NEWS IN BRIEF – NOV 11, 2011
1. Manmohan, ‘man of peace’ Gilani promise new chapter in ties, ‘Must
Not Let Terror Spoil Atmosphere’: Addu Atoll (Maldives): Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Gilani
promised a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations after a meeting that
was low on deliverables, but is intended to convey a strong desire to stay
engaged and push for normalization of ties ruptured by the 26/11 terror
attacks.[TOI p1]
2. India gives Pakistan return gift for MFN gesture : Addu City
(Maldives) : India on Thursday asked Pakistan to put ‘all cards on the
table’ during the next round of comprehensive talks so that both countries
could actually move towards resolving some of the issues bedeviling their
ties.[The Hindu p1]
3. Hang ‘terrorist’ Kasab : Malik : Addu (Maldives): Taking forward the
policy of making the right noise at the right time, Pakistan interior minister
Rehman Malik said Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving assassin in the
November 26, 2008 Mumbai carnage, should be sent to the gallows.
Malik’s logic for being unkind: “Kasab is a terrorist. He is a non-state
actor.”[HT p1]
4. 1 in 3 Kingfisher flights cancelled on Thursday, Pilots’ Exodus, Cash
Crunch Hits Schedule: New Delhi: The actual reason for the huge chaos
among Kingfisher flyers across India became apparent on Thursday as
the airline puts its figures on the table. While Kingfisher claimed it was
cancelling 50 flights every day till November 19, in reality, it operated only
269 flights of its allocated winter schedule of 418 daily flights on
Thursday.[TOI p1]
5. Divide OBCs into subgroups, says govt panel : New Delhi: A
government panel wants the Centre to initiate legal measures to split the
Other Backward Classes (OBCs) into subgroups based on their
socioeconomic status, in what is the first sign of official intent to categorize
the monolith group. [TOI p1]
6. Joshi demands dismissal of Chidambaram : New Delhi : Upping the
ante on the 2G issue, BJP leader Murli Manohar on Thursday demanded
dismissal of home minister P Chidambaram. He also demanded an
enquiry into the home minister’s alleged role in the spectrum scam. He
said the BJP will raise the issue in the winter session of Parliament.[HT
p13]
7. Biggest scam trial kicks off today : NEW DELHI: The much awaited
trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, arguably the country’s biggest
corruption scandal involving politicians, corporate heads and bureaucrats,
begins on Friday. A CBI court will start recording the statements of 150
CBI witnesses.[HT p13]
8. Sonia very much in command but Rahul will get to play a bigger role
now : New Delhi : A day after a senior Congress functionary said party
president Sonia Gandhi was fit to address an official function in
Uttarakhand, she called off her trip, with party sources citing viral fever as
the reason.[The Hindu p1]
9. Yatra has evoked good public response : Advani : Jaipur : Senior BJP
leader L K Advani on Thursday claimed that the public has responded with
‘enthusiasm to his Jan Chetna Yatra, the latest in his series of yatras. The
former Deputy Prime Minister, who entered Rajasthan’s capital on
Thursday afternoon along with his cavalcade and a rath with a nonfunctional
hydraulic lift, said that since 1990 the public response has
continued mounting with each new yatra.[The Hindu p13]
10. No correspondence in Govt. Files between Chidambaram and Raja :
New Delhi : There is no correspondence in government files between the
then Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Telecome Minister A
Raja with regard to sale or dilution of shares by Swan and Unitech, official
sources said on Thursday.[The Hindu p13]
11. Team Anna open to quota in Lokpal : New Delhi: Team Anna has
assured the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice that it is
willing to accept reservation for socially backward castes within the
Lokpal. The assurance is expected to counter criticism from the backward
lobby which has been opposed to the Jan Lokpal bill so far. [TOI p12]
12. Nitish hits back: Team Anna can’t dictate terms : New Delhi: Bihar
chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday lashed out at Team Anna for
