Legal Education in Indian Perspective

Legal Education in Indian Perspective

Abstract

Spiritually, it is believed that the life on the earth is regulated by the laws of the Lord or the Divinity. It is ‘rule of law’, that draws the essential difference between human society and animal world. It is the legal education that plays an important role in promoting social justice. Law professionals are characterised as ‘Social engineers’. Law as a profession and legal education as a discipline was not a popular choice of the students in India prior to the introduction of five year law course, most of the students who performed well in their Intermediate Education aspired to study medicine, engineering, computers, business management and accounting. Unlike India, the situation prevalent in England, America and in many other developed countries is convincingly different. The admissions to law schools in these parts of the world are highly competitive. In the present era of information capitalism, economic liberalization and WTO, legal profession in India has to cater to the needs of a new brand of legal consumer/client namely the foreign companies or collaborations. In the changed scenario, the additional roles by law professionals to play are that of policy planner, business advisor, negotiator among interest groups, experts in articulation and communication of ideas, mediator, lobbyist, law reformer etc. Due to expanding role of law professionals our curriculum should be enriched with all interdisciplinary courses which are must to produce the competent law professionals of 4th generation.

An Overview: Spiritually, it is believed that the life on the earth is regulated by the laws of the Lord or the Divinity. It is ‘rule of law’, that draws the essential difference between human society and animal world. It is the legal education that plays an important role in promoting social justice. Education or awareness of laws, characterize the lawyers as ‘Social engineers’.

“….man is inwardly a soul and a conscious power of the Divine and that the evolution of this real man within is the right object of education and indeed of all human life.” -Sri Aurobindo

Imparting of legal education has always been considered as one to the noblest profession. Today, legal education derives its impetus from the economic, social and political set up of the society. Legal profession is objectively in the position of producing Statesmen. This is due to two reasons (1) Lawyers belong to an independent profession. They are not subordinate to the government or to anyone else, and (2) They are directly in contact with society in its entirety as they have to deal with all kinds of problems of people from all sections of society, unlike say, doctors who are confined to technical problems. Hence lawyers are the people who are most conversant with the problems of society as a whole.

Importance and regulation of Legal Education

Legal study promotes accuracy of the expression, facility in arguments and skill in interpreting the written words, as well as some understanding of social values. So ‘Law act as the cementing material of society and an essential medium of social change. A well administered and socially relevant legal education is a sine qua non for a proper dispensation of justice. Giving legal education a human face would create cultured law abiding citizens who are able to serve as professionals and not merely as business men.

The quality and standard of legal education acquired at the law school is reflected through the standard of Bar and Bench and consequently affects the legal system. The primary focus of law schools should be to identify the various skills that define a lawyer and then train and equip its students with requirements of the fast growing field of law. It is pivotal duty of everyone to know the law. Ignorance of law is not innocence but a sin which cannot be excused. Thus, legal education is imperative not only to produce good lawyers but also to create cultured law abiding citizens, who are inculcated with concepts of human values, legal ethics and human rights.

The Constitution of India basically laid down the duty of imparting education on the states by putting the matter pertaining to education in List II of the Seventh Schedule. But it now forms part of List III, giving concurrent legislative powers to the Union and the States. Legal profession along with the medical and other professions also falls under List III (Entry 26). However, the Union is empowered to co-ordinate and determines standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions besides having exclusive power, inter alia, pertaining to educational institutions of national importance, professional, vocational or technical training and promotion of special studies or research.

Empowered by the Constitution to legislate in respect of legal profession, Parliament enacted the Advocates Act, 1961, which brought uniformity in the system of legal practitioners in the form of Advocates and provided for setting up of the Bar Council of India and State Bar Councils in the States. Under clause (h) of sub-sec (1) of Sec.7 of the Advocates Act, 1961 the Bar Council of India has power to fix a minimum academic standard as a pre-condition for commencement of a studies in law . Under clause (i) of sub-sec (1) of Sec. 7, the Bar Council of India is also empowered “to recognize Universities whose degree in law shall be taken as a qualification for enrolment as an advocate and for that purpose to visit and inspect Universities” . The Act thus confers on the Bar Council power to prescribe standards of legal education and recognition of law degrees for enrolment of persons as Advocates. However, for promoting legal education and for laying down standards of legal education, the Universities and State Bar Councils must be effectively consulted. The University Grants Commission has in the course of time evinced interest in improving legal education and has taken various steps towards that end, through adequate funding, creation of senior posts and other means.

Historical Development of Legal Education in India

The concept of dharma, in the Vedic period, can be seen as the concept of the legal education in India. The guiding force for the King or his appointee was the upholding of the dharma. For almost a century from 1857 to 1957 a stereotyped system of teaching compulsory subjects under a straight lecture method and the two year course continued. The need for upgrading legal education has been felt for long. Numerous committees were set up periodically to consider and propose reforms in legal education. The University Education Commission, was set up in 1948-49, in the year 1949 the Bombay Legal Education Committee was set up to promote legal education. The All India Bar Committee made certain recommendations in 1951. In 1954, XIVth Report the Law Commission (Setalvad Commission) of India discussed the status of legal education and recognized the need for reform in the system of legal education. It depicted a very dismal picture of legal education. It was only from 1958 that many universities switched over to three year law degree courses. It was only by 1967, that it became onerous task for the three year law colleges to include procedural subjects into the curriculum of their law school.

The dichotomy between the two courses 3 year LLB course after graduation and 5 year integrated course after 10+2, based on various factors such as professional legal education, mental faculties of students, multi-disciplinary and clinical legal approach to legal education still continues. 

Modernization of legal education in India

Law as a profession and legal education as a discipline was not a popular choice of the students in India prior to the introduction of five year law course, most of the students who performed well in their Intermediate Education aspired to study medicine, engineering, computers, business management and accounting. Unlike India, the situation prevalent in England, America and in many other developed countries is convincingly different. The admissions to law schools in these parts of the world are highly competitive. In the changed scenario, the additional roles by law professionals envisaged are that of policy planner, business advisor, negotiator among interest groups, experts in articulation and communication of ideas, mediator, lobbyist, law reformer etc. In this the era of information capitalism, economic liberalization and WTO, legal profession in India has to cater to the needs of a new brand of legal consumer/client namely the foreign companies or collaborations.

Necessary modification required by law Schools

The law schools are required to make strategic plans that set out a clear vision of justice delivery and also address the emerging realities of the market. Goal of the law schools should be to build a ‘system of legal education’ that:

1. a.   Promote an inter-disciplinary approach of law with other social sciences: A person who studies law must have some proficiency in country’s history, political theory, economics and philosophy, to enable him/her in becoming agents that participate in institutional changes.
2. b.   Encourage proficiency in languages: Command over spoken and written language, effective oral skills, diction and extensive reading are pre-requisites that go without saying. Knowledge of a foreign language is important to be a lawyer in the global economy. Law students should be provided with the opportunity to learn a foreign language of their choice.
3. c.   Personal Characteristics: Lawyers, solicitors, legal executives all need good intellectual ability, the ability to assimilate and analyse facts quickly. Law students hence need to develop their ability to distinguish the relevant form the irrelevant, screen evidence, and apply the law to the situation under scrutiny.

The law students are further required to enhance the ability to argue, explain and convince points of law. They need to maintain their complete integrity of character and need mental and physical stamina in order to cope with the long hours, travelling and stress.

1. d.   Develop a critical outlook: Law teachers should switch over to what is called as ‘comparative method of teaching’. The law students should be mobilised to evaluate the existing or prospective draconian laws, participate in discussions on the latest developments and required amendments.
2. e.   Encourage Clinical training: ‘Justice’ must become central to the law curriculum and community-based learning must give the desired value orientation in the making of a lawyer. This concept of justice education in the field of legal education means that the law school curriculum should entail certain programs like Lok Adalats, Legal Aid & Legal Literacy and para-legal training.

