Jammu and Kashmir tries to stop judges pay hike

The Jammu and Kashmir government recently invoked Article 370 against its own judges. The state government cited special status under Article 370 of the Constitution to unsuccessfully resist a Supreme Court order directing implementation of the recommendations in the Justice Padmanabhan Committee report on salary hike for judges.

It argued that the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution governs judicial services in the state. Though Article 370 makes most central laws inapplicable to the state, when it comes to deciding the rights of individuals vis- a- vis the state, the provisions of law have more often than not been interpreted in favour of the rights of individuals.

Rejecting a claim for immunity, the National Human Rights Commission recently held that it had the jurisdiction to look into human rights violations committed by state officials or police if their acts fell outside the ambit of the law.

DDA Housing Scheme 2010 draw result list published on DDA website

The much awaited draw for the 16,118 Delhi Development Authority flats was conducted at the premises of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Noida’s Sector 62 around noon on Monday.

The total number of applications put to draw was 755,075. Though the results were already accessible from the DDA website by Monday evening, several applicants could be seen outside the CDAC campus waiting for the draw to take place. However, officials claimed that due to space constraint at the CDAC campus, only a few people could actually witness the draw.

Among them were four independent observers — Prabhat Kumar, an IAS officer, B. V. Rao, senior journalist, Udai Shankar, director in the ministry of development of North East Region and C. K. Chaturvedi, additional district judge in the Saket court.

The draw was conducted in a basement hall, though the DDA had also set up a couple of screens in another room on the ground floor for journalists to monitor the event. The entire top brass of the DDA led by its vice- chairperson G. S. Patnaik and commissioner (housing) Asma Manzar was present for the draw.

At around 12 noon the four judges began picking up one digit each from the containers placed in front of them. The digits chosen by the judges formed the seed number on the basis of which the DDA software would then randomly allot flats. The first person who bagged a flat in this random draw turned out to be a lady named Ragini.

However, with 16, 117 flats to be randomly allotted among more than 7. 55 lakh applicants, even the DDA software powered by the CDAC computer took a lot of time. The machine kept doing its permutations and combinations for nearly four hours after which a CD containing the results was taken to the DDA headquarters in Vikas Sadan and uploaded on its website by 7 pm.

The civic agency’s officials said they had made special arrangements to ensure that the site did not crash even if the number of hits was more than expected. In the evening, though, the website got painfully slow.

They, however, maintained that the software designed for this system had been used for several DDA housing schemes in the past and had even been scrutinised by a crime branch investigating team that had found the system fit.

According to the officials, an important feature of this allotment system is that the entire trail of allotment will also be available as a printout. “ In case any doubts surface, the trail would easily be able to pinpoint the discrepancies,” officials said.

Among the coveted flats allotted in the scheme were furnished flats at D-6, Vasant Kunj. These flats were prepared for the Commonwealth Games. Allotments were also made for 336 multi- storey three bedroom flats in Mukherjee Nagar, 144 in Motia Khan, 320 in Jasola, 947 in Dwarka, 560 in Rohini, and four flats in Pitampura, ranging from Rs. 54 to Rs. 85 lakh . The civic agency also offered 24 two bedroom flats in Kalyan Vihar , five in Vasant Kunj ,18 in Rohini- Pitampura and Jahangirpuri , and two in Narela and Sarai Kale Khan each, ranging from Rs. 21 to Rs. 41 lakh.

Flats are also available in Rohini, Narela, Dwarka, Loknayakpuram, Zafrabad, Narela, Molar Band and Kondli Gharoli and other areas. Currently, DDA is working on a housing scheme exclusively for the economically weaker section of the society. According to DDA officials, the land agency has completed 25 per cent of the total construction of houses under this scheme. The time of launch of scheme, however, is not known.

DDA draw results 2011 now available on its website

DDA has now made available the results of the much awaited DDA housing scheme of 2010. The list of successful candidates can be downloaded from the official website of Delhi Development Authority. The list of 1021 pages displays the complete details of the successful applicants which includes form number, father's name and details of the flat allotted to the applicant.

There has been lot of speculation about the time of these results however it has to be said that DDA has done a commendable job to make the results public before the expected time to clear off the anxiety among the 7.53 lakhs applicants for over 16 thousand flats in the various parts of Delhi.

The draw was conducted amidst the tight security arrangements and huge gathering of people at CDAC’s sector-62 office. The proceedings were minutely observed via live footage on the television placed outside the hall by the number of applicants who gathered at the place of draw.

Congratulations to the successful applicants from our whole team.

