All acquitted in 2G ‘No-Scam’. Now, will there be an
APOLOGY, 2JI? 

Dec 22, 2017 03:18 IST




I may also add that for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open court from 10am to 5pm, waiting for someone with some legally admissible evidence in his possession, but all in vain. Not a single soul turned up. This indicates that everybody was going by public perception created by rumour, gossip and speculation. However, public perception has no place in judicial proceedings

Judge O.P. Saini in the 2G case verdict

UIDAI gives conditional nod to Airtel for resuming telecom eKYC verification till January 10

By PTI  |   Published: 21st December 2017 07:30 PM  |  

Airtel allegedly opened accounts of its mobile phone subscribers without seeking their 'informed consent', and LPG subsidy worth crores was being deposited to these accounts. (File Photo)

NEW DELHI: In a breather, Bharti Airtel was today allowed to use Aadhaar for re-verification of its mobile customers till January 10 with stiff riders after it returned Rs 138-crore LPG subsidy flown into unsolicited payment bank accounts.

The Aadhaar-issuing body Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), however, maintained that Airtel Payments Bank eKYC licence will "remain suspended till final enquiry and audit report", sources privy to the development told PTI.

The stiff riders imposed by the UIDAI range from limiting the eKYC only for re-verification of telecom subscribers to Airtel informing its customers within next 24-hours about mapping of the DBT benefits back to the original bank accounts.

The UIDAI issued its second interim order to this effect today.

As per the order, the relief is contingent on Airtel restricting its e-KYC and authentication service only for re-verification and issuance of SIM cards.

The telecom major -- India' largest with 282 million mobile subscribers -- would not be allowed to leverage the same for obtaining consent of the Aadhaar holder for opening bank accounts, wallet, Direct to Home (DTH) or any other goods or services, sources said.

Airtel will now have to inform its customers over next 24 hours that the direct benefit transfers received in their Airtel payment bank accounts have been duly reversed to original bank accounts.

An Airtel spokesperson said that "...we would like to confirm that the UIDAI has allowed Bharti Airtel to resume Aadhaar based e-KYC services. We continue to engage with the authorities".

The UIDAI has asked both Reserve Bank of India and the telecom department to conduct an audit of systems, processes, applications, documentations followed by Bharti Airtel "to ensure that the company is in compliance with their license conditions".

The nodal body for Aadhaar will take a view on the entire issue after it receives a report from both the RBI and the telecom department by January 10.

The decision to temporarily lift the suspension on Bharti Airtel till January 10 was taken after Rs 138-crore direct benefit transfer (DBT) was repaid into 55.63 lakh original accounts of its customers.

Airtel has said that 13.80 lakh Airtel payment bank account holders are already using the DBT subsidy amount and therefore their accounts have not been reversed on the mapper.

But even in those cases, the company will have to provide an option to such customers (via SMS within three days) to switch to their previous DBT-linked bank accounts.

Source said that while taking the decision, the UIDAI kept in mind the convenience of customers and also the looming March 31 deadline given by the Supreme Court for mobile SIM re-verification.

The UIDAI has not allowed Airtel Payment Bank Limited to use eKYC licence key and it shall remain deactivated until further notice.

Both Airtel and Airtel Payments bank came under fire after the the Sunil Mittal-led firm allegedly opened accounts of its mobile phone subscribers without seeking their "informed consent", and LPG subsidy worth crores was deposited into these accounts.

The government acted swiftly in the matter and the UIDAI, in a strong move late last week, temporarily barred the company from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process, and e-KYC of payments bank clients.

Moreover, to avoid a repeat of Bharti Airtel-type fiasco, the UIDAI earlier this week directed banks to seek an explicit consent of the beneficiary before changing the account to which the government subsidy is being remitted.

Airtel gets conditional nod for e-KYC verification

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has “conditionally” allowed Bharti Airtel to conduct Aadhaar-based e-KYC verification for mobile subscribers till January 10, 2018.

The UIDAI, however, maintained e-KYC licence ‘suspension’ order on Airtel Payments Bank. “UIDAI has not allowed Airtel Payments Bank to use e-KYC licence key and it shall remain deactivated until further notice,” said a UIDAI source.

The decision came after Airtel returned Rs 138 crore meant for LPG subsidy into the original account of 55.63 lakh customers which the telecom firm allegedly transferred into Airtel Payments Bank accounts of customers without their “informed consent”.

The telecom company has also deposited an interim penalty of Rs 2.54 cr with UIDAI.

