NEW DELHI, May 5: All eyes will be glued to the small screen as popular Bollywood star Aamir Khan makes his debut on Television with the reality show ‘Satyamev Jayate’, to be aired on Star Plus from tomorrow morning.

Based on real stories, ‘Satyamev Jayate’, which would also be broadcast on Doordarshan, will be aired simultaneously in eight different languages.

There has been tremendous anticipation around Aamir’s debut show, moreso since it is different from the ‘run-of-the-mill’ reality shows currently being aired on Indian Television.

Known to support social causes like that of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and Anna Hazare’s anti-graft movement, Aamir will, through his reality show, promote social causes to held strengthen democracy in the country.

In fact, speaking about the show recently, Aamir said people should come forward to support the social causes in order to strengthen democracy in the country.

“While I am not an activist, there are other people, who have devoted their lives to different issues that are close to them and 24×7 I am involved with those issues,” he said.

“When I am not an activist, I am not able to do that on a full time basis but still I am an Indian and would like to believe as a sensitive human being, I would like to lend my voice and support to different people then I feel that what they are saying is making sense to me and I feel that all of us should do it. It’s not only one of us. All of us should do that. That’s how democracy is built and gets stronger,” Aamir said.

Industry observors say that ‘Satyamev Jayate’ is an attempt by Aamir Khan to reach out to a larger audience which is why it is planned to be aired in eight Indian languages.

In fact, the theme song of the show, written by lyrisict and poet Prasoon Joshi, has already caught on across the country in a big way.

No reality show hosted by a Bollywood celebrity has evoked so much curiosity in the country as ‘Satyameva Jayate’ has.

This is despite the time slot of 1100 hrs on which the show is being aired, a rather unconventional time slot for a reality show hosted by a Bollywood celebrity.

That the show has managed to evoke curiosity among the audiences and managed to draw advertisers, despite the unconventional nature of the show and its time slot, is a reflection of Aamir’s popularity across India.

The last show to arouse a similar kind of excitement has been ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, hosted by Superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

Bollywood music director Ram Sampath, has composed the theme songs for ‘Satyameva Jayate’, while singer Keerthi Sagathia has sung the songs.(UNI)

KOLKATA, May 5: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today announced that 5733 km of kutcha roads in the villages of the state would be converted to blacktop soon under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Interacting with mediapersons here, the minister said the State Government had been urged to submit the Detail Project Report (DPR) in this regard by October 24.

Mr Ramesh said the project would be implemented ‘soon after’ submission of the DPR and would be completed in two years.

He said the total cost of the project was initially estimated at Rs 2000 crore.

The minister said another 6586 km of kutcha roads in the state would be made of blacktop in the phase 2 of the PMGSY programme.

He, however, said the DPRs should be sent by the State Government after approving those from the concerned zilla parishads.

“The PMGSY projects are not Bengal specific, these are for the entire contry. Approval of these projects by zilla parishads is under the norm,” Mr Ramesh observed.

Mr Ramesh also informed that 4000 km of new roads would be constructed in Maoist affected West Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia districts.(UNI)

NEW DELHI, May 5: A Delhi court today refused to pass orders on a criminal defamation case against Army Chief General V K Singh and four others citing loss of confidence and “apparent attempt” to “pressurise” by petitioner Lt Gen Tejinder Suingh’s counsel.

Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Sudesh Kumar transferred the case to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Amit Bansal saying counsel Anil Kumar Aggarwal, who is appearing for Tejinder Singh, has “lost confidence over the courts of law and legal procedure”.

“It appears that counsel for complainant (Tejinder Singh) Anil Kumar Aggarwal, in his zeal to obtain favourable orders for his client, did not wait for the hearing and on May 3, 2012 filed an application seeking corrections in the order sheet dated April 26, 2012,” the magistrate said.

“I have gone through the said application. The tone and tenor of this application reflects an apparent attempt to overreach, browbeat and pressurise this court into falling into lines of dictates of the counsel for complainant,” he said.

The magistrate was scheduled to pass his order today on Tejinder Singh’s complaint but he transferred it to ACMM Bansal and directed the complainant to appear before the ACMM on May 7.

Besides the Army chief, Tejinder Singh has named Vice Chief of Army Staff S K Singh, Lt Gen B S Thakur (DG MI), Major General S L Narshiman (Additional Director General of Public Information) and Lt Col Hitten Sawhney, accusing them of misusing their official positions, power and authority to level false charges against him.

The metropolitan magistrate, in his three-page order, said Tejinder Singh’s counsel had pressurised the court to obtain short dates in the matter despite the fact that the case do not fall under the category of “priority cases”.

“It seems that counsel for complainant on each and every date in this case, taking advantage of wide media coverage the matter is receiving, has been repeatedly pressurising this court for shorter dates despite the fact that the matter does not fall within the category of priority cases which the court is required to follow i.E. Old cases, matters involving persons in judicial custody, matter’s involving crime against women, child and senior citizens etc,” the magistrate said.

Detailing the sequence of the case proceedings, the court said after taking cognisance of the complaint on March 29, 2012, it had recorded pre-summoning evidence, including the statement of Tejinder Singh and three others, on April 10.

The magistrate said after feeling need for clarification on the documents submitted by the complainant, he had fixed the matter for April 25 but the counsel had pleaded urgency in the matter and it was preponed to April 21.

