classes against girl child, Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and children with disability, it claimed they were not being allowed to sit on benches and not given leadership roles in classrooms. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Further, private schools which are fulfilling the norms under the Act are charging hefty fees from the students,&quot; Rai said. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nReserving 25 per cent of seats for the weaker section in classrooms was not being properly followed by these schools, he said.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Business Standard, 3 April, 2013, http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rte-education-forum-demands-pm-s-intervention-113040300480_1.html', '', NULL),
(20311, 53, 62, 'HC scraps ‘discriminatory’ rules giving additional weightage to rural students', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Chandigarh: </em>Slamming the Punjab government for sponsoring &quot;xenophobia&quot;, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday set aside its &quot;discriminatory&quot; rules, wherein it had allowed additional weightage to rural students for government jobs.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA Full Bench comprising Justices Hemant Gupta, Ajay Tewari and R N Raina held the rules framed by Punjab as &quot;illegal, unconstitutional&quot; and beyond its &quot;legislative competence&quot;. &quot;State sponsored xenophobia is constitutional anathema and the principle of one India is the governing principle of public employment throughout the land,&quot; it stated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn April, 2011, the Parkash Singh Badal-led government had framed rules to grant five additional marks to candidates who have passed middle and matriculation examinations from schools situated in rural areas. As per the rules, a rural student was entitled to an additional mark for each year of unemployment. If a student had graduated in 2005 and if the state advertises posts in 2009, he was entitled to nine marks - five for being rural students and four others (one additional mark for each year). The Full Bench on Wednesday held this against the Constitution.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAlso, Punjab had introduced the concept of &quot;district wise&quot; selection. Terming this as &quot;foul&quot;, the high court held that &quot;there is no place for inter-district discrimination&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe directive was passed after a division bench headed by the then Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal, in 2010, had upheld the decision of the Punjab government. Initially, the state had extended the additional benefit to rural students only in education sector jobs. However, after the directive was upheld by the high court (2010), the state extended the same to all sectors.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAdvertisements under the amended rules were issued, as a result of which, 7,041 Elementary Teacher Training (ETT) teachers and over 600 staff nurses were shortlisted. Their selection was stayed after it was challenged in the high court. With the court scrapping the rules, the state will now have to issue fresh advertisements. Holding that the judgment passed by the division bench &quot;does not lay down the correct law&quot;, the full bench scrapped the rules framed by Punjab. It also observed that written examination and interview should be held for selection of teachers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe directions were passed on a bunch of petitions filed by students. Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, Advocate Vikas Chatrath had contended that the power to frame such rules vests only with the Parliament and not with the state. He added that there should be a joint merit list, on the basis of which, students should be selected.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe court also took note of the argument that there is nothing to define a rural student. &quot;In absence of any quantifiable data available with the state, the grant of five additional marks to candidates who have passed Classes X and XII examinations from rural schools is ultra vires the Constitution,&quot; the order stated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe qualifications laid down as per the amended service rules &quot;to the extent it restricts eligibility on the basis of domicile and residence within Punjab and Chandigarh have been declared &quot;unconstitutional and beyond the legislative competence of the state&quot;.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-scraps-discriminatory-rules-giving-additional-weightage-to-rural-students/1097481/', '', NULL),
(20312, 53, 62, '99% special children like regular school -Anubhuti Vishnoi', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n A nationwide study by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to examine the enrolment, access and retention of children with disabilities (CWD) has revealed that while 99 per cent of these children liked attending regular schools, 57 per cent teachers were not trained to understand their special needs.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study has found that special needs of children with mental illnesses were &quot;neither being identified nor being addressed seriously&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA vast majority of teachers (88.1%) could say nothing on how to meet the special educational needs of disabled children in their classrooms. Only 35.1% could identify the needs of students with disabilities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMore than half of all teachers interviewed gave no response to questions on how they included disabled children in their day-to-day teaching.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study evaluated the implementation of the centrally sponsored Inclusive Education of the Disabled at the Secondary Stage (IEDSS) scheme in 27 states and union territories at the secondary and senior secondary levels.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt the root of the problem is state apathy and the resultant lack of funds and training. Only 12 states have trained general teachers in special needs, and only three of these states have offered this training for five days or longer. Fifty-seven per cent of teachers have received no training.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIronically, children with disabilities expressed a strong desire for inclusive schooling with special attention. Nearly every student with disability (99%) liked going to school; nearly half (44.5%) said they needed teachers to give them special attention.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nStudents also expressed the need for better adapted toilets and playgrounds, indoor sports rooms and better seating facilities. They wanted the teacher to speak louder and interact more with them.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIEDSS aims to help disabled students - especially girl students - to complete secondary school in an inclusive environment. Over the past few years, enrolment levels of girls with disabilities has fallen everywhere except in Manipur. Average enrolment in the surveyed states and UTs fell from 43.57% in 2009-10 to 40.21% in 2012-13. In Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, the enrolment of disabled girls has been consistently under 40%.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOverall enrolment of children with disabilities has increased in 13 states and UTs; it has fallen in three. Five states tracking dropout rates have showed an increase in the rate.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study has recommended that enrolment of girls with special needs be accorded top priority; dropout rates of these students at the elementary level be arrested; awareness and availability of assistive aids be improved; service and pre-service teacher training be restructured, and recruitment policies be geared towards appointing special educators.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study has also suggested a more flexible curriculum with space for creative arts and multimedia, and hostel facilities for children with severe physical disabilities. The issuing of disability certificates should be facilitated, and attempts made to ensure that most CWDs are enrolled in regular schools rather than being schooled at home.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<strong>CAN, BUT OFTEN UNABLE</strong>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCAN''T\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Read blackboard\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Speak\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Write with a pen\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Understand teacher''s speech\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLIKE\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Friends\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Playground\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Computers\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Mid-day meals\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDISLIKE\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Holidays\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Seating arrangements\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Toilets\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Lack of water\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNEED\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* More support from teachers\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Extra time in class\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Ramps from class to playground\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/99--special-children-like-regular-school/1097425/', '', NULL),
(20313, 53, 62, 'Reforms that never come', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n&quot;Animal behaviour,&quot; was the unusual language the Supreme Court deployed recently. The context for the cryptic remarks was the gruesome lathi-charge on protesting teachers, predominantly women, engaged on contract by the Bihar government, and the attacks on a woman who sought police intervention in a case of assault. The police carry a long and ignominious record of resort to indiscriminate force to quell peaceful protesters, which peaked in the public outrage over the Delhi gang-rape and the death of a journalist in Manipur in 2012. Often, the aims of the political masters the police serve are diametrically opposed to the public interest they are duty-bound to protect in a democracy. The judges were perfectly justified in ventilating their impatience, having issued notice after notice in the past to Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police for greater accountability. In a landmark 2006 verdict, the Supreme Court came out with its now famous seven steps to police reforms. Insulation of the force from illegitimate political interference, transparency in the appointment of the DGP, separation of the law and order and investigative functions and the establishment of a complaints authority are the more important among them. They still remain on paper. Most of these recommendations have been the sum and substance of the eight reports of the National Police Commissions constituted by successive governments over the years. They were further reiterated by two committees set up in the 1990s on police reforms and embodied in the Model Police Act proposed to replace the colonial law of 1861.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCourt hearings on compliance with the seven steps were met with requests and more requests for extension of deadlines, ultimately leading to contempt proceedings against some State governments. It is noteworthy that regional parties which have been repeatedly elected to office over the past few decades have demonstrably failed to live up to their avowedly federal and democratic credentials. Since police and law and order are subjects under the Constitution''s State List, the responsibility devolves upon the States. Thus, the prospects for the enactment of a modern police law nearly seven decades after independence hang in the balance. Genuine lessons from the dark record of Emergency rule, encapsulated in the Shah Commission findings and the reports produced by the National Police Commissions of the late 1970s, have not been drawn. This is the bitter truth, one that no political party is willing to admit nearly four decades since the so-called restoration of democracy in India.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/reforms-that-never-come/article4577662.ece', '', NULL),
(20314, 53, 62, '&#039;Paid news a complex problem&#039;', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe Election Commission on Wednesday said that paid news was a very &quot;complex problem&quot; and it had taken the issue seriously to ensure a level-playing field to all political parties and candidates in the elections to the Legislative Assembly on May 5.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAddressing a media workshop on electoral process here, Director-General at the Election Commission, Akshay Rout, said: &quot;Paid news is a complex issue and it had disturbed the political arena. Paid news gives a candidate an undue advantage over his poll rivals and also violated the Right to Information Act. But there is no clinching evidence to take action against paid news.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNoting that the &quot;print and electronic media are eyes and ears on the ground&quot; to the commission, Mr. Rout said: &quot;We will take suo motu complaint based on media reports on violation of model of code of conduct during the election process.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnaccounted money was being spent through paid news and it was not a healthy trend for political parties, governments, and the economy, he said.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/paid-news-a-complex-problem/article4579009.ece', '', NULL),
(20315, 53, 62, 'Rs. 580-cr. loss as Modi govt. favoured corporates: CAG', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>State tweaked rules to grant land to Ford and L&amp;T, says report</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Comptroller and Auditor-General of India has come down heavily on the Gujarat government and State public sector undertakings for causing a loss of nearly Rs. 580 crore to the exchequer by bestowing &quot;undue&quot; favours on large corporate entities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMajor industrial houses to which the Narendra Modi government played benefactor included Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Essar Steel and Adani Power Ltd (APL), said the CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2012.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe report, tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, said the government tweaked rules to grant land to automaker Ford India and engineering and construction major Larsen and Toubro, resulting in the loss of revenue.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Deviation of terms</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Gujarat State Petronet Ltd [GSPL] was responsible for deviating from the agreed terms of recovery of gas transportation charges from the specified entry point of the company''s pipeline network and this led to passing of an undue benefit of Rs. 52.27 crore to RIL.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG said GSPL had failed to safeguard its own interest and passed on the undue benefit to RIL.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt noted that Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) did not adhere to the terms of the Power Purchase Agreement, which led to a short recovery of penalty of Rs. 160.26 crore and passing of undue benefit to APL.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nReacting to the report, the Opposition Congress alleged a &quot;collusion&quot; between the State dispensation and corporate houses.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have been raising the issue of collusion on every forum. The corporate houses get undue favours and in turn they praise the Modi government,&quot; Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Not a scam: government</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government, however, downplayed the issue, saying what the auditor had noted was &quot;not a scam but [were] just irregularities.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This is not a scam but in the language of the CAG it is called irregularities. The report will go to the Public Accounts Committee and later the State government will take a call on it,&quot; Finance Minister Nitin Patel said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG also indicted the Gujarat government for regularising 7,24,897 square metres of land &quot;encroached&quot; upon by Essar Steel Company Ltd (ESCL) at Hazira in Surat district at an &quot;unjustifiable&quot; price, resulting in a short recovery of the ad hoc occupancy price to the extent of Rs. 238.50 crore.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGovernment land measuring 7,24,897 square metres was encroached upon by ESCL in Hazira. On the request of the company, the government decided in July 2009 to regularise the encroachment by a levy at 2.5 times the ad hoc value of land at Rs. 700 per square metre, on the grounds that the land in a nearby area was given to L&amp;T, the report said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We noticed that Rs. 700 per square metre was not justifiable,&quot; the auditor said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe State granted land to Ford India and Larsen and Toubro at concessional rates &quot;playing around the rules.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nL&amp;T was allotted government land for manufacture of supercritical steam generators and for a forging shop for a nuclear power plant. The price of land was fixed by the District Level Valuation Committee instead of the State Level Valuation Committee which resulted in the exchequer forgoing revenue of Rs 128.71 crore.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG said the Modi government had allotted around 460 acres valued at Rs. 205 crore to Ford India Private Limited without price fixation by the State Level Valuation Committee. The report, however, did not mention the quantum of loss to the exchequer on this account.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt would be desirable if the government followed a uniform policy for allotment of government land to safeguard its revenue and public interest at large, the CAG said.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/rs-580cr-loss-as-modi-govt-favoured-corporates-cag/article4579002.ece', '', NULL),
(20316, 53, 62, 'Mercy denied, Haryana rape convict will hang next week', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Sonepat: </em>Dharampal, the Haryana rape convict who was released on parole and went on to murder five members of the victim''s family, is set to be hanged next week. President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected his mercy petition, pending for 14 years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nInitially accused of raping a girl in Sonepat in 1991, Dharampal was given a 10-year jail sentence in 1993. He had allegedly threatened the girl against deposing in court. Within five days of being granted parole in1993, he bludgeoned the girl''s parents Tale Ram and Krishna, sister Neelam and brothers Praveen and Tinu while they were sleeping at their home.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDharampal''s brother Nirmal, who helped him commit the murders, too was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court upheld Dharampal''s sentence and commuted Nirmal''s to life in 1999. Nirmal went on to jump parole in 2001 before being re-arrested 10 years later.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDharampal''s mercy plea, initially moved in 1999 and rejected the following year, was re-submitted in 2005 but remained pending until last December, when the home ministry sent the President seven mercy petitions, including Dharampal''s.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFollowing the rejection, Haryana is struggling with arrangements for the execution. Of the state''s 19 jails, only the ones at Ambala and Hisar have facilities for a hanging, and the last execution, that of murderer Gulab Singh at Ambala, had taken place as far back as 1989. Dharampal is currently in Rohtak jail.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHaryana has no specialist hangman either, though the jail superintendent can appoint anyone he deems fit for the job.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe date of the execution will be finalised after the government completes the procedure of getting the death warrant from the Sonepat trial court.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mercy-denied-haryana-rape-convict-will-hang-next-week/1097421/', '', NULL),
(20317, 53, 62, 'Indian Express-ICIJ probe: Vijay Mallya, Ravikant Ruia in tax havens -Ritu Sarin', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe 612 Indians on the list of those who have invested in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands include two MPs, a former royal and top industrialists. RITU SARIN puts together details of 20 among them\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>SONU LALCHAND MIRCHANDANI</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMirchandani is the founder of popular consumer electronics firm Onida. Mirchandani and his wife, Soni, opened a BVI company called Strong Wing Overseas Ltd in 2006 with an authorised capital of $50,000. Both are directors and shareholders of the company.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMirchandani, however, said he did not recall opening such a BVI entity. &quot;The personal details in the papers are mine. Maybe someone else has opened the company in my name,&quot; he said when shown the documents.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>TEJA RAJU</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTeja is the eldest son of Ramalinga Raju, the disgraced former chairman of Satyam Computers Ltd. Teja is said to be the brain behind Maytas Infrastructure, whose planned merger with the software giant went on to unravel the alleged corporate fraud that sent Ramalinga Raju to jail for 32 months.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Rajus set up two BVI companies, Global Network Overseas and Stapley Universal Limited. Teja Raju is listed as the beneficial owner of both but records show their current status as &quot;defunct&quot;. Each company was registered with an authorised capital of $50,000.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTeja Raju denied any link with the companies. &quot;Looks like a case of mistaken identity,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>RAVIKANT RUIA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAn NRI, Ruia is vice-chairman of the Essar group, which has interests in steel, oil, gas and power. His company has been embroiled in the alleged irregularities in the telecom spectrum allocation of 2001-02; last month, a special court named Ruia an accused.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe has registered three firms in the BVI and his daughter Smiti is a shareholder in two of them. Also, one of Ruia''s flagship companies, Essar Power, has five BVI accounts with their authorised capitals ranging from $100 to $100,000.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEssar officials said that of the eight companies, five were liquidated in 2011 and 2012 and three are &quot;existing and operational&quot;. They said necessary filings and compliance have been done in India in accordance with laws and Smiti has declared her holding in Paprika Properties Ltd and Paprika Holdings Management Ltd in her wealth tax returns. &quot;These companies were started as SPVs to make investments and are in the knowledge of the authorities concerned,&quot; Essar said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>RAMAKRISHNA KARUTURI</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBangalore-based Karuturi is the chairman of Karuturi Global Ltd, the largest producer of cut-roses in the world. He has diversified into farming and has leased 300,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia to produce cereals and edible oil.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2007, Karuturi registered companies in tax havens and with huge authorised capitals. He is shareholder or beneficial owner of six companies that have a collective authorised capital of $2.2 million. His wife, Anitha, is also a shareholder in one company, Maxworth Investment Ltd.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nReached in Ethiopia, Karuturi said he did not recall the companies and did not respond to subsequent calls.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>VIJAY MALLYA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe other MP on the list, Mallya registered a BVI company called Venture New Holding in 2006 with an authorised share capital of $50,000. Mallya, who has been in the news for the trouble over his Kingfisher Airlines and with the tax authorities, is the beneficial owner of the firm.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Dr Mallya is a non-resident Indian with business activities in different parts of the world. It is common practice to use BVI registered companies in connection with such activities which are not confined to India alone. All disclosures in regard to Dr Mallya''s wealth have been duly made to Parliament,&quot; a UB group spokesperson said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>VIVEKANAND GADDAM</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGaddam is a Congress MP from the Peddapalle reserved constituency in Andhra Pradesh. The seat was earlier represented by his father, former union minister G Venkatswamy. Gaddam, who has a MBBS degree, is an industrialist and owns asbestos firm Visaka Industries. He is also chairman of CII''s Andhra Pradesh chapter.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGaddam and his wife, Saroja, became directors and shareholders of British Virgin Islands (BVI) company Belrose Universal Ltd in 2009. The address mentioned in documents is the official Hyderabad address that is also mentioned in his Parliamentary records.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nReached for his comment, Gaddam said he was not aware of the existence of any such offshore company. &quot;I do not remember being involved with such a company and have no connection with it,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>ABHEY KUMAR OSWAL</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSon of Ludhiana-based business tycoon Vidya Sagar Oswal, Abhey is chairman of Oswal Agro Mills and Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizers and managing director of Oswal Spinning and Weaving Mills. In 1999, tax authorities raided his establishments for suspected evasion.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe is one of the biggest Indian players on the BVI list. Starting in 2006, he registered 11 companies in Samoa and the BVI and controlled them through the Rising Wealth Trust, registered in the Cook Islands. While the trust owns shares in several of the companies, Abhey owns shares in others. Abhey is the protector of the trust and his son Shael is the settler. The combined authorised capital of the 11 companies is $5.3 million.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I have not registered any offshore firms. You must be in the knowledge of business entities of my son Shael Oswal, who is a Singapore resident and an NRI. My companies or myself have no relation whatsoever with his business or business entities,&quot; Abhey said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>SAMIR MODI</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSon of top industrialist K K Modi, who owns the diversified Modi Enterprises, Samir is an executive director in Godfrey Philips. He pushed the group''s diversification by launching a string of new ventures such as Modicare, Colorbar and Twenty Four Seven.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHis BVI company is called Gilvin Rock Enterprise Limited. He and his wife, Shivani, are joint directors and shareholders in the firm ,which has an authorised capital of $50,000. &quot;The company was set up as a route for investments but hasn''t done any business or trade transactions,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>CHETAN BURMAN</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nChetan Burman is a fifth-generation member of the Burman family, which owns the Rs 1,500 crore ayurvedic and food products brand Dabur. He was executive director of Dabur Nepal but has now branched out into other ventures.