NUJS to have policy against sexual harassment of interns

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January 13, 2014

Hit by successive complaints by two of its ex-students about sexual harassment during internship, the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WB NUJS) on Monday said they were giving final touches to a policy to handle such cases.

WB NUJS spokesperson Ruchira Goswami told a news agency the premier legal varsity’s policy against sexual harassment of interns would be ready after a month.

“Upon receiving any complaint, we will have a formal process of taking action against the reported harassment of any student, irrespective of whether the internship was provided by us or the student was working on her own. As long as they are our students, we assume their responsibility,” she said.

University officials said law students would also be sensitised on how to deal with such cases and would be encouraged to lodge complaints if they are victimised.

“Students are extremely vulnerable during their internship as they are afraid to complain against harassment by seniors in the legal fraternity. So we are drafting guidelines and frame rules on how to combat sexual harassment during internships in particular,” the officials said.

A NUJS intern, who passed out last year, had alleged that she was sexually harassed by retired SC judge AK Ganguly who was then functioning as the Chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.

Facing mounting pressure to quit as chief of the rights panel, Ganguly resigned from the post last week. Soon after the first complaint, another former student came out with similar allegations against a judge of the apex court, who has now retired.

“It seems that she was emboldened by the stand taken by the first intern. But when they were students of the university, none of them had lodged an official complaint with us for which we could not take any action,” said Goswami, who is also a teacher.

For the university’s BA LLB course, each student goes on a six-week compulsory summer internship to legal firms, NGOs, judges, media houses, etc.

Is Narendra Modi nervous about AAP, asks Congress

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Afternoon Voice

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January 13, 2014

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad on Monday took a dig at Narendra Modi and asked BJP’s prime ministerial candidate whether he was nervous about AAP’s emergence.

“Modi’s criticism of Congress is understandable, but of late he has started criticising AAP too. Is he really nervous by AAP’s emergence?” tweeted Shakeel Ahmad, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of the party’s affairs in Delhi.

Modi, in a rally in Goa on Sunday, made a veiled reference to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and asked people to decide whether they need a face on TV or a guy with feet on the ground to lead them.

The AAP made a spectacular debut in last year’s Delhi Assembly Elections and went on to form the city government after the BJP declined to do so.

Another Congress leader, Digvijay Singh, criticised Modi for his comment on former forests and environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan.

He tweeted: “Modi’s comment on Jayanthi Natarajan is in a very bad taste. Should be condemned. He only knows to abuse but doesn’t give his vision.”

Modi criticised Jayanthi Natarajan at the same rally and said that no file moved in the Environment Ministry without “Jayanthi tax”.

Work hard, results will follow

By

Mahendra Singh

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January 13, 2014

Lok Sabha elections are just round the corner but people’s attitude remains unchanged. People will like to say, “I paid bribe to Mr X but don’t catch me, don’t take my name but you catch Mr X”. AAP has done an excellent job by personally interacting with the common man. I used to stay at third floor of community centre in CGS colony and late Sardar Sohan Singh Kohli knocked at our door and greeted all of us. Since then, no leader has visited our house. No RSS man has ever come to enlighten us. RSS will now have to learn from AAP about the technique of connecting with the masses at ground level. Narendra Modi will become our PM not because of RSS but due to his proven record of governance.

Even though a majority are saying that they will vote for AAP but when it comes to choosing the PM, Modi’s name crops up. People will once again repeat the mistakes committed by them in Delhi and will create another chaos. If you vote for AAP, how do you ensure Modi to become PM? The agencies conducting the survey have not questioned people on this issue. In the Army, a sub-Lieutenant, how so ever good he may be, cannot become a full general in six months. In the same manner, a newly appointed IAS collector can not be a full secretary in same period, so how can people expect Kejriwal to become prime minister.

This is immaturity, mischief, irresponsibility and foolishness on the part of our electronic media which has caused biggest harm to the nation. “Iska cheekra uske sar phoda”, none of them have learnt a proper expression.

How eager we are to earn all freebies very quickly. Every mother asks her child to finish the home work first and later he will receive a chocolate. First perform the work and rewards will follow. BJP should start forthwith a silent and sincere door to door campaign enlisting worthy people and single mindedly work under the leadership of Narendra Modi. I don’t want to see Rajnath Singh with Narendra Modi, Baba Ramdev or Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Amit Shah and Kalyan Singh must build the BJP with the assistance of other leaders and RSS (they must induct youth in the party). Liberal Muslim leaders hailing from UP must be taken on board by the BJP. It is shameful for Lohia followers like Mulayam Singh to be organizing Saifai Mahotsawa when Lucknow Mahotsava was observed. Public must carefully view Kumar Biswas contesting against Rahul Gandhi. They must view it as an initiative of the party to eradicate corruption from the society.

Tug of war over Neeraj Hatekar

By

Prakash Jha

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January 13, 2014

Congress, NCP, AAP and smaller parties come forward to support suspended professor Neeraj Hatekar.

