29 killed as bus falls into drain on Yamun Expressway

29 killed as bus falls into drain on Yamun Expressway 

Arvind Chauhan & Ajay Tomar | TNN | Updated: Jul 8, 2019, 13:19 IST 

The bus, after hitting the divider, fell into the 40-feet-deep gap between two flyovers on the Expressway near Milestone 161 (Jharna nullah) under Etmadpur police jurisdic Agra district at around 4.15am According to Major (retired) Manish Singh, in-charge coordinator of Yamuna expressway 'It seems the bus driver of the UPSRTC Jan Rath fell asleep on the wheel, breaking the divider and taking the bus into 40-feet shallow gap between two flyovers of Yamuna expressway' 

BUDGET-2019

New Delhi, February 1

BUDGET-2019

Reaching out to a large electorate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Modi government on Friday announced a cash dole for small farmers, a mega pension scheme for the unorganised sector and doubled the threshold tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh.

Presenting the interim 2019-20 Union Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said Rs 6,000 per year cash support would be given to small and marginal farmers that would cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually, in a bid to provide relief to the distressed farm sector. 

Under the scheme called ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi’, Rs 6,000 will be transferred into bank accounts of farmers holding up to two hectares of land in three equal instalments.

Goyal said it would benefit 12 crore farmers and would be implemented from this fiscal itself.

He said Rs 20,000 crore had been provided for current fiscal and also announced allocation of Rs 75,000 crore for the next fiscal.

Unveiling the mega pension yojana for the unorganised sector workers that will benefit 10 crore people, Goyal said they would get assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after reaching the age of 60.

“We are launching Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan today. The scheme will provide assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000, with contribution of 100 rupees per month, for workers in unorganised sector after 60 years of age,” Goyal said.

Goyal, who is standing in for Arun Jaitley undergoing treatment in the US, informed the House that the government would also provide a matching contribution of Rs 100 for every unorganised worker covered under the scheme.

“The scheme will benefit 10 crore workers in unorganised sector, and may become the world’s biggest pension scheme for unorganised sector in five years.”

In a major relief for the middle class, Goyal proposed to double the threshold tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh and increased the standard deduction from the existing Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.

The announcement was greeted with thumping of desks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the treasury benches.

The proposal would benefit 3 crore middle-class taxpayers, Goyal said.

Doubling the threshold exemption limit is expected to cost the exchequer Rs 18,500 crore.

Goyal said an individual having an income of Rs 6.5 lakh per annum would not be required to pay any tax provided he invested in the specified tax saving schemes of the government.

The TDS threshold on interest from bank, post office deposits was also raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000.

“This is not just an Interim Budget, this is a vehicle for the developmental transformation of the nation,” Goyal said.

He also announced a hike in the defence budget to over Rs 3 lakh crore. PTI

HIGHLIGHTS

*Healthy India is ninth dimension of our vision for India: FM Goyal

*Persons with gross income of Rs 6.5 lakh annually will not have to pay any tax after considering investments of Rs 1.5 lakh in tax saving schemes: FM

*Rs 76,800 crore allocated for welfare of SCs/STs for 2019-20, up from Rs 62,474 crore in 2018-19: FM

*Individuals with income up to Rs 5 lakh will not have to pay any income tax

*India is on the way of becoming global manufacturing hub, including automobiles, electronics and defence

*Building physical and social infrastructure for USD10 trillion economy, says FM outlining 10 year vision in the Interim Budget speech

*We are poised to become a USD 5 trillion economy in next five years and aspire to become USD10 trillion economy in next 8 yrs

*NDA govt has laid foundation for India’s growth and development for times to come 

*More than 1.06 crore people filed I-T returns for first time in 2017-18, the year after demonetisation

*Anti-black money measures, including demonetisation, led to discovery of undisclosed income of Rs 1.3 lakh cr, seizure of Rs 50,000 cr

*Govt committed to eliminating ills of black money

*Fiscal deficit for 2018-19 to be 3.4 per cent as against 3.3 per cent targeted; breach primarily because of farm income support

*GST has continuously reduced, relief of Rs 80,000 cr to consumers; most items of daily use for poor and middle class are now in 0-5% tax bracket: FM

*India will be modern, technology driven, equitable and transparent society by 2030 

*As many as 34 cr Jan Dhan accounts opened in 5 years, Aadhaar ensured benefits reach poor, says FM

*Impactful steps taken to reduce tax, bring benefits for middle class citizens

*Single window clearance for film-making to be made available to Indian film-makers, anti-camcording provision to be introduced to Cinematography Act to combat privacy

*Cost of data, voice calls in India is now possibly lowest in world; mobile and mobile part manufacturing companies have increased from 2 to 268

*Budget allocation to North East region increased by 21 per cent to Rs 58,166 crore for 2019-20

*1 lakh digital villages to be created in next five years

*In last 5 years under all categories of workers, minimum wages increased by 42 per cent which is the highest ever

*India leading world in mobile data consumption; mobile consumption data has risen by 50 times

*Construction of rural roads tripled; 15.8 lakh out of total 17.84 lakh habitations connected with pucca roads under PMGSY. PMGSY allocated Rs 19,000 crore in 2019-20

*Average monthly GST tax collection Rs 97,100 cr as compared to Rs 89,700 cr last year

*Govt to launch mega pension yojana for 42 cr unorganised sector workers; assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after reaching the age of 60

*Vande Bharat Express will provide speed, service and safety to citizens and will give boost to Make In India: FM

*Urgent steps needed to boost domestic oil and gas production to cut imports: FM

*99.54 per cent of all returns were accepted without scrutiny, transforming I-T department, return to be processed in 24 hours, processed simultaneously

*Capital expenditure programme of Railways at all-time high of Rs 1.58 lakh cr in next FY: FM

*We have eliminated all unmanned railway crossings in the country: FM

*In next two years even tax returns selected for scrutiny will be done without any personal interface, electronically, says FM

*Simplification of direct tax system to benefit taxpayers; direct tax reduced and tax interface made simpler and faceless to make life easier

*Substantial hike in military service pay has been announced

*Tax collection increased to Rs 12 lakh crore this year, returns filed to 6.85 crore

*Rs 35,000 cr given under OROP in last three years

*Defence budget increased to over Rs 3 lakh cr in 2019-20

*27 km of highways built each day, projects stuck for decades completed; SagarMala will help faster handling of import and export cars

*Nine priority areas identified; National Artificial Intelligence Portal to be developed soon

*Indian Railways has witnessed its safest year in history; all unmanned crossings on broad gauge network have been eliminated

*India is fastest highways developer in the world, says FM

*Rs 1 crore loan can now be obtained under 59 minutes: FM

*Country now has 100 operational airports; passenger traffic has doubled in last five years 

*Over 1 crore youth trained under skill initiatives of government, says FM

*India has become second largest hub of startups

*Under the Mudra scheme, govt has sanctioned 15.56 lakh loans amounting Rs 7.23 lakh crore

*75 pc of women beneficiaries under Mudra Yojana, 26 weeks’ maternity leave and Pradhan Mantri Matritva Yojana are all empowering women

*Out of 8 cr free LPG connections under Ujjwala, 6 cr connections to poor women have already been provided

