SC upholds appointment of Guj Lokayukta: Lokayukta Issue: Congresstakes on Modi, says 'dictatorship was prevailing in Gujarat'

New Delhi, Jan 2 (ANI): The Congress Party on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to reject the Gujarat Government's challenge to the appointment of retired judge R.A. Mehta as the state's Lokayukta, and said the verdict proves beyond doubt that dictatorship was prevailing in Gujarat.

Congress General Secretary B.K. Hariprasad said the apex court's verdict regarding the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat proves that the decision taken Governor Kamla Beniwal is perfect.

"And, it has proved beyond doubt, that in Gujarat, there was no democratic norms and practice. And, it has proved beyond doubt, that in Gujarat, that dictatorship was prevailing," he added.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi also welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict, saying it is unfortunate that there was no Lokayukta in Gujarat for the last eight years.

"And, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Gujarat made all attempts to ensure that a Lokayukta in Gujarat is not appointed, they even demanded that the state Governor should be called back," he added.

Alvi also questioned the BJP move's double standards on the issue of Lokpal and Lokayukta.

Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld the appointment of Justice (retired) Mehta as the state's Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal.

The apex court, which rejected the Modi Government's contention that the Lokayukta was appointed unilaterally by the Governor, and hence, had breached the constitutional norms and was done without taking its consent, said that appointment was valid as the Governor had appointed the Lokayukta after taking into consideration the views of the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court.

Governor Beniwal had appointed Justice (retired) Mehta to the post of Lokayukta in Gujarat on August 25 last year. The post had been lying vacant for the last eight years.

The Gujarat High Court had earlier on January 18 last year upheld the appointment of Lokayukta by the Governor, while dismissing the plea of the state challenging it.

RBI chief Subbarao to handle monetary policy department

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India said on Tuesday the monetary policy department will directly report to Governor Duvvuri Subbarao till further orders, with Subir Gokarn's term as a deputy governor coming to a close.

The departments of economic and policy research and statistics and information management will also report to the governor, the central bank said in a statement.
Gokarn's three-year term was supposed to end on November 24, but was extended to December 31. He was in charge of the monetary policy department among others, and also represented the RBI at the G-20 Deputies' forum.

Cricket Magic Moments: The Persistence of Memory

As we consign 2012 to the vault of memory let us look back on the cricket moments that made it the year it was. From Tendulkar's 100th hundred to Gayle Gangnam magic, it's all here in pictures.

Kohli burns Lanka down: The Delhi lad had a defining season, the cap on which was provided by his hair-raising 86-ball 133 against Sri Lanka in the CB Series down under. Kohli had made a habit of seeing chase through, and this one was no exception. India needed 321 in 40 overs to stay alive in the tri-series and the relentless pace at which he gathered his runs helped his side overhaul the requirement with ease. He smashed 16 fours and 4 sixes as India gunned down the target in just 36.4 overs. Kohli was especially severe on the Lankan spearhead Lasith Malinga, who was carted for 96 runs in 7.4 overs, the worst ever figures for a bowler in ODIs. 

 

Rehman floors England: It's not often that Saeed Ajmal gets overshadowed in the spin department. But left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman managed precisely that at Abu Dhabi. Generally considered to be a tight, economical foil to the wicket-taking guile of Ajmal, Rehman came into his own in the second Test against England. The 'visitors' were set 144 to win when the left-armer ripped through their top order, curtailing the innings on 72. Rehman generated sharp turn and bounce to claim 6/25 and went on to take 19 in the series as Pakistan completed a 3-0 whitewash. 

 

Sachin's 100th hundred: Even for a country obsessed with records, rarely has such anticipation preceded a landmark. The possibility of his hundredth international ton sat on Tendulkar’s shoulders like Betaal on Vikram, shackling the great man under its burden for an inordinately long period. Several ‘suitable’ opportunities were missed, chances strewn and the knock finally arrived at Mirpur against Bangladesh, on March 16, 2012 in the Asia Cup. Tendulkar’s reaction was strange: “It's been a tough phase for me ... I was not thinking about the milestone, the media started all this, wherever I went, the restaurant, room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because nobody talked about my 99 hundreds." Oh yes, and India lost that match to Bangladesh. 

 

KKR corner glory: Gautam Gambhir finally turned it around for Shah Rukh Khan’s beleaguered franchise, gaining them their first IPL crown in 2012. A consistent league phase was followed by assertive performances in the knock outs. Kolkata defeated the perennially strong Chennai Super Kings in the final at Chepauk, chasing down a big total in a pressure situation, and allowing their superstar owner to cartwheel his way on to the playing arena. It was a similar display of jubilation that had cost SRK dear at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. A policeman objected to the actor’s presence on the field of play after the match with Mumbai Indians. Allegedly inebriated and with his ego piqued, SRK rained a torrent of abuses on the cop, threatening grave physical action, before he had to be removed from the spot. The fracas resulted in a five-year ban for the actor from the Wankhede. 

