Jul 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the judiciary to speed up the release of undertrials languishing in various jails awaiting legal aid.
Addressing the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet here, he also said that ease of justice was as important as ease of doing business and ease of living.
“There are several undertrials in jails awaiting legal aid. Our District Legal Services Authorities can take up the responsibility of providing legal assistance to undertrials,” the prime minister said.
Modi urged district judges attending the conference to speed up the release of undertrials using their offices as chairpersons of district-level undertrial review committees.
The prime minister noted that the National Legal Services Authority has started a campaign in this matter and urged the Bar Council of India to align more lawyers with this effort. (Agencies)
Speed up release of undertrial prisoners: PM Modi
CRPF Jawans Donate Blood For accident Victims in Bhadarwah
Bhadarwah July 29 : In view of frequent natural Calamities and repeated road accidents in Doda district, sleuths 33 bt CRPF volunteered themselves to donate blood especially to save the lives of accident victims in a special blood donation camp organised by National Health Mission Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with sub district Hospital Bhadarwah.
BMO Bhadarwah Dr Shakeel Ahmed Sumbria said that 30 units of blood was collected during the day long camp which was at CRPF headquarters Sarna.
District Doda is prone to frequent natural Calamities and repeated road accidents. In a show of massive compassion towards the victims, Jawans of 33 bt CRPF made their way to Special Blood donation vain of NHM Jammu, where they volunteered to donate blood to the GMC Doda and SDH Bhadarwah hospital’s blood banks in order to facilitate better treatment for the victim in case of emergency.
Assistant Commandant 33 bt CRPF Pankaj Kumar said that this programme of CRPF will certainly help in developing better police public interface. Due to this blood donation camp, District Doda will keep the blood in Reserve which can be utilised by the Health workers during Medical emergency i.e. during Vehicle accidents/ Natural calamity etc to save the life of critically injured victims.
Bhadarwah July 29 : In view of frequent natural Calamities and repeated road accidents in Doda district, sleuths 33 bt CRPF volunteered themselves to donate blood especially to save the lives of accident victims in a special blood donation camp organised by National Health Mission Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with sub district Hospital Bhadarwah.
BMO Bhadarwah Dr Shakeel Ahmed Sumbria said that 30 units of blood was collected during the day long camp which was at CRPF headquarters Sarna.
District Doda is prone to frequent natural Calamities and repeated road accidents. In a show of massive compassion towards the victims, Jawans of 33 bt CRPF made their way to Special Blood donation vain of NHM Jammu, where they volunteered to donate blood to the GMC Doda and SDH Bhadarwah hospital’s blood banks in order to facilitate better treatment for the victim in case of emergency.
Assistant Commandant 33 bt CRPF Pankaj Kumar said that this programme of CRPF will certainly help in developing better police public interface. Due to this blood donation camp, District Doda will keep the blood in Reserve which can be utilised by the Health workers during Medical emergency i.e. during Vehicle accidents/ Natural calamity etc to save the life of critically injured victims.
STREE SHAKTI MAHOTSAVA presented Dayawati Modi Stree Shakti Samman to Hindi eminent writer AlkaSaraogi
STREE SHAKTI MAHOTSAVA celebrated Women’s contribution in 75 years of India’s Independence. On this occasion Chief Guest Hon’ble Dr. Karan Singh was present along with Hindi eminent writer AlkaSaraogi in the presence of prominent Hindi writer ChitraMudgal along with many eminent persons.
Dayawati Modi Stree Shakti Samman (instituted in 1998) the winner for the twenty-first award is AlkaSaraogi an eminent Hindi writer. Her edited book, ‘TerahHalfaname’ a collection of short stories of prominent women writers of Independent India, published by Vani Publication was launched by Dr. Karan Singh. Here, for the first time in Hindi, stories of Anita Desai, Mahashweta Devi, QurratulainHyder, IndraGoswami, IsmatChugtai, Krishna Sobti, ChitraMudgal, VishwapriyaIyengar, Anjali Khandwala, Kamla Das, T. Janki Rani, Urmila Pawar and Vedihi are presented here.
AlkaSaraogi’s first novel ‘Kalikatha via Bypass’ won the prestigious SahityaAkademi Award in 2001 and was published by Editions Gallimard in French, InselVerlag in German, NeriPozza in Italian and Siruela in Spanish. She has six novels to her credit.
She quoted,“Each award given to her has given credential to her journey as a writer and motivated her. Women can be the epitome of Shakti in every field they venture into, and utopian harmony is only possible when society will realise this”
Dr. Karan Singh commented “Presence of Hon’ble President DraupadiMurmuji at the AmritMahotsav of Independence is a historical moment for India and a new chapter for women’s empowerment. In honor of Dayavati Modi, a strong woman of her time, this award is inspiring the society today.”
