COSTUME SLIP AGAIN

It refers to yet other ‘accidental’ costume-slip this time with model displaying costumes designed by Rajesh Pratap at Wills India Fashion Week. Organisers who drafted a 28-point malfunction-charter after such obscene incidents in previous fashion-weeks must have made it compulsory to wear proper fully-covering undergarments instead of allowing a transparent silicon-bra. It seems that designers and models take it the cheapest mode to get enormous media-publicity by deliberate costume-slips termed ‘accidental’. Or was it a pre-planned way to promote transparent silicon-brassieres?

National Shame For A National Game

9th March will go down as the blackest sunday in the history of Indian Hockey when eight times Olympic Gold Medalist India failed to make it to the Beijing Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928.Scoring twice in the first half Britain ended India,s Olympic dreams with a 2-0 win in the final of the World Hockey qualifying tournament at Santiago, Chile.

Hockey the National game (In name only) has become a national shame.

Who is responsible for the steep decline of Indian Hockey? It is the stepmotherly treatment meted to hockey in comparison with the cricketers for the sorry state of affairs. If a junior cricket team wins a world cup they become millionares. If the Team India gets two wins in the Tri series each player gets more than half a crore.But how are we treating the hockey players and other sportsmen if they bring laurels for the country in International sports meets? The best hockey players are poor but the worst cricket players are rolling in riches.

Union Sports Ministery, Indian Hockey Federation and Indian Olympic Association are equally respnsible for the sad state of Indian Hockey. There is an urgent need to overhaul their set up.The corporate and the glam world is also responsible which dont see beyond cricket.

Since its present Presidnt took the command of the Indian Hockey Federation, its functioning has gone from bad to worse. It has proved to be a deaf and dumb sport body.It would be better if its President resigns owning responsibility for this shameful debacle or is shown the door by the Sports Ministery.

It would be better for all the sports if the Government forms a National Sports Council controling BCCI, Indian Hockey Federation, Indian Olympic Association and other sports bodies so that equal attention is paid to all the sports and the players as well. Brain storming and purposeful thinking is the need of the hour if we want good performance at the International and Olympic Sports meets.

DILBAG RAI.
CHANDIGARH.

Recently freed Indian Kashmirsingh is daily coming out with changed versions about his role in Pakistan during his 35-years long stay in Pakistan. His media-highlighted versions including about being or not being an Indian spy are putting lives of other Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails in danger. Now Pakistan will have a reason to take even innocent Indian prisoners as spies for not releasing them.

Undoubtedly Kashmirisingh’s sufferings are miserable. But his eagerness for publicity is against national interest. If he was in fact an Indian spy, then Union government should take steps to prevent Kashmirsingh from talking in an immature manner. He is already being weighed with money by monthly and one-time payments by Punjab government and many other organisations. Even Indian government cannot deny his due if he was on pay-roll of Indian government

RAISING AGE LIMIT FOR JUDGES

It refers to written reply by Union law Minister in Rajya Sabha about proposal to increase age-limit of High court Judges from 62 to 65 years. Only recently Union Cabinet decided to increase strength of Apex Court judges from present 25 to 30. But all bills relating to judiciary should be brought in a consolidated manner by ensuring that much-needed and most-awaited bill to ensure judicial accountability and reforms in appointment-system of judges in higher courts may be passed simultaneously if not before any other bill concerning judicial system. Comments of Lok Sabha Speaker are noteworthy that a reformed judicial system can serve better and more efficiently without even raising number of judges. Best is to accept most favored formula supported by retired judges and leading lawyers to appoint a National Judicial Council consisting of retired Supreme Court judges as member-nominees of President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and Chief Justice of India with Central Vigilance Commissioner as ex-officio member to finally recommend appointments, transfers, promotions of judges of higher courts and to look into complaints against them. Union government should also take care of plight of consumers of justice in lack of an unaccountable judicial system.

