Centre Seeks Modification Of Supreme Court Direction On Appointment Of DGPs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the petitioner on the central government's plea seeking to be allowed empanelment of only those IPS officers, who have at least two years of service before their retirement, for selection to the post of Director General of Police in states.

Centre Seeks Modification Of Supreme Court Direction On Appointment Of DGPs

The government has sought the modification of the top court's 2006 directions which says that any person selected to be the DGP of the state police will have a tenure of two years from the date of appointment irrespective of the age of superannuation.

Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked how can they modify their 2006 directions, as Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that some states were violating one of the directions, either by making ad-hoc appointment to the post or by appointing IPS officers who continue to serve beyond their age of retirement at 60 years.

The bench of Chief Justice Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud sought response from the petitioner-in-person and former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh after Attorney General Venugopal urged the court to modify its 2006 directions.

The court posted the matter for hearing on April 4, as lawyer Prashant Bhushan opposed the plea saying that the plea for review of the 2006 directions has already been rejected by the court and what was being sought was another attempt for the recall of the order.

He said that the top court order clearly says that Union Public Service Commission will prepare a panel of three senior IPS officers for the states to choose one for appointment as DGP and irrespective of his age, he will continue to serve for two years.

Mr Bhushan cited the instance of the similar appointment of Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fixed term of minimum two years as he told the court about the gross violation of its 2006 directions on police reforms for last more than 11 years.

As he told the court that they have filed three petitions - in 2007, 2014 and 2015 - seeking initiation of contempt proceedings, amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran told the bench that high courts could be asked to set up a committee to monitor the implementation of 2006 directions on police reforms and could file their reports to the top court.

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Indian Banks Association Discusses Punjab National Bank Fraud

Mumbai: The Indian Banks Association (IBA) today met on Saturday to discuss the Rs 11,400-crore scam at Punjab National Bank allegedly caused by the absconding diamond trader Nirav Modi and a clutch of his family-run companies.

Indian Banks Association Discusses Punjab National Bank Fraud

The meeting was attended by senior officials of public and private sector lenders, sources said this evening. 

Interestingly, the meeting, earlier scheduled to be held at the IBA headquarters in Cuffe Parade, south Mumbai, was changed at the last moment to the SBI headquarters at Nariman Point, apparently to avoid the media.

Among those present were Allahabad Bank managing director and chief executive and also IBA chairperson Usha Ananthasubramanian, Bank of India managing director and chief executive Dinabandhu Mohapatra, ICICI Bank chief financial officer N S Kannan and IBA deputy chief executive B Rajkumar.

"The discussion centred around how to recover the money (from those involved in the fraud)," said a banker without disclosing the details.

State-owned PNB has been rocked by a USD 1.77 billion scam where billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi allegedly acquired fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs) from the Brady House branch in south Mumbai to secure overseas credit from other lenders.

The other banks which have or have had exposure to the fraud include State Bank of India (over USD 221 million), Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank among others. Some overseas lenders are also believed to have had exposure to the fraud.

Law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for Nirav Modi and his family and also his uncle Mehul Choksi who heads the Gitanjali Group.

The ED claims to have recovered over Rs 5,400 crore worth of diamonds and bullion from the raids on Nirav Modi's enterprises since the scam came to light earlier this week.

Nirav Modi and his family members left the country in early January and are believed to be in New York.

The enforcement agencies have sought the Interpol help to trace the billionaire jewellery designer and bring him back to the country.

The external affairs ministry yesterday suspended with immediate effect the passports of the diamantaire and his business partner Mehul Choksi, both prime accused in the scam, for a month.

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PM Narendra Modi To Hold Pariksha Par Charcha With Students In Delhi Today

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had wooed voters in 2014 with his Chai Pe Charcha campaign. And now he has shifted his gaze to students who are about to sit for their annual examination. As part of his Pariksha Par Charcha, an extension of his pet charcha theme, PM Modi will interact with lakhs students from across the country and address their examination-related concerns today at Talkatora Stadium in the national capital.