A source said the decision to allow the telecom giant to conduct Aadhaar-based e-KYC for mobile subscribers is aimed at facilitating the customers “to comply with Supreme Court’s order of re-verifications of SIMs”.

According to the fresh order, Airtel will have to send messages to its customers within 24 hours that their direct benefit transfer (DBT) accounts have been reverted to the originally designated bank account.

Airtel will also inform its customers in the next 24 hours that the DBTs received in their Airtel Payments Bank accounts have been duly reversed to original bank accounts.

A source said the telecom firm can use the e-KYC and authentication service only for reverification and issuance of SIM cards and it will not be allowed to leverage the same for obtaining consent of the Aadhaar holder for opening bank accounts, e-wallet, DTH or any other goods or services.

Top court: Raja wanted to favour some companies at the cost of exchequer
Clean Chit Contrary To SC Findings

Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A trial court’s unexpected clean chit on Thursday to all accused in the 2G spectrum scam case runs counter to the Supreme Court’s February 2, 2012 judgment cancelling all 122 licences after finding the allotments illegal and imposing a fine of ₹17 crore on seven undeserving beneficiaries.

The SC, through then judges G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly, had a lot to say on the involvement of the then telecom minister in the “arbitrary” allotment of 2G spectrum. “The exercise undertaken by the officers of the department of telecom between September 2007 and March 2008, under the leadership of the then minister of communications and information technology, was wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest apart from being violative of the doctrine of equality,” it had said. After hearing the counsel for all accused and telecom companies, the SC bench had said, “The material produced before the court shows that the minister of communications and information technology wanted to favour some companies at the cost of the public exchequer.”

Surely, somebody had to be responsible for all these illegalities. However, on Thursday, the trial court found no one responsible for the ‘arbitrary and capricious’ distribution of scarce natural resources.

“The SC had said the then communications minister was “very much conscious of the fact that the secretary, finance, had objected to the allocation of 2G spectrum at the rate fixed in 2001, but did not consult the finance minister or the office of the finance ministry”. The bench had said, “The minister of communications and IT brushed aside the suggestion made by the minister of law and justice for placing the matter before the empowered group of ministers.

“Not only this, within few hours of the receipt of the suggestion made by the PM in his November 2, 2007, letter that keeping in view the inadequacy of spectrum, transparency and fairness should be maintained in the matter of allocation thereof, the minister of C&IT rejected the same by saying it will be unfair, discriminatory, arbitrary and capricious to auction the spectrum to new applicants because it will not give them level playing field.”

The SC had found that the variation of cut-off date and change of first-come firstserved policy “enabled some of the applicants, who had access either to the minister or the officers of DoT, to get demand drafts, bank guarantee etc prepared in advance for compliance of the conditions of the letters of intent, which was the basis for determination of seniority for grant of licences and allocation of spectrum”.

The SC had said, “The manner in which the exercise for grant of LoIs to the applicants was conducted on January 10, 2008, leaves no room for doubt that everything was stage managed to favour those who were able to know in advance the change in the implementation of the firstcome first-served policy.”

In the concluding part of the February 2012 judgment, the SC had imposed a cost of ₹5 crore each on Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd (Swan Telecom Ltd), Unitech Wireless Group and Tata Teleservices Ltd, who “benefited at the cost of public exchequer by a wholly arbitrary and unconstitutional action taken by DoT” to grant licences, allot spectrum in 2G band.

TNPSC scam: High Court impleads all 74 selected candidates

TNN | Updated: Dec 22, 2017, 06:39 IST

CHENNAI: Noting that the interim reports of investigation into the alleged scam in the recent TNPSC group I exams suggests certain allegations of corruption, the Madras high court on Thursday suo motu impleaded all the 74 candidates who were selected through the exams.
Justice SM Subramaniam also ordered the court registry to issue notice to the TNPSC. The issue was brought to light by a transsexual woman, S Swapna, who approached the high court seeking a probe.

Swapna came to know about the scam when a private television channel aired a news report alleging large scale scam in group I exams based on blank answer sheets of TNPSC in their possession.

A forensic test ordered by the high court confirmed that blank answer sheets of TNPSC in possession of a private television channel are original and printed in same printer.

This apart, the investigating officer submitted that the answer sheets were actually sent to the television channel by an anonymous person, in an attempt to expose the scam.

The authorities also said on inspection of the TNPSC office premises, it was found that blank answer sheets stocked openly on pavements near officers' cabins. "Only sheets used by candidates were secured inside a room under the custody of the controller of examination. The blank sheets were also unaccounted for," they said.

