‘Officials not publishing RTI queries, responses despite GR’

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January 4, 2019

Right to Information (RTI) activists in Maharashtra have alleged that bureaucrats are not publishing RTI queries and their responses on official websites despite an order from the state government.

The officials are also not following the direction to allow inspection of public records, said RTI activist and former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi on Friday.

A signature campaign has been launched to draw Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ attention to this non-compliance of the government’s own orders, Gandhi told agencies.

“We have decided to collect signatures of 1,000 activists and citizens from across the state and present them to the chief minister,” he said.

As per a ‘government resolution’ (GR) of August 25, 2015, all public authorities are supposed to upload the RTI queries they receive and the responses to them on their websites.

Another GR, issued on November 26, 2018, directs all public authorities to allow inspection of public records at government offices between 3 pm to 5 pm every Monday.

Gandhi said that these directives were very laudable, but they were not being implemented.

“If these GRs are implemented properly, it would reduce the number of RTI applications considerably, make it impossible for anyone to blackmail (by threatening to file RTI query) and also improve transparency,” he said.

“We want to apprise the chief minister about it so that he issues a directive to all government departments to implement these two GRs,” he said.

Gandhi also said that they wanted to bring to Fadnavis’ notice “illegal and anti-democratic practise” of denigrating or banning RTI users at some government offices.

“Coercive, defamatory and illegal methods are used to stop citizens from using their fundamental right (to obtain information),” said Gandhi, who was a CIC from 2008 to 2012.

There were numerous instances where officials issued illegal circulars calling RTI users blackmailers or extortionists, refusing to give them information or banning them from government offices, he said.

ED moves Bombay HC against PMLA tribunal’s order on Zakir Naik

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January 4, 2019

The Bombay High Court on Friday issued a notice to religious preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation following a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate over proceedings related to attachment of properties belonging to him and his organisation.

The ED, through its counsel advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, has filed a plea in the high court, challenging among other things, a last year’s order of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Appellate Tribunal in New Delhi.

In its order, the Tribunal had stayed all attachment proceedings initiated by the ED against Naik and IRF until the central agency filed its reply, and submitted a copy of the NIA’s charge sheet filed against Naik in a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and also a copy of such speeches made by him that the probe agencies had alleged were “objectionable.”

Venegaonkar, however, argued before a bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and Sarang Kotwal that in asking for such documents, the Tribunal was “exceeding its jurisdiction” since the proceedings before it were related merely to the provisional attachment of properties under the PMLA, and not to the detailed probe in the case being carried out by the NIA under the UAPA.

Venegaonkar told the bench that the next hearing before the Tribunal was in June-July this year and that the ED would file its reply before the hearing.

However, the Tribunal must not insist upon the above documents, he told court.

While the bench noted that the charge sheet was a public document and no orders were required on submission of the same, it directed the Tribunal to continue with the attachment proceedings without insisting on the copy of the ‘objectionable’ speeches.

Naik has challenged before the Tribunal the attachment of his personal assets and some properties belonging to the IRF by the ED.

Naik, who fled India in 2016, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA. The NIA has accused Naik of inciting and radicalising youth through his speeches to take up terror activities.

The IRF, his Mumbai-based NGO, has been declared an unlawful association by the Union Home Ministry.

Following the NIA’s probe, the ED registered a case against Naik under the PMLA.

Vivek Oberoi to play PM Narendra Modi in biopic

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January 4, 2019

Vivek Oberoi is all set to take the big screens by storm as the actor will be seen essaying the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a biopic.

The biopic titled ‘PM Narendra Modi’ will be helmed by Omung Kumar, director of some critically acclaimed biopic films including ‘Mary Kom’ and ‘Sarbjit’.

The biographical drama, based on the life of Prime Minister Modi, is being produced by Sandip Singh.

Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to his Twitter handle to share the news, writing, “IT’S OFFICIAL… Vivekanand Oberoi [Vivek Oberoi] to star in Narendra Modi biopic, titled #PMNarendraModi… Directed by Omung Kumar… Produced by Sandip Singh… First look poster will be launched on 7 Jan 2019… Filming starts mid-Jan 2019.”

The first look of the film will be out on January 7 while the shooting will kick start in mid-January.

Reportedly, the film will be shot across Gujarat, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, among other locations in the country, over a period of a few months.

Vivek, who had been missing from the acting scene lately, has done films like ‘Krrish 3’ (2013), ‘Omkara’ (2006), ‘Company’ (2002) and ‘Saathiya’ (2002).

IT’S OFFICIAL… Vivekanand Oberoi [Vivek Oberoi] to star in Narendra Modi biopic, titled #PMNarendraModi… Directed by Omung Kumar… Produced by Sandip Ssingh… First look poster will be launched on 7 Jan 2019… Filming starts mid-Jan 2019.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 4, 2019

Anushka Sharma a ‘happy girl’ in arms of hubby Virat

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January 4, 2019

Anushka Sharma is currently in Australia cheering on her husband as he and his team take on the Aussie cricket team. In fact, the actor ushered in the New Year with her husband and his teammates as they were hosted by the Australian PM.

Anushka Sharma recently took to Instagram to post a candid picture with her husband, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli from Australia, captioning it, “You make me such a happy girl.”

In the photo, we can see both Anushka and Virat embracing each other in a warm hug as they smile away.

Instagram soon went into a meltdown after the picture was posted with users writing adorable comments for the couple.

One such user posted, “Ohhhh wowww such a beautiful pic. In one frame..really u got such a gentleman..kind..lovable..man..in your life..love you alot both of you..such a caring n sweet hug.”

Modi worst leader India has seen since Independence: Amarinder

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January 4, 2019

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the “worst leader India has seen since Independence”.

The stinging attack came a day after Modi’s outburst against the Congress on loan waiver, 1984 riots and other issues.

Singh challenged the Prime Minister to cite “even one instance of a promise fulfilled by his government in the past five years”.

“The ‘jumlebaaz’ Prime Minister has brought the nation to its nadir with his deceptions and fabrications, and was staring at his moment of judgement at the hands of the people, who are set to throw him out of power for good,” he said while referring to Modi’s Gurdaspur rally on Thursday.

“One wonders with what face Modi intends to go back to the people of India to seek re-election a few weeks from now,” he quipped, dubbing the prime minister “the worst leader India has seen since independence”.

The Punjab Chief Minister minced no words in taking on Modi over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, questioning the PM’s “studious silence on the BJP/RSS workers named in the Tilak Marg police station FIR related to the worst violence perpetrated against the Sikhs, while trying desperately to drag the Gandhi family into the matter even though no fingers had been pointed at them”.

At the Gurdaspur rally, Modi had attacked the Congress on several issues. He had accused the Congress of protecting those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The senior Congress leader also took a dig at the prime minister over the latter “taking credit” for the Kartarpur Corridor issue.

On the crop loan waiver issue, Singh said despite the fiscal mess inherited by his government from the previous SAD-BJP regime, Punjab had managed to waive Rs 3,417 crore of crop loans of 4,14,275 farmers in just one year.

“Another 3 lakh farmers will be given crop loan waiver to the tune of about Rs 4,000 crore soon,” he said.

The Chief Minister also questioned the prime minister on his promise for jobs for the youth, doubling of farm income and women’s reservation.

Manu Bhaker reminds Haryana sports minister of promised Rs 2 crore award

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January 4, 2019

Teenage shooting sensation Manu Bhaker, on Friday reminded Haryana Sports Minister, Anil Vij, of a Rs 2 crore cash award promise, which he made after her Youth Olympic gold medal, but is yet to fulfil.

The 16-year-old Bhaker caught the attention with her stunning exploits in shooting ranges across the world, winning multiple gold in her maiden senior World Cup, Commonwealth Games, besides the top prize at the Youth Olympics last October.

