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Smriti Irani's ministry interfering in IITs, opposition MPs write to President

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Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines four Rajya Sabha MPs have spoken out against Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. The MPs have alleged that minister is interfering with the functioning of IITs and universities.

The four MPs are KC Tyagi, D Raja, Rajiv Shukla and DP Tripathi.

The MPs have also asked President Pranab Mukherjee to step in to protect the educational institutions.

Recently nuclear scientist and former chairman of the board of governors of IIT Bombay Anil Kakodkar spoke against the decision making process at the educational institution.

The scientist apparently resigned because of differences with the HRD Ministry over selection of some IIT directors.

Kakodkar, whose tenure was supposed to come to an end in May 2015 has, however, agreed to continue till that period after being persuaded by Irani, who had a long telephonic conversation with him, sources in the ministry said.

“I have put down my papers because I want to move ahead,” Kakodkar had said but refused to comment on queries whether differences had cropped up between him and the minister over selection of the directors.

Kakodkar’s resignation came two months after IIT Delhi director R Shevgaonkar had stepped down from his post in December 2014 which had triggered a controversy amidst reports that there were sharp differences between him and the ministry over certain issues. His resignation is yet to be accepted.

BBMP trifurcation will happen, says MLC D’Souza

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MLC D’Souza

Mangaluru/Bengaluru: The Karnataka state government has decided to convene an emergency session of the Legislative Assembly on April 20 to discuss and pass a Bill on the trifurcation of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Informing this to the press persons at the Congress Office, Mangaluru on Friday, April 17, MLC Ivan D’Souza said the BJP had only been playing blame game on the BBMP trifurcation issue for political gains despite the fact that it was the then BJP leader Suresh Kumar who had initially mulled for trifurcating the civic body.

“The BJP was happy with the decision back then. However, since we are planning to go ahead with the idea considering overall development of the BBMP and the Bengaluru residents, the BJP and the JD(S) have been opposing it,” he said.

Coming down heavily on JD(S) Supremo H D Devegowda’s move to direct his party functionaries to boycott the Assembly session, D’Souza said that it was against the principles of democracy.

Clearing the air that the move was a ploy to postpone conducting the BBMP elections, he said that the party was not fearing a loss as it had contested numerous elections in which it has enjoyed both success as well as failure. He opined that conducting elections for the BBMP Council will be a waste of time and money if the BBMP is trifurcated. Instead, the state government will supersede the existing BBMP. Hence, the trifurcation is a certainty.

(Agencies)

Chittoor firing: HC orders fresh post-mortem of 5 victims

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Red Sanders

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court today ordered fresh autopsies for another five victims of the police firing in Seshachalam forests of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh state on April 7. Yesterday it had ordered fresh post-mortem of victim Sasi Kumar, a Tamil Nadu-based labourer, upon his wife’s application. The division bench of Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar passed the direction today after relatives of five more victims (out of the 20 people who were killed) moved the court seeking fresh autopsies.

The “re-post-mortem” was sought with the accusation that the firing incident was a “brutual and planned murder” by the Special Task Force (STF) of Andhra Pradesh Police. Yesterday, the high court had directed the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct fresh autopsy on the body of Sasi Kumar in response to the application filed by his wife Muniyammal. Her counsel had sought fresh autopsies for five others too, but the court declined to pass order, as the relatives concerned had not approached the court.

Muniyammal’s lawyer, advocate K Balu, today filed similar applications on behalf of the kin of five deceased — wives of four victims and another’s mother. The high court also ordered teams of medical experts from either Osmania Hospital or Gandhi Hospital (both state-run institutions here) to fly to Chennai to conduct the re-postmortem of the five bodies.

All the six bodies, including that of Sasi Kumar, are being kept at a government hospital in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The judges also directed the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to ensure safety of the medical teams. Their reports should be submitted in a sealed cover to the court on Monday, they said.

