January, 2014

Amendment of Article 371(D) is needed for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh

The Union Law Ministry on 14 November 2013 told to the Group of Ministers (GoM) about the necessity of amendment of Article 371 (D) of the Constitution of India for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The Article 371D of Constitution of India writes Special provisions with respect to the State of Andhra Pradesh. Twothird majority of Parliament will be needed for the passage of the constitution Amendment Bill, which will be the biggest political inference in passage. The GoM will seek the advice of Goolam Vahanvati, the Attorney General before they proceed with the Bill. As they want to enquire that a single bill on bifurcation is sufficient or a separate
bill will be required to be amendment.

Land transfer for Dr B. R.Ambedkar Memorial approved

Union Cabinet on 25 November 2013 approved a proposal to transfer Indu Mill land in Mumbai to Maharashtra government for constructing Dr B R Ambedkar memorial. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. It would empower the Centre to acquire certain area of the Mill belonging to National Textile Corporation Limited in Mumbai for facilitation of construction of the memorial. Over 48000 square metres of land will be acquired for the purpose. According to the cabinet note, NTCL will be paid 45.77 crore rupees for the land. In this regard, Dr. B R Ambedkar Memorial Bill, 2013 is likely to be introduced in Parliament in the winter session beginning on 5 December 2013. The legislation is aimed at empowering the Central government to acquire a portion of the land belonging to the National Textile Corporation Limited (NTCL) for facilitation of the construction of a memorial for Ambedkar. The ashes of Dr Ambedkar are interred at Chaitya Bhoomi, which is situated in the vicinity of the Indu Mill.

India declared itself free from Bird Flu

India on 12 November 2013 declared itself free from Notifiable Avian Influenza (H5N1), commonly called bird flu and notified the same to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). India notified the outbreak of the Avian Influenza (H5N1) at poultry production unit, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Anjora, Durg and Government Poultry Farm, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh on 05th August, 2013. The control measures adopted in the outbreak was taken in form of stamping of the entire poultry population and it included the destruction of eggs, litters, feed and other infected materials within the radius of one kilometer around the
location of the outbreak, restriction of the poultry movement, disinfection and cleaning up of the infected premises and subsequently issuing of the Post Operation Surveillance Plan (POSP). On 12 August 2013 the POSP was issued. Although India is free from the bird flu, but regular surveillance will be continued across the country especially in the vulnerable areas that is bordered by the infected countries and in areas which are visited by migratory birds.

MoU between Sports Ministry & Department of AIDS Control

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 29 November 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Department of AIDS Control. The MoU was signed between Secretary, Department of Sports Ajit M Saran, and Secretary, Department of AIDS Control, Lov Verma, in New Delhi. The MoU’s objective is to “reach a large number of youth engaged in sports activities” at village, district and state level with information on STI/HIV/AIDS prevention and related services. Other objectives included building the capacity of sports educators, administrators and coaches on “Minimizing the risk of HIV transmission on and outside the sports field, involve youth organisation, sports federations in HIV/AIDS prevention activities, promote awareness generation through hoarding and banners at eminent places and sports infrastructure during state/national events and tournaments, and involve eminent sports personalities for addressing social stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. For fulfillment of objectives of MOU, the Department of Sports would issue directives to Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Anti Doping Agency (NADA), Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (LNUPE), National Sports Federations (NSFs) and other sports bodies for creating awareness. The Department of AIDS Control provide technical support in capacity building on HIV/AIDS for sportspersons, trainees and staff of sports organisations and federations, by sharing of Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials for awareness generation activities.

National Portal on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad launched

Union Minister of Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan on 11 November 2013 launched a National Portal on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The portal was inaugurated to mark 125th birth anniversary of the great national
leader- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, (11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was a scholar and a great Indian freedom fighter, an eminent educationist and the first Education Minister of India. He was one of the greatest national leaders of his time in the cause of Hindu Muslim unity as well as secularism and socialism.

About the National Portal

This portal is an initiative to digitise the heritage of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and make his life and legacy available online. Along with a biographical account on Maulana Azad, the portal contains titles and information on over 20 books written by Maulana Azad, in Urdu and English, as well as information on over 45 books written on Maulana Azad in Urdu, Hindi and English. Portal also contains over 60 photographs some of which are with contemporaries like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, C Rajagopalachari amongst others. The portal also has excerpts of rare writings by Maulana Azad – his address on the Mahatma’s Birthday on All India Radio, his message on the day that marked the anniversary of the JallianwalaBagh massacre, his insights on the history of philosophy – to name a few. Additionally, the portal enlists the institutions, scholarships and other initiatives named after the leader. The portal is a collaborative effort by the Union ministry of minority affairs, the Office of Advisor to the Prime Minister, the National Commission for Minorities, the Ministry of Culture). The national portal www.maulanaazadheritage.org a one stop point collating all knowledge and resources available on Maulana Azad, is now available to the public.