According to Swapna, the written examinations were conducted on July 29, 30 and 31, of 2016 for 68 vacancies. She managed to clear the preliminary examination and appeared in the next levels but failed to clear.

Swapna happened to watch a news report about malpractices in the exams. The channel also claimed that they have registered a formal complaint with the police commissioner's office and the chief minister's cell about the same.

The report prompted her to get hold of her answer sheet copy through an RTI

No proof of scam: Court A scam of lies: Congress

In A Stunning Verdict, CBI Judge Acquits All Accused In 2G Case, Slams Shoddy Prosecution & ‘Well Choreographed Chargesheet’

Aamir Khan & Abhinav Garg TNN

New Delhi: Holding that the 2G spectrum scam of 2008 was “conjectured” by some people, a CBI court on Thursday acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK chief K Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, wellknown businessmen, bureaucrats and all other accused, a stunning twist in the case which along with other scandals came to symbolise the crony capitalism which allegedly flourished under UPA, provoking popular fury which helped BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In his 1,552-page order, special judge O P Saini held that there was no criminality or conspiracy in 2G spectrum allotment and said some people created a “scam by artfully arranging a few selected facts and exaggerating things beyond recognition to astronomical levels”.

Others who were acquitted

included prominent businessmen Ravi Ruia, Anshuman Ruia, I P Khaitan, Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka, Sanjay Chandra, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and R K Chandolia, who served as PS to Raja in the telecom ministry.

The order, which came seven years after the Supreme Court set up a special court to try the accused, was categorical in holding that the controversial former telecom minister did no wrong and pinned the blame on multiple government agencies — from Manmohan Singh’s PMO to ministries of finance and law as well as DoT officers.

“Nobody believed the version of DoT and a huge scam was seen by everyone where there was none,” the order said.

Saini also came down heavily on the CBI, charging the investigating agency with shoddiness and approaching the case in fits and starts. The judge, who had earlier discharged another UPA minister Dayanidhi Maran of DMK and his brother Kalanidhi in a 2G scam-related case, said he had “absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused, made in its well choreographed chargesheet”. The case relates to the decision of Raja, a nominee of DMK in the Manmohan Singh government, to award 122 telecom licences in 2008 at 2001 rates, which according to CAG estimates resulted in presumptive loss of up to ₹1.76 lakh crore.


Trial court clean chit contrary to SC order


The trial court’s clean chit runs counter to the SC order cancelling all 122 licences. The SC had said: “The exercise... under the leadership of the then minister... was arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest...” P12

CBI will move high court against verdict


C BI will move the Delhi high court against the acquittals, saying the trial court had failed to “appreciate in proper perspective the evidence submitted by it”. CBI said the trial court ignored “documentary evidence”. P11

Court: PMO officials suppressed facts


The CBI special court observed that key officials in the Manmohan Singh PMO — secretary Pulok Chatterjee and principal secretary TKA Nair — suppressed the relevant and controversial part of former minister A Raja’s letter to Manmohan Singh.P11

Manmohan: Glad that court said case has no foundation

Congress said BJP’s “propaganda and lies” was exposed and PM Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley should apologise for the misinformation.

Reacting to the judgment, Jaitley asserted that there was no doubt about a scam having taken place, saying the 2G allocations in 2008 were based on pricing discovered in 2001and were arbitrary and opaque. “The cut-off dates for eligibility were manipulated and the first-come firstserved principle twisted to ensure a select few got the licences to run telecom services,” he said.

Former PM Manmohan Singh, who has been accused of not being able to check Raja’s actions, said the case lacked substance. “I am glad that the court has pronounced unambiguously that all this massive propaganda which was being done against the UPA was without any foundation,” he said.

While the trial court’s order will be appealed, the political battle promises to rage for a while as questions over the efficacy of the prosecution were discussed in BJP in the context of the court’s remarks that witnesses were not adequately examined and the investigation failed to establish proceeds of crime.

BJP leaders, however, said the trial court ignored several issues and the huge difference in revenue earned in auctions for spectrum beginning in the UPA term itself and thereafter when NDA assumed office made it evident that the 2G allocations were seriously tainted by irregularities. “This order is questionable on several counts, it will be appealed and all efforts will be made to ensure relevant issues are considered,” said a senior minister.

தாய்ப்பால் போற்றுதும்!