*Ujjwala Yojana providing free cooking gas connection is a remarkable success story

*More than 70 per cent of MUDRA yojana beneficiaries are women

*Gratuity limit increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 30 lakh

*High growth, formalisation of economy has resulted in increased EPFO membership by 2 cr in last two years

*Farmers affected by severe natural calamity will get 2 pc interest subvention on all rescheduled crop loans and additional 3 per cent on timely repayment

*High growth and formalisation of economy has led to rise in EPFO membership by 2 cr in last two years

*Farmers hit by natural calamities to get 2 per cent interest subvention; 3 per cent more on timely repayment of loans

*2 pc interest subvention to farmers involved in animal husbandry and fishery

*Govt to provide Rs 750 crore in FY to support animal husbandry and fishing

*There is need for structured income support for poor, landless farmers to meet input cost

*Govt to implement special strategy for uplift of nomadic tribes

*Govt has fixed MSP for 22 notified crops at 50 per cent higher than cost of production

*Pension scheme for unorganised sector workers to be implemented from this fiscal

*Cheaper drugs being provided through Jan Aushadi stores: FM

*AIIMs established or operating in country, of which 14 sanctioned since 2014. Another to be set up in Haryana

*10 lakh patients have been treated so far under Ayushman Bharat scheme, world’s largest health care programme

*Use of LED bulbs saved power bill of about Rs 50,000 crore, says FM

*As many as 1.53 crore houses constructed during 2014-18 under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana

*143 crore LED bulbs were made available for lower and middle class families

*Farmers to be provided Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments, to be fully funded by the central government 

*We plan to provide urban facilities in rural areas while preserving ‘soul of village’, says FM

*Construction of rural roads tripled under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana: FM

*2.5 cr families were without electricity in 2014; we have provided power to almost all families: FM

*Govt spent Rs 1.7 lakh crore to supply food grains at cheaper price to poor in 2018-19 as against Rs 92,000 crore in 2013-14

*Allocation to MNREGA hiked to Rs 60,000 crore for 2019-20

*Govt announces the Pradhan Mantri Samman Nidhi for small and marginal farmers; farmers to get Rs 6,000 per year

*Govt has provided 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section; job quota to provide 2 lakh seats in educational institutes  

*We have worked to bridge the urban-rural divide

*About 5.4 lakh villages made open defecation-free 

*Poor have the first right over nation’s resources

*I hope other banks too would soon come out of PCA framework

*Realty Law RERA has helped in bringing transparency in real estate sector

*India has achieved over 98 per cent rural sanitation coverage: FM

*We have run a corruption-free government

*Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code helping in recovery of  non-performing loans. Even big businessmen are now worried about loans: FM

*BoI, OBC and Bank of Maharashtra have been removed from the PCA framework of RBI

*3 lakh crore recovered from big corporate loan defaulters: FM

*Our govt had the guts to ask RBI to look at bad loans and present correct picture to nation: FM

*We have stopped culture of phone banking, says FM referring to allegations of rampant loans over phone during UPA regime.

*We have liberalised FDI allowing more investment through automatic route

*We have undertaken path-breaking structural reforms by introducing GST and other reforms

*Fiscal deficit will be 3.4 per cent of GDP; Current Account Deficit to be 2.5 per cent of GDP

*Current Account Deficit likely to be 2.5 pc of GDP this year 

*India attracted USD 239 bn in FDI in last five years

*If we had not controlled inflation our families would have been spending 35-40 per cent more on daily use items

*NDA govt contained double digit inflation; Govt has broken the back of high inflation 

*India is fastest growing major economy in world; GDP growth in last 5 yrs higher than under any previous govt

*India has been recognised as brightest spot in the world in the past 5 years

*We have got decisive mandate to continue structured reforms. We have reversed policy paralysis

*We are moving towards realising New India by 2022: FM

*Goyal begins interim budget speech, wishes Union minister Arun Jaitley speedy recovery and good health

*Finance Minister Piyush Goyal rises to present Interim Budget for 2019-20

*Cabinet approves Interim Budget for 2019-20. PTI

Amartya Sen in Zee News

Amartya Sen says Modi government ousted him from Nalanda University

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - 11:43
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Months after he withdrew his candidature as chancellor of Nalanda University, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has now said that the Narendra Modi-led government wants to seize direct control over academic institutions.
Sen has candidly written about his exit from Nalanda University in a 4,000-word essay, which will be published in August issue of the New York Review of Books.

Ahead of the publication of the essay, Sen talked to a newspaper and hit out at the government for "extraordinarily large" interference in academia.

In an interview to Times of India, the Nobel laureate also expressed his worries about cut in budgets for health and education.

"I have never been anti-industry but no country can become an industrial giant with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force," Sen said.

Talking to the daily, Sen said: "I was certainly ousted from Nalanda”.

"Some members of the Board, especially the foreign members were keen on carrying on the battle for me but I stepped aside as I did not want to be an ineffective leader. The government may have held up finances or statues had I continued."

"Nalanda not a one off incident. Nothing in this scale of interference has happened before. Every institution where the government has a formal role is being converted into where the government has a substantive role."

Sen further noted that the government refused to ratify the director's appointment at the TIFR. Also, A Sethumadhavan was asked to resign as the Chairman of National Book Trust and an RSS ideologue was appointed instead, added Sen.

Dr Lokesh Chandra, who was appointed as the new president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations last year, believes that PM Modi was a greater personality that Mahatma Gandhi, said Sen.

Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, the current Chairperson of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), has not done any historical research and instead is someone who has written an article saying the caste system was wrongly blamed for being exploitative when it did a lot of good for India, claimed Sen.

"The Delhi IIT Director, Raghunath Shevgaonkar resigned, the IIT Bombay Board chairman, Anil Kakodkar, expressed that he could not help the government in anything in the future, for the IIMs they have introduced a bill where instead of having indirect power of withholding the signature which they did in my case or they did in Trivedi's case, now they would directly like to appoint the director. That's the new bill. Instead of having effective power, this becomes direct control."

Taking on the government for failing to understand that a market economy needs successful public services, Sen said: "India spends 1.2 percent of GDP on public healthcare, China spends 3 percent. Now even that 1.2 has been cut to 1 percent. There is confusion in India is wanting high growth rates like China but overlooking that China has improved public services dramatically. It has pretty much guaranteed healthcare for all, they have everyone in school, they have complete coverage. That has been the Asian pattern of development. You do it together: market economy and the state's role. The market economy needs a complentarity with the public services."

He further described NDA's Land Acquisition Bill as "comprehensively wrong".

What has gone wrong with this government is the fundamental understanding that human beings are at the centre of development, Sen said.

Notably, Sen on February 20 withdrew his candidature as chancellor of Nalanda University, alleging that the government does not want him to continue to head the prestigious multi-country initiative.

Sen, whose term as chancellor ends in July, was unanimously picked by the Nalanda University governing board at its last meeting January 13-14 this year.

He will be replaced by George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore.