The complementary teaching methodology of learning by doing and the conventional classroom teaching, through the law school clinics , help in developing the advocacy skills in the law students. ‘Mock’ trials and Moot court competitions, structured as court trial; client interviewing and counseling sessions; legal research; editing of law journals; legal drafting and conveyancing; court visits etc. in the curriculum is one of the ideal ways to facilitate performance based education. It is a means of improving in students the basic skills such as the skills of critical thinking, presentation skills, participation skills, the skills to work as a team, the leadership quality, in addition to the boost in students knowledge of law.

Promotes acquaintance with new technological means: Law schools and universities should be able to provide e-courses on the shelves. The teachers should put course materials on the Web, conduct on-line tests/assignments and grade students. Web-sites can lead learners to virtual class-rooms. Teachers and students should be oriented to look at the Web as an information provider.

Recapitulation

Legal education is a good investment which if wisely made will produce most beneficial results for the nation and catalyse the speed of development. Of late the role of a lawyer in a common law system is more than a skilled legal mechanic; he acts as a social engineer, social reformer, harmonizer and a reconciler. The legal education provided at the law schools must be transformed to the conventional and contemporary needs of the legal profession and society.

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THE RIGHT WAY TO RUN A PRISON

The Supreme Court was right when it struck down the amendment to a prison ordinance that would have allowed private companies to manage prisons. The court ruled that the state would retain its monopoly to use force against citizens and that only a government agency has the right to restrict a citizen’s freedom. This is not only a matter of civil rights, but also a fundamental concept of government.

Even those who believe that the Supreme Court interferes more than it should in the government’s activities – whether regarding the security fence, routine military operations or government appointments – should agree that this was the right step, even though it impinges on the Knesset’s authority.

In this case, unlike others in which the court has usurped legislative rights, it is clear that by enacting the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom, the Knesset restricted its own authority. The fact that the Supreme Court has largely refrained from striking down legislation and has sometimes tried very hard to avoid doing so attests to laudable self-restraint; if only it would act that way toward the executive branch as well. When the Knesset enacted prison privatization, the MKs acted incorrectly; it is to be hoped that after the latest ruling they will examine themselves rather than merely complain about the court.

Some observers see this ruling as a move by the Supreme Court against privatization in general. They are wrong. Even people who believe that the privatization frenzy that has gripped our political leaders has gravely harmed Israel’s ethical and social image must acknowledge that privatizing prisons – privatization of a key government role – is fundamentally different than the other examples of privatization.

The fight against moves that have harmed the nature of the welfare state or have transferred public assets to tycoons and real estate sharks – sometimes for half their real value – must be waged on the political level, without turning the Supreme Court into the economy’s CEO. On the other hand, attention should be paid to other areas in which the use of force has been handed over to the private sector. They may not be as blatant as prison privatization, but they are no less significant.

The Shin Bet security service, which protects – some say exaggeratedly – the country’s leadership, has transferred some of its functions to private security companies. Although their employees may not have the right to arrest or detain citizens, they bar citizens and their cars from entering certain locations. This borders on a significant infringement of civil rights; it could perhaps be acceptable if done by police officers or soldiers, but not by employees of private companies.

Another example is the army’s transfer to private security firms of its authority at certain crossing points from the West Bank into Israel, including gates in the security fence. This, too, is an unacceptable exercise of government power by private companies, and it does not matter if the people on the receiving end are Israeli citizens or Palestinians. In this respect, Israel has blindly followed the Americans, who delegated broad authority to private companies in Iraq to reduce the number of soldiers serving there.

This has proved problematic. Some employees of these companies have helped cause grave damage and injuries to innocent civilians in that occupied country. But there we are talking about activities that take place outside the borders of the United States. Here the process takes place within our borders or on our borders, and it should be stopped.

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JUSTICE IN ISLAM

Islam had appeared in a tribal society wherein justice as value was almost unknown. Tribal society has certain oral conventions and has no written law and oral conventions develop over a period of time and need for justice, as such, is hardly felt. One more reason for this is private property and wealth does not exist in such society. The only persistent law is that of revenge and retaliation. The Qur’an refers to it as a law of retaliation. However, situation in Mecca was much more complex as Meccan tribals had taken to international trade and Meccan society was in transition from tribal to a mercantile society and the institution of property and wealth had already developed and many disputes were arising between traders from time to time and there was no legal frame-work to resolve them. One such dispute before Islam was referred to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Prophet solved it using justice as a rule and it was on this occasion that he is reported to have said that he would not accept 100 red camels in lieu of that.

This dispute involved a Yemeni trader who was cheated by some Meccan traders. This incident shows that trade and property disputes had begun to take place in Meccan society which had developed into a centre of international trade and finance. Thus the Qur’an made justice the central value and made it a part of Islamic morality. As it was not easy in that society to get concept of justice accepted, Qur’an, in order to emphasise its importance made it Allah’s name. Allah is called ‘Adil i.e. Just. Thus if you worship Allah you must be doer of justice.

Qur’an also made it an integral part of Islamic morality and declared that “Be just, it is nearest to piety” (5:8). Now piety is a moral concept and the word for this is, in Qur’anic language taqwa. Actually the word taqwa means to refrain i.e. to refrain from evil and thus one who is muttaqi i.e. observant of taqwa refrains from all that is evil and being unjust is evil. So a Muslim who is muttaqi refrains from injustice. Thus justice became part of Islamic morality. Unfortunately in later days when rulers became highly unjust and oppressors of their opponents, taqwa lost its original meaning and it came to be associated with ritual piety and a muttaqi Muslim was one who prayed five times and fasted during the month of Ramzan and performed all Islamic ‘ibadat devoid of social morality. But the Qur’an clearly pronounces that taqwa is much more than ritual observations and is integrally connected with justice. Thus a pious Muslim has to be just and his moral integrity should also be beyond any ken of doubt. Thus Qur’an says, “O you who believe, be maintainers for justice, bearers of witness for Allah, even though it be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives – whether he be rich or poor, Allah has a better right over them both.” (4:135) Thus the words that “Allah has better rights over them” again shows that justice is part of Islamic morality and there cannot be getting away from it, if one wants to be a pious Muslim who keeps his duty to Allah. Also in a tribal society there was no concept of rule of law and emphasising role of justice is highly necessary for the rule of law. Thus in this respect also Qur’an says,” And if you judge, judge between them with equity. Surely Allah loves those who are just.” (5:42) Thus in the Arab society the rule of law began with the revelation of Qur’an. Since international trade was developing fast and was expanding, tribal customs and traditions could not have sufficed and it was becoming a social need to establish certain legal concepts beyond and transcending tribal limits. A universal society cannot be bound by narrow tribal limits and Islam was nothing if not universal. Thus Islam adopted universal standards of law and morality and concept of justice is very important for such a morality. Islam had to spread beyond the limits of Arabia and it did within few years of its origin and thus tribal morality of hardly any use in such a case. Islam was anything but tribal religion. There were far more advanced civilisations than Arab tribal culture. All its laws and standards of morality had to be universal in nature. Islam spread across civilisations and appealed to people as far as India and China, countries, which had far more richer and complex civilizational institutions. To begin with all Arabs adopted this religion as for them it became national religion. But even for Arabs it had to appeal to all their tribes as tribal norms, customs and traditions varied from tribe to tribe. These tribes had fought each other for decades and had maintained their separate identities for centuries. Even to unite all these tribes was a grave challenge. To meet these challenges Islam had to appeal to all tribes. If it had adopted norms of only Quraysh, a leading tribe in which Islam first appeared, other tribes would have rejected it outright. Islam transcended all narrow limits and easily united all tribes through its universal standards of morality. Quraysh was most dominant tribe among Arabs and Qurayshites looked down upon other tribes. Islam, though it appeared among them, gave no place of distinction to them and once a person entered in Islam, had no superiority over others even if they happened to be from Quraysh.

