Political and Social Issues

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposed a fee of Rs.20 crore for a national-level unified licence under the new regime, which suggests that there will be only four types of licence in future as against many across the communication sector at present.
At present, telecom service providers hold Unified Access Service Licence (UASL), which authorises them to provide mobile, fixed line, Internet and long-distance calls and other telcom services.
- The UASL is given to companies with 4.4 Mhz spectrum bundled with it.
These guidelines follows recommendations on ‘Spectrum Management and Licensing Framework', issued in May, 2010, in which the regulator had recommended that the future licences would not be bundled with spectrum.

All institutions affiliated to the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and the National Council for Teachers Education will now be required to establish a grievance redressal mechanism for students and applicants before the commencement of the admission season this academic year.
The Ombudsman will have the jurisdiction to hear grievances concerning denial of admission, non-observance of declared merit in admission, non-observance of applicable regulations for reservation, withholding of documents and non-refund of fees in case of withdrawal of admission, discrimination and other such matters concerning students in pursuit of studies in the institution.

Google India, which along with 20 websites is facing criminal case for allegedly hosting objectionable material, on Monday told the Delhi High Court that blocking them was not an option
The issue relates to a constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and suppressing it was not possible as the right to freedom of speech in democratic India separates us from a totalitarian regime like China

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the authorities to carry out its order in “letter and spirit” to “preserve and protect” the lives of homeless people by providing them a roof with all necessary facilities, especially in North India which is in the grip of an intense cold wave right now.
It said not only the cold wave but the unusual snowfall in some States like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab too had added to the trouble for the homeless and the destitute to whom night shelters of a permanent or temporary nature must be made available.
The remarks came while the Bench was perusing the report on inspection of night shelters in the national Capital carried out by the Supreme Court-appointed commissioners

Times Global Broadcasting Company (TGBC), which runs Times Now, had sought modification of the High Court's September order, wherein it was asked to deposit Rs. 20 crore with the Court, and provide bank guarantee of Rs. 80 crore for balance.
Times Global Broadcasting Company (TGBC), which runs Times Now, had sought modification of the High Court's September order
Justice Sawant had sued the channel for displaying his photograph during a telecast of a report on a Provident Fund scam allegedly involving a Calcutta High Court judge in September 2008. The telecast showed Sawant's photograph instead of that of the other judge.
A Pune court ordered the channel to pay Justice Sawant Rs. 100 crore as damages, and when the channel moved the High Court in appeal, the HC had asked it to deposit Rs. 20 crore and give bank guarantee for the balance sum.

Jairam Ramesh has pointed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that in addition to malnutrition another distressing national shame which India can't live with is open defecation.
UNICEF-WHO had estimated that at least 60 percent of India's population practiced open defecation and the country accounted for 58 percent of the open defecation in the world. Though China had a larger population only 4 percent practiced open defecation.
The adverse impact on health due to open defecations takes a toll of 6.4 percent of the GDP in India
Because of the limitation in the present system, only 25,000 villages are claimed to have become “nirmal grams” out of which 9,000 are in Maharashtra alone.
Mr. Ramesh estimated the requirement would be about Rs. 44,000 crore during the 12{+t}{+h}Five Year Plan and accordingly petitioned the Planning Commission with the objective of covering at least 50 percent of the gram panchayats in the country by 2017 and the rest by 2022.