CSAT to replace civil services prelims from '11
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 27, 2010, 03.30am IST
NEW DELHI: The government will soon come out with a detailed syllabus of the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) -- a new scheme of examination, which is to replace the existing Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination from 2011.
The test is meant for shortlisting candidates for the CS (Main) Examination, being conducted every year to recruit officers in IAS, IFS, IPS and other elite central services.
The Centre had in March approved the proposal for introduction of CSAT in place of CS (Preliminary) from next year, and subsequently asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to work out its syllabus.
"The government will shortly notify the new scheme of examination giving details of the syllabus which is being worked out. CSAT is expected to come into force from the Civil Services Examination, 2011", said the minister of state for personnel Prithviraj Chavan.
In written response to a parliamentary question in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Chavan said: "In CSAT, one of the optional subjects which a candidate could have chosen out of 23 optional has been replaced with a common paper on aptitude test".
Referring to the syllabus, which is yet to be finalised, sources in the ministry explained that the candidates may now have to appear in two objective type papers, having special emphasis on testing their "aptitude for civil services" as well as on "ethical and moral dimension of decision making".
Both these papers -- having equal weightage -- will be common to all candidates in place of one common paper (general awareness) and one optional paper (any particular subject of choice) under the existing system, which lays greater emphasis on subject knowledge.
As of now, the change will be effective only for the first of the three stages of the CSE from 2011 onwards. The second and third stages -- CS (Main) Examination and Interview, respectively -- will remain the same till a panel of experts goes into various aspects of the entire system and submits its report.
The proposal to this effect was sent to PMO last year by UPSC.
Officials, familiar with the proposal, explained that the changes had been suggested by various committees. Most of the panels had advocated for laying greater emphasis on "aptitude" of candidates than their subjects' knowledges, arguing that the specialists or experts of any particular subject may not necessarily be good civil servants unless they have actual inclination towards it.
An official said: "The new system (CSAT) will also provide a level-playing filed and equity since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper".
Though scaling system is currently used in Preliminary examination in order to ensure that no candidate who has opted for any particular optional paper gets any undue advantage because of varying degree of difficulty of any paper or inherent scorability, the government has received a number of complaints objecting to the method on one or the other ground......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMjcjQXIwMTEwMg==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)....Is it tamper proof?....
Intel background check on EVM 'thief'
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 27, 2010, 03.06am IST
NEW DELHI: Is the arrested activist, who showed that an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) can be tampered with, a mere tool in the hands of some corporate rivals who want to make a clone of the equipment which has a huge demand in countries across Africa and South America?
Or, is he, who got technical help from three foreigners, a part of some larger conspiracy to discredit India's election process?
With these sneaking suspicions in mind, the intelligence agencies -- both IB and R&AW -- have set into motion their network to check the backgrounds of Hari Prasad, who was arrested in Hyderabad in the EVM theft case last Saturday, and his foreign contacts.
Suspecting that the instrument might have been smuggled out possibly to an European country, a top official on Thursday said there could be a larger "conspiracy angle" to discredit the country's election process and this was being probed "thoroughly" after Prasad's arrest.
"There seems to be a bigger picture than what it looked like initially. We are conducting a through probe to find out who was actually behind it, why it has been done and whether there is a conspiracy to discredit India's election process," the official said.
Sources said the investigators have found that two Americans and one Dutch national had helped Prasad, technical coordinator of VeTA ( Citizens for Verifiability, Transparency and Accountability in Elections), to show how the machine can be tampered with.
The Union home ministry is constantly monitoring the development and giving regular directions to the investigators and intelligence agencies asking for all the details. Besides, the probe agencies are also trying to find out whether any domestic or foreign private corporate was indirectly involved in the theft case to make a clone as EVMs are manufactured only by two government undertakings -- Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronic Corporation of India. Both these organisations also export EVMs to a few foreign countries.
