December10th, 2013

ALB20131212

Abhyaas Law Bulletin

For the quintessential CLAT aspirant
The Scoop Of The Month

India starts historic mission to Mars

The Editors Column Dear Student, Welcome to the December edition of the Abhyaas law Bulletin. The Congress Party was given a drubbing in the elections to the five state assemblies. Barring Mizoram where it retained power by a comfortable majority, the Congress Party was thrown out of power in Rajasthan and Delhi. The party registered its lowest ever tally in both states. It also failed to unseat the BJP Governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The newly formed Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) made a spectacular debut by winning 28 seats in Delhi. The Group of Ministers (GoM) approved the draft bill to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. The bill is now with the president. Indian Space Program reached new heights after ISRO launched the Mars Orbiter Mission to Mars. The vehicle has now escaped the earths orbit and expected to reach the Mars orbit in September, 2014. Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from Cricket. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna along with Prof CNR Rao. Magnus Carlsen defeated Vishwanathan Anand to win the World Chess Championship 2013. Happy Reading !

The nations prestigious interplanetary mission to Mars, 40 crore km away, got off to a flying start on November 5th when the Indian Space Research Organisations trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) roared off the first launch pad of the spaceport at Sriharikota at 2.38 p.m. and put the Mars orbiter precisely into its earth-orbit about 44 minutes later. This was the first crucial and difficult step in the ISROs Mars Orbiter Mission. However, the XL version of the PSLV achieved it with aplomb. The elliptical orbit achieved was so accurate that against the predicted perigee of 250 km and an apogee of 23,500 km, it went into an orbit of 246.9 km x 23,566 km. The spacecraft first going into orbit around the earth signalled the start of its 300-day voyage to the Red Planet. If everything goes well during this complex and challenging journey through deep space, it will be put into the Mars orbit on September 24, 2014. Mission highlights Two mission highlights are: it was the longest PSLV mission at 44 minutes the previous missions lasted about 18 minutes, and this was the silver jubilee lift-off of the PSLV. Out of the 25 launches, 24 had been successful in a row. (Contd)

(Rakesh Dubbudu)

Index:
Page 2: National Page 3: National & International Page 4: Spotlight

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December10th, 2013 National: Suspense filled the newly-built Mission Control Centre (MCC) when there was a long coasting phase of 25 minutes between the PSLVs third stage burnout and the fourth stage ignition. Tension gripped the MCC again for about half-a-minute for it was only 37 seconds after the fourth stage burnout that the spacecraft was put into orbit. But all this was as planned. The ISRO scientists cup of joy overflowed when M.S. Pannirselvam, Range Operations Director, PSLV-C25, announced tersely from the MCC, Spacecraft separation achieved. It has been successfully put into orbit. Asked later how he felt when he made the announcement, he said, We had no feeling. We were doing our job. Long way to go All former and present brass of ISRO tried to temper the delight by cautioning that there was a long way to go in time and distance before the orbiter was put into the Martian orbit in September 2014. They included present top engineers S. Ramakrishnan, M.Y.S. Prasad, A.S. Kiran Kumar, S.K. Shivakumar, M.C. Dathan, P. Kunhikrishnan and the former ISRO chairmen, U.R. Rao and K. Kasturirangan. They emphasized that while the first job has been successfully done, a long journey lies ahead. Dr. Kasturirangan pointed out that this was the first time that an Indian spacecraft had been sent out of the Earths gravity. Bharat Ratna for Sachin, C.N.R. Rao Sachin Tendulkar, one of crickets greatest heroes, and top scientist C.N.R. Rao were named for the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award. On a day when the Master Blaster bade an emotional adieu to his record-breaking career lasting 24 years, the Prime Ministers Office announced the Bharat Ratna for him. Sachin is the first sportsperson chosen for the honour. The PMO also announced the award for Prof. Rao, a well recognised international authority in solid state and materials chemistry, who has published hundreds of research papers. He is the third scientist, after C. V. Raman and the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. Both Sachin, 40, and Prof. Rao, 79, are also recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour. They join the galaxy of 41 eminent personalities who have been honoured in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954 and the last recipient was Hindustani classical music doyen Bhimsen Joshi, in 2008. Sachin Tendulkar has been named the South Asian brand ambassador by the UNICEF Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has been named the regional brand ambassador by the UNICEF to promote its Total Sanitation Campaign in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. After signing the relevant documents accepting his new role in the presence of Karin Hulshof, UNICEF regional director South Asia, Mr. Tendulkar said he was thrilled to be part of the programme and he would try his utmost to make aware the importance of washing ones hands. Sandhu becomes first woman Chief Information Commissioner Deepak Sandhu, who has been an information commissioner for the last four years became the first woman Chief Information Commissioner of the country. A former Indian Information Service officer of 1971 batch, she was administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended among others by Vice President Hamid Ansari. Ms. Sandhu had served in many key positions such as Principal Director General (Media and Communications) in the Press Information Bureau, Director General of DD (News), Director General (News) All India Radio before taking over as Information Commissioner in 2009. The new CIC said her priority would be to reduce the pendency of cases at the Commission. The 64year old officer is joining office for a relatively smaller tenure of nearly three months in which her biggest challenge would over 30,000 pending cases with the Commission. We are waiting for new Commissioners which are likely to be appointed soon. It will ease our burden of disposal of cases and also reduce the pendency at the Commission, she said. Ms. Sandhu will succeed Satyananda Mishra.

