Students protest OBC reservation

      New Delhi: The students of the country's premier business schools protested the Centre's proposed move to reserve 49.5 per cent of seats in the country's top management and engineering schools to students belonging to the reserved categories here on Monday. Carrying placards and posters with anti-reservation quotes, students under the banner of 'United Students' took to the streets to protest against the move. Nitish Gaur, a protestor, said such a move would not help in the uplift of the reserved classes but would only further alienate the general people. "We want to tell the government that reservations won't uplift the status of the OBCs (Other Backward Castes). Rather, government should see whether its policies are being implemented properly. Government should see if whether these policies are having any affect. I think reservations in the postgraduate courses are not going to have any effect. In fact, it's going to alienate general category students," said Gaur. The reservation issue has sparked debate across the country and business tycoons like Ratan Tata have also expressed disappointment at this move by the government, saying it could spark another wave of brain drain for the country. Some students also opine that the move has made them feel foreigners in their own land, hinting at a second "Mandal Commission" fiasco, which had seen possibly one of the country's biggest student outrage with many even killing themselves, in protest of a 1990 report which advocated quotas in jobs. Meanwhile, people belonging to reserved classes came out in support of the reservation proposal. The demonstrators not only supported the government's move but also demanded there should be such reservations in other central services as well. "Government has announced 27 percent reservation in postgraduate institutes only, but we want that judiciary and parliament should also be brought within its ambit. Government should provide reservations in all these areas with immediate effect," said Jaibhagwan Saini, a pro-reservation demonstrator. In the latest move the government plans to reserve 27 percent seats in IIMs and IITs and other central universities over an above the existing quotas taking the total reservation to almost 50 percent, which means lesser number of seats for students from the general category. Educational experts feel this could lead to shifting of crhme la crhme to foreign universities of United Kingdom and Europe. According to a recent survey, there has been a growth of 11 percent Indian students in American universities and about 80,000-85,000 are there. And next to come is U.K., which has seen a rise of 14 percent last year. Indian constitution had provided quota for education and jobs in state funded organisations for socially backward castes and tribes, initially for 10 years. But over the years, the quota system continued, with more and more castes being added to the list.

White Paper on Meerut fire mishap (Go To Top)

       Meerut: The Meerut District Administration, which issued a 15-page White Paper on last week's fire tragedy at Victoria Park, which claimed over 50 lives, has ordered an inquiry into the mishap. The District Magistrate of Meerut, Mukesh Kumar Meshram, said officials have been directed to find out the reasons for the fire and why so many stalls were set up across the ground in complete violation of laws governing such functions or events. "We want to inform the people that the district officials have been asked the task to conduct an inquiry about the stalls and the people. Some organizations have demanded a report on the tampering with the debris and the electricity. The officials have been directed to look into the matter," said Meshram while issuing the White Paper on Sunday evening. "The rumours, especially regarding the toll in the fire tragedy, were creating confusion in the minds of the people, and it is with this purpose, that we have come out with this Paper," Meshram added. The White Paper contains comprehensive information about the list of people who died in the tragedy or were injured or declared missing. It also reveals the amount of compensation given by the Uttar Pradesh Government to the affected families. The administration has set up a website www.meerut.nic.in with a sub-heading "Meerut Fire Disaster" for the relatives of victims. They have also asked the people to approach the control room where they can get all necessary information related to the incident. The administration has also appealed the people to assist them by giving whatever information they have about the incident. The inquiry also will gather details of the machines which were used in the fair will also be conducted. The officials have been asked to submit a report within three days. Meanwhile, the three organisers of the trade fair that was engulfed by flames on April 10, have filed a plea for surrender in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ashok Pathak. The matter is to be heard sometime today. Lakhan Tomar, Aashit Gupta and Siddarth Malhotra, the organisers, filed their respective affidavits after they were informed that their properties could be attached if they failed to surrender. The organisers have reportedly also approached the Allahabad High Court for protection against possible arrest.

Demolition case on April 28 (Go To Top)

        New Delhi: The Supreme Court today has extended the date to April 28 for hearing the Centre's plea seeking six months time to enable local bodies to conduct a "ground level survey". The decision was taken after Solicitor-General G E Vahanvati brought the matter before a Bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice C K Thakker. The Centre has sought that direction should be issued to the MCD to stop sealing of residential premises wherein commercial activities were being carried out during the six-month period. On April 12, the Centre had moved the court seeking directions to the local bodies to complete the exercise of identifying mixed use roads and streets in residential areas within the stipulated time according to the Delhi master plan. The Centre had said it intended to set up an expert group of planners, architects and citizens to oversee the entire exercise and provide guidance to the local bodies. Besides, the Centre had also drawn the court's attention to the draft master plan of Delhi 2021. Delhi's 2021 master plan prescribes maximum permissible ground floor, instead of restricting it to 25 percent or 50 sq metres. Earlier, the MCD had informed the court that it had identified 189 streets of 80 ft or more that were illegal. Earlier, the court gave orders to the traders to vacate their premises on their own by June 30 and shift to permitted markets.

