Daily News (In Short)-15-June-2015

#* Sushma Swaraj-Lalit Modi row: Why is PM Modi silent? asks Opposition

New Delhi: Even as the row over External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi procure travel documents continues, the Opposition has questioned the alleged silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.

“Serious charges have been raised against the External Affairs Minister. The Prime Minister, who has been talking about accountability and no corruption, is now quiet,” said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

“We are asking the PM how this is going to be addressed and how it will be made accountable to Parliament,” Yechury added.

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh also slammed PM Modi for his silence on the matter.

“The PM should tell us his thoughts on helping Lalit Modi. Why has Modi ji become "maun Modi"? asked Singh.

Will he only talk about yoga? Will he only do event management? Why is the Prime Minister not speaking? he said further.

Sushma had yesterday admitted that she had helped Lalit Modi procure documents to travel to Portugal last July on "humanitarian grounds".

Sushma, in a series of 14 tweets, said she helped Lalit Modi, who has been staying in London since 2010 following allegations of financial impropriety, after he approached her last July, saying his wife was suffering from cancer and was to undergo surgery in Portugal.

The minister, however, denied having sought any favour for her nephew Jyotirmay Kaushal with regard to his admission in a law course at Sussex University.

"What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from cancer? He was in London. After his wife's surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?" she said in angry tweets.

Sushma is reported to have spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the matter, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in support of the senior minister.

While the Congress demanded the minister's resignation for "gross impropriety" for having helped Lalit Modi, against whom the Enforcement Directorate has filed charges, many BJP leaders, as well as Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, came out in her support.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted his support: "Sushma Swaraj ji's life is an epitome of transparency and probity in public service. Any attempt to misconstrue humanitarian action will fail."

Ram Gopal Yadav said: "Sushma Swaraj has done nothing wrong, it's unfortunate that people have hyped this matter."

The incident was triggered after Britain's Sunday Times reported an e-mail exchange between influential Labour MP Keith Vaz and head of UK Visas and Immigration Sarah Rapson, citing Sushma Swaraj, to facilitate travel documents for Lalit Modi.

The Sunday Times in its report said: "Leaked correspondence reveals how Vaz cited Sushma Swaraj, India's foreign minister, to the Home Office in an effort to expedite the case of Lalit Modi, a mutual acquaintance."

The Enforcement Directorate has initiated proceedings against Lalit Modi and in March 2010, the Regional Passport Office in Mumbai had revoked his passport.

With regard to her nephew's admission, Sushma said: "Regarding Jyotirmay Kaushal's admission in a law course at Sussex University, he secured admission through the normal admission process in 2013 - one year before I became a Minister."

#* Supreme Court cancels AIPMT 2015, six lakh students to sit for medical entrance exam again​

New Delhi: In a big development that affects over six lakh medical aspirants, the Supreme Court on Monday set aside the 2015 All India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMT) over irregularities in the conduct of the exam.

The apex court directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which conducts the exam, to re-conduct the test within four weeks.

The order was passed by the vacation bench of Justices RK Agrawal and Amitava Roy which ruled on a batch of petitions seeking re-conduct of the AIPMT following the leak of the question paper and circulation of answer keys through electronic devices at different examination centres across 10 states.

"Petitions are allowed. CBSE to hold AIPMT 2015 exam within four weeks," the bench said in its verdict.

The apex court bench had last week reserved its verdict on the matter.

The CBSE, which had conducted the exam on May 3, had opposed the plea for re-conduct of the test, saying that it would involve a mammoth exercise spread over a long period.

The court had earlier restrained the CBSE from declaring the 2015 exam result that was originally scheduled to be announced June 5.

Appearing for CBSE, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar had said that for the examination conducted this year on May 3, the preparations were started in October last year, noting this shows the magnitude of efforts that goes into the conduct of the examination and which will have to be re-done if court orders a re-conduct.

Contending that only 44 students have been identified to be alleged beneficiaries of the paper leak, he had said that it should not come in the way of the declaration of the results affecting 6.30 lakh students who had taken the entrance test at 1,050 examination centre across the country.

The court had, however, asked: "What message it will send to the hard working students whom burn midnight oil to prepare for the examination if they lose it to merit to such candidates."

Telling the CBSE that it was in the know of such things going on for some time but it failed to take precautionary steps, Justice Roy had said: "You should have taken precautionary steps from 2012. Whatever precautions you have taken have failed. All these precautionary steps taken by you are outdated. You were outwitted and out-manoeuvred."

"We are not holding the CBSE guilty for the leak," the court had said, observing that "ultimately it was CBSE's responsibility to have taken steps to meet the challenges posed by the information technology which has over-taken our lives".

Asking the CBSE that it could not have been "complacent", the court had stated that it should have taken the steps to "minimise the possibilities" of papers getting leaked and the board being outsmarted by those playing foul.