 

Indian colts shine: More than the victory itself, cricket buffs were pleased to watch the future of Indian cricket coming to the fore in the tournament. Unmukt Chand, Harmeet Singh and Baba Aparajith presented a solid picture of themselves, to ensure that India placed their hands around the silverware. But the youngsters didn’t start on a winning note. Despite losing their opening game to the West Indies, India won their next two matches over Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea to qualify for the quarters against Pakistan. Chasing 136, India were reduced to 127/9, before Harmeet Singh and Sandeep Sharma held their nerve to take their side into the semis against New Zealand. Prashant Chopra’s half-century helped India rake up 209/9, and then the bowlers took over to quell the Kiwi response. The colts were now just one step away from bringing home the country’s third U-19 World Cup title, with Australia in the way. In the final, a four-wicket haul from Sandeep Sharma saw the hosts being restricted to 225/8, with their skipper William Bosisto (87*) leading from the front. Unmukt Chand followed the example set by his counterpart, scoring 111* to take India home, with a captain’s knock that had flair written all over it. It was time to celebrate in the present, and for the future. 

 

South Africa No.1: Graeme Smith placed his hands on the mace, after South Africa defeated England by 51 runs in the third and final Test at Lord’s. By winning the series 2-0, the Proteas went to 120 points, to become the No.1 side in the ICC Test Rankings. England, thoroughly distracted by the controversy involving Kevin Pietersen, failed to give Andrew Strauss a win for playing in his 100th test. South Africa were bowled out for 309 after they won the toss and elected to bat. In reply, England took a six-run lead, with Jonny Bairstow top-scoring with 95. Hashim Amla’s knock of 121 then powered South Africa to 351 all out, to give the three lions a 346-run target for victory. Graeme Swann and Matt Prior’s late order heroics were enough to induce fright, but not good enough to help England open their account in the series. Andrew Strauss soon announced his retirement from the game. 

 

Windies rule the World: Powered by a group of Twenty20 mercenaries, the West Indies captured their first tournament of significance in a long time, in a format suited perfectly to their explosive talents. Such was the six-hitting prowess of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels that it helped the team tide over extended spells of inactivity in the middle. Sunil Narine was brilliant, especially in the final against hosts Sri Lanka, and Darren Sammy was exemplary in his leadership. The win sparked wild celebrations in the West Indies camp, with Gayle leading the brigade on his Gangnam style horse. But will this be the shot in the arm that Caribbean cricket has long been waiting for? 

 

Samuels comes good: Chris Gayle is usually central to West Indian plans. Imagine then their state of mind when they lost the talismanic opener in the first over of the World Twenty20 final against Sri Lanka at Colombo. The calypso kings were struggling to get a move on when Marlon Samuels came up with a masterly effort under pressure in the big game. The Carribeans were 32/2 in 10 overs when Samuels exploded. He clobbered 78 off 56 balls, including six sixes, lending a degree of respectability to the total. The 137 proved too much for the home team, as Samuels turned in another good performance, this time with the ball, conceding just 15 in four overs and picking up a wicket. 

 

Yuvraj Singh: Those who'd assumed Yuvraj's return to Indian colours was a decision based on sentimentality were silenced emphatically by the southpaw. He scored a dashing 34 with two sixes on comeback against New Zealand at Chennai and followed it up with a bits and pieces all-round show at India's dismal World Twenty20 campaign in Sri Lanka. More than the runs scored and wickets taken it was Yuvraj's fielding that signalled he had truly returned to his lair. Despite the tell tale physical signs of a long and potentially fatal lay off, Yuvraj hit the stumps several times from close in and attacked the ball. So intense was the wave of emotion that swept through cricket's corridors following his recovery from a rare cancer that the selectors were impelled to include him in the Test squad. This move, however, did prove to be laden with sentiment, and little else. 

 

Ranji revamp: India’s premier domestic competition was subjected to a rigorous revamping, led by Sourav Ganguly of the BCCI’s technical committee. The major changes recommended were the formation of three groups with nine teams each, with every team getting to play eight matches in the league stage. The top three teams from groups A and B and the top two from group C would qualify for the knockout phase. The committee also proposed that the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final should be five-day matches. The previous format allowed only the final to be played over five days. The points system was also modified. An outright win was granted six points, plus a bonus point for a win by an innings or by 10 wickets, among other changes. One aspect that Ganguly and his motley crew conveniently overlooked, however, was the lifelessness of domestic pitches. With the season barely four rounds old, a spate of triple-centuries and big hundreds already indicate that some things never really change.

