Governor Ravi vindicating constitutional oath by holding V-C conference: V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar
NILGIRIS: Vice-President (V-P) Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday lauded Governor RN Ravi, who has been in the line of fire from all corners for organising the V-Cs conference. Dhankhar commended Ravi for 'this thoughtful initiative' and said he has acted in accordance with the Constitution.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day vice-chancellors conference of state, central, and private universities of Tamil Nadu at the Raj Bhavan, Udhagamandalam.
'The governor is doing this conference because it is his constitutional ordainment. He has taken oath under the Constitution (Article 159). The oath is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law. By organising such events, which are extremely relevant to the field of education, Governor Ravi is vindicating his oath. I must commend him for this very thoughtful initiative taken by him in 2022 to have conference of vice-chancellors,' Dhankar said.
He said Pahalgam terror attack was a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace that needs to be addressed by humanity in unison. Dhankhar also appealed to the people to rise above political, personal and other interests to prioritise national interest. Bharat, he said, was the world's most peace loving nation and her civilisation ethos reflected in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the doctrine that sees the world as a family) was getting global resonance.
Ravi, and V-Cs joined the V-P in observing a minute's silence in memory of those killed in the
in J&K on April 22.
'The visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was our greatest assurance that a nation's rise cannot be handicapped by any situation, internal or external. But we all have to bear in mind that national interest is supreme,' he said.
Dhankhar stressed the need to always keep national interest, which cannot be intertwined with partisan interest, uppermost. 'It cannot be subservient to other interests, political, personal or for a group. It was with this spirit that we observed silence,' he said.
Speaking about the changing academic landscape, he said, 'Today, not only Bharat but the entire world is faced with formidable challenges, rapid technological disruption. Every facet of life is being affected and it is therefore in the lap of universities, ably led on the front foot by V-Cs, to act as the stewards of India's academic landscape.
One challenge which the V-Cs must be facing is faculty availability, faculty retention, and sometimes faculty addition. I would appeal to all of you to engage in sharing with one another. Use technology, don't be an island in yourselves. It is not a time to be standalone because this challenge has to be fixed. We have no time.'
About National Education Policy (NEP), he said the most significant aspect of NEP is that it allows students to learn in their mother tongue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Violates fundamental rights': SC sets aside narco test order
A narco-analysis test cannot be conducted on an accused person without their consent, and the results of such tests cannot form the sole basis of conviction in a criminal case, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Emphasising that the pursuit of modern investigative tools cannot override fundamental constitutional protections, the top court underscored that involuntary narco tests infringe upon the right against self-incrimination and personal liberty guaranteed under Articles 20(3) and 21 of the Constitution. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and PB Varale set aside a 2023 Patna high court order that had accepted an investigating officer's proposal to conduct narco-analysis tests on all accused and witnesses in a dowry harassment case linked to the disappearance of a woman. 'We have no doubt that the impugned order cannot be sustained,' said the bench said, adding that 'under no circumstances is an involuntary or forced narco-analysis test permissible under law.' The court held that the high court erred in accepting the submission of the police for administering the test, noting that it contravened the law laid down in the landmark 2010 ruling in Selvi vs State of Karnataka, where a three-judge bench had declared such techniques unconstitutional if done without consent. 'Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution are non-derogable and sacrosanct rights to which the judiciary cannot carve out exceptions…Involuntary administration of narco-analysis and similar tests is in contravention of the protection given by Article 20(3)...The results of such involuntary tests cannot be considered as material evidence in the eyes of the law,' noted the bench. To be sure, a narco-analysis test is a forensic interrogation technique in which a suspect is injected with a psychoactive drug to lower their inhibitions and suppress their reasoning ability, in an attempt to extract information, they might otherwise withhold. The bench further stated that permitting such tests without consent would breach a person's right to privacy and amount to a disproportionate exercise of police powers. The apex court also rejected the state's argument that 'modern investigative techniques are the need of the hour,' saying such measures must never come at the cost of constitutional guarantees. 'While the need for modern investigative techniques may be true, such investigative techniques cannot be conducted at the cost of constitutional guarantees under Articles 20(3) and 21,' it said. The Court also clarified that a voluntary narco-analysis test, undertaken at an appropriate stage and with adequate safeguards, may be permissible. However, the outcome of such tests, by itself, cannot form the sole basis for a conviction. 