Time yet not declared for DDA draw results 2011

DDA might again be following the same old path where it finds itself amidst endless controversies as there has been official time declared as of now for the biggest ever housing scheme launched by Delhi Development Authority. Sources and major newspapers have confirmed that the draw is conducted today in Noida at the CDAC campus as later has the equipment to carry out the transparent draw which DDA doesn't, of around 16,200 flats against the 7.53 lakhs application received.

A DDA official who didn't want to be named confirmed that the scheme launched is 3 times bigger than its previous housing scheme and it would take more than 4-5 hours to carry out the draw which means it might not be possible for DDA to make the results public today.

The question here comes that why DDA didn't not make the arrangements earlier and plan the things accrodingly to keep the applicants in loop for every step taken for the flats to be alloted in the areas like Vasant Kunj, Mukherjee Nagar, Motia Khan, Jasola, Dwarka, Rohini, Narela, Jaffarabad, Kondli and Gharoli.

Meanwhile, Noida administration has made tight security arrangements for the draw at C-DAC’s sector-62 office keeping in mind a huge gathering, traffic police personnel, and women police officers have also been deployed. It seems that once again the applicants of DDA are on their own and would have to rely on the grapevine and not on the official word of the development authority.

Baba Ramdev is too busy for Lokpal bill panel

Yoga exponent Baba Ramdev, who had slammed the composition of the Jan Lok Bill Drafting Committee, on Wednesday, contended that he was “not interested” in being part of the panel.

“We have been supporting Anna Hazare in his campaign against corruption. I am too busy with my professional obligations. I do not want to be part of the drafting committee. All we want is to ensure that the committee completes the task assigned to it in the right manner,” Ramdev said.

Ramdev, who had questioned the composition of the committee during a rally in Haridwar recently, refused to comment more on the issue. “I do not want to start a controversy by commenting on the members of the trust. Let the committee start its work,” he said.

During the Haridwar rally, Ramdev had alleged nepotism in the constitution of the drafting committee. “Why are both the father and the son accommodated in the committee?” he had questioned, referring to advocates Shanti (father) and Prashanth Bhushan.

Ramdev said that certain sections, including the corporate world could target him for speaking against corruption. “I have been highlighting the issue of black money at various forums. That’s why many allegations are being levelled against me,” he contended.

He claimed that the transactions of his Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust (Haridwar) were “clean” and “transparent” and his succession plan was in place. “I know that everybody is questioning about my Trust. I am clean, so is my Trust,” he said, adding that he was opposed to the idea of government taking over religious Trusts.

DDA Housing Scheme 2010 draw on 18 April

Trusted sources have confirmed that Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Housing Scheme 2010 draw would held on 18 April behind the closed doors where no outsider will be allowed. While the draw is taking place inside, a big screen TV would be placed outside for the applicants who want to keep an eye on the proceedings. Unlike its previous housing scheme, the draw will not take place at Vikas Sadan this time which is the head quarter of DDA, however the location has been changed to CDAC, located in Noida where all the activities will take place.

An DDA official who didn't wish to be named said, "We are trying bring in as much transparency as we can and overcome the difficulties we had in the housing scheme of 2008".

On the contrary, things do not look going their way as things have not gone as promised by DDA so far. A senior DDA official confirmed couple of months back that DDA would be publishing the name of eligible candidates (around 7 Lakhs) on its website and in major newspapers. Applicants could check the status of their forms on the DDA site but for couple of days only, those who could not check it during those days are now struggling to confirm their eligibility where as there was list of applicants to be seen in the newspapers.

The result of the computerized draw will be published on the DDA website, while letters will be dispatched to the allottees through speed post. The allottees would have to make the payment of the allotted flat within 90 days from the date of issue of demand letter without interest, if there is any delay, 15% interest would also have to be incurred by the allottees within 180 days. Failure to the payment in the mentioned time will mean that the allotment stands cancelled. Allotment would be transferred to the applicants from the waiting list which would be of 600 candidates.

Ambedkar Jayanti & legacy belongs to the country: Grandson

Prakash Ambedkar, leader of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) and grandson of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar said the legacy of Dr Ambedkar belonged to the entire country and that no faction of RPI could lay sole claim to it. " We don't need to throw stones at people's homes to prove that we are popular," said an introspective Ambedkar as he spoke to us about the current developments in the State's Dalit politics on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti.

Appreciating Anna Hazare's recent campaign for the Lokpal Bill, Ambedkar said, "While the campaign was hugely successful and received wide spread support, the Lokpal Bill was a mechanism to deal with post- corruption issues while the real change would happen when corruption is prevented in the first place." Further pointing to the fact that the poor and the downtrodden bore the brunt of corruption, Prakash said, " The focus needs to be on the causes and not the treatment and only the will there be real change." On Anupam Kher's alleged remarks on the Constitution, Prakash said, "It is easy to criticise things. If Kher has a problem, he should provide a solution.

