Junior Digest

Madras High Court dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre to nationalise the immovable and movable properties of late Tamil Nadu chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday, saying these were self-earned by her and the court could not interfere.

A division bench of the court here comprising Justice A.Selvam and Justice P Kalaiarasan said the PIL was not maintainable as it did not come under the description given for Public Interest Litigations by the Supreme Court.

Besides, the bench said the properties of Jayalalithaa were self-earned, bought by her in her personal capacity and the court could not interfere and give a direction to nationalise them.

Petitioner KK Ramesh of Tamil Nadu Centre for PIL, an NGO, had submitted that Jayalalithaa owned Rs 72 crore worth properties and did not have any direct heir. Nor did she mention as to who would inherit her properties.

Since she had openly stated that ‘she was for the people’, it was necessary for the government to take over her properties and use the revenue from them for the welfare of the poor people, he had contended.

Petitioner had also sought appointment of a retired high court judge to manage the properties of Jayalalithaa, who died on December 5 last year.

He moved the court as there was no response to his representation made to the Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office on the matter, the petitioner had submitted.

New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to set up a statutory mechanism to deal with citizens’ complaints against TV and radio programmes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to use the power under section 22 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act and set up a body to deal with complaints against television and radio channels.

The court considered the submission of the Centre that there has been mechanism to deal with such cases.

“The Union of India said that there is a mechanism. We, however, feel that it needs adequate publicity so as to enable common public to seek redressal of grievance,” the court said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, said “this business of self regulation business doesn’t work”.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea on lifting the ban on the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu, a day after the AIADMK urged the Prime Minister to immediately issue an ordinance to remove “bulls” from the list of animals that are banned from being exhibited or trained so that there Jallikattu could be held smoothly this year.

The petition had sought the top court’s intervention to pass the judgement.

However, the court said that the draft of the Jallikattu judgement had been prepared but it was not possible to deliver it before Saturday, when the festival is to be organised in Tamil Nadu.

With Tamil Nadu asking the Centre to promulgate an ordinance to enable the smooth conduct of the bull taming sport, the government has said “things are ready from our side” but insisted that it would wait for the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the issue.

Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, who met a delegation led by Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai, regarding this issue also blamed the previous Congress-led UPA government for including bulls in the list of animals prohibited from being exhibited or trained as performing animals.

Dave asserted that there was no ill treatment of the bulls during the performance of the sport and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will look into all these aspects while giving its decision so that the people can celebrate their festivals with full pleasure.

The Supreme Court in November 2016 had dismissed the plea of the state government seeking review of its 2014 judgement which banned the use of bulls for Jallikattu events in the state.

Pope Francis on Wednesday took aim at the modern world’s obsessions with power, success and beauty, citing the example of a woman who had an abortion to preserve her looks.

In an anecdote he said dated from his time as Bishop of Buenos Aires, Francis recounted the story of a a very beautiful woman who was inordinately proud of how she looked. “She said, as if it was natural, ‘Yes, I had to have an abortion because my appearance is important’,” the 80-year-old, whose papacy began in March 2013, said during his midweek public audience.

“When values such as physical beauty, health become idols to which everything must be sacrificed they create confusion in our spirit and in our hearts. Rather than promoting life, they drive us towards death,” he added in comments that also targeted “power, success and vanity with their illusions of eternity and omnipotence.”

Catholic teaching considers abortion as akin to the most heinous of murders. Francis does not waver from that line but has authorised priests to absolve women who have had terminations, something which only a bishop could previously do.

Mumbai, Jan 12 :  Tata Sons today named TCS Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director N Chandrasekaran as its new Chairman over two months after the unceremonious sacking of Cyrus Mistry.

Popularly known as ‘Chandra’, the 54-year-old was chosen to step into the shoes of interim Chairman Ratan Tata, who took over on October 24 last year after the removal of Mistry.