(PTI)

'Sarakki Lake Eviction': Demolition of over 200 Structures Begins in Bengaluru

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Sarakki-Lake

Bengaluru: A four-year-old legal battle culminated on Thursday morning as the revenue department started one of its biggest drives clearing Sarakki Lake of its encroachments.

Multiple surveys of the lake area had shown that 34 acres of the 84 acres of the lake area, has been encroached by private layouts and other establishments. Thirty-four acres spread across three villages Sarakki, Puttenhalli and Jaraganahalli may cost around Rs 2,000 crore in the open market today.

“This is one of the biggest clearance drives we have conducted. It may take up to 10 days to recover the encroached land,” said V. Shankar, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban) district.

The district administration has formed three special teams, each headed by an assistant commissioner and armed with multiple earth movers and have taken up the clearance drive.

“We have issued notices to all encroachers multiple times. The High Court has given the order three times already. But this time we are moving in, armed with a court order to take stringent action against encroachers. All encroachers have been served notices a month ago and the date of clearance drive was also notified,” said Nagaraj, Additional Deputy Commissioner.

High Court had issued an order in August 2014 to free the lake of all encroachments disposing off a PIL filed by People’s Campaign for the Right to Water. Tahsildar Bengaluru (South) had, then, conducted a survey and submitted a report to the High Court showing 135 encroachments in the lake area.

Mr. Nagaraj said that there were a private dental college, a temple and 68 residential buildings in survey number five of Sarakki village, 30 commercial complexes, 42 residential buildings, six temples in survey no five of Puttenahalli village and around 40 residential buildings in survey number seven of Jaraganahalli village.

“Most of the residents of the area have left the houses with their goods anticipating eviction and demolition,” he said. He also added that a part of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) built road also encroached on the lake area and it would be cleared.

High Court has given a stay order for the eviction of one Nandini Lakeview Apartments with 21 flats, in the lake area. Mr. Nagaraj said apart from that one apartment complex, they would demolish all other buildings and recover the land.

(Agencies)

Masarat Alam says did not wave Pakistani flag, but finds nothing wrong in others waving it

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masarat-alam

by Junaid Kathju, Rising Kashmir

Srinagar: Muslim League chairman and senior Hurriyat (G) leader Masarat Alam Thursday said he did not find anything wrong in people waving Pakistani flags during Syed Ali Geelani’s rally in Srinagar yesterday.

“Even though I didn’t personally wave any flags but if people did wave such flags, I don’t find anything wrong in it,” Alam told Rising Kashmir.

He said waving Pakistani flag in Kashmir has been the part of the “freedom movement” in Kashmir and it has been going on since 1947.

“By seeing the same sentiment, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised plebiscite to Kashmiri people which were never fulfilled. Yesterday was only the reminder of that promise,” the separatist leader said.

On FIR being lodged against him for alleged provocative activities and hoisting of Pakistani flag, Alam said many FIRs have been registered against him in past and there was nothing to worry about it.

“What is new in it? I have been booked many times in past also. One more FIR doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said.

About Tral chalo call , Alam said his party has not yet decided whether to join the rally but being a member of Hurriyat (G), he is ready to be part of any program.

Police Wednesday evening registered FIR against Geelani, Masarat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah and other separatist leaders for alleged provocative activities and hoisting Pakistani flag in Hyderpora.

FIR No 92/2015 under sections 13 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 120-B, 147,341,336,427 RPC was registered in Police Station Budgam against the trio.

On March 7, government released Alam from jail after four years of detention. Alam was arrested in Harwan area on the outskirts of Srinagar in October 2010 on charges of spearheading summer unrest in the Valley that year. Over 120 youth were killed in police and paramilitary forces firing in during the unrest.

SC extends Jayalalithaa's bail

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jayalalithaa

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday extended the bail of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and others till the Karnataka High Court disposed of their appeal against her conviction and sentencing in a disproportionate assets case by the special court.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu also extended till May 12 the time for the high court to pronounce its verdict on Jayalalithaa’s appeal, which was coming to an end on Friday.

