NEW DELHI, Feb 1:
Against the backdrop of a logjam over military clearances for 39 oil exploration blocks, Defence Minister A K Antony today said there were “serious security concerns” over them but efforts were being made to solve the issue amicably.
He said there were concerns about the security of “major very sensitive areas” and security installations in these areas but the ministries of Defence and Petroleum are trying to find an amicable solution for the issue.
“Out of the 73 blocks they have proposed for exploration, we have given approval for 40 blocks. Regarding the 32 plus seven, we have some serious security concerns. We are discussing how to safeguard security concerns and after that, how to proceed on oil exploration in these blocks.
“For that Petroleum and Defence ministries are in constant touch and we will try to find an amicable solution,” Antony said.
He was asked to comment on the contention that Defence Ministry objections were hindering the oil block exploration process in the country.
According to reports, in 32 blocks, the Defence Ministry has laid a stringent condition that the pipeline should be one kilometre below the sea bed and seven areas have been declared as totally no-go areas for the exploration purpose.
Asserting that the Defence Ministry was not taking any “negative step” on this issue, Antony said the government was worried over the high import bill due to oil and is looking for ways to increase its internal production.
“At the same time, we are very much concerned about the security of the country and also security of defence installations and major very sensitive strategic projects. We have to safeguard both,” he said.
Recently, the CCI headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the two ministries to sort out differences on allowing exploration and production particularly in Krishna Godavari basin. (PTI)

BANGALORE, Feb 1:
Karnataka Government has constituted a high-level committee to look into the affairs of higher educational institutions, run by religious and linguistic minorities, following complaints from the public that some of them have misused their mandate in terms of student intake, appointment and are indulging in “business”.
Higher Education Minister C T Ravi told reporters here today the committee, comprising top officials of collegiate,technical and medical education and member-Secretary, Karnataka Knowledge Commission Prof M K Sridhar, would come out with recommendations on revised guidelines for such institutions.
As per guidelines, they are supposed to reserve 60 per cent of seats for minorities but there are complaints that some of them, particularly engineering colleges, are not following the rule and “selling” seats for those from outside the state and “others” and indulging in “business.”
“The very purpose of according them minority status has failed”, the minister said, also referring to complaints on appointments. “The committee will conduct an enquiry into all this”.
The National Minority Commission had also written to the State to come out with revised guidelines for them.
Ravi also said some engineering and medical colleges have violated rules on fee regulation — as per the Venkataramaiah committee report — by collecting more money from students, than what’s prescribed by the Government.
Some of these colleges had claimed they are providing internet and bus services, among others, while others have totally denied having collected extra money.
An enquiry has been ordered and institutions which charged a small sum would be warned not to repeat it, while government would take a serious view in cases where they had charged exorbitant sum, and at a meeting he had with Medical Education Minister S A Ramadass yesterday, a proposal to even blacklist them was discussed.
Ravi said the Common Entrance Test for under-graduate engineering courses would be held as per state syllabus this year – and not as wished by All India Council for Technical Education which wanted a CET for the entire country — as the State had introduced CBSE syllabus to first PUC (11th standard) only this year.
He also said a large number of government quota BEd seats are vacant in private colleges, whose management have approached the government to transfer those to them.
Government has ordered an enquiry by Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, to look into how such seats can remain vacant even as managements claim students are willing to pay more and get enrolled under management quota. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 1:
The Delhi High Court today asked CBI to file its response to the plea of a 71-year-old woman, sentenced along with former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in the teacher recruitment scam case, challenging conviction and jail term awarded in the case.
Justice Mukta Gupta also asked the Superintendent, Tihar Jail to file a status report giving details about the health conditions of Raksha Jindal, who was awarded four years’ jail term in the case.
Besides the appeal against her conviction, Jindal has also moved an application for grant of bail on medical grounds.
“The convict is 71-year-old and is wheelchair bound as she has been suffering permanent disability. Even the trial court had allowed her to use the wheelchair inside the prison,” counsel for the convict said while seeking bail.
Jindal, who was a member of the district level selection committee constituted to recruit teachers in Haryana, was held guilty along side Chautala and others under various provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
The court has fixed the matter on February 7 for filing of Jindal’s medical report and reply of CBI to her appeal.
Earlier, the high court had granted interim bail for five weeks to another convict in the case, Rekha Sharma, to attend the marriage ceremony of her daughter.
A CBI court on January 22, had sentenced 78-year-old Chautala, his son 51-year-old Ajay Chautala and 53 others, including two IAS officers, for various offences.
On January 16, the court had convicted them under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 418 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine) of the IPC and sections 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the PCA for the illegal recruitment of 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers.
The CBI court had sentenced Om Prakash Chautala, Ajay Chautala and eight others to 10 years in jail while one convict was sentenced to five years in jail and 45 others to four years in jail.
Apart from the Chautalas, the 53 others who were convicted included Sanjiv Kumar, the then Director of Primary Education, Chautala’s former Officer on Special Duty Vidya Dhar, both IAS officers, and Sher Singh Badshami, earlier Chautala’s political advisor and currently a sitting MLA.
The court had convicted them relying on the testimony of Kumar, who initially was a whistle blower but in the CBI probe that followed he was found to be involved in the scam.
In June 2008, CBI had filed its charge sheet before the special CBI court against 62 persons, out of which six had died during the trial while one was discharged by the court.
The apex court had in its order of November 25, 2003, directed CBI to take up the investigation of the case. (PTI)