The decision to appoint Chandra, a Tata group veteran, was taken at a meeting of Tata Sons board here, sources said.

The decision followed a five-member search committee comprising Ratan Tata, TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former diplomat Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya zeroing in on Chandrasekaran. .

Colombo : Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena today overturned a 26-year-old decree that required top bureaucrats to wear a suit and tie, saying they could now opt for “more comfortable” clothing instead.

“We must adopt clothing that suits our weather and climate,” Sirisena said. “That is why I say that officials no longer need to wear suits. From now on, it is not a mandatory requirement.”

He made the announcement while speaking at a conference in Colombo and said that the 1991 decree had forced officials in the tropical country to suffer in uncomfortable clothing.

Sri Lanka’s civil service is largely based on traditions inherited from the country’s former British colonial rulers who governed the island nation from 1815 until 1948.

Unlike bureaucrats, male Sri Lankan politicians have traditionally opted to wear the national dress — a long-sleeved cotton tunic and sarong — instead of Western clothing while in public in an effort to burnish their nationalistic credentials.

Jaipur, Jan 11 :  Camel races, safaris for tourists and camel fur cutting will be the highlights of the annual Camel Festival beginning in Bikaner from January 14.

Many fun activities have been lined up at the festival to attract tourists.

“Folk and fire dances and spectacular fireworks will light up the night sky in the desert city during the festival,” Ajay Sharma, Deputy Director of Tourism department said today.

The festival will begin with camel rides and camel safaris for tourists at the Gram Raisar on January 14 which will be followed by a grand procession from Junagarh to Karni Singh Stadium.

The inaugural ceremony will witness performances by Bagpiper Army Band and RAC Band.

Day two will begin with a heritage walk from Kote Gate to Bikaji Ki Tekri.

The visitors will also witness competitions like tug of war, rural wrestling, turban tying (for foreign tourists), camel milking, camel dance among others. Earthen pot race and musical chair competitions for the women will be held during the event, he said.

Camel Festival in Bikaner is an annual fair dedicated to the ship of the desert in which camels are beautifully bedecked and form a colourful spectacle.

Mumbai : Police are recording statements of veteran actor Om Puri’s kin, friends and others in connection with his death, a senior official said today.

“Statements of his relatives, neighbours and friends are being recorded in the wake of post-mortem report which mentions that the actor had suffered an injury to his head,” the police official said.

There is noting suspicious in the case, however, we are verifying all aspects. Nothing has been found in his building’s CCTV camera too, police said.

On January 7, the Mumbai police had registered an ‘Accidental Death Report’ (ADR) in connection with Puri’s death.

Puri (66), known for his roles in several landmark films such as “Ardha Satya”, “City of Joy” and “Aakrosh”, died after a heart attack at his apartment in Lokandwala Complex in suburban Andheri here on January 6.

The actor had also sustained an injury, caused apparently when he collapsed to the floor after the heart attack.

Since he was alone at his house at the time of death and sustained an injury, Oshiwara police registered an ADR as per routine procedure, a senior police officer had said.

Gandhinagar, Jan 11 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today reiterated that the Centre is still aiming to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime from April 1 if all pending issues are sorted out.

GST, which is to subsume most of central and state taxes like excise, service tax and VAT, needs to roll out by latest September 16, 2017, he said.

This because, under the Constitutional Amendment passed by Parliament for the GST implementation, some of the existing levies would expire after September 16.

Jaitley said the government was aiming to implement the new sales tax from April this year. “We would want it to be implemented from April if all issues are resolved.”

“There is a provision for GST implementation because constitutional amendment has been passed. So it’s Constitutional necessity that before September 16 it should be rolled out,” he said on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit here.

GST, or a national sales tax, will replace a jumble of levies to create one of the world’s biggest single market. A single tax will make it easier to do business in the world’s seventh-largest economy as also help combat evasion, boost revenue for the government.