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBurman registered a BVI company in 2007 called Heavenly Bloom World Ltd. He is both director and shareholder of the company, which started with an authorised capital of $50,000.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBurman said the BVI firm was set up to route exports, mainly of honey, through Singapore but that plan didn''t take off. &quot;The company was set up through a verbal communication since I wanted to make Singapore the export hub for my products. But no trade transactions actually materialised and the company has thus remained dormant,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>GAEKWAD RADHIKARAJE SAMARJITSINH</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn January 2008, members of the former royal family of Baroda opened a BVI firm with an authorised capital of $50,000. The directors and shareholders of the company, called Brentwood Consulting Limited, are Gaekwad Radhikaraje Samarjitsinh, wife of Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, and her sister Kumari Meenal. The Laxmi Vilas Palace, one of the largest residences in the country, is given as Radhikaraje''s address in documents.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nShe did not respond to questions sent to her.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>RAHUL MAMMEN MAPPILLAI</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe founder of MRF Tyres, the late K M Mammen Mappillai, was among those on the list of 18 people who had accounts in the European tax haven of Liechtenstein. It has now come to light that members of the MRF family registered a BVI company, Moon Mist Enterprise Limited, in 2007 with an authorised capital of $50,000. Its directors are Mammen Mappillai''s two sons, MRF chairman Kandathil Mammen and its MD Arun Mammen. Kandathil''s son Rahul Mammen Mappillai, also an MRF director, is the third shareholder.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRahul did not respond to questions sent to him.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>GURBACHAN SINGH DHINGRA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDhingra is vice-chairman of Berger Paints, the second largest paint manufacturer in the country. In the BVI, Dhingra is the beneficial owner of a company called Crossley Hill Corporation. It was incorporated in 2008 with an authorised capital of $50,000.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDhingra, however, denied any links with the company. &quot;I have nothing to do with this company even though the address being quoted by you is my address. You must have got wrong documentation,&quot; Dhingra said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>RASHMI KIRTILAL MEHTA &amp; BHAVIN RASHMI MEHTA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Mehtas are prominent Mumbai-based diamond traders, with a base in Belgium, and are facing allegations and action for parking money in offshore accounts. Rashmi is the son of patriarch Kirtilal Mehta and Bhavin is Rashmi''s son. Some of their relatives, including Rashmi''s brother Prabodh Mehta, were named in the list of 18 Indians who had accounts in the LGT Liechtenstein Bank. In April 2011, the family was raided by tax authorities and their tax evasion cases are under assessment.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRashmi and Bhavin are directors and shareholders in a BVI company called Bapaji Inc. The company was incorporated in 2004. Another BVI company, called Dimension Worldwide Ltd, is linked to the Mehta\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nfamily but its status is described as &quot;defunct&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Mehtas did not respond to questions sent to them in Belgium.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>LANKALINGAM MURUGESU &amp; REETA LANKALINGAM</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nKnown as the Papad King, Murugesu is the chairman of the Lanson Group, involved in the manufacture and export of papads. The group also owns Lanson Toyota, a Toyota car dealership of which Reeta, Murugesu''s wife, is the joint MD. They also own a biotech firm called Lanson Biotech involved in ayurvedic research.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMurugesu and Reeta are joint shareholders in a Hong Kong-registered Portcullis TrustNet company called Ready On Company Limited. The company was &quot;sold&quot; to the couple in 2008 and began with an authorised capital of HK $10,000.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMurugesu confirmed having set up the company. &quot;We started the company for better tax planning but with full tax now required to be paid by export units like ours, no trading through it really materialised. We just thought it is better to pay full taxes,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>THIAGARAJAN MURUGESAN</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBreaking away from his family business of cotton trading and textiles, Murugesan launched the now-defunct Paramount Airways, a niche airline catering to the southern sector, and was its MD at the age of 28. He started five BVI companies in 2008, each with an authorised capital of $50,000. He is director and shareholder in all of them.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThiagarajan confirmed the existence of the five BVI companies but clarified that they are &quot;wholly owned&quot; subsidiaries of Indian companies of the Paramount group and not individual holdings. &quot;The BVI companies were opened with the aim of getting foreign investments in the textile business but that did not happen. So these are just companies on paper with very little or hardly any capital. Since the investments did not come in we did not activate the companies,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>MAITREYA VINOD DOSHI</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDoshi is the chairman of Premier Ltd, formerly Premier Automobiles Ltd, one of India''s oldest automobile manufacturers. He opened a BVI company called McGuffin Ltd in 2006 with an authorised share capital of $50,000 and is named as the beneficial owner.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;McGuffin Ltd has invested FDI in our Indian company with prior approval of the RBI. We regularly file all the required disclosures with the RBI as per their rules. All details of McGuffin have been given to the income-tax authorities as part of my local company''s routine tax assessment, including audited balance sheets, shareholders list certified by auditors and details of investments made by it. All remittances by McGuffin have been made through HDFC Bank after due KYC checks,&quot; Doshi said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>YASHOVARDHAN LOHIA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLohia is the CEO of Chamong Tee Exports, one of India''s largest tea exporters. Lohia registered Golden Charm Universal and Golden Success Offshore Inc in the BVI in 2007 but these are now shown as &quot;defunct&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLohia did not respond to questions sent to him.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>MEENAKSHI JATIA</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne of the three daughters of the late jute baron Arun Bajoria, Meenakshi and her husband Sharad Kumar Jatia are among the claimants to Bajoria''s empire, valued at Rs 2,500 crore and the subject of family disputes.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe couple are named jointly as directors and shareholders in two BVI companies, Supreme Bonus Enterprises Limited and Plazzo International Management Ltd. Each was acquired in 2007-2008 with an authorised capital of $50,000. She did not respond to questions.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>SAURABH MITTAL</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMittal is a co-founder and vice-chairman of Indiabulls, the country''s first e-commerce and Internet brokerage company.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBVI documents show Mittal registered a company named Alta Vista Development Corporation in 2008. He is both director and shareholder in the company, which began with an authorised capital of $50,000. He did not respond to questions put to him.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>NEESHA SUNIT KHATAU, PANNA SUNIT KHATAU &amp; REENA SUNIT KHATAU</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThey are heirs to the 150-year old Khatau empire. Panna is the wife of Sunit Khatau, the late chairman of the group who was shot dead in 1994. She is chairman of their flagship textile firm, Khatau Makanji Spinning and Weaving Company. Neesha and Reena are her daughters and directors of the company.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2007, the three registered four companies in the BVI through Portcullis TrustNet and are either together or individually named as beneficial owners of the firms. In each case, the authorised capital is $50,000. Neesha did not respond to questions sent to her.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-expressicij-probe-vijay-mallya-ravikant-ruia-in-tax-havens/1097494/', '', NULL),
(20318, 53, 62, 'Girl cries molestation, HC gives bank officer bail says, &#039;holds high post&#039; -Mayura Janwalkar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Mumbai: </em>The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to a senior bank official accused of molesting a teenage girl, saying that &quot;he is a high-profile person and has been exposed to humiliation already&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJoginder Singh, a deputy general manager with the Oriental Bank of Commerce, was booked by the police for allegedly molesting a 16-year-old girl in the lift of his residential building in Vile Parle on February 12. He was charged under section 354 (assault or force on woman to outrage her modesty) and sections 7 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;In such cases it is better to strike a balance,&quot; said Justice Sadhana Jadhav today. &quot;It could be sick mentality,&quot; she added. While granting him anticipatory bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 and a surety of the same amount, the court restrained Singh from staying in the jurisdiction of the Vile Parle (East) police station, and also asked him to report to the police station every Sunday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe girl''s father had filed an intervention application opposing Singh''s anticipatory bail plea. Addressing his lawyers, the judge said: &quot;Let''s take everything in your favour. But why do you need (police) custody? We are not speaking of being absolved. He is already humiliated. He holds a high post.&quot; She added that there is more humiliation at the workplace in such cases.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe court also questioned the girl''s father for letting her file the complaint. &quot;Why do you want to expose your child when she is suffering? She will have to face trial... not fair,&quot; said Justice Jadhav. Asking if custodial interrogation can be a deterrent, she said: &quot;There are so many stringent laws and still there are such cases. Is it really a deterrent?&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe victim, who resides in the same building as Singh, had alleged that he had touched her inappropriately. Her father said she is mentally challenged and suffers from learning disabilities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSingh has maintained that he was falsely implicated. The girl''s father said Singh had tried to settle the case by tendering an apology in writing, signed before the officers of the Vile Parle (East) police station.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 4 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anticipatory-bail-for-bank-officer-accused-of-molestation-hc-says-holds-high-post-has-already-been-humiliated/1097414/', '', NULL),
(20319, 53, 62, 'KKM activists sent to custody', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Mumbai: </em>Two activists of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) - Sheetal Sathe and Sachin Mali - who staged a &lsquo;satyagraha'' outside the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday were sent to custody by a Mazagaon court on Wednesday following their arrest by the Mumbai police.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMali was sent to police custody till April 10 and Sathe to judicial custody till April 17, their counsel Mihir Desai said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBoth the activists, accompanied by political leaders and activists of the KKM defence committee, had staged the &lsquo;satyagraha'' protesting against police accusing them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe KKM is a group of Dalit poets and singers who have been accused by police of having links with, and being, Naxals.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-04', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 4 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/kkm-activists-sent-to-custody/article4579011.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20320, 53, 62, 'India Jobs Program Scam Pays Wages to Dead Workers -Andrew MacAskill, Unni Krishnan &amp; Tushar Dhara', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Bloomberg\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe corpse of Indian farmer Bengali Singh burned to ash atop a blazing funeral pyre on the banks of the river Ganges in 2006.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFive years later, the dead man was recorded as being paid by India''s $33 billion rural jobs program to dig an irrigation canal in Jharkhand state. Officials in his village and the surrounding region used at least 500 identities, including those of Singh, a disabled child of eight and a blind 94-year-old man, to fake work logs and steal wages, according to police reports. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;It''s an insult to a man who lived a life of dignity,&quot; Rajendar Singh said, sitting next to the parched canal his father supposedly excavated in their village, Bishanpur, about six hours'' drive northwest of Kolkata. &quot;He''s been wronged.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDistrict administrators and village heads have used tactics such as ghost workers, fake projects and over-billing to embezzle about $10 billion from the world''s largest workfare initiative, an investigation by Bloomberg News shows. The fraud in the seven-year-old program underscores the challenge of reducing poverty in India as graft permeates everything from food aid for children to the distribution of public grain stockpiles and debt relief for struggling farmers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEmbezzlement remains an intractable issue in the rural employment push, according to D.H. Pai Panandiker, president of the RPG Foundation, a New Delhi-based economic research group.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The bulk of the spending is a complete waste of money,&quot; he said in an interview. &quot;There is so much corruption and the assets being built are either worthless or not durable. The government cannot afford to throw money away like this.&quot;<br />\r\nPolice Reports\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBloomberg News compiled hundreds of pages of police documents and interviewed dozens of people from January through March across three states to examine the looting in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s flagship welfare program.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe premier is trying to stem the losses to help rein in India''s budget deficit. The opposition has also attacked the government over graft before a general election due by May 2014.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhen he implemented the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 2006, Singh said it would give &quot;hope to those who had all but lost their hope.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPolice are probing more than 2,000 cases of corruption spanning 100 projects in just one district of Jharkhand, close to the Bangladesh border. They include funds for a well to be used by only one landowner and payments toward an irrigation canal that was never constructed. Dry earth, cracked by the sun, covers the area where the channel was supposed to be, near Bishanpur.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>$730,000 Bribe</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt least 60 percent of the expenditure in Jharkhand under the act has been pilfered, according to Nishikant Dubey, the member of parliament in New Delhi for Godda, one of the state''s districts. That amounts to more than $115 million in the fiscal year ending March 2013 alone, based on government data.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;It''s a tragedy, it''s happening everywhere,&quot; Dubey, a member of the main federal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said in an interview in his office in New Delhi. &quot;I keep telling my officials that this is money for the poor so please don''t steal from it, but they don''t listen.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDubey recounted how his home phone rang at 3 a.m. the day after an anti-graft panel he heads scrapped $1.3 million of rural works projects in Godda in 2009, on suspicion of fraud. The voice at the other end offered a bribe of $730,000 to help reverse the decision, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn certain areas the program suffers from corruption and the government is overhauling it, according to Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who oversees the workfare initiative.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>&lsquo;Police Inspector''</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFighting such graft -- as well as making sure that legitimate workers get paid -- is mostly up to India''s 28 states, as the federal government''s role is restricted to funding, monitoring and auditing, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I''m not a police inspector,&quot; Ramesh said in a February interview in his office in New Delhi. &quot;Ultimately, the officials are not accountable to us. They are accountable to the state governments. I''m not looking at how much corruption there is in this program. That''s not my job. I don''t come here to sniff around.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government has made changes since 2011 to try to reduce looting from the rural works initiative. The steps have included efforts to improve financial audits at state and federal levels and the establishment of so-called social audit units to help village officials collect, verify and air claims of graft.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Starvation Buffer</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe program is meant to be a buffer against starvation and improve rural livelihoods and public infrastructure in a nation where 824 million people live on less than $2 per day, according to World Bank data.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt guarantees 100 days'' work each financial year in projects from road building to water management to every household whose adult members offer themselves for unskilled manual work. The daily wage starts at 135 rupees ($2.48).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout 30 percent of India''s 168 million rural households have been provided with employment under the initiative each year since 2008, Rural Development Ministry figures show.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSome states, such as Andhra Pradesh in India''s south, are tackling the graft in the jobs act. There, a team of auditors visits every eight months on average and hears complaints at public hearings from those who say they''ve been victimized. The auditors then follow up if necessary.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe workfare push is part of a wider rise in welfare spending by the Congress party that helped propel it to re- election in 2009.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe expenditure has also stoked inflation and contributed to India''s $100 billion budget deficit. The shortfall, the largest in major emerging nations as a portion of the economy, equaled 5.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2012-2013.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Fake Cards</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndia''s Rural Development Ministry estimates 30 percent of the 1.8 trillion rupees spent nationally since the program began has been lost through graft. The budget on Feb. 28 allocated a further 330 billion rupees for the fiscal year through March 2014.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe alleged scam in Godda, where Bishanpur is located, used fake job cards to claim wages for imaginary labor, according to the police report.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne of the identities stolen was of 94-year-old Akal Sah, who is deaf and blind. Using a stick, Sah limped from his hut down a dirt path to the center of Bishanpur, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted by the short walk. Villagers hauled him to his feet before explaining how his name was misused.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe records of the jobs program have Sah spending eight hours a day for a week in 2011 shoveling earth from a pit. One of his co-workers was a disabled eight-year-old child, Suvitha Devi. Frail and malnourished, Devi struggles to lift her right arm or speak clearly after a bout of meningitis at an early age.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Most Vulnerable</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;How can she possibly have done any of this work?&quot; said her father, Prakash Singh, whose sunken cheeks and creased face showed his 65 years. He was speaking in an interview near their home, built of mud and topped with a thatched roof.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMohammad Idris, the husband of the deputy head of Bishanpur and an informal village leader himself, found Devi''s and Sah''s names while investigating project records after residents complained to him they weren''t getting paid. He reported his discovery to the police.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The most vulnerable people are targeted as they are the least likely to complain,&quot; Idris said, standing next to a barren field where records show an irrigation ditch should have been built. &quot;It''s all too easy.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPolice in December accused Ghulam Rasool, a wiry farmer with thick black glasses, and his wife Zubeida Khatoon, the village headwoman, of orchestrating the fraud in Bishanpur. Post-office workers created the job cards and a village secretary and a computer operator also aided the scam, according to the charges.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Thumb Prints</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe chargesheet, obtained by Bloomberg News from district officials, says the pair ordered postal staff to withdraw money in the name of dead or fake workers. False finger and thumb prints were used in payment receipts to enable the fraud. The money was then divided among the perpetrators, including the village headwoman and other officials, according to the chargesheet. It didn''t detail how much was stolen.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRasool and Khatoon haven''t been arrested.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRasool denied theft in an interview in his home, which was sparsely furnished with plastic chairs and an old bed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We''re guilty only of negligence,&quot; he said during an hour-long defense of his actions. &quot;It was impossible to keep track of everyone.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe top Jharkhand government bureaucrat in the district of Godda, K. Ravi Kumar, sought to downplay the police''s case, saying the issue of dead and phantom workers is a trivial one.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>&lsquo;Kind of Leakage''</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Scam is a very big word,&quot; Kumar said in an interview in his office in a shabby two-story government building, an hour''s drive from Bishanpur. &quot;It''s not a scam. It''s more a kind of leakage.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe leakages -- village by village, district by district, state by state -- add up to billions of dollars, government records show.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOnly 42 percent to 56 percent of the employment reported by the jobs program is confirmed by data from India''s National Sample Survey Office, a joint study by Princeton University and the Paris School of Economics shows. That suggests about half the work is genuine.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne-fifth of rural works planned under the jobs act in the 12 months through March 2012 were completed in that period, and the figure has never exceeded 51 percent in any fiscal year, according to a paper co-written by Raghav Gaiha, who taught public policy at the University of Delhi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>No Work</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGaiha researched the jobs program for a forthcoming book, &quot;Battling Corruption: Has NREGA Reached India''s Rural Poor?&quot; He said in an interview in New Delhi that he crisscrossed four states to visit 35 work sites, finding no activity at any.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe program''s difficulties come as India''s economy slows and inflation accelerates. Consumer prices climbed almost 11 percent in February from a year earlier, one of the fastest rates in the world. Private investment in factories and machinery has declined.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe nation''s economy expanded 5 percent in 2012-2013, the weakest pace in a decade, according to the statistics agency.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSingh began policy changes in September to revive growth and trim the fiscal deficit, while shielding welfare expenditure from cuts to build support ahead of the general election.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe market-opening measures cost the coalition its parliamentary majority last year. A key ally withdrew support over a step to allow overseas retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) to invest in setting up supermarkets, on the concern that family-run stores would be forced to close.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Safety Net?</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCongress Party President Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, mentioned reports of corruption in the jobs program in a speech on Feb. 2, saying that such graft must be curbed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGandhi, a champion of rural workfare, chairs the National Advisory Council, which backed the initiative.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrime Minister Singh has defended the jobs act, saying in a speech last year that it may be the coalition''s &quot;most popular and successful&quot; policy. It offers a safety net, boosts rural wages and has the potential to revitalize farming by creating &quot;durable water assets,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSingh also said the government isn''t fully satisfied with the way the program is working and that gaps need to be fixed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout $20 billion has been paid in wages to rural families and 50 million households have received employment every year on average since 2008, the government said in a report in 2012.<br />\r\n<br />\r\n<em>World''s Largest</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt''s the more developed Indian states that are better positioned to control corruption in the jobs law, said Sandip Sukhtankar, an assistant economics professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThat''s partly because some states have more robust social audits, Sukhtankar said in a telephone interview. He specializes in corruption studies and described the rural jobs system as the world''s largest workfare program in an article last year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Andhra Pradesh, where per-capita income is 10 percent higher than the national average, the sixth round of audits since 2008 reached Narayankhed, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of the state capital, Hyderabad, in February.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout 300 people sat in a makeshift tent, mostly residents of nearby villages with complaints about the jobs program, alongside staff accused of the wrongdoing. A dozen policemen clutching cane batons stood nearby to keep order.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe auditors, after checking employment logs, receipts for building materials and construction work, aired charges of underpaid wages and incomplete projects.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Stolen Pay</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBy the end of the hearing, 15 cases were selected for further action, such as the recovery of stolen pay.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;It''s the first time that government officials have been held accountable for money owed to us,&quot; said Peddi Ramaiah, who attended the audit and said he was underpaid wages.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nStill, graft remains a problem in Andhra Pradesh.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt least 1.4 billion rupees has been lost through corruption in the jobs program in the state, and only 15 percent has been recovered, based on data from the local government. Just two-fifths of the 30,117 staff implicated have faced disciplinary action or suspension, according to the figures.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne of the villagers attending the audit, Malla Ganesh, pointed to a flaw in the process: the risk of reprisals against those who complain.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;A lot of the villagers haven''t come for the hearing for fear of retribution later,&quot; said Ganesh, who lives in Narayankhed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Bishanpur, Rajendar Singh surveyed the bone-dry irrigation canal that is now among the cases being investigated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ditch fails to retain water and hasn''t been used since it was completed last year, he said. Excavated mud lies on one side and nearby fields, baked brown by the heat, aren''t being cultivated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The wrongdoers should be punished,&quot; Singh said. &quot;But the way things are now, I don''t think a lot will really change. Officials will carry on stealing from the jobs program. We will continue to struggle.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew MacAskill in New Delhi at amacaskill@bloomberg.net; Unni Krishnan in New Delhi at ukrishnan2@bloomberg.net; Tushar Dhara in New Delhi at tdhara1@bloomberg.net</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net; Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net </em>\r\n</p>\r\n<div align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n</div>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'Bloomberg, 5 April, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-04/india-jobs-program-scam-pays-wages-to-dead-workers.html', '', NULL),