Prasad was arrested for allegedly stealing an EVM from the Mumbai Collector's office. He used the EVM for demonstrating on TV how the machine can be tampered with. Prasad, however, claimed innocence saying he did not steal the EVM, which was given to him by two persons who took it back within two days.......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEwLzA4LzI3I0FyMDA5MDQ=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 27, 2010, 03.06am IST
NEW DELHI: Is the arrested activist, who showed that an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) can be tampered with, a mere tool in the hands of some corporate rivals who want to make a clone of the equipment which has a huge demand in countries across Africa and South America?
Or, is he, who got technical help from three foreigners, a part of some larger conspiracy to discredit India's election process?
With these sneaking suspicions in mind, the intelligence agencies -- both IB and R&AW -- have set into motion their network to check the backgrounds of Hari Prasad, who was arrested in Hyderabad in the EVM theft case last Saturday, and his foreign contacts.
Suspecting that the instrument might have been smuggled out possibly to an European country, a top official on Thursday said there could be a larger "conspiracy angle" to discredit the country's election process and this was being probed "thoroughly" after Prasad's arrest.
"There seems to be a bigger picture than what it looked like initially. We are conducting a through probe to find out who was actually behind it, why it has been done and whether there is a conspiracy to discredit India's election process," the official said.
Sources said the investigators have found that two Americans and one Dutch national had helped Prasad, technical coordinator of VeTA ( Citizens for Verifiability, Transparency and Accountability in Elections), to show how the machine can be tampered with.
The Union home ministry is constantly monitoring the development and giving regular directions to the investigators and intelligence agencies asking for all the details. Besides, the probe agencies are also trying to find out whether any domestic or foreign private corporate was indirectly involved in the theft case to make a clone as EVMs are manufactured only by two government undertakings -- Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronic Corporation of India. Both these organisations also export EVMs to a few foreign countries.
Prasad was arrested for allegedly stealing an EVM from the Mumbai Collector's office. He used the EVM for demonstrating on TV how the machine can be tampered with. Prasad, however, claimed innocence saying he did not steal the EVM, which was given to him by two persons who took it back within two days.......http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEwLzA4LzI3I0FyMDA5MDQ=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Friday, August 27, 2010
A dangerous trend....Who are trying to creat this divide?
ISI trying to revive Punjab militancy: IB
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 26, 2010, 02.48am IST
NEW DELHI: The Intelligence Bureau (IB) on Wednesday warned that "inimical agencies" operating from "international bases" were trying to revive militancy in Punjab by forging an alliance between Khalistani groups and Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Calling attempts to revive Sikh militancy a worrisome trend, IB chief Rajiv Mathur said, "There have been clear attempts by inimical agencies abroad to reactivate Sikh terrorist elements, forge nexus between LeT and terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and mobilise their resources for planning terrorist violence in Punjab and elsewhere in the country."
Mathur, who was addressing a conference of director generals of state police and chiefs of paramilitary forces, did not name any country or identify any agency but officials tracking the development later said interrogation of those arrested recently in Jalandhar and Amritsar clearly hinted at their association with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
The IB chief's remarks come nearly a month after Punjab Police arrested five BKI militants, including one Pal Singh, in July. Singh, a French national, was arrested from Dhandowal village in Jalandhar district. It is suspected that he was in the village to recruit youngsters for the terrorist outfit's sleeper cell.
It was, however, not a one-off arrest. In May, the state police had arrested Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant Bakshish Singh alias Baba in Amritsar district and recovered 2.3 kg of RDX from him. His interrogation had revealed that KLF had set up base in Malaysia where a large number of Sikhs are living as illegal immigrants.
"It was disclosed by Baba that KLF had set up its base in Malaysia mainly to recruit cadres from among illegal immigrants," said a senior official.
Baba, who was working at the behest of ISI, also admitted that he had planted an IED outside an LPG bottling plant in Nabha town and an explosive device in a Maruti car near IAF's Halwara base in January.
In July, German police had arrested two KZF terrorists -- Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga and Bhupinder Singh alias Bhinda -- in Frankfurt on charges of hatching a conspiracy to kill Radha Swami Satsang Beas Dera head Baba Gurinder Singh who was on his Europe tour.
