international survey

2011-12-28T23:17:00.002+05:30

China won the Gold Medal with 16 points in the World Women's Team Chess Championship
Current Affairs Category: Sports, News, December 2011 Current Affairs, 2011 Current Affairs

The Indian team finished at the fourth position in the World Women's Team Chess Championship at Mardin,Turkey on 27 December 2011. India's chances of winning a medal was blown away following a loss to Georgia and then China. The losses by Tania Sachdev and Soumya Swaminathan of India paved the way for an easy Georgian victory in the end.

China won the gold medal with 16 points while the silver was claimed by the Russians who finished with 13 points in all. Georgia ended with the bronze while India and Ukraine were tied for the fourth spot.

Ukraine caused the biggest surprise of the championship with a sensational 2.5-1.5 victory over leaders China. Though China was not much affected, the helped the Ukrainian eves come into reckoning after a rather subdued performance in the first

2011-12-28T23:12:00.003+05:30

2011-12-28T23:10:00.001+05:30

Reserve Bank of India ordered Banks to set aside more Capital for Investments in Financial Entities
Current Affairs Category: December 2011 Current Affairs, Economy, 2011 Current Affairs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ordered banks to set aside more capital for their investments in financial entities such as insurance with an objective to strengthens the ring fence around banks. However the move can strain capital resources which are increasingly getting scarce. The RBI proposed the raise in risk weight to prevent banks from getting affected because of their holdings in other finance entities.

The banks are to set aside 25% more capital following the central bank raise of the risk weight for buying or holding of equity in financial entities. Banks’ investments in paid-up equity of financial entities, even if they are exempted from the capital market exposure norms, will thus be assigned a 125 percent risk weight. The proposal is expected to lead banks, which at present set aside Rs 9 for every Rs 100 of investment in financial entities, to keep aside about Rs 11.

As per the apex bank, inter-linkages between insurance and banking sector are a matter of concern, as many insurance companies being part of financial conglomerates. Any financial stability issue regarding the bank in the conglomerate therefore may have an amplifying effect on the insurer. The contagion between the banking and insurance sector will also depend on the insurance companies’ overall exposure to banks.

RBI opined that consolidation in the banking sector would pave the way for stronger financial institutions with the capacity to meet corporate and infrastructure funding needs, and to rescue distressed lenders. However, it prescribed a non-operative bank holding company structure to avoid creation of complex institutions.

Voluntary mergers and transfers help consolidation in the financial sector and pave the way for stronger financial institutions to rescue the weaker ones. These voluntary measures provide business opportunity to the stronger ones to spread their presence in different geographies. The Competition Act, 2002 (as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007) could however come in the way of consolidation. One of the provisions of the Act requirean enterprise proposing to enter into a combination via a merger or an amalgamation to notify the Competition Commission.

Lokpal Bill placed in Rajya Sabha, voting on Thursday

2011-12-28T18:39:00.000+05:30

New Delhi: The Lokpal Bill has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday but the discussion and voting on the proposed legislation will take place only on Thursday.

Rajya Sabha will take up Lokpal Bill for discussion on Thursday, MoS Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said.

The reason cited was that there are many amendments proposed and many speakers listed and about 8 hours have been allotted in the Rajya Sabha. So, it would not be able to complete the proceedings on Wednesday.

Also, some amendments rejected by the Lok sabha could be passed in Rajya sabha which means it will have to be referred to joint sitting.

"Hopefully, the Lokpal and the Lokayukta Bill, 2011 will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha this (Wednesday) afternoon," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.

Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy had earlier said the Lokpal bill may not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has issued a dictat to all Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, saying they all have to be present in the Rajya Sabha after Tuesday's loss of face in the Lok Sabha.

Given the Congress' low numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the support of ally, the TMC will be crucial. But TMC will decide only when the Bill is tabled.

Also key is Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has not taken final call and will decide in Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, this afternoon President Pratibha Patil gave her assent for the tabling of the Lokpal bill in Rajya Sabha.

This is standard operating procedure for any legislation that will have financial implications.

The Lokpal bill got the presidential assent in the wake of amendments made to it in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and it can now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha after that.

Bansal also alleged that BJP had conspired to not confer Constitutional status to Lokpal.

Jan Lokpal Bill

2011-12-28T15:52:00.001+05:30

Jan Lokpal Bill

The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill,[citation needed] is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anti-corruption social activists proposed it as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill, which is currently being proposed by the Government of India.[1]

The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances of citizens, and protect whistle-blowers. If made into law, the bill would create an independent ombudsman body called the Lokpal (Sanskrit: protector of the people). It would be empowered to register and investigate complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government approval.[2][3][4]