(20321, 53, 62, 'Flawed EIAs sail through-Kanchi Kohli', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Civil Society Online\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nAccreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition. It is to be preceded with a process where facts, figures and professional ethics are scrutinized so that the desired certification of competency, authority or credibility is presented. Only the best suited with the requisite track record are to find themselves in the approved list.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn India, the much talked about and well critiqued initiative wherein consultants undertaking the responsibility of carrying out Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) was initiated in 2007 under the auspices of the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The reason for this was that EIAs which were formally introduced into India''s environment regulatory regime in 1994, were being carried out in a shabby, incomplete way and often in a manner where facts were misrepresented.  They remain the key analytical, scientific and technical documents based on which regulatory decision making rests.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe very first report of the QCI titled, &lsquo;Scheme for Accreditation of EIA Consultant Organizations,'' clearly stated that, &quot;it is crucial that the quality of EIAs being carried out are of a high order so that possible impacts on the environment of such activities can be assessed and mitigative measures could be adopted. However, the present situation is far from satisfactory, since the EIAs being developed, more often than not, do not measure up to the required quality.&quot; A statement which sounds more weighty than what the process of accreditation has turned out to be. Not as an aside, but as a matter of  context, it is important to note that the QCI is an accreditation body jointly partnered by the Government of India (GoI) and Indian industry represented by the three premier industry associations, Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn January and February 2012, two articles in Civil Society magazine had attempted to break down this process by first highlighting the range of concerns which researchers, NGOs and activists working on this issue have had ever since this accreditation scheme was announced in 2007 which is when MoEF had through the Right to Information denied any participation in. These concerns questioned the fact that the agency authorizing consultants was entirely backed by industry associations representing the interests of project developers who in turn are the ones funding EIAs. It also reiterated the fundamental argument that the accreditation process does not  check the issue whereby consultants are hired not just to carry out EIAs but also ensure that approvals are acquired. With this the EIA consultants prepare the  &quot;best&quot; reports based on which an environment clearance can be procured.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe second part of this two-part article was related to the fact that the EIAs carried out by the bodies already accredited are deeply questionable both on content and the fact that many of these are linked to areas where deep social and environmental conflicts are visible in the country today.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe QCI process has completely sanitized itself from the reality that shoddy EIAs which misrepresent local realities and baseline information often get raised during mandatory public hearings or land up in courts as legal challenges. The consultants who did the EIAs for POSCO''s steel plant and port in Jagatsinghpur or Vedanta''s bauxite mining in Niyamgiri or OPG''s 300 MW thermal power plant in Bhadreshwar are far removed from the realities that have followed the flawed presentation of facts in their EIA reports.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMore so the QCI process has not bothered to reflect on whether their list of consultants and their EIA reports have any link to the sites of conflict where questioning the regulatory mishaps has been an issue of critical enquiry.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn 5th March this year, the MoEF  uploaded on its website another updated list of 150 consultants who are now on the accredited list. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)  which, amongst many other projects, has been criticised for the flawed information in its EIA for the Koodankulam nuclear plant, finds itself nested in the list from the very beginning. Back in 2007 when groups and individuals had pointed out the lacunae in the QCI process they had brought out a list of EIA consultants with the project where the EIAs were not up to standard and NEERI was there with its list of flawed EIAs. Koodankulam, as we all know, is presently marred with discontent for the last several years and conflict had heightened in 2012. The contents of the EIA have been questioned from the time when the public hearing first took place.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOne can list the many other big and small consultants who are today party to the rising social conflicts in India by churning out EIA reports for projects that have a deeply flawed siting. But will that serve any purpose? The deeper question is around the conscious efforts to depoliticize accreditation processes like that of the QCI or even the  very act of EIA making. Even as those involved in these processes might think of their task as being one of doing their bit and not being party to the final  decision-making on these projects, their &lsquo;tick-marking'' of a particular consultant with a marred history cannot be dislocated from the socio-political realities of where their accreditation has a bearing. A faulty consultant will continue to manufacture EIAs for project authorities so that they justify approvals and by this the act of  EIA making will become a conduit to whatever decision gets taken around the project. This time the QCI will not question the consultant''s ethics but credit it with  recognition. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'Civil Society Online, April, 2013, http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/pages/Details.aspx?304', '', NULL),
(20322, 53, 62, 'Manipur encounter killings fake, says panel; SC &#039;distressed&#039; -Utkarsh Anand', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nA committee appointed by the Supreme Court to probe six cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur informed the court on Thursday that all the encounters were fake.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe committee, comprising retired judge Santosh Hegde, former chief election commissioner J M Lyngdoh and former Karnataka police chief A K Singh, held that all the seven victims, including a 12-year-old boy, did not have any criminal background and had not been named in any insurgency-related case.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndicting the security forces, the report underlined that &quot;four out of these six cases followed an identical pattern&quot;, where the police personnel or armed forces said they had first tried to stop these persons due to &quot;suspicious&quot; activities. When these persons ran and opened fire, they fired back in self-defence, they claimed. The forces also claimed to have recovered arms and ammunition from the sites.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This is very disturbing. The commission has found that none of these cases was genuine and they could have been killed in fake encounters. It is very distressing to know what the report has found out,&quot; said the bench today.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe bench was hearing a PIL filed by a Manipur group, Extra Judicial Execution Victims Families Association, for setting up a special investigation team to probe 1,528 alleged fake encounters.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Let it not be an adversarial litigation. The state and Centre should be equally concerned. In fact, it should be a more important matter of consideration for the Centre. This perhaps is not the best way to integrate people, but this is certainly the best way to alienate them,&quot; said the bench, addressing Additional Solicitor General Paras Kuhad and amicus curiae Menaka Guruswamy.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We will do everything possible in our power to help improve the situation. Physical distance from Delhi does not mean emotional distance or distance from getting equal treatment, being part of the same country. Our concern is also for people getting killed in the cross-fire. We know it is innocents who get killed very often,&quot; it said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCritical of the role of the police and armed forces in Manipur, the bench noted that following a SC judgement, the National Human Rights Commission had issued detailed guidelines, prompting the Army to issue guidelines for the forces. &quot;Unfortunately, none of these guidelines are followed in actual operations. One of the major tasks before this court is to ensure these guidelines are followed and they do not remain only on paper,&quot; it said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe court asked the ASG, amicus and the NHRC counsel to go through the panel''s report and suggest ways to ensure implementation of the guidelines. The court will now hear the matter on April 9.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<strong>The six cases</strong>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Azad Khan, 12, killed in March &lsquo;09.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Umakanta Chongtham, 24, of Imphal West, killed in March &lsquo;09.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* N Nobo Meitei, 27, and his cousin N Gobind Meitei, 25, of Imphal East, killed in April &lsquo;09.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Kiranjit Elangbam, 24, of Thoubal, killed in April &lsquo;09.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Yumnam Kumarjit, 19, of Chandel, killed in June &lsquo;09.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Khumbongmayum Orsonjit, 19, of Imphal West, killed in March &lsquo;10.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 5 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/manipur-encounter-killings-fake-says-panel--sc-distressed/1098010/', '', NULL),
(20323, 53, 62, 'SC rejects Tarn Taran magisterial report-J Venkatesan', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>&quot;It deserves to be thrown into the dustbin&quot;</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the magisterial probe report on the Tarn Taran incident, in which a girl and her father were beaten up by the Punjab police, as it justified the attack on the duo.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Kurian Joseph told Additional Solicitor-General Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Punjab government, &quot;the report does not have the value more that of a scrap paper and it deserves to be thrown into the dustbin.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJustice Singhvi said the report was &quot;misleading&quot; and contained &quot;wrong facts.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Bench directed the Chandigarh Administration to give the girl protection and security by an agency other than by the Punjab police.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfter going through the report which said &quot;such baton charges do happen,&quot; Justice Singhvi asked the ASG: &quot;Do you not feel ashamed when a lady is beaten up by the police and the State DGP goes on television that very day justifying the action without conducting any enquiry against police officials.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAttorney-General G.E. Vahanvati said it was amazing that the father of the girl was asked to apologise and sign a compromise deal at a police station. Justice Singhvi said it was fortunate that the man was alive today.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAmicus curiae Harish Salve said: &quot;The magistrate''s report is atrocious.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe court earlier took suo motu cognisance of news reports on this incident and another in which some women teachers were assaulted in Patna during an agitation.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Bihar DGP, in an affidavit, said the majority of men and women protesters were cleared from tents without using force. However, towards the end of this process, a few policemen started brandishing lathis on men and women who were in still the tents and some of them were hit. &quot;Some sporadic incidents of use of force were apparent.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe DGP said: &quot;As per information, no injured woman from the crowd has reported in any of the hospitals or to any authority till now. There cannot be any justification or rationale whatsoever for beating either men or women. However, at times when [an] unruly mob indulges in arson, rampage and destruction of public property, use of proportionate force to disperse it and contain violence may be justified.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFurther hearing is posted to April 11.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 5 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/sc-rejects-tarn-taran-magisterial-report/article4583003.ece', '', NULL),
(20324, 53, 62, 'Haryana to challenge Adani Power tariff ruling: minister- Matthias Williams &amp; Nidhi Verma', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Live Mint\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Legal challenge threatens to undermine what Indian power firms had cheered as a major boost to sector</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Haryana government will challenge the central power regulator''s ruling this week that allows Adani Power Ltd to raise tariffs for electricity supplied to existing clients in two states, its power minister told Reuters on Thursday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has allowed Adani Power to charge &quot;compensatory&quot; tariffs for electricity from its Mundra plant in the west coast state of Gujarat, until supply conditions improve.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe regulator said Adani should be allowed such a tariff, citing what it called the &quot;unforeseen&quot; events of the rising cost of imported coal from Indonesia coupled with the shortage of domestic supplies from state-run Coal India Ltd.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe legal challenge threatens to undermine what Indian power companies had cheered as a major boost to a sector stricken by domestic fuel shortages and the rising cost of imported coal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Yes,&quot; Haryana state power minister Ajay Yadav told Reuters by phone, when asked whether the government was planning legal action. &quot;Because we have signed an agreement with them (Adani). We will make the payment as per the rate at which we have signed the agreement.&quot;<br />\r\nSeparately, D.J. Pandian, Gujarat state''s energy secretary, told Reuters that &quot;all options were open&quot;, when asked whether the state government would also challenge the regulator''s order.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', '2013-04-05 12:06:07', 1, 'Live Mint, 4 April, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Industry/FBYg74PwecARTk8MBTX4WM/Haryana-to-challenge-Adani-Power-tariff-ruling-minister.html', '', NULL),
(20325, 53, 62, 'Rise in power tariffs shifts debate to quality- Kirthi V Rao and Utpal Bhaskar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Live Mint\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Tariffs reach at least Rs.4 per unit in many states, finds analysis, amid efforts to bail out state discoms</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndian domestic consumers in 16 states are paying at least `4 per unit for power and in some cases even more, according to an analysis, thus giving the lie to the long-held axiom that raising tariffs is nearly impossible in India given the political compulsions. The finding also shows conclusively that the debate should now move on to ensuring quality of power supply to consumers, said officials and experts.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to the analysis conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd for Mint, the tariff comparison was made for domestic households consuming 300 units (kilowatt hours, or kWh) on an average every month on a minimum load of 4 kilowatts.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides this, 23 states and five Union territories increased electricity tariffs in the last fiscal year, ranging from a 2% increase in Karnataka to a 73% jump in Tripura. West Bengal has the highest domestic tariff in the country at `6.02 per unit and, along with Himachal Pradesh, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, reduced tariffs in the last fiscal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nExperts say the tariff revisions are a positive for the sector, coming in the backdrop of efforts to bail out beleaguered state electricity distribution companies (discoms) through a restructuring of their short-term loans, one of the most important policy initiatives of the government. Discoms owe `2 trillion to banks and financial institutions.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;It was a seminal year for the domestic tariff increase in the country. This is very encouraging. Along with agricultural tariff, the domestic tariff was subsidized and it was politically tough to implement any tariff increase,&quot; said Debasish Mishra, senior director at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, an audit and consultancy firm.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Realization has set in that with power purchase costs increasing, there is no way that they can be met without increasing the tariff. The entire utility cost structure is going through a paradigm shift. With states not increasing tariffs for many years, (this) has resulted in huge tariff increases last year,&quot; he added.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMany distribution utilities are saddled with losses arising from theft, besides transmission and billing inefficiencies. Some regularly bought expensive power to tide over short-term deficits and didn''t revise rates in years. Interestingly, according to a study conducted by energy consulting company Mercados EMI Asia for the 13th Finance Commission, the projected losses in 2014-15 were expected to be `1.16 trillion.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nP. Uma Shankar, India''s power secretary, said, &quot;People have realized the importance of discoms being financially viable. We have turned the corner. The debate has now turned towards the quality of service.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe energy secretary of a northern state said on condition of anonymity: &quot;What would a consumer prefer? Having no electricity or paying a little more for it? The debate has definitely shifted from availability of power to quality of it.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith attempts being made to bridge the gap between the cost of electricity procurement and tariff realization, the Union government announced a bailout plan in September 2012 for discoms, which included regular tariff revisions as part of the conditionalities to be met.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe cumulative losses of the distribution utilities increased from `1.22 trillion in 2009-10 to `1.9 trillion as of March 2011. The tariff revisions until were inadequate as the average increase fell behind power purchase costs. The poor financial health is also on account of non-payment of subsidy reimbursements by state governments.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nExperts said domestic tariff increases have been accepted because the mechanism for rationalization has been perceived as democratic and transparent.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA senior government official, requesting anonymity, said, &quot;The earlier protests were organized by rival political factions, while now there are public hearings at which residents and industries affected can speak for themselves.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRao V.B.J. Chelikani, the Hyderabad-based president of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, said, &quot;We are aware that tariffs have to be increased because power production costs are rising and it is a scarce commodity, but it should not be done in one shot. Efficiency in delivery also needs to be looked at. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMismanagement is the name I would give to the handling of the power situation in our country.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTo be sure, not everyone is convinced that raising tariffs is the solution given that losses on account of theft, transmission and billing inefficiencies are pegged at around 27%.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;By increasing tariff indiscriminately, we are passing on the inefficiencies of the power sector to hapless consumers,&quot; said another government official requesting anonymity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAlso, many experts said much more needs to be done to make the process of tariff revision fair and participatory.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Improvement in quality of power supply and paying capacity in urban areas along with the perception that payers get a fair hearing has to be contrasted with the still very poor and variable supply of power in rural areas. Moreover, regulatory commissions are based in state capitals, leaving out many voices of protest,&quot; said Ashwini Chitnis of Pune-based Prayas Energy Group, which analyses policy in the Indian power sector.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Much of the increases have been happening also because the consumer does not really realize power charges are going up-the fuel adjustment charge is a big component of electricity charges, but in states like Maharashtra, discoms are allowed to pass it on directly on a quarterly basis without approaching the electricity regulatory commission as long as the increase is capped at a certain level,&quot; Chitnis added.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'Live Mint, 4 April, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Industry/VHRvGbyq9SIIJHqR4sct7M/Rise-in-power-tariffs-shifts-debate-to-quality.html', '', NULL),
(20326, 53, 62, '25% RTE quota: Government stares at inflated bill- Prashant K Nanda', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Live Mint\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Reimbursing schools that reserve 25% seats for underprivileged children may end up costing the govt about Rs.16,000 cr</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe central government is faced with the prospect of a large bill to pay for the implementation of one of the key elements of the right to education (RTE) legislation-reimbursing private schools that reserved 25% of their seats for underprivileged children-even as the 31 March deadline for most of the law''s other clauses have been missed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA year after the Supreme Court upheld the RTE norm to reserve seats in private schools for poor children around 20 states have sought extra funds for this. This could cost Rs.2,500 crore in the first year, rising over the next seven years, according to two government officials with knowledge of the development who didn''t want to be named.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis could amount to about Rs.16,000 crore or more than 60% of the current annual budget for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the main vehicle for implementing RTE.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The human resource development ministry has received demand from more than half of the states and Union territories and they would take this to the project approval board soon. This is the first year after the apex court order. The requirement is only going to increase,&quot; said one of the two government officials cited above.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government will take up the demands of the states as and when they are made, said the second official cited above.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The economic scenario is not very conducive and SSA does not have enough allocation. We have to cut our coat according to the cloth,&quot; the official said, indicating that the demand may not be met in its entirety.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFor the 2013-14 fiscal year, SSA-RTE has a budget allocation of Rs.27,258 crore but the actual requirement is more than Rs.40,000 crore, according to official estimates. The human resource development (HRD) ministry will be hard-pressed to find the money, given the cash crunch and the increase in cooking gas prices, which has given the ministry an additional fuel bill to the tune of Rs.600 crore. The government has reined in the supply of subsidized cooking gas in order to curb its fiscal deficit. The gas is used to make mid-day meals for schools in order to provide nutritious food to children as well as ensure that they don''t drop out.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This year we will need around Rs.100 crore and by the end of seventh year, our reimbursement bill will be at least Rs.800 crore,&quot; said K. Partha Sarathy, secondary education minister of Andhra Pradesh.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMaharashtra education minister Rajendra J. Darda had a similar view. In a state like his, where the percentage of private schools is higher than the national average of 20%, the bill could inflate faster in the years to come.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) published by education non-profit Pratham, more than 35% of children are pursuing elementary education in private schools in rural Maharashtra. This exceeds 36% in Andhra Pradesh. Both state and central governments acknowledge that the concentration of private schools in urban India is much more.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMadhya Pradesh has said it will need about Rs.400 crore in total for reimbursements by the seventh year and the demand for this year is nearly Rs.50 crore.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHRD ministry officials hold that their first concern is the current year, when the requirement is less. At least 25% of the schools in Madhya Pradesh are private schools and it needs central funding to reimburse them so that underprivileged children can pursue eight years of compulsory education under the RTE Act, said Archana Chitnis, state education minister.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe reimbursement issue cropped after the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the RTE Act in a landmark judgement on 12 April 2012, and decided that private schools have to admit at least 25% students from economically weaker sections in the neighbourhood, a concept that government believes will promote social inclusiveness. The government had said then that it will pay for the 25% of students to be schooled in private institutions in this manner. &quot;If you want an inclusive society, society has to take the burden of this,&quot; Kapil Sibal, then HRD minister, had said after the court verdict. The RTE Act came into force on 1 April 2010, with a mandate to provide compulsory education for all children in the 6-14 age group by 31 March 2013. The deadline is over but several of the norms, including an adequate number of teachers and infrastructure, are yet to be met, HRD minister M.M. Pallam Raju conceded last week.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'Live Mint, 4 April, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Politics/VpWXH4AUKS6NCT4CFuFweN/25-RTE-quota-Govt-stares-at-inflated-bill.html', '', NULL),