He said on April 21, he had to attend a training session and thus the matter was adjourned to April 26 and then, it was posted for May 11 for order after which Tejinder Singh’s counsel again pleaded for urgency and the matter for preponed for today.

The magistrate, in his today’s order, noted that such matter should not be given priority over other cases.

“No doubt every citizen of this country has statutory/ constitutional right against any attack on his reputation. The right to reputation being an important facet under Article 21 of the Constitution of India but this does not mean that such matter will receive precedence over other priority cases pending before the court,” he said.

The magistrate said he does not want to proceed further in the case as Tejinder Singh’s counsel had exhibited “lack of confidence over the court.”

“The counsel for the complainant appears to have lost confidence over the courts of law and legal procedure.

“In my considered view, vide this application, counsel Anil Kumar Aggarwal has exhibited lack of confidence over the court and the manner in which he had tried to dictate to this court as to what is required to be mentioned in the proceeding order sheets and as to what type of inquiries this court has to make, reflects his lack of faith in this court. Hence, under these circumstances, I do not want to proceed further with the trial in the present complaint,” he said.

“Let the matter be placed before ACMM-01 (Bansal) with request to pass further orders in this regards on May 7 at 2 PM. Complainant (Tejinder Singh) is directed to appear before ACMM-01 on May 7 at 2 PM,” he said.

The court had earlier recorded Tejinder Singh’s statement and the pre-summoning evidence in support of his defamation complaint over a press release alleging that he had offered bribe on behalf of Tatra and Vectra Ltd, which supplies vehicles to BEML.

Tejinder Singh had refuted the allegations that he had offered bribe to the Army chief for clearing a deal for 600 “sub-standard” vehicles. (PTI)

HYDERABAD, May 5: The moon will be closest to the earth tomorrow than it will be on any other night in 2012 and will appear significantly larger.

The phenomenon, called supermoon, this year coincides with ‘Buddha Purnima’.

On May 6 at 9.05 PM, the distance between the earth and the moon will be 3,56,955 km, the closest this year, and the angular size of the moon will be 0.5515 degrees.

It is very interesting to note that on May 6, the moon will set at western horizon a few minutes before sunrise and then it will rise again on the same evening about an hour after the sunset, Arvind Paranjpye, Director of Mumbai-based Nehru Planetarium, said.

On November 28, the moon will be the farthest from the earth this year and the distance between the two will be 4,06,349 km.

Thus, the full moon of May 6 will be about 11 per cent bigger than the full moon of November 28. (PTI)

AGRA, May 5: In compliance with the order of the Supreme Court regarding pollution threat on the world famous monument of love Taj Mahal, the district administration has commenced a special drive on the cleanliness of the river Yamuna.

“The river Yamuna, which flows near the world-famous monument is becoming victim of dirtiness and pollution day-by-day,” sources related to ‘Yamuna Swachata Abhiyan’ said today.

Also, the filth and the encroachment at the ghats were polluting the river.

The growing pollution level and foul smell in the river had become a major cause of worry for all, they added.

The district administration has started a drive to check encroachment by farmers at various ghats including Dashara, Poiya, Hathi and Balkeshwar ghats.

The cultivators had started planting cucumber, lotus root and watermelons near the ghats.

According to Divisional Block Forest Officer P K Janu, the administration would remove the crops and plant saplings from near the banks of the river in residential area to develop greenery behind the Taj Mahal and beautify its ambiance.

The Supreme Court had recently hearing a PIL ordered for removal of encroachment by ‘dhobis(washermen)’ and ‘dairies’ near the banks of the river, besides asked the officers to remove agricultural work near the river.

Apex Court’s steering committee member D K Joshi said a restriction should also be imposed on agricultural works and rearing of cattle near the river as per the decision of the court.

He observed that the use of pesticides by farmers was also raising the pollution level into the river and risking the lives of the people.

Meanwhile, the decision of the court had created a furore among the cultivators, who were alleging that the court was doing injustice to them.

They have assured their full co-operation, if the administration provides an alternate arrangement.

The environmentalists, meanwhile, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav carries a special interest in this area and can do a lot for better environment. Only a few days ago, the UP chief secretary Jawed Usmani had issued directions to develop nature park around the ‘Taj’.

A similar campaign for pollution-free Ganga river was already on in Varanasi. A large number of saints, politicians and general public was protesting for cleanliness of Ganga since past few months. (UNI)

LUCKNOW, May 5: In a bid to implement the Supreme Court’s order quashing provision of reservation in promotions for SC/ST officers and employees, Uttar Pradesh Government has sent an ordinance to Governor BL Joshi for his approval.

“As the assembly session is not in progress, the Government late last evening decided to bring an ordinance for repealing the existing rule related to reservation in promotions,” a senior official told.

The ordinance was sent to Governor Joshi last night itself for his assent to implement it immediately.

The Government will later put the ordinance in the Vidhan Sabha, whose session is expected later this month, for making it a law.

The Supreme Court in its order last month upheld the High Court’s order to scrap quota in promotions.

The legal battle on the issue had started soon after the Mayawati Government took charge in 2007. The BSP Government decided to implement the quota for SC/ST in recruitment as well as in promotions.

The decision of the State Government will benefit about 16 lakh Government employees awaiting promotions. (PTI)