In April 2011, civil activist Anna Hazare started a Satyagraha movement by commencing an indefinite fast in New Delhi to demand the passing of the bill. The movement attracted attention in the media, and hundreds of thousands of supporters, in part due to the organizational skills of Arvind Kejriwal.[5] Following Hazare's four day hunger strike, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the bill would be re-introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of the Parliament.[6] Accordingly, a committee of five Cabinet Ministers and five social activists attempted to draft a compromise bill merging the two versions but failed. The Indian government went on to propose its own version in the parliament, which the activists rejected on the grounds of not being sufficiently effective, and called it a "toothless bill".[7]Contents [hide]

Background

The word Lokpal was coined in 1963 by L.M.Singhvi, a Member of Parliament during a debate in Parliament about grievance redressal mechanisms. His son Dr. Abhishek Singhvi is now the head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee reviewing the bill.[8] The prefix Jan (translation: citizens) was added to signify the fact that these improvements include input provided by "ordinary citizens" through an activist-driven, non-governmental public consultation.[9][10]

The Lokpal bill was first introduced by Shanti Bhushan in 1968[11] and passed the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969. But before it could be passed by Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha was dissolved and the bill lapsed.[12] The Subsequent versions were re-introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008,[13] but none of them passed. The bill was inspired by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).[14][15]

[edit]

Key features of proposed bill

Some important features of the proposed bill are:[9]

To establish a central government anti-corruption institution called Lokpal, supported by Lokayukta at the state level.

As in the case of the Supreme Court and Cabinet Secretariat, the Lokpal will be supervised by the Cabinet Secretary and the Election Commission. As a result, it will be completely independent of the government and free from ministerial influence in its investigations.

Members will be appointed by judges, Indian Administrative Service officers with a clean record, private citizens and constitutional authorities through a transparent and participatory process.

A selection committee will invite short-listed candidates for interviews, video recordings of which will thereafter be made public.

Every month on its website, the Lokayukta will publish a list of cases dealt with, brief details of each, their outcome and any action taken or proposed. It will also publish lists of all cases received by the Lokayukta during the previous month, cases dealt with and those which are pending.

Investigations of each case must be completed in one year. Any resulting trials should be concluded in the following year, giving a total maximum process time of two years.

Losses to the government by a corrupt individual will be recovered at the time of conviction.

Government office-work required by a citizen that is not completed within a prescribed time period will result in Lokpal imposing financial penalties on those responsible, which will then be given as compensation to the complainant.

Complaints against any officer of Lokpal will be investigated and completed within month and, if found to be substantive, will result in the officer being dismissed within two months.

The existing anti-corruption agencies [CVC], departmental vigilance and the anti-corruption branch of the [CBI] will be merged into Lokpal which will have complete power authority to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

Whistle-blowers who alert the agency to potential corruption cases will also be provided with protection by it.

[edit]

Difference between governments and activist drafts

[edit]

Highlights

Difference between Jan Lokpal Bill and Draft Bill 2010[16]Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) Draft Lokpal Bill (2010)

Lokpal will have powers to initiate suo motu action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. Lokpal will have no power to initiate suo motu action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. It can only probe complaints forwarded by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Lokpal will have the power to initiate prosecution of anyone found guilty. Lokpal will only be an Advisory Body with a role limited to forwarding reports to a "Competent Authority".

Lokpal will have police powers as well as the ability to register FIRs. Lokpal will have no police powers and no ability to register an FIR or proceed with criminal investigations.

Lokpal and the anti corruption wing of the CBI will be one independent body. The CBI and Lokpal will be unconnected.

Punishments will be a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of up to life imprisonment. Punishment for corruption will be a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of up to 7 years.

[edit]

Details

The following table details differences between the Government and activist backed versions.[17][18][19]

Comparison SlideShow uploaded by India Against Corruption.[20]Issue The Jan Lokpal Bill[10] Government's Lokpal Bill[1]

Prime Minister PM can be investigated with permission of seven member Lokpal bench.[clarification needed][17] PM can be investigated by Lokpal after she/he vacates office.[21]

Judiciary Can be investigated, though high level members may be investigated only with permission of a seven member Lokpal bench.[clarification needed][17] Judiciary is exempt and will be covered by a separate "judicial accountability bill".[18]

Conduct of MPs Can be investigated with permission of seven member Lokpal bench.[clarification needed][17] Can be investigated, but their conduct within Parliament, such as voting, cannot be investigated.[18]

Lower bureaucracy All public servants would be included.[18] Only senior officers (Group A) will be covered.[18]

Anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) The Anti-corruption wing of the CBI will be merged into the Lokpal.[18] The Anti-corruption wing of the CBI cannot be merged into the Lokpal.[17]

Removal of Lokpal members and Chair Any person can bring a complaint to the Supreme Court, who can then recommend removal of any member to the President.[17] Any "aggrieved party" can raise a complaint to the President, who will refer the matter to the CJI.[17]

Removal of Lokpal staff and officers Complaints against Lokpal staff will be handled by independent boards set-up in each state, composed of retired bureaucrats, judges, and civil society members.[17] Lokpal will conduct inquiries into its own behaviour.[17]

Lokayukta Lokayukta and other local/state anti-corruption agency would remain in place.[18] All state anti-corruption agencies would be closed and responsibilities taken over by centralised Lokpal.[18]