Bhopal gas victims' hunger-strike off (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Activists and survivors of the 1984 Bhopal Union Carbide chemical disaster, called off their week- long hunger strike following a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here on Monday. The Bhopal gas tragedy victims said that Dr Singh assured to take welfare measures required by them. "We have decided to call off our hunger strike today as the Prime Minister has promised to meet four of the six demands," said Nityanand Jayaraman, spokesman for the protestors. A group of victims of the 1984 gas tragedy, which had been on hunger strike since April 11, have asked for Dow chemicals to clean up the site. They also want the Government of India to blacklist Dow till then. The activists are also demanding free medical treatment for those still affected, mainly children and people who drink contaminated water, besides setting up of a monument in Bhopal for the victims of the 1984 gas tragedy.

     Earlier last month, the survivors, including some women and children, joined by human rights and environmental activists, had come here after completing an 800-kilometer-long 'Padayatra' (foot march) to submit their six-point charter to the Prime Minister. The survivors, under the aegis of four organizations, including 'Bhopal Group for Information and Action', 'Bhopal Ki Awaaz' (Voice of Bhopal), 'Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karamachari Sangh' and 'Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha', are demanding that the government provide them with medical rehabilitation, clean water, livelihoods, pension, environmental remediation, punishment for the guilty and a Bhopal Gas Victims memorial. In December 1984, toxic gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal owned by Union Carbide in Bhopal, killing 3,800 people almost immediately. Thousands more were maimed for life. Union Carbide in 1984 accepted moral responsibility for the tragedy and established a 100 million dollars charitable trust fund to build a hospital for victims. Later Union Carbide was taken over by Dow Chemical. Twenty-one years on, thousands of victims of the tragedy are still battling deadly diseases. Doctors say many survivors - and some from a generation born after the disaster - still suffer from deep psychiatric disorders and stunted growth while thousands of women have severe gynaecological problems. The Union Carbide, after a protracted legal battle, paid 470 million dollars to the Government in a settlement reached in 1989. The victims, on an average, received 25,000 rupees (about 555 dollars) in case of illness and 100,000 rupees (about 2217 dollars) or so in case of a death in the family.

Kurien Allahabad University Chancellor (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Dr. Verghese Kurien, former Chairman, National Dairy Development Board, has been appointed as the first Chancellor of the University of Allahabad after restoration of its central university status. The Central Government has appointed Kurien for a term of five years. The Allahabad University was established on September 23, 1887 and is the fourth oldest university of India after Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Universities. It was granted the status of a Central University by an act of Parliament in 2005. The Allahabad Degree College, the C.M.P Degree College, the Arya Kanya Degree College and the Jagat Taran Girls Degree College are the four institutions affiliated to Allahabad University. Some of its famous alumni include: Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (former President of India), former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, noted freedom fighter and former vice-chancellor of the Benares Hindu Uinversity, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, former Nepal PM Surya Bahadur Thapa, eminent lawyer and freedom fighter Motilal Nehru, noted poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and former Union Home Minister Govind Ballabh Pant to name a few. There are 18 Central Universities in India. Kurien was in the news recently for resigning from the chairmanship of the Rs.3,600 crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) following mounting dissent against him by the outfit's Board of Directors. Kurien's right-hand man, P.A.Joseph, said that part of the problem lay with Kurien's very public fight with Amrita Patel, the chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Kurien, who was the GCMMF Chairman for 33 years, was responsible for ushering the "White (Milk) Revolution in India, and was regarded as the undisputed force behind the country's dairy industry. India, which was once a milk-deficient country, is today the world's largest milk producer, thanks to the efforts put in by 84-year-old Kurien during his over five-decade-old association with the dairy industry.

Akbar Khan's Taj Mahal on April 28 (Go To Top)

      Karachi: Akbar Khan's magnum opus 'Taj Mahal' which launched legendary Pakistani singer Noor Jehan's granddaughter Sonya Jehan as Mughal empress Mumtaz Mahal, will be screened in theatres across Pakistan from April 28. Akbar Khan, the film's producer while formally announcing the Khan launch of the movie in Pakistan, said that the screening of the film would help promote cultural exchanges and as friendly relations between Pakistan and India. "Taj Mahal carries a strong message of love and I am here to convey it to the people of Pakistan," said Akbar Khan. He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has also expressed his delight over the showing of an Indian movie in Pakistani cinemas. The film has been donated to Pakistan for the victims of last year's earthquake and in this regard Rs 6.5 million has already been handed over to the federal government, reports the Daily Times. He further said that the two countries should also embark on co- productions in the future.

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