Excelsior Correspondent
Rajesh Chauhan, OSD- finance secretary & Diwan Kanwar, Head of Applied Sciences Department, E-max Group of Institutions, inaugurated the Jammu office at Gole Market, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. Located in the heart of the city, career counseling will be manned by staff trained to deal with diverse queries of students.
While speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Chauhan said that opening of office of the Group at Jammu would provide counseling to the local youth at their door step. He added that earlier also, hundreds of students were benefited with this scholarship scheme and are studying in various courses at our campus. He said that students selected under scholarship would study in different courses like B Tech, M Tech, MBA, BBA, MCA, BCA & Polytechnic. He said that Expert Career Counselors with vast experience of industry and academics have been deputed so that professional guidance can be provided to the admission seekers. He also declared various special scholarship schemes for Kashmiri migrants.
Diwan Kanwar said that today higher education has become very costly and is out of the reach of the common man due to which, many meritorious students also leave their studies in between. E-max have come forward to fulfill the dreams of needy and deserving students to study higher, he said, adding that students of the J&K will be benefited a lot with the opening of Jammu centre. He said that dedicated Career Helplines numbers 08572815010 and 09813711533 have been set up for the students who are unable to reach the Counseling Office
E-max Group of Institutions inaugurates Jammu office
IOA writes to Central & Delhi Govts on 2019 Asian Games bid
New Delhi, June 24:
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today began the process of seeking government approval, required to mount a bid for hosting the 2019 Asian Games by writing to the Sports Ministry and Delhi Lieutenant Governor.
The Olympic Council of Asia had asked the IOA to furnish several bid documents, including approval from the Cabinet and the Delhi government, so that the country can complete the bidding process before July 1 deadline.
“Myself and Secretary General (Rajeev Mehta) today wrote to Sports Ministry and Delhi government requesting for the governments’ considered views on the Asian Games bid. Once the IOA receives the government’s response, we will take up the issue further with the OCA,” IOA President N Ramachandran told PTI today.
Mehta said that the ball is now in the government’s court as it will have the final say on the hosting of the Games. (PTI)
Govt to weed out confidential reports of retired employees
NEW DELHI, June 24:
In order to ensure clean working space, the Government today decided to weed out confidential reports of select categories of retired employees after normal retention period of about five years.
The Annual Confidential Report (ACR) or Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) of retired Private Secretaries (PSs), Principal Private Secretaries (PPSs) and Senior Principal Private Secretaries (Sr PPSs) are kept with different units under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
On review, a large number of old dossiers of ACRs or APARs in respect of PSs, PPSs and Sr PPSs retained in this section are being considered for weeding out, the Central Secretariat division under the DoPT said in a circular to all unit heads.
According to rules, the ACRs or APARs of a Government employee may be destroyed after five years of his retirement. However, the confidential performance report can be provided to a retired employee after completion of the retention period.
Accordingly, all cadre units are requested to intimate the details of ACRs or APARs of more than five years old in respect of which requests, if any, have been received for handing over from the retired officer concerned, it said.
“In case no information is received from a cadre unit by June 30, 2014, it will be presumed that the requisite information pertaining to that cadre unit is nil,” the directive said.
The move assumes significance as Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth has recently written to secretaries of various Central Government departments, stressing the need for clean working space.
“There are several unnecessary files which are being destroyed after following due procedures. Other departments will also be told to destroy ACRs of retired employees after completion of retention period,” a senior DoPT officer said.
Cleaning drives are also being carried out in Central Government office premises. “There are certain office premises where construction material is lying for years. In some office premises, unused or junked vehicles are also parked. The department concerned will ensure that no such vehicles or building material are lying,” he said.
There will also be regular visit by senior officers to ensure that cleaning drive is not stopped mid-way, the officer said. (PTI)
AIBCU launches awareness program for OBCs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: A central team of All India Backward Classes Union under the directions of its president, Abdul Majid Malik, conducted a tour of village Koulpur of Vijaypur in Samba and launched an awareness programme among the OBCs for their due constitutional rights i.e. 27% reservation as per Apex Court’s Judgement of 1992 on Mandal Report.
While interacting with the OBCs, the AIBCU leaders made an appeal to the State OBCs to remain united in the forthcoming Assembly elections due in November-December 2014 and expose nefarious attitude of working members and vice-chairman of the OBC Advisory and Development Board, who they said, have not yet resigned even after making so many requests to them.
“Working with such political parties which are working against the State OBCs is neither logical nor good with their conscience but only selfish”, they said, adding members of the OBC Advisory and Development Board must resign forthwith in order to show their sincerity towards the communities and must take it as a crucial test for themselves.