criticizing his Lokayukta bill and asked the anti-graft campaigners not to
seek to dictate terms, dealing a blow to their efforts to rally non-Congress
parties in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. [TOI p1]
13. State Govt has Authority to Revoke Afspa, Says Abdullah : NEW
DELHI : Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has said he
would continue to push for the phased withdrawal of AFSPA from parts of
the state, despite the Army’s resistance, and insisted that his government
had the authority to revoke the Act.[ET p2]
14. PM has Erred, says Yashwant Sinha : NEW DELHI : BJP has said
Manmohan Singh has erred in describing his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf
Raza Gilani as a“man of peace” as his country continues to use terror as
an instrument of state policy. [ET p2]
15. EC code hurdle for development, govt wants relook : NEW DELHI:
Unhappy over development projects being stalled during elections as it
happened early this year in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Centre proposes
to take a fresh look at the Election Commission’s code of conduct by
making it a part of the law governing polls in the country.[HT p10]
16. No official link’ with Anna movement : RSS : New Delhi : The RSS on
Thursday denied any ‘official link” with Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption
movement but added that it supported it and Sangh volunteers were not
barred from taking part in it as individuals.[HT p11]
17. Cong Seva Dal demands ban on Advani’s yatra in J&K : JAMMU: J&K
Congress Seva Dal on Thursday urged chief minister Omar Abdullah to
ban BJP leader LK Advani’s rath yatra from entering the state. “We
request the chief minister to take stern action against Advani and his
supporters and issue an order to ban his rath yatra in Jammu and
Kashmir,“ Pradesh Congress Seva Dal chief Balbinder Singh Sambyal told
reporters here.[HT p10]
18. EPF dues have priority over creditors: SC : New Delhi: In a landmark
judgment, the Supreme Court has ruled that from now on, recovery of
employees’ provident fund (EPF) dues from a company under liquidation
would get priority over repaying loans to secured creditors. [TOI p1]
19. ED summons to Jagan for laundering : Hyderabad: Widening its probe
into the finances of YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the
Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to him in connection with
the money laundering case against the MP. [TOI p12]
20. Kalmadi aide under CBI scanner for alleged graft : NEW DELHI: The
CBI is focusing on the alleged role of another senior CWG Organising
Committee official, also an aide of Suresh Kalmadi, in various irregularities
in projects related to conduct of the mega sporting event.[HT p10]
21. Sacked Rajasthan minister tells CBI he knew Bhanwari : Jaipur : On
the day that sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna reportedly
admitted to a relationship with missing auxiliary nurse midwife Bhanwari
Devi, a local TV channel aired clips of the alleged video showing him in a
compromising position with Devi.[IE p1]
22. Bhanwari, Raj min’s sex tape out, TV Channels Air Video; CBI
Quizzes Maderna: Jaipur: Even as Rajasthan’s sacked minister Mahipal
Maderna was interrogated by the CBI on Thursday, tapes containing
explicit visuals of his sexual encounter with government nurse Bhanwari
Devi were telecast by several local news channels. [TOI p12]
23. Maya’s Version of Divide & Rule, Resolution for division of UP into
four smaller states meant to corner Cong: LUCKNOW : Chief Minister
Mayawati has proposed division of Uttar Pradesh into four smaller states.
She is expected to table a motion on this in the winter session of the
assembly which starts on November 21. This is being seen as her
masterstroke to quell the anti-incumbency against her government, as the
state gears up for polls. [ET p3]
24. 9 more children die in Bengal : Malda : The spate of infant deaths is
continuing to haunt West Bengal as nine babies died at the Malda district
hospital on Wednesday and Thursday. Six babies including five girls died
of critical ailments on Wednesday while three babies died on Thursday.