Standing at Jantar Mantar for a few days is easy, but studying the Constitution is not."Coming down heavily on the Ramdas Athavale-led Republican Party of India (RPI-A) for attacking Kher's house, he condemned the attack. "It is unconstitutional and purely a publicity seeking gimmick. Those claiming to carry forward Babasaheb's legacy don't know the very virtues that he preached," retorted Prakash.

Stressing the need to end factionalism within the Dalit polity, which is hampering the development of Dalits, Prakash spoke of creating an alternative front of Dalit groups. " We need to fight a united battle but at the same time we can't compromise on our core agenda." Asked if other Dalit factions were more vocal, popular and walking away with Babashaeb's legacy, Prakash retorted that nuisance value did not determine popularity. " We (BBM) have the most number of elected representatives in the State and in a democracy it is the people's mandate that matters, not TRPs," said Prakash, adding that, “ We will go full throttle in the local body polls and the results will speak louder than any one's slogans.”

Support for Anna Hazare snowballs on Day 3

Thirty two people including four women successfully completed their third day of fasting as 20 different groups carried out rallies through various areas of South Mumbai like the GPO, Churchgate, Nariman Point, Mantralaya, Colaba and Cuffe Parade. The volunteers had worn caps stating ' I am Anna Hazare'. " We want to display that this is not the fight of only Hazare, but each and everyone of us is Hazare and we would fight together to get this bill passed," said Mayank Gandhi, leader of this movement in Mumbai.

The group also started a new campaign distributing white ribbons named ( corruption ko kaho katti, bandho safed patti) which literally means say no to corruption and tie white ribbons on your shirts in protest against corruption.

This campaign was launched by Ratna Magothla, 64, who is the senior most protestor fasting in Mumbai. " I think corruption is such an issue that everyone is motivated to fight against it as almost everyone has been a victim of it at some point of time" said Magothra.

The group also criticized the response of politicians over the bill. Though many political parties are trying to gain mileage out of this movement, the group has clarified that they won't be entertaining any political group at their stage. The Lok Satta Party activists and supporters will be taking out processions and organising mass satyagraha all over the state on April 8 and 9 in support of Hazare.

" If any politician would come and try to speak on the stage, everyone is free to remove him from the podium" informed Gandhi.

Around 5 lakh people would be joining the people on fast to show their solidarity on Saturday, mainly from the steel and plastic industries as both these sectors have declared an off on that day. The group has also been receiving strong support from the retail and trade associations.

" Everyone who offers bribe is himself a victim of corruption because the system has become such that people want to stay away from legal procedures and take the easy path available" said Gandhi.

Candlelight marches have also been planned outside all the railway stations.

The marches would be carried out outside all railway stations throughout the city on Friday evening. The march would not require a leader, as everyone would just have to walk with a candle to the station.

As the movement is gaining momentum people from all over Maharashtra have come to Mumbai and extended their support.

People from Pune, Satara, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar and many rural places have joined the fasting residents in Mumbai. " I would like to request the UPA government to pass the Lokpal bill as soon as possible and don't test the patience of the people, because if we come out on the streets then the government would fall in a day," said Ramesh Kamlakar, a resident from Jalgaon.

State recommends Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar

Both Houses of state legislature on Tuesday cutting across the party lines recommended the topmost civilian award Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar. The House also congratulated the Men in Blue for winning the world cup and doing the nation proud.

A motion recommending the Bharat Ratna and congratulating the Indian Team for winning the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 - moved by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was supported and adopted by all political parties.

"We recommend that Sachin Tendulkar be conferred with the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to sports,"Chavan said while moving the motion, which got the support of the entire house. Chavan also reiterated that the state government would reward two cricketers from Maharashtra in Team India, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, with a cash prize of Rs. 10 million each and a citation.

Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse of BJP described Sachin as the "god of cricket"."It is the outcome of 21 years of struggle and Sachin is a team player despite criticism that he only pursued individual records," Khadse said.

Moving the proposal in the Upper House, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said the state government would be felicitating both the players who represented Maharashtra-- Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan-- by awarding them a sum of Rs 1 crore each and a certificate.

"The state government would also felicitate the logistics manager of Wankhede stadium Mayank Parikh, who played an important role in organising the event at Wankhede and team masseur Ramesh Mane by awarding them a sum of Rs 50 lakh each," Pawar told the council.

"We also unanimously recommend the Centre to award Bharat Ratna award for Sachin Tendulkar," Pawar said.