He added, in Indian culture, the respect of women is eternal, as a symbol of which the existence and presence of goddesses like Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kali etc. can be understood. There has been difficulty in the society but I have seen progress of my country and society, the most beautiful proof of which is that in this important period of the festival of independence, for the first time, the honorable DraupadiMurmuji, coming from the tribal Santhal society, is the President of our country. It is a matter of pride and inspiration for all of us. Her hard work, compassion and wisdom will give a new identity to Indianism on the world stage. I worked with all the honorable Prime Ministers and Presidents of the country after independence and it feels great to see the progress of the country.
Who is the real Author? VidusiViddyottama or MahakaviKalidas? By Dr. Kamal K Mishra, with a forward by Dr. Karan Singh, introduction by Dr. SatyavratShastri, preface by Dr. SatyavratShastri and supported by RekhaModyand English trans-creation by Dr. Shovana Narayan;the cover of this path breaking research commissioned by Stree Shakti was released. The research in Hindi and Englishwill be published by MotilalBanarsidass Publishing House in 2023.
The first Gender Influencer Award was bestowed upon young DevanshSaraf for his short film X or Y.
RekhaMody, Founder &President of Stree Shakti – The Parallel Force remarked, “Empowerment of women is the panacea for all universal ills. Women’s literature is the key to understand the concerns, challenges and ambitions of women. In the twenty first century,the works ofMahakaviKālidāsa are being looked at from a gender perspective:
Chief Justice administers oath of office to newly appointed Additional Judge of High Court
SRINAGAR, JULY 29: Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Pankaj Mithal, today administered the oath of office to the newly appointed Judge, Justice Rajesh Sekhri as Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, in the Chief Justice’s Court Room here.
The oath taking ceremony was attended by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Justice Sindhu Sharma, Justice Sanjay Dhar, Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, Justice Mohammad Akram Chowdhary and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi while as Justice Tashi Rabstan, Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul, Justice Puneet Gupta, Justice Mohan Lal, Justice Rahul Bharti and Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal participated in ceremony through video conferencing from Jammu.
The proceedings of the oath taking ceremony were conducted by Sanjeev Gupta, Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, who read the contents of the notification received from Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of Justice (Appointments Division), the Warrant of Appointment issued by the President of India and the Letter of Authorization issued by the Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, authorising Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, to administer the oath of office to the newly appointed Judge.
The ceremony was also attended by the former Judges of High Court, Advocate General, Additional Secretary Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Assistant Solicitor General of India, Srinagar, Chairman/Convenor Bar Association, Srinagar, Principal District Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar, Judicial Officers, Officers and Staff of the Registry.
The programme was also telecasted live on Youtube Channel.
With the elevation of Justice Rajesh Sekhri as Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the strength of Judges of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has risen to 16 Judges including the Chief Justice against the sanctioned strength of 17.
Dr Jitendra addresses new IAS officers, redefines their role for 2047
NEW DELHI, July 29 : While addressing the new IAS officers of 2020 batch undergoing 3-month stint as Assistant Secretaries in the Govt of India, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today redefined their role for 2047.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invocation of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” Dr Jitendra Singh said, the next 25 years are critical for India because these will be the years of ascent of India’s ascent in the global arena. Therefore, the current lot of IAS officers is privileged because they have the time on their side and also the opportunity to devote the next 25 years of active service to realise the dream of Century India.
Reiterating that every training module for the current lot of civil servants needs to be designed with vision of 2047 in mind, the Minister said, it is difficult to visualise 2047 through the prism of 2022 and therefore, exclusive indices pertaining to 2047 India needs to be determined. How much will be the role of civil servant, what will be the role of civil servant and whether at all there will be any role of the civil servant in 2047, is the question, he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that this Assistant Secretary Training Programme was started in 2015 as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when 2013 batch officers were for the first time posted as Assistant Secretaries in Ministries/Departments of Government of India. The objective of this programme is to provide exposure to the young IAS officers about the functioning of the Government of India at an early stage in their career on completion of their Phase II training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie. These Assistant Secretaries are posted for a total period of 13 weeks.