By ஐவி. நாகராஜன்  |   Published on : 22nd December 2017 02:33 AM

குடும்பம் குழந்தைகள் வேலை எனப் பல்வேறு பணிகளை சுமக்கும் இன்றைய பெண்களுக்குத் தங்களுடைய கர்ப்ப காலத்தில் குழந்தைகளைக் காப்பதும் ஒரு முக்கியமான பணி. குழந்தை பிறந்த பிறகு எதையெல்லாம் செய்ய வேண்டுமோஅவற்றையெல்லாம் நாம் செய்யத் தவறுகிறோம். அதோடு குழந்தை கருவிலே இருக்கும்போது நாம் செய்ய வேண்டிய பணிகள் ஏராளம் இருக்கின்றன. அதில் முகவும் முக்கியமானது கருவிலே இருக்கும் குழந்தையிடம் நலம் ஏற்படுத்தும் பந்தமாகும்.

நமது நாடு பல நிலைகளில் தன்னிறைவை அடைந்திருந்தாலும் பிறந்த குழந்தையின் உணவாகத் தாய்ப்பாலைக் கொடுப்பதில் பின்னடைவு அடைந்துள்ளது. இதனால் ஆண்டுதோறும் 5 வயதிற்குட்பட்ட மழலையர்கள் மண்ணில் மடிகின்றனர். 

இந்தப் பரிதாப நிலையைக் குழந்தைகளுக்கு முழுமையாக தாய்ப்பால் கொடுப்பதன் மூலம் பொருத்தமான இணை உணவுகளை (வீட்டிலேயே தயாரிக்கக் கூடிய) கொடுப்பதால் மட்டுமே சரி செய்ய முடியும். இதற்கு விலை உயர்ந்த மருந்துகளோ, சிகிச்சைகளோ உதவி செய்யாது.
தாய்ப்பாலூட்டுதல் வளம் குன்றா வளர்ச்சிக்குத் திறவுகோல் என்ற மையக் கருத்தை நாம் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் ஆக.1-ஆம் தேதி முதல் 7-ஆம் தேதிவரை உலக தாய்ப்பால் வாரம் கடைப்பிடிக்கப்படுகிறது. இருப்பினும் இதுகுறித்த விழிப்புணர்வு பெண்களிடம் இல்லை. தாய்ப்பாலின் முக்கியத்துவம் குறித்த புரிதலும் மக்களிடம் இல்லை.
குழந்தை பிறந்த உடனேயே காக்கும் சீம்பால் சிசுவிற்கு நோய் எதிர்ப்பு சக்தியை அளித்து சிசுவை மரணத்திலிருந்தும், நோய்களிலிருந்தும் காக்கிறது. சீம்பால் இயற்கையான முதல் தடுப்பு மருந்தாக செயல்படுகிறது. தொடர்ந்து தாய்ப்பால் குடிக்கும் குழந்தை சரியான மூளை, உடல் மற்றும் மனவளர்ச்சியுடன் குடும்பப் பாசத்துடன் சிறந்து விளங்குகிறது. 

தாய்ப்பாலிலும் நமது பாரம்பரிய உணவுகளிலும் ஊட்டச்சத்துக்கள் ஏராளமாக உள்ளன. அதை முறையாக ஊட்டுவதன் மூலம் நமது குழந்தைகளை நோய்களிலிருந்தும் இறப்பிலிருந்தும் காக்க முடியும். மருந்துகளோ, மருத்துவமனைகளோ தேவையில்லை என்பதை நாம் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். 

உலக சுகாதார நிறுவனம், உலகளாவிய தாய்ப்பால் ஊக்குவிப்போர் கூட்டணி போன்றவை குழைந்தைகளுக்கு குறைந்தபட்சம் 2 வயதுவரை தாய்ப்பால் புகட்ட வேண்டும் என்பதை வலியுறுத்துகின்றன. முதல் 6 மாதம் - 180 நாட்கள் - தாய்ப்பால் மட்டும் புகட்ட வேண்டும். 6 மாதம் முடிந்தபின் தாய்ப்பாலுடன் வீட்டு உணவுகளை மட்டும் ஊட்ட வேண்டும் என சிபாரிசு செய்கின்றன.