Congratulating the team, leader of the opposition Pandurang Phundkar brought to the notice that the promised prize money to the cricket team after the 20- 20 matches was yet partially unpaid. Sena leader Diwakar Raote said that the victory was the best gift the team gave on the occasion of Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian new year.

The proposal was passed with a standing ovation to the victorious team. Additional FSI in offing- Shiv Sena MLC Ramdas Kadam on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government should allow the additional FSI that cricketer Sachin Tendulkar had requested for building a gymnasium.

"It is ironic for the government to decline such a request to a person who is being congratulated across the borders. When the state government refused, Sachin has taken back his request. The government should ask Sachin to submit the request again and approve it," Kadam said. Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh asked the government to look into the issue.

Sachin had requested the state's urban development department (UDD) for additional Floor Space Index (FSI) to allow the construction of the gymnasium on the top floor of the four story building that is being constructed at Perry Cross Road in suburban Bandra.

Nation celebrates as Ugadi, Gudi Padwa wishes messages float around

Good times are here for the nation and everyone hopes that it shall never end as a series of festivals beginning from today after the Indian cricket team has just brought the smile on every Indian face after winning biggest honor in the world of cricket. As now it happens on every occasion, SMSs, messages and wishes are floating around since morning to wish the loved ones of the festival.

Gudi Padwa is the new year of Maharashtrians has arrived with the Cricket World Cup and would be celebrated in the whole state till the sunset. Gudi Padwa is the first of the three-and-a-half auspicious days observed throughout the year. Indian Film industry based in the heart of Maharashtra is equally enthusiastic about the festival which has arrived at just the right time. In South India, Gudi Padwa is celebrated as Uugadi, which is a very important day for the farmers.

This year celebration at various temples and shrines around the Maharashtra would be different as devotees would be charged up with the empathetic win of Team India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also greeted the nation on this special New Year.

Alarming facts of child sex ratio in Census of India 2011

Preliminary statistics from the 2011 Census show that the child sex ratio — the number of females against that of males — has declined further since the last Census 10 years ago. The figure now stands at 914 females for every 1,000 males — the lowest since 1947.

Are we really a nation that so hates its female population that despite being aware of what the absence of women can mean for any society — certain death for they are, after all, the reproducers — we continue to kill them even before they are born? We have plenty of evidence now to show that in some villages in Haryana, there are no women at all. So when it comes to seeking marriage partners, men have to ‘ import’ them from other states.

There’s also evidence to show that despite being made illegal, sex-determination tests are rampant, with doctors making money hand over fist and in collusion with heartless parents.

And yet, we’re a country of remarkable developments where women are concerned. Our Constitution gives women equal rights and respect; we have women in top positions in virtually every sphere of life; we have some of the most progressive pieces of legislation in the world; we have a dynamic and strong women’s movement … the list could go on and on.

So what is it then that continues to act against women? The alarm at the declining sex ratio has led the government to recruit religious leaders into the campaign for the girl child. Big amounts are spent on posters, advertisements and stories that value the girl child. But none of this seems to change anything. Why is that? Perhaps it’s time we asked ourselves some hard questions.

Among all the many media messages the state has put out about girl children, or about health, why has there never been a concerted campaign to establish that it is the man who is responsible for the sex of the foetus, not the woman? If that knowledge were to become widespread, would so many women be targeted for producing female children? And would female children themselves be killed in the womb? Equally, is it any use recruiting messages out about been establish who the to so producing And themselves recruiting religious leaders into the campaign, or even secular ones, if everything else that they do, acts against women?

Remember it was not so long ago that the Chief Justice of India made a public statement that it was ‘unnatural’ for women to work outside the home. We’re an odd people — we’re ready to ban a book, or indeed make it a crime, to insult or critique Gandhi, and yet women in this country get insulted every day, every second, and we don’t do anything about it.

Perhaps the only tiny ray of hope is that after so many years, the legal system has finally held a handful of doctors guilty for performing sex- selection tests. If punishment is the only way we learn, here’s hoping theirs will be severe and it will act as a deterrent to others — although it almost seems as if that is too much to hope for. The truth is that a country that so devalues its women does not deserve to pride itself on its economic growth, if it’s a growth built on the mass murder of its girl children.

Shiney Ahuja sentenced for 7 years in jail for raping maid

For Actor Shiney Ahuja, this could be good home work for a future film role. The actor, who has often found his characters in movies to be on the wrong side of the law, seems set for a stint in prison. The Sewri fast-track sessions court in Mumbai has awarded him seven years’ rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping his maid in June 2009.

Although the victim had retracted her statement that she had been raped during the in-camera trial, the court convicted Shiney based on the initial FIR and strong forensic evidence. Judge P. M. Chouhan did not consider the maid’s denial of rape in court, but expressed doubts about her evidence being partly false.

