0815 HRS
11.01.2014
MORNING NEWS
THE HEADLINES:
- Another law intern files an affidavit alleging sexual harassment by a
former supreme court judge .
- Delhi High Court declines interim relief to private schools
against nursery admissions norms.
- Government to push anti graft laws in the upcoming parliament session.
- Iran says an agreement
have been reached with World powers on ways and means to implement interim
nuclear deal .
- India lose to England 2-0 in
the Pool A match of World League Hockey final.
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Another former judge of the Supreme Court has been accused of sexual
harassment by a law intern who has sought action against him by the apex court.
Late last night, the name of a retired judge of the Supreme Court came to fore,
who is currently heading a tribunal. As per the complaint he sexually harassed
her in May, 2011 in his office when he was a sitting judge of the apex court.
He was not available for any reaction.
Additional Solicitor General Indira Jai Singh confirmed the name of the
judge and said, the intern has reposed confidence in her.
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The Delhi High Court has declined any interim relief to unaided
recognised private schools which have sought quashing of the notification on
nursery admission guidelines. Justice Manmohan, while issuing notices to Delhi
Government and Directorate of Education (DoE), said the petitions required
detailed hearing and it cannot be stayed on the first day. Terming the Delhi government's
notification as arbitrary, senior advocate N K Kaul, appearing for Action
Committee for Unaided Recognised Private Schools, said that at least for the
time being the operation of the notification be stayed. The court, however,
refused to stay the notification and fixed the matter for final hearing on
March 11. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said the High Court decision will provide a great
relief to the parents of the children. He said his government would now launch
a helpline for registering nursery admission complaints.
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The government will push six anti-graft framework bills during the
Parliament session starting next month to pass vote on account. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde yesterday
said that the decision in this regard
was taken at the Core Group meeting of the Congress party held in New Delhi. The bills
likely to be pushed during the session include Public Procurement Bill, the
Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Bill, the Prevention of Bribery of
Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations
Bill and the Whistleblowers Protection Bill.
The Centre has asked all state Chief Ministers to be careful while
arresting youth from minority communities. Replying to a question during his
monthly press conference yesterday , Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said
that he has written to all the Chief Ministers to release the innocent people
immediately who are languishing in jail without trial.
Minority does not mean one particular community but all
those who are concerned they are minority. But action will have to be taken if
they are not involved. They should be released . We are again writing to all
Chief Ministers that those who are not involved, they should be freed
immediately.
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Congress Vice President Rahul
Gandhi has said that the party's tickets for the Lok Sabha poll will be finalized early and new procedures will be used for it. He said ordinary workers and
those having a clean image will be
preferred. He was talking to reporters before chairing a meeting of the heads
of Congress Screening Committee for the
forthcoming general elections at party headquarters in the national capital.
Our correspondent reports that the Congress yesterday constituted ten
screening committees for selecting candidates for the forthcoming general
elections.
Congress vice president yesterday made a strong pitch for the raising of
the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders for households during a meeting with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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The Delhi Government has decided
to put the information of the scheduled
power cuts of the week in the city on the website. The information will
be available on website- delhisldc.org. Briefing reporters , Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal said that his government has also started a SMS line 9223166166
on which people can lodge the complaints pertaining to unscheduled power cuts
in their concerned areas.
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Delhi Chief Minister along with his entire cabinet will sit tomorrow in
front of Delhi Secretariat to hear the complaints of the people and try to
redress them immediately.
The Janta Darbar is scheduled to start at 9.30 AM and will continue till
11.30 AM but it can be extended depending on the number of complaints.
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In Uttar Pradesh, reacting to the media criticism for the Saifai
Mahotsav extravagance in the backdrop of Muzaffarnagar riots, the Uttar Pradesh
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has criticised media. He accused a section of
media for disparaging his government and maligning his image, as the part of a
political conspiracy. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow yesterday, Mr. Yadav said that,
contrary to the reported expenditure of 300 crores rupees in the press, only
seven to eight crore were spent on Safai Mahotsav.
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The US has said that
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who returned to New
Delhi last night after indictment in the visa fraud case in Washington, no longer
enjoys immunity and an arrest warrant may be issued against her. While talking
to reporters at Indira
Gandhi International
Airport she thanked the nation for its support.
I just want to thank my nation for the
support that they have given me.
The State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, told reporters in
Washington that prior to her departure, it was conveyed to Devyani and to the
government of India that she
is not permitted to return to New Delhi and the US expect to
submit to the jurisdiction of the court. Psaki said Devyani name will be placed
in visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent the routine issuance of any
future visa and upon her departure a warrant may be issued for her arrest.
I can confirm that the US officials
accredited to the mission India
will be leaving post at the request of the government of India. We
deeply regret that the Indian Government felt it was necessary to expel one of
our diplomatic personnel. We expect and hope this one now come to closer and
Indians will now take significant steps with us to improve our relationship and
return it to more constructive place.