Political parties always shy away from supporting people during crisis situation but they are willing to come forward to lend a helping hand if they want to derive any political mileage out of it. AAP, Congress and NCP which were initially reluctant to take up the case of suspended professor Neeraj Hatekar from Mumbai university have come forward to support him after the incident was reported by the media.

On 4th January, Professor Neeraj Hatekar was suspended by the vice chancellor of Mumbai University Rajan Velukar as students protested against his suspension. Later, the Aam Aadmi party jumped into the fray and started backing the students.

After Aam Aadmi Party, Congress too intervened in this matter. Mumbai Congress President Janardhan Chandurkar met the students and assured them that Neeraj Hatekar’s suspension will be revoked. He had written a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan and urging him to reject the suspension order of Neeraj Hatekar.

Not to be left behind even the NCP too came forward to support Hatekar for deriving political mileage out of this issue. The NCP Chief Executive Jitendra Ahwad had met the protesting students and assured them that NCP is backing them all time and Neeraj Hatekar will soon resume his duties. Ahwad also assured students that he will be meeting Governor and will request him to withdraw the suspension of Neeraj Hatekar.

MLC and President of Lok Bharati, Kapil Patil accompanied by Prof Neeraj Hatekar met the Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai and requested him to revoke the suspension of Prof Hatekar.

Janardhan Chandurkar, Mumbai Congress president talking to AV, said,” To reject the suspension order of Neeraj Hatekar I wrote letter to CM Prithviraj Chavan. Congress is supporting students of Mumbai University who are protesting against Hatekar’s suspension.”

Mayank Gandhi, AAP Maharashtra President said, “Neeraj Hatekar was exposing the truth hence he was thrown ousted from his post. AAP will support them and we will strongly protest against the injustice meted with Neeraj Hatekar. It’s not a publicity stunt to derive any political mileage.”

Neeraj Hatekar was suspended for allegedly misinforming the media about irregularities by the vice-chancellor and, hence, breaching the code of conduct.

The suspension order has come days after the professor held a press conference on December 12, ‘exposing’ vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar for mismanagement of the university.

Prof Neeraj Hatekar has now filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, appealing that his suspension order be quashed and set aside.

Hatekar is also convenor of the Joint Action Committee for Improvement of Higher Education in Maharashtra, a body that has protested the lack of transparency in the appointment of the vice-chancellor. Hatekar and others had earlier claimed that Welukar’s academic and publication records did not meet the qualification criteria for the post.

‘Krishi Vasant’ a farmer centric fair launched in the city

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and State Government of Maharashtra are jointly organizing ‘Krishi Vasant’ a farmer centric Fair-cum-Exhibition from February 9th to 13th at Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is associated as a strategic partner with this grand event. The event is organized as a platform to acknowledge the contribution of Indian farmers in the nation’s economy.

This national convention will witness the participation of more than 3 lacs farmers in person and reach out to more than 5 million farmers through web-cast at a District/Block level. Government Institutions, research organizations, private players, international organizations and other important stakeholders will also be participating in huge numbers. The conference cum fair, will have theme based conferences and seminars in the area of Mechanization & High-Tech Horticulture; Self-reliance in Pulses & Oilseeds; Best Integrated Pest Management Practices; Post-Harvest Management & Marketing; Sustainable Livelihood through Dairy, Poultry & Fisheries and ICT & Extension. Approximately hundred successful farmers from different states will display best practices in the areas of Agriculture, Horticulture and Fisheries.

Nearly one thousand exhibitions and live demonstrations of crops, livestock and technologies spread over 50 acres which include 307 varieties of 54 crops, 42 breeds of buffaloes, cattle, sheep, goat, duck, poultry and varieties of wool, feed, medicine and vaccine will also be showcased. Concurrently Kisan Goshthies, buyer seller meets, access to latest technologies and cultural shows will be organized. During the breakout session farmer-scientist interactions in regional language will also be organized.

‘Krishi Vasant’ will be the biggest national agriculture fair cum exhibition to be organized at the beginning of 2014. The eventful initiative of Government of India was launched on 12th January 2014 in Mumbai in the presence of Shri Sharad Pawar, Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Government of India; Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Radhakrishna Eknathrao Vikhe Patil, Minister for Agriculture and Marketing, Government of Maharashtra. The mega event will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on 9th February 2014 at Nagpur, Maharashtra. The event will continue for a period of 5 days. This event also coincides with centenary celebrations of Late Shri Vasant Rao Naik, who steered agriculture development in Maharashtra during Green Revolution era. The event will also be graced by many dignitaries from Central and State governments and International organizations.

Pawar refuses to comment on Shinde endorsing him for PM

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Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday refused to comment on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s statement that he would like to see him as the Prime Minister.

When asked about the same at a press conference here this morning, Pawar said, “This (event) is to make announcement about the Krishi Vasant exhibition, and I am not contesting the Lok Sabha election.”