Higher Base Price for upcoming Spectrum Auction

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on 22 November 2013 approved hiking by up to 25 per cent the reserve or start price for the auction of mobile phone spectrum in January 2014. An Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Telcom headed b y Defence Minister A K Antony agreed with the recommendation of the Telecom Commission to better regulator TRAI’s suggested reserve or base price for the auction of spectrum in the 1800 MHz and 900 MHz bands used by GSM operators such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone. The EGoM also asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to suggest a base price for the 800 MHz spectrum, which is used by CDMA operators such as Sistema. TRAI had not recommended a reserve price for the 800 MHz band, saying there was no need to auctionthese airwaves now. The Telecom Commission had earlier this month  (Nov 2013) suggested fixing a minimum 1765 crore Rupees per MHz as the price for pan-India spectrum in the 1800 MHz band, 15 per cent higher than the TRAI’s suggested rate of 1496 crore Rupees.

India’s 1st Synthetic Rubber Plant in Panipat

Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily on 29 November 2013 inaugurated the first “Synthetic Rubber Plant” of the country at Panipat in Haryana. The country’s first e-SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) unit was set
up by Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL), a joint venture promoted by Indian Oil, TSRC Corporation, Taiwan, and Marubeni Corporation, Japan. The plant will produce 120 kilo tonnes synthetic rubber annually, which would be used in industrial units for manufacturing automobile and daily need products. It is planned to increase the capacity of the plant to 220 KT in next two years. The project, which is estimated to cost 958 crore rupees, has been funded through debt raised from Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Mizuho Corporation Bank. Technology for the manufacturing unit is being provided by TSRC Corporation.

Dual Cab Freight Diesel Locomotive Vijay Flagged Off

The Minister of Railways Mallikarjun Kharge flagged off the first ever Dual Cab 4500 HP Freight Diesel locomotive called Vijay from Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi, a production unit of Indian Railways, on 6 November 2013. At the same time, the Minister announced to stop the Swatantrata Senani Express at Bhulanpur Railway Station, Sub-way at DLW administration. It is important to note that the DLW has not only increased its production in large but also developed latest state-of-the-art technologies. Building of this WDG4D High Horse Power freight locomotive is a breakthrough for DLW as well as for the Indian Railways.

Highlights of the Dual Cab 4500 HP Freight Diesel locomotive- Vijay

• Vijay, the dual cab freight WDG4D is a trailblazer.

• It is the first dual cab diesel electric freight locomotive to be built by Indian Railways.

• The locomotive has been designed on a 21.7 metre platform to accommodate two cabs and this is about two meters longer than the single cab version.

• The cabs have full width front view.

• Besides the obvious visibility advantages, the locomotive also has several features for crew comfort.

• Vijay has been provided with air conditioned cabs. The AC unit is designed to heat up the cab during winters while cooling it during summers, thus maintaining a comfortable ambient for efficient working.

• The loco also has TFT screen based integrated driver display. This feature which is similar to the one used in the aero planes allows the operating parameters to be displayed on a single screen.

• The system also provides alarm levels for the ease of the crew.

• The display system naturally assists the crew through fault diagnostics. The system reduces eye fatigue, improves reliability and improves crew response.

• The locomotive has been provided with an ergonomically designed control stand and seat. The seat is based on the excavator design (which needs 360 deg view and operability) has been provided with movement on three axis for operational flexibility.

• The locomotive has also been provided with airplane type task light and automotive type auto wash wipers.

• Vijay has been built around the 4500HP 710 G3B engine with inverter controlled three phase traction motor drive.

• The inverter control uses the state of the art IGBT technology. This is the technology being used worldwide by the leading manufacturers i.e. GE, ABB, Alsthom etc.

• The locomotive is provided with the latest Computerised Control Brake system which is the world standard. The brake system uses the latest in the electronics and communication to improve response times and to improve reliability.

• The locomotive has been designed to implement the Indian Railways’ efforts at increasing the speed of loaded trains to 100kmph. It can run at 105 kmph and can be used to haul passenger trains in emergencies.

• The cost of the locomotive is approximately 14.7 crore Rupees as compared to 14.38 crore Rupees for the single cab version.

VVPATS to be used on largescale for 1st time

Election Commission decided to use Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) on a largescale for the first time in the country in the Mizoram Assembly polls on 25 November 2013. The VVPAT is a machine attached to EVMS which allows voters to verify that their vote has been cast in the way they wished. As soon as the voter casts his vote, the VVPAT will show a small slip in a glass covered screen with the symbol and the candidate he has voted for in a form of a small ballot paper, which after 3 to 4 seconds would automatically fall into an attached closed box. The VVPATs are being used in only ten assembly constituencies of Aizwal District of
the total 40 assembly segments in Mizoram. The VVPAT system was first experimented in the Noksen Assembly bypoll in Nagaland on 4 September 2013 and Mizoram would be the first state where it would be introduced on a large scale.

