Posts published in “International,Diplomacy,Education”

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Delhi's ruling AAP on Thursday reissued their previous orders to the Chief Secretary, Services, informing the officer that non-compliance of the order would amount to "contempt of Supreme Court" with "serious consequences."
"Have directed again Secretary services to issue the orders as directed yesterday. Informed the officer that non compliance would lead to contempt of SC and the officer shall face disciplinary proceedings," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia wrote in a tweet.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said that "open defiance of the Supreme Court order shall invite serious consequences".
"All officers should respect and obey SC order. Open defiance of SC order shall invite serious consequences. It will be in no one's interest," he said in a tweet.
On Wednesday, the Chief Secretary (Services) had rejected the order of Sisodia to comply with the Supreme Court ruling on who has the authority to transfer or post officers in Delhi.
The Chief Secretary cited a 2015 notification of the Union Home Ministry as the reason for rejection, saying it has not been specifically quashed.
--IANS<br>sd/vd<br>

Chandigarh, July 5 (IANS) Taking a serious view of the concerns expressed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court over the manner in which final reports are being filed by the prosecution in drug related offences, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday directed Advocate General Atul Nanda to pursue the matter ensure that there is no laxity on this in future.
Acting on the Chief Minister's directives, Nanda has asked he Director, Department of Prosecution and Litigation, to call for a report from the various districts and ascertain the factual position on ground in this regard.
Describing it as an issue of "grave concern", Nanda has also sought the comments and suggestions of the Director, Vijay Singla, on the issue "so that the matter may be taken forward at the earliest, preferably within two weeks".
The letter is marked to Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and Additional Chief Secretary, Home, N.S. Kalsi, apart from DGP Suresh Arora and ADGP, Special Task Force (STF-Drugs), Harpreet Singh Sidhu.
The letter refers to Wednesday's incident when the Chief Minister was attending his hearing on an Election Petition before the High Court and Justice Daya Chaudhary called upon him as well as Nanda "to look into the manner in which final reports are being filed by the prosecution in drug related offences, more particularly without attaching the laboratory reports supporting the charges made against the accused".
The court was of the view that such reports are often not attached to/form part of the final report which is filed before it.
Soon after the issue was brought to his notice by the court, the Chief Minister directed the Advocate General to personally look into the matter and ensure that the system is streamlined to ensure that there are no such loopholes in the prosecution's case before the court, particularly in drug-related matters, said a spokesman for the Chief Minister.
Rubbishing reports of Amarinder Singh being reprimanded by the high court on the issue of drugs, the spokesman claimed that the judge had merely taken advantage of the Chief Minister's incidental presence in her court to request him to look into the matter of strengthening the prosecution methods in criminal cases.
--IANS<br>js/vd

Pune, July 5 (IANS) After a furore, a prominent private co-education school here withdrew a bizarre order mandating all girl students to wear only white or beige underwear on campus, an official said here on Thursday.
The orders, which furious parents and social activists termed as "draconian and infringing on individual privacy", were issued by the MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul School in Kothrud recently, making it compulsory for girl students to sport only "white or beige inner-wears" under their white skirts from the current academic year.
However, the school management had sought to justify the same on grounds of safety of the girl students and to prevent them from being targeted by the boy students.
Parents were required to adhere to this by signing a diary daily, failing which the violators could face action, it had warned.
As a large number of embarrassed but angry parents protested against the strange diktat, Education Minister Vinod Tawde intervened on Wednesday and directed the Pune Director of Education and other officials to visit the school and inquire into the matter.
Accordingly, a team of education officers from the Pune Municipal Corporation called on the school authorities and spoke with the agitating parents on Thursday (today) afternoon and ruled in favour of the parents and girl students community.
They directed the MITVGS management to immediately withdraw its order and the compulsory diary entry, to which the latter complied.
In a statement this evening, the school management unconditionally yanked off its earlier orders, while contending that "it was student-centric, intended in the best interests of the student community and not meant to hurt individual or group sentiments".
Earlier, MAEER MITVGS Executive Director and Trustee Suchitra Karad-Nagare defended the orders, saying it was issued following complaints from some parents whose daughters were subjected to cat-calling when they sported dark coloured underwear under their white-coloured uniforms.
"In the past, we had complaints from some girls about unpleasant experiences faced by them, so instead of calling the parents of girls individually, we included the rules about the inner-wears in the diary," she told media persons.
Additionally, the management imposed strict restrictions on the number of times the students could go to the toilets or drink water and circulated a time-table for this, except for emergencies or medical reasons when the students would take prior permission and be accompanied by a buddy.
The school also asked the irked parents to sign affidavits on these undergarments and disciplinary measures, to which they hit back saying the "students were mature enough and it was not necessary or relevant to mention such guidelines in the school diary".
The toilet break was intended to instil discipline as some students spent long time there missing their classes, while taps were often left open or leaking, the school management had said.
--IANS<br>qn/him/vd