Earlier yesterday, India
asked the US Embassy in New Delhi
to withdraw an officer of a rank similar to that of Devyani. Government sources
said India
has reason to believe that this officer was involved in processes relating to
the Khobragade case and subsequent unilateral action by US.
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Iran has said that an
agreement has been arrived at with the world powers on ways and means to
implement the interim nuclear deal. Iran’s
deputy chief nuclear negotiator said in Geneva
that the talks with world powers have ended with solutions on all points of
disagreement over Teheran’s nuclear program. More from our west Asia correspondent.
The negotiators from Iran,
European Union and USA met
in Geneva over
the past two days to figure out how to implement the interim nuclear deal.
After the meeting, Iran’s
deputy chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi
said differences on all outstanding issues have been resolved and an
announcement regarding the agreement will be made in the next few days after
being ratified by Iran
and the six world powers. Negotiators had earlier stated that they want to
implement the deal by January 20. Under the deal, Iran would scale down parts of its
nuclear program in exchange for a partial relief from sanctions and no new
sanctions over a six month period. Atul Tiwary, AIR News.
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The Bank of Japan (BOJ) and RBI have concluded an agreement that expands
the maximum amount of the bilateral swap arrangement (BSA) between the two
countries to 50 billion dollars. The agreement was signed by BOJ Governor
Haruhiko Kuroda and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and came into force from
yesterday. The Reserve Bank of India
said in a statement said that with this agreement, the current BSA, effective
for 3 years from 2012 to 2015, is expanded from the original size of 15 billion
dollars.
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In Himachal Pradesh, the severe cold wave has further tightened its grip
as higher reaches continues to experience snowfall. The icy winds lashing the
low areas brought the mercury down several degrees. At many places in the
state, temperatures recorded around sub-zero. More from our correspondent.
Hills queen Shimla, Kufri
and other surrounding areas experienced snowfall and lashed with light rain
last night. It is second spell of snowfall around city after 21st December. The
higher reaches and tribal areas shivered as mercury recorded between minus 14 to minus 24 degree
Celsius in high altitude tribal areas of the state. Shishu Sharma Shantal, AIR
News, Shimla.
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Chilly cold conditions continued in Uttar Pradesh as many areas have
received sporadic rainfall since last three days. More from our correspondent:
"The chilly winds have aggravated the cold conditions
in the entire state, making it more difficult, especially for the street
dwellers in the cities. The bonfires provided by the municipalities could not
be lit up as the woods are dampened due to rain. The school colleges which were
closed till 12th of this month have been further closed till 15th in Lucknow and many other
districts of the state. Merajuddin, AIR
NEWS, Lucknow."
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England beat India 2-0 in the Pool-A match of the World
League Hockey final at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi last night. In the opening match, the Indians looked
horribly out of sorts as England
rode on two goals from Adam Dixon 28th and 45th minute to pocket full three
points from their opening Pool A encounter. Earlier, Germany
defeated New Zealand
6-1 in the Pool-A.
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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:
- The expulsion of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade from the US dominates
the front pages of most news dailies today. "As Kbobragade returns, India asks US to recall diplomat of same
rank" headlines The Times of India
while the Mail Today adds "India hits back with diplomat expulsion".
- Allegations of misconduct against yet another Supreme Court judge has
also been reported prominently by many newspapers "Another SC judge
another, another intern, same
charge" reports The Pioneer.
- In a front page story The Times of India reports that the Central Bureau
of Investigation CBI has booked 3 serving Lieutenant Colonels, including 2 from
IMA, for issuing fake experience certificates to candidates and replacing their
original answer sheets during Group-C and Group-D recruitment held by the IMA
in 2011-12.
- The Pioneer reports that the according to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal the anti corruption help line introduced by the Delhi Govt. received
over 23 thousand calls within two days of its launch and has resulted in a Head
Constable being booked, and a Cooperative society staffer arrested for
accepting bribes.
- In significant news, the Hindu reports that the Union Environment
Ministry has taken a decision in two high profile cases, rejecting the forest
clearance for Vedanta's Bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri hills of
Odisha, and renewing the stand alone
environmental clearance for Posco's 8 million tones per annum steel plant.
- In a related story the Times of India reports that the Punjab and the
Haryana High Court quashed a 2009 Haryana Govt. notification acquiring 1400
acres of land in 8 villages around Gurgaon for development in a judgement that
deals a big blow to the Hooda Govt. as well as the Millennium city's realty
sector.
- And finally, according to Economics Times The T2 Airport Terminal in
Mumbai inaugurated by the Prime Minister yesterday houses thousands of art
facts and paintings, boasting of arguably one of the largest art collections in
the world at an Airport.
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