Appearing for one of the petitioners, senior counsel Jaideep Gupta had mocked the CBSE for its resistance to the fresh conduct of the examination. "Government can't defend it. It is not proper for it to defend it. Once such facts come to light, the sanctity of exam goes. It is becoming an industry. Vijay Yadav who succeeded in the exam last year (by adopting such means), is a master solver this year."

Interestingly the position taken by the petitioner had found backing by the Haryana Police which told the court that it was not only the 44 identified beneficiaries but the number could be much more and time frame could not be cited by the CBSE to oppose the re-conduct of the exam whose integrity stands compromised.

The court was hearing a PIL by Tanvi Sarwal, Jahnvi Shanker and others seeking the re-conduct of the AIPMT in the wake of the leakage of the question paper and subsequent answer key being circulated through electronic devices.

#* One Rank One Pension row: Ex-servicemen begin indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: Angry over the delay in implementation of 'One Rank One Pension' scheme, hundreds of ex-servicemen began relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar here on Monday. Raising slogans like "One Rank, One Pension", "No delay no dilution" and "Sainik ekta zindabad", the protesters began an indefinite relay hunger strike here.

Different batches of 50-55 ex-servicemen will sit on a 24-hour hunger strike everyday till a specific date for implementing the OROP scheme is not announced, said media reports.

"We won't budge until the government gives us a date for implementing 'One Rank, One Pension'," Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), president of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement which is spearheading the protests, told IANS.

On Sunday, hundreds of ex-servicemen had protested against the delay in implementation of the OROP policy.

The protest was organised by IESM. The IESM had warned last week that if their demands were not met, they would agitate and go on a hunger strike.

In an extreme step taken to ratchet up the pressure on the government, the ex-servicemen reportedly signed a 'petition in blood' and announced to hand it over to President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi.

The protests comes after talks - both formal and back-channel - with the government failed as the ex-servicemen were not given a specific timeline for the implementation of the long-pending OROP.

In Jaipur, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday sought to assuage their concerns, saying the promises made will be kept and that they should be "patient".

"I assure you whatever we have promised that all would be done... But some people need to be patient," Parrikar said addressing a conference on challenges and solutions regarding border safety.

PM Modi, while addressing the nation in his eighth edition of the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, had assured ex-servicemen that his government would soon resolve the OROP issue.

The OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen's associations and relates to payment of uniform pension to defence forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

OROP policy is expected to benefit 25 lakh ex-servicemen and widows of defence personnel.

#* Kejriwal, Sisodia meet Rajnath amid bitter tussle with Delhi LG

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Monday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh amid a bitter power struggle tussle between the ruling AAP government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.

The meeting was held at Singh's North Block office.

Today's meeting came in wake of reports that the Delhi government is planning to ask Lt Governor-appointed Home Secretary Dharam Pal to immediately relinquish his post and vacate his office.

The AAP government had also threatened to take action if he does not follow the order.

Media reports on Sunday said that Delhi Home Minister Satyender Jain has written a letter, which may be sent to Dharam Pal on Monday in this regard.

In the letter, Jain is believed to have said that Pal must vacate his office on the fifth floor of Delhi Secretariat as he was "unauthorisedly" occupying it.

When contacted, Pal said that he will continue as Home Secretary and will not vacate his office.

"I will sit in my office and continue as Home Secretary because my appointment, which is constitutional, has been made by the LG," he told PTI.

Four days back, Pal was firmly told by AAP government to obey its order transferring him to the Centre, even though the Union Home Ministry threw its weight behind him and asked him to continue in the position.

According to the media reports, Jain has said in the letter that Pal had been relieved by the government on June 9 and if he continued to occupy office in the Secretariat, it would be considered as unauthorized occupation and that government would take disciplinary action in the matter.

The AAP government recently removed Pal as Home Secretary for notifying the appointment of MK Meena as chief of Delhi's Anti Corruption Branch which was done on the orders of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has strongly opposed Meena'a appointment as ACB chief superseding his hand picked officer SS Yadav. The Home Ministry had last week told Delhi Chief Secretary KK Sharma to ensure that Pal continues as Delhi's Home Secretary.

Following the Home Ministry's order, the Chief Secretary had asked senior IAS officer Rajendra Kumar, appointed as Home Secretary in place of Pal, to not continue in that post and allow Pal to work without any hindrance.

However, AAP government has been routing all files related to Home Department through Kumar, who was also Secretary to Kejriwal, maintaining that he is the Home Secretary.

The LG later reinstated Pal, saying the AAP government's decision to remove him was unconstitutional.

The Union Home Ministry also revoked the decision of Delhi government to repatriate its Principal Secretary (Home) and (Land and Buildings) Dharam Pal to the Centre terming it ab initio void and asserted that powers to transfer AGMUT cadre officers rests only with the Centre.

The Ministry also cancelled the appointment of Ashwani Kumar, Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre IAS of 1992 batch, as new Secretary (Land and Building) in the Delhi Government.

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