Excelsior... Nation

Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh assumes
Chief Ministership
at a crucial time

LUCKNOW, Oct 25: Chief Minister designate Rajnath Singh, an old RSS worker and former Education Minister, is returning to state politics at a time ...more

Sitaram Kesri

Political leaders
pay tribute to Kesri

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: President K R Narayanan led a large number of political leaders in paying tribute to the former Congress president Sitaram ....more

HC issues notice to
ITDC on employees’
retirement age

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Indian Tourism ....more

Doon’s serenity broken by rapidly increasing traffic

DEHRA DUN, Oct 25: With a drastic increase in traffic over the past fortnight, the ....more

Dr Adarsh Sein Anand

CJI gets fellowship of SALS

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Chief Justice of India, Dr Adarsh Sein Anand, has become the first Indian to be elected for a honorary fellowship of the London ....more

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

Assam Cong in disarray before Assembly polls

GUWAHATI, Oct 25: Internal dissensions plague the assam Congress as the state prepares itself for the polls in the next four months. ..more

Judicial review can
extend to departmental
proceedings: SC

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: In a judgement that would protect lakhs of Government employees from harassment, the Supreme Court has extended court’s ....more

2 Naxalites surrendered

HYDERABAD, Oct 25: Two Naxalites, including a woman, of the banned People’s War Group surrendered before the Superintendent .....more

Rajnath Singh assumes Chief Ministership
at a crucial time

LUCKNOW, Oct 25: Chief Minister designate Rajnath Singh, an old RSS worker and former Education Minister, is returning to state politics at a time when the strength of the ruling BJP is considerably reduced with the formation of the new state of Uttaranchal.

A dexterous political manager, an effective administrator and a grassroot organiser, Rajnath Singh’s name figured whenever change of stewardship of BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh came up for consideration.

Born in a farmer’s family in a small village in Chandauli district in 1951, Singh, who was associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his student days, took his post-graduation degree in physics from Gorakhpur University before becoming a lecturer.

He stepped into politics after being appointed secretary of Bhartiya Jansangh’s Mirzapur district unit. Inspired by Jai Prakash Narain, he was closely associated with the JP movement.

Singh was arrested during the emergency and was put in Mirzapur and Naini jails. He was released only after the emergency was revoked in 1977.

Singh was elected as MLA from Mirzapur Assembly constituency in 1977 general elections and appointed state secretary of Uttar Pradesh BJP in 1983.

After the first BJP Government was formed in 1991, Singh was appointed Education Minister and immediately shot into fame by making copying in examinations a cognizable offence.

Singh became member of the Rajya Sabha in 1994 and was also made the party chief whip in the House.

He was appointed president of BJP’s UP unit in March 1997 and played a pivotal role in securing new allies and ensuring remarkable expansion of the state unit till the village level.

In November 1999, he joined the Vajpayee Ministry as Union Minister for Surface Transport. (PTI)

Political leaders pay tribute to Kesri

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: President K R Narayanan led a large number of political leaders in paying tribute to the former Congress president Sitaram Kesri as mourners from all walks of life thronged in at his seven Purana Qila residence here today.

Among a galaxy of leaders who paid their last respect to the departed leader included Vice President Krishan Kant, Home Minister L K Advani, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former Premiers P V Narasimha Rao, V P Singh and Chandra Shekhar.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, in whose Government’s fall Kesri played a major role, was among the early callers at the late leader’s house.

Others who paid tribute included senior Congress leaders Manmohan Singh, Natwar Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Madhavrao Scindia and Margaret Alva, Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi, BJP president Bangaru Laxman, NCP leaders P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar and CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja.

"Kesri’s death is a great loss to the country," a pensive Narayanan told reporters after laying a wreath on the deceased leader’s body. The president also consoled Kesri’s son Amarnath and other family members.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in a message, said that in the death of the octogenarian leader, the nation had arian.

Kesri will always be remembered for his service to the weaker sections of the society, the PM said.

In his remarks, Home Minister L K Advani said with the death of the Congress veteran, the younger generation had lost a crucial link with the older generation of politicians.

Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao recalling his "long association" with Kesri said his service to the Congress and the nation would always be remembered.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav, Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar and late Sanjay Gandhi’s son Varun Gandhi also visited the late leader’s residence.