 

Patil takes over: Former Indian batsman Sandeep Patil replaced Krishnamachari Srikkanth as the chairman of the selection committee. The other members on the new-look panel included Roger Binny (South), Vikram Rathore (North), Saba Karim (East) and Rajinder Singh Hans (Central). Mohinder Amarnath was dropped who was eligible for a longer run, amidst reports that he was shown the door, after asking for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s removal as Indian captain. Patil’s inclusion came as a surprise to most, as it was widely believed that Abey Kuruvilla would be brought in as the West Zone selector. The right-handed batsman who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning side, was the coach of the Indian cricket team at one point, and was serving as the director of the National Cricket Academy. 

 

Azhar acquitted: India's former and tainted captain was handed a bottle of erasex by Andhra Pradesh High Court with which to wash away his past sins. Implicated and named in Hansie-gate and banned for life by the BCCI for allegedly confessing to doctor three ODIS, the Board banned him in 2000, only to lift the ban in 2006. The ICC then claimed that it alone had the right to revoke the ban. There matters stood until November 2012, when a two-member bench of the Andhra High Court lifted the ban, calling it 'unsustainable'. “It was a long drawn out legal case and it was painful,” said the now Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, “We fought in court for 11 years. There were lots of adjournments, changes in the case. But finally the verdict has come and I am happy that the ban has been lifted by the court.” The BCCI, however, is still mulling over what action to take on the decision. 

 

India sink further: At the start of the year, right after losing the Test series to Australia 0-4, India traded their whites for colours, by winning one T20 international, and losing the other to Australia. In the CB Series that followed, their torrid time overseas continued after they failed to make it to the final, which featured Sri Lanka and hosts Australia. The Asia Cup in March wasn’t a great outing either for the Men-in-Blue, with India being pipped to the final post by Bangladesh and Pakistan. India also suffered the ignominy of losing by five wickets to hosts Bangladesh, in a match that saw Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 100th international hundred. A solitary T20 organised between India and South Africa in Johannesburg, just before the IPL, ended with the hosts enforcing a farcical win, riding on help from the elements. After a break, MS Dhoni’s men travelled to Sri Lanka in July for a five-match ODI series, which they won 4-1. They also won the lone T20 by 39 runs. In September, India’s solitary loss to Australia in the 2012 World T20 hurt them badly, for their survival in the tournament came down to fulfilling a condition - restricting South Africa to 121 in their final Super 8 game, which they failed to implement. That a team could win 4/5 matches in the tournament, and still not qualify for the semi-finals, left a lot of people fuming. But some argued, that the team knew what they were getting into. The 1-2 loss to England in the home Test series was the final

 

du Plessis' dogged debut: The 28-year-old South African debutant defied Australia with an unbeaten 110 in the second Test against at Adelaide. du Plessis walked in to bat in the fourth innings with his country placed on a dodgy 134/5, staring at certain defeat and the possible loss of the No.1 Test ranking. The angel-eyed all-rounder battled for 466 minutes and 376 balls to ensure a draw, as pace bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle failed to dislodge him from the crease. du Plessis had also scored an equally invaluable 78 in the first innings, making it a truly a memorable debut for the youngster. 

 

Captain courageous: Alastair Cook can do no wrong as skipper. He scored a century in his first four Tests as captain, led the team to an epochal series win in India - the first in 28 years - and showed no signs of getting out unless sitting on a massive pile of runs. Cook's century in the lost Ahmedabad Test proved to be the mental and emotional turnaround his team were seeking as they went on to complete a 2-1 series win against a lackadaisical India. The only two occasions he lost his wicket cheaply in the competition can both be attibuted to bad umpiring calls. Captain Cook finished with 1,249 runs for the year and presided over the reintegration of Kevin Pietersen back into the English set up. And yes, he also became the youngest cricketer to complete 7000 Test runs. 

 

Hashim Amla: The bearded one's stupendous run continues. He was instrumental in South Africa winning pivotal series in England and Australia. Up above, Amla made his presence felt with a unbeaten 311 at the Oval, and contributed down under with hundreds at Brisbane and Perth. Little wonder then South Africa refused to relent its hold on the No.1 Test ranking. With 1,064 runs, the 29-year-old was third behind Michael Clarke and Alastair Cook in the runs table, and just above Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott - who also crossed 1,000 for the year. 

