Shillong girls clear UPSC exam

Shillong, May 4: Two Shillongites have cleared the civil services (main) examination, 2012 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the results of which were declared yesterday. Isawanda Laloo and Daribha Lyndem featured in the list of successful candidates to fill up vacancies in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Central Services — Groups A and B. While Laloo secured the 351st rank, Lyndem was ranked 882. Altogether 998 candidates were recommended by the UPSC for appointment to the above services against 1,091 vacancies (550 general, 295 other backward classes, 169 Scheduled Castes, and 77 Scheduled Tribes). The number of vacancies for the IAS is 180, IFS is 30, IPS is 150 while there are 630 vacancies for the Central Services Group A and 101 vacancies for the Central Services Group B. A graduate in English from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College who topped her batch in 2007, Laloo had also cleared the 2011 examination where she was ranked 850th in the merit list. Laloo, a resident of Ryngi Jynriew, Nongthymmai here, and who is working as an assistant professor in the English department at the North Eastern Hill University (Nehu), expressed happiness that she was able to substantially improve her ranking. “By God’s grace, my plan worked. The examination was tough, but somehow I managed. I am very happy, and I hope that I do get into the IAS,” Laloo told this correspondent. Her focus, notwithstanding her daily commitment to the students at Nehu, helped to improve her ranking, she added. When asked to choose between being a teacher or an administrator, Laloo said, “Both my parents are teachers, and I have loved my time teaching as well, but I had always thought trying out for the civil services and getting into administration.” Lyndem, who holds a masters degree in English Literature from Delhi University, said patience and perseverance are the key to clear the civil services examination. “It was my first attempt, the examination was difficult, competition was high, but by God’s grace I feel I was lucky enough,” Lyndem, a resident of Rynjah locality here, said over phone from New Delhi. She also said she would accept whatever post will be offered to her following her success in the examination, but she would also try to appear in the examination again to improve her ranking.

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Surprise voice of support for Bansal

New Delhi, May 4: Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav today said Pawan Bansal should not be held accountable for what his relative might have done, breaking ranks with ally BJP that has demanded the railway minister’s resignation. “If any relative of a political leader is involved in corruption, then what is the fault of that leader? I have known Pawan Bansal for a long time. He has been in Parliament for a long time. What has he to do with his nephew taking bribe?” Yadav said. Asked if the minister should resign after his nephew’s arrest by the CBI on charges of accepting a bribe from a railway official, he said: “How do you plan to run this country when politicians start resigning for the deeds of their relatives? Those involved have been arrested and an investigation is going on.” Refusing to call for Bansal’s resignation, he said: “It is up to him.” The statement, coming from the leader of a key NDA constituent, dampened the BJP’s aggressive demand for the minister’s dismissal. BJP leaders, however, sought to downplay the remark. In Dal(U) circles, too, Yadav’s statement came as a surprise although party leaders refrained from commenting on the issue, pointing out that they cannot contradict the party president. Rajya Sabha Dal (U) MP Shabir Ali, however, said during a debate on ABP News: “The minister should take moral responsibility and resign.” Party insiders said Yadav was known for championing the cause of the political class and felt too much significance should not be attached to his remarks. “In this season of scams, it is impossible to defend the Congress. Sharadji is known for aggressively defending the political class when (Anna) Hazare targeted politicians. His remarks should be seen from that point of view,” pointed out a Dal (U) MP. Yadav’s remark is also being seen as an effort by the Bihar party to project itself as independent of senior partner BJP against the backdrop of its differences over Narendra Modi. “Is it necessary to endorse what the BJP says? Janata Dal (United) is an independent party and has its own views on different issues,” a Dal(U) MP said. Ever since strains erupted in Dal(U)-BJP ties on the Modi issue, the Bihar party has been occasionally making friendly gestures towards the Congress. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, during his two visits to Delhi, one on the occasion of his party’s Adhikar Rally and the other at a national body meeting of the party, had not spoken a word on the UPA’s corruption. Some party leaders said Yadav’s reaction could be part of their strategy to make the BJP nervous about the Dal(U)’s future plans.

