KHADI & VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COINS


India Government Mint through newspaper-ads has invited to send demand-drafts for advance-booking of coin-sets already issued to commemorate golden jubilee celebrations of Khadi & Village Industries Commission. System must now be simplified to start sale of coin-sets right from date of release of new coins from convenient sale-points including selected bank-branches, all offices of Reserve Bank of India and philatical counters. There may be only one highest-priced ‘proof’ coin-set with all issued coins, abolishing ‘uncirculated’ category of coin-sets. It is senseless to have face-value of silver-alloy coin at Rs 100 silver-content costing much more than face-value of the coin, perhaps this being the reason for not issuing these coins at face-value, and selling only at five or ten times in form of coin-sets. These coins can be of 20 gms pure silver with face-value of Rs 500 to be freely available at face-value without compulsion to buy coin-sets.


Apart from one silver coin, other denominations should be of common circulation of Rs 1, 5 or now 10 abolishing a casual practice to mint in unusual denominations like Rs 20 or Rs 50. Popularising coin-collection on lines of philately, will give net revenue-earning because silver coins and coin-sets never come in actual circulation. Educational institutions and others can then be motivated to give coin-sets (or philatical items) as prizes in functions instead of normal trophies and momentos.

NEW RESERVATION CATEGORIES?


Rajasthan Chief Minister has given an interesting and new political twist to issue of ‘Reservation’ by seeking from Prime Minister permission to grant an additional quota of 4-6 percent reservation to Gujjars under nomadic category and 10-20 percent quota for Rajputs, Brahmins and Vaishyas under economically backward class (EBC).

Best is to merge all reservation-categories like SC, ST or OBC into one single category with an annual review of progress or benefits made by different casts/tribes by virtue of reservation. Communities with maximum postings/admissions may be deleted from reserved categories as being creamy layer leaving opportunities for reservation for really deserving backward categories.

Also since backwardness in reserved categories is due to their generally having large families, benefits of reservations may be reserved for persons/families with upto two children only. Instead of the Apex Court and High Courts devoting precious time on the issue through regular petitions concerning the aspect, Apex Court should direct for a permanent formula on reservation if it is to be indefinitely continued.

MADHU AGRAWAL

(Guinness Record Holder for letters in Newspapers)

BJP ON WOMEN RESERVATION

BJP has taken a realistic stand by changing its stance towards Women-Reservation-Bill. It is a bitter fact that male-domination in political system will never allow Women-Reservation-Bill in its original form. Therefore it is better to reach consensus on formula proposed by Election Commission for making it compulsory for all recognised political parties to give at least one-third party-tickets to women rather than lingering on the issue indefinitely without ever passing second-longest pending Bill in the Parliament. However allocation of suggested formula for one-third party-tickets to women should be statewise. Otherwise parties will give tickets to women in those states where they have nil or negligible base.

MADHU AGRAWAL

Ratna award by political parties

A virtual mockery is being made of the Bharat Ratna award by political parties and other vested interests. Suggestions are being made more to embarass the government rather than helping to form an unbiased choice. Needless to say, the one who would be nominated will receive brickbats from all the other suggested and potential nominees! The government should not be surprised if there will be riots coupled with burning of public transport and declaring of Bharat bandhs. It is best if the government puts this award in cold storage indefinitely.

Harischandra Parasuram
Juhu, Mumbai

ELEVATION OF JUSTICE BHALLA

It refers to NDTV report (19.01.2008) with serious comments on Union Law Minister on appointment-file relating to elevation of Justice Jagdish Bhalla as Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh.

Paragraph 81 of the esteemed Supreme Court verdict in the matter ‘SP Gupta vs Union of India (1981suppSC87)’ reads “If we approach the problem before us in the light of these observations, it will be clear that the class of documents consisting of the correspondence exchanged between the Law Ministry or other high level functionary of the Central Government, the Chief Justice of the High Court, the state government and the Chief Justice of India in regard to appointment or non-appointment of a High Court judge or Supreme Court judge or the transfer of a High Court judge and the notes made by these constitutional functionaries in that behalf cannot be regarded as a protected class entitled to immunity against disclosure”.

In interest of all concerned and to maintain dignity of judicial system, Department of Justice should in accordance with Apex Court directions in the matter ‘SP Gupta vs Union of India (1981suppSC87)’ make public all documents relating to appointment of Justice Jagdish Bhalla as Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh.


SUBHASH C. AGRAWAL