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPAT)

1. The VVPAT system is a new initiative of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections.

2. The VVPT will enable electors to see a printout of their ballot - displaying the name, election symbol and serial number of the chosen candidate. However the voter cannot take the  printout home.

3. In case there is a dispute about the voting and a petition is filed, the votes can be tallied electronically and physically with the ballot slips that fall into the compartment.

4. The cost of each VVPAT, manufactured by Bharat  Electronic Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) is estimated at about 12000 rupees.

5. At present, EVMs are used for voting and counting is based on the results in the machines. In comparison the VVPAT will print a voter’s selection, thus also allowing for physically verification of the vote.

Election Commission of India with an objective of free and fair polls,  the VVPAT System is introduced. This new voting system is a step towards winning the public trust in election process. VVPAT system will also help to resolve the election disputes by providing physical verification of the votes in EVMs. For introducing VVPAT systems throughout the country would cost around 2000 to 3000 crore rupees.

SC directed to Fix the tenure of bureaucrats

The Supreme Court of India on 31 October 2013 directed the Government of India and the States to pass order within three months on giving the fixed tenure to civil servants. The Supreme Court has also directed to constitute a Civil Services Board at nation and state levels for management of the transfers, posting, reward, inquiries and process of promotion, punishment and disciplinary matters of bureaucracy. The decisions were taken to bring bureaucracy out from political interference and to give end to regular transfers of the civil servants from political executive. The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan said that the fixed tenure of the bureaucrats would help to promote the professionalism, efficiency and good governance. The Parliament has been also directed by the Supreme Court to enact a law to regulate transfer, posting and disciplinary action on the IAS officers and to  immunize them from political interference.

As the Supreme Court held that the condition of bureaucracy is deteriorated due to the interference from the political people. The court also said that the civil servants should not act on the verbal orders given by the political executives and all the  actions taken by the political executives on the basis of written communication. The Court directed on a petition submitted by 83 former civil servants, like former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, former Indian ambassador to the US Abid Hussain, former chief election commissioner, N Gopalaswami and others, demanding reforms to ensure bureaucracy to get them out from the political influences.

Committee to Deal with Sexual Harassment Complaints

The Supreme Court of India on 26 November 2013 constituted a tenmember Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) to deal with complaints of sexual harassment within its premises. The committee was constituted by the Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam. The committee is headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

The committee has six other female members. Two members are outsiders and not connected with the Supreme Court. The panel is in consonance with the guidelines laid down by the apex court in its judgment in the Vishaka case for dealing with complaints of sexual harrassment at the workplace.

New Delhi to host 12th Edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2014

The 12th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas will be held in New Delhi from 7th to 9th of January 2014. This was announced by Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs on 5 Novemeber 2013 in New Delhi.
The theme of the convention is - Engaging Diaspora - Connecting across Generationswith a special focus on the younger generation. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the convention and President Pranab
Mukherjee will give his valedictory address. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman will also be bestowed on 15 persons during the convention. The PBD Convention provides a unique of India showcases investment opportunities in India and its potential in various sectors. The 11th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was held at Kochi, Kerala from 7th to 9thof January 2013.About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is
celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever. PBD conventions are being held every year since 2003. These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.

During the event, individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth. The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora.

Rapid Metro-India’s First Private Metro service

Rapid Metro-India’s First Private Metro service started operation from Gurgaon, Haryana on 14 November 2013. Rapid Metro is India’s first fully privately financed Metro system connecting NH-8 to Delhi Metro via
Cyber City, Gurgaon. Rapid Metro, with an elevated route and six stations with a frequency of every four minutes, can carry 800 passengers in each trip. The 5.1 km long route covers six stations-Sikanderpur, Phase-2,
Belvedere Towers, Cyber City, Moulsari Avenue and Phase 3. The Rapid Metro is using a common ticketing system with Delhi Metro. The launch of Rapid Metro Gurgaon will boost connectivity within Cyber City, which is the corporate and the retail hub of Gurgaon -nearly one lakh people work or visit the hub each day.

About Rapid Metro Rail System

Rapid Metro is a metro rail system in the Indian city of Gurgaon, Haryana, linked with the Delhi Metro system’s Yellow Line. Built and operated by Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), the system is India’s first fully privately financed metro. It was built at a cost of 1100 crore rupees and construction was completed in 30 months. Originally planned to open in 2012, the first phase of the system opened on 14 November 2013.
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) provided the land and the infrastructure was built by Rapid Metro, a partnership between IL&FS and construction major DLF. The project has been leased to Rapid
Metro for 99 years.