1. Stage set for K’taka polls on Sunday
i. Capping an intense campaign that saw sparks fly, Karnataka goes to high-stake assembly polls on Sunday amid elaborate security arrangements.
ii. The main players -- the ruling BJP, the Congress and JDS -- were engaged in high pitched campaigning, as also Karnataka Janatha Party of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who has broken away from BJP.
iii. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi led the Congress charge against the beleaguered BJP in the state which is mired in allegations of corruption while Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi spiced up the counter-attack by the ruling party.
iv. Some poll surveys have predicted majority for the Congress or it emerging as the single largest party but falling short of a handful of seats, followed by BJP and JDS.
v. As many as 1.35 lakh police personnel -- 60,000 from the state, 20,000 homeguards and rest from central paramilitary and neighbouring states -- would be deployed to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections.
vi. Polling would be held from 7 AM to 6 PM -- timing extended by an hour by an Election Commission order on Saturday- in 223 Assembly segments of the total 224.
2. No death sentence for Rajiv Gandhi's assassins: SC
i. In a major relief to three condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted their death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of 11 years delay in deciding their mercy plea by the Centre.
ii. A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam rejected the Centre's submission that there was no unreasonable delay in deciding their mercy plea and the condemned prisoners did not go through agonising experience as they were enjoying life behind the bars.
iii. The bench, also comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and S K Singh, said they are unable to accept the Centre's view and commuted the death sentence of convicts--Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan--to imprisonment for life subject to remission by the government.
iv. "Their main contention was that the delay of 11 years and four months in disposal of the mercy petitions made the execution of the death sentence "unduly harsh and excessive," amounting to violation of their right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Note: i. Rajiv Gandhi was killed in May 1991. His assassins were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court 11th May 1999.
ii. The bench had reserved its verdict on 4th February on the petition of the three convicts for commutation of their death sentence to life imprisonment on ground of delay in deciding their mercy plea.
iii. Their plea was strongly opposed by the Centre which had said that it was not a fit case for the apex court to commute death sentence on the ground of delay in deciding mercy plea.
3. Malala awarded 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize
i. Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year, has been awarded the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize, an honour previously given to icons like late Nelson Mandela in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights.
ii. The prize is awarded every five years and has previously been bestowed on Amnesty International and former US president Jimmy Carter.
iii. "The Prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement.
iv. The award ceremony would take place at the UN headquarters in United Nations on 10th December as part of the annual commemoration of Human Rights Day, which would this year include the observance of the 20th anniversary of the creation of OHCHR and the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Note: Apart from Yousafzai, the other five winners of the award are son of freed slaves who works to eradicate slavery Biram Dah Abeid of Mauritania, campaigner from Kosovo for the rights of short statured people Hiljmnijeta Apuk, President emeritus of the World Federation of the Deaf Liisa Kauppinen, Former President of the Morocco Association for Human Rights Khadija Ryadi and Mexicos Supreme Court of Justice.
4. India and Fiji sign double taxation avoidance agreement
i. India and Fiji have signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, DTAA for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
ii. The Agreement was signed in Delhi yesterday by the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Fiji's Minister of Justice, Public Enterprises, and Industry and Trade Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
iii. Speaking on the occasion, the Finance Minister Mr Chidambaram said that the Agreement will provide tax stability to the residents of India and Fiji and facilitate mutual economic cooperation. The move will also stimulate the flow of investment, technology and services between both countries.
i. Capping an intense campaign that saw sparks fly, Karnataka goes to high-stake assembly polls on Sunday amid elaborate security arrangements.
ii. The main players -- the ruling BJP, the Congress and JDS -- were engaged in high pitched campaigning, as also Karnataka Janatha Party of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who has broken away from BJP.
iii. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi led the Congress charge against the beleaguered BJP in the state which is mired in allegations of corruption while Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi spiced up the counter-attack by the ruling party.
iv. Some poll surveys have predicted majority for the Congress or it emerging as the single largest party but falling short of a handful of seats, followed by BJP and JDS.
v. As many as 1.35 lakh police personnel -- 60,000 from the state, 20,000 homeguards and rest from central paramilitary and neighbouring states -- would be deployed to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections.
vi. Polling would be held from 7 AM to 6 PM -- timing extended by an hour by an Election Commission order on Saturday- in 223 Assembly segments of the total 224.
2. No death sentence for Rajiv Gandhi's assassins: SC
i. In a major relief to three condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted their death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of 11 years delay in deciding their mercy plea by the Centre.
ii. A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam rejected the Centre's submission that there was no unreasonable delay in deciding their mercy plea and the condemned prisoners did not go through agonising experience as they were enjoying life behind the bars.
iii. The bench, also comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and S K Singh, said they are unable to accept the Centre's view and commuted the death sentence of convicts--Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan--to imprisonment for life subject to remission by the government.
iv. "Their main contention was that the delay of 11 years and four months in disposal of the mercy petitions made the execution of the death sentence "unduly harsh and excessive," amounting to violation of their right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Note: i. Rajiv Gandhi was killed in May 1991. His assassins were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court 11th May 1999.
ii. The bench had reserved its verdict on 4th February on the petition of the three convicts for commutation of their death sentence to life imprisonment on ground of delay in deciding their mercy plea.
iii. Their plea was strongly opposed by the Centre which had said that it was not a fit case for the apex court to commute death sentence on the ground of delay in deciding mercy plea.
3. Malala awarded 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize
i. Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year, has been awarded the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize, an honour previously given to icons like late Nelson Mandela in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights.
ii. The prize is awarded every five years and has previously been bestowed on Amnesty International and former US president Jimmy Carter.
iii. "The Prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement.
iv. The award ceremony would take place at the UN headquarters in United Nations on 10th December as part of the annual commemoration of Human Rights Day, which would this year include the observance of the 20th anniversary of the creation of OHCHR and the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Note: Apart from Yousafzai, the other five winners of the award are son of freed slaves who works to eradicate slavery Biram Dah Abeid of Mauritania, campaigner from Kosovo for the rights of short statured people Hiljmnijeta Apuk, President emeritus of the World Federation of the Deaf Liisa Kauppinen, Former President of the Morocco Association for Human Rights Khadija Ryadi and Mexicos Supreme Court of Justice.
4. India and Fiji sign double taxation avoidance agreement
i. India and Fiji have signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, DTAA for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
ii. The Agreement was signed in Delhi yesterday by the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Fiji's Minister of Justice, Public Enterprises, and Industry and Trade Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
iii. Speaking on the occasion, the Finance Minister Mr Chidambaram said that the Agreement will provide tax stability to the residents of India and Fiji and facilitate mutual economic cooperation. The move will also stimulate the flow of investment, technology and services between both countries.
