UP government decides to scrap SC/ST quota in promotion

May 5, 2012

Lucknow, May 5: The Uttar Pradesh government late on Friday night decided to implement the Supreme Court order upholding the Allahabad high court's verdict to quash provision of reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) officers and employees in promotions. As a first step in this direction, the state cabinet approved the decision to remove the reservation system from promotion.

Since the state assembly is not in session, the UP cabinet decided to bring an ordinance to repeal the existing rule related to reservation in promotions. A formal proposal will be later placed before the assembly session expected to be held in second week of May for approval.

The Supreme Court had on April 30 upheld the high court order to scrap quota in promotions. The legal battle on the issue had started soon after the Mayawati government took charge in 2007. The BSP government decided to implement the quota for SC/ST in recruitment as well as in promotions.

The order was challenged in the high court by a section of employees who were adversely affected by it. The high court had last year quashed the provision describing quota in promotion as unconstitutional. The Mayawati government, however, challenged the high court order in the apex court. However, when the Supreme Court upheld the high court order, BSP supremo Mayawati, who is now a member of Rajya Sabha, earlier this week raised the issue in Parliament and demanded amendment in the constitutional provision to provide quota to SC/ST in promotions in government services.

While the matter is being debated in Parliament with Mayawati playing the dalit card and Congress trying to placate her to win support for presidential elections, the SP government in the state decided to implement the Supreme Court order. However, sources said that the Akhilesh Yadav government has adopted a 'balanced' approach'. It has decided not to allow reservation in promotions from now onwards.

This, sources said, means that those SC/ST employees and officers who have already been promoted during the Mayawati regime, would not be demoted. As a result, some two lakh government personnel of the SC/ST category, who got seniority due to promotion, will remain where they are. On the other hand, the decision of 'not allowing quota in promotions from now onwards' would affect around 20 lakh government personnel belonging to the general and other backward classes category.

The government swung into action following the threat by the employees opposing quota in promotions to hold agitation over the delay in implementation of Supreme Court order. However, a section of employees benefited by the quota in promotions has decided to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the apex court for the review of the April 30 order.

"Resolving the promotional issue was one of the election promises of the SP. After being voted to power, the SP government is morally committed to fulfill it. The matter is thus top priority for the government. The change is being done now to avoid violation of election code of conduct which would be in place after announcement of civic polls by the end of this month," said a senior officer.

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Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai as India-Afghan ties improve

News Network

November 12,2024

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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Adani Group in Crisis: $30 Billion Wiped Out after US Bribery and Fraud Charges Emerge

News Network

November 21,2024

Shares of Adani Group companies lost about $28 billion in market value in morning trade on Thursday after US prosecutors charged the billionaire chairman of the Indian conglomerate in an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.

Gautam Adani's flagship company Adani Enterprises tumbled 23 per cent, while Adani Ports, Adani Total Gas, Adani Green, Adani Power, Adani Wilmar and Adani Energy Solutions, ACC , Ambuja Cements and NDTV fell between 20 per cent and 90 per cent.

Adani group's 10 listed stocks had a total market capitalisation of about $141 billion at 0534 GMT, compared to $169.08 billion on Tuesday.

US authorities said Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years, and develop India's largest solar power plant project.

Adani Green in a statement on Thursday said the US Justice Department had issued a criminal indictment against board members Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani and the Securities and Exchange Commission had issued a civil complaint against them.

The US Justice Department also included Adani Green board member Vneet Jaain in the criminal indictment, it said.

Adani Green's units had decided not to proceed with the proposed US dollar denominated bond offerings due to developments, it added.

"Investors will shy away from Adani Group stocks ... and that's what this sharp selling is signifying," said Saurabh Jain, assistant vice president of retail equities research at SMC Global Securities.

"This could hurt the credibility of the group and maybe borrowing costs will rise," he said.

The indictment comes nearly two years after US shortseller Hindenburg Research alleged that Adani had improperly used tax havens and was involved in stock manipulation, allegations the conglomerate denied.

Also in early Asian trading on Thursday, Adani dollar bonds slumped, with prices down 3c-5c on bonds for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone. The falls were the largest since the Adani Group came under a short-seller attack in February 2023.

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