TTD Restricts VIP Darshan In Tirumala On Jan 1 Seeing Pilgrim Rush December 31, 2018 12:32
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) will restrict the darshan of VIPs on January 1 as it expects a large flow of devotees who will visit the Lord Venkateshwara temple atop Tirumala on the first day of 2019. Due to this, the TTD has made up its mind to open the waiting line for darshan from 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, Tirumala in-charge joint executive officer Pola Bhaskar said VIPs and VVIPs will be allowed darshan from 2 a.m. to 4:30 a.m., before the regular devotees, are allowed, following which all such special privileges will be suspended. The TTD also canceled special darshans for the aged and people with physical disabilities. "We want to give top priority to common devotees, and for that, we have planned to commence the sarva darshan line from 4.30 a.m. itself on January 1," he was quoted as saying. A review meeting was held on Sunday with all departments of the TTD to guarantee that the temple was ready to tackle the crowd on January 1. Security has been beefed up and the TTD has also deployed more sevaks and guides to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. One of the affluent Hindu temples in the world, the temple town of Tirumala receives 60,000-80,000 people every day and is managed by hundreds of officials and priests. The figure even crosses a lakh during holidays and on special occasions. 2.68 crore devotees visited the shrine during the financial year 2016-17. The TTD had approved an annual budget of Rs 2,858 crore for 2017-18 and have stated that the temple's earnings during 2018-19 are expected to be around Rs 2,894 crore, of which the offerings in the temple's 'hundi' alone are estimated to amount to Rs 1,156 crore. By Sowmya
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Cabinet Okays Death Penalty for Aggravated Sexual Assault of Children December 28, 2018 18:49
The government on Friday approved the proposal for the Amendment to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012 to provide the option of rigorous punishment, including the death penalty, for sexual crimes against children. "To discourage the trend of child sexual abuse by acting as a deterrent Section-4, Section-5 and Section-6 are proposed to be amended to provide the option of stringent punishment, including the death penalty, for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault crime on a child to protect the children from sexual abuse," a press release by the government stated. The release by Cabinet stated that modification was made to address the need for stringent measures required to deter the rising trend of child sex abuse in the country. "The amendment is expected to discourage the trend of child sexual abuse by acting as a deterrent due to strong penal provisions incorporated in the Act. It may protect the interest of vulnerable children in times of distress and ensures their safety and dignity. The amendment aims to establish clarity regarding the aspects of child abuse and punishment thereof," the government stated. The amendment in Section-4, Section-5, Section-6, Section-9, Section-14, Section-15 and Section-42 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, is made to address the aspects of child sexual abuse in an appropriate manner. The amendments are also proposed in Section-9 to protect children from sexual offenses in times of natural calamities and disasters and in cases where children are administered, in any way, any hormone or any chemical substance, to attain early sexual maturity for the purpose of penetrative sexual assault. Section-14 and Section-15 of the POCSO Act, 2012 are also proposed to be amended to address the menace of the child pornography. It is proposed to levy fine for not destroying, deleting or reporting the pornographic material involving a child. The person can be further penalized with jail term or fine or both for transmitting or propagating or administrating such material in any manner except for the purpose of reporting as may be prescribed and for use as evidence in court. Penal provisions have been made more stringent for storing or possessing any pornographic material in any form involving a child for commercial purposes. The POCSO Act, 2012 protects children from offenses of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography with due regard for safeguarding the interest and well-being of children. The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age and is gender neutral. The amendment in Section-4, Section-5, Section-6, Section-9, Section-14, Section-15 and Section-42 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, is made to address the aspects of child sexual abuse in a befitting way. The modification is made to address the demand for stringent measures required to discourage the rising trend of child sex abuse in the country. However, experts have warned that this is improbable to prevent or even curb the issue and feel that the death penalty is an 'anti-child measure.' The experts state that the death penalty is initiated thinking that the fear of punishment will be a deterrent, but it is the reverse that may happen. Experts feel that in cases where the accused is close or known to the survivor, the case may not be reported. -Sowmya Sangam
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President's Rule Comes into Force in Jammu and Kashmir December 20, 2018 16:41