SLIM LINE MAJORITY IN MEGHALAYA

Invitation to Lapang to form government in Meghalaya with his party Congress having just 25 seats out of total 61 is likely to pave way for corruption and blackmail-politics to win vote of trust. Even then such slim-line majority can never guarantee a stable government. This has been a very usual feature in states like Goa. This situation can and should be overcome by electing Chief Minister by secret and compulsory vote of all MLAs through EVMs on nominations signed by at least one-third members. Such an elected CM may only be removed by same process but with compulsion to name alternate incumbent in the same motion. Best is to have only non-members having contested no elections in last one year of general elections as ministers to prevent blackmailing to become ministers.

Rather same system should be adopted to elect Speakers and Deputy Speakers simultaneously with Chief Minister.

RTI FOR PRIVATE SECTOR

Right-To-Information Act has induced desired accountability in government-departments and organizations covered under the Act as public-authorities. But in an era of free economy where all essential services including banking and communications are open and rather dominated by private-sector, country’s mute public needs proper accountability for those controlling at least essential services in private sector. Private banks and telephone-operators are badly harassing and looting their customers by gimmick and unfair means with no action or reply coming on communications addressed to them. It seems that concerned government agencies and departments controlling these private bodies reach on some under-table understanding for public being harassed by allowing private-sector to mint money for their own benefit.

Till India follows South Africa to extend RTI Act to private sector, there should be adequate and wide-spread publicity about little-known institutions like Banking Ombudsman and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) so that people may have forum to complain about erring private-sector.

SM KRISHNA TO RE-ENTER PARTY POLITICS

It refers to SM Krishna resigning from post of Maharashtra governor to return back to active party-politics in home-state of Karnataka. Rule should be that persons once posted on posts like that of President, Vice President and state-governors requiring impartiality must not be allowed to return to active politics. Otherwise all their post-retirement benefits including pension and government-accommodation may be withdrawn. There have been many indecent incidents in the past when such governors with political background virtually turned governor-houses into party-headquarters of the ruling party at the Centre having appointed them as governors.

Even though fortunately there have not been notable cases of bias at post of Lok Sabha Speaker, yet such possibilities cannot be ruled out in future. Therefore, even post of Lok Sabha Speaker should be upgraded to post of a second Vice President with President and two Vice presidents being simultaneously elected in same manner as President is elected by all MPs and MLAs. In case of mid-term vacancy at post of President, senior Vice president may be made President for rest of the term. In case of mid-term vacancy at post of a Vice President, an interim Vice President may be elected by MPs only.

DELAYED BUT CORRECT STEP FROM MCD

It refers to delayed but corrective decision by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to remove all the male teachers from girls’ schools in Delhi. In fact, considering usual complaints of sex-abuse by male teachers not only towards girl-students but even with fellow female teachers, the practice of having male teachers in girls school should not have even been established. Male teachers can very well misuse their influence for giving better marks to their girl-students. Rather National Women Commission should ensure that male teachers may not be allowed anywhere in girls exclusive educational institutions in the country.

In this context, it is to be noted that in Pakistan, even autopsy of female bodies is not allowed by male doctors.

It refers to poll-eve political drama by Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) in Andhra Pradesh when its MPs, MLAs and MLCs resigned from their membership only in the last year of their membership in legislature? These resignations could be after one year of last-held elections if Congress did not show its eagerness to a ‘committed’ Telangana state. In this country, political rulers play uncomfortable political gimmicks like even waiver of farmers’ loan only on poll-eve!

CONGRATS TO TEAM INDIA WINNING TRI SERIES

Hats off to buyant players of Team India having captured Sydney on sunday braving the odds, and now hitting the final nail in the coffin of the World Champions in the second Tri- series finals against Aussies at Gabba Brisbane on tuesday thus clinching their first ever tri series title in Australia.

Team India finished their job in the second final and Gabba has proved to be a Waterloo for the Aussies where their pride had a fatal fall.

Credit for this goes to the dynamic players of the Team India who did superb batting, bowling and fielding and showed the true team spirit.