Sonia Gandhi, who succeeded Kesri as the party president, sat with the mourners for sometime. On hearing the news of his death, Gandhi had dashed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) late last night.

She also presided over a condolence meeting held by the Congress Working Committee today.

The 84-year old former Union Minister died last night after a prolonged illness. (PTI)

HC issues notice to ITDC on employees’ retirement age

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) seeking their reply on rolling back of the retirement age of the corporation’s employees from 60 to 58 years by its board allegedly in contravention of the laid down rules and guidelines.

Also issuing notices to Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises, Justice N G Nandi directed all the respondents to file their replies by December eight on a joint petition by six officials of ITDC.

The ITDC officials, including its Deputy General Managers A S Talwar and S K Gambhir, had alleged that the corporation’s board on June 19 this year had taken a decision regarding roll back of the retirement age in violation of rules even when the matter was not on its agenda.

ITDC on May 26, 1998 had implemented Centre’s policy of enhancing the retirement age of its employees from 58 years to 60 years and was it as it did not fall within the category of sick industries, exempted by the Government from implementing the policy.

The ITDC Board’s decision was "arbitrary" as it was bound to implement the May 5, 1998 office memorandum of the centre declaring enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60. (PTI)

Doon’s serenity broken by rapidly increasing traffic

DEHRA DUN, Oct 25: With a drastic increase in traffic over the past fortnight, the Doon Valley has perhaps lost its unique serence environment forever.

Even with the growing population over the decades, it had hardly been felt that there were radical changes in the basic characteristics of this calm town. But with the declaration of Doon as Uttaranchal’s interim capital, the place has been suddenly flooded by new faces, new ideas and an invasion by the traumatic pace hither to seen in metropolitan cities.

Land is being grabbed by outsiders in the absence of implementation of Article 371 in the region. Houses which were being sold for Rs 10 lakh have suddenly gone up to Rs 30 to 40 lakh. Rents have also soared overnight. Media organisations from Delhi are paying large sums to take up buildings to set up their offices here. Traffic jams, unheard of in the Doon Valley, increasing pollution due to the thousands of vehicles coming in with the new office and an increase of population will, in no time, bring about terrible changes in the climate of this valley which is its most unique feature.

No longer does Dehradun look exclusive. The mad rush of vehicles, the sudden onslaught of consumerism and the obvious control by the bureaucracy is making doon almost unrecognisable. Strangely enough, there is not much excitement about these changes among the common people. The only excitement visible is among politicians and bureaucrats.

There are apprehensions on many accounts. First, the trees in the valley, as well as agricultural land will soon disappear, going by the speed people are buying land here. Unless Article 371 is implemented, things will become quite bad.

According to Mr Ashok Prasad Misra, a senior journalist and author of Doon, "this great descent into our world of those who will lead our state into a bright and glorious future is not evoking the excitement in should have.

To any sensitive person, the drastic changes appear as a cause for alarm. They remaind one of Harivansh Rai’s "Madhushala" where he writes "Vistrit Jag Mein Haye Gayi Kho, Meri Nanhi Madhushala" (My little drinking house has disappeared, got lost, in this expansive new world my small world is no more). (UNI)

CJI gets fellowship of SALS

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Chief Justice of India, Dr Adarsh Sein Anand, has become the first Indian to be elected for a honorary fellowship of the London based prestigious Society for Advanced Legal Studies (SALS) for life.

According to a communication from SALS, the society has "unanimously elected Justice Anand to a honorary fellowship of the society for life in view of the contribution made by him for advancement of law".

The communication said honorary fellowship of the society was awarded to an individual "who has achieved high distinction in legal scholarship, the practice or administration of law, or who has distinguished him or herself in contributing directly or indirectly to the advancement of law and its administration."

Justice Anand, who was the first Indian judge to address the London University on 50 years of Indian judiciary, has delivered many a significant judgements which have gone a long way in bringing necessary changes in the administration of justice in the country.

One of his most important pronouncements was giving mother her due place in the guardianship of a child. Breaking the tradition, which recognised father as the sole guardian of child, Justice Anand’s judgement made it possible for a mother to fill the place of a father as far as documents regarding guardianship went.

The Chief Justice’s contribution to make Delhi a less polluted metropolis would go down in the history of judiciary as a pathbreaking exercise to hold the executive accountable for not enforcing the statute providing for protection of environment.