The Minister informed that since 2015, the programme is successfully implemented by DoPT and added that this type of exposure helps them to acquire a national perspective and appreciation of diversities in national policies. This also sensitize them to the larger perspective of policies and programmes of Government of India and the officers are likely to be an inspired Change Agents when they will go back to their cadre States. Special themes were also included from 2019 and in that year Water Conservation, which was the one of the focus areas of the Government of India was added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Technology and innovation hold the key in addressing the gaps in delivery and implementation, but the basic prerequisites are dedication and commitment of the public servants with a pro-people attitude, which means being proactive as well as responsive to the citizens’ needs and aspirations while remaining mindful of the concerns. He said, we also need to build trust between the government and citizens as no society can prosper peacefully and attain its potential with a trust deficit existing between the government and citizens.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he was informed that this batch of 175 officers has 108 officers with engineering background and many officers with background in medicine, management, law and Arts have also joined. He emphasised that it would be very much admirable if they utilise their educational background to showcase how the Ministries/Departments can innovate, use new ideas and deliver high quality outputs directly to citizen with complete elimination of middlemen and leakages. The Minister also hoped that the technocrats will be able to do justice to the flagship programmes of the government in sectors like Health, Agriculture, Sanitation, Education, Skills and Mobility to name a few, which are technology based and technology driven.
Lauding the role of Indian Institute of Public Administration, Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that IIPA is working as knowledge partner with different ministries and incorporated in their training and research activity, the latest trends and advancements in public governance and administration. This includes a) India@2047, a vision plan for a ‘future ready India’ that suits the 100th year of India’s independence; competency framework for the civil services under Mission Karmayogi which envisages to prepare civil servants for the future by making them more constructive, enabling, energetic, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, transparent and technology enabled; Indian thoughts on good governance and new methods of governance like PM Gati Shakti which aims at the coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects in India to enhance efficiency and reduce logistics cost.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister has been emphasising on People’s participation as the essence of good governance through Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas aur Sabka Prayas. So, trust is central to governance. He said, while one key to good governance is technology, the other essentially is moral standard. Technology fosters transparency and hence accountability, which is the basic feature of good governance, while moral standards impart legitimacy. These two together will usher in a new political culture preparing the ground for bringing in transformational, path-breaking reforms. The Minister said, gone are the days where we can afford to work in silos that had held us back for a long time. Today it is an all-encompassing, all-enveloping, all-inclusive and all-participating march toward development.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Jitendra Singh told the young civil servants that gaining knowledge from institutions like IIPA will help them to meet the various decision-making challenges, which they will face in the States and the Districts and conveyed his best wishes to officers in all their future endeavours.
SSP Mohan Lal, others receive 1st batch of Buddha Amarnath Yatra.
Former Minister Sham Lal Sharma flagged off the Yatra from historical Kameshwar Temple Akhnoor.
Akhnoor, 29th July: The first batch of 9- day long Buddha Amarnath pilgrimage was flagged off from Bhagwati Nagar base camp at Jammu today and the first batch of Yatra comprising 1056 pilgrims was received at Dumi Village on Jammu-Poonch National Highway by impressive bike rally of Bajrang Dal headed by Balkar Singh (Prant Suraksha Pramukh Bajrang Dal) whereas SSP Mohan Lal Bhagat (JKPS) Deputy Director Indoor SKPA Udhampur was specially present there to welcome the Yatra observing all the traditional religious rituals. Bhavesh Bhai Thakur Senior Bajrang Dal functionary from Gujarat was also accompanying the Yatra.
The Yatra was then escorted to the historical Kameshwar Temple in Akhnoor where Sham Lal Sharma Former Minister and Senior BJP Leader, Mahamandleshwar Rameshwar Dass, SSP Mohan Lal Bhagat, Dr Krishan Lal Bhagat Ex MLA, Jagdish Bhagat BJP District President, Ravi Verma, Sonia Verma and other functionaries of VHP/ Bajrang Dal welcomed the Yatra. The pilgrims were offered snacks and tea soon after they reached. Pilgrims after paying their obeisance at historical Kameshwar Temple left for the Poonch. The Yatra was flagged of from the Temple by Mahamandleshwar Rameshwar Dass, Former Minister Sham Lal Sharma and others.
The pilgrimage is taking place after a gap of two years as it remained suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions. Jammu and Kashmir police, army as well as central paramilitary forces are guarding Yatra convoy, Yatra route and halt points. Several other adequate security measures have been taken that include quick reaction team’s deployment as well as of traffic management squads.
According to legends Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati had a brief halt at this place while on their way to Shri Amar Nath in Kashmir valley. According to another legend Pulastya Rishi while meditating in the Himalayas had virtual interaction (darshan) of Lord Shiva where the Holy shrine is situated. The shrine is situated on the bank of Pulasta River named after Ravana’s grandfather Pulastya Rishi and has pleasant and cool weather throughout the year. As per local myth the shrine is older than Shri Amar Nath (Kashmir) and pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath is incomplete without paying a visit to Shree Buddha Amar Nath shrine. The Holy temple in its main structure houses one big rock having a natural (self-manifested) Shiv Lingam made of- white quartz. The temple has four doors symbolizing that the shrine is open for all the sections of the society.