First Published: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - 11:43

upsc of 2014 top in 2015

                  UPSC Civil Services Exam 2014 Results Declared, Women Grab Top Four Spots 

           

   Of the top five candidates, four are women - Ira Sehgal (1), Renu Raj (2), Nidhi Gupta (3) and Vandana Rao (4).
Updated: July 04, 2015 16:27 IST

darjeeling

kersiong darjeeling gatharing of clouds

Obama & Ramadhan 2015

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 22, 2015

Remarks by the President at the 2015 Iftar Dinner

East Room

9:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the White House. Now, I know that these are the longest days of the year, which is why I’m so glad that they put the first course down right away. (Laughter.) I know you’re hungry, and I promise to be brief.

I want to thank the members of our diplomatic corps who are here today, as well as our members of Congress, and all those serving across government who are joining us. And I especially want to recognize all the inspiring young people who are here today, many of whom I’ve put at my table. To all of you, and to Muslim Americans across the country -- Ramadan Kareem.

Our annual White House Iftar recognizes the sacredness of Ramadan to more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. It’s a time when Muslims recommit themselves to their faith, following days of discipline with nights of gratitude for the gifts that God bestows. It’s a time of spiritual renewal and a reminder of one’s duty to our fellow man -- to serve one another and lift up the less fortunate. The Quran teaches that God’s children should tread gently upon the earth and, when confronted by ignorance, reply “peace.” In honoring these familiar values together -- of peace and charity and forgiveness -- we affirm that, whatever our faith, we’re all one family.

Our Iftar is also a reminder of the freedoms that bind us together as Americans, including the freedom of religion -- that inviolable right to practice our faiths freely. That’s what Samantha Elauf represents. She was determined to defend the right to wear a hijab and to have the same opportunities as everybody else. She went all the way to the Supreme Court -- which I didn’t do at her age. (Laughter.) And she won. (Applause.) So, Samantha, we’re very proud of you.

When our values are threatened, we come together as one nation. When three young Muslim Americans were brutally murdered in Chapel Hill earlier this year, Americans of all faiths rallied around that community. And obviously, tonight, our prayers remain with Charleston and Mother Emanuel church. As Americans, we insist that nobody should be targeted because of who they are, or what they look like, who they love, how they worship. We stand united against these hateful acts.

These are the freedoms and the ideals, and the values that we uphold. And it’s more important than ever, because around the world and here at home, there are those who seek to divide us by religion or race or sect. Here in America, many people personally don’t know someone who is Muslim. They mostly hear about Muslims in the news -- and that can obviously lead to a very distorted impression.

We saw this play out recently at a mosque in Arizona. A group of protestors gathered outside with offensive signs against Islam and Muslims. And then the mosque’s leaders invited them inside to share in the evening prayer. One demonstrator, who accepted the invitation later, described how the experience changed him; how he finally saw the Muslim American community for what it is -- peaceful and welcoming. That’s what can happen when we stop yelling and start listening. That’s why it’s so important always to lift up the stories and voices of proud Americans who are contributing to our country every day. And we have a lot of inspiring Americans here today.

They’re Muslim Americans like Ziad Ahmed. As a Bangladeshi-American growing up in New Jersey, he saw early on that there was not enough understanding in the world. So two years ago, he founded Redefy, a website to push back against harmful stereotypes by encouraging teens like him -- he’s only 16; I think our youngest guest tonight -- to share their stories. (Applause.) Because, in Ziad’s words, “ignorance can be defeated through education.” He wants to do his part to make sure that “Muslims can be equal members of society and still hold onto their faith and identity.” So we’re very proud of you, Ziad.

They’re Muslim Americans like Munira Khalif. And Munira is the daughter of Somali immigrants; she started an organization to support girls’ education in East Africa. She just graduated from high school in Minnesota, and she’s already lobbied Congress to pass the Girls Count Act so that girls in the developing world are documented at birth -- a bill I was proud to sign into law last week. She’s even spoken at the United Nations. I was also not doing this at her age. (Laughter and applause.) This fall, Munira is heading to Harvard to continue her education in public service -- which was a tough choice, because of course she was accepted to all the Ivy League schools she applied to. But we are very, very proud of you, and I know your community is as well.

They’re Muslim Americans like Batoul Abuharb, who was born in a refugee camp in Gaza, and when she was an infant her family moved to Houston. After graduating from Rice University, she spent a summer in Gaza working with the U.N. health clinic. After seeing people line up whenever new stocks of vaccines arrived, she started Dunia Health to improve the distribution of vaccines and tell families when to come in -- all over text message. They’ve started with Palestinian refugees in Jordan, but the program has been so successful that the U.N. is looking to expand Dunia’s work to more countries across the Middle East. Batoul, we’re very proud of you. Congratulations. (Applause.)

So, Ziad, Munira, Batoul -- they all talk about how much they value the opportunities they’ve had to succeed here in the United States. And they also remind us that our obligations to care for one another extend beyond our immediate communities, beyond our borders. So tonight, we keep in our prayers those who are suffering around the world, including those marking Ramadan in areas of conflict and deprivation and hunger. The people of Iraq and Syria as they push back on the barbarity of ISIL. The people of Yemen and Libya, who are seeking an end to ongoing violence and instability. Those fleeing war and hardship in boats across the Mediterranean. The people of Gaza, still recovering from last year’s conflict. The Rohingya in Myanmar, including migrants at sea, whose human rights must be upheld.

We’re proud, by the way, to have Wai Wai Nu with us tonight -- a former political prisoner who’s working on human rights issues for the Rohingya and equal rights for women. So we’re glad to have you here with us tonight. (Applause.)

So these challenges around the world and here at home demand the very qualities you summon every day during Ramadan: sacrifice, discipline, patience. A resilience that says we don’t simply endure, but we overcome. Together, we can overcome ignorance and prejudice. Together, we will overcome conflict and injustice -- not just with words, but with deeds. With what a hero of mine, the civil rights icon John Lewis, calls using our feet -- getting out in the real world to organize and to create the change that we seek. That’s what so many of you do every single day. And that’s what we have to continue to do together, here in America and around the world. As the Quran teaches, let us answer with “Peace.”

May God bless you all. Have a wonderful Ramadan. And get back to dinner. (Laughter.) Thank you very much. (Applause.)

66A & 21 PETITIONS

Section 66A: 21 individuals whose petitions changed the system

By: Express News Service | Updated: March 25, 2015 12:00 pm

How they fought, what they wrote — the men and women whose petitions and posts on social media led to the supreme court order striking down section 66A of IT Act.