Yesterday, during a public interaction with editors of a Marathi newspaper in his hometown Solapur, Shinde had said he would be happy if Pawar became the Prime Minister.

“I would be happy if Pawar becomes the PM. He is my political guru. I entered the politics because of him,” Shinde said.

Kolhapur’s toll plaza vandalised, Shiv Sena calls for bandh today

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Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

Four toll plaza booths were vandalised in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur on Sunday after a dispute over collection of toll tariff.

The hooligans in large number vandalised the booths and burnt down the toll plaza property.

While Shiv Sena workers are being blamed for the attack, agitators claim that since roads are poorly constructed, there is no question of paying the toll. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has called for a bandh in Kolhapur tomorrow.

Police claim to have detained some protesters vandalising the booths.

Although there are no reports on anyone getting injured in the protest, Maharashtra Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has appealed to maintain peace.

Six days ago, several members of anti-toll action committee had launched a hunger strike against toll collection. Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Satej Patil and Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif had met the activists and assured them that government would ask the company to stop toll collection. However, collection continued till today’s morning. This led to protest today.

An engineering company IRB infrastructure had established the toll plaze in October 2013. IRB Kolhapur Integrated Road Development Co Pvt Ltd, wholly-owned SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) of the company and had commenced the collection of toll at the Kolhapur highway.

Bombay HC upholds lifer for a man who murdered friend over wristwatch

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Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

The Bombay High Court has upheld the life sentence awarded by the lower court to a 26-year-old man who murdered his friend following a row over a wristwatch.

Trial court had convicted Imtiyaz Shoukat Sayed of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code in September 2003.

According to the prosecution, on March 19, 2000, Sayed had a row with his friend Imtiyaz Javed. Javed had borrowed a wristwatch from him, and had refused to return it.

Sayed slapped him, and there was a fight. Then Javed handed him the watch and started walking away.

However, Sayed called him back, and stabbed him with a knife.

Advocate Prakash Wagh, Sayed’s lawyer, argued in the High Court that his client could not have been convicted for murder as he had no intention to cause the death. At the most he could have been charged for ‘culpable homicide’, a lesser offence, as he had assaulted his friend in a fit of rage.

But the division bench of Justices P V Hardas and A S Gadkari noted that “the stab wound was not delivered by the appellant in the heat of the moment during the fight”.

“The deceased had returned the watch and was walking away when the accused called him and intentionally stabbed him. The ferocity and the force of the blow was such that practically all the vital organs had been damaged,” the bench said, upholding the trial court’s verdict.

APMC waiver: Chavan not sure about meeting Jan 15 deadline

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Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was non-committal on implementing his party high command’s decision to let farmers sell fruits and vegetables outside their designated APMC markets by January 15.

He said the government is still in talks with different stakeholders to allay their fears.

“We are talking to all the stakeholders on the issue (delisting fruits and vegetables from the APMC purview). The motive behind this is that farmers will get a choice to take his produce wherever he wants to sell it,” Chavan said when asked about whether his government will be able to implement the recent decision in this regard.

He was addressing the media after a meeting on launching the country’s largest farmers’ mela, Krishi Vasant, dubbed as the Maha-Kumbh of agriculture, to be held from February 9-13 in Nagpur. The meeting was organised by the industry body CII here today.

“By this we have given a choice to farmers whether they want to join the APMC or provide fruits and vegetables on their own,” he said, adding “it does not mean that we are forcing it down the farmers’ throat and that a farmer is free to go back to the APMC mandis to sell his produce.”

Supporting the reforms move which would eventually benefit farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the government believes that farmers should get the freedom to sell their produce wherever they want.

“Farmers should get the freedom of selling their produce wherever they want. We have been working on this issue since the past five years,” Pawar said.

On December 27 last year, addressing the 12 Congress chief ministers, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi had said on January 15, all the party-controlled states will partially abolish the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and delist fruits and vegetables from the purview of the Act.

Thane couple held for trying to sell woman

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Afternoon Voice

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January 12, 2014

A couple has been arrested for allegedly abducting and trying to sell a 32-year-old local woman to a family in Gujarat, the police said on Saturday. Thane district rural police arrested the duo — Ajay Kumar Gupta (28) and Priya Vinod Bansode (30) — both residents of Palghar on Saturday.

According to API Walmik Patil of the Palghar police station, the couple forcibly took the victim from Palghar to Navsari on the pretext of getting her some domestic work, but handed her over to some persons and returned. They promised her that she would earn wages between `10,000-12,000 per month for domestic work. However, the woman learnt that she was sold off to the family in Narora for `1.30 lakh and they were planning to get her married to some person in the locality. Following this, she managed to escape and filed a police complaint after which, offences under various sections of the IPC were registered against the duo, who were subsequently arrested.

Since the complainant was not in a position to give specific details or names of persons to whom she was sold, a police team is likely to visit Gujarat where she was taken to probe as to who all were party to the crime, the officer said. The arrested were produced in a local court, which remanded them into police custody till Friday. The police will now probe if the arrested were engaged in trafficking of women.