The pistol shooter, hailing from Goria village in Jhajjar, posted screenshots of Vij’s tweet in which he had promised her cash award to the tune of Rs 2 crore on behalf of the state government.

“Sir Please confirm if it is correct… Or just Jumla (sic),” Bhaker wrote on Twitter.

After Bhaker had become the first Indian shooter to win gold at Youth Olympics, Vij had tweeted, “Congratulations to Manu Bhaker for winning shooting gold in Youth Olympics.

“Haryana government will give a cash prize of Rs 2 crore to Manu Bhaker for winning this gold. Previous governments used to pay Rs 10 lakh only.”

The shooter also felt that someone in the Haryana government has been playing “games” with the money that was to be awarded to the medallists.

As per the state government’s changed policy, which came into effect before the Youth Olympics, Rs 2 crore was marked for the gold medallists, Rs 1.25 crore for silver medallists and Rs 80 lakh for the bronze winners. Before that, the YOG medallists would get Rs 10 lakh, Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in descending order.

However, the government again revised its policy last December and brought the amount down to Rs 1 crore for gold, Rs 65 lakh for silver and Rs 40 lakh for the bronze medallists.

Bhaker’s father Ram Kishan Bhaker, who is a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy, said that moves such as this can break the morale of athletes.

“Far from motivating sportspersons, such moves will break their morale. She is yet to get the promised cash award and now they have revised the policy again. I really hope enough thought is given before they finalise something. Otherwise, it can be detrimental to an athlete’s career,” Bhaker senior told agencies.

Bhaker had a phenomenal year in 2018 when she won the Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast, a month after winning gold in the 10m air pistol individual and team events at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, which was her maiden appearance in a senior meet.

Sir Please confirm if it is correct… Or just Jumla… @anilvijminister pic.twitter.com/AtxpLKBSYV

— Manu Bhaker (@realmanubhaker) January 4, 2019

Surgical strike movie: Court asks filmmaker, author to settle copyright issue

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January 4, 2019

A Delhi court on Friday asked the makers of upcoming film ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ and the author of a book on the incident to explore the possibility to amicably settle the issue of copyright.

The complaint for alleged violation of copyright has been filed by Nitin A Gokhale, a journalist and author of the book, against the film’s producer Ronnie Screwvala and director Aditya Dhar.

The lawyer for Screwvala and Dhar told Additional District Judge Gaurav Rao that there was no copyright on the facts and ideas.

A lot of information was in the public domain after the incident and mere similarities between the film and the book cannot be termed as copyright violation.

The book, ‘Securing India – The Modi Way, Pathankot, Surgical Strikes And More’, has talked about the aspects of the planning and execution of the surgical strikes, which the Indian Army conducted on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29, 2016.

Gokhale’s advocate told the court that the film infringed the copyright as the contents of the book were used without taking author’s permission.

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on January 7. The movie is scheduled to be released on January 11.

The author has sought an order to stop the screening of the film without his consent and to delete the literary content of the book from the film.

During the hearing on Friday, the author’s lawyer Neela Gokhale told the court that the facts used in movie’s final script, including information about planning and strategy of the government, were lifted from the book.

“A lot of changes were made in their final script after my book was launched which were not in the first script of the movie. There was a substantial deviation from their first script after my book was published. A substantial portion is lifted from the book,” the lawyer told the court.

The defence counsel opposed the complaint saying the facts were not copied from the book.

“Various changes were brought after experts suggested the same. It cannot be said that the changes in the first script and the last script of the film were based on the book,” the counsel said.

The complaint alleged that the makers had infringed the copyright by reproducing and substantially copying the contents of the book into the film.

“The same has been done without taking any permission of the plaintiff or having been granted any licence to reproduce the work of the plaintiff in the form of the film as stated herein above. The defendants have violated the rights of the Plaintiff, despite a clear declaration and disclaimer in the Book,” it said.

Youth only policy will not bring India success: Sreejesh

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January 4, 2019

Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh on Friday said that focussing only on youth is not going to bring them success but backed Harendra Singh to stay on as coach despite their quarterfinal exit in the hockey World Cup.

