Union Cabinet clears Presidential Reference in Ganguly issue

The Union Cabinet  gave its nod for making a Presidential Reference to the Supreme Court for removal of Justice A.K. Ganguly as Chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission. 

The process will be set in motion once the Reference under Article 143 is sent to the court for its advisory opinion. Under Article 143, the President may refer a dispute of any kind to the Supreme Court for its opinion and it may, after a hearing as it thinks fit, report to the President. 

The Terms of Reference are: will the prima facie indictment by a three-judge probe panel that Justice Ganguly made ‘unwelcome sexual advances’ towards a law intern amount to proven misconduct? If the answer is ‘yes’, can it be a ground warranting his removal under Section 23 (1A) of the Protection of Human Rights Act?

Anna Hazare praised the Aam Aadmi Party

Anna Hazare, guru of  Arvind Kejriwal,  praised the Aam Aadmi Party and said the members  of APP were “social workers, not political workers.” The statement was made one day ahead of  vote of confidence in the Delhi Assembly.

India signs labour cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia with Saudi Arabia

India signed a labour cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia for the welfare of the Indian workers in Saudi Arabia.

 

The agreement  will cover about a quarter of the 28 lakh Indian expatriates working there

The agreement regulates contractual relations between employers and domestic workers, ensures authenticity and implementation of the employment contract, promises action against recruitment agencies violating laws and seeks to establish a mechanism to provide 24 hours assistance to domestic workers. A standard employment contract would set out minimum wages, working hours, paid holidays and a dispute settlement mechanism.

The agreement will be monitored by a committee of senior officials.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), relaxed the criteria for power generation projects to qualify as mega power projects. This will qualify 15 additional projects for the benefits under the mega power project policy. 

“To avail of the benefits under the (Mega Power) policy, the developer must tie up at least 65 per cent of the installed capacity through competitive bidding,’’ Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after announcing that the CCEA had cleared the Power Ministry’s proposal of changes to the Mega Power Policy. “The balance 35 per cent of the installed capacity should be through the regulated tariff according to the host State’s policy.” 

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Maldives prefers out-of-court pact with GMR on airport project

The visiting  Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen said that Maldives is in negotiations with GMR, whose over $500 million Male airport project was scrapped, for an out of court settlement and not through arbitration

However rule out the GMR’s come back the Male airport project as it is highly politicised case” in Maldives

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Mammen Mathew selected for prestigious journalism Lokmanya Tilak National Award

Mammen Mathew, The Chief Editor and Managing Director of Malayala Manorma , has been chosen for prestigious journalism award instituted by a trust founded by Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on 31 December 2013. 

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India scraps VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland

India  terminated the Rs. 3,726-crore, scam-ridden VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland International Limited (AWIL) on the grounds of breach of pre-contract integrity pact (PCIP). The deal for supply of 12 choppers, of which three have already been delivered, came under the scanner following allegations of kickbacks to senior Indian Air Force officers and others to the tune of nearly Rs. 360 crore.

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