(20327, 53, 62, 'Environment clearance for projects worth Rs. 45,000 crore at breakneck speed-Priscilla Jebaraj', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) seems to be helping to raze green speed-bumps - ruffling the feathers of environment and tribal activists in the process - with environment clearances having been issued for more than Rs. 45,000 crore worth of projects in its first two months of existence.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn the next few months, the CCI expects to spur revisions in clearance provisions for high-rises, SEZs and roads, and form a new panel to appraise applicants from the mining sector.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Slew of measures</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSince it was set up by the Union Cabinet last December, the CCI has successfully prodded the Ministry of Environment and Forests to implement a slew of measures aimed at streamlining clearance procedures. Those include such controversial moves as the delinking of environment and forest clearances for linear projects like roads, railways and transmission lines, and the exemption of such projects from getting gram sabha consent, which face vociferous opposition from forest and tribal rights activists.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAddressing top industrialists on Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh credited the CCI for helping to &quot;revive the investment climate,&quot; allocating fifteen sentences of his speech to listing the measures taken to fast-track green clearances. &quot;I am encouraged by the progress that we have made in the last three months by the work of this committee,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe financial figures provide a concrete backing for his satisfaction. According to a briefing note prepared in March by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to apprise the CCI of its streamlining efforts, the result has been that &quot;During January-February, 2013, development projects worth over Rs. 45,229 crore were given Environment Clearance by MoEF.&quot;\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 5 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/environment-clearance-for-projects-worth-rs-45000-crore-at-breakneck-speed/article4583165.ece', '', NULL);

INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20340, 53, 62, 'Nitish Kumar proposes 50% reservation for women in cooperative societies -Ashok K Mishra', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Economic Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>PATNA: </em>Reserving 33% seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures may remain a dream for Congress president Sonia Gandhi but chief minister Nitish Kumar has not only done that in panchayat bodies of Bihar but is set to take the concept to other areas.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWomen''s support for JD(U) had swelled in elections following the reservations, as the fair sex exhibited approval for the progressive legislation. Encouraged by ''lady luck'' Kumar''s NDA government now plans to reserve 50% seats in cooperative societies for women.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Everyone talked of empowering women, but it was Nitishji who did something meaningful for them in 2005, when his government pushed through a legislation envisaging 50% reservation for women in panchayati bodies,&quot; industries minister Renu Kushwaha told ET. &quot;In 2007, reservation for women was extended to local bodies in urban areas. The two legislations have helped women empowerment.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWomen turned up in large numbers and formed long queues during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and 2010 Bihar elections, which Kumar''s party won, indicating that women endorsed the idea.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe women''s queue promises to grow longer as the chief minister has announced 35% reservation for them in recruitment of police constables too.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n50% reservation for women in cooperative societies would mean that women would control around half the primary agriculture credit societies. &quot;I am sure other states will emulate the Bihar model of providing reservation to women in cooperative societies too,&quot; said the CM on the measure.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfter Bihar, other states too reserved seats in panchayat and civic bodies for women. It was certainly a big step towards women empowerment. In one stroke 50% of over 8,000 panchayats in Bihar was reserved for women. Apart from the reservation in 3-tier panchayti bodies, the Kumar government also distributed direct cash subsidy to girl students for procuring cycles and uniforms, and even allowed 50% reservation in recruitment of primary school teachers. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Economic Times, 5 April, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/and/nation/Nitish-Kumar-proposes-50-reservation-for-women-in-cooperative-societies/articleshow/19392129.cms', '', NULL),
(20341, 53, 62, 'Whistle blower Ashok Khemka in Robert Vadra-DLF land deal transferred for 44th time-Prashant Krar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Economic Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>CHANDIGARH: </em>Haryana government today transferred whistleblower in Robert Vadra-DLF land deal, Ashok Khemka, Haryana IAS officer to department of Archives within six months of his recent posting as managing director of Haryana Seeds Development Corporation.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe latest transfer of Khemka, second in last few months and 44th in all, is seen as a bid to avoid further threat to image of the Congress government that has taken beating after he alleged scam in land deal worth Rs 58 crore between Congress President Sonia Gandhi''s son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty major DLF.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith Assembly polls scheduled by the next year, Khemka, avowed to highlight corruption, has become major trouble for the Haryana Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The officer last year highlightedsale of land below the market price to Robert Vadra''s companies, change of land use and transfer of panchayat land to DLF to benefit Vadra companies. Soon after the action Khemka was removed as Inspector General of Land Registration by the Haryana government and transferred to Haryana Seeds Development Corporation.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis year few months after posting in the Seeds Development Corporation, Khemka alleged another scam involving subsidy on fungicide. The officer alleged that subsidy on fungicide Raxil was mandated for Karnal bunt disease in wheat seeds by the agriculture department even though the fungicide was not even registered for the treatment of the disease. The maker of the fungicide, German company Bayer crop Science had not obtained registration in the last three years during which it supplied the same.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe officer had sought inquiry into the matter. He had alleged that the state has provided subsidy of over Rs 60 crore in the last three years. Stung by the allegations senior official in Haryana agriculture department had defended the German company stating that the fungicide was effective in Karnal bunt and other wheat seed related diseases.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCongress government found itself in eye of storm as Khemka''s action fuelled anti corruption tirade by activist Arvind Kejriwal who played up the DLF-Vadra land deals in connection with companies of Vadra. Haryana Congress unit has been facing heat following opposition by INLD and BJP in Haryana into allegations made by Kejriwal highlighting the land deals of companies of Robert Vadra in four districts in Haryana\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn an attempt to absolve itself in Vadra-DLF land deal, the state government has marked inquiry under the chief secretary. The internal inquiry by Haryana Congress government appointed officials failed to find discrepancies in the Vadra-DLF land deals.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Economic Times, 4 April, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/whistle-blower-ashok-khemka-in-robert-vadra-dlf-land-deal-transferred-for-44th-time/articleshow/19386465', '', NULL),
(20342, 53, 62, 'Rural youth nurse driving ambition to make it big in cities: Government survey -Dilasha Seth', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Economic Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe government wants to train the rural youth to take up manufacturing jobs, but an official survey has shown that nearly a fifth of youth in the countryside enrolled for vocational training opted to learn driving or become car mechanics in the hope of earning a decent salary in cities.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nComputer training was the second-most desired skill among the rural youth, shows a report based on the National Sample Survey Organisation''s (NSSO) 2009-10 employment-unemployment survey. &quot;As rural areas are moving from farm to non-farm, driving is a low hanging fruit for the unskilled workforce as one requires just six months of training,&quot; said Manish Sabharwal, chairman, TeamLease Services. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOf the rural men enrolled for vocational training in 2009-10, about 18% prefered to go for driving and motor mechanics courses. The skill allows them to easily migrate to cities, as rising car ownership, congestion and higher incomes is encouraging more car owners to hire drivers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDrivers in cities like Delhi and Mumbai earn anything between 15,000 and 40,000 a month, making the job lucrative as specific educational qualification is not mandatory. Organised cab services in cities or radio cabs are also increasing the demand for drivers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout 13% rural males enrolled with recognised motor driving schools, the highest number after Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), shows the report ''Status of education and vocational training in India''.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;It is an increasing perception in rural areas that they would land up with jobs in urban areas,&quot; said SR Hashim, former Planning Commission member.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe rising number of vehicles has also increased the demand for car mechanics, explaining the increase in the number of youth enrolling for training to become car mechanics.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs call centres and banks are being set up in rural areas, 17% men saw an opportunity and opted for computer-related training. The trend is not good news for the government''s ambitious target to scale up the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25% over the next 10 years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAbout 26% rural women opted for textile-related vocational training courses while 18% opted for computer training.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn urban areas, learning computers topped the list for both men and women. Of the total men and women registering for vocational training, 30% and 32%, respectively, opted for computer courses. However, when it comes to getting jobs after the vocational course, men fared better than women: 47.2% rural females found the training did not help, as against 29.2% rural men. In urban areas, the scenario was no different: 32.4% urban women could not find employment/self employment after the training as against just 19.1% men. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Economic Times, 4 April, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/rural-youth-nurse-driving-ambition-to-make-it-big-in-cities-government-survey/articleshow/19371008.cms', '', NULL),
(20343, 53, 62, 'Govt not able to meet job target for less privileged -Vikas Dhoot &amp; Rajeev Jayaswal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Economic Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nSix years after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh first urged India Inc to pro-actively offer employment to the less privileged sections of society, the government has not been able to walk the talk. A special recruitment drive initiated by it has failed to meet targets. Under the government''s affirmative drive launched in 2008 and focused purely on offering jobs to candidates from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the disabled categories, 47,000 vacancies have been filled out of a target of 75,500.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA cabinet note taking stock has been very critical of ministries'' performance, though the deadline was extended twice. The ministries that largely failed to meet targets include the Railways, defence, human resources development, home, finance, health, mines, urban development and petroleum. Worse, many ministries have not sent any progress reports despite repeated reminders. While a dozen ministries have cited problems of finding suitable candidates to explain their failure in filling the vacancies, about ten departments, including the President''s secretariat, have not furnished any reasons at all. No comments were received from around 45 departments.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn January last year, the cabinet ''re-launched the drive'' realising the need to first impart skill sets and education. It issued a diktat for an institutional mechanism to reskill these people. But the Department of Personnel and Training and the ministries of tribal affairs and social justice and empowerment put paid to the idea saying schemes for coaching reserved category youth for competitive exams were already in place. Now, the government plans to devise schemes to bridge the gap between educational qualifications and job market requirements by offering under-privileged youth finishing school-type training on soft skills such as coping with interviews and speaking English. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-05', NULL, 1, 'The Economic Times, 4 April, 2013, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/govt-not-able-to-meet-job-target-for-less-privileged/articleshow/19371195.cms', '', NULL),
(20344, 53, 62, 'Promise of paradise that didn’t come true -Ahmed Ali Fayyaz', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The absence of a comprehensive rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants has made life hellish for those who decided to give themselves up and join the mainstream</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJammu &amp; Kashmir''s first &quot;Surrender Policy&quot; was floated by Governor Gen. (retd.) K.V. Krishna Rao''s administration in 1995. It was almost identical to the policies introduced for militants involved in the North East and Naxalite insurgencies: Rs.1.5 lakh worth of fixed deposit receipts payable after three years, a monthly stipend of Rs.2,000 for three years, Rs.15,000 for surrendering an AK-47 rifle and Rs.3,000 for a pistol or revolver. It held little promise about rehabilitation.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn January 31, 2004, the Mufti Sayeed government introduced a fresh policy. Accepting India''s &quot;integrity&quot; and &quot;Constitution&quot; were flagged as a precondition for surrender. It was offered &quot;to those terrorists who undergo a change of heart and eschew the path of violence and who also accept the integrity of India and [the] Indian Constitution to encourage them join the mainstream and lead a normal life and contribute towards prosperity and progress of the State as well as the Nation.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt did not work either. Much like its prototypes, it did not carry an assured promise of rehabilitation. Not many militants were enticed by it.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Designated routes</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThose who did surrender were used by the police, armed forces and intelligence agencies to set up counterinsurgency groups to wipe out not only separatist militants but also civilians perceived to be the sympathisers or supporters of separatism. Some of them, like the Ikhwanul Muslimoon, founder Kukka Parray and his lieutenant Javed Shah were installed as legislators. Many, including Parray and Shah, were subsequently killed by unidentified gunmen.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThose who survived found themselves in the infamous Red Index of the CID, a confidential register that contains names of over 400,000 Kashmiris &quot;suspected&quot; of links with militancy and terrorism. Very few on the list have ever got a passport or a government job.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEven so, from about 2005 to 2009, over 4,000 &quot;retired militants&quot; and their families in Pakistan were enthusiastic about efforts by pro-New Delhi political leaders to get them back into the mainstream in the State. Politicians, including Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, played a key role in promoting New Delhi''s package for returning militants. On November 23, 2010, Omar Abdullah''s government launched the &quot;surrender and rehabilitation policy&quot; specifically for this lot.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the recent arrest of Syed Liaquat Shah for an alleged terror plot as he came into India through the Nepal border has shown that this latest scheme has more problems than its predecessors.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBy Mr. Abdullah''s own admission, not one of the 241 militants came back through the designated routes of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Attari [train], Wagah [bus] besides Chakan-Da-Bagh and Kaman Post in J&amp;K.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn Srinagar and New Delhi, officials knew well that the Pakistani establishment would never permit these people to return through the Delhi airport or Wagah. That would have been used by India to establish that the Kashmir insurgency was a Pakistan-sponsored &quot;proxy war&quot; rather than an indigenous separatist struggle.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated in the Assembly, 241 militants along with over a thousand of their family members crossed into India from Nepal to take up the government''s offer.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhat is strange is that no one in J&amp;K or India thought it fit to recognise the Kathmandu route and set up coordination between Srinagar, Delhi, Gorakhpur and Kathmandu to facilitate the surrenders.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Flourishing racket</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhat is clear is that under the noses of intelligence agencies in both India and Pakistan, the surrender policy was a flourishing business for a whole network of middlemen, from Karachi, Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Kathmandu to cities in India, including Srinagar.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNazia, an undergraduate from Government College Islamabad Pakistan, who married former Aljihad militant Mohammad Sahafi Itoo and reached Drusu, Pulwama along with her husband and two children in February 2012, recounted her brush with the agents.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;They take responsibility for getting us through the Pakistan side. They arranged our passports and visa, managed our travel to Karachi, booked our seats on the Karachi-Kathmandu flight and facilitated further our passage from Gorakhpur to Jammu and Pulwama. We spent a total of Rs.8 lakh,&quot; says Nazia.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Losing identity</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut in less than a year, both Itoo and Nazia have realised their return as &quot;the biggest blunder of our life.&quot; After suffering a great deal of tribulation, Nazia managed to get her 11-year-old daughter, Kinza Noor and 5-year-old son, Hanzla admitted in a local school.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nItoo, who does not know how to read or write, and claims to have been at a militant training camp for just 13 days, used to earn Rs.5,000 while working with companies and shopkeepers at Bara Koh, a suburb of Islamabad.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Had suicide not been forbidden in Islam, I would have done so last year,&quot; he says. &quot;I have no work to do, nothing to earn and eat.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nItoo''s parents have given him a single room at their house. Nazia runs a boutique and earns Rs.2,000 to Rs.3,000 a month. While the men are treated warily by family members, especially by siblings, and looked upon as another mouth to feed, or as a potential rival in property claims, their wives are seen as &quot;outsiders,&quot; as the language, culture and way of life are quite different from the Kashmiris in the Valley. Mohammad Yousuf alias Jamsheed, who returned to his home at Turkawangam in Shopian along with his wife Shahnaz and four children in December 2011, has been earning Rs.4,000 a month for working at the local taxi stand. Like the Pulwama family, Yousuf and Shahnaz have not found ready acceptance by the family. They have been given a room to live with their children. Guests too stay and sleep in the same room. The washroom doubles up as a kitchen.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Schooling</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have been duped into this blunder [of returning to home] by Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. They came to Pakistan and announced that [the] J&amp;K Government had a rehabilitation scheme for us. When we reached here, we learned that there is none,&quot; says the couple. Most schools deny admission to the children of the surrendered militants.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have lost our identity. We don''t know the land and the people we belong to,&quot; Shahnaz adds. &quot;It''s a completely different language and culture here. We can''t adjust ourselves. Nobody invites us or mixes with the women and their children from Azad Kashmir or Pakistan.&quot; She sounds more disillusioned with the people in Kashmir than the government.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBoth the families maintain that they had been denied everything - driving licence, elector''s photo identity card, ration card, passport, government and private job.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOther surrendered militants have the same sorry tale to tell.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNisar Ahmad Kawa of Nund Rishi Colony Bemina crossed the Line of Control to join the training camp of Ikhwanul Muslimeen in 1991. In 2002, he married Ishrat Fatima of Khwajamal. The couple, with their two sons and a daughter, returned in September 2012. Kawa, who earned Rs.15,000 running a shop at Madeena Market in Muzaffarabad, now earns a paltry Rs.3.000 for his labour at a restaurant in Srinagar.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have ruined our life. Whenever someone calls us from Pakistan, we tell them not to fall into the trap. There''s no surrender or rehabilitation policy here. Whenever we''ll get a chance, we will go back,&quot; says Kawa.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIshrat sounded shattered. &quot;Ham ne suna thaa yeh jannat hai, lekin yeh to bilkul dauzakh hail (We had been told Kashmir is Paradise. But we have found it worse than hell.&quot;)\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe impoverished couple had no hesitation in saying that they spend most of their time quarrelling in the room they have been temporarily given by Kawa''s brother.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We just pray for our death. Everybody here has ditched us. Kashmir has changed fully from what it was in 1990. There is total individualism now. Nobody thinks about others.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>ahmed.fayaz@thehindu.co.in </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 6 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/promise-of-paradise-that-didnt-come-true/article4585535.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20345, 53, 62, 'Government hints at broadcasting reform agenda- Shuchi Bansal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Live Mint\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>I&amp;B minister raises prospect of independent broadcasting authority, says govt may be forced to set up ratings system</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nInformation and broadcasting (I&amp;B) minister Manish Tewari on Friday raised the prospect of an independent broadcasting authority and said the government may be forced to set up a ratings system unless the industry took steps to put in place a credible method of ranking television programmes, in a series of statements that appeared to set out a comprehensive agenda of reform for the sector.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnother significant policy point, which may have caused some disquiet among sections of the industry, was made by information secretary Uday Kumar Verma, who said the industry will have to come to grips with the issue of content regulation given the explosion in the number of channels. India is one of the few countries that doesn''t have such a content regulator, he added.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The broadcasting universe has grown and expanded in such an exponential manner that a time has come, on the techno-commercial side, for a separate broadcasting authority,&quot; Tewari said in his keynote address on Friday at a meeting of the expert committee on restructuring Prasar Bharati in New Delhi. &quot;Broadcasting was never supposed to be part of the Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) remit.