Veterans SV Sunil and Ruipinder Pal Singh were excluded from the World Cup team owing to injury and lack of form.

Asked if the focus will now primarily be on picking young players, Sreejesh said,

“See what do you mean by youth, if a youngster comes into the team and he gets three or four more years experience, does it mean he is an old guy? You can’t win tournaments just with youngsters. In important matches we need experience.”

The experienced player, who has led India in the past, added, “When you play big matches there is a lot of pressure. The seniors will come in handy, as their experience is valuable. Experience plays a big role.

Lok Sabha passes Companies (Amendment) Bill

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January 4, 2019

Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Companies( Amendment) Bill, 2018 that seeks to improve ease of doing business, declog the NCLT and prescribe strong action against non-compliant companies.

The bill was passed with a voice vote with amendments moved by the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs P P Chaudhary.

The bill has been brought with a view to declog the Special Courts and National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Chaudhary said.

It will also reduce the burden on NCLT and Special Courts and improve ease of doing business in the country, the Minister added.

Participating in the discussion, Tathagata Satpathy (BJD) said that the Modi government in its four-and-a-half years period is only focusing on issues related to business class.

“Why the government was in hurry to bring Companies( Amendment) Bill, 2018? Whose interest the government wants to serve? Is it good for the country, is it good for the poor class,” Satpathy asked.

“What are the business interests which prompted this government to bring this ordinance,” he added.

BB Patil (TRS) also participated in the discussion and supported the Companies( Amendment) Bill.

The government last year had promulgated an ordinance to amend the companies law.

The Corporate Affairs Ministry, which is implementing the Act, has been looking at ways to promote ease of doing business as well as to ensure better compliance levels.

In August last year, a government-appointed panel suggested various changes to the Act, including restructuring of corporate offences under the companies law and an in-house adjudication mechanism to ensure that courts get more time to deal with serious violations.

Apart from restructuring of corporate offences to relieve special courts from adjudicating routine offences, the panel has mooted “re-categorisation of 16 out of the 81 compoundable offences” under the Act.

The committee had also recommended disqualification of directors in case they have directorships beyond permissible limits and capping an independent director’s remuneration.

On-field banter helps you remain positive during long hours: Pant

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January 4, 2019

Rishabh Pant and Tim Paine’s good humoured on-field banter has been lapped up by the television viewers and the Indian described it as a way of maintaining intensity during long on-field hours.

The official broadcasters of the ongoing India versus Australia series Fox Cricket has kept the stump microphone on and some of the interesting exchanges between Paine and Pant have been recorded.

Pant, whose picture of holding Tim Paine’s son along with the Australian skipper’s wife Bonnie went viral after the “babysitter” banter, didn’t mind that stump mic is on.

“That (banter) is also one of the methods to keep yourself positive and to keep yourself busy. When you are fielding for a long time, everyone’s body does get tired but you need to find a way to keep yourself positive and stay concentrated. My method is this, and it works for me, and that’s why I am doing it,” Pant told the media on Friday.

“As a player, I don’t think about any of these things (stump microphone being turned up). Whatever I feel like at that moment, I say it. That’s the only way,” he added.

It all started during the Melbourne Test when Pant was batting.

“Big MS (Dhoni) is back in the one-day squad too, we might get him (Pant) down to the (Hobart) Hurricanes we need a batter. We Fancy that, Pantsy? Extend your little Aussie holiday. Beautiful town Hobart too, I’ll get you a nice apartment on the waterfront. (I’ll) have him over for dinner. Can you babysit? I’ll take the wife to the movies one night and you’ll look after the kids,” Paine was heard saying on the stump mic.

On the very next day, Pant was heard speaking to Mayank Agarwal when Paine came to the crease.

“We got a special guest today. Have you ever heard of a temporary captain, ever, Mayank?” said Pant, referring to the absence of banned former skipper Steve Smith.