President rule has been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, for the first time since 1990. The decision comes as the six-month-long governor's rule in the state ended on December 19. The governor's rule was imposed in June after the collapse of the People's Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP-BJP) coalition. The Centre had then appointed veteran politician Satya Pal Malik as governor of the state under article 92 of the state constitution. Jammu and Kashmir, which has its own constitution, mandates the imposition of governor's rule in the absence of a government for six months. However, if no government formation takes place in the state or the assembly gets dissolved, the governor then writes to the Home Ministry for the imposition of president's rule in the state. Initially, Jammu and Kashmir had its own prime minister and the president called sadre-e-riyasat (President of the State). In the mid-'60s, these two constitutional positions were renamed as chief minister and governor. Late Sheikh Abdullah was the first prime minister of the state, while Karan Singh, son of the last Maharaj, was the first sadre-e-riyasat. With the imposition of president's rule in the state, the powers of the legislature that were vested with the governor will be shifted to the parliament. Apart from the powers of legislation, major financial powers will also shift to the parliament. Anticipating president's rule in the state, Malik had approved the state budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 a day before and cleared three legislations on cooperative banks and bovine breeding. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir especially National Conference (NC) and PDP have criticized the governor for passing and amending laws. They believe Malik was overstepping his mandate and his role was only that of a caretaker. During the past six months, the State Administrative Council (SAC) which acts as a cabinet under the governor, passed several laws and bills that essentially do not fall under its domain and needed debate and consultation in assembly. Under the president's rule, the governor needs permission and agreement of the Centre to pass any laws, or take decisions. The imposition of president's rule has increased the anxiety of political parties like NC and Congress about a possible time lag in conducting elections in the state. The two parties have benefited from the failure of the PDP-BJP coalition. NC vice president Omar Abdullah told The Week he was afraid the assembly elections might be delayed. ''We are getting mixed signals including from governor's office at Raj Bhawan,'' he said. ''Recently, our delegation under provincial president Devender Rana met him and he was not very forthcoming about holding elections on time.'' The Congress, buoyed by the success in the elections in three states, is also pressing for election in the state. The Congress believes it can benefit from BJP's poor performance in Jammu to its advantage. -Sowmya Sangam
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Cyclone Phethai: Storm Set to Make Landfall Around Kakinada Today December 17, 2018 14:23
Coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are on high alert as the cyclonic storm developing over the Bay of Bengal is set to make landfall around Kakinada Monday afternoon. Dubbed as Phethai, the cyclone is set to hit Andhra Pradesh coast with a wind speed of up to 70-90 kmph. Anticipating the storm, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been put on high alert along with the Coast Guard. Sixteen teams of Andhra Pradesh Disaster Response and Fire Services are on standby at Rajamahendravaram, while another nine (of five members each) have been positioned in West Godavari district for road clearance, news agency PTI reported. The India Meteorological Department has called for a total suspension of fishing operations along and off Andhra Pradesh coast on Sunday and Monday, advising fisherman to not venture into deep sea along and off Andra, north Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts till 17th December. We are fully equipped with the RTEs assessing the impact of the Pethai effect. We are directly reviewing the situation for every hour to keep the 48 hours up to date. Let's face this problem that comes to the state, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu tweeted. The Odisha government has already asked district collectors to take steps to protect paddy from the unseasonal rain. Fishermen were advised not to venture into deep sea areas of west-central and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal till Monday. The system is likely to cause widespread rain in all districts of Gangetic West Bengal, with heavy rain in one or two places till Tuesday morning, the Met department said. The Indian Navy has been keeping a watch on the cyclonic storm which initially developed over the Bay of Bengal. The storm is to make landfall and it is likely the forces can be deployed for rescue and relief mission. -Sowmya
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Congress Leader Sajjan Kumar Gets Life Term in 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots December 17, 2018 12:19
Indian National Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to life in jail after found guilty for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by the Delhi High Court, which canceled an earlier court order acquitting him. The 73-year-old Sajjan Kumar was convicted in the killing of five members of a family in Raj Nagar in Delhi. He has been asked to surrender by December 31 and cannot leave the city. "It is important to assure the victims that despite the challenges truth will prevail," the High Court said, referring to the courage of Jagdish Kaur, the victim who had fought for action against Sajjan Kumar and others. "The aftershock of those atrocities is still being felt," said the court. At least 3,000 people were killed by mobs after the assassination in November 1984, of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. While many witnesses and survivors gave accounts of Congress leaders leading mobs targeting Sikhs, Sajjan Kumar is the first top leader of the party to be convicted. The order comes on a day the Congress takes over three big states after its election victories earlier this week. "Criminals have enjoyed political patronage," the court noted, also saying there was "abject police failure" as the police failed to act against the inability of the victims to file complaints. A former Congress councilor, Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, and three others were held guilty in the Raj Nagar case but a trial court had acquitted Sajjan Kumar. The convicts had challenged the verdict and their sentence by the trial court in May 2013. The Central Bureau of Investigation had also filed an appeal against Sajjan Kumar's acquittal, alleging that the mobs were involved in "a planned communal riot" and "religious cleansing". Nirlep Kaur, who saw her father being burnt alive by the mobs, wept as she thanked the law for justice after 34 years. The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said he welcomed the verdict and "it has been a very long and painful wait for innocent victims who were murdered by those in power". He said: "Nobody involved in any riot should be allowed to escape no matter how powerful the individual may be." -Sowmya