Whistleblower protection Whistleblowers are protected by Lokpal.[17] No protection granted to whistleblowers by Lokpal Mahima.[17]

Punishment for corruption Lokpal can either directly impose penalties, or refer the matter to the courts. Penalties can include removal from office, imprisonment, and recovery of assets from those who benefited from the corruption.[17] Lokpal can only refer matters to the courts, not take any direct punitive actions. Penalties remain equivalent to those in current law.[17]

Investigatory powers Lokpal can obtain wiretaps ( to make a connection to a telegraph or telephone wire in order to obtain information secretly), issue rogatory letters, and recruit investigating officers. Cannot issue contempt orders.[17] Lokpal can issue contempt orders, and has the ability to punish those in contempt. No authority to obtain wiretaps, issue rogatory letters, or recruit investigating officers.[17]

False, frivolous and vexatious complaints Lokpal can issue fines for frivolous complaints (including frivolous complaints against Lokpal itself), with a maximum penalty of Rs 100,000.[17] Court system will handle matters of frivolous complaints. Courts can give 2–5 years imprisonment and fines of Rs 25,000 to 200,000.[20]

NGOs NGOs not within the scope due to their role in exposing corruption.[19] NGOs are within the scope and can be investigated.[19]

[edit]

Timeline of Lokpal and cost

1968 – Rs 3 lakh[22] (300,000)

1971 – Rs 20 lakh (2 million)

1977 – Rs 25 lakh (2.5 million)

1985 – Rs 25 lakh

1989 – Rs 35 lakh (3.5 million) – PM under lokpal

1996 – Rs 1 crore (10 million) – PM under lokpal

2001 – Rs 35 crore (350 million) – PM under lokpal

2011 – Rs 1700 crore[22] (17 billion)

[edit]

Campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill

Lokpal activist – Anna Hazare

Main article: 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement

The first version of the Lokpal Bill drafted by the Government of India in 2010 was considered ineffective by anti-corruption activists from the civil society.[23] These activists, under the banner of India Against Corruption, came together to draft a citizen's version of the Lokpal Bill later called the Jan Lokpal.[23] Public awareness drives[24] and protest marches[23] were carried out to campaign for the bill. However, public support for the Jan Lokpal Bill draft started gathering steam after Anna Hazare, a noted Gandhian announced that he would hold an indefinite fast from 5 April 2011 for the passing of the Lokpal/Jan Lokpal bill.[6][25][26] The government has however accepted it.

To dissuade Hazare from going on an indefinite hunger strike, the Prime Minister's Office directed the ministries of personnel and law to examine how the views of society activists can be included in the Lokpal Bill.[27] On 5 April, the National Advisory Council rejected the Lokpal bill drafted by the government. Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal then met social activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal on 7 April to find ways to bridge differences over the bill.[28] However, no consensus could be reached on 7 April owing to several differences of opinion between the social activists and the Government.

[edit]

Fast & Agitation – Phase 1

On 7 April 2011 Anna Hazare called for a Jail Bharo Andolan (translation: Fill jail movement) from 13 April to protest against Government's rejection of their demands.[29] Anna Hazare also claimed that his group has received six crore (60 million) text messages of support[30] and that he had further backing from a large number of Internet activists. The outpouring of support was largely free of political overtones; political parties were specifically discouraged from participating in the movement.[31] The fast ended on 9 April, after 98 hours, when the Government accepted most demands due to public pressure. Anna Hazare set an 15 August deadline for the passing of the bill in the Parliament,[32] failing which he would start a hunger strike from 16 August. The fast also led to the Government of India agreeing to setting up a Joint Drafting Committee, which would complete its work by 30 June.[32]

[edit]

Drafting Committee

The drafting committee was officially formed on 8 April 2011. It consisted of the following ten members, including five from the government and five drawn from the civil society.[33][34]Member Qualifications and status

Pranab Mukherjee Finance Minister, Co-Chairman

Shanti Bhushan Former Minister of Law and Justice, Co-Chairman

P. Chidambaram Minister of Home Affairs

Veerappa Moily Minister of Corporate Affairs

Kapil Sibal Minister for human resource & devlopement

Salman Khursid Minister of Law

Anna Hazare Social Activist

Prashant Bhushan Lawyer

N. Santosh Hegde Former Lokayukta (Karnataka) and Supreme Court Justice

Arvind Kejriwal RTI Activist.