Palghar posts

Shaheen Dhada & Rinu Srinivasan of Palghar were at the centre of the first petition — by Shreya Singhal. When Mumbai saw a shutdown following Bal Thackeray’s death in 2012, Shaheen posted on Facebook, “Every day thousands of people die. But still the world moves on… Just due to one politician dead. A natural death. Every one goes crazy… Respect is earned not given out, definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear not due to respect.” Rinu, who “liked” the post, commented: “Everyone know it’s done because of fear!!! We agree that he has done a lot of good things. also we respect him, it doesn’t make sense to shut down everything! Respect can be shown in many other ways!” Detained for 10 days, they were first charged under IPC for spreading hatred and then under Section 66A of the IT Act. While happy with Tuesday’s verdict, Rinu said, “While using digital space, one needs to ensure their actions don’t hurt others.” Shaheen’s uncle A G Dahada said, “The girls went through immense trauma but justice has been done.”
Shreya Singhal, 24, a Delhi-based law student, was the first to challenge the law in court after the arrest of Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan of Palghar in 2012. Shreya contended Section 66A goes against the right to free speech as enshrined in India’s Constitution. Her PIL cited the twin arrests as evidence that the law, though meant to protect citizens from defamation, can be used to restrict freedom of expression. She described the two-and-a-half years she spent in the courtroom as a first-hand lesson. Singhal, who is not on Twitter, will be a fifth-generation lawyer from her family and has said she filed the PIL when her mother encouraged her to do so to channel her anger over the arrest of Dhada and Srinivasan.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, independent Rajya Sabha MP, filed a PIL in 2013 arguing that Section 66A is unconstitutional because in the name of securing the Internet and in the name of preventing abuse of the Internet, government and government bureaucrats were overreaching and trespassing on the constitutional right of free speech. On Tuesday, he said, “By repealing Section 66 A, India is now ready for a technological leap, which the government’s laudable Digital India program shall foster.” He tweeted: “#sec66a victory: It takes a #PIL to undo the damage that #UPA caused by passing #ITACTAmendments in 7 minutes flat! #freespeechwins” and “#section66a struck downn!! VICTORY!!!! my petition in supreme court upheld!! #transformindia.”

Faisal fariooqui, one of the petitioners, is founder-CEO of MouthShut.com, a user-generated content and consumer review website. He had challenged section 66A. “This verdict will lead to a transformation of the Indian economy into that of a digital economy. Now people have the freedom to post online,” he said. He explains why he filed the petition: “This rule hit us. We started getting legal notices — more than 800. In April 2013, we filed the writ petition and challenged the content removal aspect.” About the possibility of hate posts with Section 66A struck down, he said: “Most good websites have terms and services… Nobody would like to host libellous content.”
Ambikesh Mahapatra, a Jadavpur University professor, was among the petitioners. Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta were arrested for circulating a cartoon that mocked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2012. The cartoon, based on a scene from Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella, showed Mamata pointing at the logo of Indian Railways and telling Mukul Roy: ‘See Mukul, Sonar Kella.” Roy points to Dinesh Trivedi and exclaims: “That’s an evil man!!!” Mamata says: “Evil man, vanish!”
Aseem Trivedi, the other cartoonist arrested under 66A in 2012, too was among the petitioners. Mumbai police arrested him for cartoons, shared on social media, that mocked Parliament and corruption in high places. One cartoon depicted Parliament as a giant commode and showed in the national emblem wolves rather than lions, with the words “Bhrashtameva jayate” instead of “Satyameva jayate”. Also charged with sedition, Trivedi refused to accept bail until that charge was dropped. On March 18 this year, the court said that even strongly worded comments used to show disapproval of the government’s actions will not amount to sedition if they do not instigate public to resort to violence.
A Class XI student of Bareilly was arrested by Rampur police in March, after he allegedly posted a Facebook comment that was attributed to UP minister Azam Khan. The post quotes Azam as having made a communal comment. The boy’s was another case that Shreya Singhal took up. He was booked under the IT Act’s Section 66A as well as IPC sections relating to promoting enmity and inciting communal tension. Later, he got bail.

12 people & a crossword

Eleven students of Sree Krishna College, Thrissur, as well as their principal were accused under IT Act Section 66A and nine of them were arrested in June 2014. Their case was the subject of a petition by Anoop M K, one among the bunch that the Supreme Court had taken up. Their online magazine Name was found to have used “objectionable and unsavoury” language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi — in the form of a clue to a crossword puzzle. It used Modi’s nickname NaMo as the crossword clue, for which the purported solution was an invective. They were also accused of defaming Oommen Chandy, Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor as well as spiritual leader Mata Amrithanandamayi. The students, who belonged to the SFI, were later released on bail. The complaints, their friends alleged, were lodged by ABVP and KSU activists.

Taslima Nasreen too filed a petition against 66A. In November 2013, one Hasan Raza Khan Noori Miyan lodged an FIR in Bareilly accusing the Bangladeshi author of hurting religious sentiments of the Muslim community via social media. “In India, criminals who issue fatwas (edict) against women don’t get punished,” read one tweet. “Since independence, Indian politicians have been seeking help of clerics who don’t respect human rights,free speech and the Constitution,” read another tweet. A third went, “Indians shd speak up against fanatics who vitiate society & push it backward & politicians who encourage them. Else, it’s bad news for democracy.” The police this year filed a closure report; the court went on to acqui Taslima.

Tamil Nadu: Twitter Ravi vs Karti
In October 2012, Ravi Srinivasan, owner of a small plastic manufacturing unit in Pondicherry put a post on Twitter saying that P Chidambaram’s son Karti had amassed more wealth than Robert Vadra. This would make him “Twitter Ravi”. “I put up that post after reading media reports about the wealth of Chidambaram. By that evening, Karti had sent a complaint from the US by fax message to Pondicherry police,” Ravi says. “I had no personal or political agenda. The next day, around 5 am, police arrested me under Section 66A from my home near Pondicherry town. I only had 16 followers on Twitter then,” adds Srinivasan, who now has more than 2,000 followers. “Although I got out on bail the same evening, I am still fighting the case. I have already spent more than Rs 40,000 on this legal battle,” says Srinivasan, father of two daughters in their twenties, as he welcomes the court order.

Maharashtra: Palghar, cartoonist and more
Besides Palghar girls Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan and Kanpur cartoonist Aseem Trivedi (arrested by Mumbai police), another prominent case in Mumbai involved two Air Indian employees, Mayank Mohan Sharma and K V J Rao, who were arrested in November 2012 for uploading content against the PM and allegedly insulting the national flag. They were kept in custody for 12 days before being granted bail. In Pune, the cyber cell in 2012 arrested Amit Chandrakant Jadhav, 27, of Mumbai for allegedly uploading a doctored image of Ajit Pawar on Facebook. The same year, following attacks on people from the Northeast, the cyber cell arrested Mumbai-based teacher Sharif Ahmed Bashir Siddiqui for allegedly uploading a provocative video on YouTube.

Karnataka: Wrong arrest and obscenities
Last May, Bangalore police arrested MBA student Syed Vaqas, 23, following a complaint by social activist Jayanth Tinaikar, who accused Vaqas of circulating a WhatsApp message supposedly showing Narendra Modi’s “funeral” with the words “Ab ki bar antim sanskar”. He was released after police found he was innocent. Many of the cases in Karnataka relate to obscene remarks. Last July, Bangalore police arrested Vishnu R Bhat, 45, a newspaper columnist with right-wing leanings, for posting a obscene comment on the Facebook wall of a rationalist, Prabha N Belavangala, after she had questioned the need for pujas and religious ceremonies while inaugurating government projects. He later got bail. In November, Bangalore police arrested two persons for posting obscene comments on the Facebook page of a woman. Also, farmer Sanath Palapaddi and insurance agent Santosh were arrested for abusive and obscene posts questioning the virtues of a young woman on her Facebook page. They too got bail.

