Manmohan SinghAs Manmohan Singh wraps up his fifth Rajya Sabha term on Friday, it will be the first time in his long and eventful career that the former Prime Minister will have no responsibility. But this is no reason to conclude that it is time for his farewell, as there is a strong possibility that his party may bring him back to the Upper House. However, he will not be able to make the conventional parting speech in the House as he will be retiring five days before the budget session begins.
Missive Against Move
Congress leader Anand Sharma, Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh, has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh against the proposed move to shift the headquarters of the Army Training Command from Shimla to Meerut. Sharma, who also hails from Himachal, reminded the minister that Shimla was the headquarters of the Indian Army from 1864 to 1939, and even after Independence the Western Command was headquartered there till 1985. Just days before the Parliament session commences, Sharma has sought Singh’s intervention and asked that the move be cancelled, saying it would have huge financial implications for his home state.
Nod From Abroad
The Supreme Court Collegium, which on Wednesday decided to extend the tenure of three additional judges of the Chhattisgarh High Court, could not take the written concurrence of one of the judges, Justice N V Ramana, as he is travelling abroad. However, in view of the urgency of the matter, Justice Ramana conveyed his concurrence with the decision of the other two judges — Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S A Bobde — telephonically.