The court extended the time after a senior counsel told the court that after the split verdict on the DMK leader’s plea on the appointment of G. Bhavani Singh as special public prosecutor, it has now to be decided by a three-judge bench of the apex court.

It was hoped that the three-judge bench, which is yet to take up the matter, may complete the hearing and decide the matter before May 12.

(IANS)

Christian priests raise concern over security

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The alter of the St Sebastian Church that was gutted in Delhi. (Source: Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

The alter of the St Sebastian Church that was gutted in Delhi. (Source: Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

Mathura: Christian priests in Mathura on Friday raised security concern after an attack on the 95-year-old St. Mary’s Church in Agra on Thursday.

The priests fear that they, too, could be attacked by anti-social elements.

“The desperate elements could easily target any. Under the new government at the Centre, the attacks have become more frequent,” said Father Saji, a priest at a church in Jait village in Mathura district.

Father Saji said the district administration made no security arrangements even after the recent spate of churches being attacked.

Mathura district has around a dozen churches and educational institutions run by different denominations, but their security is lax.

In Agra, Christians marched with candles on Thursday evening to protest administrative indifference. Protests will continue till the culprits are nabbed, community leaders said.

Rajesh Modak, senior superintendent of Agra police, said investigations were on with four teams on the job and that the suspects would be arrested soon.

Father Moon Lazarus, parish priest, demanded arrest of the attackers who, he said, were “mentally diseased.”

A group has threatened to close down Christian missionary schools in Agra, if the culprits were not booked soon.

(IANS)

Protesters at Vancouver mark endnote for Modi's visit

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Vancouver_Protest-Modi

Vancouver: Slogan-shouting and placard-waving protesters greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday at Canada’s oldest gurdwara in Vancouver and a temple, the only sore points during a three-nation tour which resulted in ground-breaking agreements across several vital sectors.

The protests outside the Ross Street gurdwara and also the Laxminarayan temple in Surrey saw people from different communities raising issues ranging from secularism to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The 500-odd protestors, some armed with bullhorns, claimed to represent various Indian religious groups, and held up placards relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots, which took place when Modi was the chief minister of the state.

Slogans like “Modi, Go Back” rent the air though the protest was peaceful amidst heavy police deployment and road blocks.

Some among the protesters were objecting to the presence of Canadian PM Stephen Harper for a new anti-terror law that gives sweeping powers to the police and security agencies.

Modi prayed at the gurdwara and also remembered the 1914 Komagata Maru incident when Canada did not let in hundreds of Sikhs, a community acknowledged as a major contributor to the country’s economy today.

“The Sikh community has worked hard and has earned the respect of the people of Canada. India is respected in Canada and this is due to your efforts. Wherever we are, let us do things that bring pride to our nation,” Modi said while addressing devotees at the Khalsa Diwan gurdwara.

Later, Modi and Harper were gifted Sikh ceremonial swords by the gurdwara committee.

“This is a very significant visit. Modi is the third Indian prime minister to come here, after Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949 and Indira Gandhi in 1973,” Khalsa Diwan society president Sohan Singh Deo said.

Modi’s trip to Canada is the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister in 42 years.

Later, the two leaders went to the Laxminarayan temple, where the number of the protestors grew as Surrey has a sizable South Asian population.

The protests evoked sharp response from supporters of Modi who chanted “Modi, Modi” while waving flags of India and Canada.

The Prime Minister also prayed at the temple, with the priest applying tika on his forehead.

“I bring greetings from 1.2 billion Indians to the 1.2 million Indians living in Canada. In India, the Supreme Court gave a superb definition for Hinduism: they said that it is not a religion but a way of life: how to live in synchrony with nature,” the Prime Minister said.

The official Twitter account of the Prime Minister’s Office said he also bowed in remembrance to the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, where hundreds of Sikh passengers were not allowed to alight on Canadian soil due to their Asian origin.