Tehsildar Babu Ram Choudhary, Pardeep Singh, Pardeep Choudhary, Raj Kumar, Raju Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Vicky Kumar, Kaka were others present during the occasion.
Charri Mubarak taken to Sharika Bhawani temple in Srinagar to pay obeisance
SRINAGAR, July 29: Charri Mubrak (silver mace) of Amarnath was taken to the ancient ‘Sharika Bhawani’ temple at Hari Parvat in Srinagar to pay obeisance on the occasion of ‘Shravan Shukla Paksha Pratipada’ on Thursday.
Led by Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of Charri Mubarak, the mace was taken to the ancient Sharika-Bhawani Temple, situated on a hillock at Hari Parvat, to pay obeisance to the Goddess on the occasion of Shravan Shukla Paksha Pratipada, as per the age-old traditions.
A good number of Sadhus and devotees participated in the prayers that lasted for about 90 minutes, Mahant Giri said in a statement here.
Goddess Sharika-Bhawani, popularly known as ‘Tripursundari amongst the mystics, is believed to be the ‘Isht Devi’ (Presiding Deity) of Srinagar city, who manifested herself in a figure of ‘Shila’ (Holy Rock) at Hari Parvat.
He said the ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ ceremony shall be performed on July 31 at Shri Amareshwar Temple Akhara Building Budshah Chowk Srinagar and the traditional ‘Chhari-Pujan’ will be performed on the occasion of ‘Nag-Panchami’ that falls on August 2.
The Chhari-Mubarak will be taken on August 7 to the Holy Shrine of Swami Amarnath Ji, situated at an altitude of 13500 feet in South Kashmir from Dashnami Akhara for performing the main rituals of the pilgrimage, added Mahant Giri.
He said the traditional puja and rituals will be performed on the auspicious occasion of Shravan-Purnima on August 12.(Agencies)
One Rank-One Pension: SC dismisses review plea against judgement
NEW DELHI, July 29: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its order upholding the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre in its 2015 communication issued to the Chiefs of three defence forces, saying it neither suffers from any Constitutional infirmity nor is it arbitrary.
A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said there was no merit in the review petition.
“Application for listing the review petition in open Court is rejected. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petition and the same is accordingly dismissed,” the bench said.
The apex court on March 16 had upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre.
It had said that the Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee report, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 10, 2011, furnishes the historical background, the reason for the demand, view of the Parliamentary Committee which proposed the adoption of OROP for personnel belonging to the armed forces and beyond this, the report cannot be construed as embodying a statement of Governmental policy.
It had held that Governmental policy formulated in terms of Article 73 by the Union or Article 162 by the State has to be authoritatively gauged from the policy documents of the government, which in present case is the communication dated November 7, 2015.
The top court’s verdict had come on the plea filed by the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) through advocate Balaji Srinivasan against the Centre’s formula of OROP. (Agencies)
Police crack phone snatcher gang
Srinagar, July 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed to have cracked a gang of cell phone snatchers by arresting three persons and recovered eight phones from their possession in Budgam.
Police received a complaint on Thursday from a labourer, Mohammad Dilshad, saying two unknown persons snatched his mobile phone.
Two suspects were arrested within 24 hours. On their disclosure, eight mobile phones were recovered.
The two were identified as Shabir Ahmad Dar alias Shab Chelam and Abdul Rashid Rather alias Resh Matoo, both residents of Nasralluhpora.
They sold the stolen phones to shopkeeper Irshad Ahmad Dar who has also been arrested. (Agencies)
HM Amit Shah calls on Prez Droupadi Murmu
Jul 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called on President Droupadi Murmu as ruling BJP and Congress continued to lock horns over a comment by a leader of the opposition party in the parliament.
What transpired in the meeting between the home minister and the President is not known immediately.
Called on Adarneeya Rashtrapati, Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. @rashtrapatibhvn, Shah tweeted.
Parliament proceedings were disrupted for the second consecutive day on Friday due to protests and counter protests over Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary’s terming President Droupadi Murmu as Rashtrapatni.’
On Thursday, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman led the charge in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively against Congress.
Irani on Thursday had also demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi for Chowdhary’s remark, leading to vociferous protests from the opposition members and counter-protests from treasury benches.
Both houses could not function on Thursday and Friday properly due to the pandemonium.
There was also a face-off between Gandhi and Irani during an interval on Thursday, inviting allegations and counter-allegations from both sides. (Agencies)