November 2012

November 2012 National Updates

 

·         Only Supreme Court High Court Judges and Chief Justices can head the Information Panels: Supreme Court: The Supreme Court on 13^th September 2012 ruled that only serving and retired judges of the apex court and chief justices of the state high courts can head the central and state information commissions.

·         Put off GAAR for 3 years, says Prime Minister Appointed Panel: An expert panel set up by the Prime Minister to review the provisions of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) or rules to prevent tax evasion has recommended that they be put off by three years, a move that is expected to sooth the nerves of jittery foreign investors and help boost sentiment.

·         Allot blocks of state owned firms says panel: A parliamentary committee has expressed unhappiness over allocation of coal blocks to private firms- most of which have failed to develop them- instead of Coal India Limited (C.I.L.), prompting the government to the state that 116 mines will be allotted to the state owned firm.

·         India China to Resume Military Exercises: India and China on September 4, 2012 decided to resume at “the earliest bilateral military exercises, frozen in 2010 due to diplomatic spats over visa issues, to enhance peace and tranquillity at the border.” This was announced after a meeting in New Delhi, India between Indian Defence Minister A.K.Antony and his Chinese counterpart General Liang Guanglie who was also the first Chinese Defence Minister to visit India in past eight years.

·         SC/ST Promotion Quota gets approval: The union Cabinet on September 4, 2012 cleared a bill which proposes to provide reservations to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in government jobs promotions.

·         Supreme Court Clears Curbs on Court Reporting: The Supreme Court on September 11, 2012 set for a principle of “postponement of publication in its bid to balance the rights of freedom of Press and fair trial.” Mapping out a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ for the media on judicial proceedings, it however, stopped short of drawing it across the board.

·         Lok Sabha Passes Three Bills: The UPA Government managed to push three bills through the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon Session even though both houses of Parliament were largely disrupted, with efforts by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to break the deadlock over the coal block allotment controversy not succeeding. The bills, adopted with the tacit understanding of the opposition BJP, were the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill and the National Highways Authority of India Amendment Bill.

·         Five Indian Firms are amongst the World’s Most Innovative Company list of Forbes: Five Indian Companies including Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Unilever and Infosys are ranked on Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” topped by four US Companies.

·         India Pakistan Sign Agreement and Announce a Slew of Measures to Boost Contact between Peoples: Senior Citizens aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now walk across the border between the two countries and need not go through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi and Islamabad.

·         India Scores a Century of Space Launches: Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was among the cheering congregation of officials, scientists and media persons at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on a cloudy September 9, 2012 as the rugged Indian Space workhorse PSLV blasted off into space to launch ISRO’s 100^th Mission. The third commercially launch with no Indian satellite as a textbook mission as ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C21 placed in orbit French spot 6 and Japanese micro satellite PRIOTERES some 18 Minutes after lift-off at 9.52 am. The 712 kg French Satellite spot 6 is the heaviest carried by PSLV till date.

·         Man who made India Self-Reliant in Milk Passes Away: The Man who created the billion dollar brand and credited with transforming India from a milk deficient country into the world’s largest milk producer- Dr. Verghese Kurian passed away on September 9, 2012 at the hospital in Nadiad after a brief illness. He was 90 years old. Known world over as the father of the “Milk Revolution”, he died at Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital at 1.15 am.

·         Coal block allotment now under Supreme Court Lens: The alleged irregularities in coal block allocation came under judicial scrutiny on September 13, 2012 with Supreme Court directing the centre to explain whether the guidelines were strictly followed in allotting the natural resources to private companies.

·         Foreign Stint for Varsity Teachers Gets Approval: Faculty in Universities and Colleges can earn more by teaching in another institution and could also avail six month educational assignment in a foreign University, says the 12^th five year plan document approved on September 15^th, 2012 at a meeting headed by Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

·         Trinamool Congress Chief Mamta Bannerjee Withdrawas Support From United Public Alliance: Accusing the UPS of unilateralism in decision making Trinamool Congress Chief Mamta Bannerjee announced on September 18^th, 2012 the withdrawl of support to the United Public Alliance Government.

·         India Test-fires Nuclear Capable Agni-IV Missile: India on September 19^th, 2012 successfully test-fired the indigenously- developed 4000KM nuclear capable strategic ballistic missile AGNI-IV, from Wheeler island off the Odisha Coast.

·         On 2G verdict the Supreme Court said that Auction is not the only route for Resource Allocation: Auctions are not the only permissible method for disposal of natural resources across sectors, the Supreme Court on September 27^th, 2012 said holding that 2G Verdict was confined to allocation of spectrum and is not applicable to other resources. Giving its pinion on the residential nce arising out of the 2G verdict, a five judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia also ruled that common good is the touchstone for any policy and if it meets that then any means adopted is in accordance with the constitutional principles.

·         Russia Backs India’s Bid for Seat in United Nations Security Council: Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has reiterated its support to India for its bid for permanent seat in the world body. During a meeting in BRICS Foreign Ministers in New York on the side-lines of the 67^th session of the general assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Laprov “categorically stated that he supported India’s permanent membership of the Security Council”.