 

The prolific Michael Clarke: Took to captaincy in quite the same manner as his England counterpart. Clarke amassed a triple hundred - against India - and three double centuries in the last season, taking the short cut from the good to the great. His captaincy too was bold and innovative and he thought nothing of premature declarations to enforce results - a case in point, the win over Sri Lanka at Hobart. Clarke piled up close to 1,500 runs in the year, beating even stalwarts such as Cook and Hashim Amla to the top of the runs tally. Truly, a worthy successor of Ricky Ponting.

 

'My Job is to Make celebrities look stylish!'

When it comes to sartorial choices, our A-listers are anything but compromising. Meet the people who help them look spot on, every single time!

1. Archana Walavalkar
Deepika Padukone & Alia Bhatt's stylist
"When I graduated from fashion school, all I knew was that I had to be close to clothes, accessories and make-up. Luckily I realised styling was what I liked best, and stuck to it. Being a stylist, my days are so varied that it's hard to put it down in a planner. It involves everything from sourcing, running from one location to another to even skipping meals. It's a roller coaster ride, but one that I enjoy thoroughly! While Deepika is aware of her body and knows what suits her best, Alia leaves all the styling upto you. They are both open to experimenting and evolving their looks all the time and that's what I love the most.

 

2. Rajat Tangri
Kangna Ranaut's stylist
"My fashion ideology is that when it comes to style, one shouldn't be scared of experimenting. However, creativity is always subject to rejection, so its best to take it in your stride. Being a trained designer, styling came to me naturally. Before coming to Mumbai, I was in Australia designing and styling for a few Hollywood and local celebrities. So when I came here, I just continued to follow my passion. The best part about styling Kangna is that she's so fashion forward. Our sensibilities match perfectly—we've had incidents when we've been out shopping together and picked the exact same outfits! She's a great person to work with. I believe Kangna is the most experimental person when it comes to fashion. Its rather commendable how she's in tune with what's happening on International runways. She doesn't stick to one mundane look...I love her fierce fashion sensibility and it's a fun process working with her.

3. Ami Patel
Priyanka chopra's stylist
"The best part about being a celebrity stylist is that you get to see your work immediately and there is instant gratification; which also leaves very little room for error. However, being the Creative Director at Harper's Bazaar, I must confess that editorial styling is my first love. I love it so much, I'd do it for free! But styling was just something I chanced upon. I always wanted to become an Art Director, and when I became one at Elle, we had to conceptualise and style our own shoots. That's how I got into the whole process. Being a celeb stylist is challenging you have a new brief to work with everytime. It could be a red carpet, a press conference or an event; and the onus of it is entirely on you. Also, because it's not a shoot, you can't cheat. Even a tiny zipper needs to be perfect. Working with Priyanka is great, because she likes to experiment. She isn't brand conscious and is open to wearing anything that suits her and is fashionable and edgy enough.

 

4. Tanya Ghavri
Sonam Kapoor
"All through school and halfway through college, all I dreamt about was being an architect. It's only when I went to New York for my degree in design that I discovered that there was no way I could do anything other than styling. New York does that to you. It's so high on fashion that the energy there is infectious. I think being a stylist is very interesting. And the kind of appreciation you get when you style a celebrity is unreal. It's a high! But the flip side is that you have to work insane hours and there are times in the month when I have no life of my own. Styling Sonam Kapoor is any stylist's dream in India. She lets you think for yourself and put things together effectively. She'll never be restrictive to colour or silhouettes and is much more open to experimenting than anyone else. With Kareena, she's so gorgeous that she can even make a rag bag look stunning.

India's lawlessness and moral imperative

The past few weeks have been sobering for all Indians as we learn more about the horrific rape of a young woman in Delhi, the total failure of our system to protect her, and ultimately the tragic demise of the poor woman. A life was snuffed out by a group of soulless monsters and the only closure would be severe punishment for them.
But it wouldn't.  We can punish these particular rapists as harshly as we want but it won't fix the bigger problem that India is confronting, and the only closure for that would be a massive revamp of our entire legal and enforcement apparatus.  The fact of the matter is that India is a lawless country and a travesty amongst civilized nations.  In fact, no nation without law and order can really even call itself civilized, no matter how deep its history or how bright its economic prospects. 
While rape is the crime that is in the spotlight right now, it is sadly only one of a litany of atrocities that are committed daily in that country, from the biggest cities to the smallest villages, and that are committed with impunity.  Murder, torture, kidnapping, infanticide, assault, robbery, you name it and we have it - in spades…  It is the darkest version of the Wild West that you can imagine, and no one seems to be able to do anything about it.
However, now that our tolerance seems to have reached its limit, there may be hope for change, but it is imperative for our Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to take the lead in making sure it happens.  It is not enough for him to delegate this task to others but is incumbent upon him to take complete and full responsibility for fixing the system.  Only then will something meaningful be accomplished.
Here are some concrete steps that the PM can take right now, and which he frankly must:

Order a Complete Review of our Criminal Laws
This may be a Herculean task but is also crucial.  We may be a democracy but if our laws are antiquated and inadequate to deal with modern life, socio-economic realities, and criminal patterns in existence, then they are completely useless.  Also, without a comprehensive legal framework in place to address serious crimes like rape and murder, how can we claim to be a just society?  This is a process that is long overdue and its importance cannot be overstated.
India should study other developed nations for their laws, including England and the United States, and co-opt the best ideas and legal deterrents available.  It must also streamline the way that laws are processed in the court system, for there too our failures derail justice routinely.

Assign 'Wartime' Priority to Revamping of our Laws
Following this review should be an expedited revision of laws and enactment of new laws.  While our political system may be flawed, it is fully capable of getting its act together at a time of crisis to pass legislation that is critical for the fate of the nation.  The closest analogy to this would be wartime, because that is precisely the level of crisis that India's lawlessness has reached today!

Clean up the Police Force
Long the butt of jokes in Bollywood films, the incompetence, corruption, heartlessness, and sheer uselessness of India's police force is no longer funny.  It should be a matter of urgent national concern and, frankly, panic.  How a nation of more than a billion people, high-tech industries, nuclear capabilities, economic might, and thousands of years of knowledge and culture behind it does not have a police force that can protect its citizens is beyond all logic or understanding.
India's response to emergencies of all kinds is pathetic, but its response to crimes is downright astounding.  It is so bad, in fact, that most victims simply do not bother to come forward - either for fear of being marginalized or the fear of being victimized all over again by the police themselves.  Widespread poverty exacerbates the problem even more since those who need help the most are often spurned because of their inability to offer bribes, and in even more egregious cases, actually abused by a sadistic police force. 
The reality is that India's policemen are more often thugs in uniforms than heroes, and are probably the biggest encouragement to crime in the land.  As important as it is to clean up the legal system, it is equally vital to have meaningful enforcement, and that cannot happen until the police are held accountable for their negligence of duty.  As long as the police are allowed to hold themselves above the law, there can be no law and order in India. 
To clean this mess up, though, it is not enough for the PM to simply "review" current procedures, for the men tasked with carrying out those procedures are themselves corrupt.  The only solution is for the central government to take control and enforce the laws on local police, along the lines of what the FBI did in the United States during the civil rights movement.  It may be complicated jurisdictionally and controversial politically but there is really no choice in this matter.  It has to be done.

Root Out Corruption in Government
This is a story that has played out for so long that it has almost lost its power to shock.  Government officials in India, from top to bottom, demand bribes to provide any public service at all.  So common is this phenomenon that it has actually become a part of accepted life, but the repercussions are much more serious than simply the negative economic impact of a heavily bureaucratic and corrupt government.  The culture of corruption impacts the rule of law since justice in India carries a heavy price-tag  - in hard cash. 
To put it another way: you do not get justice in India, you have to buy it.
It is true that conscientious politicians and activists have been waging a war on corruption for years, but it is also true that very little has been accomplished in this regard.  The focus tends to be on the business side (bribes taken for government contracts etc.) but the more insidious aspect of corruption, namely the compromising of criminal justice, does not seem to be a priority for our society.  That is an oversight that the young woman in Delhi, the woman in Punjab who committed suicide after being ignored by police despite reporting her rape, and god knows how many others, have paid for dearly.
Again, unless corruption is properly (and commensurately) criminalized and then punished, the system will simply not change, and all the political rhetoric, public hand-wringing, Op-eds, and Facebook posts in the world will accomplish absolutely nothing.  What I am saying is that it is time for the PM, and India in general, to stop using mere words to battle a real-world crisis, and use real-world means and real-world consequences to solve this intractable problem.
What we need to recognize is that the rape in Delhi is not just a sexual crime but a crime against humanity.  India's problem is not just sexism but a systemic lack of respect for human dignity and life, and unless the depth of that breakdown is recognized, no meaningful reform can be instituted on any level.  Our moral outrage right now might be over a specific victim but the fact is that millions of others are also victims of some type of violence all the time in India; and unless that status quo is challenged at the very core, life in India will not change.  It might give us some comfort to punish the barbarians who did this but what will really give us closure will be the creation of a system of law and order that protects us from such barbarism and establishes true civilization in the country.
I know I speak for all decent Indians when I say that I hope the PM hears this clarion call, and steps up to the challenge that faces him.