But the rollout is struck because of differences between the Centre and states over control and administration of the tax as also on how the states that face revenue shortfall because of the GST rollout would need to be compensated.

Jaitley is hoping to resolve the issue of dual control of tax payers at the next meeting of the GST Council on January 16.

“We would want it to be implemented from April if all issues are resolved. But implementing before September 16 is a necessity,” he said.

The Finance Minister said the digitisation that got a leg up post demonetisation of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, together with GST will lead to expansion of formal economy and boost growth.

“The two steps together will lead to a larger economy and a cleaner GDP. I am hopeful that we will see the two this year,” he said.

Tokyo, Jan 11 : Japan is planning for Emperor Akihito to retire and be replaced by his eldest son on January 1, 2019, reports said today, as the country works on a legal framework for its first abdication in 200 years.

Akihito, 83, expressed a desire in August to abdicate after nearly three decades on the Chrysanthemum Throne, citing his advancing age and weakening health.

Major national newspapers — the Yomiuri, Asahi, Mainichi and Nikkei — cited unnamed sources as saying Crown Prince Naruhito, 56, would succeed his father on New Year’s Day 2019.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment on the reports at his regular news conference today.

After Akihito’s announcement last year, the government established a panel of experts to help decide how best to proceed as the issue is fraught with historical and legal challenges.

Though abdications have occurred in Japan’s long imperial history there hasn’t been one in 200 years and under current laws there is no legal mechanism for one.

The six-member panel has discussed various legal options, with speculation rampant it will propose parliament pass a special one-time law to allow Akihito to step down.

The leading opposition Democratic Party, however, opposes a one-time change, arguing that would not ensure stable future successions. It has advocated a revision to the permanent law that governs the imperial family.

Abdication is a highly sensitive issue in light of Japan’s modern history of war waged in the name of Akihito’s father, the late emperor Hirohito who died in 1989.

Some scholars and politicians worry that the abdication issue could open a can of worms and risk Japan’s monarchs — constitutionally constrained to being the symbol of the nation — becoming subject to political manipulation.

The panel is expected to compile a summary of its views on the issue in January.

Akihito has keenly embraced the symbolic role imposed on the imperial family after Japan’s defeat in World War II.

Previous emperors including his father, Hirohito, had been treated as semi-divine.

New Delhi, Jan 11 : The Supreme Court today rejected plea for a court-monitored SIT probe into bribery allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the basis of documents seized during the raids in business houses–Sahara and Birla– on the ground they had no no evidentiary value.

The case based on “random materials” like loose sheets, papers, e-mail print outs is “merit less” as they are “inadmissible materials” having “no evidentiary value under the law” to order registration of FIR and investigation, more so against the high constitutional functionaries, whose names are mentioned in the documents which has been held as prima facie “fabricated” by income tax settlement commission, the court said.

The high-voltage hearing was conducted by a new bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy which said “courts have to be on guard” while dealing with matters demanding probe against high functionaries as the case in hand was devoid of any “cogent” material or “independent evidence corroborating materials” to order investigation.

The new bench was constituted as Prashant Bhushan, lawyer for the Common Cause, had sought recusal of the then Chief Justice of India-designate, Justice J S Khehar, on the ground that his file for elevation for CJI was pending with the executive headed by the Prime Minister.

“There must be some cogent, reliable and admissible evidence”. Otherwise the process of law can be abused to achieve ulterior goals,” the court observed dismissing the NGO’s plea.

Dissatisfied with the loose sheets, which were claimed to be part of the diary entries of the Sahara Group and Aditya Birla Group, containing entries like “Gujarat CM” and other politicians, the bench said materials placed on record by the NGO, Common Cause were not maintained by the two business housed in the regular course of business.

Another bench of the court had earlier termed the loose sheets and other material “zero material” to order investigation.

“In view of the materials placed on record and peculiarity of the facts and circumstances, no case is made out on merits to direct investigation against various political functionaries, officers etc. The interim applications are found to be merit less and are dismissed,” the bench said.

