Political and Social Issues

We can't go into safety of all nuclear plants: CJI

The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it would not go into the safety aspects of all nuclear plants in the country and all such concerns could be addressed to respective High Courts.
The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it would not go into the safety aspects of all nuclear plants in the country and all such concerns could be addressed to respective High Courts.
however, said it was not averse to going into the issue of setting up an independent regulatory body to conduct safety reassessment of all existing and proposed nuclear facilities.
These plants were constructed over the years. Every plant has its structure. The area and the people are also relevant. We are not technical experts or qualified to examine them. We cannot pass across the board norms for all reactors.
The PIL questioned the constitutional validity of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which indemnifies nuclear manufacturers/suppliers and caps the financial liability of operators. It also sought a stay on all proposed plants until the safety and cost-benefit analysis was carried out.
The petition pointed out that four 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors, two at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and two at Kakrapar in Gujarat were under construction. “Two reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and two reactors in Haripur district of West Bengal are under construction based on Russian design”
The petition said: “the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, by capping the financial liability of operators and by making suppliers not liable, violates the ‘polluter pays' principle and the ‘absolute liability' principle which have become recognised as part of the law of the land under Article 21 of the Constitution, and puts to grave and imminent risk the right to safety, health, clean environment and life of the people of India guaranteed under Article 21.”
Hence the writ petition sought to declare the nuclear law as unconstitutional and void.

Centre allows cash payment of MGNREGA wages

The UPA government has decided to allow cash payment of wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in a desperate bid to increase demand for jobs that had gone down due to delayed payment of remuneration.
The facility would be allowed in all the 60 left wing extremist (LWE) affected districts where the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) has been undertaken. The process will be videographed to prevent irregularities.
The SBI has promised to launch mobile vans in Bastar district and Mr. Ramesh intends to keep his fingers crossed for the facility to be put in place.
To ensure the creation of a durable asset, Mr. Ramesh advocated discouraging construction of roads under MGNREGA as these did not last for even two seasons, emphasising on land development and water management to increase productivity of land and better living standards for small and marginal farmers.
The Rs.5-crore jackpot winner at the Kaun Banega Crorepati TV show, Sushil Kumar from Bihar, was appointed as the brand ambassador for MGNREGA for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Kumar said the success of MGNREGA would go a long way in curbing naxalism.

HAL bags award for excellence

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has bagged the Raksha Mantri's Award for Excellence in Performance (2009-10).
HAL was conferred the award in the Institutional Category in recognition of improved organisational performance, excellence through research and development, improved production and financial performance, export promotions, technology upgrading, lean manufacturing practices, focus on customer service, adoption of quality management systems and human resources management initiatives.
HAL has registered export sales of over Rs. 200 crore during 2009-10 and emerged as a globally competitive aerospace company, with supplies of major structural assembly packages and large volumes of machined components to leading international aerospace companies such as Airbus and Boeing Industries
On the design and development front, the company achieved the maiden flight of the first Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) of the Light Combat Helicopter on March 29, 2010. The first trainer variant prototype (PV-5) of Tejas flew for the first time on November 26, 2009.

Colourful start to ‘Golden Elephant'

The 17th edition of the International Children's Film Festival, ‘The Golden Elephant,' got off to a colourful start here on Monday
Thanks to Chairperson of the Children's Film Society Nandita Das and her team, who ensured that the inaugural event was not filled only with drab speeches of dignitaries
Besides the welcome dance interspersed with the background of score of ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha' and Vande Maataram,' the dance recital by a group of Bharat Natyam dancers holding candles in both hands and striking different postures while balancing on a foot on a pot by each of them received wide appreciation.
Andhra Pradesh government had earmarked 10 acres for constructing the permanent building for holding the International Children's Film Festival.
Andhra Pradesh was the only State which was not levying entertainment tax on children's films. The government was also providing a subsidy of Rs.30 lakh to producers who make children's films.
Ms. Nandita Das said that 152 films were being screened this time as against 70 in the last edition. The best of the films have been selected and for the first time films from Africa and South America were being shown. A special section on short films was also introduced and this time the ‘in-focus' section would be on films from China.

Lifting of death penalty sought

The Committee Against Death Penalty has urged the Union and State governments to order a moratorium on death penalty.
He pointed out that a large number of countries had done away with death penalty.
He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution seeking to revoke the death penalty of those sentenced in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination.
There was a move in the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly to pass a resolution supporting the revocation of the death penalty given to Afzal Guru, who was sentenced in the Parliament House attack case.
Mr. Rajmohan also recalled that nearly 70 years back, the then Travancore kingdom had abolished the death penalty.
Several human rights activists, criminologists and jurists the world over have been pressing for the abolition of death penalty.

Industry against proposed law on land acquisition

If the proposed law on acquisition of land is passed, it will be a setback to industrial, infrastructure and urbanization projects, business leaders said at the World Economic Forum's India Economic Forum
Representatives of industry criticised many provisions of the law, including its mandate on purchase price to be several times the current market rate, the provision that buyers are responsible for rehabilitation and resettlement of those displaced, including giving them a share of equity or jobs for 26 years.
The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, applies if more than 50 acres of urban land or 100 acres of rural land is being acquired.
most projects were built on marginal, unirrigated and infertile lands, and the only way to create jobs to absorb the excess rural workforce was to expand the manufacturing sector.
guarantee a job to the displaced for 26 years, as they would have no motivation to be productive.
the land acquisition bill should be transferred from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rural Development to the Ministry of Law. He also argued that the onus of rehabilitation should not be on the buyer but on the government.