சமீபத்திய மாவட்ட அளவிலான ஆய்வின்படி குழந்தைபிறந்த ஒரு மணி நேரத்திற்குள்ளாகத் தாய்ப்பால் புகட்டுவோர் 69 சதவீதம் பேர் மட்டுமே என்றும் 52 சதவீத தாய்மார்கள் 5 மாதம் வரை தாய்ப்பால் மட்டுமே கொடுக்கிறார்கள் எனத் தெரிய வந்துள்ளது. இது கடந்த 2004-இல் 62 சதவீதமாக இருந்தது, தற்போது 52 சதவீதமாகக் குறைந்துள்ளது கவனிக்க தக்கது.
நமது இந்திய அரசும் இந்திய குழந்தைகள் நல மருத்துவ சங்கமும் தேசியசிசு மருத்துவ சங்கமும் சிசு மற்றும் குழந்தைகள் நோய் மற்றும் மரணத்தை தடுப்பற்குத் தாய்ப்பாலே சிறந்தது என வற்புறுத்துகின்றன. 

தமிழக அரசு தாய்ப்பால் ஊட்டுவதை ஊக்கப்படுத்த அரசுப் பணியளர்களுக்கு 6 மாதம் சம்பளதுடன் கூடிய மகப்பேறு விடுப்பு வழங்கியும் பொது இடங்களில் தாய்ப் பாலூட்ட வசதியாகப் பிரத்யேக அறைகளை ஏற்படுத்தியும் தாய்ப்பால் சுரப்பதை அதிகப்படுத்த அம்மா பெட்டகத்தின் செளபாக்ய சண்டி லேகியம் மற்றும் கர்ப்பிணிப் பெண்களுக்கு நெல்லிக்காய் லேகியம் வழங்கியும் பல உதவிகளைப் புரிந்தது. 

பாரத அரசு தாய்ப்பால் ஊட்டுவதற்கு இடையூறு செய்பவர்களைத் தடுக்கவும் தண்டிக்கவும் தாய்ப்பால் பாதுகாப்புச் சட்டம் 2003 ஐஎம்எஸ் ஆக்ட் சட்டத்தை நமது நாட்டில் நடைமுறைப்படுத்திஅதன் அதிகபட்ச தண்டனையாக 3 ஆண்டு சிறை தண்டனையும் விதிக்கிறது. 

அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் நிறுவன பணியாளர்கள் தாய்ப்பால் இடைவேளையை நடைமுறைப்படுத்தியது. அதுவும் இப்போது என்ன நிலைமை என்று தெரியவில்லை.
அரசும் நிறுவனங்களும் பல சலுகைகளை அளிப்பது மட்டும் போதாது. வீட்டிலிருக்கும் தாய்க்கும் வயல் வெளிகளில் தினக்கூலியாக வேலை செய்யும் தாய்மார்களுக்கும் தாய்ப்பால் ஊட்ட உகந்த சூழ்நிலையை உருவாக்கித் தர வேண்டும். தாய்ப்பால் ஊட்டும் தாய்க்கு குடும்பத்தினரும் அனைத்து தரப்பினரும் ஒத்திசைவாக இருந்து தாய் நன்கு சாப்பிடவும், சந்தோஷமாகப் போதிய ஓய்வுடனும் இருக்குமாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். பாலூட்டும் தாய்க்குப் பத்தியம் என்னும் பெயரில் பட்டினி போடக் கூடாது. 

சத்து மிகுந்த அனைத்து உணவுகளையும் காய்கறி, பழம், தண்ணீர் போன்றவற்றை தாரளமாக சாப்பிட ஊக்கப்படுத்தி, தினமும் உணவை உண்ண வழிவகை செய்திட வேண்டும்.
தாய்ப்பால் கொடுப்பது தாயின் மார்புமற்றும் சினைப்பை புற்றுநோயைத் தடுத்து, உதிரப் போக்கையும் நிறுத்தி, தாயின் உயிரைக் காப்பாற்றுவதுடன் ரத்த சோகை வராமலும் தடுக்கிறது.தொடர்ந்து தாய்ப்பால் கொடுப்பது தாயின் அடி வயிற்றுப் பகுதி சதையைக் குறைத்து, தாயைப் பாதுகாக்குகிறது.

இதுபோல் எண்ணிலடங்கா சிறப்புகளைக் கொண்ட தாய்ப்பாலை அனைவரும் குழந்தைகளுக்குக் கொடுத்திட வேண்டும். தாய்ப்பால் ஊக்குவிப்போர் கூட்டமைப்பின் எதிர்பார்ப்பும் அதுதான். நோயில்லாத வளமிக்க, வலிமையான பாரதத்தையும் உலகையும் உருவாக்க அனைவரும் தாய்ப்பாலை ஊக்குவிப்போம்.
தாயிற் சிறந்த கோயிலுமில்லை, தாய்ப்பாலினும் சிறந்த உணவுமில்லை என்பதை உலகிற்கு உணர்த்துவோம்.