The hospital authorities ruled out any lapse on the part of the doctors.[HT
p9]
25. Haryana Cong to get new chief in December : NEW DELHI:The
Congress will change its Haryana unit president in December. Congress
leaders involved in the process told HT that party chief Sonia Gandhi has
decided to wait till the next round of bypolls are over in the state to bring in
the new leadership.[HT p14]
26. Practise restraint Nitish tells Kejriwal:Bettiah : Undaunted by Team
Anna’s adverse remarks, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday
advised anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal to practise restraint
before making an observation on any issue.[HT p14]
27. Swiss Justice Comes to CBI Aid, Federal dept of justice and police
issues summons to Swiss Timing: NEW DELHI : The Federal
Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland has served summons on
Swiss Timing, the firm accused of conspiring with the Commonwealth
Games Organising Committee brass for wangling a contract for installing
the timing, scoring and result (TSR) system at various venues.[ET p3]
28. Petition filed in SC for removal of MP Lokayukta : New Delhi : A
former DGP of Madhya Pradesh and an RTI activist have moved the
Supreme Court, challenging the process by which the BJP government in
Madhya Pradesh appointed former Supreme Court judge P P Naolekar as
Lokayukta.[IE p6]
29. All forgiven, come back, Maya tells Brahmins : Lucknow : As the
political scene in Uttar Pradesh hots up ahead of the forthcoming
Assembly polls, Chief Minister Mayawati is making a desperate attempt
to woo back Brahmin voters.[Pioneer Daily p1]
30. Nitish attacks Team Anna : Don’t need certificate from anyone :
Bettiah : A day after Team Anna members criticised the draft of the
proposed Bihar Lokayukta Bill, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Thursday
that he “did not need a certificate from anyone” on his anti-corruption
drive.[IE p7]
31. Contract : Ministry opposes CBI move to end probe : New Delhi :
Rebutting the CBI’s findings, the Sports Ministry has opposed its decision
to close an inquiry against Smile of India Technologies and KPMG for
alleged irregularities in the infotainment contract for Commonwealth
Games 2010.[IE p7]
32. Cong tones down graft issue in UP : Lucknow : In views of the
prevailing circumstances in Delhi, the Congress in UP will be playing safe
on the corruption issue in the coming UP Assembly polls.[AA p2]
33. BJP bid to mollify ex-minister Sreeramulu fails : Bengaluru : An
eleventh hour effort by the top brass of the Karnataka unit of the BJP to
mollify former minister B Sreeramulu and persuade him to contest the
bypoll to Bellary (ST) Assembly constituency as the party’s nominee came
a cropper on Thursday night.[AA p2]
34. Joshi opposes Maya’s Formula of Trifurcation : Guwahati : BJP
leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday opposed Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati’s proposal to trifurcate the state.[AA p2]
35. Delhi CP’s Year-1: Some hits, many misses : New Delhi : Delhi Police
Commissioner BK Gupta completed one year in office on Thursday. His
tenure has more misses than hits. Gupta’s tenure would best be
remembered for following the Centre’s orders in word and spirit especially
in political matters. [Pioneer Daily p1]
36. Police on high alert for Advani’s rally : New Delhi : After Baba Ramdev
and Anna Hazare, it is BJP leader LK Advani’s turn to visit Ramlila Maidan
to conclude his Rath Yatra. After the discovery of a bomb on the route of
the yatra in Tamil Nadu, police have begun reviewing security
arrangements to be put in place in and around the ground.[HT p6]
37. MLA spat mars launch of city’s first automated parking, BJP MLA
Accuses Govt Of Favouring Realtors, Guests Leave Function In Huff
: New Delhi: The inauguration ceremony of a multi-level parking in
Sarojini Nagar on Thursday turned into a battle with NDMC members from
rival political parties – Congress and BJP – hurling abuses at each
other.[TOI p5]
38. Master Plan-2021 irrelevant: Nath : New Delhi: Union urban
development minister Kamal Nath has said 50-60% of the Master Plan of
Delhi 2021 has become irrelevant as it does not take into account the
ground realities. This comes nearly 5 years after the plan has been [TOI
p5]implemented. [TOI p5]
39. Delhi Master Plan to be revised next year : New Delhi : Rapid changes
in the city and newer challenges will lead to the revision of Delhi Master
Plan 2021 next year. Union urban development minister Kamal Nath on
Thursday said “ground realities” and the fact that there are provisions of
reviewing the plan every five years have necessitated the move. Master
Plan Delhi 2021 was implemented in 2007 and will complete the stipulated
five years in 2012.[HT p7]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
40. `Judiciary’s independence depends on judge’s integrity’: NEW
DELHI: The credibility of the judicial process comes from the office of the
judge and his or her individual and institutional reputation for
independence, asserted justice Ruma Pal, former judge of the Supreme
Court of India.[HT p7]
EDITORIAL/OPINION
41. A Good Judgment, With a few more convictions like Sardarpura,
communal riots could be history: Given the impunity generally enjoyed
by perpetrators of communal violence, the imposition of life sentence on
31 rioters for burning alive 33 Muslim victims in Sardarpura in the 2002
Gujarat riots is a milestone in India’s history.[TOI p22]
42. For rich or for poor? : New Delhi : Food subsidy is a massive
burden…if so much is spent on subsidies, what is left for development?’
agriculture minister Sharad Pawar recently asked. It is a legitimate
question that is on the minds of many but seldom gets asked for fear of
appearing callous. Are we prematurely trying to be a welfare State? [HT
p12]