PM Narendra Modi To Hold Pariksha Par Charcha With Students In Delhi Today

Students from Class 6 to 12 have been asked to watch its telecast on Doordarshan, All India Radio, YouTube and all government websites 12 noon onwards. They can also ask him questions and he would offer simple ways to de-stress.

The interactive session, also being dubbed as "Exam Ki Baat", has been organised days after the prime minister launched his book "Exam Warriors" that lists mantras to help students to stay calm before the examination.

The book is a collection of anecdotes from the prime minister's growing up years. 

"Trying to become someone is a conventional path.... Take the road less travelled," he says in this self-help guide.

He also urges students to "be warriors, not worriers". "Treat exams like festivals" and "a happy mind is the secret of a good mark sheet" are among other suggestions.

The PM has often spoken about exam stress and tackled the subject in his radio talk, "Mann Ki Baat".

Last week, PM Modi had requested students to share their thoughts on pressure, anxiety related to examination and suggest ways de-stress on the Narendra Modi and MyGov app. The students were also encouraged to ask questions on Twitter using the hashtag #ExamWarriors.

PM Modi, who was "happy to see the wide range of comments and questions" tweeted, "Students, parents and teachers are also sharing their experiences, which is wonderful. Do keep writing on MyGov or the Open Forum on the NM Mobile App."

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"Think Traffic Lights. Red Stops Development": PM Modi Tells Tripura

Agartala: With just three days to go for the elections in Tripura, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  added finishing touches to high-voltage election campaign of the BJP, which is out to oust the well-entrenched Left government in the state. Accusing the blocking development in the state, PM Modi said the party managed to rule the state for 25 years only because there was a Congress-led government at the Centre for much of it.  

"Think Traffic Lights. Red Stops Development": PM Modi Tells Tripura

"They had a pact. In Delhi, they have dosti(friendship) and in Tripura they have kushti (wrestling)," the Prime Minister said. The lack of development in the state under the Left-regime, he said, was the reason why he received so much affection. As case in point, he cited the crowds at his rallies.

"I need to apologise since we could not accommodate people in the field. Today, from the helipad till this ground, I saw a human wall," PM Modi said in Agartala, where his second rally of the day was held.

Traffic single red light stops your speed in the same way the red flag Govt of Tripura has stopped the development. Development will only come when saffron and green light will come.

Can anyone from Tripura say development is really taking place? Red stops development as the red light stops cars at a traffic signal. For the lights to turn green, you  need saffron first," the Prime Minister said.

 

This was PM Modi's second visit to the state. On February 8, he had addressed a rally in Sonamura, where he had taken on the state's three-time Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Over the last months, the BJP had conducted a high-profile campaign, bringing in senior cabinet ministers and state Chief Ministers to the tiny northeaster state. Besides PM Modi, Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have campaigned in the state.  

The party already controls three of the eight northeastern states - Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. This time, it hopes to win in all three states that are going to polls - Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland. Tripura will be its first effort to win over a non-Congress state, which is expected to provide a blueprint for the party's two big targets - Left-ruled Kerala and Mamata Banerjee's Bengal.

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NIMR, Delhi Recruitment 2018 For Scientist-B Posts

New Delhi: National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), Delhi has invited applications for recruitment to Scientist B (Medical/ Non-Medical) posts. A total of 7 posts are open for recruitment: one each for ST, OBC categories and rest for the general category. Age of the applicants must not be more than 35 years. Candidates will be selected for medical, Earth science/ environmental science/ geography/ remote sensing and GIS, publication, social science, vector biology and parasite biology. Job notification is available at the official website of NIMR at nimr.org.

NIMR, Delhi Recruitment 2018 For Scientist-B Posts

Candidates will be selected on the basis of written test, publication, experience and personal discussion/ interview. Weightage for written test will be 40; it will be 20 for publications and experience and 40 for personal discussion/ interview. 'Candidates will be called for interview on the basis of merit based on the marks obtained in the written test and CV scrutiny. The final decision to select will be based on the criteria adopted by ICMR.'

The written test will carry a total of 100 marks (100 MCQs).

Candidates with MBBS degree, Master's degree (with or without PhD) in the concerned discipline are eligible for the recruitment. PhD is essential for those who have second class Master's degree.