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrasar Bharati is the state-run organization that runs Doordarshan and All India Radio.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe references by Tewari and Verma are to regulators of two kinds. One covers technical and commercial aspects currently overseen by Trai, and the other refers to content.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nReferring to the proliferation of television channels, which numbered more than 800 currently, and the growth of new media including social media, Tewari said there was a need for an independent regulator in the media space. However, he clearly pointed out that the government had no intention of putting a &quot;regulator on content in the statutory space&quot;, which would have abated some of the concern regarding censorship, on which the record of the government hasn''t been unblemished.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe expert committee chaired by Sam Pitroda, adviser to the Prime Minister on public information infrastructure and innovations, was constituted by the I&amp;B ministry in January to review the institutional framework of Prasar Bharati, including its relationship with the government, its role as a public broadcaster, and the technical upgrade of the organization.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPrasar Bharati''s role as a public broadcaster is the subject of intense debate amid declining viewership and advertising revenue, and an inability to engage with its role in raising knowledge levels, analysts said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nVerma said that if the broadcasting sector does not put together an independent television rating system soon, the government will intervene and offer viewership data on its own.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have given a clear signal to the broadcasting and advertising industries that they have an independent television rating system in place by the middle of next year, failing which the government will not hesitate in asking Trai-in fact we have already made a reference to the authority-to make sure that there are adequate guidelines in place for any TRP (television rating point) generating entity,&quot; said Verma, addressing the members of the 11 expert groups studying different aspects of Prasar Bharati.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTewari pointed out that the broadcasting industry was dragging its feet over the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the body jointly formed by television channels with the advertising industry for creating a new television viewership mapping system. BARC was proposed some years ago by channel owners unhappy with the rating system put in place by TAM Media Research, a joint venture between Nielsen (India) Pvt. Ltd and Kantar Market Research.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe issue has led to a squabble between at least one broadcaster and TAM. The start of digitization in 2012 also led to a suspension in the ratings as broadcasters were concerned the numbers would be too low as the switch-over took place and until the process stabilized.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;One of the benefits of digitization (of cable television networks) would be the spin-offs or technological innovations possible,&quot; the minister said. &quot;I believe that at Rs.25 extra per (set-top) box or maybe lower, you would be able to have real-time data on who is watching what at what point in homes with set-top boxes. There is no need for the 8,000 meters then.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThis real-time data tracking device will piggyback on set-top boxes and monitor viewership habits, but broadcasters didn''t warm up to the idea, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;They thought we would use this information. We don''t want this data. We are prepared, through a statutory regulation process, to hand it over to BARC so that it has an empirical model available whereby it can measure the industry,&quot; he added.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government hopes to digitize television viewing in the entire country in the next two years, in line with the law passed by Parliament in December 2011. Verma said that digitization would unfold a huge opportunity for Doordarshan, whose channels were often blacked out by cable operators in analogue mode. Such anomalies can be tracked and caught in digital cable networks.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe spoke of the need for content regulation in view of the 450 private news channels airing news.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There is a big concern about any broadcaster being very independent,&quot; he said. The regulation of media, raised both by the government and the judiciary in the recent past, has been greeted with suspicion by the media given that most news organizations have been carrying stories critical of government policies and exposing corruption in the system.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Regulation seems to be an undesirable word. But let me tell you that there is no other country except India that does not have a regulator,&quot; Verma said. He cited the UK phone-tapping scandal that led to media baron Rupert Murdoch''s tabloid News of the World being forced to shut down. After the incident, the UK media regulator''s powers have been made &quot;more effective through a royal charter&quot;, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Whatever may be the system of regulation, self-regulation, very independent regulation, or regulation supported by good and effective defamation laws-all these need to be brought into focus as far as broadcasting sector is concerned,&quot; said Verma.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe secretary suggested that the expert committee should consider creating a special purpose vehicle for Doordarshan''s direct-to-home operations to give that business more flexibility given its potential. He suggested a similar structure for the transmission functions of Prasar Bharati.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTewari, meanwhile, raised the question whether the government''s arm''s length relationship with Prasar Bharati was justified considering it spends Rs.1,885 crore a year on the organization.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I am supposed to be their recruiting authority, disciplining authority, sign for their tours abroad, and then expected to have an arm''s length relationship. This needs to be fixed,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTewari said that if the country needed a public broadcaster, it should be accountable to Parliament. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Then allow me the liberty for a full-spectrum communications agency-print, broadcasting, online, which lets me put my views across since the government spends huge sums in development schemes that need to be communicated,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPitroda said India''s 900 million mobile phone screens have given a different meaning to broadcasting.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We are a connected billion,&quot; he said. He urged the committee members to come back with a simple set of recommendations. &quot;We should be concerned with customer versus citizen, broadcasting versus interaction, nation building versus company building.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPitroda said the terms of reference for the committee were to do with relevant content and how to blend this with the larger goal of nation building.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said that human resources were a big challenge at Prasar Bharati. &quot;Tough decisions will need to be taken. We will have to put pressure on the system to get things done,&quot; Pitroda added.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'Live Mint, 5 April, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Politics/HuwXqUxjH6UHj2mClzrUOP/Government-hints-at-broadcasting-reform-agenda.html', '', NULL),
(20346, 53, 62, 'Umeed, Himayat projects in all rural blocks of J&amp;K -Ahmed Ali Fayyaz', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nUnion Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh made it clear on Friday that two of his ambitious projects - Umeed for empowerment of women and Himayat for capacity building and employment of youth - would be soon extended to all 143 rural development blocks in Jammu and Kashmir.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBuoyed by massive response in the four blocks, two each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, Mr. Ramesh is now planning dovetailing of the Umeed with the J&amp;K youth-specific Himayat initiative &quot;to turn the strife-torn State into an Amethi.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJ&amp;K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Amethi to see how Rahul Gandhi''s constituency was being transformed. &quot;That''s the model we are using in J&amp;K,&quot; Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu after launching the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in the once militant-infested area of Khansahab in Budgam district.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUmeed had been launched from Khansahab (Budgam), Lar (Ganderbal), Chinani (Udhampur) and Basohli (Kathua) last year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Our experience in U.P, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh is being enriched in J&amp;K. Expanding the project to all the 143 blocks, we are now forming 90,000 self-help groups - thus involving as many as 9 Lakh J&amp;K women,&quot; Mr. Ramesh said. He said that an outlay of Rs .755 crore was earmarked for the women empowerment initiative. Ninety percent of the funding would flow from the Centre and ten percent would be contributed by the State government.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Andhra-based CAP Foundation has already set up a Himayat Centre at Sopore - the north Kashmir township known only for apple, encounters and stone pelting.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr. Ramesh is visiting the CAP centre on Saturday to hand over certificates to the Kashmiri youth trained in Sopore area.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAddressing the gathering of nearly 1,000 rural women at Khansahab, Mr. Ramesh said all the 90,000 SHGs would be involved in setting up low-cost toilet units. Each unit would cost Rs. 10,000. With Rs. 1,400 of the State contribution and Rs. 900 as the beneficiary''s responsibility, the Centre would provide rest of the Rs. 7,700. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 6 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/umeed-himayat-projects-in-all-rural-blocks-of-jk/article4585634.ece', '', NULL),
(20347, 53, 62, 'Defiant in Dhinkia-Chitrangada Choudhury', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Live Mint\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Farmers resisting India''s biggest FDI deal are paying a heavy price for their stand</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn June 2005, the Orissa government signed the country''s biggest foreign direct investment deal yet with the South Korean steel manufacturer Posco for a $12 billion (around `65,856 crore) plant near Paradip in the mineral-rich state. Livelihoods in eight existing agricultural and fishing villages were to give way for the project that was intended to be spread over 4,004 acres, of which 2,958 acres are forest land. The steel mill would be accompanied by a captive port, power plant, and township.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNearly eight years on, the plan continues to spark pitched battles between authorities and villagers, and divide communities on the ground.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe village of Dhinkia remains the heart of the anti-Posco agitation. It has held out a steadfast non-violent resistance, refusing to have its profitable betel vines, paddy farms, community forest lands and homesteads jettisoned. Residents have dug in their heels, barricaded the village, petitioned courts on the project''s numerous violations, and made desperate pleas to be allowed to determine their future.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nState authorities have often resorted to brute force, destroying betel vines and taking over lands in neighbouring villages in intermittent police operations, including a particularly violent one in February-March. Over the years, they have also filed criminal cases-including charges of sedition and obscenity-against hundreds of villagers in a bid to end the opposition. An analysis put out in February by a lawyers'' collective, the Alternative Law Forum, put the number of cases against villagers at 230. The lawyer who represents many of the villagers said in March that this number had gone up in the last two months.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPosco India''s external relations officer Ansuman Pattnayak said his company is not involved in any of the strife on the ground. &quot;It is the state government which is clearing land for the project...villagers are in favour of it,&quot; he said. He also confirmed that in light of the strong protests in Dhinkia, the company would begin work on the plant when half of the required 4,000 acres is acquired, and eventually expand to its original plan, spanning land in all eight villages.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the villagers of Dhinkia-especially its women-say they are not giving up.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Biranchi Samantray: Village priest Samantray takes a walk in his homestead with granddaughter Haripriya. In March 2012, the National Green Tribunal suspended the 2011 environmental clearance given by the government to Posco, and ordered a review by the ministry of environment and forests, whose findings are still not out. &quot;That suspension finally gave us some happiness,&quot; says Samantray. &quot;But our hopes were clearly misplaced, given the ferocity with which the authorities are now back to acquiring land for the project, even when it lacks green clearance and has no clear provisions of where it will source its iron ore and water from.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Hemlata Sahu: Sahu shows the voter-ID card of her son Narhari Sahu, 52, who was killed along with two other protesters in a bomb blast in the village on 2 March. Hemlata alleges that her son was attacked because he was at the forefront of the protest movement, and the matter is not being investigated fairly by the local authorities. &quot;Despite numerous calls, the police did not arrive at the scene till the next morning. When my daughter-in-law went to register a first information report (FIR), the police station turned us away and refused to file our complaint. They have not even bothered to take the statement of the sole survivor of the blast (he was in a hospital recovering from injuries). My son has paid the price for opposing the project with death.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Manorama Khatua: The former schoolteacher, 29, heads the women''s wing of the anti-Posco protest movement. Her lawyer says she has had 27 criminal cases registered against her. Khatua says she has not left Dhinkia in six years, fearing arrest and imprisonment by the police. &quot;When I close my eyes I relive the scenes of police lathis on our bodies and chilli smoke (tear gas) in our eyes. But our resolve is unbroken...&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Lata Parida: This unlettered, feisty grandmother and betel-leaf cultivator has a dozen criminal cases filed against her, according to her lawyer. Most recently, the police have charged her with obscenity, alleging that she resorted to a semi-nude protest during a march against land acquisition on 7 March. Showing bruised limbs, Parida, 52, says: &quot;We are now reaching breaking point. Either the company goes or we die. Have you seen a country where a people are protesting since seven years, living under the constant fear of arrest, violence and dispossession, but have got no relief?&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Shanti Das: She has more than 30 cases registered against her, according to her lawyer, and sports a broken little finger from injuries sustained during a lathi charge. Das says she feels humiliated by the government''s attempts to carry out land acquisition despite intense opposition from the village. &quot;Can we just stand and watch while our vines are broken and our sources of income destroyed?&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n* Ahilya Behera: She echoes the views of many betel-vine owners and cultivators in the village when she says the residents are attached to the agrarian economy because it ensures them livelihood security and self-employment, while the surrounding landscape meets their food and fuel needs. &quot;This sandy soil is critical to our betel vineyards. If we have to move elsewhere, how will we grow this? The vineyards are giving us sustenance now and they will do the same for future generations in the village. We are farmers-we cannot get engineering jobs in a company like Posco. We will be reduced to low-paid casual labour or get a one-time monetary compensation. And then what?&quot; asks Behera.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'Live Mint, 5 April, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/ZX8B0CCM7qpTDYbCTfSpBO/Photo-Essay--Defiant-in-Dhinkia.html', '', NULL),
(20348, 53, 62, 'PM calls for improved delivery of DBT scheme-Ashok Dasgupta', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The flagship programme will now include LPG subsidy</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAdmitting that the UPA government''s ambitious flagship Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) programme had run into unanticipated &quot;difficulties&quot; since its roll-out in January this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday exhorted the departments concerned to renew efforts for its successful implementation. Dr. Singh pointed to the &quot;unsatisfactory nature of tracking and monitoring&quot; systems of the scheme which had the potential of &quot;transforming the way in which government benefits are delivered to our people.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn his remarks at the meeting of the National Committee on DBT to finalise extension of the programme to 78 more districts in the second phase, Dr. Singh noted that while the scheme conceptually involved a few simple steps - digitising data, enrolling in Aadhaar, opening bank accounts and seeding them - it also required process re-engineering.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We need to change the way we transact business, the way we release funds, the way we track funds and the information we have on beneficiaries. I hope due attention will be paid to these aspects as we move forward in implementing the programme,&quot; he said and hoped that due attention would be paid to these aspects during implementation as the DBT would now cover over 120 districts which was roughly one-fifth of the country. Besides, it would include three pension schemes pertaining to the Ministry of Rural Development.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith the start of phase II on July 1, the DBT programme, would be extended to 78 more districts to cover seven States which were not covered in the first phase. Of the 78 districts, six are in Uttar Pradesh, three in Bihar, two in West Bengal, four each in Odisha and Gujarat, six in Himachal Pradesh and three in Tamil Nadu.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe meeting was attended by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe flagship programme, rolled out in 43 districts in its first phase in January, will now be expanded to include LPG subsidy in a phased manner to cover 20 districts by May 15. The scheme is to be further expanded to include post offices from October 1.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPointing out that the exercise of implementing the DBT till date revealed unsatisfactory tracking and monitoring in various departments, the Prime Minister said: &quot;If we need to ensure that the money we spend delivers outcomes, it is necessary that we have a robust monitoring system in place. That is one of the things that the Direct Benefits Transfers will achieve, in addition to making the process of getting benefits simpler for the beneficiaries and eliminating corruption and wastage.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDr. Singh said that while all departments ought to apply themselves to this major initiative, &quot;the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry have a special responsibility of working together for the achievement of the objectives that we have set for ourselves&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn particular, for purposes of financial inclusion, the banking system should integrate with the widely spread-out post office system and ensure that the front-end infrastructure was in place so that people had no trouble opening bank accounts and had easy access to their cash.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There should be a system in place, where people can get a simple bank account on demand if they have an Aadhaar card,&quot; Dr. Singh said. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 6 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-calls-for-improved-delivery-of-dbt-scheme/article4585849.ece', '', NULL),
(20349, 53, 62, 'Pranab clears way for first-ever hanging of a woman-Sandeep Joshi', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nHaryana''s Sonia, daughter of Relu Ram Punia, former Haryana MLA, might become the first woman in India''s history to be hanged as President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected her mercy petition.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nGovernment sources say the President has also rejected mercy petitions of at least six other death convicts.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSonia was convicted along with her husband Sanjeev in 2007 of killing eight members of her family, including her father, over a property dispute in 2001. They are currently lodged in Ambala jail.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNotably, Nalini was awarded the death penalty for Rajiv Gandhi''s assassination but her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment on the intervention of Sonia Gandhi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMr. Mukherjee has also rejected the mercy petitions of four convicts from U.P. - Gurmeet Singh (for killing 13 of his family members in 1986), Jafar Ali (who murdered his wife and five daughters), and Suresh and Ramji (brothers who killed five of their relatives in a property dispute).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe mercy plea of Dharampal, a rape convict from Haryana who later murdered five members of the victim''s family, while on parole in 1993, was also rejected.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEarlier, Mr. Mukherjee had rejected mercy pleas of the Mumbai attack case convict Ajmal Kasab and the Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru. Sensing law and order problems, the two were hanged secretly by jail authorities in Pune and Delhi respectively.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'Live Mint, 6 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pranab-clears-way-for-firstever-hanging-of-a-woman/article4587377.ece', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20350, 53, 62, 'On eve of release, Punjab bans Sadda Haq, film on militancy -Navjeevan Gopal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Amritsar: </em>Hours before it was due to open in theatres Friday, the Punjab government banned a controversial Punjabi film, Sadda Haq, which focuses on the era of militancy in the state, and attributed the decision to the need to maintain communal harmony.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the move has stoked a fresh controversy with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which is controlled by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and had helped the film secure censor clearance, distancing itself from the entire issue, and the filmmaker considering challenging the ban in court.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ban was announced around 10 pm Thursday after a four-member panel comprising of Punjab chief secretary Rakesh Singh, home secretary D S Bains, principal secretary to chief minister S K Sandhu and ADGP (Intelligence) Hardeep Dhillon watched the movie at a special screening.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSadda Haq is being seen as provocative due to a promotional song sung by Jazzy B where the &quot;valour&quot; of Khalistani movement leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Balwant Singh Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara has been equated with that of Guru Gobind Singh, among others. Some Hindu groups are protesting against the film which also deals with fake encounters.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had refused to certify Sadda Haq, objecting to its content and delaying its scheduled release last October. The team of Sadda Haq approached the SGPC, which took up the matter with the certification board strongly saying there was nothing objectionable in the film. The film was finally approved for release on April 5 after the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal gave its go ahead.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This is shocking that the Punjab government banned the film all of a sudden. We were not given an opportunity to present our side,&quot; Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, the co-producer and writer of Sadda Haq who also plays the lead role in the film, told The Indian Express. &quot;A few bureaucrats who saw the film were behind the ban. I do not know whether they consulted the Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister. This is shocking.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Someone broke the windshield of the car of the associate producer of the film during a special screening in Manimajra and that is perhaps what was seen as a law and order issue and the film was banned,&quot; added Sidhu, whose brother was killed in an encounter with security forces in Punjab in 1992.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar had said that there was nothing objectionable in the film after a SGPC panel had watched it and submitted a report to him and he had written to CBFC in December asking it to review its decision. But on Friday, Makkar said the government has its own viewpoint and the concerns over law and order should also be taken into account.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLater on Friday, the producers held a press conference and claimed that the ban was temporary and that they had appealed to the state government to lift it.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides Punjab, the film has been banned in Haryana, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh too but has opened in Canada, the US, Britain and Australia.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nProducer Dinesh Sood said the appellate tribunal had sought 20 changes and they were made. &quot;That is why we cannot understand why the Punjab government has banned it,&quot; he said. - with inputs from Jaskiran Kapoor in Chandigarh.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-06', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 6 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/on-eve-of-release-punjab-bans-sadda-haq-film-on-militancy/1098529/0', '', NULL),