Amitabh Gupta, the additional commissioner of police who was supervising the probe, said he was “ happy with the judgement, as we have got a conviction in spite of the victim turning hostile during the hearing”. The important forensic evidence in the case were injuries on the private parts of the maid — sustained when she resisted Shiney — and the DNA samples of the accused that proved that he had intercourse with her. Since it was an in-camera trial, journalists were not allowed to cover the proceedings.

While the actor’s wife Anupam did not respond to calls and text messages, Shiney’s family friend, who did not want to be identified said: “ The family is shattered. We believe he was framed and we will appeal against this verdict in the higher court. He is a fine man, a great husband and a doting father to their daughter.” His friend said that as the judge delivered the verdict, Shiney who came to the court wearing a pink shirt and jeans accompanied by Anupam and his close friends, looked back tearfully towards his wife to check if she was fine.

The actor, who has been living with Anupam and her parents in Noida since the last year, was sent to the Arthur Road Jail from where he is likely to be shifted to either Yerwada Jail in Pune or the Nasik Central Prison. The actor’s friend said his family was worried about his health as he has had an attack of dengue last August and suffers from a slipped disc. In fact, he aggravated his back injury during his stay in jail in September 2009.

His friend said the family may direct his counsel to seek court orders for his proper treatment and care while in jail. “Our next move will be decided once we receive the copy of the judgment. Right now, we are only completing formalities with the prison authorities,” Shiney’s counsel Srikant Shivade said. In June 2009, the maid had filed a police complaint claiming that Shiney had raped her. Shiney was arrested and then released on bail after only three months.

However, after the trial began in a fast track court, the girl refuted her earlier statements. In September last year, the 20- year- old girl told the court that she had filed a false complaint against the actor at the behest of the woman who had secured her the job of a maid in Shiney's residence.

On September 3 last year, the victim had identified Shiney in court and said she used to work at his residence as a domestic help. But when asked about the incident, she said she was never raped. Following this, the court had declared her hostile. The police, in its 109- page chargesheet, had charged Shiney with rape and wrongfully confining the victim. Shiney, in his defence, had argued that he was falsely implicated.

Committee set up to revamp pilot exam system

The Ministry of civil aviation, in view of the large scale irregularities in the grant of pilot licences, has decided to revamp the examination system. A committee under the chairmanship of director general civil aviation (DGCA) E. K. Bharat Bhushan has been set up to suggest measures for this reform.

The committee, with aviation experts and former bureaucrats as members, will make recommendations to plug loopholes and overhaul the complete examination process, an aviation official said. One of the panel members is Sanat Kaul, formerly India’s representative to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation organisation.

The DGCA’s problem is that the examination body is headed by engineers and not by people from a flying background. Also there is a tendency to clear very few candidates which then leaves room for lobbying. The candidates who have cleared the exams are then forwarded to the licencing directorate for certification.

Once cleared, a pilot is allowed to fly and be employed with an airline. At these two levels, there is tremendous scope for manipulation, a senior commander employed with a private airline said. Further, many pilots manage to get licences from fly by night schools, based out of Southeast Asian, East European and Latin American countries.

It is very difficult to verify skills and credentials of these pilots, the commander disclosed. In the meantime, DGCA on Tuesday revoked licence of another pilot for fudging his marksheet. His certificates and marksheet were found to be missing from the original file, revealed official sources.

The police has been asked to enquire and arrest the fake pilot who had obtained his CPL by submitting a fudged marksheet, a DGCA source said. According to former DGCA H. S. Khola, the best way to reform the system is to computerise all records so that there is no scope or need for hard fake copies or originals. When the offence is serious, the pilot should not be sent on correctional training but be debarred for life (provided for in the Aircraft Act).

It was first reported on February 14 that there was a serious problem with Capt Parminder Kaur Gulati’s landing technique and she risked passengers’ lives by landing plane on its nose. Further Digital Flight Data recorder analysis (DFDR) had revealed that last 15- 20 landings of the pilot were against the recommended guidelines.

Tame the bull and get a government job

You may be an MA in English or even an MSc in Mathematics. But degrees are not enough to get you this job that judges candidates solely on the basis of how adept they are in taming the bull.

The Jammu and Kashmir animal husbandry department has decided to screen 37,000 candidates, who have applied for 52 posts of cattle and poultry assistants, on their capability of handling bulls.

The department took the decision to ask candidates to handle bulls after it received a huge number of applications for the posts.

The department had advertised in February and set the eligibility criterion at 10+ 2. The notice further said that candidates should have experience in handling livestock. But the department had no idea that even highly qualified persons would apply for these posts.