Applicants should note that PhD or MD degree will count to three years experience. Candidates with MD or PhD will be directly given preference for direct recruitment.

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"Mohan Bhagwat Should Stand At LoC," Asaduddin Owaisi Targets RSS Chief

Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of All India Majlis-eIttehad-ul Muslimeen(AIMIM), on Tuesday slammed those who question the patriotism of Muslims as he referred to the Armymen from Kashmir who laid down their lives fighting Pakistani terrorists at Sunjuwan in Jammu.

"Mohan Bhagwat Should Stand At LoC," Asaduddin Owaisi Targets RSS Chief

The Hyderabad lawmaker also attacked the government for "not learning lessons" from terror attacks on army installations in the past.

The so-called "9 pm" nationalists (those who appear in prime time tv debates) question the nationalism of Muslims and Kashmiri Muslims, Mr Owaisi said in Hyderabad.

"In this (Sunjuwan attack) incident, five Kashmiri Muslims have laid down their lives. Why aren't you talking about it? This is a reminder to all those nationalists who question my integrity and the love for this country," the AIMIM chief said.

He said, "This (terror attack) is not the first incident which has happened in Sunjuwan. Earlier, in 2003, terrorists had killed our soldiers in Sunjuwan." 

A group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists had struck the Sunjuwan military camp in Jammu early on Saturday, killing seven people.

"We have not learnt lessons from Uri, Pathankot and Nagrota (terror attacks)... we would like to know from the BJP government where the responsibility lies now?" Mr Owaisi asked.

He wondered if the attack on the Army camp was a failure of the Intelligence Bureau and said lessons must be learnt and responsibility fixed as this a "continuous pattern" which has to end.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his foreign tours, the AIMIM chief said, "I am sure he is free now after his recent foreign tours. He is yet to tweet on this attack. What is happening to the talks of our NSA (national security advisor) and the Pakistan NSA which took place in Bangkok." 

Referring to the Sunjuwan terror attack, Mr Owaisi said the "heinous act was committed by terrorists who came from a neighbouring country and no one can deny that".

"I condemn this attack. But we also have to know what are the answers from this government," he said.

To a question on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti making a fresh pitch for dialogue between India and Pakistan, Mr Owaisi said, "It is for the BJP to say, because you (BJP) are supporting Mufti. Your own supported CM is saying talks should happen." 

"I want to know from the Union government headed by Prime Minister Modi what is your opinion on this," he said.

On RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarksthat the Sangh could "prepare" a military force faster than the Army, Mr Owaisi said it was a "grave" statement.

"How can a cultural organisation train cadres as an army? Is he trying to say that they are (more) efficient than the Army? This statement has to be looked into very deeply.

"How is it that you are comparing your cadre with the Army? No cadre can be compared with our Indian Army... This is a very grave statement which has lot of messages, repercussions and ramifications," he said.

"Does he know what goes into the making of an Indian soldier and how bravely our soldiers are laying down their lives?" the lawmaker asked.

"In a lighter vein, if that is what he (Mohan Bhagwat) seriously believes, then he should lead and stand in front of the LoC and border," Mr Owaisi said

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Ram Rajya Rath Yatra LIVE: Yogi Adityanath To Flag Off Procession From Ayodhya To Rameswaram

New Delhi: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the 'Ram Rajya Rath Yatra' today, starting from the Ayodhya to Rameswaram. This yatra will cover six states over the next 41 days. The rally comes days before the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit is expected to come up before the Supreme Court for the final hearing.

Ram Rajya Rath Yatra LIVE: Yogi Adityanath To Flag Off Procession From Ayodhya To Rameswaram

The Ram Rajya Rath Yatra will be flagged off this evening from Karsevakpuram -- a workshop set up in by the VHP in the 1990s, where workers carve pillars in the hope they will be used in the construction of the Ram Temple one day.

The Ram Rajya Rath Yatra is being officially organised by a Maharashtra-based social organisation, and it will see participation from organisations like the VHP and the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, which are affiliated with the RSS- the BJP's ideological mentor. 

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