Antrix-Devas Controversy: S-band Spectrum

Antrix-Devas Deal Controversy

     Antrix is the commercial arm of the ISRO(Indian Space Research Organization)
     Devas multimedia is a private firm .

The controversy is about the deal between these two organizations and 70 Mhz spectrum(nearly 4G band) has been allocated to Devas at a throwaway price( very less) of Rs.1000 cr. when compared to Rs.12,000 cr. for 15-20 Mhz to BSNL/MTNL for 3G services which is quite astounding.

This deal was signed by then ISRO chairman  Madhavan Nair who's in the news now for suspiciously signing the deal for such a low price and has been suspended to not hold any govt. position .


The loss is accounted to atleast 2 lakh crores (Not again!!). Now this deal is being probed into by CAG(Comptroller and Auditor General of India) and will hopefully be cancelled as it is not legitimate(legal) .

Why is S-Band important?
Mobile service providers want it for 3G(also 3.5G) services.
Organizations like ISRO want S-Band for satellite based services.
S-Band is also used in optical communications for a certain wavelength range.
It is also in demand by broadband service providers for wireless broadband technology.
The Department of Space has argued that S-Band is needed for radio networking, cyclone warning, meteorological data dissemination and satellite mobile television transmission.

My view:
               The deal should cancelled and the people involved for this deal to be materialized  should be probed . This deal makes ISRO a tainted organiztion(many controversies surrounding it) . Scams of this magnitude being exposed shows the need of the govt. to improve transparency of the deals with RTI to the public and take necessary action.

What is Lokpal ?

Lokpak: How it began

Folks,
          Basically we've been hearing in the news about Lokpal and about and its status and has always been under the scanner from the past year. Giving you an overview and the series of events.

Lokpal bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha during 1977-79 by Shanti Bhushan(whose son Prasanth Bhushan is in Team Anna) but it did'nt get passed then. So, many drafts were prepared in the meantime but never introduced into the lower house(Lok Sabha).

In 2010, a draft of the Lokpal bill was made which was criticized by social activist as an ineffective bill. In 2011, a group of anti-corruption activists formed India against Corruption and organized various public awareness drives and spread it throughout India. In april, Anna Hazare with his indefinite fast  until an effective bill was passed and their version was named Jan Lokpal Bill . This shot him into instant fame and many youth were inspired and joined this agitation.

The campaign for a corruption free India began in January 2011 in the backdrop of the publicity that surrounded around the several eye opening scams that surfaced in 2010,mainly Commonwealth Games 2010 and 2G spectrum scam collectively amounting to 2 lakh crores.

What is it about?

Lokpal bill is a citizen's ombudsman bill(anti corruption law with a proposed administrative body) refers to appointing an administrative body which investigate corruption cases at a fast pace and recover the loss due to a corrupted person when he is blamed for being corrupt.

Basically, with Lokpal we can have fast processing of cases and with CBI being an independent body for investigation it will not be under any pressures from the Ministers or bureaucrats and also increases the transparency in many transactions regarding Govt. projects.

Features of Lokpal Bill:

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill-why-its-important-96600&cp

My view:

There is a growing debate on proposed Lokpal and its difference with the Jan LOkpal wanted by the civil society . Implementing Jan Lokpal is practically impossible as it leads to making many amendments to the constitution . Rather than fighting for the near perfect bill , first to get a bill with mediocre features and then further improvising it is better.

Anyways, lokpal bill was passed in Lok Sabha, but the astounding fact is that it was not going to be passed in Rajya Sabha(which was expected ) . We have to wait until the next session starts.