Orissa: Sexual references on Facebook posts
Last July, Dilip Kumar Panda, 25, of Puri was arrested by Rourkela police after a man lodged a complaint that his wife’s photographs were published on a Facebook page, ‘Find Odia Sex Partner’. The police claimed to have found that the creator was Panda, an IT expert, who is now on bail. In August, Orissa’s cyber crime cell arrested Rajaram Biswal, 28, a computer applications graduate, for posting obscene photos of a woman on Facebook after opening an account in her name. She had rejected his proposals; he remains in jail. In September, the cell arrested Panchu Pan, 36 and based in Bangalore, for allegedly posting morphed nude photos of a college student in in Cuttack. The girl had never met him. He is yet to be chargesheeted.

Gujarat: Lok Sabha candidate and a husband’s girlfriend
Roshan Shah, 40, an NRI who contested the Lok Sabha elections as an independent from Ahmedabad, was booked by the Ahmedabad crime branch under 66A after he posted a comment on Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel on Facebook. The case is still being probed. In January, Harpreet Kaur, 20, and from Rohtak, was arrested on a complaint that he had posted posted abusive language and obscene pictures on the Facebook account of a woman. “Harpreet was the girlfriend of the woman’s husband,” says V J Rathod, police inspector (cyber crime). Harpreet is on bail. Surat police arrested Raju Chunilal Shah, 38, and Manojkumar Shah, 25, (they later got bail) for allegedly posting a photoshopped picture of a Muslim place of worship, which apparently caused communal tension in Olpad town.

Mizoram: Father and son in Battle with CM
In 2013, residential-school owner K Chhawnthuama allegedly sent “malicious SMS” to Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and was arrested, though not under Section 66A. This month, his son was arrested for a Facebook post in which he said he would “tie up the CM and drag him around on the street” after the CM took a swipe at his father saying he “uses his deceased wife to make money”, referring to a marble tomb the school owner built and which has become a tourist attraction. Other arrests include that of a 19-year-old for Facebook posts blaming a doctor for causing the death of patients, an Aizawl resident for sending a girl’s “dirty pictures and offensive messages” through WhatsApp, a 33-year-old woman for circulating the names and photos of four juveniles in conflict with the law, and a 22-year-old woman for spreading false news about a gangrape and murder.

Andhra: Hudhud fan
“I love you hudhud. You are teaching a lesson to all those who betrayed by battering them. Love nature’s fury,” posted C Rahul Reddy, a law student and YSR Congress Party, apparently a reaction to YSR Jaganmohan Reddy’s mother loss from Vizag. He was arrested. In 2013, civil rights activists Vindyala Jaya was arrested for an online post about a Congress MLA from Chirala, saying he was involved in child trafficking, and land and sand mafia.

Chandigarh: 75 cases under 66A, including against Satinder Singh and Jasbir Singh for a WhatsApp message mocking Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

West Bengal: Around 100 cases in last one year.

Chhattisgarh: Youth Congress leader Rais Khan arrested for Facebook posts about Hindu gods, journalists Rajkumar Soni and Narayan Sharma booked for defamatory articles.

Jharkhand: 13 cases in 2013, 23 in 2014 and five in 2015.

AK quits AAP Convenor 4.3.2015

Arvind Kejriwal quits as AAP national convenor, says he is overburdened with work
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 12:49 zee news
Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

New Delhi: Amid growing internal rift, the 21-member national executive of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday where the fate of party's two dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav is likely to be decided.

Here are the Live Updates:
I believe that we are like a new born baby & learning to walk, in that circumstance there are times when there is imbalance: Yogendra Yadav
Politics is a huge journey, what seems problematic is actually an opportunity: Yadav
Arvind offered to resign from convenor's post earlier & everyone opposed it: Yogendra Yadav
AAP National Executive to decide on Kejriwal's resignation
Kejriwal has sent a letter to AAP National Executive in this regard, claims he is too busy with work in Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal quits as AAP national convenor
All issues will be resolved today, says Kumar Vishwas of AAP
There should be no effect of all this on Delhi because this is their time to deliver: Vijay Goel, BJP
AAP leader Ashish Khetan regrets commenting on the Bhushans in public

I shd not have commented about Bhushans in public. We've fought for many public causes together & will hopefully continue to work as a team
You will know everything after 2 pm, says Mann
We will keep our stand in the national executive meeting: Mann
Everyone in the party has right to express their opinion: Bhagwant Mann
Ours is a democratic party,issues are resolved with discussions: Bhagwant Mann
The real fight is about Raj Sabha, everyone is fighting for themselves: Prabhat Jha (BJP)
AAP should concentrate on fulfilling promises made to people of Delhi: BJP 's Satish Upadhyay
People have to think about what promises AAP came in with & what is happening: Satish Upadhyay, BJP
Yogendra Yadav & Prashant Bhushan will be asked to put forth their clarification before National Executive meeting today, claim AAP sources
We need Arvind Kejriwal, he is an icon of hope: Yogendra Yadav
It is only through these tests of fire, we shall come out and say yes we are different: Yogendra
There are always issues and difficulties: Yogendra Yadav
No political party, family or office can say all is well, says Yadav
All I want to say is, na todenge na chhodenge, sudhaarenge, khud bhi sudhrenge: Yadav
If not in PAC,will continue to work, says Yogendra
Issue is ensuring greater say of AAP volunteers, after all it's their party:Yogendra
Who should be a PAC member not an issue, says Yadav
We represent hope, those hopes will not be dashed, says Yogendra Yadav
We have a huge mandate, this is a moment to work with large heartedness: Yogendra Yadav
Leaving a post doesn't mean I'll leave party: Yogendra Yadav
If I am not capable enough to be in PAC, I should be removed: Yogendra Yadav
If I have violated discipline, action should be taken: Yogendra Yadav
If I have done anything wrong, I should be punished for that: Yogendra Yadav
These hopes cannot go in vain, you will hear good news in the evening: Yogendra Yadav
AAP was born out of hopes and aspirations of people: Yadav
I don't go to temple, don't worship but hope something good will come out of today's meeting, says Yogendra Yadav, AAP
This is a new day and new beginning: Ashish Khetan
AAP will become stronger after today's meet, says Ashish Khetan
Arvind Kejriwal won't attend today's meet
Decision on Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan likely to be taken
21-member AAP national executive set to meet at 2 pm today

Also read: Yogendra Yadav hopeful of AAP national executive meet yielding 'good news'
The story s far

The ugly strife that has gripped Delhi's barely month-old ruling party may see the duo of AAP leaders out of its top body today.

AAP sources said that the majority in the 21-member National Executive, favoured ousting Bhushan, a leading Supreme Court lawyer and an AAP founder, and political pundit Yadav from the nine-member, decision-making Political Affairs Committee (PAC)

Related Videos

AAP to decide fate of Yogendra, Prashant at national executive meet today



The decision, if carried out, would mean that Bhushan and Yadav would cease to be decision makers in a party that is sure to expand its wings in the country once it cements its foundation in Delhi.

And if Bhushan and Yadav take their ouster from the PAC as a slight, they could exit from the Aam Aadmi Party, which stormed to power in the capital Delhi only a month ago sweeping 67 of the 70 assembly seats.

"The majority is determined to act against Yadav and Bhushan," a high-level AAP source told IANS. "Most feel that they have brought a bad name to the AAP by talking about the lack of so-called internal democracy in the party.

"It is clear they are ganging up against Kejriwal, who has virtually destroyed his own health rebuilding the party from scratch over the past one year," the source added.