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Justice Satyendra Singh Chauhan (retd), who was appointed as the DERC chairman last month, took over charge formally on Thursday with his swearing-in.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) Chairman's post had been lying vacant for over one and a half years.
Chauhan, who had served as a judge in the Allahabad High Court, was administered the oath by Power Minister Satyendar Jain, in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and senior officials of the Power Department.
After the ceremony, Jain said that "this is for the first time in DERC history that a judge has been appointed as its chairman." Complimenting the DERC for its increasing efficiency, he hoped that the "current situation continues for the next five years too".
Congratulating Chauhan, Kejriwal said that this is the best period for the power sector as Delhi, in the whole country, is enjoying minimal power cuts and cheap electricity.
"Right now, the power sector in Delhi is going through its best period. With fewer power cuts, Delhi people are getting cheap electricity in the country. Moreover, the financial position of companies in this sector is also enhancing every day," he said.
He hoped that the "current situation of power sector remains the same in the future so that the government could come up with better services and policies".
--IANS<br>sd/vd

Bhubaneswar, July 5 (IANS) The Odisha government has raised questions over the air travel bills of newly-appointed Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and sought details on the issue.
The General Administration department has sought an explanation over the Governor's visit to Sirsa, Haryana, via New Delhi and back to Bhubaneswar from June 10-13 by using a jet aircraft and a helicopter.
In a letter written to the Special Secretary to the Governor on July 4, Deputy Secretary in the General Administration department Indira Behera asked for the reason for hiring the two aerial vehicles.
"It may be kindly intimated the reason and circumstances for hiring of a helicopter for use of the Governor and deviation in the approved schedule of the flight and whether approval of the competent authority has been taken for the purpose or not (sic)," the letter read.
As per the invoices of M/s Pinnacle Air Pvt Limited mentioned in the letter, the cost of hiring the aircraft has been estimated at Rs 41.18 lakh.
Similarly, an amount of Rs 5 lakh has been incurred for the Governor's visit to Sirsa from New Delhi in a chopper on June 10.
Behera also requested the Special Secretary to the Governor to sign the necessary user's certificate and return this for necessary by the state government.
IANS<br>cd/qd/sed/vm