"Information shared by Germany indicated the Khalistani militants' design to revive militancy in Punjab through fresh recruitments," an official said....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMjYjQXIwMTEwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 26, 2010, 02.48am IST
NEW DELHI: The Intelligence Bureau (IB) on Wednesday warned that "inimical agencies" operating from "international bases" were trying to revive militancy in Punjab by forging an alliance between Khalistani groups and Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Calling attempts to revive Sikh militancy a worrisome trend, IB chief Rajiv Mathur said, "There have been clear attempts by inimical agencies abroad to reactivate Sikh terrorist elements, forge nexus between LeT and terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and mobilise their resources for planning terrorist violence in Punjab and elsewhere in the country."
Mathur, who was addressing a conference of director generals of state police and chiefs of paramilitary forces, did not name any country or identify any agency but officials tracking the development later said interrogation of those arrested recently in Jalandhar and Amritsar clearly hinted at their association with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
The IB chief's remarks come nearly a month after Punjab Police arrested five BKI militants, including one Pal Singh, in July. Singh, a French national, was arrested from Dhandowal village in Jalandhar district. It is suspected that he was in the village to recruit youngsters for the terrorist outfit's sleeper cell.
It was, however, not a one-off arrest. In May, the state police had arrested Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant Bakshish Singh alias Baba in Amritsar district and recovered 2.3 kg of RDX from him. His interrogation had revealed that KLF had set up base in Malaysia where a large number of Sikhs are living as illegal immigrants.
"It was disclosed by Baba that KLF had set up its base in Malaysia mainly to recruit cadres from among illegal immigrants," said a senior official.
Baba, who was working at the behest of ISI, also admitted that he had planted an IED outside an LPG bottling plant in Nabha town and an explosive device in a Maruti car near IAF's Halwara base in January.
In July, German police had arrested two KZF terrorists -- Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga and Bhupinder Singh alias Bhinda -- in Frankfurt on charges of hatching a conspiracy to kill Radha Swami Satsang Beas Dera head Baba Gurinder Singh who was on his Europe tour.
"Information shared by Germany indicated the Khalistani militants' design to revive militancy in Punjab through fresh recruitments," an official said....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMjYjQXIwMTEwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Friday, August 20, 2010
Politics around 'Enemy Properties' in India.....Pak sold off ‘enemy property’ long ago
Enemy property bill: Govt placates Muslim MPs
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 20, 2010, 03.15am IST
NEW DELHI: Modifications in the controversial Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, which the government will try to get passed in the ongoing Parliament session, may defeat original purpose of the Ordinance but it appears to have addressed the concerns of both the Union home ministry as well as the group of Muslim MPs — including Cabinet ministers — who have been lobbying against the proposed law.
The Bill, which could not be taken up for consideration and passing on the second consecutive day on Thursday despite being listed for the purpose, will have three amendments. If it gets Parliament's nod, the government will not be able to stop "lawful heir" from claiming his or her property but it will have final say in identifying the "heir".
Besides, it will also have power to weed out encroachers and land mafia from the enemy properties — worth thousands of crores of rupees — across the country.
"Since one of the amendments — deals with section 18 of the Bill — provides how the claimant will have to establish that he or she is the lawful heir, the government will not return the property unless it is satisfied with the claim," said an official while referring to the proposed modifications.
As a direct implication of it, though the government will not be able to stop Raja of Mahmoodabad, M A Mohammad Khan, whose case is said to have become a trigger for bringing the Ordinance in July, from taking over his father's properties back in different cities in Uttar Pradesh, it will have 'last word' in all those cases which have been pending in various courts across the country.
Armed with the new law, the government will be able to stop those whose claims do not appear to be correct as in some of the cases it was suspected that the claimants had allegedly bought the 'will' or 'unregistered gift orders' from those Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals who had left these properties in India before migrating to those countries.
Some of the claimants had even allegedly managed to come out with 'adoptions certificates' so that they can claim their rights over such valuable properties. While the first amendment is a 'consequential amendment' because some sections will come into force on a different date, the second amendment will substitute new Section 18 for old Section 18.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMjAjQXIwMTUwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Pak sold off ‘enemy property’ long ago
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 01.49am IST
NEW DELHI: High profile Muslim MPs may be pitching for individuals’ rights over ‘enemy property’ in India but Pakistan had "unilaterally" sold most such property of Indian nationals long ago. India continues to vest such property in a Custodian, leaving it to the courts to decide its ownership.