There lies the reason why Islam spread so fast among weaker sections of society. Islam became a powerful magnate for all weaker sections of the world. Among the principles of social justice and morality was the principle of equality and equity. Qur’an states that all are equal in the eyes of Allah and one closest of Allah is one who is most pious i.e. most just. The universality of Islam could be judged from very revolutionary declaration of Qur’an, “O humankind, surely We have created you from a male and a female and made you tribes and families that you may know each other. Surely; the noblest of you with Allah is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is knowing, Aware.” (49:13) (emphasis added).

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Punjab School Education Board Penalised

In a significant judgement, received in the press office forublication, The District Consumer Forum, Ferozepur, Punjab comprised of Sanjay Garg, President and Tarlok Singh, Member has ordered the Punjab School Education Board, Mohali to pay a compensation of Rs.50,000/- and Rs.5000/- as litigation expenses to Varun Kumar complainant for failing to declare the matriculation examination result.

          Varun Kumar had approached the District Forum with grievance that he had applied for appearing in the matriculation examination for the year 2007-08 and also paid the necessary fees to the Board. But when he did not receive his roll number, he approached the local office of the Punjab School Education Board where the authorized person advised him to sit into the examination by showing to the examination staff his receipt of payment of fees etc. and as such the said student was allowed to sit in the examination and for the sake of identity he was directed to mention, his name, father name etc. on the answer sheet. However, when the result of the matriculation examination were declared, he found in the official gazette that though a roll number was mentioned against his name, but his result was not declared and was kept in the list as result awaiting. He time and again approached the Punjab School Education Board authorities, but his result was not declared by the Punjab School Education Board. Ultimately, he filed a complaint before the District Consumer Forum, Ferozepur. However despite availing several opportunities, the Punjab School Education Board failed to give any defence to the assertion of the complainant Varun Kumar.

 Sh. Sanjay Garg, President and Tarlok Singh member of the Forum finding the Board Authority grossly deficient in service held that due to the negligent attitude of the Board officials two valuable years of a young student have been waisted, which has resulted into the loss of carrier prospects of the student. Sh Sanjay Garg President of the Forum further directed the Punjab School Education Board to declare the result of the student within fifteen days. Punjab School Education Board has been further directed to pay a sum of Rs.50,000/- to Varun Kumar complainant on account of compensation for the education loss, carrier loss, mental agony, pain and harassment suffered by the complainant Sh. Sanjay Garg President of the Forum has further directed the Punjab School Education Board to pay a sum of Rs.5000/- to the complainant as litigation expenses.

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LAWLESS BUNCH

Middle class India comforts itself with the thought that if the whole country was educated, it would be more civilised and better run. The fallacy of this logic is proved to us several times, not least by the incidents in the Karnataka High Court and the Maharashtra legislature on Monday.

Lawyers created a ruckus in the Karnataka High Court forcing chief justice P Dinakaran to suspend proceedings. They were objecting to his continuing as chief justice in spite of the allegations of land-grabbing which has stalled his elevation to the Supreme Court.

The road which their objections took was not just contemptible but unacceptable. They swarmed into the hall, shouted slogans, prevented other lawyers from appearing in court, manhandled judges and media persons, locked two judges who were unaware of what was going on into their rooms and then cut off the power supply. On all counts, this is hardly what is expected of “educated” upholders of the law.

Sadly, in recent times lawyers have been at the forefront of unruly behaviour, across the country from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi to Tamil Nadu and now Karnataka. Ostensibly, they are advocates of the law and of jurisprudence. But often they are happy to forget the responsibility that comes with it and act in a reprehensible manner.

The question here is not about the suitability of Justice Dinakaran’s continuing as chief justice of the Karnataka High Court after corruption charges were raised against him. It is of the disruption created in court by lawyers. Much as the legislature is the temple for elected representatives, the courtroom is the sacred place for lawyers.

The least that is expected of them is that they do not desecrate it. The lawyers could have sued other forums available to them to launch their campaign against the judge. Instead, by their conduct, they have diminished the force and focus of their argument and shifted it away from Dinakaran to themselves.

Does it reflect or shed uncomfortable light on our national character when the more progress we make, the less we respect civilised norms? Some lawyers of Karnataka have tarnished the reputation of the entire bar in that state by their actions. Stern action is called for against the lawyers and the association to which they belong. They cannot take refuge under the excuse that their cause — Dinakaran’s supposed corruption — — is just, when their own actions are not.

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JUST WRONG ”THE CJI CAN ADVISE DINAKARAN TO STOP WORK.”

It is strange that Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, against whom serious charges of encroachment and illegal occupation of public land, acquisition of wealth beyond known means and abuse of office have been leveled, still continues to discharge his judicial duties. The mere existence of charges against a person is no reason to take action against him or her. But in Justice Dinakaran’s case, at least one major charge has been found correct by an authorized government official. The Thiruvallur district collector has confirmed that ‘poromboke’ land in Kaverirajapuram in the district has been encroached upon by Justice Dinakaran. It was also reported that the district’s revenue officials were threatened and there was an attempt to remove evidence of encroachment. The judge’s explanations about the charges do not seem convincing.

His elevation to the Supreme Court has been held in abeyance on the basis of the preliminary inquiry. But the Chief Justice of India has ordered an assessment by the Survey of India to verify the veracity of the collector’s view. This is also strange. When a responsible government official has submitted a report after due consideration of facts, why should a second opinion be sought on the matter? Even if other charges against the judge are found baseless, the charge of encroachment of land makes his elevation to the Supreme Court unacceptable. And if he is not fit for the Supreme Court, he cannot continue as high court chief justice.

The credibility and prestige of the judiciary depend on the conduct and image of the judges. They have to be completely above suspicion. It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court’s collegium of judges, which recommends the selection of judges, dillydallied in Justice Dinakaran’s case. It had, in the first place, either failed to investigate the charges against him or glossed over them. And now even in the face of credible evidence against him, it has not conclusively rejected his candidature. Justice Dinakaran himself should have voluntarily kept himself away from judicial duties when the charges came into the open. He should have had enough respect for his position to do that. The CJI can advise him to stop attending to judicial work. It is also necessary to take recourse to action, prescribed by the constitution, against an errant judge, and other appropriate actions to penalize him for violations of the law.

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BUREAUCRACY IS KILLING RTI

Processes, procedures, principles and the people responsible are as much important for a system as its purpose. If any of these is not up to the mark, it will defeat the very purpose for which the system has been put in place. The Right to Information Act is one such system which enables citizens to obtain information in the custody and possession of any public authority provided the same is not otherwise barred by the Act.

It is not that the people were not getting information they required from various Government departments before the enactment of RTI. They certainly were through dubious and illegal means like bribing. However, the Act, no doubt, has helped to some extent in promoting transparency, openness and accountability in the working of the public authorities.

While the new law is invested with some empowering provisions aimed at containing rampant corruption in the corridors of power, the corruption-ridden bureaucracy has left no stone unturned to blunt RTI’s effectiveness. First, the bureaucrats persuaded the Cabinet Committee to approve an Amendment to exempt file notings and Cabinet papers from disclosure under the Act. It was only due to the huge public outcry against the proposed Amendment that the malafide move was foiled.

Then came another assault that dealt a severe blow to RTI and has proved to be its undoing. Ostensibly brought about for better internal management of the affairs of the Central Information Commission so as to enable it to function effectively, the dubious Central Information Commission (Management) Regulations, 2007, has actually put RTI beyond the reach of a common man by rendering the process of seeking information under the Act an exorbitantly expensive, unduly complicated, cumbersome and lengthy affair. On top of this, the clever bureaucracy is so skilled in the art of dodging and has so many tricks up its dirty sleeves to smother inconvenient queries that it easily gets away without supplying the information requested.