The Government's handling of the formation of the draft committee, involving the civil society in preparation of the draft Lokpal bill, was criticised by various political parties including BJP, BJD, TDP, AIADMK, CPI-M, RJD, JD(U) and Samajwadi Party.[35][36]

The committee failed to agree on the terms of a compromise bill and the government introduced its own version of the bill in the parliament in August 2011.[37]

[edit]

Fast & Agitation – Phase 2

Hindi Sign at Ramlila Grounds

However, the Joint Drafting Committee failed to reach a conclusion and the five members of the Government on the panel came up with their own version of the bill, which was considered by Anna and his team as weak and will facilitate the corrupt to go free apart from several other differences. To protest against this, Anna Hazare announced an "Indefinite Fast" (not to be confused with "Fast unto death"). Anna and his team asked for permission from Delhi Police for their fast and agitation at Jantar Mantar or JP Park. Delhi Police gave its permission with certain conditions. These condition were considered by team Anna as restrictive and against the fundamental constitutional rights and they decided to defy the conditions. Delhi Police imposed sec 144 CrPC.[38][39]

On 16 Aug, Anna Hazare was taken into preventive custody by Delhi Police. Senior officers of Delhi Police reached Anna Hazare's flat early in the morning and informed him that he could not leave his home. However, Hazare turned down the request following which he was detained.Anna in his recorded address to the nation before his arrest asked his supporters not to stop the agitation and urged the protesters to remain peaceful.Other members of "India Against Corruption", Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Kumar Vishwas and Manish Sisodia were also taken into preventive custody. Kiran Bedi described the situation as resembling a kind of Emergency (referring to the Emergency imposed in 1975 by the Indira Gandhi Govt.).[39]

The arrest resulted in huge public outcry and under pressure the government released him in the evening of 16 Aug. However, Anna Hazare refused to come out of Jail, starting his indefinite fast from Jail itself. Manish Sisodia explained his situation as, "Anna said that he left home to go to JP Park to conduct his fast and that is exactly where he would go from here (Tihar Jail). He has refused to be released till he is given a written, unconditional permission". Unwilling to use forces owing to the sensitive nature of the case, the jail authorities had no option but to let Anna spend the night inside Tihar. Later on 17 Aug, Delhi Police permitted Anna Hazare and team to use the Ramlila Maidan for the proposed fast and agitation withdrawing most of the contentious provisions they had imposed earlier.[40] The indefinite fast and agitation began in Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, and went on for around 288 hours (12 days from 16-August-2011 to 28-August-2011).[41] Some of the Lokpal drafting committee members became dissatisfied with Hazare's tactics as the hunger strike went on for the 11 th day: Santosh Hegde, a member of Hazare team who headed the Karnataka Lokayukta, strongly criticised Hazare for his insistence of "having his way", concluding “I feel I am not in Team Anna any more by the way things are going. These (telling Parliament what to do) are not democratic things.”[42] Swami Agnivesh, another central figure in the Hazare group also distanced himself.[43]

[edit]

Notable supporters and opposition

Union HRD[clarification needed] Minister – Kapil Sibal, a notable critic of the citizens' version of the Bill

In addition to the activists responsible for creating and organising support for the bill, a wide variety of other notable individuals have also stated that they support this bill. Spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar[44] and Yog Guru Ramdev[45] expressed support. Notable politicians who indicated support for the bill include Ajit Singh[46] and Manpreet Singh Badal[47] as well as the principal opposition party, Bharatiya Janta Party.[48][49] In addition, numerous Bollywood actors, directors, and musicians publicly approved of the bill.[50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57]

Notable opposition to the activists' version of the Bill was expressed by HRD minister Kapil Sibal and other Congress leaders; Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamta Banerjee; Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal; Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray, and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Jagdish Sharan Verma.[58] Although BJP showed their support earlier, there were reports that BJP shared Congress's concern "over letting the civil society gain the upper hand over Parliament in lawmaking".[59] The All-India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, representing the Dalits and backward castes, also expressed opposition to the bill proposed by Anna Hazare as well as to the government's version of the bill. The confederation opposed Hazare's proposed bill saying that it will be above the constitution and that proposers of the bill have support from elements who oppose reservation.[60]

[edit]

Criticisms of the Jan Lokpal Bill

[edit]

Naïve approach

The bill has been criticised as being naïve in its approach to combating corruption. According to Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President of the Center for Policy Research Delhi,[61] the bill "is premised on an institutional imagination that is at best naïve; at worst subversive of representative democracy". The very concept of a Lokpal concept has received criticism from HRD minister Kapil Sibal in that it will lack accountability, be oppressive and undemocratic.[62]

[edit]

Extra-constitutional

The pro-bill activist Arvind Kejriwal rejects the claim of Lokpal being extra-constitutional with the explanation that the body will only investigate corruption offences and submit a charge sheet which would then tried and prosecuted through trial courts and higher courts, and that other bodies with equivalent powers in other matters exist. The proposed bill also lists clear provisions for the Supreme Court to abolish the Lokpal.[63]

Despite these clarifications, critics feel that the exact judicial powers of LokPal are rather unclear in comparison with its investigative powers. The bill[64] requires "...members of Lokpal and the officers in investigation wing of Lokpal shall be deemed to be police officers". Although some supporters have denied any judicial powers of Lokpal,[65] the government and some critics have recognised Lokpal to have quasi-judicial powers.[66]