(20351, 53, 62, 'Get Aadhaar to obtain PAN card now', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe Unique Identification (UID) Aadhaar number will soon be a &quot;valid&quot; proof of identity and address to obtain a PAN card.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA proposal for inclusion of Aadhaar in the existing list of valid proof of identification and proof of address for allotment of PAN was sent to the finance ministry by the Unique Identification Authority of India sometime back.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ministry has decided to notify rules in this regard. It is aimed at curbing the menace of fake or duplicate PAN cards which are allotted by I-T department to taxpayers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Once Aadhaar is accepted as a valid proof for obtaining PAN, the I-T department would be able to weed out the menace of fake, forging or duplication of PAN cards.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The amalgamation of the databases is in full swing and the ministry would soon notify the rules in this regard,&quot; a senior finance ministry official said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ministry, through the Income Tax department, has already incorporated more than 1.75 lakh Aadhaar numbers in its database since it notified a new form 49A for getting PAN last year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt has been working for nearly three years on the plan of creating a biometric database of taxpayers which it will now achieve by incorporating the Aadhaar data which has been taken on similar lines.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTill now, a variety of documents, like voter ID card, passport, driving licence and documents of owning or renting a property were used as a proof to obtain the Permanent Account Number (PAN).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe ministry had last year brought out a new PAN application form-- 49A for use of Indian citizens, companies and entities incorporated in the country which allows a applicant to mention his or her Aadhaar number.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe finance ministry, which had first mooted the proposal of generating and issuing biometric PAN in 2006, had kept the decision pending for sometime as it was felt that both the agencies (UIDAI and I-T) would be &quot;duplicating the effort&quot; to reach a common goal -- biometrics-based identity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2006, the ministry had proposed that the biometric PAN cards would have the I-T assesses'' fingerprints (two from each hand) and the face. This will now be achieved by collating the Aadhaar database with that of the PAN.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to latest data (till December last), more than 16.49 crore PAN cards have been issued in the country.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe I-T department, in a number of cases, has unearthed a number of individuals possessing multiple PAN cards or forging the details to evade taxes and create ''benami'' properties. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 7 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Get-Aadhaar-to-obtain-PAN-card-now/articleshow/19426358.cms', '', NULL),
(20352, 54, 78, 'Rajasthan launches free diagnosis scheme today', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>JAIPUR: </em>A free diagnosis scheme which had been on a trial run since April 1 would be launched throughout Rajasthan in a phased manner from Sunday on the eve of the World Health Day. Under the scheme, patients can undergo 57 free diagnostic tests at government hospitals linked to medical colleges. Another 44 tests would be offered free of cost at district and satellite hospitals.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe scheme''s second phase would start from the Doctors'' Day on July 1, when 25 essential diagnostic tests would be available free for patients in government community health centres. In the third and final phase to be launched on Independence Day, the scheme would cover all primary health centres and dispensaries where patients can undergo 15 basic diagnostic tests free of cost.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRajasthan had earlier become the first state to launch a free medicine distribution scheme in October 2011. Besides this, the state offers free doctors'' consultations along with emergency ambulance services. &quot;There were difficulties in implementing these schemes, but the government is prepared to tackle them; lakhs of people have benefited from our welfare schemes,&quot; chief minister Ashok Gehlot said after inaugurating the latest scheme.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOfficials said 8 crore patients have been benefited from the Mukhya Mantri Free Medicines Scheme since its launch on October 2, 2011. Officials said almost two lakh people are taking advantage of the scheme daily. Patients are being provided 400 most essential generic medicines free of cost across 34 district stores and over 16,000 distribution centres.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnder the scheme, a woman who delivers a girl child at government centres is granted Rs 2,100 cash. The government has promised Rs 2,100 for vaccination. Once the girl turns five, the state would provide the final ''encouragement'' amount of Rs 3,100 for education. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The Times of India, 7 April, 2013, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajasthan-launches-free-diagnosis-scheme-today/articleshow/19423163.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajasthan-launches-free-diagnosis-scheme-today/articleshow/19423163.cms</a> </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 7 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajasthan-launches-free-diagnosis-scheme-today/articleshow/19423163.cms', '', NULL),
(20353, 53, 62, 'Pickles, papads, junk food raise risk of hypertension: Experts -Malathy Iyer', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>MUMBAI: </em>The urban Indian''s diet, pickled with takeaways from fast-food joints and instant foods that are ready in a jiffy at the end of a long working day, could worsen the present epidemic of hypertension due to its high proportion of salt. In a city where every fourth adult is believed to have hypertension, experts said the focus should be on reducing salt intake in the daily diet.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAround 21% of Indians are generally believed to have hypertension, while studies have shown that Mumbai''s figure is higher at 25%.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHypertension means increased blood pressure in the body''s blood vessels. This increased pressure can, over the years, weaken organs, precipitate heart attacks and kidney failure and trigger a brain stroke. Increased levels of sodium, a key element of the body, can play a great role in causing hypertension. The World Health Organization (WHO), in fact, has chosen to focus on hypertension as its theme for World Health Day on Sunday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There is hidden salt in the Indian plate, right from papads to pickle,&quot; said endocrinologist Shashank Joshi. The hidden salt, along with salt we liberally add to food, worsens the plight for Indians as far as blood pressure is concerned. A study he worked on in 2009-10, of 16,000 patients visiting doctors'' clinics, showed that 56% of those in Maharashtra had hypertension as compared to the all-India figure of 46%.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nExperts say that Indians consume up to 6 to 8 grams of salt daily, while the Indian health ministry hypertension guidelines say that only 2.4 grams is recommended.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt isn''t excess salt intake alone that heightens an Indian''s chances of getting hypertension, it''s also the Indian build. &quot;Indians have thinner blood vessels than Caucasians, leading to different salt sensitivity among the two groups. Hence, the Indian blood vessel''s ability to handle salt is lower than others,&quot; said Joshi, who practises at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA study done in Chennai in 2007 found that an increased intake of 1.5 to 2 grams of salt was associated with an increase in high and low blood-pressure by approximately 1mm Hg (the unit to measure blood pressure).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The risk of cardiovascular disease rises with blood pressure throughout the normotensive (normal) blood-pressure range and almost 60% of coronary heart disease events and 45 to 50% of strokes occur in those with high normal blood-pressure,&quot; said the study conducted by Dr V Mohan of Chennai.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAny reduction in salt intake brings about a healthy change as far as hypertension is concerned. The Chennai study, which was published in JAPI (Journal of Association of Physicians of India), found that a reduction in intake of sodium by 1.2 grams daily would lead to a 50% reduction in the number of people requiring anti-hypertensive therapy. The lower intake could also mean a 22% reduction in the number of deaths due to stroke and a 16% reduction in the number of deaths due to coronary artery disease.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIncidentally, if one sticks to the traditional Indian diet, hypertension wouldn''t be such a problem. Dr Jagmeet Madan, principal of the SNDT College for Nutrition, Juhu, said, &quot;If you stick to the traditional Indian diet, you will never go higher on salt.&quot; The problem creeps in when additions creep in to the Indian thali. &quot;Adding chutneys, pickles and papads sends the salt balance haywire,&quot; she said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSo, processed foods should be kept as &quot;sometime foods&quot; instead of everyday foods.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 7 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Pickles-papads-junk-food-raise-risk-of-hypertension-Experts/articleshow/19421640.cms', '', NULL),
(20354, 53, 62, 'What Right To Education? Failing to meet the prescribed norms, half of the existing schools will lose their recognition -Arvind Panagariya', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe three-year compliance period for the Right to Education (RTE) Act is just over. What has the Act accomplished? Sadly, not very much that is positive.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nA key provision in the law abolishes board examinations and grants automatic promotion to each child to the next grade at the end of the academic year. It also requires the award of a diploma to all at the end of eight years regardless of the knowledge and skills acquired. It is anybody''s guess what value such a diploma will command in the marketplace.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith rare exceptions, teachers in India, especially in government schools, have been known for their absenteeism and lackadaisical attitude towards teaching. Student performance in examinations offered one last instrument to evaluate not just students but teachers as well. Therefore, it was widely predicted that the abolition of examinations would lead to increased complacency among teachers and reduce student achievements. That prophecy has now come true.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe latest Annual Status of Education Report 2012 (ASER 2012), published by NGO Pratham, documents an all-around sharp decline in student achievements from levels that were already low. In just two years between 2010 and 2012, percentage of fifth graders in public schools who can read second grade-level text has declined from 50.7% to 41.7%. Notwithstanding the fact that 2012 was designated the year of mathematics in India, achievement levels in arithmetic have fallen drastically. Percentage of fifth graders who could do a simple two-digit subtraction with borrowing has fallen from 70.9% to 53.5% in two years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRTE proponents had opposed examinations because they produce stress in children. But for what kind of world does such education prepare children? A world that is waiting for them with a life on a silver platter? Would the real world give them handsome salaries without performance and evaluation? The solution to illness is not to abandon bitter medicine because it might stress out the child but to compassionately explain to her its benefits.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnfortunately, this is not the end of the damage from the RTE Act. Another important provision in the law promises to do to elementary education what our labour laws have done to manufacturing. The law requires all schools to satisfy a set of highly demanding input norms, most of which have little to do with educational outcomes. These norms include all-weather building with playground, well-equipped library, separate toilets for boys and girls, fence around the school, proper sports equipment, maximum student-teacher ratio, availability of art, health and sports teachers and minimum hours of instruction.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe deadline for these norms was March 31, 2013. The law requires government to now withdraw recognition from all schools falling below these norms. Even more perniciously, once recognition is withdrawn, the government is to close down the schools.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhile i do not have ready access to concrete figures, it is a safe bet that half of the existing schools, including many owned by the government, do not satisfy the prescribed input norms. So if the law is enforced, half of the schools will minimally lose recognition and maximally be closed down. But that would surely violate many of the children''s right to education.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLike our myriad internally contradictory labour laws, all parts of this law cannot be simultaneously implemented. Therefore, it is a fair bet that an inspector raj would soon emerge whereby bribes will be extracted for delaying derecognition of recognised schools that do not meet the input norms and for letting unrecognised schools stay open. Of course, the real vic-tims will be the poor whose children disproportionately populate these schools and will have to pay higher fees to cover the bribes.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMoreover, just as onerous labour laws have discouraged the expansion of labour-intensive manufacturing in the organised sector, the demanding input norms in the RTE Act would discourage the entry of new low-cost private schools. Just as labour laws hurt low-skilled workers by hampering job creation, RTE norms would deprive the poor of quality education.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is time that the United Progressive Alliance did some serious soul-searching and reconsidered its approach to converting every social and economic goal into a right. I sometimes joke that the willingness with which the government has been obliging vocal NGOs might soon bring us a legal right to happiness.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is not an accident that the founding fathers placed economic and social goals such as those relating to education and health in the directive principles rather than fundamental rights. Rights such as the freedom of speech and religion and equality before law regardless of race, religion, caste and gender, originally recognised as fundamental rights, were &quot;negative&quot; rights that courts could enforce through &quot;writs&quot; when the state violated them. In contrast, economic and social rights require &quot;positive&quot; action by the state, which the courts cannot readily enforce.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe founding fathers also understood that unlike what they classified as fundamental rights, economic and social rights were not absolute and would vary over time and space. The minimum acceptable healthcare today may turn unacceptable tomorrow and what is acceptable to Bihar may not be acceptable to Kerala.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCreating fundamental rights that the government neither intends to enforce nor has wherewithal for undermines the respect for the original fundamental rights and makes a mockery of the Constitution.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe writer is professor of Indian political economy at Columbia University. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 6 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/What-Right-To-Education-Failing-to-meet-the-prescribed-norms-half-of-the-existing-schools-will-lose-their-r', '', NULL),
(20355, 53, 62, 'Finally, the patients prevail -Sarah Hiddleston', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n The Supreme Court has denied Novartis a patent for its anti-cancer drug Gleevec. This leaves the door open for Indian pharmaceutical companies to produce their own versions of the drug. Since these are sold at roughly one tenth of the patented brand price, for thousands of cancer patients it means the difference between medicine and no medicine at all.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt is not just cancer patients that will benefit, but millions of people dependent on medicines for survival, including those with HIV, diabetes, hepatitis and more. Had the judgement gone the other way, it would have set a precedent for other big pharmaceutical companies to simply make minor modifications to any existing medicines to receive fresh patents. The message from the court is clear: India will grant pharmaceutical companies extended market monopoly only if a medicine is genuinely innovative.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt''s not that Gleevec is not an excellent medicine. It is a lifesaving medicine for those who suffer with chronic myeloid leukaemia. But the key ingredient, Imatinib, was patented in 1993 before India accepted product patents. All salt forms, including Imatinib Mesylate (IM), were covered. So, IM was never eligible for a patent in the first place. Like many others, local companies produced their own quality-assured versions at much lower prices.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2005 India conformed to the World Trade Organisation''s intellectual property standards (1995 TRIPS Agreement), and retroactively accepted applications for product patents from 1995 for scrutiny. What Novartis was seeking was a patent on a slightly altered version (beta-crystalline form of the imatinib mesylate compound) that was developed in this window.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDetermination of standards\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnder the flexibilities granted to countries accepting the WTO TRIPS agreement, India had the right to determine its own standards for novelty, inventive step and industrial application. In doing so, section 3(d) of Indian patent law excludes new forms of known substances unless they exhibit enhanced efficacy. For seven years Novartis tried and failed to challenge this provision.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis''s first application was filed before the Chennai Patent Office in 2005. It was rejected a year later on several grounds, including under section 3(d).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNot to be deterred, Novartis challenged the law in the Madras High Court, arguing that the patent law provision broke the WTO agreement and that the term &lsquo;efficacy'' was vague. The court pointed out that the correct forum for the dispute was the WTO disputes settlement board (to which only nations are eligible to apply, not companies). It dismissed the company''s claim saying that efficacy was understood in the pharmaceutical industry as therapeutic efficacy.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2009 The Intellectual Property Appellate Board rejected the Novartis appeal on its patent refusal not only because it did not meet the patentability requirements of section 3(d) but because it was priced too high compared with the income of the average citizen.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis then approached the Supreme Court. It argued that certain properties of the new form of the drug, including greater solubility, better stability under heat, counted as improved efficacy. But the Court did not agree: if improved efficacy meant therapeutic efficacy, patent applicants must prove so based on research conducted both in the lab and in trials on animals.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis could only prove therapeutic efficacy of its new formulation by referring to tests conducted on the original model drug. It still counted as new, the company said, because although it was &lsquo;covered'' by the patent it was not &lsquo;disclosed'' in it. For the court this amounted to an attempt to encash the same million dollar note twice. The result is that 3 (d) is a more robust provision than perhaps it was before the case was brought. The court has termed section 3(d) a &quot;second tier of qualifying standards&quot; for patentability. This will be binding on every patent office, local IP tribunal or High Court for every patent consideration for a medicine. Patients may, under the new patent system, have to wait 20 years for a branded medicine to come off-patent before it becomes affordable. But it is now clear that they will not be forced to wait indefinitely. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 7 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/finally-the-patients-prevail/article4588890.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20356, 53, 62, 'Patent justice-Sakthivel Selvaraj', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Drug patents are designed to create proï¬ts that enable more research on diseases affecting millions. But in practice, they have often generated super proï¬ts for big pharma companies while erecting access barriers for the poor. The Novartis case spotlights much that is wrong with the system.</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe rejection of the Novartis petition challenging one of the most progressive tenets of the Indian Patents Act (1970), as amended in 2005 by the Supreme Court, is a landmark verdict for the public health community and the generic drugs industry, in particular, and for global health. Under the amended Indian Patents Act, Section 3(d) allows drug companies to obtain product patents for new salts or chemical ingredients. This is intended to encourage drug companies to protect their rights and prevent these from being copied by competitors, allowing for a 20-year protection period to recoup investments. However, Section 3 (d) does not encourage frivolous patents. It is intended to encourage only breakthrough innovations and discourage new use of known chemical substances or new delivery mechanisms of existing chemical compounds.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTransnational drug companies not only possess the first mover advantage, but owing to the high-voltage brand image they create, often extend their patents well beyond the already long period of protection. Drug companies are known for &lsquo;evergreening'' patents by filing new patents, tweaking existing molecules to show novelty. Innovation is a red-herring, often used by multinational drug companies to make super-profits at the expense of social good and well-being. Under the mailbox agreement of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provisions, India received over 9,000 mailbox applications as patent filings post-2000, while a major share of those were for pharmaceutical patents. Global evidence, on the other hand, shows that roughly 275 such patents were filed and granted for blockbuster drugs during this period. In order to pre-empt Indian generics companies from producing these drugs and to keep them away from the market, the big pharma companies have flooded the patent offices with frivolous patent applications, known to be existing molecules tweaked to appear as a novel product.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>The R&amp;D myth</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe night before the apex court verdict, Novartis threatened to stop investing in research and development in India, if the verdict went against it. How serious is the threat and how realistic the scenario? In India''s drug production of over Rs. 100,000 crore, Novartis'' turnover is a little over Rs. 1,000 crore, constituting around one per cent. Out of the total expenditure of over Rs. 800 crores incurred by Novartis India in 2012, a paltry Rs. 29 lakhs was for R&amp;D, constituting roughly 0.03 per cent of its entire expenditure in India.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCan such low spending can be considered R&amp;D investment? In fact, Novartis R&amp;D expenditure in India for the past five years has been in a similar range. On the other hand, Novartis consistently posted a profitability ratio (Profit After Tax as percentage of Total Income) of over 15 per cent in the last five years, something to envy for other sectors.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBig Pharma argues that if global R&amp;D of innovator companies were to be considered, transnational drug corporations spend over US $ one billion to come up with a new drug. This includes cost of R&amp;D incurred on failed drugs as well, as pharmaceutical companies take, on an average, roughly 12-13 years to get patents on new drugs. The magic one billion dollar figure is a gross overestimate. Even by conservative calculations, this figure would be one-fifth or one-fourth of the billion dollar estimate. But Big Pharma is quick to recoup its R&amp;D spending from blockbuster drugs. Take the case of Gleevec (Imatinib Mesylate), sold in the US. Novartis raked in a total turnover of US $ 1.69 billion from the US alone in 2012 from the drug. The global turnover on Gleevec is anybody''s guess. It is also widely known that the cost of manufacturing drugs is only a fraction of the turnover.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis currently sells Glivec (Gleevec) for Rs. 4,115 per tablet, while Resonance, an Indian generic drug company dispenses it at Rs. 30 per tablet. The annual cost of treatment per patient on Glivec would be in the range of Rs. 15 lakhs while Indian generic companies are offering it at Rs. 10,000. If Novartis were to get its patent on Glivec, Indian generic companies would have to stop their production, and therefore an unaffordable scenario would have prevailed for the common man in not only India but in other developing countries. Thankfully, the court ruled in favour of Section 3 (d) of the Patent Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNovartis claims that 95 per cent of cancer patients in India were provided the medicine free. This is patent untruth. Retail market sales in India for Glivec, sold by Indian generics producers are currently worth Rs. 20 crores. Novartis sells Glivec directly to patients and not through the usual retail chain, a system that is designed to make people believe that they offer the drug free.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfter seven years of battle, the Supreme Court verdict seals this issue, facilitating Patent Controllers to strictly enforce Section 3 (d), thereby pre-empting pharmaceutical companies that seek to evergreen products. However, there are several other safeguards that are enshrined in the patent law that must be utilised to make life-saving and essential drugs affordable. And one such key safeguard is invoking compulsory licensing for blockbuster drugs, if the original manufacturer fails to sell it affordable rates.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nLast year, India invoked the provision to license generic player Natco to produce Nexavar, after Bayer, the innovator failed to make it affordable. Such policy measures are critical, in order to improve access to life-saving medicines, as households in India are known to pay nearly 70 per cent of their health care spending on medicines.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>(Dr. Sakthivel Selvaraj is Senior Health Economist, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi.) </em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 7 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/patent-justice/article4588895.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20357, 53, 62, 'More battles in store-Aarti Dhar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n Well before the Supreme Court rejected Novartis'' application for patent for Glivec (Gleevec in the U.S.), drawing attention to the dichotomy of generic and patented drugs, activists have been demanding access to expensive drugs used in the treatment of cancer, hepatitis C and serious HIV.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTrastuzumab is one such, used in the treatment of HER2+ type of breast cancer, which affects about one in four patients with the disease.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRough estimates suggest one lakh women in India are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. One out of every 22 women is likely to get breast cancer. Breast cancer is now the most common type in urban areas, and the second most common in rural areas. Data from the Indian Council for Medical Research suggest some extremely worrying trends: breast cancer is becoming more common in younger women, with almost 50 per cent of patients under 50, many of them showing an increased incidence of HER2+, which is particularly aggressive.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Beyond reach</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Trastuzumab for treatment of HER2+ breast cancers. Treatment consists of approximately 12 intravenous doses, administered every three to four weeks over a year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhen this drug became available in India as Herceptin, it was priced at Rs.1,10,000 a vial, making it unaffordable to all except the very wealthy. In March 2012, soon after the decision of the Indian Patent Controller to grant a compulsory licence for Sorafenib (used in the treatment of liver and kidney cancers), Roche announced a cut in the Herceptin price, from Rs.1.08 lakh a dose to Rs. 92,000. Roche also signed a commercial agreement with Emcure Pharma. As of 2012, Emcure is offering a repacked and renamed version of Trastuzumab (Herclone) at Rs.72, 000 a dose - a cut of 33 per cent from the 2011 price.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nKalyani Menon-Sen (women''s activist), Leena Menghaney (lawyer), and Third World Network have written to the Prime Minister, appealing that Trastuzumab be made available free to patients in government hospitals, and at affordable cost in the open market.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThey also demand constitution of a High-Level Inter-Ministerial Task Force in the Health Ministry, involving biotechnology experts from public-funded research organisations and civil society organisations, to address the technological issues in the production of Trastuzumab, and ensure that no secondary patents are granted for Trastuzumab or enforced in India.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAnother group of health activists has demanded that the government either reject the patents given to hepatitis drugs or issue compulsory licences, as the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a growing public health threat . HCV treatment is unavailable in the public healthcare system and not affordable in the private sector.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nCurrently, HCV treatment is a combination of two drugs: pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The high cost of HCV treatment is attributed to the absence of generic competition.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;People living with HIV are increasingly being diagnosed with HCV co-infection. Hepatitis C is the silent killer threatening HIV treatment efforts,&quot; says Loon Gangte of the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nVikas Ahuja of Delhi Network of Positive People says, &quot;We may have won the battle against Novartis but war lies ahead at European Union-India Free Trade Agreement. If India signs the FTA in its present form, it will virtually sign the death sentence for the patients. \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 7 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/more-battles-in-store/article4588889.ece?homepage=true', '', NULL),
