2100 HRS

07th April, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Centre to earmark more funds for setting up fast track courts to try offences against women and children;Prime Minister calls for self-introspection of laws and justice delivery system on gender issues.

• Nine persons including Assistant Municipal Commissioner remanded to 14 days police custody in Thane building collapse case.

• Rajasthan government introduces free essential diagnostic tests scheme in its hospitals on World Health Day today.

• In Afghanistan 10 children killed in air strike during joint military operation against insurgents.

• India whitewash Indonesia 5-0 in Asia Oceania Group I play off Daviscup tie.

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The Centre will earmark additional funds for setting up additional courts as well fast track courts for trial of offences against women and children. In his closing remarks at the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts in New Delhi this evening, Minister of Law and Justice Ashwani Kumar said 73 fast track courts have been established in the country for the trial of crimes against women since January this year. He added that more fast track courts will be established both for the trial of cases involving heinous crimes as well as for the elderly, women and children. Later, talking to reporters the minister also stressed on the need for a mechanism for affordable justice for poor and common man.

It is now demonstrated and established by the practical evidence all over the world that you can not secure just purely by having harsh and strict laws. The essence of benign justice system lies in the ability of the state to ensure that while laws are benign and not without element of compassion, they are implemented in the right spirit and in right manner, which would involve a complete revisiting of the way the criminal justice system functions.

Mr. Kumar said 12,600 district and subordinate courts were computerized and made ICT-enabled till the last month under the e-court project. The next phase of the project will begin from 2013-14, the minister added.

Expressing concern over the huge number of pending cases, Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir said that number of judges in the country will be doubled in a phased manner in the next five years which will help expedite the clearance of backlog. Justice Kabir also emphasized on arbitration, mediation, conciliation, Lok Adalats for the speedy settlement of cases.

We required setting up of various institution at different levels particularly because, the rise of population, the rise of the cases as a result thereof, the rise of litigation, so that we required further infrastructure apart from the general courts to try and meet this need.

Earlier,addressing the conference, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh stressed the need of sensitizing the judiciary on the gender issues. He called for self-introspection about laws and justice delivery system in the wake of the Delhigangrape incident late last year.

Our Government has moved with expedition to respond to the felt sensitivities of the people in the aftermath of this gruesome tragedy of Delhiand have brought about significant amendments in the criminal law to effectively deal with heinous offences against women.

Dr. Singh said access to justice through empowerment of its citizens was the defining measure of a progressive nation and a just society.

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The BJP has said that inflation, corruption and black money will be the main issues in the next General Election. The National Office Bearers of the party today met in the national capital to discuss the BJP's future programme and action plan. Briefing reporters about the meeting, party spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said BJP President Rajnath Singh told the Office Bearers that the party is ready to face election any time.

In the current political situation, Lok Sabha electrons could be held at any time. Party president Rajnath Singh urged National Office Bearers to strengthen party at all levels. We will meet the political challenges successfully.

The meeting was attended by BJP leaders, L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, central office-bearers and presidents and general secretaries of the state units.

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Thane police have arrested seven more persons in connection with building collapse in Thane district of Maharashtra in which 74 people were killed. Earlier, the police had arrested two developers of the collapsed building. All the 9 accused have been sent to 14 days police custody. Our correspondent reports that the investigation is still on and there is a possibility of few more arrests.

The crime branch has unearthed a big racket involved in illegal constructions in the outskirt of Mumbai and its probe has exposed that the developers were repeatedly paying bribes to government officials and local corporators. According to the Thane police commissioner K. P. Raghuvanshi builders were pushing people to stay in illegal buildings so that it is difficult to demolish the place. Raghuvanshi told the reporters that in an Anti-Corruption Bureau raids police have found 5 lakh rupees and some important documents from the residence of suspended Deputy Municipal Commissioner Deepak Chavan who is among arrested. The court has remanded 14 days police custody to all accused. With NAVEDITA, RAJESH SHARBHADE, AIR NEWS, MUMBAI.

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BSP supremo Mayawati told a press conference in Chandigarh today that she did not rule out the possibility of an early general election. She, however, said that her party would continue to provide outside support to the UPA government to keep the communal forces at bay.

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In Jharkhand, a controversy about cash for votes has erupted a day before tomorrow’s election for Mayor of Ranchi Municipal Corporation. Our Ranchi Correspondent reports that police has seized twenty-two lakh rupees from a hotel room allegedly for use of a Congress supported women candidate. The room was booked by a local Congress leader. Police has arrested one person and the Income Tax authorities are also investigating the matter. State Election Commissioner S D Sharma has promised tough action against those found guilty. Meanwhile, all arrangements have been made to hold tomorrow elections for local municipal bodies of Ranchi and Bundu. The concerned candidate has denied the allegation.

