2100 HRS

27^th September, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Congress Vice President describes as wrong THE government's decision to bring an ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers; Cabinet to consider the issue raised by Rahul Gandhi says the Prime Minister.
• Supreme Court holds that itizens have the right to cast negative vote rejecting all candidates contesting the polls.
• Joint Parliamentary Committee adopts report on 2G scam amidst opposition by BJP.
• President gives assent to the Land Acquisition Bill; Legislation giving land owners compensation of up to four times the market value in rural areas.
• In Pakistan, at least 18 people killed in a blast in Peshawar.
• Sensex sheds 167 points.

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  Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today described the government's decision to bring an ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers as wrong. Observing that no compromise can be made to fight corruption, he said, the ordinance should be thrown away. He was talking to reporters in New Delhi this afternoon.
  The ordinance should be torn up and thrown away. In my organisations, the argument that is being made is that, we need to do this because of political considerations. The congress party does this, the BJP does this, the Janta Dal does this, the Samajwadi does this. Everybody does this. And i really feel that it is about time that political parties stop making these type of compromises. Because if we want to actually fight corruption in this country, whether it is us, congress party or the BJP party, we cannot continue making these compromises.
   The developments came a day after President Pranab Mukherjee summoned senior Cabinet ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde, Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal for consultation on the ordinance pending before him for signature.
   Earlier, a three-member BJP delegation led by senior party leader L K Advani held a meeting with Mr Mukherjee and submitted a memorandum requesting him not to sign the ordinance and send it back to Cabinet. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that the issues raised by Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi on the Ordinance regarding Representation of People Act will be deliberated by the cabinet on his return from the United States. Dr. Singh said that the Act has been a matter of much public debate and that to Congress Vice President had also written to him before he made a statement on the issue.
   The BJP has termed the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's statement on the ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers as a damage control exercise. Party spokesperson, Meenakshi Lekhi said that Mr. Gandhi's statement has come late. She also accused the Congress of doing opportunistic politics and alleged that it has made a mockery of democracy.
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  In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court today held that citizens have the right to cast negative vote rejecting all candidates contesting the polls. The apex court directed the Election Commission to provide 'none of the above options' at the end of the list of candidates in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers to allow voters to reject those contesting polls. A Division Bench of the apex court said negative voting would bring a systemic change in the election process as political parties will be forced to project clean candidates in polls. The Bench noted that the concept of negative voting is prevalent in 13 countries and even in India, Parliamentarians are given an option to press the button for abstaining while voting takes place in the House.The Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has said that it is equally incumbent on the government to respond to the Supreme Court order on inclusion of Right to Reject button in electronic voting machines.
   The Hon'ble Supreme Court applies itself to every matter very diligently before they deliver any judgement or order. So it is equally incumbent upon the government to apply itself equally diligently to nay order which the Supreme Court has delivered. So, once we have consulted with all the relevant stakeholders, if at all there is any response that need to be articulated, we would come back to you.
   In a related development, the Election Commission has said, it will make the necessary provision in the ballot papers or Electronic Voting Machines for the voters to decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray in the coming Assembly elections.
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  The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam today adopted its report by a majority in its meeting held in New Delhi. Briefing reporters after the meeting Chairman of panel, P.C Chacko said that 16 members voted in favour of the report while, 11 voted against it . He said the report is based on the record placed before the committee. Mr. Chacko also said that all those who voted against the draft report have been given 15 days to file their dissent notes.
   After adoption of the report, I drew the attention of the members to direction 85 of the direction of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, which provides handing over the note of dissent by any members, who has some contrary view to any point raised in the report. The members who decides to submit a note of dissent to the report have been requested to forward the same by 5 pm on 10th October, 2013.
   The BJP took strong exceptions on the adoption of the JPC's report. Senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad who is also a member of the Committee, termed the report unfortunate. He alleged that the JPC Chairman adopted the report in haste. In the 30 member committee, three members were absent.
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  The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will hold a discussion with the U.S. President Barack Obama at White House in Washington. Our correspondent covering the visit reports from Washington that the two leaders are expected to focus on the areas of defence, security, trade and investment and civil nuclear cooperation.
   India attaches "high priority"to its relations with the US and a"sustained and dynamic" partnership between the two is essential to meet major global challenges like terrorism,international security situation,Syria Conflict and situation in Afghanistan. The passing of an unanimous resolution by US Senate welcoming Dr. Manmohan Singh's US Visit also symbolizes the importance which US is giving to India. With Veena Jain this is R.K. Raina for AIR News, Washington.
   Dr. Singh will later fly to New York to address the UN General Assembly tomorrow.