“ We need someone who could take care of livestock. But for this job, an MSc Mathematics candidate is competing with an MA English applicant. So we decided that they will be asked to handle bulls,” the department’s deputy director Farooq Ahmad Kaloo said.

“ If they succeed in handling bulls in the practical exams, only then they would be considered for the job,” he added.

Candidates, however, say that there is nothing wrong in applying for the posts. “ I am a graduate and working as a teacher in a private school. The school management provides me Rs. 1,200 as monthly salary. At least as a poultry assistant, I will have a respectable salary and a government job,” Riyaz Ahmad, an applicant from uptown Srinagar, said.

There are over 5.67 lakh unemployed educated men who have registered themselves with different district employment and counselling centres, and there are 4.5 lakh government employees in the state. In 2001-2002, the salary bill of the state was just Rs. 3,500 crore. However, it jumped to Rs. 14,000 crore in 2010- 11.

On March 3, CM Omar Abdullah had told the state assembly that in J&K, a job means ‘ a government job only’. “ Unfortunately, the government is not able to absorb the youth beyond a certain capacity,” he had said.

Gujjars now come up with ban on jeans & mobiles for girls

The Gujjar community took a leaf out of the Taliban’s book, banning jeans and mobile phones for girls at a panchayat in Saharanpur on Saturday night. Community members from 52 villages of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana assembled near Vijay Singh Pathik Girls’ School and announced that girls would henceforth be forbidden from wearing jeans and using mobile phones. However, in all likelihood, the powerful panchayat will face stiff opposition from the clan’s girls who have liberated themselves from what they dub as “ narrow mindedness”.

It was decided at the panchayat that those who defy the latest self- formulated law of the community would be punished. Sources revealed that the Gujjars had decided to first issue a warning to the parents of girls of the community who were seen in jeans or with cellphones. If they don’t obey the command, the elders of the community would ostracise the family to mount pressure on them to fall in line.

“ No members of the public were intimated about the meeting. They convened the panchayat after a door- todoor consultation with senior members of the community in the two states.

Nothing else was discussed. Some members didn’t agree with the final decision, but they remained a silent minority,” a panchayat member said.

Yashpal Singh, a senior member of the community in Saharanpur, confirmed that a ban had been enforced on girls wearing jeans and using mobile phones. “ We believe jeans and mobile phones are making our girls immoral. So we finally took a decision. We know that a few members of the community may oppose the decision. But we also know how to make them follow instructions,” Singh said in a threatening tone.

But Rani Gujjar, an undergraduate student of Saharanpur openly criticised the panchayat edict. “ There is nothing wrong or vulgar about jeans. They cover our body. And a mobile phone is a must. It helps us stay in touch with our parents.

It also enables us to send an SOS to them when we are in trouble.” Making it clear that she wouldn’t be cowed, Rani added: “ I am not going to pay attention to such dictatorial orders. If my parents don’t object to my wearing jeans or carrying a cellphone, who are these people to control our lives?” The sentiment was, however, not the same across the board.

Namrata, another Gujjar student of Saharanpur, was somewhat submissive. “ It is alright with me. I will not wear jeans if they don’t like it. But limited use of mobile phones should be permitted,” she said.

Gujjars are known to be a tribe which strictly adheres to old traditions and customs. For instance, child marriages are still rampant among them. Earlier in the year, a khap panchayat or self- styled caste council in Muzaffarnagar banned girls from wearing jeans. The decision was endorsed by the heads of other such councils, who said the ban was necessary for preventing young couples in their villages from eloping.

In 2009, colleges in Kanpur prohibited girl students from wearing jeans and other western clothes. Their rationale: this would halt sexual harassment by male classmates.

Jat agitation on roll despite court orders

The Punjab and Haryana High Court order asking the agitating Jats to vacate the railway tracks seems to have had little effect on them as they plan to disrupt services on the Ambala-Delhi railway line.

The Jats, who have been demanding reservation in central government jobs, have stormed the railway tracks in different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana affecting the movement of essential supplies.

Yashpal Malik, national president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, refused to accept the court’s verdict and said the community leaders will take a decision on whether to vacate the rail tracks or not.

Hawa Singh Sangwan, who leads the organisation in Haryana, said the government has been fooling them for years.

State government officials said they would not let the community disrupt train services any more. A Haryana police officer said security along the Ambala- Delhi railway line has been beefed up to prevent the Jats from blocking it.

Worried by the agitation which has been on for more than two weeks, the Union home ministry has called a meeting of the chief secretaries and DGPs of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Saturday.

Home secretary G. K. Pillai will review the law and order situation of the three states with these officials after the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the state governments to ensure free flow of water and other essential items like milk, dairy products and vegetables to Delhi. The Centre has to inform the Supreme Court the steps it has taken to ensure smooth movement of trains and Pillai is expected to ask the state officials about what is being done to this effect.

