India News

Appointment of Lokpal: Govt searching for a jurist for selection panel, SC told

Published

9 years ago

March 6, 2018

Section 377 hearings Day 4: Supreme court reserves judgment

Supreme Court had pulled up the Centre for delay in appointing Lokpal, asked DoPT to file an affidavit detailing steps taken to appoint the ombudsman

The Supreme Court was, on Tuesday (March 6), informed by the Centre that it was still searching for an eminent jurist who could be named as a member of the selection committee tasked with short-listing a Lokpal.

The submission by Attorney General KK Venugopal before a Supreme Court bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumati comes at a time when the Congress party has already declared its decision to boycott any meeting of the selection panel till such a time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government gets an amendment to the Lokpal Act of 2013 passed. The said amendment, pending for nearly four years now, would replace the term Leader of Opposition with leader of the single largest Opposition party as one of the members of the Lokpal selection panel, the other three being the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist.

On February 23, the apex court had pulled up the Centre for the delay in appointing a Lokpal. The bench of Justices Gogoi and Banumati had asked the secretary of the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to file an affidavit about the “steps taken and proposed” for appointing the ombudsman after Venugopal informed the court that ta meeting of the selection panel was due on March 1.

However, on March 1, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha declined an invitation by the Centre to attend the selection panel’s meeting as a “special invitee”. Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating the “special invitee” status would not allow him to contribute to the discussion over the appointment of the anti-corruption watchdog.

With Kharge boycotting the meet and the Centre still struggling to find an eminent jurist who can be on the panel, the selection committee currently comprises of just two members – the Prime Minister and Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

The Modi government had earlier appointed legal luminary PP Rao as a member of the selection panel. However, following Rao’s demise in September last year, the slot of an eminent jurist on the panel has been lying vacant.

With the government showing no interest in getting the Lokpal Act 2013 amended to relax norms for the selection panel’s constitution, the law as it stands today, requires that the panel have the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and an eminent jurist as its members. Since the Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha had been restricted to just 44 in the May 2014 general elections, it failed to get the office of the Leader of Opposition as this would have required the party to have a numerical strength of at least 10 per cent of the composition of the Lok Sabha. In the absence of a Leader of Opposition, the government had argued that the Lokpal selection committee cannot be constituted. It was later suggested that the Act be amended so that the selection committee could have as its members the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, leader of the single largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha and an eminent jurist. This amendment has, however, not been passed as yet by Parliament.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Venugopal told the Supreme Court that the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection committee will be filled at the earliest but did not give an exact time frame for this. While the DoPT affidavit, filed with the apex court before the proceedings, mentioned that the meeting of the selection committee took place on March 1 and was not attended by “special invitee” Kharge, the Centre has not been able to answer the other critical question – what would it do if the Congress continues to boycott the selection panel meeting.

Assuming that the Centre does find an eminent jurist who it feels is worthy enough of being nominated to the selection panel – it hasn’t found anyone suitable in the six months since Rao’s demise – the question of the Opposition’s representation on the committee will still require resolution.

It may be recalled that the SC had, last year, ruled that there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments, including on the issue of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, were cleared by the Parliament. The court had said that the Lokpal Act of 2013 was an eminently workable piece of legislation and “does not create any bar to the enforcement of the provisions.” It had added: amendments proposed to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, and the views of the Parliamentary Standing Committee are attempts to streamline the working of the Act and does not constitute legal hindrances or bar its enforcement.

The SC’s ruling had come on a plea by NGO Common Cause and others seeking immediate appointment of Lokpal in the country.

The UPA-II government had been forced to enact the Lokpal Act in 2013 after massive countrywide agitations broke out over the need for setting up a new institutional mechanism to check corruption in the government. The agitations had been triggered by the hunger strikes and protests by activist Anna Hazare, his then protégé Arvind Kejriwal and a motley group of other “civil society” members who came together under the banner of India Against Corruption. While Kejriwal leveraged the publicity he received from the protests to launch his political career and the Aam Aadmi Party, Hazare was relegated to the shadows.

Ironically, after coming to power in Delhi with a historic mandate, Kejriwal has himself done little to appoint a Lokayukt – the provincial equivalent of the central Lokpal.

Now, even as the Supreme Court nudges the Centre to expedite the proves of appointing a Lokpal, Hazare is trying to get back into the limelight, threatening another stir fromMarch 23 at New Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds demanding that the ombudsman be appointed soon and that the institution of Lokpal be made operational.

India News

Air India sacks Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after failing drug test

Air India has terminated the Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after a confirmatory test found a psychoactive substance following the August 4 incident.

Published

8 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Air India has terminated the employment of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The pilot was in command of flight AI2379, which was travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude over Odisha. The incident left 24 passengers injured.

Air India said the termination was in line with its zero-tolerance policy regarding safety violations and regulatory requirements.

Air India terminates pilot with immediate effect

In a statement, the Tata-owned airline said the pilot-in-command had tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The airline said that, considering its zero-tolerance approach to violations related to safety, fitness and regulatory requirements, the pilot’s employment had been terminated with immediate effect.

Air India also said it continues to cooperate fully with the investigation into the incident and has provided access to relevant operational, maintenance and technical records.

What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?

According to the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Airbus A320 was carrying 145 people when it experienced the near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at around 36,000 feet.

The technical failure resulted in the autopilot disconnecting and triggered a brief stall warning. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude, resulting in injuries to 24 passengers.

The preliminary report also noted that the pilot tested non-negative for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

However, the report did not establish that the pilot’s drug-test result caused or contributed to the hydraulic system failure or the subsequent loss of altitude.

AAIB recommends action over psychoactive substance finding

The AAIB described the confirmation of psychoactive substance use as a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action against the pilot on priority.

The investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is still underway.

The preliminary report also noted that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft when the incident occurred and attempted to bring the situation under control.

Air India said safety remains its highest priority and that its pilots undergo training, proficiency checks, medical examinations and other regulatory assessments in accordance with applicable requirements.

India News

India offers forensic DNA support to identify Nepal flood victims

India will make forensic laboratory facilities available for DNA profiling of first-degree relatives of people missing after Nepal’s August 26 flash floods.

Published

13 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

India has offered forensic laboratory support to help identify people who remain missing after the devastating flash floods in Nepal.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said central and state forensic laboratories in India will make their DNA profiling facilities available for first-degree biological relatives of people missing after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal.

DNA samples can be provided by relatives in India

According to the MEA, first-degree biological relatives living in India can have their biological samples collected and DNA profiles prepared.

The relatives can include a person’s father, mother, son, daughter or sibling. DNA profiling can be carried out at Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs), State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSLs), laboratories of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and NABL-accredited laboratories with DNA profiling capabilities.

The initiative is intended to support Nepal’s ongoing process of identifying mortal remains recovered after the flash floods.

DNA profiles to be compared with unidentified remains

The MEA said the DNA profiling may use Autosomal STR DNA profiling, as advised by Nepal Police, subject to the technical requirements communicated by the Nepali authorities.

Once prepared, DNA profiles and the preliminary information required by Nepalese authorities can be sent to Nepal Police by email for comparison with DNA profiles obtained from unidentified mortal remains.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu will also facilitate coordination, with copies of the DNA profiles to be shared with the embassy for this purpose.

Nepal flood death toll rises

The death toll from the flash floods has risen to at least 1,259, according to Nepalese authorities, after rescue workers recovered additional bodies from affected areas.

More than 12,000 people have been rescued, while around 5,000 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The flash floods, which followed an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, caused extensive destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

India News

PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

Published

18 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

Yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for our nation.

The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India’s first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define… https://t.co/fXzwnSmwAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2026

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.