The source admitted that a small section in the party, including in the National Executive, was in favour of not doing anything that could lead to the possible exit of Bhushan and Yadav from the AAP.

The AAP meanwhile announced that Kejriwal, who is not expected to attend today's National Executive meeting, will fly to Bengaluru today for 10 days of naturopathy treatment for his high sugar levels.

"I am deeply hurt and pained by what is going on in the party. This is betrayal of trust that (the people of) Delhi reposed in us," the AAP chief tweeted, adding he won't allow "people's trust to be broken".

"I refuse to be drawn in this ugly battle. Will concentrate only on Delhi's governance," he added. I am deeply hurt and pained by what is going on in the party, tweets Kejriwal

Kejriwal's comments appeared to indicate he was distancing himself from his known supporters who have threatened to act tough against Bhushan and Yadav. On Tuesday, Prashant Bhushan's father Shanti Bhushan, also a leading lawyer, urged his son, Yadav and Kejriwal to "stick together".

"Kejriwal should continue as all-India convenor. Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav must support him.

"That's the best for the party, and such a stand will achieve the goals for which the party was set up. There should be no rift," said Shanti Bhushan, who himself has made critical comments against Kejriwal earlier.

Yadav said on Tuesday: "I and Prashant Bhushan had raised voice for internal democracy in the party. There is nothing wrong in that. I will see if action happens against me."

Yadav is being accused by a section of the AAP of trying to oust Kejriwal as its national convenor. AAP leaders appealing for peace deny this. The AAP said that Kejriwal's sugar level was above 300. "So he has decided to opt for naturopathy."

In Kejriwal's absence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will officiate as chief minister. Kejriwal, who became chief minister of Delhi a second time last month, has been a long-time diabetic.

Officials in Bengaluru said Kejriwal will be admitted to the Jindal Naturecure Institute on the outskirts of the city Thursday. The institute, spread over 10 acres of lush greenery, provides relief, prevention and cure of specific diseases through a non-invasive, drugless therapy.

king saudia arabia

Saudi Arabia's King

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies, Prince Salman new ruler AFP, Riyadh | Updated: Jan 23, 2015 11:16 IST Hindustan Times Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who spent almost a decade on the throne of the world's largest oil exporter, died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the royal court said. The late monarch's half brother Moqren was named as the new Crown Prince, according to the statement. "With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, passed away at exactly 1:00am (2200 GMT) this morning, Friday," an announcer said on state television, after a recitation from the Koran. Abdullah will be buried later Friday following afternoon prayers, and citizens would be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and crown prince at the royal palace, the statement said. King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised on December 31 for checks. The royal court announced two days later that he had pneumonia and was breathing with the aid of a tube. Abdullah came to the throne in 2005 but had been a powerful figure in the kingdom for a decade before that after King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995. In recent years, Abdullah's advanced age and poor health have raised concerns about the future leadership of the largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Abdullah's half-brother Salman, 79, became crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Salman has been representing the king at most recent public events because of Abdullah's ailing health. In March 2014, King Abdullah named another half-brother, Prince Moqren, as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles. Moqren, a former air force officer born in 1945, is the youngest son of King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia. The throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another, brothers and half-brothers. But many of Abdul Aziz's sons are old or have died. Abdullah's former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Unstained by the profligacy tainting many of the Saudi rulers, Abdullah was hugely popular with his subjects, cherishing the traditional desert life of the Bedouin. He pushed the kingdom's economic development and oversaw its accession to the World Trade Organization, while challenging conservatives with moves such as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body. Copyright © 2015 HT Media Limited.

maulana yaseen akhtar misbahi

Delhi Police apologises, releases Jamia Nagar Imam after much furore DDN Correspondent Posted on 21 Jan, 2015 at 09:03:PM IST Delhi Police finally released Imam Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi of Jamia Nagar after huge protests outside the police station and apologised for the incident. It may be noted here that the Imam is 85 years old and was arrested for a book he had written in 2003 in which there was a reference to the word 'Jihad' that too was mentioned with the caution that Jihad should be taken up only after consulting one's conscience. The whole situation had gotten really tense and volatile after the old Imam was picked up by the police for questioning. Large scale protests against the Imam's arrest were led by Okhla's Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan which played a big part in his subsequent release. Also it is with the efforts of AAP's Amanatullah Khan that the situation could be diffused without any untoward incident. Khan spoke to locals and persuaded them to maintain calm. The elderly Imam remained in police custody for about four hours, after which he says that the police asked him whether he has helped any terrorists. He added that all this has been done at the behest of BJP and there are some local Congress leaders involved as well. If this is true then it is really sad that politics has stooped to such low levels. TwoCircles.net Delivering news, not profit Sufi Imam picked up by Delhi police; released after furor Submitted by TwoCircles.net on 21 January 2015 - 8:36pm By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net, New Delhi: Delhi police special cell on Wednesday picked up a renowned Sufi Imam from Jamia Nagar area for what they claimed to be “questioning” in connection with one of his books. Supporters along with local political leaders gheroed the police station demanding apology. The Maulana was later released. Maulana Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi, who runs the prestigious Darul Kalam madrassa and is also the founder of the Qadri mosque, was picked up from the mosque’s office at Zakir Nagar in Jamia area at around 3 pm, locals said. Almost touching 80, the veteran Barelvi teacher, could not even walk on his own and needs support. The police claimed to have picked him up for a recent English translation of his original Urdu book ’24 Ayat Ka Qurani Mafhoom’ – loosely translated as ‘The Real Meaning of 24 verses of Quran related to Jihad’. Among several of his book, Misbahi, who had been an Urdu journalist in the past, had also written ‘RSS Ke Agende’. As soon as the people from the locality came to know about the incident, they started gathering at the Jamia Nagar police station. Congress’ Asif Mohammad Khan, the sitting MLA from the area, and Amanatullah Khan, the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate select for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, too reached there. The gathering of about 200 people started sloganeering demanding the SHO to apologise. At around 7 pm, one of the police officials came out and announced that the Maulana was taken only for questioning and that he was returning only to be delayed because of traffic due to the crowd in front of the police station. He finally reached the area around 8 pm. Meanwhile, the SHO too had apologised to the people. Amanatullah Khan claimed police had not followed any laid down procedure before picking up the Maulana. The police have tightened security in view of the forthcoming visit of the US President Barak Obama next week and also ahead of the Delhi assembly elections on February 7. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in April - May 2014, two youth from the locality were similarly picked up.

