1) Indian team selection farce
The BCCI recently announced the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies. Mayank Agarwal finally made it into the squad on the back of some fantastic performances in the domestic circuit. Mohammed Siraj too was rewarded with a call-up after some fine bowling performances for Hyderabad and India A. However, there were a few players who missed out on the squad despite playing well in the domestic circuit. The team selection woes continue as a player after scoring 300 runs in test match cricket is ignored and half fit players are picked. Karun Nair does not have a God Father and hence not getting selected. We solely depend on spin and otherwise bowling department is rather weak. Weak West Indies pace bowlers may pose problem to our top order and the batsmen may fail to convince selectors once again.
– Nikhil Akhilesh
2) Elphinstone stampede an eye opener
As more prayers and tributes pour in on the anniversary of Elphinstone stampede remained unanswered. The city needs to have a round the clock monitoring system by which the state machinery can monitor the drawbacks in the working procedures and make things move in proper direction. After the stampede at Elphinstone railway station, better council prevailed and the work of alternative foot over bridge is ready after record time. Such remedial measures ought to have been taken to prevent before the disaster struck in the railway station. Crowded railway stations are part and parcel of our routine but at the same we should not neglect passenger safety. Prayers apart we need a rational thinking on our Railway miseries.
– Jayanthy Anandambal
3) Fast-track disposal of RTI cases
Like Justice Delayed is Justice Denied, Information delayed is also Information Denied. There are many cases challenging CIC-verdicts pending before the Supreme Court and High Courts. Many of such cases have even become infructuous like seeking information on the appointment of a High Court judge who has since retired not only from Delhi High Court but even from some State Human Rights Commissions where he was in an unprecedented manner appointed Chief simultaneously for three states. It is learnt that the concerned judge could not be elevated to the Supreme Court because of complaints against him.
Even at Supreme Court, WPC 32855 and 32856 of the year 2009 are yet to be finally decided where Supreme Court registry has challenged CIC-verdicts at Supreme Court after losing in one of these two cases at both stages of Delhi High Court. Interestingly aspects covered in these petitions are now already in public-domain like sue-motto disclosure of wealth of Supreme Court judges, Collegium-proceedings. Even correspondences with Chief Justice of India are now openly taken up by media.
New Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi known for advocacy towards transparency with unprecedentedly participating with three colleagues in a media-conference, should make all sincere efforts for making administrative side of judicial system transparent by sue-motto taking steps for final disposal of all cases where the Supreme Court challenged CIC-verdicts without requiring formality of requests made for early disposal of such cases including WPC 32855 and 32856 of the year 2009.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