Fine batting by Sachin Tendulkar scoring 91 runs and superb bowling by Parveen Kumar capturing 4 wickets had laid the foundation of a 9 run victory over the Aussies at Gabba.Their contribution will be highly appreciated by all cricket loving Indians

Let the young Indian Team maintain the winning tempo in future too.

CASH AWARD FOR CRICKETERS

Every countryman irrespective of age or profession has celebrated India’s victory in cricket. But how far is it fair for Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to announce a huge rupees ten crore prize-money for Indian team for winning Sydney-match in addition to usual costly packet as match-fees? BCCI should best utilise its earnings generated out of public-craze for the game in the manner Tirupati-trust spends offerings by devotees for charitable cause. Union Finance Ministry should come out with details of total earnings including by from BCCI for cricketers playing in international matches to make people aware about price nation pays for public-craze for cricket.

In a country/state with limited resources, affection and regard earned by these players from the countrymen should not be offset by public-authorities through monetary awards. Otherwise also cricketers earn huge money not only through games but also from commercials. Several private companies also shower such awards to sports-persons. There also exist ways to honour sport-persons through national and sport-awards. Likewise it was unfair when Rs five lakhs and a plot of land was given to Mahendersingh Dhoni by Jharkhand Government for his sparkling unbeaten 183 runs at a one-dayer in Jaipur. However governments can and should provide jobs to needy star sports-persons. Public-authorities must not encourage gap between rich and poor through such monetary awards, but rather should make such decisions in tune with socialistic pattern of an under-developed nation.

RELEASE OF KASHMIR SINGH

Sentiments in Pakistan echoing with joyous sentiments of all the Indians on home-coming of Kashmirsingh after having killed golden 35 years of his life in Pakistan jails making the humanity win, should make both the neighboring sibling-nations to win hearts of people in this sub-continent by a sincere whole-hearted search of prisoners of each-other country to give them too a chance to breathe in free air. Such a nice gesture will develop much-needed goodwill amongst the two nations with blessings from inner-most heart of family-members of prisoners in each-other jails. However such a nice gesture should be for innocent prisoners. But each country should furnish information about remaining prisoners who may not be having any repent on their being imprisoned for activities like militancy.

SCOPE Members Welcome Union Budget 2008-09

The Union Budget 2008-09 has implemented the agenda of inclusive growth in letter and spirit. It has given push to agriculture, education, health and social sectors which was necessary to achieve over 9 % GDP growth. This was the feeling that emerged from the Interactive Session organized by Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) in collaboration with Ernst & Young on “Implications of Union Budget 2008-09” held here today.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. S.D. Saxena, Director (Finance), BSNL. Mr. U.K. Dikshit, Director (Programmes), SCOPE welcomed the participants. About 85 senior executives from various PSEs interacted with Mr Satya Poddar and Mr Rajiv Mahajan, partners of Ernst & Young Private Limited.

On the flip side, the corporate sector was expecting a revision in corporate tax regime which has not been fulfilled. The senior executives of PSEs expressed concern about the creation of multiple tax rates within excise duty. This may lead to inverted duty tax structure.

The participants appreciated the reduction in CENVAT from 16 percent to 14 percent which would be good for the manufacturing sector. They also welcomed 31.69 % increase in total plan outlay in public enterprises to over Rs 2,14,970 crore for 2008-09 over the revised estimate of Rs 1,63,303 crore in 2007-08. This should help the public sector to get into expansion mode. This also indicates increased confidence of the Government in CPSEs ability to invest on their own on the back of significant improvement in their performance and a stronger balance sheet during the last few years.

Mr. M. Ravi Kanth, CMD, National Handicapped Finance & Development Corporation, Ms Neeru Abrol, Director (Finance), NFL, Mr R.P. Tak, Director (F), CCI, Mr R.P. Khandelwal, Director (F), HIL,Mr. Raj Narayan, Partner Ernst & Young and Mr B.V.K.K. Rao, Head (Finance), SCOPE also addressed the gathering.