(20358, 53, 62, '24x7 security helpline for train passengers soon', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nWith a view to strengthen safety of passengers and check crimes against women in trains and stations, Railways will soon launch a 24x7 helpline which will be tracked on real-time basis across the country.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe proposed pan India toll-free helpline, first-of-its- kind in Railways, is going to be launched shortly to provide round-the-clock security-related assistance to passengers, a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPassengers can use the helpline to report thefts, harassment or any other untoward incident, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRailways has sought a three-digit number for the proposed helpline from the department of telecommunication and all necessary preparations are being made for providing security assistance to passengers, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe hardware and software for the helpline are being provided by Centre For Railway Information Systems (CRIS). It will be managed by Railway Protection Force.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;RPF will provide necessary training to about 250 staff for the call centre job. There will be about 30 RPF personnel deployed at the main control room being set up at Daya Basti in the capital to receive the complaints round-the-clock and take action,&quot; the official said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nNetworking of all RPF units and other modalities are being worked out to launch the helpline. &quot;All RPF posts, including zonal headquarters, divisions and control room, are being linked with the helpline network,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDescribing the mechanism, the official said, &quot;After receiving the complaint from the passenger on a moving train, the message will be passed on to the nearest railway station immediately for necessary action.&quot; \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 7 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/24x7-security-helpline-for-train-passengers-soon/articleshow/19426064.cms', '', NULL),
(20359, 53, 62, 'Media demonising Muslim community: Katju', '<div align="justify">\r\n-PTI\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n&quot;Discrimination&quot; against Muslims is giving rise to a feeling of injustice among them, Press Council Chairman Markanedya Katju on Sunday claimed and rebuked the media for what he described as &quot;demonising&quot; Muslim community through &quot;irresponsible&quot; journalism.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Whenever a bomb blast occurs or such incident takes place, within an hour or so many TV channels start showing that an email or sms has come from the Indian Mujahideen, JeM or Harkatuljihad-e-Islam, or some Muslim name, claiming responsibility.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;An email or sms can be sent by any mischievous person. But when your start screening this on TV and next day in print. The certain message you (media) are sending is that all Muslims are terrorists and they having nothing to do except to throw bombs....You are demonising the entire Muslim community and promoting communalism&quot;, Katju said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe was addressing a symposium on &quot;Reporting Terror: How Sensitive is the media?&quot;, organised by English daily ''The Hindu''.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Is this the responsible behaviour of the media? I think it is totally irresponsible behaviour which is promoting communalism in the country. This is very bad. I have raised voice against this, but they said I am suppressing the media&quot;, Katju said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nObserving that media should stick to ethics and be mindful of its national responsibility, Katju said, &quot;Do you have the freedom to spread communalism? You will be stopped from doing devilish thing. I am a strong fighter for media''s freedom but I will not allow you to do such devilish things. You will have to have responsibility in the national interest&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nKatju claimed the feeling of injustice was on the rise among Muslims owing to &quot;discrimination&quot; against them in various spheres.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Unfortunately, Muslims are discriminated in getting jobs, banks loans and there is a sense of great injustice&quot;, he alleged.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The cause of terrorism is injustice. Abolishment of poverty and discrimination will help in checking terrorism&quot;, the former Supreme Court judge said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nStressing that every freedom is subjected to reasonable restriction in public interest, Katju said he had earlier requested the Prime Minister on the need for amending the Press Council Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The amendments were sought with regard to bringing the electronic media under purview of media council and for providing some powers to take action&quot;, Katju said, pointing out that he was only in favour of regulation and not to control the media.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;But, in exceptional circumstances definite action needs to be taken&quot;, he added.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'The Hindustan Times, 7 April, 2013, http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Hyderabad/Media-demonising-Muslim-community-Katju/Article1-1038851.aspx', '', NULL);
INSERT INTO `articles` (`id`, `category_id`, `subcategory_id`, `title`, `description`, `status`, `create_date`, `modify_date`, `homepage_display`, `author`, `image`, `subheading`) VALUES
(20360, 53, 62, 'An Agricultural Nightmare -Deepak Gopinath', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Outlook\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>India has long been the sleeping giant of global agriculture. But its misguided policies while boosting short-term output, yet may transform India into a food importer </em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfter decades on the sidelines of international agricultural trade, India was poised last year to become a major food supplier, overtaking traditional exporters of food grain and meat. This could prove to be flash in the pan. The sudden rise and fall of India as food exporter is of its own making: populist calculation by the ruling coalition, sacrificing sustainable policy. India''s shining as a grain exporter could also signal general decline of the country''s agriculture industry, with falling aquifer levels and degradation of soil.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndia has long been the sleeping giant of global agriculture. Despite being the world''s second largest producer of agricultural goods, including rice and wheat, it''s been slow to integrate into global markets, preferring instead to maintain a relatively restrictive trade policy. The country limits imports to products such as oilseeds and high-protein seeds known as pulses, which cannot be produced domestically in adequate quantities. India tends to curb exports to safeguard domestic supplies.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThat has changed. India overtook Thailand to become the world''s biggest rice exporter- shipments accounted for 25 percent of global exports. Wheat exports also rose sharply, with India''s share reaching 5 percent; the country also overtook Brazil to become the world''s biggest exporter of buffalo, capturing 24 percent of the global beef market.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndia''s newfound position as leading food exporter will be short-lived, however. Government policies that prioritize the production of rice and wheat and a new right-to-food law that''s now before the parliament will not increase food security. Instead, policies will drive food inflation, accelerate India''s transformation into a net grain importer and increase its dependency on global markets for non-cereal foods. India will be forced into the global food marketplace and not on its own terms.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe main driver of India''s unusually large grain exports last year, and of its coming shift into a major food importer, is the government''s food procurement and distribution system, set up to provide subsidized rice and wheat to the poor.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe system is supposed to work like this: The government provides farmers production incentives by committing to open-ended purchases of rice and wheat at annually specified minimum support prices, or MSPs, with farmers free to sell either to the government at the MSP or at market prices, whichever is higher. MSPs are supposed to be floor prices, designed to provide farmers with a safety net in case of a collapse in market prices. The grain procured by the government, by individual states and also by the Food Corporation of India, FCI, is then added to a central pool managed by the FCI. Grain stocks in the central pool are then distributed to the poor via the so-called Public Distribution System, PDS.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn reality the system leads to a series of dysfunctional outcomes, including food inflation, overproduction of rice and wheat relative to non-cereal commodities, accumulation of excess grain stocks and rapid erosion of the country''s agricultural productive capacity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSeeking to shore up its popularity, the government has rapidly increased MSPs of rice and wheat over recent years. The result: MSPs tend to exceed market prices during the procurement season. Selling to the government is the first rather than the last resort for farmers- especially in major grain-producing states such as Punjab and Haryana, where the government now procures almost all grain arrivals.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe pro-cereal policy has been successful in boosting output, but at a cost. Production of non-cereal foods such as pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables- in increasingly high demand as incomes increase- has lagged, driving up prices and benefiting those countries that meet India''s growing demand.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe government''s commitment to open-ended purchases of wheat and rice at ever-higher MSPs has led to a cycle of ever-increasing procurement. The government buys approximately one-third of total cereal production. This also contributes to food inflation. Elevated MSPs and state taxes keep private traders out of the grain market and discourage high stock levels. So open market availability of wheat and rice falls after the end of the procurement season- thus boosting prices. Wheat and rice prices rose 23 percent and 10 percent year on year, respectively, through November 2012, even as the country was exporting. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHigh levels of procurement have resulted in rapid accumulation of grain stocks, now 66 million tons, more than double the required buffer. To place this in perspective, India''s wheat stocks are equivalent to Australia''s entire annual production of the grain, while its stocks of rice are 50 percent more than Thailand''s yearly output.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe level of stocks far exceeds the government''s storage capacity and results in significant wastage. The government has estimated preventable post-harvest losses of food grain at about 20 million tons per year, equivalent to 10 percent of total production. Faced with excess stocks and need to make room for the next harvest, the government is forced to resort to exports.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThose exports, and the entire cycle of events making them necessary, are unsustainable. India''s breadbasket states are reaching the limits of productive capacity. The overproduction of grains due to ever-rising MSPs has rapidly depleted underground aquifers and sharply reduced soil fertility. With the government concentrating procurement activities and agricultural investment in terms of capital, fertilizers and infrastructure in northern and western states, productivity in the country''s eastern states, primarily rain-fed, has stagnated despite attempts to raise yields. The government will have no alternative but to increasingly depend on international markets when output in the major grain-producing states starts to lag demand.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPerversely, the government''s planned National Food Security Bill will only accelerate this process. The bill creates a right to food for two-thirds of India''s 1.2 billion people and requires the government to distribute heavily subsidized food grain on a massive scale. The law is a major plank of the governing UPA coalition''s electoral strategy for 2014, and the government is pushing it despite well-documented failures of the public distribution system to get food to the right people. Almost 40 percent of the grain in the public system- which distributed 24 million tons of wheat and 32 million tons of rice in 2011-12- does not reach intended recipients and is diverted to open markets.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe food security bill will increase procurement targets and require higher MSPs, further skewing farmer incentives towards cultivation of grains. The law will reduce exportable surpluses over the next two years because it will require the FCI to carry higher stocks of grains in order to avoid having to resort to large, expensive imports in case of a drought. The law will also hasten India''s transformation into a net grain importer by putting additional pressure on already overstressed farmland.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe end result of these policies will be India''s forced integration into global agricultural markets, not only as a grain importer, but also as a leading buyer of non-cereal commodities. This will benefit grain exporters in the Americas, pulse producers such as Canada, Australia and Myanmar, and palm oil exporters in Indonesia and Malaysia.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndians will lose out. Food inflation, primarily driven by protein-rich foods such as pulses, dairy, meat and eggs, in addition to post-harvest shortages of grains in the open market, will continue to weigh on incomes. And price volatility will increase as the country'' import dependency increases exposure to the vicissitudes of global markets. The sleeping giant of global agriculture may be waking to a nightmare.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Deepak Gopinath is global markets director of the emerging markets research and consulting service, Trusted Sources. Rights:Copyright &copy; 2013 Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. YaleGlobal Online</em>\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'Outlook, 1 April, 2013, http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?284740', '', NULL),
(20361, 53, 62, 'Odisha Govt Extended Undue Benefits to Posco: CAG', '<div align="justify">\r\n-Outlook\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>Bhubaneswar: </em>The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found Odisha Government of extending undue benefits to South Korean steel major Posco in allotment of a piece of land in the state capital here.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The company was extended undue benefit in allotment of land disregarding zonal regulation and charging of premium at a reduced rate,&quot; the CAG in its latest report tabled in the Assembly yesterday said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG observation was made based on the performance audit on the land allotments by the state government''s General Administration department headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The auditor has come across widespread irregularities in land allotments.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG report said that the country arm of South Korean Steel major POSCO-India had applied for allotment of a plot measuring 12,000 square feet for its Chairman-cum-Managing Director''s (CMD) residence-cum-guest house in 2006.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever, later it enhanced the requirement twice to 25,000 sq.Ft in April 2007 and later 2 acres for the same purpose.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Though the same area was earmarked in the Comprehensive Development Plan of the Bhubaneswar Capital city for commercial use, the company was allotted 1.700 acres land in January 2008 at a premium of Rs 25 lakh per acre against prevalent market value of the land of Rs 64 lakh per acre resulting in a loss of Rs 66 lakhs to the state government,&quot; the CAG has observed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe CAG report also observed that the land was lying vacant till June 2012.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The company, thus, was extended undue benefit in allotment of land disregarding zonal regulation and charging of premium at a reduced rate,&quot; the CAG said in its report.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-07', NULL, 1, 'Outlook, 7 April, 2013, http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=794745', '', NULL),
(20362, 53, 62, 'Don&#039;t keep people on death row in limbo, CJI Altamas Kabir tells govt -Pradeep Thakur', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nAsking the government not to keep mercy petitions of death row convicts pending for a long time, Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on Sunday said execution of death penalty should not be delayed. He also faulted the government for not informing Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru''s family members before he was hanged.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;If a death penalty is to be awarded and it is there under the system, then the quicker things are done the better it is for everybody,&quot; Justice Kabir said at a press conference with law minister Ashwani Kumar after a meeting of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts on judicial reforms.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe inordinate delay in disposing of mercy petitions has been a cause of concern with one such convict, Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, approaching the apex court. Citing the delay of 11 years in adjudicating his mercy plea by the President, Bhullar said his death penalty should be commuted to life imprisonment. The apex court has reserved its judgment in the case.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTaking cue from Bhullar, several others whose mercy pleas were delayed moved the apex court, citing similar reasons. Among them are three convicted for the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi and four aides of killed brigand Veerappan. The court has put off their cases till the Bhullar matter is decided.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn Saturday, following a petition filed by a civil rights group, the SC stayed for four weeks the execution of eight convicts on similar grounds. The delay in carrying out death sentences in these cases ranged from three to 12 years.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe parliamentary standing committee on home affairs had last month recommended that all mercy petitions should be decided by the President within three months.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nOn the news of Guru''s hanging reaching his family after two days, Justice Kabir said, &quot;The principle has always been that families have been informed about the execution.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe decision to execute Guru was communicated to his family which reached them two days after he was hanged on February 9.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe law minister, however, skirted the Guru issue and said he would rather &quot;comment on things that will happen in future and not what has happened in the past&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nJustice Kabir concurred with the law minister''s views and said, &quot;The law minister has rightly said these are issues which have already taken place in the past and I think these things should not be raked up again today.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe two-judge bench which stayed the execution of eight convicts on Saturday had also referred to the Guru case and said, &quot;It should not happen as it happened in the J&amp;K case (Afzal''s hanging).&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe bench added, &quot;Intimation of the execution reached the relatives of the person (Afzal) after his hanging. That is bad. The relatives lost an opportunity to meet the condemned prisoner for one last time before his execution.&quot; \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 8 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dont-keep-people-on-death-row-in-limbo-CJI-Altamas-Kabir-tells-govt/articleshow/19436028.cms', '', NULL),
(20363, 53, 62, 'Most big patented drugs skip India -Rupali Mukherjee', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nBig pharma may be crying hoarse over India''s &quot;weak'''' intellectual property environment, but over the past five years or so, they have introduced only a handful of their patented blockbusters in the country. That''s not all. The contribution of patented drugs in the Rs 72,000-crore pharma retail market is not even 1%, indicating that multinationals have been traditionally slow and have a poor track record in introducing blockbusters here. This also busts the myth that India may &quot;suffer'''' as it hasn''t actually seen a huge swell of launches or the entire basket of products from MNCs since the Patent Act was modified in 2005.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nDetails of patented drugs marketed in the country appear hazy. At best, market research firm, IMS Health, which tracks about 95% of the patented drugs market, estimates their share to be 0.9% (for the 12-month period ended Feb).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides, there are direct-to-patient sales of niche cancer and HIV drugs, and also some through exclusive stockists and carry forward agents.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTaking these into account, their share would go up marginally to 2% of the total drug sales in the country.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nMost of these medicines carry eye-popping price tags (see chart), and MNCs which market them register low volumes but high value through their sale.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSome of the highest selling patented drugs in the market include diabetes drugs Januvia family (Merck), Galvus (Novartis) and Onglyza (BMS); Enbrel ( Wyeth), Victoza (Abbot and Novo Nordisk) and Trajenta ( Boehringer Ingelheim). Others like Erbitux (Merck), Remicade (Janssen/Fulford), Actemra ( Roche), Orencia (BMS), Fasturtec (Sanofi) and Entecavir (BMS) are used in life-threatening diseases like cancer and Hepatitis C.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSays Kumar Hinduja, senior director strategy planning, IMS Health India, &quot;The share of patented drugs-brands captured by us-has grown from 0.3% to 0.9% over four years. These drugs are expected to grow and corner 6-8% of the total market by 2016.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIncidentally, the IMS made this projection last year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIrked with the Supreme Court judgement on Novartis'' Glivec, big pharma has been pretty vocal that going forward there would be a reluctance on the part of MNCs to launch innovative products given the negative environment in India. Novartis India VC and MD Ranjit Shahani had recently told TOI that the company will be cautious in investing in India, especially with regard to introduction of innovative medicines.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBusting a few myths propagated by the pharma giants, professor Brook K Baker of Health GAP (Global Access Project) says in a blog, &quot;Big Pharma doesn''t site its research and development facilities based on whether there is a maximalist patent regime there or not. It does R&amp;D for a global market, not for a particular country. For example, drug companies don''t do diabetes research for Indian diabetics in India and for British diabetics in the UK. They site their research facilities where there are good scientists, good infrastructure, favourable taxes, etc.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDefending the Indian patent law, he adds: &quot;Studies show that there have been hundreds of patents on medicines in India since it revised its Patent Act in 2005. In fact, those studies also show that India has probably been too lenient in granting weak patents and that it has not properly been applying section 3(d) to weed out evergreening. In sum, it is not impossible to get a patent on medicines in India, you simply have to meet lawful strict standards on what is inventive and patentable.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndustry expert point out that wherever MNCs have launched niche drugs meant for cancer and HIV, they have imported minuscule quantities of these, only to satisfy the patent regulation of ``local working of the patent&quot;.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn fact, a case in point is the compulsory licence which was issued to Natco on cancer drug, Nexavar, as the patent-holder Bayer had not adequately &quot;worked'''' the patent, or not made the drug accessible at a reasonably affordable price.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSection 83 of the Indian Patents Act says that patents are granted to encourage inventions and to secure that the inventions are worked in India on a commercial scale, and to the fullest extent that is reasonably practicable without undue delay.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSays Leena Menghaney, lawyer with MSF, an international humanitarian organization: &quot;India has time and again shown it balances intellectual property with the very real needs of people in developing countries and is developing jurisprudence that responds to right to health and public health. R&amp;D in new essential medicines is costly and it is important that financing for it is available. But paying for R&amp;D through monopoly pricing leads to rationing and exclusion of people in need. This is not acceptable. Companies should take guidance from this decision and leave the Indian Patents Act-which is carefully balanced to protect patents for innovations and the public interest-alone.&quot; \r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 8 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Most-big-patented-drugs-skip-India/articleshow/19435388.cms', '', NULL),