Kolkata, July 5 (IANS) City football giants East Bengal on Thursday roped in Quess, one of Indias leading business services providers, as its investor.<br> <br>The two sides inked an agreement, under which the I-League outfit will now be known as Quess East Bengal FC Pvt Ltd (QEBFC).<br> <br>"We were thinking of few other options after our association with UB Group came to an end last month. When this company approached us with a partnership proposal, we found them the most suitable among all candidates," East Bengal Secretary Kalyan Majumder told mediapersons here.<br> <br>In May, East Bengal had ended their two-decade-long association with Bengaluru-based United Breweries Group. <br> <br>There were talks of East Bengal taking part in the Indian Super League (ISL) from the upcoming season with their new investors coming on board.<br> <br>Asked about the development, East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar said: "No decision has been taken regarding that. We have a meeting tomorrow. This is not the time to talk about that. We will let you all know once we make some headway."<br> <br>However, Ajit Isaac, chairman and managing director of Quess Group, said they have not put any pressure on the club regarding ISL.<br> <br> "There is no pressure from us. But we will definitely like our team to be part of the best forum," Isaac told IANS when quizzed about the same.<br> <br>There were reports that East Bengal had approached the All India Football Federation (AIFF) regarding the confirmation of their ISL participation if they manage to strike a sponsorship deal and satisfy all the required financial criteria.<br> <br>The red and gold brigade finished fourth in the I-League last term and reached the final of the Super Cup where they lost to Bengaluru FC.<br> <br> <br>Neither East Bengal officials, nor Isaac, divulged any details about the quantum of money pumped in by the new investor.<br> <br>--IANS<br>dm/ssp/ajb/vm

Bhopal, July 5 (IANS) Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand on treating selling 'pakodas' (fritters) as a proper job, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday touted making and selling 'achar' (pickle) as a lucrative employment opportunity.
"I advised the wife of one of my friends to make pickles, she made it a profession and now within two years, her company has a turnover of Rs 2 crore," he told reporters here.
In response to another question, the Minister of State for Agriculture termed the weather and the market as the two biggest enemies of farmers.
He also ruled out any cut in prices of diesel, which farmers use to operate pumps for irrigation.
--IANS<br>hindi-vd/him/

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The message of the importance of peaceful coexistence of humans and nature will reverberate at Ojas Art Gallery here, as artist Abhishek Singh will paint live on a mural-sized canvas an artwork called "Vrikshadootam".
With the central theme depicting the "stories of the environment and the absolute need to protect, nurture and preserve the same", the artwork will be painted live from July 8 to July 15 at the gallery by the New York-based storyteller and graphic novelist.
The paintings will be on display from July 15 to 20.
Seeking to build an interactive narrative through his art, Singh has earlier painted "Shiva in Varanasi" -- a public art project on the ghats of Varanasi. The paintings were displayed on boats in the Ganga for people to experience and observe.
The current project touches upon the issue of environment.
"I wanted Abhishek to create an artwork that talks about the importance of the environment and the necessity and urgency to preserve the same employing his unique storytelling style combined with mythology and ecological issues," Anubhav Nath, Director of Ojas Art gallery, said in a statement.
Singh's artworks have been exhibited at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Asia Society Texas Center, Houston, and Middlebury College Museum of Art, Vermont. His most recent live drawing was for the Frenec Hopp Museum of Asian Arts, Budapest, in May.
--IANS<br>sj/vd/him/