RTI needs to be structured in such a manner that the role of the bureaucracy is minimal and simply restricted to supplying the requested information and/or the requested documents, and see to it that the information supplied is correct and complete. Beyond that it should have no role or influence in the RTI process. Otherwise, it can seriously damage the credibility of RTI.

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Before you file a case

There are a few essentials that help the process of filing a court case, easier. Here, a lawyer gives some tips on how to prepare for the final application to the court.

* Make all complaints in written form.
* Photocopy every paper, every document that you write, mail or send to people.
*  Whenever you submit a document to somebody, get a ‘Received’ stamped on the photostat copy.
*  File the photocopies of the originals in chronological order.
*  File the photocopies, with ‘Received’ stamped on them, again in chronological order – in a file separate from the  photocopies of the originals. This will help if you ever lose any document.
*  Keep your eyes and ears open for cases related to your case. If you hear of similar cases, note them down; if you come  across news clippings; file them (and put a photocopy in the relevant file); if you know somebody who has gone through  a similar experience or filed a similar case, talk to them. Refer them to your lawyer.
*  If dealing with the government, try to get hold of any public circulars, notifications or written regulations, which could  strengthen your case. File them and their photocopies separately.
*  If a government department is not giving you the documents or information you need, apply under the Right To  Information (RTI.) Act. This may take about a month to bear results.
*  If your case is employment-related, gather all the rules of conduct, hiring/firing regulations, employment codes, etc, of  the organization you are appealing against.

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Government Bodies

Government Bodies

Government Departments

* Andhra Pradesh Public Distribution System
* Bardhamaan
* Biotechnology Information System
* Bureau of Indian Standards
* C-DAC Homepage
* C-DAC Webpage
* CITCO
* Cabinet Secretary
* Census of India
* Central Board of Excise & Customs – formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of duties
* Central Board of Excise and Customs
* Central Board of Excise and Customs
* Central Vigilance Commission – annual report, press releases, articles & speeches, instructions
* Central Water Commission
* Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics
* Centre for Development of Telematics
* Chennai Telephones – official site of Chennai Telephones
* Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Rajasthan
* Chief Engineer – information on Civil Engineering department of S.E.Railway, Calcutta
* Controller of Stores- NFR – webpage of the controller of stores- N. E. Frontier Railway
* DGR, Government of India – official web site of Directorate General of Resettlement
* Department of Agriculture & Co-operation – from ministry of agriculture, Government of India.
* Department of Agriculture – site of the Government of Madhya Pradesh with info on seeds, soils.
* Department of Biotechnology – official web site of DBT
* Department of Electronics
* Department of Energy
* Department of Finance – finance department of the Government of Bihar
* Department of Income Tax – chief commissioner of income tax north western region.
* Department of Medical Education
* Department of Ocean Development – aims at developing oceanic resources
* Department of Rural Development – site under the Government of Gujarat
* Department of Steel – official site.
* Department of Telecommunications
* Dept. of Company Affairs – dept. in charge of administering the Companies Act
* Dept. of Science and Technology – engaged in promoting science and technology activities
* Directorate General of Hydrocarbons
* Directorate of Health Services, MP – illness funds, polio surveillance, disease control programmes
* DoT VSAT Network – about high speed satellite network of Department of Telecommunications
* Electronics & IT Trade & Policy
* Electronics Corporation Of India Limited
* General Administration Department, Gujarat – official site of NRI division
* Home Department, Government of U.P. – official page of the Home Department, Uttar Pradesh
* IGIPS – Indo-German Investment Promotion Service.
* Income Tax Department – online information site of the income tax department.
* India & Moldova – about India’s relation with Moldova
* India Meteorological Department – official site containing information on activities on seismology
* India Tourist Office – site of Government of India tourist office in Europe
* Indian Customs & Central Excise – unofficial homepage containing details of rules & regulations
* Indian Revenue Service – forum for IRS workers.
* Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
* Indian Tourist Office, Japan – the website of the Government of India Tourist office in Japan
* Indian Tourist Office- LA – Government of India tourist office in Los Angeles
* Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
* Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation – presents Karnataka with all its richness.
* Kandla Port Trust
* Kerala Industrial Department – official website
* Kerala Telecom – official site of Department of Telecommunication, Kerala.
* Kerala Tourism – official site of the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala.
* MPUVN – promoting renewable energy technologies in the state of MP.
* Maharashtra Telecom Circle – officer’s directory, directory enquiry, services, network etc.
* Mundla Port
* National Crime Records Bureau – prime task of the NCRB is to modernise the Indian police.
* National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
* National Informatics Centre – government organisation specialising in IT services
* Nuclear Power Corporation – information from Nuclear Power Corporation on the net.
* Patents Division – Government of India
* Permanent Mission of India to the UN – homepage of Indian representative in United Nations
* Petroleum and Natural Gas – exploration and production of oil and natural gas.
* Punjab Tourism Development Corporation – information on tourist complexes, holiday homes etc.
* Railway Recruitment Board – primarily responsible for recruiting the working and supervisory staff.
* Regional Tourist Office (South)
* Rubber Board – engaged in research, technical advice, training, marketing etc.
* SER/RTC – official web site of South Eastern Roadways & Road Transport Corporation.
* Society for Electronics Test Engineering – provides practice oriented training courses.
* South Eastern Railway, Nagpur – website of Nagpur division of South Eastern Railways
* Staff Selection Commission, Calcutta
* Study Tour Permission Form – application form provided by Indian Council for Cultural Relations
* TNPFIDCL – Tamil Nadu Power Finance & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
* Taminadu Telecom Circle
* The National Small Industries Corporation Ltd.
* Tihar Prisons – official website of Delhi prisons, Tihar.
* Tourindia Website – Government of India tourist office, New York
* Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
* Vigilant Alert System (VAS)
* Y2K India – site on initiatives, associations and more related to the Year 2000 problem

DEFENCE

* Army In Kashmir – the official website of the Indian Army in Kashmir
* Bharat Rakshak – dedicated to the Indian soldiers
* INS Chilka – basic training establishments for sailors of the Indian navy.
* Indian Airforce page by Pawan – stuff about the Indian airforce and other links
* Indian Armed Forces – official website of Indian army, airforce & navy.
* Indian Army – site for recruitment information in the army
* Indian Defence – about the defence and para- military forces
* Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis
* Inter Services Institutions – NDC, NDA, DSSC, NCC & AFMC
* National Cadet Corps
* Naval Dockyard, Mumbai – official site with history, role, infrastructure, commercial services etc.
* South Asian Voice – contains write-up on Kargil
* Unofficial Indian Air Force History – history of the war on the air front in the 1965 war
* Unofficial Indian Air Force Page
* Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) – training of medical undergraduates, post-graduates
* Associated Institutions – Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, mountaineering institutes etc.
* College of Defence Managament – scientific management training for the Indian Defence Services
* DRDO – Defence Research and Development Organisation
* Defence Production & Supply – overview, functions, ordnance factories, associated organisations
* Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) – training to the officers of the Army, Navy & Air Force
* Indian Armed Forces – information on the Army, Navy, Coast Guards & the Air Forces
* Inter-Service Organisations – engineering & medical services, sports control board.
* Introduction – organisational set-up, contact information of office bearers, history etc
* Ministry of Defence – armed forces, research & development, recruitment & training, reports
* National Cadet Corps (NCC) – institutional training, adventure sports & other activities for children
* National Defence Academy (NDA) – training for the future officers of the Army, Navy & Air Force
* National Defence College (NDC)
* Recruitment & Training – information on recruitment of officers in the Army, Navy & Air Force
* Resettlement & Welfare Schemes – facilities, training programmes, pension & other benefits
* Resettlement of Ex-servicemen – training & rehabilitation programmes, re-employmentschemes
The Indian Armed Forces – website of Indian Army, Airforce & Navy under the Ministry of Defence

