Jairam removes convocation gown, calls it ‘barbaric prac’

Jairam removes convocation gown, calls it ‘barbaric prac’

Bhopal, April 2: Stoking a potential controversy, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today called as “barbaric colonial relics” the practice of wearing the traditional coloured robe at convocation ceremonies and publicly removed his own gown at one such event.

“I still have not been able to figure out after 60 years of Independence why we stick to this barbaric colonial relics,” Ramesh said while addressing students at the seventh convocation of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM.

Ramesh also posed a question as to why there cannot be a convocation with everyone sporting a simple dress.

“Why we cannot have a convocation in simple dress instead of coming dressed up as medieval vicars and popes,” he asked, as he removed his gown worn over his trademark white kurta.

Ramesh’s dramatic action drew a loud applause from the assembled gathering. (PTI)

India guarantees compulsory education to children

India guarantees compulsory education to children

India today gave the right to all its children to have access to elementary education, becoming among a handful of countries in the world that legally guarantees free and compulsory education to millions of deprived children. Citing his own example, Prime Minister Manmohan

Slow justice contradicts India’s democratic strengths: PM

Slow justice contradicts India’s democratic strengths: PM

NEW DELHI, March 27: India’s legal and judicial system reflects “great contradiction”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday urging that the justice delivery mechanism needed to be expedited to strengthen the country’s democratic roots.

“The Indian legal and judicial system is one of the solid pillars of our democracy... Our government attaches great importance to the legal empowerment of the common man,” Manmohan Singh said, addressing a day-long national convention of Law, Justice and the Common Man.

The Prime Minister said democracy held “little meaning for the common man” unless he or she is able to secure basic rights and gain easy access to speedy justice.

“The Indian legal and judicial system in some sense reflects great contradiction Our democracy and legal system have strengths that are admired all over the world. We have a free press, a true independent judiciary and independent institutions like the Election Commission and Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which underpin our democratic framework,” he said.

Sensex fails to maintain initial gains, up 51 points

STAFF WRITER 11:48 HRS IST

Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) The BSE benchmark sensex failed to maintain initial gains on profit-booking ahead of the expiry of the near-month March 2010 derivatives contracts on March 25.

The BSE benchmark resumed higher at 17,422.51 and shot up further to 17,530.79 on firm Asian cues before quoting at 17,461.26 at 1015 hours, still showing a gain of 50.69 points or 0.29 per cent from its previous close.

The market rebounded by a surprise hike in short term interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which it announced after trading hours on last Friday, yesterday.

The NSE 50-share nifty also moved up by 16.70 points or 0.32 per cent to 5,221.90 at 1015 hours from its last close.