The bench also referred to the order passed by the Income Tax Settlement Commission in the Sahara group matter and said that the commission has also found prima facie that materials recovered from the group were not genuine and fabricated.

  Kathmandu: Nepal’s Opposition leader and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli today refused to let the the Constitution amendment bill, aimed at addressing the demands of agitating Madhesi parties, pass in the Parliament.

Talking to journalists at Biratnagar Airport in eastern Nepal, CPN-UML Chairman Oli accused the government that by tabling the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament it had ignored the Supreme Court order which had noted that state boundaries cannot be reviewed without an approval from the Provincial Assemblies.

Oli said that the incumbent government was acting as if it did not understand court language.

He accused the Madhesi party leaders of speaking illegal and unconstitutional words and criticised them for making statements like they would not participate in the elections if the Constitution amendment bill is not passed.

Oli exuded confidence that the country would find a solution to the problem in coming few days in line with the parliamentary procedures.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has claimed that the Constitution amendment bill was tabled in the Parliament with the consent of the main opposition CPN (UML).

The bill, which aims to accommodate the demands of the agitating Madhesi and ethnic groups that include citizenship and boundary demarcation issues among others, was tabled in the Parliament yesterday.

Talking to reporters in central Nepal’s Chitawan district, Prachanda said that the bill was forwarded after forging a consensus with UML chairman Oli.

He claimed that the Opposition was ready to forward the bill in an ‘agree to disagree’ modality, adding that it was an internationally practised modality and dismissed the notion that the bill was tabled forcibly.

The Prime Minister stressed on consensus among the political parties and said that serious discussions were held with Oli regarding this.

Re-demarcation of the provincial boundary and citizenship issue are the two major demands put forth by the Madhesis.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a six-month- long agitation during Oli’s premiership, from September 2015 to February last year, in which more than 50 people were killed.

The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country’s economy as supplies from India were blocked.

Gandhinagar, Jan 10 :  With the government taking steps to improve business climate, total FDI inflows in the last two-and-a-half years have touched USD 130 billion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

Modi, while addressing investors at the Vibrant Gujarat summit here, also said that ‘Make in India’ initiative has become the “biggest brand” that the country has ever had.

“The total FDI in the last two-and-a-half years have touched USD 130 billion.

“The FDI equity inflow in the last two financial years was 66 per cent higher as compared to previous two financial years. In fact, the total FDI inflows received during the last year have been the highest ever,” he said.

He said the number of countries from where FDI is coming in, and the sectors in which they are being routed have also diversified in the last two years.

“India is now the leading recipient of capital investment in the Asia-Pacific. It also continues to be among the top ten countries globally in terms of FDI inflows,” he added.

He also said that “the story does not end here as India has left every other country behind in terms of providing return on investment”.

The government has liberalised FDI regime in many sectors and in various ways and India is today among the most open economies, Modi said.

“Creating an enabling environment for business, and attracting investments, is my top priority. We have to do this in order to create opportunities for our youth,” he said.

Further the Prime Minister said India has placed the highest emphasis on ease of doing business.

“We have taken decisive steps to ease licensing processes, and rationalise provisions and procedures relating to clearances, returns, and inspections. We are monitoring implementation of hundreds of action points across various sectors, aimed at improving the regulatory framework. This is part of our promise of Good Governance,” he added.

He said that India is moving closer to global best practices and day by day it is getting more and more integrated with the world.

“Our confidence has been boosted by the positive impact of our policies and practices. This also gives us the motivation to further simplify our processes to become the easiest place to do business,” he said adding “every day, we are further rationalising our policies and procedures, to make it simple for businesses to establish and grow”.

London, Jan 11 :  Action star Sylvester Stallone, best known for his portrayal of boxer Rocky Balboa in the ‘Rocky’ franchise, has invested in a new boxing studio named Rumble.