The bill also states that "Lokpal shall have, and exercise the same jurisdiction powers and authority in respect of contempt of itself as a High court has and may exercise, and, for this purpose, the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (Central Act 70 of 1971) shall have the effect subject to the modification that the references therein to the High Court shall be construed as including a reference to the Lokpal."[67][68][69] Review of proceedings and decisions by Lokpal is prevented in the bill by the statement "...no proceedings or decision of the Lokpal shall be liable to be challenged, reviewed, quashed or called in question in any court of ordinary Civil Jurisdiction.". As a result, how the trials will be conducted is unclear in the bill, although the bill outlines requiring judges for special courts, presumably to conduct trial that should be completed within one year. The critics hence express concern that, without judicial review, Lokpal could potentially become an extra-constitutional body with investigative and judicial powers whose decisions cannot be reviewed in regular courts.[70]

[edit]

Scope

The matter of whether the Indian Prime Minister and higher judiciary should or should not be prosecutable by the Lokpal remains as one of the major issues of dispute. Anna's own nominee for co-chairing the joint panel Justice Verma, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has expressed his constitutional objections for including the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under Lokpal.[71] According to him, "this would foul with the basic structure of the constitution".[72]

[edit]

Criticism from Aruna Roy, Arundhati Roy and NCPRI

Critic – Aruna Roy

Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy who has said "Vesting jurisdiction over the length and breadth of the government machinery in one institution will concentrate too much power in the institution, while the volume of work will make it difficult to carry out its tasks". She and her colleagues at the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) have proposed an alternative mechanism consisting of five institutions.[73] Noted author and social activist Arundhati Roy was highly critical of Lokpal, stating "you could say that the Maoists and the Jan Lokpal Bill have one thing in common – they both seek the overthrow of the Indian State", and "While his means may be Gandhian, Anna Hazare's demands are certainly not. Contrary to Gandhiji's ideas about the decentralisation of power, the Jan Lokpal Bill is a draconian, anti-corruption law, in which a panel of carefully chosen people will administer a giant bureaucracy,.."[74][75][76]

[edit]

Support for the Bill

[edit]

Surveys

India Against Corruption conducted a survey on the draft Lokpal Bill presented by the Indian Government in parliament. It showed that 85% of the particpiants were opposed to the government's bill. The team especially cited the results from the Chandni Chowk constituency, the constituency of Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who is a vehement voice for the government's version of the bill.[77][78]

According to a nationwide survey conducted by CNN-IBN & CNBC-TV18 and published in early August, only a shade over a third of respondents have heard of Lokpal. 34% of all respondents said they have heard of the ombudsman and only 24% knew what it actually means.[79]

Prashant Bhushan, one of Anna Hazare's associates and a drafter of the Jan Lokpal Bill, has demanded a nation-wide referendum on the Jan Lokpal Bill to gauge the mood of the nation.[80]

[edit]

Legislator support

Post the massive support to Anna Hazare's movement, several of the MPs across party lines have come out in support to the Jan Lokpal Bill. Most notable names are Congress MPs from Maharashtra Priya Dutt and Datta Meghe.[81][82] Datta Meghe also demanded that his party spokesperson Manish Tiwari should apologise to Anna Hazare for his uncharitable comments.[81]

This support started coming as over 150 MPs and Ministers from different states were forced to remain confined to their houses as Anna supporters protested outside their houses. Protests were also seen outside the residence of Sheila Dixit CM of Delhi, Kapil Sibal, Pranab Mukherjee amongst others.[81][82][83]

BJP MP Varun Gandhi is introducing Jan Lokpal Bill as a private member's bill in the parliament.[84]

[edit]

Social media

As per the reports, Anna Hazare's fast was successful in mobilising the support of thousands in the virtual world of social media. On Independence Day, Anna had over 500,000 mentions through status updates and comments across top social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter in the country. Two days later, the number had shot up to 9 million.On YouTube, over 40,000 people watched the video shot by Kiran Bedi inside Tihar Jail in which Anna has addressed his supporters. Facebook has 542 fan pages by Anna's name.[85][86]

[edit]

Online surveys

According to the survey conducted by STAR News and Nielsen, 87% of the 8900 respondents of the survey supported the Jan Lokpal Bill. The survey – conducted in 28 cities across the country, including all four metros – mainly deals with three important points: public’s knowledge about the Lokpal Bill; awareness about Anna’s campaign; and the perceived problems with the Jan Lokpal Bill.[87]

Over a million people joined the Times of India online anti-graft campaign, in one of the biggest ever voting exercises in the virtual world. The news analysis points that citizens want to make their voices heard and have found the platform offered by the campaign a viable one to do so.[88]

[edit]

Parliamentary actions on the proposed legislation

On 27 August 2011, a special and all exclusive session of Parliament was conducted and a resolution was unanimously passed after deliberations in both the houses of Indian Parliament by sense of the house.[89][90]

The resolution, in principle, agreed on the following subjects and forwarded the Bill to related standing committee for structure and finalise a report:[91][92]

A citizen charter on the bill

An appropriate mechanism to subject lower bureaucracy to lokpal

The establishment of Lokayuktas (ombudsmen at state level) in states

Anna Hazare, civil rights activists along with protestors at site of the fast welcomed this development on being informed, terming it as a battle "half won" while ending the protest.