The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamship, which was sailing from Hong Kong to Vancouver with 376 passengers from Punjab on board, a majority of whom were Sikhs. Only 24 were admitted to Canada, while the rest were forced to return to India.

Modi wrapped up his engagements in Canada with a state banquet hosted by the Canadian Prime Minister.

Talking business

Earlier, top executives at Canada’s largest banks, insurers and pension funds sounded bullish over investing in India after meeting Modi who held a roundtable with the heads of major Canadian financial institutions in Toronto.

Modi said he understood the need for consistency in regulation and that India has learnt from its past missteps.

The message resonated with Canadian business heads, some of whose firms have already lined up, or raised funds to invest in India.

“It’s great to see a leader who’s focused on reducing red tape, reducing roadblocks, and encouraging development,” said Dean Connor, chief executive of insurer Sun Life Financial Inc that has had a presence in India for over 15 years.

Connor, noting that Modi clearly expressed that his government would not pursue retrospective application of tax rules, which has been a problematic issue for investors in the past.

Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter felt India had “great growth potential” and have been “encouraged by the significant reforms Prime Minister Modi has achieved less than one year after taking office.”

(Agencies)

Indian companies back out of Facebook’s Internet.org to protect net neutrality

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Internet.org

Washington: As the debate on net neutrality in India heats up, several Indian firms are pulling out of Internet.org, a charity headed by Facebook to help spread internet access to parts of the world where many people lack connectivity.

After NDTV, Newshunt, and the Times Group pulled out some or all of their services from Internet.org due to concerns over net neutrality, travel website Cleartrip has become the latest firm to exit the deal, citing same concerns, reported The Verge.

The concept of net neutrality had been a hotly debated topic in the United States last month as the FCC adopted more stringent rules. The issue is now being widely debated in India too.

Mobile network operator Airtel, along with local startups, had been planning on creating a platform where startups would pay for data usage, making their services free for users. However, this would be similar to the sponsored data initiatives seen in the U.S., which the FCC recently categorized as an unacceptable form of “paid prioritization.” Internet.org worked the same way as it provided users free access to a selection of 39 “essential” services, including Facebook.

The discussion surrounding the topic has raised several questions like, why Internet.org is being publicised as a charity rather than a business venture and whether it will impinge on net neutrality in an attempt to spread internet access.

(IANS)

Janata Parivar merger will prove destructive for BJP: Nitish

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Photo: The Hindu

Photo: The Hindu

Patna: Lashing out at the BJP for its comments on Janata Parivar merger, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday said that the coming together of the six parties will prove to be “destructive” for the saffron party.

“The BJP does not know that the merger, of which they are making fun, will prove to be destructive for them. Infact their leaders are not poking fun, they are displaying fear present in their subconscious minds due to the merger,” Kumar said

Kumar was speaking to mediapersons at Patna airport this morning on his arrival from New Delhi after attending the merger of Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP).

The merger of these six parties, which were originally part of the Janata Dal that swept the 1989 Lok Sabha polls, was declared at SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence in New Delhi.

The name, flag and symbol of the new party will be announced later.

“The BJP is saying that there is still some hindrance in merger. But the fact is that it is worried from its core due to it,” Kumar claimed.

The chief minister said all the parties collectively decided that Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the president of the new party.

“A committee consisting of the presidents of all the six parties has been formed. It will chalk out the schedule to finalise everything related to the new party. It will decide on the name, policy, programme, flag, symbol of the new party. The decisions will be taken collectively,” he added.

Responding to questions regarding time frame of declaring the name and symbol of the party, Kumar said Yadav will take initiative to call meetings, deliberate over the issues and take further action.

He allayed fears that the merger will have any negative effect on the functioning of the Bihar government.

“The government will keep working as usual. It will work determinedly on the agenda of development and good governance. It will keep serving the state,” he added.

(PTI)

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