The home ministry came across this fact while redrafting the proposed Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2010, which is aimed at weeding out encroachers from such property and restoring the right of genuine legal heirs.
Currently, there are 2,186 ‘enemy properties’ — the properties left by those who migrated to Pakistan and Bangladesh over time — across the country.
Referring to Pakistan’s stand, an official said, “Under the Tashkent Declaration of 1966, it was stipulated that both India and Pakistan would discuss the return of property and assets seized by either side. However, as confirmed by the MEA, Pakistan has unilaterally sold all the properties and assets of Indian nationals, firms and companies.”
The MEA informed the home ministry that most of the transactions in Pakistan took place during 1965-76 when there was no diplomatic relations between the two countries. Citing communication (June 10, 1986) of the then counselor at Indian high commission, Islamabad, the official said, “Pakistan had done this under the provisions of the Defence of Pakistan Ordinances of 1965 and 1971. While the 1965 Ordinance gave Pakistan power to take over properties of Indian citizens/companies till the end of hostilities, the 1971 Ordinance extinguished the right of owners of such properties.”....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEwLzA4LzE2I0FyMDA3MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 20, 2010, 03.15am IST
NEW DELHI: Modifications in the controversial Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, which the government will try to get passed in the ongoing Parliament session, may defeat original purpose of the Ordinance but it appears to have addressed the concerns of both the Union home ministry as well as the group of Muslim MPs — including Cabinet ministers — who have been lobbying against the proposed law.
The Bill, which could not be taken up for consideration and passing on the second consecutive day on Thursday despite being listed for the purpose, will have three amendments. If it gets Parliament's nod, the government will not be able to stop "lawful heir" from claiming his or her property but it will have final say in identifying the "heir".
Besides, it will also have power to weed out encroachers and land mafia from the enemy properties — worth thousands of crores of rupees — across the country.
"Since one of the amendments — deals with section 18 of the Bill — provides how the claimant will have to establish that he or she is the lawful heir, the government will not return the property unless it is satisfied with the claim," said an official while referring to the proposed modifications.
As a direct implication of it, though the government will not be able to stop Raja of Mahmoodabad, M A Mohammad Khan, whose case is said to have become a trigger for bringing the Ordinance in July, from taking over his father's properties back in different cities in Uttar Pradesh, it will have 'last word' in all those cases which have been pending in various courts across the country.
Armed with the new law, the government will be able to stop those whose claims do not appear to be correct as in some of the cases it was suspected that the claimants had allegedly bought the 'will' or 'unregistered gift orders' from those Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals who had left these properties in India before migrating to those countries.
Some of the claimants had even allegedly managed to come out with 'adoptions certificates' so that they can claim their rights over such valuable properties. While the first amendment is a 'consequential amendment' because some sections will come into force on a different date, the second amendment will substitute new Section 18 for old Section 18.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMjAjQXIwMTUwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Pak sold off ‘enemy property’ long ago
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 16, 2010, 01.49am IST
NEW DELHI: High profile Muslim MPs may be pitching for individuals’ rights over ‘enemy property’ in India but Pakistan had "unilaterally" sold most such property of Indian nationals long ago. India continues to vest such property in a Custodian, leaving it to the courts to decide its ownership.
The home ministry came across this fact while redrafting the proposed Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2010, which is aimed at weeding out encroachers from such property and restoring the right of genuine legal heirs.
Currently, there are 2,186 ‘enemy properties’ — the properties left by those who migrated to Pakistan and Bangladesh over time — across the country.
Referring to Pakistan’s stand, an official said, “Under the Tashkent Declaration of 1966, it was stipulated that both India and Pakistan would discuss the return of property and assets seized by either side. However, as confirmed by the MEA, Pakistan has unilaterally sold all the properties and assets of Indian nationals, firms and companies.”
