Political and Social Issues

Supreme Court stays Kasab's death penalty

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the execution of the death sentence awarded to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab
A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and C.K. Prasad, after hearing senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam for Maharashtra and senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, amicus curiae appointed to assist Kasab
Mr. Subramaniam also said that despite the magnitude of the terror attack, the due process of law had to be maintained and the matter needed to be dealt with expeditiously.
In his appeal, Kasab said his confessional statement relating to conspiracy had not been corroborated by any evidence led by the prosecution. Further, there was no evidence whatsoever of any training having been imparted to him.
Also, there was no evidence that he was in touch with any of the other accused conspirators at any point of time either prior to the incident or during the incident.
He also contended that the test identification parade was not conclusive for the reason that his picture was already splashed all over the newspapers and television channels which had adversely affected the independent judgment of witnesses.
He said that even if he was held guilty for the offence alleged, it was not a fit case for imposition of the death sentence as his mind was completely brainwashed by the other accused. He was acting like a robot having been made to believe that he was acting in the name of God when he was allegedly told to commit the offence.

Vinod Rai, former CAG official to tell PAC their loss calculations

The controversy over the Comptroller and Auditor-General's projection of a presumptive loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore in the 2G spectrum and licence allotment in 2008 refuses to die down
In his internal communication, Mr. Singh, who retired on August 31, pegged the loss at Rs. 2,645 crore.
both the CAG and the former official to explain the basis on which they had arrived at the figures.
Mr. Nirupam, in a letter to Dr. Joshi on October 7, referred to media reports on the differences within the CAG office on the 2G loss and demanded that the officials appear before the PAC.

Judicial remand for accused in Essar ‘protection money' case

Soni Sori, an Adivasi woman, accused of acting as a courier between the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Essar group, was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Yogita Vinay Wasnik in Dantewada and remanded in judicial custody.
Ms. Sori was arrested on October 4 in New Delhi on suspicion that she served as a conduit for the transfer of funds between the Essar and the Maoists to safeguard the company's assets in rebel-controlled areas in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

High Court comes under comprehensive security cover

Five more reception counters will be opened in the Madras High Court for issuing entry passes for the litigant public, even as a ‘Comprehensive Security System' (CSS) came into effect
Closed-circuit television sets would be installed at the reception counters and entry points. Autorickshaws and taxis would be allowed through the Esplanade Gate only for dropping advocates and physically disabled persons.
Personnel in charge of each gate had been instructed to write down the problems faced during implementation of the security scheme. The difficulties would be addressed then and there.
The High Court has requested advocates to park their cars only in the places allotted to them for parking.

Marking the birth of modern China

The rise of China is the definitive economic and political story of the time, yet the 1911 Revolution should not be overlooked as it was the catalyst that enabled the nation to terminate more than 2,000 years of imperial rule — one of the longest periods of autocratic rule in the world.
China commemorated the centennial anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, or Xinhai Revolution
The revolution not only rid Chinese men of the humiliating ponytails and women of the excruciatingly painful foot-binding, but also removed the people's blind faith in the emperor and fear of foreign powers.
From the Opium War (1840-1842) to the Xinhai Revolution, patriots from all walks of life have always come together to fight imperial autocracy and foreign invasion, with the aim of national rejuvenation and building a country that is respected by the world.
History has proven that only those who fight for the interests of the people can lead a country to success.
In world history, China was among the first countries that shifted from a slave society to feudalism and moved toward advanced technologies and outstanding institutions and culture.
It was also a move from an agricultural society to an industrial society, from autocracy to democracy, and from the emperor's courtyard to the home of ordinary people.
Looking to the future, the Chinese people have realized they cannot rest on their achievements.
Although China has become the world's second largest economy, it remains a developing country, and its GDP per capita ranks at only about 100th in the world. Poverty and backwardness can still be seen in many parts of the country.
And the ancient feudal tradition, including the rule of man in certain areas, is still one of the major obstacles hindering China from realizing its modernisation goal.
Premier Wen Jiabao said: “China was long under the influence of feudalism. After the founding of New China, the country went through the turmoil of the decade-long Cultural Revolution.
The world is undergoing fundamental changes, with scientific and technological revolution and economic globalisation progressing every day. Faced with the financial crisis and other problems, the future of the world is uncertain.

Telecom Policy aims to converge services, networks and devices

We want to reposition the mobile phone from a mere communication device to an instrument of empowerment that combines communication, with proof of identity, fully secure financial and other transaction capabilities, multi-lingual services and a whole range of other capabilities that ride on them and transcend the literacy barrier
The objective of the new policy is to deliver seamless information and communication technologies, multimedia and broadcast services
The same set of services can be accessed via a mobile phone, TV, computer or other devices. This would lead to new services and business models covering diverse areas such as education, health, skill development, employment, e-commerce, the new policy states.
The draft also proposes to orient, review and harmonise the legal, regulatory and licensing framework in a time-bound manner