The 70-year-old actor is expected to make an appearance at the launch of the studio, reported Femalefirst.

Rumble, which is reported to be the “most anticipated group-fitness concept, will open its first studio in New York City.

It has already planned two more studio openings in New York City this year, with expansion on the West Coast of America already underway.

Khagaria (Bihar), Jan 12 : Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order liquor ban in all BJP-ruled states in order to create a “favourable environment” for prohibition in the entire country.

“I thank prime minister for praising bringing prohibition in Bihar. I also praise him (PM) for effectively implementing liquor ban in his home state Gujarat during 12 years of his chief ministership,” he said addressing ‘Chetna Sabha’ here.

“I urge the PM to implement prohibition in the entire country and to create a favourable environment for it he should get liquor ban promulgated in the BJP-ruled states,” Kumar said.

During th 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh in Bihar, PM Modi had lauded Kumar for effectively implementing prohibition in the state and had appealed to all political parties and social groups to join the campaign to ensure its success.

Kumar, whose government declared Bihar a dry state in April last year, has taken it on a mission mode and is moving across Bihar through his ‘Nishchay Yatra’ to get the feedback from people on banning trade and consumption of alcohol, both domestic and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor.

He also spoke about the praise by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for prohibition.

The Dalai Lama, who is in Bodh Gaya in connection with Kalachakra Puja being attended by devotees of 80 countries, has also praised Kumar for trying to ensure complete ban on liquor and urged followers not to touch it.

Kumar highlighted the positive results of prohibition from April 2016, when it was imposed, to November 2016 while claiming that there had been a substantial drop in heinous crimes like murder, dacoity, kidnapping and loot besides road accidents.

He said there was increase in the sales of milk, sweets, readymade clothes and sewing machines among other items from money saved from liquor consumption.

Kumar appealed to people to participate in the mammoth human chain on January 21 to express their commitment to liquor ban and welcomed the support extended to it by BJP.

“All protests against prohibition will vanish when everybody unites against it,” he said.

Hyderabad, Jan 11 : The second international kite festival coinciding with the ‘Makar Sankranti’ fest would be held for six days from January 12 in Hyderabad and two other districts in Telangana.

Telangana Toursim, which is organising the International Kite Festival-2017, today said the event is committed to a social cause of raising awareness about the importance of education and empowerment of girl children and expects a footfall of around 50,000 visitors.

“The festival will have participation from 17 countries with 70 international and 40 national kite flyers, and a special night-flying event is scheduled on January 12 as a pre-festival event at People’s Plaza here,” a release from Telangana Tourism said.

The main kite flying will take place on January 13, 14 and 15 at the Aga Khan Academy here and the festival’s aim is to “fly a kite for a girl child and colour the sky for a cause” this Sankranti, it said.

The festival will also be celebrated in Yadadri district (Yadagirigutta) on January 16 and in Warangal on January 17.

The tourism department proposes to celebrate the kite festival in the entire state within a period of five years, the release added.

New Delhi, Jan 12 : Moving ahead with the strategic sale of Pawan Hans, the government today said it will sell its entire 51 per cent stake and transfer the management control of the helicopter service operator.

Pawan Hans is a joint venture where state-owned ONGC holds 49 per cent.

The government has sought applications from entities to act as transaction advisor for the proposed disinvestment of its stake in the company.

“The government of India intends to divest its entire shareholding of 51 per cent in Pawan Hans Ltd, through strategic disinvestment with transfer of management control,” a public notice said today.

As per the notice, issued by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, a transaction advisor is to be roped in from “reputed professional consulting firm, investment bankers, merchant bankers, financial institutions and banks” who would provide advisory services and manage the strategic disinvestment process.

The deadline for sending the applications is February 2.

Set up in 1985, Pawan Hans currently has a fleet of 46 helicopters.

It was incorporated with the primary objective of providing helicopter support services to the oil sector for off-shore exploration operations, services in remote and hilly areas as well as for charter services.