The MEA informed the home ministry that most of the transactions in Pakistan took place during 1965-76 when there was no diplomatic relations between the two countries. Citing communication (June 10, 1986) of the then counselor at Indian high commission, Islamabad, the official said, “Pakistan had done this under the provisions of the Defence of Pakistan Ordinances of 1965 and 1971. While the 1965 Ordinance gave Pakistan power to take over properties of Indian citizens/companies till the end of hostilities, the 1971 Ordinance extinguished the right of owners of such properties.”....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JSC8yMDEwLzA4LzE2I0FyMDA3MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Terrorism: New twist in the tale..UN, US and India
HuJI ban takes no note of 'Hindu terror' role
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 8, 2010, 03.10am IST
NEW DELHI: Contrary to Centre's growing estimate that alleged Hindu extremists carried out the May 2007 Mecca Mosque blast in Hyderabad, the United States and the United Nations have held the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI) responsible for it. The UN has, in fact, termed the blast a joint operation of HuJI and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and listed a number of other terror attacks in India in which these outfits were involved.
HuJI's role in the Mecca Mosque blast was highlighted both by the US and the UN while banning the outfit as a `terrorist organisation' and designating its top commanderIlyas Kashmiri as a `global terrorist' having links with al-Qaeda on Friday. Kashmiri had recently been indicted in the US for providing material support to Pakistani-American LeT operative David Coleman Headley.
India had also suspected HuJI's involvement in the Mecca Masjid blasts before stumbling upon evidence linking the terror act to the group aligned with Abhinav Bharat who are suspect in two other attacks on Muslim targets -- the blast at a mosque in Malegaon and at the Ajmer Shrine. It is possible that the UN and US authorities did not check with India for fresh updates on investigation into the crimes, going along with the initial line of Indian investigators.
Their "finding" may trigger a controversy because investigators have uncovered more evidence linking the Mecca Masjid blast which killed 16 people and injured 40 to Hindu extremists.
The US has pointed out that HuJI -- which has been operating in India and Pakistan -- had carried out this terror attack besides several others including the one in Varanasi in March 2007.
Justifying its determination, the US department of state in its statement said: "These actions were taken in consultation with the department of the treasury and the department of justice.... These actions will give US law enforcement additional tools needed to restrict the flow of resources to both HuJI and Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri."
The same day, the UN too imposed sanctions on both HuJI and its commander Ilyas Kashmiri, subjecting both the entity and the individual to "the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo". The world body has also listed a number of terror attacks which were carried out by HuJI. Besides the Mecca Masjid blast, these include the twin explosions in Hyderabad in August 2007 and suicide bombing of the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2006 among others.
Though India had banned the outfit long ago, the UN's decision may have its implications in Pakistan as all members of the world body would now be required to implement "asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo" against HuJI and Kashmiri.
Although the American decision gave credence to what Indian investigators had initially suspected on the basis of preliminary findings in the Mecca Masjid blast, it contradicted the recent probe suspecting links of perpetrators of this blast with those of the Malegaon (September 2006), Samjhauta Express (February 2007 in Haryana), and the Ajmer Sharif dargah (October 2007) blasts. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was recently handed over the probe of the Samjhauta blast case. The investigation will also look into whether all these blasts were actually carried out by Hindu terror outfit Abhinav Bharat or some other Hindu extremists groups.
Though the initial probe had hinted at involvement of Hindu extremist group in the Samjhauta blast, the twist came when the US last year named one Arif Qasmani of Karachi as being involved in the Mumbai suburban train blasts of July 2006 and in the Samjhauta Express blast. The NIA will now have to find out the truth....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMDgjQXIwMTgwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 8, 2010, 03.10am IST
NEW DELHI: Contrary to Centre's growing estimate that alleged Hindu extremists carried out the May 2007 Mecca Mosque blast in Hyderabad, the United States and the United Nations have held the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI) responsible for it. The UN has, in fact, termed the blast a joint operation of HuJI and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and listed a number of other terror attacks in India in which these outfits were involved.