(20364, 53, 62, 'India moves ahead to get WHO’s polio eradication certificate-Aarti Dhar', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&nbsp;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<em>Entering third polio-free year, India must destroy all wild poliovirus lab samples by December</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHaving successfully completed two polio-free years, India is preparing to receive the crucial polio eradication certificate from the World Health Organisation (WHO).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe certificate is issued on completion of incident-free three years. This primarily involves the destruction or safe storage of all laboratory sources of wild poliovirus. The storage should be in laboratories that meet international standards of biosafety.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nTo achieve this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a National Task Force for Containment of Wild Poliovirus. Chaired by the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it will identify laboratories that could store wild poliovirus or potentially infectious material.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWild poliovirus could be present in certain types of clinical samples stored at or below minus 20 degrees Celsius. These could have been collected for investigations not related to wild poliovirus detections. There are several medical colleges/universities, colleges and research institutions that work on infectious material and, therefore, have clinical samples collected over several decades. Information from these institutions will be collected and compiled for preparing a national inventory.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe process has to be completed by December and failure to do so will delay the certification process. Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth has personally written to the Chief Secretaries of State governments on behalf of the Health Ministry, seeking their cooperation in taking the process forward with a sense of extreme urgency. A pre-tested form has been sent to all laboratories and institutions to elicit information on wild poliovirus.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe WHO''s Global Action Plan for containment of wild polioviruses advises that when polio cases are decreasing, national health authorities must alert laboratories, encourage destruction of all unneeded wild poliovirus material and compile an inventory of all laboratories retaining such materials.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 8 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-moves-ahead-to-get-whos-polio-eradication-certificate/article4591883.ece', '', NULL),
(20365, 53, 62, 'India leads the world in dengue burden: Nature-N Gopal Raj', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: </em>Dengue, the world''s most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, is taking a far bigger human toll than was believed to be the case. As many as 390 million people across the globe could be falling victim to the virus each year, according to a multinational study published by Nature on Sunday.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIndia emerges in the analysis as the country with the world''s highest dengue burden, with about 34 per cent of all such cases occurring here.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAccording to the World Health Organisation (WHO), incidence of dengue has shot up 30 fold in the past 50 years. Its estimate has been that globally there were 50-100 million dengue infections taking place annually.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFor their study, Samir Bhatt at the University of Oxford and his colleagues used a map-based approach to model how many dengue cases were occurring in various parts of the world, thereby capturing its global distribution.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThey estimated that worldwide, 96 million people suffered each year from &lsquo;apparent infections'' where the disease was severe enough to disrupt an individual''s regular routine. In addition, there were 294 million asymptomatic infections.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWith &quot;large swathes of densely populated regions coinciding with very high suitability for disease transmission,&quot; Asia bore 70 per cent of the apparent infections that took place, the scientists pointed out in the paper.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAfrica contributed about 16 per cent of the global dengue infections and the Americas 14 per cent.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I consider it to be the most comprehensive study of dengue disease burden to date,&quot; said Duane J. Gubler, an internationally known expert on the disease, when asked for his views on the Nature paper.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study''s estimate of 390 million infections was &quot;much closer to the actual figure than the 50 million WHO is still using,&quot; observed Professor Gubler, who is now with the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Considering that mosquito control has failed in all dengue-endemic countries, that over half of the world''s population now lives in urban areas, and that dengue is an urban disease, even that number may be too low,&quot; he said in an e-mail.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe study estimated that India had the largest number of dengue cases, with about 33 million apparent and another 100 million asymptomatic infections occurring annually.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHowever &quot;these are estimates and there are many gaps which we now need to fill,&quot; cautioned Jeremy Farrar, a senior author of the study, in an e-mail. &quot;But it would not surprise me that India was home to the most dengue [patients] globally.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe model used in the study could help provide a framework to estimate the burden of disease. Inevitably, there were gaps in the data and one needed to extrapolate from other areas. Better data collection should be encouraged so that the estimates were as accurate as possible, said Professor Farrar, who is director of the Wellcome Trust Vietnam Research Programme and Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Vietnam.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have a tremendous problem of dengue all over India,&quot; said Umesh C. Chaturvedi, agreeing with the finding of the paper. A virologist who has studied the disease, he is a scientific consultant to the Indian Council of Medical Research.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 8 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/policy-and-issues/india-leads-the-world-in-dengue-burden-nature/article4592098.ece', '', NULL),
(20366, 53, 62, 'Naxalites set up own military school in Dandakaranya -Bharti Jain', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe CPI (Maoist) has formed its own elite training ''institute'' in the Dandakaranya forests, a Naxalite bastion, to transform tribal cadres into Communist professionals equipped to handle tasks related to the Central Committee, the outfit''s apex decision-making body.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Buniyadi Communist Training School (BCTS), a brainchild of CPI (Maoist) top gun Ganapathy, has been churning out professionally-trained Communists since 2009 with basic military skills and knowledge of Hindi, social studies, mathematics and science.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nEach tribal cadre undergoing the six-month course at BCTS, which operates in Dandakaranya only, with the actual venue changing with every batch, is taught military intelligence and action team subjects, a surrendered courier for the CPI (Maoist) central committee recently told the Chhattisgarh police.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nDandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC) member K Ramachandra Reddy alias Raju is in charge of the school and key Maoist leaders like Takalapalli Vasudeva Rao alias Ashanna are training Maoist cadres between 14 to 21 years in military intelligence and action team missions such as assassination of legislators and senior police officers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe BCTS which trains 30 to 35 students in each batch, has trained four batches so far. The fifth batch is reportedly undergoing training in Dharba area. The cadres trained in the school are assigned important duties, mostly in works related to the CPI (Maoist) central committee.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe motive behind the decision to form BCTS - taken at a 2009 DKSZC meeting attended by CC members Ganapathy, Katakam Sudarshan alias Anand and Tippiri Tirupati alias Devuji - was to overcome the acute leadership problem being faced by the CPI (Maoist). The surrendered central committee courier, who is barely 19 and hails from a poor Gond family in Maad area of Chhattisgarh, has revealed that the Takalapally Vasudev Rao alias Ashanna heads both the Dandakaranya action team as well as military intelligence (MI).\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe action teams have been actively plotting to go after high-profile targets, according to the surrendered Naxalite who was barely 12 when inducted into the dalam. He told the police that the DK action team had last year attempted to kill a senior police official and even tried to attack a DGP-rank officer traveling in a train from Raipur to Howrah. The Maoist courier said actions teams conduct reconnoitres ahead of important raids and ambushes. The DK action team, he revealed, had looted 17 tonnes of explosives from Bhanupuri and 17,000 explosive devices from Narayanpur in 2009, as well as 16 tonnes of explosives from Gadchiroli in 2010. Ashanna is currently planning to reconstitute the action team and has identified cadres from different companies for the same.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe surrendered courier put the strength of armed cadres in Dandakaranya at about 3,000 and that of the militia at 5,000 cadres. The Dandakaranya committee has a technical wing with a manufacturing unit near Gobel in Kucoanar area. This unit makes 12 bore guns, .315 guns, rocket launcher shells, grenade launcher shells and refills of 12 bore and .315 cartridges. It also manufactures barmars, pipe bombs, claymore mines and pressure bombs.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 5 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Naxalites-set-up-own-military-school-in-Dandakaranya/articleshow/19391664.cms', '', NULL),
(20367, 53, 62, 'Two bills, two punishments for sexual harassment -Nagendar Sharma', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindustan Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nThe Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, or anti-rape law, approved by the President on April 3 says the offence is punishable with three years'' imprisonment and provides for a fine.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBut the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill passed by Parliament in February only provides for a penalty and departmental action. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe law ministry has said in an internal government note that the women and child development and home ministries should review this second bill before it is sent to the President for his assent.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIt has advised changes to make the punishment similar to the one under the first bill.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;There cannot be two deterrents for an offence that has the same definition in both bills. Since sexual harassment is now a criminal offence mentioned in the IPC, it would not be advisable to retain it as a civil offence as well,&quot; the law ministry has stated.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe Justice JS Verma panel, whose report formed the basis for changes in criminal laws following the December 16  Delhi gang rape, had also questioned some of the bill''s key provisions, including one which provides for conciliation between the complainant and the accused.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;This is in violation of the mandate prescribed by the Supreme Court in the Vishakha verdict, which stated that in matters of harassment and humiliation, any attempt to compromise is another way of undermining the dignity of women,&quot; the panel had stated in its report.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Hindustan Times, 8 April, 2013, http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Two-bills-two-punishments-for-sexual-harassment/Article1-1038995.aspx', '', NULL),
(20368, 53, 62, 'New mechanism: price of cancer drugs set to fall -Himani Chandna Gurtoo', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindustan Times\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nCancer drugs will cost almost 25% less if the regulator implements a new formula that calls for a price cap. The price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is considering a pricing mechanism similar to the one for insulin products - which has brought down prices by<br />\r\nup to 40% - for 33 cancer drugs, most of them generics.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBasically, the lowest price from the list of drugs in a particular category will be the maximum that would be billed to a patient. Pharma firms will not be allowed to sell cancer drugs above the ceiling price.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt present, prices of cancer drugs are not regulated. The NPPA allows a maximum of 10% increase in prices in a year.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhen the new pharma policy, expected in May, is implemented, prices of 33 cancer drugs of the 138 available - both patented and generics - in the Indian market will be regulated by the NPPA.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;We have not finalised a new price mechanism but our approach is to adopt a mechanism on the lines of insulin pricing, tweaked according to the incoming DPCO (Drug Price Control Order),&quot; NPPA chairman CP Singh told HT.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;Prices will fall by 10-25% even if DPCO 2013 asks us to follow the simple average method under the new drug policy.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe DPCO, which is yet to give its nod to the NPPA plan, decides the pricing policy.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nState drug controllers have been asked by the NPPA to collect price data from market and pharma firms.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;For patients, a fall in prices is a blessing. Most of the 33 cancer drugs are generics, and not innovators, which will offer a level-playing field to the companies,&quot; said Ranga Iyer, former president of Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe relief will come close on the heels of the Supreme Court dismissing Swiss drugmaker Novartis attempt to win patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n It is estimated that every year more than 7,00,000 people are detected with different types of cancer in India. By 2030, India''s cancer rate, says World Health Organisation, will grow by 78%.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-08', NULL, 1, 'The Hindustan Times, 8 April, 2013, http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Wellness/New-mechanism-price-of-cancer-drugs-set-to-fall/Article1-1038984.aspx', '', NULL),
(20369, 53, 62, 'Shut all mines in tribal areas-Iftikhar Gilani', '<div align="justify">\r\n-DNA\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n <em>Tribal minister shoots letter to 9 guvs seeking cancellation of leases.</em>\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nUnion tribal affairs minister V Kishore Chandra Deo has asked governors of nine states to invoke their special powers to revoke lease agreements and MoUs signed between state governments and corporates to extract mineral wealth in tribal areas.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nPointing out that power lobbies were disregarding land regulations, he castigated the Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh government. The union minister, who is also from Andhra Pradesh, said the higher echelons of power in the state were themselves trying to brazenly distort not only the law but also  constitutional safeguards against the interests of tribal and other forest-dwellers.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn an identical letter written on April 4 to the governors of Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, the minister even linked indiscriminate mining activities to national security by propelling the Left Wing extremism.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe even went to the extent castigating his own government saying the insensitivity to the plight and problems of this entire population is the greatest challenge the nation is facing at present. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The main threat today is the mining in Schedule V areas which has shaken the confidence and faith of the people in the region in our democratic system.&quot;\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe has reminded governors that Article 244 of the Constitution vests not only independent legislative authority on them but also allows them to restrict any law of parliament or state legislature from its implementation to a scheduled area in their states to protect rights of tribes and marginalised sections. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;The governor may repeal or amend any Act of parliament or of the legislature or any existing law which is for the time being applicable to the area in question, when good governance or peace is distributed due to issues related either with land or money lending,&quot; writes the minister. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe further told governors that they are not bound by the aid and advice by the council of ministers under these circumstances.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe minister further urged the governors to use their executive powers and revoke lease agreements which are proving a threat to peace and good governance in these areas. \r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I would like to emphasise the fact that the leases and MoUs are mere arrangement s/agreements between two parties and are not exactmetns of either assembly of parliament,&quot; he said.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-09', NULL, 1, 'DNA, 9 April, 2013, http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1820356/report-dna-special-shut-all-mines-in-tribal-areas', '', NULL),
(20370, 53, 62, 'Govt seeks details of schools defying RTE', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n<em>BANGALORE: </em>To tighten the noose around private unaided schools not implementing theRTE Act provisions, the education department has asked block education officers to provide information on schools that haven''t followed the 25% reservation rule under the Right To Education Act. The circular, dated April 5, 2013, was issued after a number of unaided non-minority private schools refused to admit kids under provisions of the Act.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAs per the circular, the admission process started on January 5 and all admissions were supposed to be done by March 15. But many unaided non-minority private institutions haven''t taken any application under RTE, nor have they provided seats to underprivileged kids.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe department has also sought information on schools which have received very less number of applications under the RTE quota or no applications at all.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-09', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 9 April, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Govt-seeks-details-of-schools-defying-RTE/articleshow/19450196.cms?', '', NULL),
(20371, 53, 62, 'A year on, RTI applicant still awaits education department response', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Indian Express\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nOn January 12 last year, RTI applicant Dinesh Suryavanshi had sought information related to class XI admissions under Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. Even after two appeals and a showcause notice issued to education department officials, he is still waiting for a response from them.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I wanted to know about the total number of seats reserved for SC, ST candidates, the stipulated seats in management courses and the seats filled in these categories. I also sought details of total number of admissions done in August and September in colleges across Pune,&quot; said Suryavanshi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said till date he has not received any information from the department. &quot;There are a lot of discrepancies in class XI admissions and the authorities are trying to cover up. This is the reason why they are not providing me information,&quot; said Suryavanshi, a teacher at a Mumbai college.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWhen he did not get any information under RTI, Suryavanshi filed an appeal. His first appeal was taken up for hearing on February 13, where he was given March 5 as the next date of hearing, which was later postponed to April 4. As the first appellate authority was not present on the date of hearing, it was further postponed to May 3 where it was ruled that the applicant should be provided all the information without any fee.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nFailing to receive any information despite the ruling, Suryavanshi again filed an appeal on August 21. On the date of hearing, the public information officer was not present and the assistant public information officer declared that he was yet to receive information from the deputy director of education. A decision to provide information in eight days was taken in the second appeal.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n&quot;I again wrote to Sridhar Salunke, the then director of state primary and secondary education department asking him to take action. But untill now, nothing has happened,&quot; said Suryavanshi.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSalunke had issued a showcause notice on November 2 to deputy director of education asking him to provide details in 10 days. But nothing happened on that front too, he added. Salunke, who retired from the post last year, said he did not remember the case.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nSuman Shinde, deputy director of education, Pune division said, &quot;Suryavanshi has appealed a lot of times. Without reading the appeal, it is hard to comment on the issue. I am in Mumbai and will be able to comment only after I go through the appeal.&quot;<br />\r\n				\r\n</p>\r\n<div align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n</div>', NULL, '2013-04-09', NULL, 1, 'The Indian Express, 9 April, 2013, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-year-on-rti-applicant-still-awaits-education-department-response/1099647/', '', NULL),
(20372, 53, 62, 'Priyanka, 881 others allowed to acquire land in Himachal', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Hindu\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\nPriyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and leading lawyer Prashant Bhushan are among 881 individual beneficiaries, companies, societies and trusts granted permission in the last three years to buy land in Himachal Pradesh. The strict land laws that do not permit outsiders or non- agriculturists to buy farm land were relaxed for these select few.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nThe matter of land transactions was raised by Congress MLA Rohit Thakur, BJP legislator Mahendra Singh and Lokhit Party leader Maheshwar Singh during question hour.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nRevenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, in his detailed written reply, said there were 52 educational societies and three private universities among the 881 entities who were permitted to buy land over the period. Several hydropower companies, corporate house, industrial units and religious bodies were also among those for whom permissions under Section 118 of the HP Land Tenancy and Reforms Act 1972 were allowed, he said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nBesides Ms. Vadra in Shimla, the Kumud Bhushan Education Society, through Mr. Bhushan, associate of Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, was also allowed to buy land in Palampur in Kangra by the previous BJP government. Ms. Vadra bought 922 sq. metres of land for constructing her summer house near the hill resort of Mashobara in Shimla during the previous BJP regime. The prized location at Charabara is at a height of 8,000 feet and is surrounded by thick oak and pine forests. It is just 15 km uphill from Shimla and has an Oberoi property (Wildflower Hall, a five-star deluxe hotel) in the vicinity.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nIn response to a question by Congress legislator Asha Kumari, the Minister said there were 246 cases registered in the last three years about land law violations that had come to notice. While 110 cases had been disposed of, the remaining were awaiting settlement.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-09', NULL, 1, 'The Hindu, 9 April, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/priyanka-881-others-allowed-to-acquire-land-in-himachal/article4596797.ece', '', NULL),
(20373, 53, 62, 'Karnataka exhorts centre to hasten work on rural courts -Manu Aiyappa', '<div align="justify">\r\n-The Times of India\r\n</div>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\n<br />\r\n <em>BANGALORE: </em>Nearly four years after the GramNyayalaya Act came into force, the promise to provide &quot;&quot;inexpensive justice at the doorsteps of rural litigants&quot;&quot; is still tottering in Karnataka.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nAt the joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices in New Delhi on Sunday, Karnataka chief minister JagadishShettar sough to raise this issue saying the very fact that these courts have not started functioning so far indicates that there are some basic issues which need to be addressed.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nWe should try to make these courts more realistic and more informal in nature. We should widen the base for appointment of the presiding officers instead of appointing regular judges to man these courts. To begin with we should limit the jurisdiction of these courts and with experience gained it could be expanded, '''' Shettar said.\r\n</p>\r\n<p align="justify">\r\nHe said karnataka government is always ready and willing to provide funds for establishment of GramaNyayalayas. Shettar also pressed for establishment of more juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees and child protection units in Karnataka to strengthen the Juvenile justice system.\r\n</p>', NULL, '2013-04-09', NULL, 1, 'The Times of India, 8 April, 2013, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-08/bangalore/38372628_1_jagadishshettar-courts-gram-nyayalaya-act', '', NULL);