By Sanjeev Pal
New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Investigators in the mysterious deaths by hanging of 11 in Delhi's Burari neighbourhood are convinced that it was a case of mass suicide in a ritual practice by the family suffering from a shared psychological disorder, a police officer said on Thursday.
<br>The officer said the final closure report will be prepared after getting the viscera and detailed autopsy of the 11 bodies. But little is expected to emerge out of these reports.
"The Crime Branch has sent its case report to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik who is all set to close the case and submit the final closure to the Home Ministry," the officer told IANS.
This comes five days after 11 bodies -- seven females and four males -- were recovered from a two-storey house on July 1. Ten of them were hanging with their hands tied, mouths gagged and eyes covered with cloth pieces.
The eldest in the Bhatia family -- which was mainly into grocery and plywood businesses -- was found lying dead. An autopsy report concluded that Narayani Devi, 77, had also died of partial hanging.
Crime Branch chief Joint Commissioner Alok Kumar told IANS that CCTV footage from the premises opposite the Bhatia house helped investigators to concluded that it was a case of mass suicide.
"The video footage showed the family bought goods five stools and bandage from shops close to their home and used them in the ritual These goods were found from the spot where all 11 bodies hung," Kumar said.
He said the handwritten notes apparently written by Lalit Bhatia and his niece Priyanka detailing the ritual practice were being treated as suicide notes.
These notes were recovered from the house and the ritual was performed almost as mentioned in those entries, he said.
Kumar said no occultist or a godman has been found involved in the chilling deaths that shocked the city.
"No evidences were found of any animosity with the family," the Crime Branch chief said. "The case is almost clear. It is a suicide pact by all family member."<br> <br>Kumar said investigators have concluded that Lalit, 45, who ran the plywood store, used to dictate how the rituals were to be undertaken and Priyanka, 33, would note it down in a register.
Lalit and other family members believed that Lalit was taking instructions from his father Gopaldas, who died 10 years ago.<br> <br>"As per the register entries, Lalit was possessed by the spirit of his deceased father. This is a kind of mental disorder. We also took help of psychological experts. They also concluded that it is a case of shared psychological disorder which turned a ritual practice into a mass suicide," the police officer said.<br> <br>The investigators have also concluded that Lalit and his wife Tina tied the hands and legs of other family members before all of the them hung themselves from an iron grill on a ceiling of a corridor to perform a ritual prayer on the night of June 30.
They believed they won't die and Gopaldas would come to meet them and bestow them with salvation.
The family had even cooked white grams for the next morning breakfast which was kept in a bowl and curd was also refrigerated.
Priyanka, who was all set to get married to a Noida-based software engineer in December, had even kept her dress ready to go to office the next morning.
The family, according to police, was deeply ritualist and superstitious.
Lalit had met with an accident four years ago and had lost his voice after a plywood sheet fell on his head. However, he regained his speech one day, believing that it was his dead father who helped him in a dream.
Priyanka, according to police, was finding it difficult to get a match. But she was made to worship a Banyan tree after which she got engaged to the Noida man.
Like his late father Gopaldass, who was in the Indian Army, Lalit gave all family members training in discipline, code of conduct, rehearsals of dos and don'ts during ritual practices.
As per an entry in one of the registers seized from the house, he also instructed family members to stand upright like soldiers after morning prayers for increasing mental strength.
--IANS<br>sp/sar/vm

Mumbai, July 5 (IANS) Moving swiftly, the Mumbai Police tracked and arrested, from Gujarat, the man who threatened to rape Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi and her 10-year-old daughter, an official said here on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Girish Maheshwar, 36, is a resident of Bavla industrial town, around 30 km from Ahmedabad.
The threats were issued by Maleshwar on Sunday on Twitter from his handle @GirishK1605 - now barred - to Chaturvedi and her minor daughter, living in Mumbai.
The 38-year-old Congress spokesperson promptly retweeted the rape threats and even tagged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Mumbai Police and others on the matter.
Rajnath Singh later directed the Delhi and Mumbai Police to take action.
"Despite having a picture of Lord Ram as his profile picture, the accused did not hesitate from making such remarks. I hope Mumbai Police will take action. They have called me and have initiated action," Chaturvedi said.
The police in Goregaon lodged a complaint on Tuesday under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and launched investigations.
Within 48 hours they zeroed in on the accused holed up in Bavla in Ahmedabad district from where he was nabbed with assistance by a team of Delhi Police late on Wednesday and brought here (Mumbai) on Thursday.
A relieved Chaturvedi on Thursday thanked both Rajnath Singh and Mumbai Police for the action initiated in the matter.
"I would like to thank Mumbai Police, Delhi Police, especially IPS Madhur Verma and CP Delhi. Also my gratitude to Rajnath Singhji for taking this up," she tweeted this afternoon.
Following an outrage on social media and in political circles since the accused issued threats to harm Chaturvedi's minor daughter, the tweet was subsequently brought down.
--IANS<br>qn/vd/him/