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Showing posts from June, 2014

Gopal Subramanian controversy underlines the need for National Judicial Commission

The unsavory controversy about the appointment of the Gopal Subramanian as the judge of the Supreme Court was avoidable. However, this further underscores the need for the National Judicial Commission for the selection of the judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. In fact it has become almost imperative in the present circumstances. The way the appointment of the eminent lawyer was turned down by the Executive has compelled the people to consider over this matter with all seriousness that it deserves. India is perhaps the one and the only major democratic country in the world where the judiciary has appropriated the right to appoint judges for the High Courts and the Supreme Court. In all other countries, the appointments are done by the Executive, mostly in consultation with the judges of the top courts. In India the Supreme Court has made it a law by the judicial pronouncement that judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be appointed the collegiums system,

Keep Hindi Out Of Political Muck

A routine circular issued by the Home Ministry of the Government of India about the use of Hindi has been made a subject of controversy and contention. Of all the persons, who have taken the lead to kick up the dust is none but the former Chief Minister of Tamilnudu, M. Karunanidhi. See the irony that Mr. Karunanidhi is advocating the cause of English, a language with which he does not have even the nodding acquaintance. A person who neither understands the English language nor can even properly read it, has taken up the cudgels on its behalf. He is not asking for the promotion of Tamil which he knows fairly well, but he is speaking against the so-called hegemony of Hindi. Not to be left behind by Karunanidhi is the present Chief Minister of Tamilnanu Ms. J. Jayalalitha, who, surprisingly, has very good knowledge of Hindi as she can speak chaste Hindi. One can understand the logic of Ms. Jayalalitha joining the chorus of protest against Hindi because she knows that if she a

Labour laws need to be reformed for more employment

The Government of Rajasthan has taken a bold decision to amend the labour laws. The state government has initiated steps to change three central labour laws- Industrial Disputes Act, Contract Act and the Factories Act -to unshackle them from the stringent requirement of their compliance. If at all, the Industrial Disputes Act is reformed then the companies will be allowed to retrench up to 300 hundred employees without seeking government permission, which is next to impossible to get. At present, it is restricted to 100 employees. The Contract Labour Act, which once passed, will be applicable to companies with more then 50 workers instead of the current 20 workers at present. Similarly the changed in the Factories Act will be applicable to factory premises with workforce of up to 40, which is currently 20, and without power supply to premises with 20 workers, which is at present 10. Lot of criticism is coming from almost all trade unions including the Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh, whic

Murders most foul in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh must go

The gruesome murder after  rape of two teenage girls in  Badaun district of Uttar  Pradesh sends shock waves   across the country  and  beyond . Any human being will  shudder with the repulsion  over the ghastly manner in  which the two innocent girls  were firstly raped and then  strangulated  t o death . As if  it was not enough  , the beasts  were emboldened to hang those  hapless victims to the  branches of a mango tree.  Their dead bodies were found  hanging by their family  members.What is most shocking  is that when the parents of  those girls approached the  police to search their  daughters, the policemen told  them that they could get  their  bodies after two hours  hangin g to a  tree. The police in  the dispensation of Akhilesh  Yadav could have become so  insensitive was unimaginable.  Instead of commiserating and  sympathizing with the family  members and immediately  swinging into action they  showed the utter  irresponsibility and  criminality  in discharging  the ir