The orders of the Supreme Court forced the automobile manufacturers to bring in advanced technology to manufacture vehicles emitting less pollution.

In the first judgement of its kind, Justice Anand had directed the Government to pay compensation to a person who died in police custody. Similarly, his pronouncement in a case pertaining to sexual harassment at workplace made the offices safer for working women.

Justice Anand, in state vs Krishnappa case, had observed that in rape cases, a sensitised judge was a better armour than the long statute. In another ruling, he had provided for in-camera hearing of rape cases, specially the cross-examination of the rape victim. (PTI)

Assam Cong in disarray before Assembly polls

GUWAHATI, Oct 25: Internal dissensions plague the assam Congress as the state prepares itself for the polls in the next four months.

The state unit of the Congress had already been crippled by the Assam Government which continued to mount assault on the party alleging it had a nexus with the banned ULFA. The State Government in fact had submitted a detailed report to the Home Ministry in this regard.

"We gave the report to the Home Ministry so that no one could talk of politicking on this sensitive issue," said Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

The factional fighting between the camps of Mr Gogoi and Mrs Hemoprava Saikia, wife of former Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia are crippling the party beyond redemption.

Major differences of opinion between Mr Gogoi who is in charge of the state unit and Mrs Saikia led to her visit to Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday at New Delhi where she expressed her desire to resign from the party.

According to sources close to her she reportedly told Mrs Gandhi that the party had no room for her and she had major ideological differences on the issue of tackling insurgency in Assam with the present leadership.

Mrs Saikia had earlier written a letter to Mrs Gandhi accusing the state Congress leadership of being hand in glove with the insurgents.

The letter had angered the state party leadership and a show cause notice was issued to Mrs Saikia. However, state Congress president Tarun Gogoi refused to discuss the issue in public. "This is an internal matter and we will sort it out ourselves," he said.

On the other hand Mr Saikia openly said that she had not yet resigned because of specific request from Mrs Sonia Gandhi but would take the final decision only after returning to her constituency and meeting her supporters.

Meanwhile, Mr Gogoi is facing another revolt from the youth wing as he was desperate to remove the youth wing president Rani Narah from the post. However, the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had been openly embracing Mrs Saikia and even appreciating her policy of being tough with the insurgents.

The State Congress leaders were uncomfortable and suspected that agp president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta wanted to use Mrs Saikia to cut into the Congress votes. (UNI)

Judicial review can extend to departmental
proceedings: SC

NEW DELHI, Oct 25: In a judgement that would protect lakhs of Government employees from harassment, the Supreme Court has extended court’s jurisdiction by ruling that availability of judicial review even in case of departmental proceedings cannot be doubted.

"Judicial review of administrative action is feasible and same has its application to its fullest extent in even departmental proceedings where it is found that the recorded findings are based on no evidence or the findings are totally perverse or legally untenable," a division bench said.

Upholding an Allahabad High Court order quashing a departmental inquiry findings against an officer of Kumaon Vikas Mandal Nigam, the bench comprising Justice G B Pattanaik and Justice Umesh Chandra Banerjee said doctrine of principles of natural justice was an integral part of administrative jurisprudence of this country. Referring to the case, Justice Banerjee, writing the judgement for the bench, said "the entire chain of events smacks of some personal clash and adoption of a method unknown to law in hottest haste."

The bench said it was a fundamental requirement of law that the doctrine of natural justice be complied with and the same has, as a matter of fact, turned out to be an integral part of administrative jurisprudence of this country.

"The judicial process itself embraces a fair and reasonable opportunity to defend though, however, we may hasten to add that the same is dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each individual case," it said.

Referring to the 60-page report against the officer sent to the Managing Director of Nigam recording there in that charges against him stood proved, Justice Banerjee asked a series of questions on the basis, evidence and records on which such a conclusion was reached by the inquiry officer.

"If the records have been considered, the immediate necessity would be to consider as to who is the person who has produced the same and the next issue could be as regards the nature of the records - unfortunately there is not a whisper in the rather languish report," the judge observed.

The bench said "the High Court answers it as miscarriage of justice and we do lend our concurrence therewith. The whole issue has been dealt with in such a way that it cannot but be termed to be totally devoid of any justifiable reason." (PTI)