   Meanwhile, the BRICS foreign Ministers have expressed satisfaction with the recent development that bring renewed hope for peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict. The Foreign Ministers of the BRICS countries held a meeting yesterday on the margins of UN General Assembly. The meeting expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence and deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria. They called upon all parties to commit immediately to a complete cease-fire, to halt violence and to end all violations of human rights and humanitarian laws.
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  President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill- 2013. It has now become law. The Bill was passed in the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament. 
   Under the new Land Acquisition law, farmers and landowners are entitled to get compensation of up to four times of the market value for land acquired in rural areas, and two times the market value in urban areas. The consent of 80 per cent of land owners is mandatory for acquiring land for private projects and of 70 per cent landowners for public-private projects. The law also brings transparency in the process of land acquisition and lays down measures for rehabilitation of those displaced. Now under the new law forcible acquisition has become history With Sant Bahadur this is Nupur Goswami for AIR News Delhi.
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  The Government today said that there is no proposal to enhance the retirement age of government employees as of now. At present government employees retire at the age of 60 years. Responding to a media query, Minister of State for Personnel, V. Narayanasamy said there is no such proposal with the government.
   At present, there is no thinking in the government for the purpose of increasing the retirement age. That I would like to make it very clear.
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  The Railways have decided to introduce the Tatkal scheme for booking of tickets in passenger trains. Till now, Tatkal is available for Mail and Express trains including Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi. Railway Ministry sources said this facility has been decided to allow Tatkal booking in passenger trains so that travellers can use the facility in emergency. The scheme will also be applicable for second class (sitting) in passenger trains.
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  In Jammu and Kashmir, a peaceful bandh was observed today in almost entire region of Jammu in protest against yesterday’s twin militant attacks in Kathua and Samba districts. Educational institutions, business establishments were closed and public transport is off the roads.
   Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in the wake of the terror strikes today reviewed the functioning of security grid in the State at a high level meeting held in Jammu.
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  The death toll in the building collapse in Mumbai has risen to eleven. According to the Disaster Management Cell, 20 people have been safely rescued from the debris while 26 people injured in the incident, are currently being treated at Mumbai’s J J Hospital. A team of Fire Brigade officials and officials of the National Disaster Response Force are still carrying out the relief and rescue operations which are expected to continue till late in the night. Many people are still feared to be trapped inside the 30 year old building that housed about 21 families.
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  The Centre today released seven documentary films on adopting good governance and best practices in administrative matters. The films were released jointly by the Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy and Information Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. V. Narayanasamy, also the minister for Department of Administrative reforms and Public grievances said, this will assist in emulating the best practices for good governance across the country and also to inform the public.
   In the administrative reform department, for the purpose of making administrative system easy and implementation of various schemes and programmes of Government of India in various states, we have developed the concept of disseminating the best practices, invented by various state government and also by the Government of India to be adopted quickly by other states. This is the basic idea of bringing the video cassettes
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  India and China have agreed to strengthen regular communication and coordination at various levels on macro-economic policies and major international economic and financial issues. A joint statement issued yesterday after the Sixth China-India Financial Dialogue at Beijing said, during the dialogue, the two sides held in-depth discussions on new challenges facing the global economy, macro-economic situations and policies in China and India.
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  In Pakistan, at least 18 people were killed and over 40 others injured in a bomb blast on Charsadda road in Peshawar today. Reports say the blast occurred in a bus of provincial secretariat carrying employees back home after their duty. Commissioner Peshawar Sahibzada Anis said it was a time bomb planted in the rear portion of the bus.
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  In Syria, at least 30 people were killed in a car bomb blast today in the town of Rankus near capital Damascus. Reports say the bomb exploded near a Mosque just after Friday prayers. Much of the area is under the control of rebel forces seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
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  NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD
   The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange declined 167 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at a 3-week low of 19,727 today, on concerns about further interest rate hikes. The Nifty fell 49 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 5,833. But stock markets in China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore gained between 0.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent. The rupee ended 44 paise lower, at 62.51 against the dollar. Gold tumbled 340 rupees, to 30,200 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver lost 540 rupees, to 48,455 rupees per kilo. And Brend crude oil futures fell below 109 dollars a barrel, while US crude dropped 57 cents, to 102.46 dollars a barrel. Pradeep Kumar, AIR News.
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  Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said that he supports the idea of ‘priority sector lending’ for export sector. Mr. Chidambaram was speaking to reporters in Mumbai after having a special interactive session with exporters.
   Mr. Chidambaram said that the finance ministry was holding talks with RBI in this regard. This move will guarantee easier access to bank credit and lower interest rates.
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  Government has approved fifteen proposals of Foreign Direct Investment of over 2 thousand crore rupees. The proposals were approved on the recommendations of Foreign Investment Promotion Board.