Guj CM announces 33 pc reservation for women in police force
GANDHINAGAR, June 24:
Gujarat’s first woman Chief Minister Anandi Patel today announced a 33 per cent reservation for women in the state police force.
“It is necessary to empower women for their up-liftment in society. Thus, my Government has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the police recruitments,” announced Patel without elaborating.
She was interacting with media after attending the passing out parade of 97 armed Police Sub Inspectors (PSIs) and 39 Intelligence Officers (IOs) having PSI cadre, at Gujarat Police Academy in Karai, Gandhinagar today.
These officers will now be inducted in police force after completing their 9-month training at the Karai based Academy. Among these 136 officers, 25 were women, including 10 PSIs and 15 IOs.
During her speech as the chief guest, Patel claimed that Gujarat is having the lowest crime rate in the country.
“Peace and communal harmony is essential to bring development. Gujarat never saw any major communal clash in last 10 years, which helped us to bring development here. Gujarat is the safest state in India having lowest crime rate” said Patel, who thanked Gujarat police for such environment.
“Gujarat police force is the most educated force in India having more than 26,000 educated policemen serving people. I thank the police force for having maintained law and order for these many years and contributing to the development process of the state,” said Patel, who also remembered Narendra Modi for showing the path. (PTI)
Mehbooba concerned over youth joining militancy
Excelsior Correspondent
Mehbooba while addressing a press conference here today said that troops should exercise restraint and avoid civilian killings. “You know people get emotional after encounters and I think police and security forces should have shown restraint but they didn’t and ultimately it resulted in the killing of youth and injuries to many.”
The PDP president slammed the Government for not acting against those involved in the killing of civilians. “I think with each passing day right from 2009, whether it is Shopian episode or the killing of 120 youth in 2010, there is no time when innocent killings doesn’t occur and it is a routine matter to order probes,” adding “enquires have been there in number of cases but no action was taken.”
Mehbooba expressed her concern over the reports of educated youth joining militancy. “It is due to failure of political process and atrocities”, she added.
She expressed concern over possible spill over of militants from Afghanistan after withdrawal of US and NATO forces and the prevailing situation in Pakistan and Iraq, where militants are gaining ground with each passing day.
The PDP president said the Government is turning Jammu and Kashmir a breeding ground due to policies which it has adopted for last few years. “Everybody knows what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan and besides there is a general concern that what would be its affect on the State”, he said.
She said that security forces excesses are pushing youth towards militancy. “I think yesterday’s incident and the Tral incident where a militant’s mother came on record saying her son was forced to pick up gun because of atrocities is a cause of concern”, she added.
Mehbooba appealed Central Government to look into the matter of educated youth joining militancy. “Union Government should take it as national challenge. If Kashmir issue can be discussed in United Nations or OIC, why not in Indian Parliament, she added.
She appealed State Government to ensure the supply of ration, water and electricity in the upcoming Islamic month of Ramazan. She said people are facing enormous difficulties due their shortage.
She also appealed Government to make sure that the passports of youth, whose relatives were associated with militancy, should be cleared.
NCB holds awareness programs on drug abuse
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: To spread the message against the menace of drug abuse and in continuation with the observance of “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” programmmes, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) held two programmes to educate the masses about the ill-effects of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
First programme was organized for the staff members of Idea Cellular Company at Gangyal in which more than 50 staff members of the company participated.
In his opening address, Manoj Kumar, Zonal Director, NCB briefed the audience about the role each and every individual of society, Government and private agencies play to fight against the drug menace and the steps being taken by NCB in this regard.
A presentation was held by Satish Sharma, Intelligence Officer, NCB Jammu on the topic “Drugs and You” which covered current trends of drug abuse, reason for drug abuse, symptoms of drug abuse and ill effects of drug abuse on human body.
Study material regarding information on drug abuse and NDPS Act was also distributed among the participants.
The second programme was organized for the labourers of SIDCO complex, Samba in association with Ind-Swift Laboratories Ltd.
A nukkad natak was performed by the artist of Nav Durga Kala Manch showing different stages of drug abuse and their ill effects on human body.
About 300 labourers along with their management were present in the programme. Dr KN Singh and Anne Mehta, Directors, Anil Verma and Anil Kumar Singh, Plant Heads, Ind-Swift, Samba also attended the programme.
Arjun gets reward for his outstanding contribution in skating
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: For his outstanding contribution in the field of skating, ace skater Arjun Gandotra has been conferred with the prestigious award for the sportspersons in the State namely ‘Sher-i-Kashmir Sports Award’ in a function at Srinagar recently.
He was presented the award by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in presence of Minister for Sports, Raman Bhalla.
It is for the second time that Arjun has been named for this award as he was conferred with the same in the year 2007.