LAW

* Bihar Police – official website
* Collector of Mumbai – information for the public and application forms for various purposes
* Company Law Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. – site for income tax reports and company law matters
* Delhi Police – official site with help line, crime trends, organisation, traffic police
* Income Tax – information about Indian income tax laws
* India Law – a resource for Indian law, constitution etc.
* Indian Laws – commercial law, practice & litigation, tax, trade, human rights, child laws
* Indian Legal Information
* Kerala High Court – information about judgements, judges, lawyers, bar associations, councils
* Kerala Police – official site of Kerala Police
* Law Information Centre – offers a database of all the judgements delivered by the Supreme Court.
* Laws of India – Indian law enactments from 1833 to present.
* Madhya Pradesh Police – official web site
* Mumbai Police – official website of Mumbai Police
* Sidhi Police – achievements, information about crimes & criminals, messages and more
* Supreme Court Online – latest judgements of the Supreme Court of India, news & views
* Supreme Court of India – site dedicated to the highest legal body in India
* To-USA – provides information for Indian professionals interested in working in USA.
MINISTRIES

* AGRICULTURE
* Coconut Development Board (CDB) – development of coconut cultivation & industry
* Department of Agriculture & Co-operation – official site with history, role, infrastructure, commercial services etc.
* Department of Food Processing Industries – Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
* Farm Produce Prices – agricultural price policy by the Ministry of Agriculture
* ICAR – Indian Council for Agricultural Research
* Programmes & Schemes – of the department under the Ministry of Agriculture

CHEMICALS&FERTILIZERS

* Affiliated Organisations -to the Chemicals wing of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals
* Affiliated Organisations -to the Petrochemical wing of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals
* Affiliated Organisations – to the Pharmaceuticals wing of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals
* Chemicals – introduction, industrial, FDI & exim policies, manufacturer of chemicals
* Contact List – name, telephone & FAX numbers of ministers & officers in the DCP
* Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals – homepage of the department under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers
* NPPA – National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
* Petrochemicals – profile, overview, policies, products, opportunities, planning etc.
* Pharmaceuticals – introduction, Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Cell (PEPC) etc.
* Profile – about the functions of the Department of Chemicals & Fertilizers

CIVIL AVIATION
* Aeronautical Information Circulars
* Circulars – on air safety, air worthiness, operations, air transport etc.
* Civil Aviation Requirements – rules on air transport, air safety, airworthiness, flight crew standards
* DGCA – site of Director General of Civil Aviation.
* Flying Clubs – list of flying clubs/schools/centres covered under subsidy scheme
* Functions – responsibilities & functioning of the DGCA
* Gliding Clubs – list of gliding clubs/wings covered under subsidy scheme
* Non-scheduled Operators – list of non-scheduled operator’s permit holders with number of aircrafts
* Scheduled Operators – list of scheduled operator’s permit holders with number of aircrafts
* The Aircraft Act, 1934 – provision for control of manufacture, sale, use, import of an aircraft
* The Aircraft Rules, 1937 – conditions of flying, air worthiness, investigation of accidents etc.

COMMERCE

* EPort – India’s export & import policies, Forex rates, news, circulars etc.
* Autonomous Bodies – boards, councils, institutes & organisations attached to the Ministry
* Department of Foreign Trade – information on export-import policy, circulars & e-commerce
* Department of Supply, Ministry of Commerce – functions, organisational structure & vigilance
* Foreign Exchange Regulation Act – an article on FERA
* India & WTO – agreements signed by India with World Trade Organisation
* Marine Products Exports Development Authority
* Trade Policy – overview, import policy, exchange rates, export policy etc.

COMMUNICATIONS

* Ahmedabad Telecom District – telephone directory, services, general information
* Andhra Pradesh Telecom Circle – directory enquiry, application forms, tenders, network
* Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India – the premier telecom service provider of India.
* NFAP 2000 – draft of the National Frequency Allocation Plan, Ministry of Communications
* New Telecom Policy, 1999 -by the Department of Telecommunications.
* TRAI – the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India site
* Tamilnadu Telecom Circle – directory enquiry, STD codes, telecom news, waiting list for phones .
* Vijayawada Telecom District – services offered, telephone directory, commercial information e

CULTURE,YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS

* Department of Youth Affairs & Sports – official site of the Government of Haryana
* LNIPE, Gwalior – Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education

ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS

* Annual Report 1998-99 – of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India
* Divisions – of research, education, policy, law, placement etc. under the Ministry
* Legislations – principal & sub-ordinate legislations of the Ministry
* Ministry of Environment & Forests – Government of India
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

* Consular Passport & Visa Division (CPV)
* India & Albania – information on India’s relationship with Albania
* India & Bahrain – information about VIP visits, trade & economic relationships etc.
* India & Kazakhstan – about bilateral relations & high level visits
* India & Kingdom of Cambodia – bilateral reltionships, cultural relationships, agreements signed
* India & Oman – about India’s relationship with Oman
* India & Romania – about Indo-Romanian relationships
* India & The Commonwealth of Australia – bilateral relationships, trade relations, visits etc.
* Indo-German relations – about cultural relationships, economic relations, high level agreements
* Person of Indian Origin Card Scheme – informatiom about the notification of PIO Card Scheme

FINANCE

* Budget 2000 – site inviting suggestions for Budget 2000
* Budget Highlights – finance bill, reactions, analysis, speech, economic survey, expenditure
* Central Board of Direct Taxes – advance rulings for NRIs, PAN, SAMMAN etc.
* Controller of Aid Accounts & Audit – loans & grants from donors, disbursed outstanding debt etc.
* ECB Gudelines – External Commercial Borrowings guidelines for 1999-2000
* Economic Indicators – monthly economic reports
* Economic Survey – for 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99
* Finance Minister’s Speeches – Shri Yashwant Sinha’s speeches on the Union & Interim Budget
* Foreign Direct Investment, FDI – information, overview, regulations & guidelines etc.
* Income Tax Department, Pune Region – tax information, schemes, forms, assistance, grievances.
* Ministry of Finance – homepage of the Ministry
* Press Releases – of the Ministry of Finance on policies, schemes, rates of interest etc.
* The Companies Bill, 1997 – laws governing companies & certain other associations
* Union Budget 1999-2000 – budget speech of Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha
* Union Budget – for 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 & the Budget for the past five years

FOOD AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS
* Department of Consumer Affairs – price monitoring, consumer courts, weights & measures.
* Department of Food & Civil Supplies
* Department of Sugar & Edible Oils – sugar control order, export/import & prices of sugar.
* Food & Consumer Affairs – official website of the Ministry

* HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
o Health & Family Welfare – official site of the Ministry under the Government of India
o Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy
HOME AFFAIRS
o Department of Official Language – strives to promote Hindi as the official language
o Ministry of Home Affairs – official website of Ministry of Home Affairs.
o Ministry of Home Affairs – departmenta of official languages
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
o Admissions for Post Graduate & Ph.D Programmes
o Department of Education
o National Council of Science Museums – activities, infrastructure, exhibitions, science parks etc
INDUSTRY
o Department of Explosives – scrutiny & approval of site, layout & construction of plants.
o Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – negotiated agreement between public enterprise.
o Policies & Procedures – guidelines for external commercial borrowings, manuals, proforma
o SIA – entrepreneural assistance, investor facilitation, processing applications
o Secretariat for Industrial Assistance
o State Policies – industrial policies & procedures for Indian states
INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
o irectorate of Adv.and Visual Publicity – undertakes advertising and publicity of government policies
o Press Information Bureau
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGYDEFENCE
o Application Development – electronic applications in industries, health, bio-tech, rural areas
o Associations – list of electronic trade organisations & councils with their websites
o Cyberlaw Series – IT Bill ’99, laws for digital signatures, IPR, computer crimes etc.
o DOEACC – Department of Electronics Accreditation of Computer Courses, MIT
o Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India
o Electronic Governance – introduction, projects, E-governance conference, MIT initiatives etc.
o Elitex ’2000 – Electronics & Information Technology Exposition, MIT, New Delhi
o Elitex 2000 – Electronics & Information Technology Exposition at New Delhi
o Functions – policies, development of electronics, promotion of Internet, e-commerce etc
o Human Resource Development
o ISP Guidelines – general information & guidelines for Internet Service Providers
o IT Bill, 1999 – draft of the Bill by the Ministry of Information Technology
o Indian Electronics Industry – production, exports, collaboration, awards, mission etc.
o Infrastructure Facilities – standardisation, testing & quality certification, data communication.
o Investment Policies – fiscal, state, export-import & industrial policies of the MIT
o Ministry of Information Technology – official site
o National Taskforce on IT
o Organisations – public sector undertakings & autonomous bodies of the MIT
o Publications – Annual Report 1998, Advantage India etc. from the MIT
o Research & Development – proposals for R & D from the Ministry of Information Technology
o TDIL – Technology Development for Indian Languages, MIT
o Technology Development – support & funds for the development of technology in various areas
LABOUR
o Constituents – attached & subordinate offices, adjudicating & arbitrating bodies etc.
o Contact List – name, designation, address & telephone numbers of officers
o Labour Information Systems Division
o Ministry of Labour – official site
o Policies – Constitutional policies by the Ministry of Labour
o Thrust Areas – policies, legislation, safety, health, welfare & social security of labour
LAW AND JUSTICE
o National Judicial Pay Commission
o Department of Company Affairs
o Department of Justice – Supreme Court, High Courts & Family Courts
o Department of Legal Affairs – organisational set up & functions, Ministry of Law & Justice
o Information – on the Law ministry
o Ministry of Law & Justice – Government of India
o Supreme Court of India – Judis (Judgement Information System), manual, agreement, cause list
o The Legislative Department
MINES AND MINERALS
o Department of Mines – mining legislation, government organisations, foreign investment
o National Mineral Policy, 1993 – preamble, regulations, objectives for non-fuel & non-atomic minerals
NONCONVENTIONAL AND ENERGY SOURCES
o Policies – measures, fiscal & financial incentives & subsidies for renewable energy
o Profile – activities of the Ministry, organisation, contacts, structure etc.
o Renewable Energy Programmes – programmes for rural energy, biogas, solar energy, wind power.
o Renewable Energy Scenario – achievements, programmes, potential, industrial growth.
o Technology Development – research & development policy & strategy, organisations
PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
o Circulars – on foreign training programs, pensions & career progression program
o Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions – official home page of the Ministry
o Rules – all India services rules & manual of office procedure
PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
o Citizen’s Charter – for kerosene, petrol pumps, liquified petroleum gas (LPG) etc.
o Conservation Issues – overall strategy, multimedia mass awareness campaign
o Exploration & Production – history, notice inviting offers for oil exploration, licensing policy
o Finance Sector – disinvestment commission, status report for oil sector PSUs etc.
o Major Reforms – in marketing, finance, pollution control, citizen’s charter etc.
o Marketing Sector – rules on duties of oil companies, dealers, guidelines for samples etc.
o Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas – official site of the Ministry
o Natural Gas – information on availability, utilisation & import of natural gas
o New Updates – new exploration licensing policies, petroleum tax guide, tenders, bids.
o Petroleum Statistics – growth of the Indian petroleum industry at a glance
o Refining Sector – list of oil companies, their refineries & their per annum output
o The Organisation – set-up, activities, affiliated organisations, ONGC, statistics etc.
o The Petroleum Act, 1934 – law relating to the import, transport, storage, production of petroleum
o The Petroleum Rules, 1976 – rules formed under the Petroleum Act, 1934 for production & storage
PLANNING AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
o Common Minimum Programme (CMP)
o Department of Programme Implementation – in charge of monitoring central infrastructural projects
o Department of Statistics – official site under the Ministry of Planning & Programme
o NSSO Publications – list of reports for sale by the National Sample Survey Organisation
o Profile – about the activities & functions of the Department of Statistics
o Statistics – National Accounts, social statistics, economic census, consumer price index
PLANNING COMMISSION
o Archives – plan documents, compendium of evaluation studies (1952-1983)
o News & Notes – daily report & press releases
o Ninth Five Year Plan, 1997-2001 – Volume I & Volume II
o Planning Commission – role, panel of members, activities, organisational setup
o Reports & Tables – evaluation studies, annual reports on State electricity boards
POWER
o Competitive Bidding – guidelines, system planning, project preparation, solicitation documents
o Electricity Boards – power tariffs, fuel consumption, performance of power department
o Electricity Reforms – Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998, status of reforms
o Functionaries in the Power Sector – Minister, list of Chairmen of State Electricity Boards
o Indian Electrical Scenario – introduction, common minimum action plan, achievements.
o Ministry of Power – homepage of the Ministry
o Notifications & Resolutions – electricity laws, resolutions, depreciation norms.
o Organisational Set-up – organisation chart, statutory bodies, corporations etc.
o Policy Initiatives – clearances, orders, change in ceiling limits etc.
o Press Releases – from the Ministry of Power
o Private Power Projects – status, commissioned projects, addresses of power projects
PRIME MINISTER”S COUNCILS
o Council on Trade & Industry – content appointment of the council on trade & industry and more.
o Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG)
o Economic Advisory council
o Bidding – guidelines, system planning, project preparation, solicitation documents
o Electricity Boards – power tariffs, fuel consumption, performance of power department
o Electricity Reforms – Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998, status of reforms
o Functionaries in the Power Sector – Minister, list of Chairmen of State Electricity Boards
o Indian Electrical Scenario – introduction, common minimum action plan, achievements
o Ministry of Power – homepage of the Ministry
o Notifications & Resolutions – electricity laws, resolutions, depreciation
o Organisational Set-up – organisation chart, statutory bodies, corporations etc.
o Policy Initiatives – clearances, orders, change in ceiling limits etc.
o Press Releases – from the Ministry of Power
o Private Power Projects – status, commissioned projects, addresses of power projects nd press
o Group on Telecommunications – draft discussion paper for new telecom policy 1999.
o Group on Telecommunications
o Prime Minister’s Councils
o Prime Minister’s Office – virtual tour, PM’s relief fund, speeches, National Defence Fund etc.
RAILWAYS
o Rail Information – accommodation availability, train fares, reservation status and more
o Central Railway, Mumbai – time table, berth availability, travel information, travel agents etc.
o Indian Railway – official web site of the Indian railways
o Indian Railways – timetable, maps, museums, fan club, news & other railway sites
o Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. – travel & tourism, train timings & positions.
o Railway Staff College – basic training for railway officers
o South Central Railway – train timings, PNR enquiry, tenders, plans, railway maps, services etc.
o Western Railway – time table, financial information, online train status etc.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
o Budget – outlay & expenditure, summary statement of release of funds etc.
o CAPART – Council for Advancement of People’s Action & Rural Technologyc
o Contact List – list of officers in the Ministry with name, designation, qualification etc.
o Departments – of Rural Development, Land Resources & Drinking Water
o India – A Welfare State – about various welfare programmes launched by Indian government
o Organisational Set-up – structure of official hierarchy in the Ministry of Rural Development
o Overview – of the functions & objectives of the Ministry of Rural Development
o Programmes & Schemes – Panchayati Raj, employment, housing, sanitation, land development
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
o Biotechnology Information System – information on research, National Bioinformatics network,
o Department of Biotechnology – mandate, task forces, programmes, broad categories of support