Arvind Panagariya NITI

Honoured to be Appointed by PM Narendra Modi to NITI Aayog: Arvind Panagariya All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: January 06, 2015 13:00 IST New York: Indian-American economist Arvind Panagariya has said that he is "honoured" to be appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first Vice Chairman of the newly created NITI Aayog, which replaces the 65-year-old Planning Commission. "I am honoured by this appointment, and I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi and policymakers across India," Mr Panagariya was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Columbia University in New York yesterday. Mr Panagariya is the professor of economics and the Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy in the Department of International and Public Affairs. He will take a leave of absence from Columbia to accept his position at the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. Related Arvind Panagariya: A Free-Market Economist and Supporter of Gujarat Model Columbia Economist Arvind Panagariya To Run PM Modi's Policy Panel Arvind Panagariya, PM Modi's New Planning Panel Chief The 62-year-old professor said he expects to continue to engage with Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) "when such opportunities arise" and will resume his work at the School when his assignment is completed. In his new cabinet position, Mr Panagariya will work closely with Modi, who will serve as chair of the renamed institution. Officials envision NITI Aayog as a government "think tank" that will provide strategic and technical advising on key issues. Mr Panagariya, who has been a strong supporter of PM Modi's Gujarat model of development, had said some months ago that he wants the BJP government's first budget to boost capital spending even at the risk of a higher fiscal deficit. He has earlier worked with various international bodies like World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank (ADB). Holding a PhD degree in Economics from Princeton University, Mr Panagariya has also worked for the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in various capacities. During an address at Columbia in September last year on what the PM Modi government must do to transform the Indian economy, he had said a replacement for the Planning Commission must be "lean and thin" and had termed as "brave" the decision by PM Modi to do away with the 1950-dated institution. Mr Panagariya had suggested that PM Modi should put in "as lean and thin a team" for the Commission's replacement with 10-12 people and "lots of resources so that they can draw on the experts as necessary" and then periodically that team should meet with the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. SIPA Dean Merit Janow congratulated Mr Panagariya on his new role and said his global perspective and broad experience would serve him well as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. Story First Published: January 06, 2015 12:54 IST

mock drill

After skull cap row, Gujarat police makes dummy 'terrorists' shout 'Islam Zindabad' Friday, 2 January 2015 - 9:15am IST | Place: Gujarat | Agency: PTI A video of police mock drill showing dummy militants shouting pro-Islamic slogan emerged on Thursday in Gujarat, a day after controversy erupted over men, playing the part of terrorists, being made to wear skullcaps in a similar exercise in Surat. Reacting to the Surat episode that came to light yesterday, Chief Minister Anandi Patel admitted it as a "mistake" to show people posing as terrorists in the drill in skullcaps. The latest video is of another anti-terror mock drill at Narmada dam site in Kevadia area of Narmada district. It shows policemen holding two dummy terrorists who were shouting "take our lives, if you want. Islam Zindabad (long live Islam)". When contacted by PTI, Narmada Superintendent of Police Jaypalsinh Rathore said an inquiry will be conducted into the issue. "I came to know about this incident (of projecting terrorists as Muslims) through media. If such an incident has happened, we will conduct an inquiry and take necessary actions against those responsible," he said. "The mock drill was a routine police exercise which was conducted a week ago in Kevadia area," Rathore added. As the Surat episode generated controversy and invited criticism from several quarters, including from the chief of Gujarat BJP Minority Cell, Patel told a TV channel it is wrong to link religion with terrorism. "It's wrong to link religion with terrorism. The issue has been resolved and the matter should be put to rest now. The mistake has been rectified," she said. The anti-terror drills were conducted ahead of the two high-profile events being held in the state - Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (January 7 to 9) and Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit (January 11 to 13) - both in Gandhinagar.

Neeti Ayog

Planning Commission renamed 'Neeti Ayog' Last Updated: Thursday, January 1, 2015 - 11:54 Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Following up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day announcement that the Planning Commission would be replaced, the government, Thursday, renamed the plan panel as 'Neeti Ayog'. The renaming of the Planning Commission is being seen as the first step towards replacing it with a new-age institution. The Prime Minister had called meeting of all chief ministers recently to deliberate on the structure of the new body which would replace the Commission. The majority view that emerged after the meeting was in favour of decentralisation of power. Congress-ruled states, however, had reservations about dismantling an institution which was set up by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and they suggested restructuring of the existing body, rather than a complete replacement. Incidentally, Nehru himself is said to have faced resistance to the idea of setting up of the Planning Commission, but it went on to become a major platform for successive governments to formulate and push forward economic policies and other development plans. Finance Minister had then said that a principle of 'cooperative federalism' is being followed in setting up the new body in place of Planning Commission. "Our government stands by the principle of cooperative federalism, empowering states, least number of central schemes and more state schemes," Jaitley said while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha. The Planning Commission was set up by a simple government resolution in March 1950 and has withstood many political and economic upheavals, as also some occasional controversies, including those related to its poverty estimates as also about a huge toilet renovation bill and foreign tour expenses of its last Deputy Chairman. The plan panel has commissioned 12 five-year plans and six annual plans involving fund outlays of over Rs 200 lakh crore in its 65-year-history. It was set up initially as part of the government's declared objectives to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient exploitation of resources, increasing production and offering employment opportunities. The Commission was charged with the responsibility of assessing all resources of the country, augmenting deficient resources, formulating plans for the most effective and balanced utilisation of resources and determining priorities. The first Five-year Plan was launched in 1951 with total outlay of little over Rs 2,000 crore and two subsequent five-year plans were formulated till 1965, when there was a break because of the Indo-Pakistan Conflict. Two successive years of drought, devaluation of currency, a general rise in prices and erosion of resources disrupted the planning process and after three Annual Plans between 1966 and 1969, the fourth Five-year plan was started in 1969. The Eighth Plan could not take off in 1990 due to the fast changing political situation at the Centre and the years 1990-91 and 1991-92 were treated as Annual Plans. The Eighth Plan was finally launched in 1992. For the first eight Plans, the emphasis was on a growing public sector with massive investments in basic and heavy industries, but since the launch of the 9th Plan in 1997, the emphasis on the public sector has become less pronounced and the current thinking on planning in the country, in general, is that it should increasingly be of an indicative nature.

Bharat Ratna 2014

Vajpayee deserves the Bharat Ratna, but then so does PV Narasimha Rao

by R Jagannathan Dec 24, 2014 14:28 IST

The announcement of the Bharat Ratna to Atal Behari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya by the NDA government will partly be seen as the BJP’s effort to pander to its favourite heroes – one living, one long dead.

Neither name is a surprise (their birth anniversaries being 25 December), but if the BJP truly wanted to make a mark with its political choices for Bharat Ratna, it should have named PV Narasimha Rao as well. Rao’s was the hand the steered India out of economic bankruptcy in 1991. But that is another story.

While Vajpayee’s name will be seen as less controversial given his avuncular, “secular” image, Malaviya’s choice will inevitably be seen as linked to the Sangh parivar as he was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha which espouses Hindu nationalism. He was also founder of the Benares Hindu University.

The award to Vajpayee is non-controversial, but Malaviya’s name will surely raise hackles in the “secular” crowd.

Modern historian Ramachandra Guha has already tweeted his dissent, though he posed the argument as one about living and dead awardees. “Giving Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee is fine, but one should not award it to people dead or long dead. Awarding Malaviya is a mistake”, he tweeted.

But then, by this yardstick we should not have awarded BR Ambedkar, Sardar Patel or Maulana Abul Kalam Azad either, for they were towering personalities of pre- and post-independence India who made huge contributions to nation-building.

In fact, the award of the Bharat Ratna to living legends – or non-legends – can equally be questioned, especially given the varying quality of awardees over the years.

What is worrying is that the award has been tweaked for political ends from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru and worthy awardees have been consistently mixed up with not-so-worthy ones.

For example, nothing beggars the mind more than the fact that Nehru awarded himself a Bharat Ratna in 1955, when he was Prime Minister. This sucks.