It is pertinent to mention here that Arjun Gandotra has palyed 7 International Championships, with 4 World and 3 Asian Championships. He 2002, debutant Arjun represented India in World Championship and World Grand Prix Championship at Belgium and finished overall 8th.
Arjun represented India in World Championships in Venezuela (South America) in 2003 and in 2004, he represented India in World Championship in Italy.
In 2005, 2007 and 2010, Arjun Gandotra represented India in Asian Championships held at South Korea, India and Taiwan respectively.
Resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits purely political issue: KPOs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: The issue of Kashmiri Pandits’ resettlement is a pure political issue and can be resolved only at a political level, the Joint Forum of Kashmiri Pandit Organisations (KPOs) today said.
“The issue of Kashmiri Pandit community’s resettlement is a pure political issue and can be solved only at a political level,” official spokesperson of the Joint Forum Virender Raina said in a statement here today.
The community has been a victim of… Mass exodus due to fundamentalism and terrorism, he said, adding the successive governments failed to address the issues of the displaced community, he said.
The sops like economic packages for return to the valley … Is an attempt to trivialise the basic issue, he said, adding there is a paramount need to shun the policy paralysis attitude and come out with a new thinking on the subject.
“As a first important measure, we ask the government to establish a commission of enquiry that will go into the details of mass exodus and fix the responsibilities,” he said.
“The report of National Human Rights Commission on genocide can be the basis for such an enquiry,” Raina said, alleging that the socio-political conditions that existed in Kashmir at the time of the exodus have not changed much since.
While on the one hand the DGP of the Jammu and Kashmir state and GOC of the Northern Command are preparing for combating al-Qaida, on the other hand Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist groups are quite active and engaged in terror activities all over the Valley, he said.
As a confidence building measure, the government should immediately take up the issue of the encroachments of the properties of the Kashmiri Pandits and temples in Kashmir and announce special job package for the youth without conditions and also compensation for the overaged youth of the community, he said.
The meeting was among others attended by president, Panun Kashmir, Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, senior vice president, ASKPC, R K Raina, president, AIKPC, H N Jattu and others, it said.
Witness turns hostile in Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case
MUMBAI, June 24:
A witness in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving Salman Khan today retracted his police statement in a court, saying he had not said that the actor had got down from the driver’s seat of his vehicle and ran away after the accident occurred in suburban Bandra.
“My statement recorded by police that I saw Salman coming out from the driver’s seat and running away from the spot is incorrect,” the witness, Sachin Kadam, a security guard of NeelSagar Hotel, told Judge D W Deshpande.
Earlier, the witness had told police in a statement that he had seen the actor getting down from the driver’s seat of his car and going away from the scene of the mishap.
Kadam said he had only told the police that a big car came and rammed into the shutter of a shop.
Kadam was today confronted with his police statement but he went back on his own words saying he had not told the police about this.
However, the witness was unable to say why the police had recorded a “false version” in his statement.
Public prosecutor Jagannath Kenjralkar told the court that Kadam should be declared as a hostile witness as he had not supported the prosecution. However, the court has yet to pass order on this plea.
During cross-examination, the witness told Salman’s lawyer Srikant Shivade that he had not seen the accident as he was on duty on that day at the gate of the restaurant.
“I heard a loud noise and only then I went there to see that a car had rammed into a shop,” he said.
NeelSagar Hotel, where he works, is just opposite to the bakery and laundry where Salman’s car had met with an accident on September 28, 2002, in which one person was killed and four others injured.
Another witness, Mohammed Shaikh, who was one of those injured in the mishap, however, supported the prosecution’s case saying he had seen Salman standing at the accident spot after he was rescued from underneath the car by people.
“I saw Salman after I was rescued. There were two more people but I did not recognise them. It was a big white car,” said the witness.
Shaikh said he was sleeping with Narullah and others outside a bakery shop when the car ran over them and hit the shutter. He was admitted to Bhabha hospital with a fractured leg and over there he learnt that Narullah had died in the mishap.
However, during cross-examination, the witness said that he did not see Salman offering help in the rescue work.
“I was underneath the car for 10 to 15 minutes and could not see who was around us,” said Shaikh.
To a question whether he saw Salman moving the car with the help of others after the accident, the witness replied, “I do not know.”
“Police came and took away the car but I cannot say how the vehicle was taken away by them. Till then, Narullah and I were underneath the car and shouting at the top of our voices for help,” Shaikh said.
The witness further said that taxi drivers and bakery workers, who had rescued them, were screaming that the accident had been “done by Salman”.
Shaikh said he had informed police that Salman had met with an accident. “But I cannot say why this has not been recorded by police in my statement,” the witness said. (PTI)