o Department of Science & Technology
o Department of Scientific & Industrial Research
o FARM Homepage – Farmer-centred Agricultural Resource Management Programme
o NISSAT – National Information System for Science & Technology
o Science & Technology – departments & comments
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
o Central Adoption Resource Agency – about CARA, news, guidelines for child adoption & contacts
o Commissioner for Disabilities – site of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
o Disability Division – rehabilitation centres for the physically & mentally disabled, laws, relief
o Minorities & Backward Classes
o Rehabilitation Council of India
o Scheduled Caste Development Division
o Social Defence Bureau
o Social Justice – official site of the Ministry
o Tribal Development Division – profile of tribes, constitutional provisions, schemes etc
STEEL
o Development since 1991 – production, import & export, consumption & capacity of iron & steel
o Ministry of Steel – Indian steel scenario, public sector units under the ministry
o Policies – important policy measures, assistance to private sector
o Undertakings – list of public sector undertakings (PSUs) under the Ministry of Steel
SURFACE TRANSPORT
o Merchant Navy – private & maritime training institutes, rates, admission requirements
o Ministry of Surface Transport – homepage of the Ministry under the Government of India
o Ports – investment opportunities in ports
o Roads – investment opportunities in roads
TEXTILES
o Apparel Export Promotion Council – garment exporter’s directory, export programs, statistics etc.
o Asia Pacific Textiles & Clothing Forum
o Development Commissioner (Handicrafts)
o ERMIU – Economic Research and Market Intelligence Unit
o Ministry of Textiles – official site of the Ministry
o SRTEPC – The Synthetic & Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council, Mumbai
o TEXPROCIL – The Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council with directory of exporters
o Textile Export Quota Policy 2000-2004 – garment, knitwear, yarn, fabrics export entitlement policy
o The Cotton Corporation of India Ltd. (CCI)
o WWEPC – Wool and Woollen Export Promotion Council
TOURISM
o Contacts – tourist offices in India & abroad, help desk, foreign consulates in India
o India – The Destination
o Ministry of Tourism – overview, city guides, travel information, events, tour operators
o Traveller’s Corner – international & domestic airlines, hotel guide, rail info, tips, events
TRIBAL AFFAIRS
o Introduction – about the Ministry and it’s role in the development of the tribal people
o Ministry of Tribal Affairs – homepage of the ministry
o Profile – of scheduled tribes in India
o Schemes – special Central assistance, boys’ & girls’ hostels, grants, ashram schools
URBAN AFFAIRS
o Associated Offices – attached & subordinate offices, statutory & autonomous bodies etc.
o Citizen’s Charter – CPWD, Delhi Development Authority, Directorate of Estates etc.
o Contact List – name, designation & telephone numbers of the Minister & other officers
o Legislations – legislative powers of the Union & initiatives of the Ministry
o Policies – National Urban Policy, Housing & Urban Policy, National Habitat Policy
o Profile – information on the Minister, office bearers & nature of business
o Programmes – for urban development, water supply & sanitation, housing etc.
o Urban India – official site of the Ministry of Urban Affairs
o Urban Scenario – population & economic growth, morphology, infrastructure, crisis etc.
WATER RESOURCE
o Achievements – of the Ministry of Water Resources for irrigation, flood management
o Central Water Commission
o Functions – policy guidelines & programmes for development & regulation
o Ministry of Water Resources – homepage of the Ministry under the Government of India
o Organisations – under the control of the Ministry of Water Resources
NUCLEAR TESTS
o Alex’s Views – on international sanctions against India in the context of nuclear test.
o Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
o CNN India and Pakistan
o India Forum – Opinion Poll
o India Goes Nuclear – covers Indian nuclear testing and world’s reaction.
o India Nuclear Testing – links to nuclear tests.
o India and Pakistan, an nuclear Peace
o India underground nuclear tests – records from Indian underground nuclear test.
o India’s Nuclear Defence – information and discussion.
o India’s Nuclear Tests – 1998
o India’s Nuclear Tests – understand why India conducted these tests.
o India4u Poll
o Milw0rm – Indian Nuclear Tests – news and interviews with the hackers.
o Movement India for Nuclear Disarmament
o Nuclear Empowerment – understanding India’s refusal to sign the Test Ban Treaty.
o Nuclear India – the search for nuclear capability.
o Nuclear Test – press releases and interviews.
o VirtuaNews
ORGANISATIONS
o DDA – Asansol Durgapur Development Authority
o ALTTC – Advanced Level Telecommunication Training Centre
o ASUDA – Anandpur Sahib Urban Planning & Development Authority.
o Bureau of Industrial Costs & Prices (BICP)
o CAPART – Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology.
o CIDCO – the urban development activities of New Mumbai.
o Center for Development of Stones – engaged in the development of the stone manufacturing sector
o Central Board of Excise and Customs – the travellers guide.
o Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering
o Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture
o Central Training Establishment-Indian Airlines – provides training in the field of civil aviation
o Central Water Commission – technical organisation in the field of water resources
o Chief Commissioner for Disabilities
o Coconut Development Board (CDB) – development of coconut cultivation & industry
o DGSD – Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals
o DOE- India – Department of Electronics- Government of India
o DTE – website of Directorate of Technical Education,Maharashtra
o Education and Research Network – ERNET, of the department of electronics, Govt. of India.
o Educational Consultants India Limited – offers consultancy services in education and HRD fields
o Election Commission of India – parties and candidates, press releases, and poll updates.
o Fluid Control Research Institute – provides measurement standards in fluid flow
o Gas Authority of India Limited
o Geological Society of India – official site of the organisation
o Gujarat Informatics Ltd. – provides impetus to overall IT growth in Gujarat.
o H.P. State Pollution Board – body looking after pollution control activities
o HSIDC – Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation
o HUDCO – institution for housing and urban developement
o ITDC – India Tourism Devlopment Corporation.
o India Development Information Network (Indev)
o Indian Agencies Fighting Economic Crimes – investigation agency fighting economic offences
o Indian Council of Agricultural Research – organisation engaged in agricultural research
o Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative Ltd.
o Indian Investment Centre – information about the investment policies of the Government.
o Indian Railways – providing passenger and cargo service to the nation
o Jaipur Development Authority – governmental organisation for land development.
o KSIDC – official website of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.
o KSIIDC – Karnataka State Industrial Inv. and Devp. Corpn. Ltd.
o KVIC – official website of Khadi & Village Industries Commission.
o Karnataka Renewable Energy Development – agency to develop renewable energy resources
o Kudumbashree – mission aiming at eradication of poverty and unemployment
o MMRDA Webpage – Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
o Madras Export Processing Zone – export processing and free trade zone in Chennai.
o Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Adminstraion
o Metro Water – website of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewarage Board.
o NAFED – National Agricultural Coop. Marketing Federation of India
o NCQM – National Centre for Quality Management
o NFAI – National Film Archive of India
o NFDC – The National Film Development Corporation of India.
o NHPC – official website of National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
o NPPA – National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
o National Centre for Jute Diversification – organisation promoting development of jute industry
o National Centre for Quality Management – non profit organisation promoting quality management
o National Centre for Software Technology – software research and development centre under DOE
o National Centre for Trade Information – aims at promoting trade, investment and technology flow
o National Culture Fund
o National Highways Authority Of India
o National Informatics Centre, Pune
o National Insurance Co. Ltd. – profile, products, customer services, schemes etc.
o National Literacy Mission – adult & continuing education & community development in India
o National Police Academy
o National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.
o Overseas Construction Council Of India
o PIPDIC – Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development & Investment Corporation Ltd.
o Press Information Bureau – provides authentic government information to the media
o Press Information Bureau – Government of India, Press Information Bureau
o Research Designs & Standards Organisation
o Research and Education Network of NIC
o Rice Wheat Consortium – aims to solve agricultural problems in Gangetic plains
o SEBI – Securities and Exchange Board of India
o State Trading Corporation of India Ltd. – premier international trading organisation
o TACID – Tamil Nadu Corporation for Industrial Infrastructure Development Limited
o TNPSC – site of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission with exam news etc.
o Tea Board of India – government body for the development of the tea industry in India
o Technology Development Board
o Technology Development Board
o Technology Focus – a monthly newsletter of DESIDOC.
o UNESCO – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
o UNIDO -TBIIP – United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
o USAID – United States Agency for International Development in India
o Unit Trust of India – official website of UTI
o Uttar Pradesh Housing & Development Board – official site of the Board
o Vigyan Prasar – autonomous organisation promoting science and technology
PARLIAMENT
o Government of India – info. on ministries, policies, budget, high commissions etc.
o Parliamentary Committees
o Sansad – informative site on the Indian Parliament
o The Indian Parliament
o The Indian Parliament – the parliament of the world’s largest democracy
o The Indian Parliament – information about the Indian Parliament