Whiff of hypocrisy in Warren Buffett message of philanthropy

Warren Buffett, currently on his maiden tour of India, may be waxing eloquent about the need for giving away one’s wealth as charity, but some people are getting a whiff of hypocrisy in his message of philanthropy.

The reason: Buffett has invested in a company which has been in the news in India for all the wrong reasons. His investment firm, Berkshire Hathaway, is the largest non- Korean investor in the Korean steel giant Posco, which has been criticised for its project coming up in Orissa.

Mining Zone People’s Solidarity Group, a research group of non- resident Indians based in the US, on Thursday disclosed that Buffett owns about five per cent of Posco, making him the single largest owner of the company outside Korea.

Interestingly, Buffett was in Korea before coming to India this week and media reports from there too confirmed his investment.

Berkshire Hathaway bought shares of the steel company in 2006, a year after it signed an MoU with the Orissa government to build an integrated steel plant.

The group claimed “ Berkshire Hathaway’s Posco stock has more than doubled in value besides yielding millions of dollars in dividends in the past years”, during which the Orissa project faced strong opposition from locals.

“ Buffett has held on to Posco’s shares at a time when the company has been complicit in violence against villagers in Orissa and when its dealings have been mired in corruption,” the group alleged.

His investments in Posco make Buffett “ one of the biggest enablers of Posco’s drive to rob over 50,000 villagers of their lands and livelihood, while depriving India of large amounts of natural resources”. “ How can Buffett claim to care for the poor if his investments lead to the creation of that poverty in the first place?” asked Sirisha Naidu, a group member.

“ While giving to the poor is commendable, isn’t it more ethical to use your millions in ways that at least do not destroy livelihoods?” asked Murli Natrajan, another member.

Posco Prathirodh Sangram Samiti spokesperson Prashant Paikray said: “ The villagers of Jagatsinghpur don’t want Buffett’s millions.... All we are asking is for Buffett to ensure that his money is not used to force us away from our lands.” In a report last October, the group had pointed out that in addition to the 22,000 villagers who will be displaced because of the steel plant, another 20,000- 25,000 people from 30 neighbouring villages will lose their livelihood.

The extraction of coal and iron ore for the plant will cause 116 villages to lose access to the forests on which they are dependent.

Bill Gates in Bihar to check its pulse

“We come not as preachers, but more like cheerleaders.” Microsoft founder and worldrenowned philanthropist Bill Gates had said this a few months before his high- profile China and India trip which was meant to promote charity.

Embarking on the ‘cheer leading’ journey on Wednesday, Gates, along with his wife Melinda, sat down with poor villagers in an underdeveloped village of Bihar to get the first- hand knowledge of their problems.

Lending a patient ear to the people at a Mahadalit basti in Jamsaut near Danapur in Patna, the Gates couple held an open court in the village, sat on the ground and inquired at length about issues related to health, education and overall development of the area.

The software billionaire, who had come to Bihar to take forward the health- related programmes pledged by his philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, toured the village, and also visited a poor villager’s roofless house to see the living conditions.

Gates said that he had come to Bihar — his second visit in ten months — to see how the health projects were going on in the state. “ I am here to know about how the health projects funded by the foundation in partnership with the Bihar government are working to reduce infant and maternal mortality, besides institutional delivery and immunisation programmes,” he said.

Gates said that Bihar’s success in these fields would be a lesson for other places in the world. He said that the women of the state needed to be educated on the use of certain new vaccines that would bring down the mortality rate.

Gates, who held a joint press conference with chief minister Nitish Kumar later in the day to give details of the projects of his foundation, said that hundreds of thousands of children’s lives could be saved through proper implementation of immunisation programmes.

Melinda, who took a keen interest in knowing about the lifestyle of villagers and their overall awareness about the health- related issues such as immunisation, said that they were very impressed with the Nitish Kumar government.

Nitish said that the foundation had signed a memorandum of cooperation with the state government in 2010 to facilitate better healthcare in the state. He said that the foundation was primarily interested in the health sector, but had also shown interest in the agricultural sector.

The CM said that his government would extend all cooperation to the foundation in helping them carry out their work here.

Gates, whose foundation has pledged $ 1 billion to health and other development projects in India, said that the memorandum of cooperation with the Bihar government would help develop and implement innovative solutions that could speed up statewide improvements in maternal, newborn and childcare services.

The foundation seeks to improve the delivery of timely diagnosis and appropriate care for tuberculosis, pneumonia and diarrhoea in Bihar. At the outset, such programmes are being initiated in eight districts — Patna, Gopalganj, Begusarai, Samastipur, Khagaria, Saharsa, east and west Champaran.