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BJP cries for minister head

New Delhi, May 4: The BJP alleged that railway minister Pawan Bansal was not just “morally culpable but criminally liable” for his nephew’s alleged acceptance of a huge bribe and demanded he should be immediately dropped from the Union cabinet. Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Arun Jaitley told a news channel that although money may have changed hands at the level of a relative and his associates for a high-level railway board appointment, the appointment itself would have to be ratified by Bansal and, therefore, the buck stopped at his door. Dubbing the UPA a “cash-and-carry government” that had “lost all sense of dignity and shame”, Jaitley said: “It is an open-and-shut case and the resignation of the minister should come in the very first instance. The CBI will shed light on whose behalf the money was taken. But the brazen defiance by the UPA government will alienate it from the people.” At war with the government in Parliament, the BJP was determined to stall proceedings yet again if Bansal continued in office. Jaitley’s deputy leader in the Upper House, Ravi Shankar Prasad, alleged that the Congress had reduced its government to a “shop” in which “decisions were sold for a price to those who came with huge capital”. “This is happening because in the coal block allocation scam, the PM’s role is shrouded in corruption charges. His consent as well as that of Sonia Gandhi is available to all the ministers. That’s why their ministers are setting new benchmarks of corruption,” he said. Prasad said while he had heard of irregularities in lower-level railway appointments, he had never known of posts being second in importance to that of the minister carrying a price tag running into crores of rupees.

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CM targets Centre, CBI - Party leaders fear ‘damage’ in Mamata action refusal

Calcutta, May 4: Mamata Banerjee today trained her guns on the Centre and the CBI, the criticism and insinuations coinciding with the prospect of a probe by the central agency into the Saradha default. “Threats are not going to work on me. The CBI has to be called in since we did not allow FDI in retail, since we pulled out of the UPA-II government,” Mamata said at a Trinamul rally in North 24-Parganas’ Panihati, hinting that her government could be targeted because of certain decisions she had taken. Although the chief minister started her speech by launching an attack on the CPM, she shifted focus mid-way. “UPA-III is not going to happen. I will tell the people to overthrow the government at the Centre,” she said. Referring to the Supreme Court’s message to the CBI last month that the agency should be “independent and unbiased” and that it should not “take any instruction from the political master”, Mamata said: “Look what the Supreme Court has said about the neutrality of the CBI.” Petitions have been filed in the Calcutta and Assam high courts demanding a CBI probe into the Saradha default. Trinamul insiders said a CBI probe could compound Mamata’s “problems” as several Trinamul leaders have had links with Saradha. A Trinamul minister said: “We have seen how the Centre manipulates the CBI to browbeat allies and opponents. Mamatadi today highlighted this at the rally so that her supporters can tell people how the Centre could use the CBI against our government.” He, however, refused comment when asked why Mamata used to frequently demand CBI probes when she was in the Opposition. Today’s rally was at the same venue where former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee addressed a meeting six days ago. Bhattacharjee and CPM leader Gautam Deb had attacked Trinamul for its “association” with sham firms. In her retaliatory public meetings, Mamata has blamed the previous Left Front government and the Centre for the mushrooming of deposit-mobilising companies. Today, Mamata repeated what she said at a closed-door meeting of Trinamul’s general council yesterday, comments that were seen as a virtual clean chit to party colleagues with proximity to the Saradha Group. “Mamata chor, Trinamul Congress chor, bhaipo chor, gushti chor…. Aar tumi sadhu (Mamata is a thief, Trinamul Congress, nephew and family members — everyone is a thief…. And you are a saint),” she said at the rally in response to criticism of her party leaders and questions raised by Deb on the operations of her nephew’s company. A section in the party felt that Mamata’s refusal to act against leaders said to have had links with sham companies could further damage the party. “The growing perception is that she is trying to defend the leaders whose names have cropped up in the crisis. If a CBI probe confirms their involvement, the damage cannot be undone by alleging injustice by the Centre,” a minister said. Deepa quit call Congress minister Deepa Das Munshi today demanded the chief minister’s resignation for her “failure to tackle” the default crisis.

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