'A report of a voluntary narco-analysis test with adequate safeguards in place, or information found as a result thereof, cannot form the sole basis of conviction,' held the court, referring to the evidentiary value of discoveries made under Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act. The third key issue addressed in the judgment was whether an accused has an indefeasible right to undergo a narco-analysis test voluntarily. As highlighted by senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who assisted the bench as amicus curiae, the bench noted conflicting views from different high courts, including a Rajasthan high court ruling which held that the accused could seek such a test under their right to lead evidence. Rejecting that interpretation, the bench held: 'It cannot be said that undergoing a narco-analysis test is part of the indefeasible right to lead evidence, given its suspect nature... Such a right is not absolute.' Simultaneously, the bench acknowledged that an accused may move an application seeking a voluntary narco test during trial, and if such a plea is made, the concerned court must carefully assess the totality of circumstances, including free consent and necessary safeguards, before allowing the test. 'The accused has a right to voluntarily undergo a narco-analysis test at an appropriate stage... However, there is no indefeasible right with the accused to undergo a narco-analysis test,' the judgment clarified. Concluding, the apex court said that the Patna high court's decision to allow narco-analysis at the bail stage was not only premature but outside the scope of what a court considers while adjudicating a bail application. 'It does not involve entering into a roving enquiry or accepting the use of involuntary investigative techniques,' it added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Push for disability certificate disclosure of govt employees
Pune: The State Information Commission (SIC) has issued a fresh reminder to the chief secretary to disclose disability certificates of employees recruited under the disability quota on departmental websites as its earlier directive issued three months ago remains unimplemented. State chief information commissioner Rahul Pande told TOI that despite his letter to the chief secretary (CS) directing transparency in govt recruitments through public disclosure of disability certificates, the govt has failed to comply with the order. "I asked the CS regarding the implementation of the order and the state SIC is awaiting a report on the same. It is mandatory for all departments to do so as it ensures transparency in the recruitment process," Pande said. The Amravati bench of the SIC passed directions last year regarding full disclosure of disability certificates submitted by job seekers, and the CS was then requested to issue necessary administrative instructions, but no such direction seems to have been issued pursuant to the SIC order, he added. The state CIC has now sent a reminder to the chief secretary seeking issuance of necessary instructions to all departments about suo motu disclosure of disability certificates and details of persons appointed through the disability quota in every govt office. Pande emphasised that the state SIC has called for maximum voluntary disclosure, explaining that proactive publication of such information would significantly reduce the burden of repetitive RTI applications while promoting transparency in govt recruitment processes. "The purpose of suo-motu disclosures under Section 4 is to place large amount of information in the public domain on a proactive basis to make the functioning of public authorities more transparent and also to reduce the need for filing individual RTI applications," the commission's directive stated. He added that rising complaints about fake and bogus certificates prompted this suggestion and it is necessary that such documents are disclosed for public audit and ensure that the rightful claimant gets public employment. The transparency initiative forms part of the broader RTI framework that seeks to promote accountability in governance. The RTI Act's preamble underlines the need for setting out a practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority. TOI sent a WhatsApp message to CS Sujata Saunik regarding the directive, but a response from her was awaited till the time of going to the press.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Panel proposes financial autonomy, independent Secretariat for Delhi Assembly
In a move that can give more powers to the Speaker, the Delhi Legislative Assembly's Rules Committee has moved a proposal to establish an independent Secretariat and grant financial autonomy to the House, officials said. The committee, under the chairmanship of Speaker Vijender Gupta, has given in-principle approval to the proposal, and a resolution in this regard is likely to be moved in the upcoming Monsoon Session, officials added. 'Since its constitution in 1993, the Delhi Assembly has been functioning without a dedicated secretarial cadre or financial independence. Unlike Parliament and State Legislatures, where the Speaker has authority over appointments and administrative matters, the Delhi Assembly relies on officers deputed from various government departments. This dependency has led to operational inefficiencies and curtailed the Assembly's functional autonomy,' said an official. Acknowledging this concern, the Speaker, in a recent meeting, proposed the establishment of a separate Legislative Secretariat and bringing in financial autonomy for the Assembly. This proposal aligns with Articles 98 and 187 of the Constitution, which ensure such provisions for Parliament and State Legislatures, respectively, said officials. Currently, there are three Union Territories (UT) — Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir — that have their own assemblies. Of these, the Delhi Assembly is the only one created as a constitutional body, whereas the Puducherry and J&K legislatures are statutory bodies created by the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, respectively. However, no such provision for a separate Secretariat was made for the Delhi Assembly either in the Constitution or in the Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991, according to a statement by the Delhi Assembly. 'In light of Article 239 AA(b) of the Constitution — which empowers Parliament to regulate matters related to the functioning of the Delhi Legislative Assembly — it has been proposed that the Rules Committee may recommend an amendment to the GNCTD Act, 1991. This would enable the formation of a separate Secretariat and grant financial autonomy to the Delhi Assembly, bringing it at par with State Legislatures and the UT of Jammu & Kashmir,' the statement said. Officials said once implemented, the proposal would mark a major step forward in ensuring institutional independence and effective functioning of the Delhi Assembly as a constitutional legislative body.
