4 SEPTEMBER 2014: Tata residence gets UNESCO prize

Ø  Unhappy with the government’s affidavit setting out its plans to clean the Ganga, the Supreme Court said it wanted to monitor the progress made in efforts to restore the river and asked for a roadmap. A Bench comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and R. Banumathi is hearing the case.  It seems the Ganga will not be cleaned even after 200 years.

Ø  The Department of Personnel and Training has notified amendments giving autonomy to the Lokpal search committee to shortlist and recommend names independently for selection of Chairman and members of the anti-corruption body. The amendments act as a course correction after the former Supreme Court judge Justice K.T. Thomas opted out from heading the search committee in March 2014, citing lack of autonomy. Eminent jurist Fali Nariman too had turned down the post of a member of the panel for that reason.

Ø  President Pranab Mukherjee has cleared the appointment of Justice H.L. Dattu, the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, as the 42nd Chief Justice of India. Justice Dattu could become the last Chief Justice of India to be appointed under the collegium system of judicial appointments. If the States ratify the National Judicial Appointments Commission, a constitutional body, the collegium system will come to an end and the executive will get an equal role in appointments to the highest judiciary. Justice Dattu will become the Chief Justice of India after the retirement of CJI R.M. Lodha on September 27, 2014. He will hold the post for a little over a year until his retirement on December 2, 2015.

Ø  Mumbai’s Esplanade House, once the residence of Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata empire, and the Shri Sakhargad Nivasini Devi Temple Complex in Satara are among the 14 projects from 10 countries that bagged the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards that were announced in Bangkok. The awards recognise efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring and conserving heritage structures and buildings.

Ø  India and Bangladesh have reached a decision on ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and ensure zero border killings. The agreement signed in 1972 was not ratified by India under various domestic compulsions. Bangladesh ratified it in 1974.

Ø  China will set up two industrial parks in India, one each in Gujarat and Maharashtra, and the two countries are expected to sign agreements for this soon. Chinese Consul-General in Mumbai, Liu Youfa, told presspersons here on Tuesday that a park would come up near Pune on about 5 sq. km and another near Ahmedabad on about 10 sq. km. The park in Maharashtra will be focussed on automobile sector and that in Gujarat on the power sector. The Pune park will be completed in about 12 years in three stages and is likely to see total investment of $5 billion. The first phase will be completed in three years. Bilateral trade between the two countries during the first three quarters of this year (2014) is expected to be nearly $56 billion. In order to adjust the trade imbalance, there should be more two-way investments. China’s direct investments in India were to the tune of $1 billion and Indian investment in China was $4 billion.