HuJI's role in the Mecca Mosque blast was highlighted both by the US and the UN while banning the outfit as a `terrorist organisation' and designating its top commanderIlyas Kashmiri as a `global terrorist' having links with al-Qaeda on Friday. Kashmiri had recently been indicted in the US for providing material support to Pakistani-American LeT operative David Coleman Headley.
India had also suspected HuJI's involvement in the Mecca Masjid blasts before stumbling upon evidence linking the terror act to the group aligned with Abhinav Bharat who are suspect in two other attacks on Muslim targets -- the blast at a mosque in Malegaon and at the Ajmer Shrine. It is possible that the UN and US authorities did not check with India for fresh updates on investigation into the crimes, going along with the initial line of Indian investigators.
Their "finding" may trigger a controversy because investigators have uncovered more evidence linking the Mecca Masjid blast which killed 16 people and injured 40 to Hindu extremists.
The US has pointed out that HuJI -- which has been operating in India and Pakistan -- had carried out this terror attack besides several others including the one in Varanasi in March 2007.
Justifying its determination, the US department of state in its statement said: "These actions were taken in consultation with the department of the treasury and the department of justice.... These actions will give US law enforcement additional tools needed to restrict the flow of resources to both HuJI and Mohammad Ilyas Kashmiri."
The same day, the UN too imposed sanctions on both HuJI and its commander Ilyas Kashmiri, subjecting both the entity and the individual to "the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo". The world body has also listed a number of terror attacks which were carried out by HuJI. Besides the Mecca Masjid blast, these include the twin explosions in Hyderabad in August 2007 and suicide bombing of the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, in March 2006 among others.
Though India had banned the outfit long ago, the UN's decision may have its implications in Pakistan as all members of the world body would now be required to implement "asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo" against HuJI and Kashmiri.
Although the American decision gave credence to what Indian investigators had initially suspected on the basis of preliminary findings in the Mecca Masjid blast, it contradicted the recent probe suspecting links of perpetrators of this blast with those of the Malegaon (September 2006), Samjhauta Express (February 2007 in Haryana), and the Ajmer Sharif dargah (October 2007) blasts. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was recently handed over the probe of the Samjhauta blast case. The investigation will also look into whether all these blasts were actually carried out by Hindu terror outfit Abhinav Bharat or some other Hindu extremists groups.
Though the initial probe had hinted at involvement of Hindu extremist group in the Samjhauta blast, the twist came when the US last year named one Arif Qasmani of Karachi as being involved in the Mumbai suburban train blasts of July 2006 and in the Samjhauta Express blast. The NIA will now have to find out the truth....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMDgjQXIwMTgwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Loss of inheritance: Enemy Property
Enemy property bill on hold, squatters can have field day
Vishwa Mohan TNN
New Delhi: Days after getting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on board to keep the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill in abeyance, a delegation of prominent Muslim MPs on Monday met Union home minister P Chidambaram over the proposed legislation even as there is serious discussion in the government on getting the bill passed with some modifications, which will allow the authorities to keep encroachers and land mafia away from immovable properties worth thousands of crores and protect the rights of legal heirs.
Those who met Chidambaram include Union ministers Salman Khurshid, Farooq Abdullah and E Ahmed, as well as Congress MP Mohammed Azharuddin. Minister of state for home affairs Ajay Maken was also present.
Sources said moves were afoot to bring in certain amendments to the bill before it’s passed in Parliament during the Monsoon session itself — so as not to let the ordinance lapse on August 28.
The amendments are likely to be brought in such a way that the government would have power in the new law to weed out encroachers. Some of the provisions, which give power to the custodian to evict unauthorized occupation, would be there in the bill, so that it do not adversely affect the powers of the government in weeding out encroachers, said sources.
Currently, there are 2,186 enemy properties with Uttar Pradesh having the maximum 1,468 properties followed by West Bengal (351), Delhi (66), Gujarat (63), Bihar (40), Goa (35), Madhya Pradesh (29) and Maharashtra (25). These are the properties, which were left by those who migrated to Pakistan, Bangladesh and China without having any legal heir.