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Government declares war against huge backlog of court cases

New Delhi, Oct 25 The central government Sunday declared a war against huge backlog of over 31 million court cases, finalising an ambitious scheme to appoint 15,000 trial court judges and 700 high court judges on contract for two years to work in three shifts to eliminate arrears within three years.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government finalised this ambitious scheme at the end of a two-day “National Consultation for Strengthening the Judiciary Towards Reducing Pendency and Delays”. Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily organised it with active participation of Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

At its conclusion, the seminar adopted the law ministry’s “vision statement”, which finalised a multi-pronged scheme to eliminate the staggering backlog of court cases.

The schemes ranged from evolving a National Litigation Policy to make the government shed its dubious tag of being the largest litigant and transform it into “a responsible and reluctant litigant from a compulsive one”. It also sought establishing a National Arrear Grid for scientific monitoring of pending cases and to reduce time taken in their adjudication at various levels.

During the seminar, the judiciary, led by Chief Justice Balakrishnan and the Supreme Court’s second senior most judge, Justice S.H. Kapadia, made a vehement demand for a hike in court fees, specially in corporate and business matters, for better funding of the judiciary.

Moily readily acceded to the demand and promised requisite legislative or executive steps for the purpose.

The judiciary also demanded establishment of commercial courts in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, and the law minister said the bill for the purpose would be introduced in the forthcoming winter session of parliament.

As per the vision statement, retired judges and senior lawyers would be appointed as ad hoc judges for a limited period of one to two years on contract on a consolidated honorarium of Rs.50,000 or more a month.

These judges would work in three shifts, with the night shift judges often working till midnight to decide cases so that the pendency of cases is brought down from 15 years to three years.

The vision statement envisaged this radical scheme would reduce the backlog of cases to three-year pendency period by Dec 31, 2011. A status report on the goals achieved will be submitted to the prime minister on Jan 31, 2010.

At present, there are 2.7 crore (27 million) cases pending with the trial courts, the lowest rung of judiciary, where the sanctioned strength of judges for these courts is 16,721.

The high courts have a sanctioned strength of 886 judges, and are grappling to deal with a pendency of 40 lakh (4 million) cases.

The Supreme Court has around 53,000 cases pending, and the sanctioned strength of 31 judges to deal with these.

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Political will needed to strengthen India’s judicial system

London, June 13 (PTI) Noting that the overall social indicators of access to justice in India are quite disappointing, Chief Justice of India, K G Balakrishnan today said polical will is needed if some meaningful progress is to be made in the country’s judicial system.

Emphasising the paradox in the system, Chief Justice Balakrishnan said “even though the judicial system has been tackling a continuously rising case-load, the overall social indicators of access to justice are quite disappointing.

“The Limited reach of the justice-delivery system is especially worrisome in light of frequent reports of vigilante justice being meted out by local communities, often through informal bodies.”

Political will needed to strengthen India’s judicial systems Inaugurating a two-day International Conference of Jurists on ‘Judicial Reforms’ at the Crown Plaza Hotel here, Chief Justice Balakrishnan presented an overview of the Indian Judicial system, the immense backlong of cases pending before Courts at all levels and said “The problem in this regard is that the creation of more courts at the district level depends on the initiative and financial commitments from the respective state governments, whereas the administration of the higher judiciary is the responsibility of the central government.

“Most State governments have been hesitant to commit resources for the expansion of the lower judiciary. This lack of political will needs to be highlighted if some meaningful progress is to be made in strengthening our judicial system.

“While it is understandable that thousands of newer courts cannot be created overnight, the State Governments must identify time-bound targets in this regard.” The conference, organised by International Council of Jurists and the Society of Lincoln’s Inn, was attended among others by Justice Awn S. Al-Khasaneh, Judge, International Court of Justice, Justice Min Bahadur, Rayamjhee, Chief Justice of Nepal, Ram Jethamalani, MP, Former Minister for Law, Justice and Company Affairs of India, Dr Adish C. Aggarwala, President, International Council of Jurists, Justice K S Radhakrishnan, chief justice of Gujarat High Court, and judges from several developed and developing countries. more pti hsr

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Ram Jethmalani said terrorism, one of the 11 subjects on the agenda, is the most important issue facing the society.”

Noting that terrorists were invoking God for “all their filty things,” Jethmalani said military action, as in Pakistan, was necessary but “what is necessary is demolition of their indoctrination that the God is on their side.

“It is a menace that is threatening the survival of civilisation. Terrorists have been indoctricated that God is on their side.”

He wanted the Conference to discuss how to tackle this “great menace affecting the world peace.” He said democracies of the world should pool “all their material and spiritual resources in meeting this menace.”

Dr Adish Aggarwala, President, International Council of Jurists and Chairman, All India Bar Association said the Conference has been organised to discuss the urgent need for judicial reforms to keep pace with the rapid changes taking place in the global economy and to re-examine the constantly evolving role of the Judiciary so as to be responsive to the needs of society.

“An independent, efficient and accountable Judiciary is the hallmark of a working democracy which rests on the principle of checks and balances.” Aggarwala said “It is notable that while new laws are being framed at a considerable speed, the capacity to enforce these laws has not met expectations in many countries.”

He suggested that “the judiciary must rise to the occasion to strengthen the arms of the State in combating the problem of terrorism while maintaining the rule of law and protection of human rights.” more pti hsr

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Aggarwala said some of Indian delegates could not participte in the Conference on account of strict immigration norms of UK and the swine flue.

Vijay Goel, Partner Singhania & Co, founder of Indo-European Business Forum, speaking on Media in a Democracy, said “at times the media does not always live up to the ideal – hobbled by stringent laws – monopolistic ownership – and sometimes – the threat of brute force. Serious reporting is difficult to sustain in competitive media markets that put a premium on the shallow and sensational.”

He said, moreover, “the media are sometimes used as proxies in the battle between rival political groups. In these cases the media contribute to public cynicism and democratic decay. The media should take extra care in such cases to ensure that the people are provided with true and unbiased information to enable them make an informed decision.”

Presenting an overview of the Indian judicial system, Chief Justice Balakrishnan said the Indian judicial system consisted of about sanctioned strength of 16,685 judges in the subordinate courts, 886 judges in the High courts and 31 judges in the Supreme Court of India.

“The foremost problem is the immense backlog of cases pending before our courts at all levels,” he said, adding “This increase in the volume of litigation can be attributed to improvements in education, socio-economic progress and better awareness of legal rights.”

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