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SC Dismisses petitions Seeking Probe into Rafale Deal December 14, 2018 12:31
The Supreme Court on Friday has dismissed all the petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the Rafale deal, giving a huge victory for the Center. The bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and K.M. Joseph dismissing the petitions clarified that the apex court has not found any material to show that the deal was a commercial favoritism. "Perception of individuals cannot form the basis for interference... There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale deal," the judgment said. The top court said it is not the job of the court to deal with the comparative details of the pricing. Four pleas were filed by six petitioners - M.L. Sharma, Vineet Dhanda, Sanjay Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, and Prashant Bhushan - in the Supreme Court seeking a court-assisted investigation into the Center's deal with French firm Dassault Aviation to buy 36 fighter jets for a total of Rs 58,000 crore. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleged that there is prima facie evidence of the commission of cognizable offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act by public servants in the Rafale deal. On November 14, the court had reserved orders on the petitions alleging corruption and procedural irregularities in the deal for procurement of 36 jets from the French company. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. While reserving the verdict, the apex court had said that the pricing details of Rafale jets could only be discussed after it decides on whether to make it public. The observation by an apex court bench had come after the government refused to publicly divulge pricing details of the deal, saying it would give an advantage to India's enemies. Fiercely defending non-disclosure of price publicly, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for Centre had said the cost of a bare Rafale jet as per 2016 exchange rate was Rs 670 crore and the disclosure of price of a "fully loaded" aircraft would give an "advantage to the adversaries". The court during the hearing on the bunch of pleas had also interacted senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officers and inquired about the requirements of the force. The IAF officers had emphasized in the apex court the need for induction of 'four plus or fifth' generation fighter aircraft like Rafale, which have niche stealth technology and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities. -Sowmya Sangam
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Rahul Gandhi Likely to Announce Rajasthan's CM Today December 14, 2018 11:39
A day after choosing former Union Minister Kamal Nath as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Congress President Rahul Gandhi is set to choose the party's chief minister for Rajasthan today. The race for the top job is between the party's veteran leader Ashok Gehlot and young face Sachin Pilot. The decision on Chhattisgarh is likewise expected today. State leaders TS Singhdeo, Bhupesh Baghel, and Charan Das Mahant will be Delhi for meetings with Gandhi. Gandhi said on Thursday the party would before long decide on the chief minister of Rajasthan. "Consultations with MLAs and party workers are on, you will see a chief minister soon." Gandhi met party leaders, CM aspirants and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi during the day on Thursday. As party leaders discussed the options in Delhi, supporters got restless in Rajasthan blocking roads and staging protests. They gathered outside the party office and the residences of the two state leaders holding placards, cutouts and shouting slogans. In a late night message, Gehlot and Pilot appealed for calm and urged supporters to maintain discipline. The Congress went into elections without a chief ministerial candidate but fielded both, experienced two-time chief minister Gehlot and Pilot, who said he had revived the party after its 2013 rout when the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Vasundhara Raje swept the polls. This is not the first time a party has delayed announcing the names for the top job in a state. The BJP took nine days after the results of the Maharashtra elections were announced in October 2014 to pick Devendra Fadnavis as its chief minister. And in March 2017, it took the BJP eight days after the Uttar Pradesh election results to name Yogi Adityanath for the job. -Sowmya Sangam
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Security Tightens Ahead of Announcement of Next Rajasthan CM December 13, 2018 18:23
Security has been tightened in Jaipur on Thursday ahead of the announcement of the name of the next Rajasthan chief minister as the supporters of both Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot had started gathering near their residences since morning. A large number of supporters are present at the civil lines residence of Gehlot, while Pilot's supporters are also present near his house in Jalupura. "Security arrangements have been tightened looking at the large number of supports at both the places. Additional policemen have been deployed to keep things under control," Additional Commission of Jaipur Police Nitindeep Bluggan said. Apart from their residences, the party members and leaders are also present at the PCC office at Sansarchandra road and waiting for the clearance from the party high command over the name of the chief minister. Many Gurjar community members and supporters of Pilot had assembled near the PCC office Wednesday when the Congress Legislature Party meeting was going on for the discussion over the name of the chief minister and kept raising slogans in support of Pilot. "We are waiting for the official announcement of the chief minister's name. The decision was left on the party president. Nothing can be said at this moment," party MLA Raghu Sharma said. Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with Gehlot and Pilot, the two chief ministerial aspirants in Rajasthan, before taking a final call on who would head the government in the desert state. -Sowmya Sangam
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Assembly Polls: Counting of Votes Underway in Five States December 11, 2018 09:03