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December10th, 2013 Merkel chosen for Indira Gandhi Prize The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust announced that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be honoured with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013 for her exemplary leadership in Europe and the world during the financial crisis and her stewardship of German economic growth. An international jury headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has chosen her. The Trust said the prize was being given to the German leader because of the work done by her for promotion of global economic stability, her commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries. INS Vikramaditya commissioned in Indian Navy The induction brings the curtains down on a 13-year saga of carrier reconstruction marred by recurrent time slippages, cost overruns and edgy political negotiations. With this, the Navy has inched closer to its dream of concurrently operating three carrier battle groups. As Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral D.K. Joshi said, it would bridge the time-gap between the retirement of the ageing carrier INS Viraat and the underconstruction indigenous carrier INS Vikrant. As part of its integral fleet, Vikramaditya will have the MiG-29 K fighter, of which India has already inducted 20 of the 45 on order, besides Kamov-31 helicopters. The carrier can also support operations of Sea Harrier jump jets, Chetak search and rescue helicopters, Seaking antisubmarine warfare helicopters and the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, which will conduct night-flying operations from its deck at its homeport at Karwar in Karnataka, where it will reach in January. CAG becomes member of UN audit panel The Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shashi Kant Sharma has been elected to the coveted United Nations Board of Auditors for a six-year term. India defeated the Philippines with a convincing margin in the election to the panel. India got the support of China and Pakistan in the elections. A statement from the CAGs office said out of the 186 votes cast, India got 124 votes and the Philippines got 62. Judges panel finds evidence against Ganguly A three-judge committee investigating charges of sexual harassment made by a law intern against Justice A.K. Ganguly, retired Supreme Court judge, has said in its report that the allegations prima facie disclose an act of unwelcome behaviour. The Full Court, at a meeting, considered the report, and it was decided that no further followup action was required as Justice Ganguly was no more a sitting judge. The statement issued by Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam said: Considering the fact that the said intern was not an intern on the rolls of the Supreme Court and that the concerned Judge had already demitted office on account of superannuation on the date of the incident, no further follow up action is required by this court. When contacted, Justice (retd) Ganguly told The Hindu: I dont want to comment without seeing the report. The committee, having scrutinised the statements of the intern, the affidavits of three witnesses and the statement of Justice (retd.) Ganguly, submitted its report on November 28. The CJI said: On account of the fact that the report appeared in the media that it was a Supreme Court Judge, the committee was constituted and it has submitted its report. As decided by the Full Court, it is made clear that the representations made against former judges of this court are not entertainable by the administration of the Supreme Court. Latvian PM resigns over supermarket tragedy Latvias Prime Minister resigned after accepting political responsibility for the collapse of a supermarket roof in the capital that killed 54 people and wounded at least 40 others. Valdis Dombrovskis decision means that his centre-right government automatically falls. He is the longest serving Prime Minister in Latvias history. The collapse of the Maxima supermarket was the worst disaster since Latvia declared its independence from Soviet Union in 1991, and has caused a storm of outrage from Latvians. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of the tragedy. Possible explanations for the disaster include a flawed design, substandard construction materials, and corruption.

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December10th, 2013

This month in pictures:

Justice A P Shah took over as the Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India.

Justice R. Banumathi was appointed Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

Abdullah Yameen won Maldives Presidential Polls.

Shoma Chaudhury resigned as the Editor of Tehelka Magazine after the sexual assault controversy.

Noted Dalit Writer Omprakash Valmiki Passed away.

Tarla Dalal, the Celebrity Cook of India, Passed Away at 77.

Spotlight: Symbiosis Law School, Pune Symbiosis Law School, Pune originally known as Symbiosis Society's Law College, was established in 1977 under the banner of Symbiosis Society. Active clubs and societies of Symbiosis Law School, Pune include the Human Rights Cell (HRC), The Environment Protection and Consumer Rights Organization (Ecocon), Legal Aid and Literacy Cell, Tech Legal Cell, Alumni Cell, Corporate Cell, Law Hawks Forum, International Cell - ILSA, Sports Committee, Law and Economics cell(LAWECON) Admission for Undergraduate Programmes is through Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET)which is a common written test for the admission processes of Undergraduate Institutes of Symbiosis International University (SIU). The Entrance Test is followed by Group Exercise and Personal Interview . The total intake is 200 seats (inclusive of 150 seats of B.B.A.LL.B and 50 seats of B.A.LL.B). Symbiosis Law School, Pune has been ranked fifth and sixth of India Today and Outlook's ranking respectively. SLS is conferred with the honour of being a core partner in the global network of legal institutes, the Erasmus Mundus, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) a grant for bilateral exchange with Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany.

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