Earlier this month, defence equipment maker BEML said government would offload 26 per cent stake through strategic disinvestment that could fetch the exchequer Rs 1,000 crore.

Government has set a disinvestment target of Rs 56,500 crore for the current financial year and so far around Rs 24,000 crore has been mopped up through share sale and buy backs.

One hundred and thirty-seven years ago, well before the Calaveras North Grove was purchased by the California State Park System and renamed the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the land’s owners carved an enormous hole in the base of one of its sequoia trees. On Sunday, that tree fell.

This particular 150-foot-tall tree boasted a wide base — about 33 feet in diameter — that featured a large fire scar, an attribute that makes it easier to tunnel through. And that’s exactly what the owners created, a tunnel wide enough for an automobile to drive through.

The idea of passing through an enormous tree immediately proved to be a hit. Named the Pioneer’s Cabin Tree because the created chamber exposed the trunk’s hollowness, giving it a chimney-like appearance and calling to mind the image of an old log cabin, the tree quickly became one of the park’s most popular features.

Curious tourists would come from around the country to etch their names into its bark. Photos from the 1800s show visitors staring up into its great expanse, awe etched on their faces.

On Sunday at around 2pm, with names carved more than a century ago still prominent on its great trunk, the gargantuan tree fell to the ground after being pummelled by a particularly vicious winter storm.

“This iconic and still living tree — the tunnel tree — enchanted many visitors,” the Calaveras Big Tree Association wrote in a Facebook post. “The storm was just too much for it.”

Jim Allday, a park volunteer who was working at the time, told the Los Angeles Times the tree “shattered” when it hit the forest ground. Photos posted by the association appear to confirm this verb choice, showing enormous wood splinters interspersed with snow, the informational placard still on display for visitors.

According to Mr Allday, visitors had wandered through the tree earlier that very day.

It’s not entirely clear why this storm felled the great tree, though the San Francisco Chronicle opined that it “probably had to do with the giant sequoia’s shallow root system — the roots only go about two or four feet deep — and the fact that the trail around the tree was flooded due to rain”.

“When I went out there [Sunday afternoon], the trail was literally a river, the trail is washed out,” Mr Allday told the newspaper. “I could see the tree on the ground, it looked like it was laying in a pond or lake with a river running through it.”

Though the park eventually closed off the tree to cars, instead creating a 1.5-mile loop trail allowing hikers to walk through it, it remained one of the park’s most popular features, according to the Chronicle.

That was evident in the 1,500 comments on the association’s Facebook announcement of the tree’s fall, which was shared about 8,500 times as of early Monday morning. Many of the posts included vacation photos, such as the one below.

Which means it fulfilled its original purpose, which was to compete with the Wawona Tree in the nearby Yosemite National Park. The North Grove’s owners carved out the Pioneer Cabin tree in response to the 1881 carving of that tree.

It’s not entirely clear why this storm felled the great tree, though the San Francisco Chronicle opined that it “probably had to do with the giant sequoia’s shallow root system — the roots only go about two or four feet deep — and the fact that the trail around the tree was flooded due to rain”.

“When I went out there [Sunday afternoon], the trail was literally a river, the trail is washed out,” Mr Allday told the newspaper. “I could see the tree on the ground, it looked like it was laying in a pond or lake with a river running through it.”

Though the park eventually closed off the tree to cars, instead creating a 1.5-mile loop trail allowing hikers to walk through it, it remained one of the park’s most popular features, according to the Chronicle.

That was evident in the 1,500 comments on the association’s Facebook announcement of the tree’s fall, which was shared about 8,500 times as of early Monday morning. Many of the posts included vacation photos, such as the one below.

Which means it fulfilled its original purpose, which was to compete with the Wawona Tree in the nearby Yosemite National Park. The North Grove’s owners carved out the Pioneer Cabin tree in response to the 1881 carving of that tree.