The Election Commission (EC) is declaring the assembly election results today of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Mizoram. The polling in the five states took place over the past couple of months. The exit poll results declared recently gave an edge to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chattisgarh. Telangana Rashtra Samithi is set to win the Telangana election results while Mizo National Front is looking to expand their political footprint in Mizoram, according to the exit poll results. The counting of votes began at 8 a.m. today.-Sowmya Sangam
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Telangana Polls: Rohingyas Warned Against Voting Using Fake ID Cards December 06, 2018 18:28
Rohingyas who appear at polling stations to vote by getting voter id card fraudulently would be arrested and imprisoned, the police warned on Thursday. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has identified 105 Rohingyas under its limits who have obtained Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) by enrolling themselves as voters by giving a false declaration stating that they are citizens of India, a civic body official said. "If any Rohingya is found to have obtained EPIC and turns up at the polling booth on December 7, we will arrest that person without any hesitation," Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar told PTI. Earlier, a GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) official had said about 190 names of people suspected to be Rohingyas, the ethnic minority community in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar, have figured in the voter's list of Hyderabad and neighboring districts and the officials were in the process of deleting them. According to a GHMC press release, the community has been migrating to India as refugees since 2012 and the influx into Hyderabad started in 2013. About 5,025 Rohingyas were taking shelter in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas either in refugee camps or in privately rented accommodations and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is providing UNHCR ID cards to these refugees in the city, it said. Enrolling in voters list by submitting false information is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to one year, or with fine, or with both, as per Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act, 1950). "A copy of the list containing details of Rohingya voters has been made available with the officers. In case it is found that Rohingya, who are marked in the ASD (Absent, Shifted, Dead) list, come to vote then he will be immediately taken into custody and a case will be registered," the GHMC added. By Sowmya Sangam
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ISRO Launches GSAT-11 Satellite That Boosts Net Connectivity December 05, 2018 11:15
The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) has successfully launched its GSAT-11 satellite, also called the "Big Bird" into space today from the French spaceport of Kourou in South America. The satellite,weighing 5,854 kg, launched at 2.07 a.m. (IST), will help in providing satellite-based internet to remote places where cable-based internet cannot reach. It is the heaviest Indian-made equipment that the agency put into its orbit. This launch was the second attempt after ISRO's first bid failed in May earlier this year and was placed into space on its 102nd flight, the Ariane 5 rocket. According to ISRO, the satellite is healthy after the launch. "GSAT-11 is the next generation high throughput communication satellite that will play a vital role in providing broadband services across the country. It will also provide a platform to demonstrate new generation applications," Dr. K Sivan, ISRO chief said. The "Big Bird" has cost about Rs. 600 crore. The Ariane-5 heavyweight rocket was hired from Arianespace by ISRO. The satellite is expected to have a lifespan of 15 years. The satellite internet, which the GSAT-11 will help to provide, will aid in giving internet connectivity in flights in India. The GSAT-11 is equivalent to the combined power of almost all communications satellites sent into orbit by India. A communications specialist told NDTV that the satellite is like a constellation of 30 classical orbiting satellites. India has hired the French Ariane-5 rocket as it can heavy payload into orbit. India's own geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle MK iii or GSLV MK iii can haul satellites that weigh up to 4 tons. Along with its three siblings, GSAT-19, GSAT-29, and GSAT-20, the satellite will be a "game changer for providing internet access and data communications for India and will aid the digital India program," Dr. Sivan adds. -Sowmya Sangam
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Over 4,000 Criminal Cases Pending Against MPs, MLAs: SC December 04, 2018 17:31
The Supreme Court was on Tuesday informed that there were about 4,122 criminal cases pending, some for more than three decades, against former and present members of Parliament and legislative assemblies. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will take up the issue on Tuesday relating to the criminal lawsuits against the former and present legislators on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The top court had sought detailed data on the pending criminal cases against the present and former legislators from the State and various high courts so as to enable the setting up of a decent number of special courts for expedited trial in these cases. Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter together with advocate Sneha Kalita filed the data received from States and high courts and submitted it to the top court. The data put together stated that in 264 cases, the trial has been stayed by high courts. Further, the report said in several cases which have been pending since 1991, charges have not yet been framed. The court will hear the PIL (Public interest litigation) filed by lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Aswhini Upadhyay seeking a lifetime ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases besides setting up of special courts to with speed and efficiency try such cases involving elected representatives. -Sowmya Sangam
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