Though most of these properties have been in custody of the government ever since the law under the Enemy Property Act, 1968 came into force, a number of people claiming to be legal heirs or claiming to have been gifted through oral or unregistered wills approached the courts. Subsequently, the High Courts and Supreme Court came out with orders, making such heirs the sole claimants of these properties worth several thousands of crores of rupees across the country.
These court judgments had prompted the government to come out with an ordinance so that such properties do not go to someone whose claims did not appear to be correct as in some of the cases it was suspected that the claimants had allegedly bought the ‘will’ or ‘unregistered gift orders’ from those Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals who had left these properties in India. Some of them had even allegedly managed to come out with adoptions certificates so that they can claim their rights over such valuable properties.
The President had promulgated an ordinance on July 2 in the backdrop of these High Courts and Supreme Court orders. The bill to replace the ordinance amending an Act of 1968 was introduced by the Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Maken in the Lok Sabha on August 2. It was subsequently listed for consideration and passing two days later.
But, it was deferred reportedly when the PM intervened following his meeting with a delegation of prominent Muslim MPs. They reportedly requested Singh to examine the bill as it would have a politically adverse impact on a large number of families in several states....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMTAjQXIwMTcwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan TNN
New Delhi: Days after getting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on board to keep the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill in abeyance, a delegation of prominent Muslim MPs on Monday met Union home minister P Chidambaram over the proposed legislation even as there is serious discussion in the government on getting the bill passed with some modifications, which will allow the authorities to keep encroachers and land mafia away from immovable properties worth thousands of crores and protect the rights of legal heirs.
Those who met Chidambaram include Union ministers Salman Khurshid, Farooq Abdullah and E Ahmed, as well as Congress MP Mohammed Azharuddin. Minister of state for home affairs Ajay Maken was also present.
Sources said moves were afoot to bring in certain amendments to the bill before it’s passed in Parliament during the Monsoon session itself — so as not to let the ordinance lapse on August 28.
The amendments are likely to be brought in such a way that the government would have power in the new law to weed out encroachers. Some of the provisions, which give power to the custodian to evict unauthorized occupation, would be there in the bill, so that it do not adversely affect the powers of the government in weeding out encroachers, said sources.
Currently, there are 2,186 enemy properties with Uttar Pradesh having the maximum 1,468 properties followed by West Bengal (351), Delhi (66), Gujarat (63), Bihar (40), Goa (35), Madhya Pradesh (29) and Maharashtra (25). These are the properties, which were left by those who migrated to Pakistan, Bangladesh and China without having any legal heir.
Though most of these properties have been in custody of the government ever since the law under the Enemy Property Act, 1968 came into force, a number of people claiming to be legal heirs or claiming to have been gifted through oral or unregistered wills approached the courts. Subsequently, the High Courts and Supreme Court came out with orders, making such heirs the sole claimants of these properties worth several thousands of crores of rupees across the country.
These court judgments had prompted the government to come out with an ordinance so that such properties do not go to someone whose claims did not appear to be correct as in some of the cases it was suspected that the claimants had allegedly bought the ‘will’ or ‘unregistered gift orders’ from those Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals who had left these properties in India. Some of them had even allegedly managed to come out with adoptions certificates so that they can claim their rights over such valuable properties.
The President had promulgated an ordinance on July 2 in the backdrop of these High Courts and Supreme Court orders. The bill to replace the ordinance amending an Act of 1968 was introduced by the Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Maken in the Lok Sabha on August 2. It was subsequently listed for consideration and passing two days later.
But, it was deferred reportedly when the PM intervened following his meeting with a delegation of prominent Muslim MPs. They reportedly requested Singh to examine the bill as it would have a politically adverse impact on a large number of families in several states....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMTAjQXIwMTcwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Is it going too far without actually knowing the ground reality?
Violence may continue till Obama visit
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 4, 2010, 01.50am IST
NEW DELHI: The well orchestrated public unrest and violence in the Kashmir Valley may continue -- with periods of lull in between -- till the visit of US President Barack Obama to India in November as part of the separatists' overall game-plan to bring the global spotlight on the state.