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For news updates, follow us on Twitter @ airnewsalerts. You can also visit our facebook page All India Radio News for more news and events. For news updates on mobile, SMS AIRNEWS to 56060."

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The Rajasthan government has introduced a free essential diagnostic tests scheme in government hospitals in the state on the occasion of World Health Day today. The medical investigations include 14 tests. The Second phase of the scheme, which is scheduled to be introduced on Doctor's Day on July 1, will cover Community Health Centres and will offer 28 types of free tests. In the third and the last phase, to be implemented from the Independence Day, 15 types of tests will be made free at Primary Health Centres and dispensaries.

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India's medium range nuclear capable Agni-II missile was today successfully test-fired from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Defence sources said, the trial was conducted at around 10.20 am. The two-stage missile is equipped with an advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by a novel scheme of state of the art command. The 20-metre long Agni-II is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile and has a strike range of more than 2,000 km.

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At least eleven persons including ten children and a woman were killed in an airstrike in north-eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan last night. Police sources inKabul said that the air strike was lunched during a joint operation of Afghan and the NATO coalition forces against the insurgents in Shagal district of the province. Six women were also wounded during the air strike. Eight insurgents have also been killed during the operation.

Meanwhile the Afghan Interior Ministry in a statement in Kabul claimed that thirteen armed insurgents including two senior Taliban commanders were also killed during joint operations by Afghan security forces and the international force acrossAfghanistan during the past 24 hours.

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In Pakistan Former President Pervez Musharraf's nomination papers were rejected in the port city of Karachi today but his papers at Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province were accepted by election authorities. The Returning Officer rejected the former military ruler's papers for parliamentary constituency number 250 in Karachifor the steps Musharraf had, while in office, taken against the members of the judiciary. The Former President enjoys considerable support in Chitral, where Musharraf's nomination papers were accepted, as several developmental projects were started in the region during his regime.

Musharraf had filed papers to contest the general election from four parliamentary seats in Karachi, Islamabad, Chitral and Kasur. He is yet to clear a bigger hurdle tomorrow when a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry takes up a petition filed by former Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association president Taufiq Asif seeking Musharraf's trial for treason. Asif's petition has been clubbed with two other applications seeking similar action against Musharraf.

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The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 30 more Indian fishermen last night, taking the number of Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested in the last two days to 56.The latest arrests have been made north of Talaimannar in North Sri Lanka and the fishermen have been handed over to police for being produced before the court. 26 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were caught on Friday near Karainagar . AIR Colombo corespondent reports that officials of the Consulate General of India in Jaffna are in touch with local authorities to secure an early release of all the fishermen.

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Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced the appointment of a commission to conduct an inquiry into the mass grave found at Matale a few months ago in the Central Province where over 154 skeletons were recovered . Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna had claimed that the remains were of their cadres who were murdered by the security forces during the 1988 insurgency.

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India completed a 5-0 whitewash of Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup relegation play-off tie in Banglore today as Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri posted straight-set wins in their respective reverse singles.

Somdev outplayed David Agung Susant 6-3 6-1 in little over an hour while Yuki Bhambari registered a thumping 6-0 6-1 victory over Wisnu Adi Nugroho.

India stay in Asia Oceania Group-I and will strive to qualify for the World Group in 2014. India had already retained their place in the group, after they took a lead of 3-0 yesterday.

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In the Indian Premier League, the match between Royal Challengers Banglore and Hyderabad Sunrisers is currently going on. Royal Challengers were 96 for 4 in 16 overs, a short while ago.

Earlier in the other match played today, Kings Eleven Punjab posted an emphatic 8 wickets victory against Pune Warriors.

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For the first time in the country, an unmanned aerial survey will be conducted at Kaziranga national park on a trial basis from tomorrow in connection with the wild life security. Powered by solar power, the unmanned aircraft will help the park authority to evaluate and strengthen security measures at Kaziranga. Talking to newsmen in Guwahati today, state Forest minister Rockybul Hussain said that the 4 day long test flying will be conducted under the supervision of Wildlife Institute of India, WII and World Wildlife Fund, WWF, who will monitor the exercise. The minister also said that the CBI will inquire into the poaching of rhino at Kaziranga and in other parts of the state. Poachers have killed 29 rhinos in the state during last 15 months.

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The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly "PUBLIC SPEAK" programme tomorrow will bring you a discussion on "Digitization of Cable TV." This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at 9.30 p.m. To answer the queries of the Listeners, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Uday Kumar Verma will be present in our studio . Listeners can ask questions on telephone number: 011-2331-4444. This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.