'Atalji a living Bharat Ratna': Who said what on award given to Vajpayee, Malaviya

Former PM Vajpayee may be chosen for Bharat Ratna

LK Advani backs Bharat Ratna for former PM Vajpayee
The award to Indira Gandhi in 1971 also happened when she was Prime Minister; the only reason why it didn’t seem so bad then was because of her stellar role in the creation of Bangladesh, for which Vajpayee himself called her a “Durga”.

Rajiv Gandhi, whose achievements in one term as PM can be written on the back of a postage stamp, got one in 1991 because he died a terrible death at the hands of an LTTE suicide bomber. It was his death that got him the award, as the country mourned him for the way he died. He was worthy of national mourning, not a Bharat Ratna.

What this shows is that the nation’s highest award is often given for reasons of hubris, politics or sentimentality. In fact, politics is also the reason for denying some equally worthy candidates of the award like the late Narasimha Rao.

If we want to move away from this situation, the award procedure has to be taken out of political hands and a permanent body of eminent persons set up to figure out the right criteria for a short-list from which the government can take a final pick. One could exclude dead persons, or create another category – a Bharat Jyoti, maybe - for honouring those who did not get their due when they were alive.

Coming to the Vajpayee-Malaviya awards announced today (24 December), it is obvious that Vajpayee truly deserved it as he was one of India’s best non-Congress prime ministers, with respect flowing to him from across the political spectrum. With his genial exterior and easygoing ways, Vajpayee steered the country ably from 1998 to 2004 – a period of economic turbulence following the Asian meltdown, the post-Pokharan sanctions, the post-dotcom bust, and the Kargil war. Vajpayee’s government enabled both reforms and economic rejuvenation in difficult circumstances as head of an unwieldy coalition.

As for Malaviya, his selection is the BJP’s tribute to its Hindu constituency and not unlinked to Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency – Varanasi.

You can rubbish this selection or praise it, but if we accept political decisions on the Bharat Ratna as legitimate, you can’t also say that the BJP has no right to honour its own heroes.

However, a truly political – and genuine – act the BJP could have done (as we noted briefly earlier) was to add Narasimha Rao to the Bharat Ratna list this year. Maybe, this can be rectified next year.

If any prime minister post Nehru, Indira and Shastri deserved this award, it was Narasimha Rao (apart from Vajpayee). A churlish Congress party will never honour Rao, with the Gandhi family even denying him a cremation in Delhi.

The BJP would have done yeoman service to the nation by honouring Rao – which would have both made sensible politics and genuine recompense for services rendered to the nation.

Nobel Prizes

All you need to know about Nobel prizes
PTI

The 1936 Nobel Peace Prize
SLIDESHOW
From 1913 to 2014: Indian Nobel Prize winners

From 1901 till this year, Nobel prizes have been awarded 567 times to 864 Laureates and 25 organisations with the youngest winner being Peace Prize awardee Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan at 17 years.

By winning the Peace Nobel at this tender age along with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, Ms. Yousafzai beat the previous record of Lawrence Bragg, who won the Physics Nobel in 1915 at the age of 25.

Kailash Satyarthi (left) and Malala Yousafzai

The word “Laureate” signifies the laurel wreath awarded to winners of athletic competitions and poetic meets in Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology, god Apollo is represented wearing on his head a laurel wreath, a circular crown made of branches and leaves of the bay laurel.

The statutes of the Nobel Foundation say, “If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year.”

“If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation’s restricted funds.”

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.

In 1968, Sweden’s central bank Sveriges Riksbank established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Nobel.

At the Nobel Award ceremonies on December 10, the Laureates receive three things: a Nobel Diploma, a Nobel Medal and a document confirming the Nobel Prize amount.

Each Nobel Diploma is a unique work of art, created by foremost Swedish and Norwegian artists and calligraphers.

The Nobel Medals are handmade with careful precision and in 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold.

The Nobel Prize amount for 2014 is set at Swedish kronor (SEK) 8.0 million per full Nobel Prize.

Interesting facts

The average age of all Nobel Laureates in all prize categories between 1901 and 2014 is 59 years.

Two most common birthdays among the Nobel Laureates are May 21 and February 28.

Since 1901, prizes have not been awarded 50 times, most of them during World War I (1914-1918) and II (1939-1945).

Leonid Hurwicz has the distinction of being the oldest Nobel recipient at the age of 90 for Economics in 2007.

Till now, 47 women have won the Nobel while two Laureates declined the prize.

Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined it as he had consistently declined all official honours.

Jean-Paul Sartre

Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord, said he was not in a position to accept the award, citing the situation in Vietnam as his reason.

Four Laureates were forced by authorities to decline the Nobel.

Adolf Hitler forbade three Germans Richard Kuhn, Adolf Butenandt and Gerhard Domagk, from accepting the Nobel Prize.

They, however, received the Nobel Prize Diploma and Medal later but not the prize amount.

Boris Pasternak, the 1958 Nobel Laureate in Literature, initially accepted the Prize but was later coerced by authorities of his native country the Soviet Union to decline the award.

Three Peace Laureates — Germany’s Carl von Ossietzky, Myanmar’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and Chinese rights activist Liu Xiaobo — were under arrest at the time of the award.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was given the Nobel Peace Prize thrice while its founder Henry Dunant won the first Peace Prize in 1901.

Linus Pauling has the distinction of being the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes — the 1954 Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Peace Prize.

Why is Nobel Peace Prize given by Norway?

Since 1901, when Nobel Prizes were first given, Peace Prize has been awarded by a committee of five, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament Storting in accordance with Alfred Nobel’s will.

Alfred Nobel never disclosed why he didn’t give the task of awarding the Peace Prize to a Swedish body.

The reasons are speculative.

One argument is that Nobel admired Norwegian patriot and leading author Bjornstjerne Bjornson while another is that the Storting was the first national legislature to vote in support for the international peace movement.

Nobel may also have favoured distribution of the tasks related to the Nobel Prizes within the Swedish-Norwegian union or he may have feared that given the highly political nature of the Peace Prize, it might become a tool in power politics thus reducing its significance as an instrument for peace.

“It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not,” Nobel wrote in his will.

During the 20th century, eight Scandinavians have won the Peace Prize — five Swedes, two Norwegians and one Dane.

In the nomination and selection process, the committee has the assistance of a secretary and since the establishment of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in 1904, this person is also the institute’s director.

There have been several criticism and protests against decisions of the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901.

The selection process

The Peace Prize award ceremony on December 10 is the culmination of a long selection process.

According to rules, there can be a maximum of three Laureates in a category every year.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee begins the whole process by inviting nominations which can be submitted by February 1 each year.

Who are entitled to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize?

Present and past members of the Nobel Committee and advisers at the Nobel Institute; members of national assemblies and governments, and members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice at the Hague and members of the Commission of the Permanent International Peace Bureau.

Besides them, members of the Institut de Droit International and present university professors of law, political science, history and philosophy; and holders of the Nobel Peace Prize can also nominate.

After reviewing their qualifications, a shortlist of the candidates is made.

The announcement of the Laureate’s name is often made on a Friday in mid-October at the Nobel Institute building and the award is presented annually on December 10, the day Alfred Nobel died in 1896.