Government reports about this assessment clearly point out that the ongoing agitation is not the result of spontaneous public outbursts but is orchestrated to drew global attention towards J&K at a time when the security forces have by and large been successful in containing Pakistan-based terrorists.
It is suspected that the elements, which want to propagate the idea of an independent Kashmir as the majority's wish, will not see their efforts of bringing the Valley into the present state of `cycle of violence' to go waste until it raises eyebrows at the international level and creates some uneasiness when the US President is here in India.
Officials, keeping a close watch on the Kashmir situation, believe that the orchestrated agitation has the potential to linger as the state has already been forced to take some drastic action in the form of a crackdown on agitators which will lead to a "vicious cycle of protests, police action, casualties and again more protests".
Though the chief minister was clearly told to reach out to the people by adopting various people-friendly approach, it is believed that the situation will not return to normal unless the J&K police takes more severe action against the trouble-makers.
Citing statistics, officials here pointed out that the police have arrested only 100-odd stone-pelters with barely 62 of them being booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) ever since the unrest broke out in the Valley in June -- thereby missing on a major deterrent factor as the PSA allows for detention up to two years without charge or trial on the presumption that future acts harmful to the state may be committed.
Referring to the Act, an official said the state could not break the cycle of violence unless it books many more agitators, involved in stone-pelting and destroying public property under the PSA.
He said there had been instances when the stone-pelters who grievously injured CRPF and state police personnel got bail within an hour of their arrest. "You cannot expect any result unless you put someone behind bar for his criminal act for a few days or a couple of months," said the official.
Underlining cases of resentment in the state against PSA and demand for its amendment to make its less harsh, the official here said the point was not to keep such agitators behind bars for two years but to put them in jail for at least some days or months so that it can act as a deterrent.
The state cabinet, under chief minister Omar Abdullah, had in fact last week decided to go through the old cases of detention under PSA and make recommendations for the release of detainees....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMDQjQXIwMTcwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Aug 4, 2010, 01.50am IST
NEW DELHI: The well orchestrated public unrest and violence in the Kashmir Valley may continue -- with periods of lull in between -- till the visit of US President Barack Obama to India in November as part of the separatists' overall game-plan to bring the global spotlight on the state.
Government reports about this assessment clearly point out that the ongoing agitation is not the result of spontaneous public outbursts but is orchestrated to drew global attention towards J&K at a time when the security forces have by and large been successful in containing Pakistan-based terrorists.
It is suspected that the elements, which want to propagate the idea of an independent Kashmir as the majority's wish, will not see their efforts of bringing the Valley into the present state of `cycle of violence' to go waste until it raises eyebrows at the international level and creates some uneasiness when the US President is here in India.
Officials, keeping a close watch on the Kashmir situation, believe that the orchestrated agitation has the potential to linger as the state has already been forced to take some drastic action in the form of a crackdown on agitators which will lead to a "vicious cycle of protests, police action, casualties and again more protests".
Though the chief minister was clearly told to reach out to the people by adopting various people-friendly approach, it is believed that the situation will not return to normal unless the J&K police takes more severe action against the trouble-makers.
Citing statistics, officials here pointed out that the police have arrested only 100-odd stone-pelters with barely 62 of them being booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) ever since the unrest broke out in the Valley in June -- thereby missing on a major deterrent factor as the PSA allows for detention up to two years without charge or trial on the presumption that future acts harmful to the state may be committed.
Referring to the Act, an official said the state could not break the cycle of violence unless it books many more agitators, involved in stone-pelting and destroying public property under the PSA.
He said there had been instances when the stone-pelters who grievously injured CRPF and state police personnel got bail within an hour of their arrest. "You cannot expect any result unless you put someone behind bar for his criminal act for a few days or a couple of months," said the official.
Underlining cases of resentment in the state against PSA and demand for its amendment to make its less harsh, the official here said the point was not to keep such agitators behind bars for two years but to put them in jail for at least some days or months so that it can act as a deterrent.
The state cabinet, under chief minister Omar Abdullah, had in fact last week decided to go through the old cases of detention under PSA and make recommendations for the release of detainees....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTAvMDgvMDQjQXIwMTcwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)