2011-12-28T15:50:00.001+05:30

NEW DELHI: The UPA-II's stand - that the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, did not encroach upon the legislative domain of the states as establishing Lokayukta was optional - did not meet the approval of two former Chief Justices of India, though both said the Centre did not breach the constitutional concept of federalism by introducing the proposed legislation through Article 253 to meet its international obligations.

The two former CJIs, Justice J S Verma and V N Khare, on Tuesday said Section 64 of the Bill provided that "as from the commencement of this Act, there shall be established in a state, by notification in the Official Gazette, ...a body to be called the Lokayukta". This means, the states had no option but to set up the anti-corruption constitutional body within their territory.

What will happen to those states that have been set up Lokayuktas? Both ex-CJIs said those states have to bring their laws on Lokayukta in conformity with the Central law by introducing proper amendments in the legislatures. This view of the ex-CJIs would bolster the opposition ammunition against the Bill and accuse the UPA government of trying not only to take away the legitimate right of the states to enact law on issues which squarely fell within the List II but also attempting to foist a body of its choice on the states where Lokayuktas existed.

However, Justices Verma and Khare voted in favour of the government's decision to fulfill its international obligations by introducing the Bill through Article 253 route, a mechanism strongly objected to by the opposition that accused the Centre of usurping the powers of the state legislatures. The opposition wanted the government to respect the federal structure of governance mandated under the Constitution by bringing the Bill under Article 252, which provided that Parliament could legislate on issues or subjects over which it did not have jurisdiction only after receiving requests in the form of resolutions passed by two or more state legislatures.

Justice Verma said the government rightly resorted to Article 253, which empowered the Centre to enact a law for the entire country in fulfillment of obligations arising from ratification of United Nations Convention Against Corruption in May.

Did it breach federal system of governance and should the Bill have been brought under Article 252? Justice Verma said Indian system of governance was a federal structure with a unitary bias. "The framers of the Constitution had in mind the requirement under Article 252 when the provided for Article 253, which supersedes the State List," he said.

There was no novelty in resorting to Article 253, he said. "Even Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, under which National Human Rights Commission was set up came through the Article 253 route. But, because option was given in there, so many states have not set up state human rights commissions till date," Justice Verma said. Justice Khare agreed with him and said: "If option was given under the Bill, then there would be many states which will not set up Lokayukta."

The Business Opportunity You've Been Waiting For

2011-12-28T14:39:00.000+05:30

The Business Opportunity You've Been Waiting For

"Reinventing energy is a multitrillion-dollar opportunity. It dwarfs any business opportunity in history." - Bill Gross, founder of Idealab.

Success in life is often about timing…

Visualise for a moment having within your hands the potential to save a company up to 40% of their energy costs, operating in a marketplace estimated to be worth over $1 trillion!

There are few occasions when a great opportunity crosses our path, and sadly it is rarely when the timing is just right. At Enigin a unique set of conditions have been merged to form an innovative new business opportunity with unlimited profit potential, in what is widely being recognised as one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Enigin plc are looking for dynamic, committed and capable professionals who possess the all important entrepreneurial drive & determination to succeed. If you fit this description please read the information on this website then request your FREE Business Information Pack.

Maybe you have never run your own business before and are unsure of your suitability. Or perhaps you have never run a business in this sector before and would like to know if you could make a successful transition. If so, please click here to receive your FREE mini 'Be Your Own Boss' report. By answering a few simple questions you can find out if you have what it takes to be profiting from an Energy Saving Business.

Your New Energy Saving Business

As an Enigin Distributor you will be trained and equipped to help organisations in your area reduce their energy costs by up to 40%!

We will supply you with a unique range of energy saving products to achieve this objective along with a proven formula for introducing these solutions to your clients in a manner that will deliver the best results.

You will also enjoy ongoing training and development through our MindShare program along with 24-hour commercial and technical support via our online Knowledge Base.

For full details of our Business Model please CLICK HERE for your FREE Business Information Pack

The Approach

One of the keys to success in this industry is having an effective process for delivering quantifiable and substantial saving results for your clients. That's why we developed the 'EnergyMaps' Formula. This is our proven method for ensuring client companies are provided with a highly ethical ‘Best Practice’ code of conduct. EnergyMaps has three core elements:

1. Control

The first step in any robust energy management program is to take control of the situation and understand the problem – before investments are made in expensive solutions that may, or may not as the case may be, give an acceptable result.

What would we think of a Doctor who prescribed the same treatment plan to ALL his patients without even finding out their health problems? It’s nonsense! Hence we advocate the installation of Eniscope - Our Real-time Energy Management System - as the first step in developing a robust energy saving program… only then can you accurately measure and quantify the benefits of the many load-side products currently on the market.