Master forger of debit cards with ability of Bill Gates

The Crime Branch Unit II officials have arrested two men, both residents of Mira Road, who manufactured counterfeit debit cards and duped numerous expatriates, NRIs and people of Indian- origin living abroad, in the last three months.

Claiming that never in his career he has seen such a unique modus operandi, Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police (Crime), Himanshu Roy, told media persons, “ The computer abilities of the accused, Shreyas Kothadiya, a school dropout, can be compared to that of Bill Gates.” The prime accused, 30- year- old Kothadiya, was previously jailed for 13 months for securing loans from banks with the help of forged documents. He was arrested with his brotherin- law Parag Parab (32).

The material seized from the duo includes 28 counterfeit debit cards of Mastercard, Visa, etc, a laptop, a Polaroid writer, 101 blank cards and a machine called Magnetic Software Recognition Writer, which is not easily available in India.

Explaining the procedure for making counterfeit cards, Roy said the accused had obtained blank cards in bulk from a factory in Panvel for Rs. 12 apiece. They had already installed software in their laptop with the requisite format of these debit cards.

Each debit card has some unique features for customer identification like name of the bank, name of the customer, a unique 15 digit card number and a magnetic strip at the back of the card with a secret 15 to 20 digit number stored inside it.

Roy said unidentified persons from overseas had messaged these unique features to the accused by mobile phones. “We suspect that the unique confidential information was secured by these criminals from abroad by creating duplicate web pages of online shopping sites like Amazon and E Bay.” Roy said.

Using the laptop, the accused typed this information on the card format and printed it on blank cards using the Polaroid writer. This is how a copy of the debit card was created.

The cards were further put through the MSRW machine, which inserted the 15 to 20 digit number inside the magnetic strip. The police are now investigating how and from where the accused brought the machine.

Lastly, explaining the usage of these cards, Roy said, the two accused targeted only male Indians living abroad. Also, they targeted countries like USA, with which India has a time difference of 8 hours.

Further, they made sure that they do not withdraw an amount exceeding Rs. 1 lakh as it would invite suspicion, and destroyed each card after using it once. They brought fast selling products like mobile phones, I-Pods, computer peripherals, etc, and then sold them in local markets.

Roy further said that they had obtained Pan cards by submitting a fake driving license and other relevant documents. Kothadiya inserted his photograph on the pan card with the name and other details of the victim. If an employee of a mall asked them for their personal details before a transaction, they produced these fake identification cards.

Another investigating official said, “ We suspect that some Nigerians provided the accused with the equipment and taught them the entire procedure too.” “ We received an oral complaint about these transactions after which we investigated the matter. They have been remanded in custody till March 29. We are now hunting for the other gang members in India and abroad,” said Roy.

Veteran of abstract art gives Delhi a new show

It's an attitude towards work that is so typical of his generation of artists — an attitude that not just made them but also became the groundwork on which Indian art built its structure that we so love to admire today. Despite old age and despite not- somuch in pink- of- health, Jeram Patel, the 81- year- old renowned artist from Baroda is marking his presence daily at his ongoing exhibition at Triveni Kala Sangam. Even if it involves sniffling almost ceaselessly and sitting with feet stretched on another chair and covered in a blanket.

“ If work has to be done, it has to be done,” he says nonchalantly, making nothing of the special effort he is putting in to be present at his exhibition. That attitude, one can gather, must have been the reason why Patel was able to pursue art in the first place. “ My family didn’t appreciate me taking to painting but I knew that no matter what, I would continue to paint. After all, what is to be done, has to be done,” he repeats the refrain almost unconsciously.

What renders Patel’s art special is the fact that it was not just his love for paints and brushes that made him an artist but also his subconscious ideology to give a new, individual identity to the art of a new nation. Along with fellow artists such as N. S. Bendre, Sankho Chowdhuri and Jagdish Swaminathan, he was instrumental in founding the Group 1890, a collective that sought to free Indian art from the trappings of colonial influences.

“ Today, people don’t have the strength to question and take stands. Art too is purely a business of paying obeisance,” says the artist, almost at the risk of giving vent to a generational angst, that is not totally untrue.

Like his ideology, his art too has stood the test of time — he has painted in black and white for as long as he can remember, and even his latest works follow his tryst with the two colours. It should not come as a surprise that all the 14 canvases on display were finished only in past three months.

Besides Patel, an individual one should not miss meeting if visiting the show, is collector and admirer Asit Shah, who has brought this show to the city. While Patel himself would not like to indulge in talking about his art, Shah offers great insight into what makes Patel’s art great.