Punjab SIT probing sacrilege calls Akshay Kumar for questioning
NEW DELHI: India’s top business schools are set to get new Boards of Governors by next month with the human resource development (HRD) ministry on Monday approving the process for reconstitution of these bodies in all twenty Indian Institutes of Management (IIMS) in keeping with the new IIM Act passed last year.
The Boards are authorized to decide fee structures, create posts in both academic and administrative sections and can also set up new departments. The previous thinking in the HRD ministry was to retro-fit existing boards but the law ministry advised against this.
The government announced that the process of identifying the new boards would kick off with the three ex-officio members – the director, a representative of the state government and a representative of the Centre—picking a chairperson. In most cases, the existing chairperson is likely to be retained. The chairperson and the ex-officio members will pick five alumni. At the first meeting of the board, these nine members will frame regulations for the selection of four eminent persons, and two faculty members, for the board.current eligible board members are likely to be re-elected.
The Centre also decided to immediately withdraw its other representatives, in excess of the provisions of the IIM Act. This will pave way for complete control of the institutions by reputed academicians and alumni, the HRD ministry said in a statement.
“The process of constitution of Boards for the IIMS, which have been given full powers of running the institutions, is a major development that signals complete autonomy of quality institutions in higher education and will ensure quality expansion of higher education,” union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar added in the statement.
The IIM Act provides more autonomy for the premier B-schools. The process is likely to be completed by December 15, the statement said.
“Giving comprehensive autonomy to institutions of higher education is of course a very welcome step. That such an autonomy is being given to IIMS is a path-breaking step. However, it must be understood that academic and administrative autonomy is heavily dependent upon availability of financial resources and freedom to spend it in an autonomous manner,” said former UGC member Prof Inder Mohan Kapahy CHANDIGARH::THE Punjab police’s special investigation team (SIT), probing the cases of sacrilege of the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib in 2015, on Monday summoned actor Akshay Kumar, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, for questioning. The sacrilege had triggered protests across Punjab and two people were killed when police fired on protest marches in Faridkot.
A retired justice Ranjit Singhled inquiry commission had found that the sacrilege was linked to the pardon that the Akal Takht, the chief centre of the Sikh religious authority, had granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim over the blasphemy charges. Rahim faced the charges in 2007 for dressing like Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son had allegedly secured the pardon for him. Kumar had allegedly mediated between the Badals and Rahim for the pardon.
The commission indicated the involvement of Rahim’s followers in the sacrilege cases. It concluded the pardon “played the role of catalyst in the sacrilege incidents” in 2015
The SIT has summoned Kumar to Amritsar on November 21 to record his statement over his alleged links with Rahim, who was convicted of rape in August 2017.
Kumar tweeted a statement denying any links with Rahim on Monday. He dismissed as “rumours and false statements” being made “loosely on the social media” about his involvement with Rahim in context with a “fictitious meeting” with Sukhbir Badal. He said he has never met Rahim.
The commission referred to former MLA Harbans Jalal’s letter dated October 9, 2017, saying that the meeting purportedly took place at Kumar’s Mumbai residence for the release of Rahim’s movie, MSG-2, in Punjab.
The movie was released in Punjab after the pardon, which was later revoked following backlash from Sikh organisations. .
SIT member Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh said they issued the summons based on the evidence they have recorded.
“A tweet cannot be taken as a statement. Kumar will have to appear in person to answer questions.”
› The process of constitution of Boards for the IIMS, which have been given full powers of running the institutions, is a major development PRAKASH JAVADEKAR , Union HRD minister
AGARTALA: Amidst a controversy over dropping International Workers Rights Day or May Day from the list of state government holidays, Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has told government employees that they do not need a holiday on the day as they are not “labourers or workers”.
“Are you people in the secretariat labourers? Am I a labourer? No, I am the chief minister. You view official files. Are you working in the industrial sector? No, you don’t. Then why do you require holiday on that day? What do you want to mourn?” Deb said at a programme of the Gazetted Officers’ Sangh in Agartala on Sunday.
Last week, the BJP government in Tripura decided to designate May 1 as a restricted holiday.
Deb said May Day is only for workers and added that the BJP- IPFT government in the state has therefore decided only to give a holiday to those in the industrial sector.
Other state government employees may still opt for it, because it is a restricted holiday, but the government will make a note of those who do so. Deb warned.
The opposition CPI(M) has demanded that the government withdraw its decision.
“The day has been a holiday in the state since the first Left Front government came to power in 1978. We demand the government to withdraw its decision,” said CPM leader Haripada Das.