So... Eniscope removes the uncertainty and risk, and is the foundation stone on which everything else is facilitated.

2. Reduce

Our second step would be to use the insightful information revealed by Eniscope to plug those energy leaks… in some cases following the installation of the system organisations have been able to save up to 40% by implementing ‘no-cost’ options for eliminating waste.

Thereafter we may recommend selective load-side products from our extensive portfolio (and any others the client may have access to) and with the benefit of Eniscope®; test them meticulously and ensure they get the best ‘bang-for-their-buck’. Remember with Eniscope everything is transparent… nobody could pull the wool over your customers eyes even if they wanted to!

3. Eliminate

And finally once you have controlled your costs… plugged all those leaks… and reigned in those wasteful applications, you can now at your convenience begin to access the longer term benefits of on-site power generation using the various Renewable Energy sources available to you in your Country… and the good news… the Eniscope will enable you to quantify these benefits and display them for all to see. You may even be able to ‘sell’ your excess power back to the grid much of the time transforming what is currently a liability into a profit source.

So, with EnergyMaps you are empowered to Control, Reduce and even Eliminate your clients energy costs while they, and you, continue to Profit With Integrity.

To find out more about our unique approach to helping clients please click here for your FREE Business Information Pack

Eniscope® - Real-time Energy Management

Eniscope is Enigin’s proprietary Real-time Energy Management System. It has been proven to save up to 43% in energy costs. It has full CE, UL, cUL & GOST approvals and is currently being trialed by the likes of McDonalds, FedEx, Holiday Inn and Ford Motor Company to name just a few.

How does it work? Well, right now, up to 40% of your clients energy is going to waste. The trouble is identifying which 40%.

Energy is invisible in use. Normally, you can’t see, evaluate or compare the energy consumed by the equipment you use. There’s one monthly – or even quarterly – bill for everything, so any changes you make are based upon guesswork.

Eniscope is a unique energy analyzer, which plugs into a buildings power system and relays meaningful energy use data and graphical analysis locally and over the web. Now you can see the real-time energy consumption of buildings, departments, circuits and even machines.

Eniscope combines world-class metering technology with an advanced energy network controller; putting live readings and real-time graphical logs within reach, 24 hours a day, from a desktop, laptop or mobile phone.

Log in to Eniscope’s beautifully designed Energy Displays to see all the information needed in an understandable language – whether that’s kW consumption, peak demand, carbon output or money spent – right now, and as an analysis of the last few hours, days or weeks.

Instantly, you and your customers can spot trends, anomalies and wastage, make informed decisions… and see immediate results from improvements you’ve made. You’re in control.

The result? A smaller carbon footprint, better public perception and lower energy costs. Benefits your clients could experience with an Eniscope System include:
Identify Saving Opportunities of up to 40%
Eliminate Out of Hours Waste
Expose Energy Abusing Equipment
Real-time Energy Displays Engage Users and Improve Efficiencies
Historical Analysis Tools Help to Target Continual Reductions
Email & SMS Alerts Accelerate Response to Excess Consumption
Promote the Value of Renewable Energy Investments
Free iPhone & iPad Apps for Monitoring Progress

To find get more information about Eniscope, including case studies, test-reports and customer testimonials please click here for our FREE Business Information Pack

Energy Saving Products

Enigin’s technical team works with our global technology partners to develop the very best energy saving products and solutions, some of which can save over 50% in energy costs! These products are tested extensively in labs and in the field allowing us to fine tune their performance so they can better meet the needs of business owners across the world.

In some cases, business owners know there must be energy saving solutions they would benefit from, but just don’t have the time to investigate the possibilities in any detail. On the other hand, some have invested in ‘magic boxes’ that didn’t deliver the promised savings and as such they have been put off the idea of energy saving technology altogether. Enigin solves these problems because we have the time, expertise and resources to secure the most effective energy saving products for your clients, all of which we independently test and verify to ensure they won’t be disappointed with the results.

Our Energy Saving Product Portfolio is expanding day by day, so please request our FREE Business Information Pack for a detailed description of the current range of solutions we can offer to you.

For now, here is a sampling of how our energy saving products can dramatically reduce your clients costs, boost their profits and help them to make their contribution to the fight against climate change:

Consider lighting.... In it’s crudest form a conventional light bulb is probably only 10% efficient – that means up to 90% of the energy consumed is wasted and converted to heat. Conventional florescent tubes and metal halide while more efficient still leave a lot to be desired. In many companies lighting can be a major cost. However, we can provide you with stunning solutions that in the first place make sure that light is produced efficiently, then with occupancy sensing ensure that lights are turned off automatically when they are not required. Add to that daylight harvesting which ensures that light output is exactly what is needed and we can deliver savings of well over 50%.

How about Motor Controls... AC induction motors consume more than half of all the worlds’ energy, and yet motors can be incredibly wasteful. To tackle head on the problems associated with inefficient motors in the early 90’s we worked with a development team to create the world’s first truly intelligent single-phase motor controller. In the right applications these can save up to 40% of the energy consumed by dynamically adjusting the amount of energy a motor uses in direct proportion to the job of work it does. They will also extend motor life by reducing heat and vibration.

Think about Refrigeration... A significant amount of energy is used by refrigeration especially in commercial and retail applications – apart from making the motors run more efficient there is much that can be done to improve the overall efficiency of the appliance. We have one of the simplest retro-fit solutions you could imagine for refrigeration which is not only proven to generate savings of up to 35%, it also controls the food temperature much more effectively and significantly reduces wear and tear on the refrigeration unit.

Let’s look at Air Conditioning... In many of the warmer countries around the world air conditioning is one of the largest energy consumers, often accounting for a large part of a company’s energy bills. For example millions of simple air conditioning units waste unbelievable amounts of energy every day. Not only is the power demand very high, but air conditioning also contributes to extreme peak energy demand on the hottest days of the year, which the energy infrastructure has to cope with and users are further penalized for. One of our superb solutions, producing up to 40% savings, is a sensor-driven electronic controller with software algorithms designed to detect thermodynamic saturation and to optimize the compressor to enable it to deliver exactly what is needed to maintain room temperature in the most economical way.

All these products have been designed to provide a very attractive pay-back proposition – normally less than two years, which equates to a 50% return on investment for your customers, while offering you as our distributor 100%+ margins on product sales.

For more information on our Energy Saving Products please click here to access our FREE Business Information Pack

The Requirements

We are looking for individuals or organisations with the right mix of skills, experience, contacts and resources to represent our solutions in their territory. Experience in the industry can be helpful but is not a pre-requisite. We pride ourselves on being able to take someone with little or no experience to profitable training in the shortest possible time.

If you are currently running an Energy Saving Business and your application is successful you can secure an Enigin Distributorship via a commitment to a negotiable volume of product depending on your territory and circumstances.

If you are new to the industry we can provide you will full training along with a generous start-up package of products, marketing tools and business support that will provide you with everything you need to generate rapid profits from your new business from just £14,250. This initial investment is fully refundable once you achieve an agreed level of sales.

For full details on the start-up package, initial investment and refund policy please click here for your FREE Business Information Pack

100% Money Back Guarantee

Enigin offer a comprehensive 100% Money Back Guarantee to all new Distributors. We know our products work and that our methodology is highly effective but we want to reassure you of that in advance by way of a four-fold guarantee that will cover you for the life of your Distributorship.

For full details on this guarantee please request our FREE Business Information Pack

What Our Distributors Are Saying:

We asked some of our Distributors a couple of important questions that we felt might be helpful to those who may be evaluating this business opportunity.

Q1. Is it the right time to start an Energy Saving Business?

Cheap printer ink cartridges: helps in cost cutting

2011-12-28T14:37:00.001+05:30

Cheap printer ink cartridges: helps in cost cutting

With the increase in the usage of printers in businesses and office, demand for printer ink cartridges has gone up as well. At the same time, quality of the pages and the ink cartridges has become the essential factors in printing the pages. Many a times, people lookout for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ink cartridges whenever their printers fall short of ink. Why throw money down the drain, when you can buy cheap printer ink cartridges. When you go for the OEM ink cartridges, you are likely to spend huge amount of money on the printing needs. They will end up increasing your overall stationery costs.

With the entry of the third party vendors producing cheap printer ink cartridges, the monopolistic market of the branded and genuine ink cartridges is almost shut. These cartridges are cheaper than the original ones. The ink cartridges are non bio-degradable. Every year, people from across the globe add into millions of tons of garbage in landfills. Used printer ink cartridges are dumped without thinking of re-filling. The cartridges are formed of high grade plastic and take up thousands of years before they break down. It is advisable to practice secure ink cartridges recycling to assist and save the environment from damage caused by the unsuitable disposal of the printer ink cartridges. Online world is one of the great places to purchase cheap printer ink cartridges.

There are several online suppliers who provide cheap printer ink cartridges. All you need to do is to woof on the one that provides you with the great services and best prices. The web world is a wonderful tool and it can help you put the cash back in your pocket. Saving money on cheap printer ink has never been easier, however, with the online advancements; you can be assured about the costs. Online traders have their websites with product information. Therefore, inspect some of the known online suppliers and also browse through the prices they are providing.

If you are looking out for cost cutting in your office stationeries, then it is advisable to go for cheap printer ink cartridges. Although, the digital era has taken over in offices across the globe, yet there are many such companies that rely on the documents. Printing is important in carrying out both business and office tasks. Whether you are looking to print mere documents like minutes of a meeting or other essential documents like financial reports or any other project progress report, you just cannot avoid printing. For all such tasks, you can bank on cheap printer ink cartridges.

These days, printer ink is a sore spot for consumers. The consumers are searching for ways to save money in buying ink. Hence, one can save a lot of money by buying cheap printer ink cartridges. Now start saving immediately just by ordering cheap printer ink from the online source.