At the National Counter Terrorism Centre, a select group of officers have handed over powers to hunt down at any premises and caught suspects to stop an attack of any infringement of UAPA. It will also have the ability to requisition commandos of any special forces, which includes National Security Guard. NCTC will be led by an additional director of the Intelligence Bureau.  It will have officials on deputation from other security agencies, including Research & Analysis Wing, income tax, military intelligence and customs.

The eight-point charter of responsibilities of the National Counter Terrorism Centre includes keeping a database of terrorists, dictating priorities for stakeholders as well as making threat assessment reviews. The director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre will lead a council which will have chiefs of state anti-terror units as members to assure the centre “is the single and effective point of control and coordination of all counter terrorism measures.”

Special Judge O. P. Saini read out from his judgment, “Your prayer to summon Chidambaram as an accused is dismissed.”

The court declared that it will start the hearing on Swamy’s complaint, in which he had further alleged former Telecom Minister A Raja, from 17th March.

In his petition, Subramanian Swamy had accused that Chidambaram ia as blameworthy as the former telecom minister in determining the spectrum price.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court refused to direct Central Bureau of Investigation to probe Chidambaram’s role leaving it to the Special Court trying the 2G spectrum case.

“Matter regarding Chidambaram’s alleged involvement in 2G scam should be allowed to rest after Delhi court’s verdict.” said a statement from the Congress.

This is certainly a relief for the government. Law Minister Salman Khurshid told the reporters, “It is a relief, especially when it is a judgment coming from a court.” He also added that Chidambaram is an “important” and “significant” member of the government.

The apex court questioned the process taken by the government in passing the 30th December in not permitting General V. K. Singh’s complaint. Supreme Court also found that the whole process on determining V. K. Singh’s age issue by the 30th December order comes out to be vitiated.

On Thursday, the army chief met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. The meeting continued for about 30 minutes at finance minister’s South Block office. According to reports, both parties struck to their decision and left the controversy to be decided in the court. After the meeting, finance minister told the journalists that the matter is with the court; therefore he would not speak about this.

The army chief took the decision of taking the government to the court after defense ministry stuck to its decision of treating 1950 as the year of V. K. Singh’s official date of birth. Army chief contends that 10th May, 1951 must be treated as his real date of birth as it is cited in his matriculation certificate.

Enforcing a Rs. 5 Crore fine on three telecom companies, that which unloaded their shares after acquiring the licenses, the Supreme Court directed regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) to make new recommendations on of 2G licenses allocation.

A bench of Justice A K Ganguly and Justice G S Singhvi asked the central government to take necessary steps on TRAI’s recommendations within a month and has added that within four months, the spectrum allocation must be done through auction.

The order came on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy and CPIL’s petitions alleging scam in 2G spectrum allocation by former telecom minister A. Raja. Controller and Auditor General had assumed a probable loss up to Rs 1.76 lakh crore (about $40 billion) in the 2G spectrum case.

A. Raja had given 122 licenses for more than a Rs. 9000 crore, whereas 3G auctions had brought the government Rs. 69000 crores with smaller number of licenses.

Supreme Court also told that the trial court will decide on Subramanian Swamy’s plea to draw P. Chidambaram as a co-accused in the spectrum scam. The trial court must decide the issue in two weeks.

A division bench of Justice Sonia Gokani and Akil Kureshi while turning down the application of Jan Sangarsh Manch, an NGO noticed that the commission has more prominent discretional powers to call witnesses.

The court further stated that it did not notice any substance in the Jan Sangarsh Manch application searching for summoning the Gujarat chief minister.

Representing some riot victims, the Jan Sangarsh Manch had approached the Gujarat High Court for asking the commission to summon Narendra Modi for interrogating after the Commission of Justice Akshay Mehta and Justice G. T. Nanavati examining the 2002 riot cases had turned down Jan Sangarsh Manch plea for the same.

Mukul Sinha, the lawyer of Jan Sangarsh Manch had presented in the court that Narendra Modi must be called by the Commission as the part of the chief minister comes within the range of the probe panel’s enquiry. JSM lawyer stated that there are many questions relating to the riots that can only be answered by the chief minister. In response to the verdict, Sinha told they will go to the Supreme Court.

Raju Ramachandran, a senior advocate who has been named as amicus curiae by the apex court to represent Ajmal Amir Kasab, said a bench led by Justice Aftab Alam that Kasab was not a part of the bigger conspiracy for engaging war against a country. He told, “Even if I am guilty under section 302 of the IPC and other provisions, it cannot be said that I was a part of the larger conspiracy of waging war,”

He also added that Kasab’s right against incrimination and his right to get adequately represented by a counsel to fight for himself, in this case, have been breached when the trial was going on.

Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman was convicted of murder and crimes after the Mumbai terrorist attack. Later he was given a death sentence. If he loses this appeal, then he will get a mercy plea to the President of India.

Reports suggest that the government of Rajasthan have asked the organizers to ask the author to cancel his visit. According to sources, the Rajasthan government sensed that Rushdie’s visit may pose serious security threat for the entire state.

Rushdie’s scheduled events have been taken off from the festival’s official website. Salman Rushdie was scheduled to address on 20^th and 21^st January.

Many people, who are supposed to present at the festival, expressed their wrath in social networking sites as Rushdie was their primary reason for attending the festival.

Previously it was known that the organizers have asked the author to skip the festival as Islamist groups have already started protesting over his visit. But, the organizers told in a statement that the festival stands by its invitation to Mr. Rushdie, but he will not be in India on 20^th January due to a change in his schedule.

After the publication of his controversial book ‘The Satanic Verses’, the author had a fatwa against him.

This is the first time when a serving Army Chief has taken the center to the court. Army chief’s date of birth becomes very important to decide when his service will end.

V. K. Singh has been arguing that 10^th May, 1951 must be treated as his real date of birth as his matriculation certificate says that. But the Defense Ministry has turned down the argument because the date that is entered in his UPSC entrance form is 10^th May, 1950.

Army chief will retire on May, 2012 if 1950 is considered as his date of birth, bit if 1951 is considered, then he will serve for another year. Recently, V. K. Singh told that the matter must not turn into a public debate.

Earlier, the chief had tried to downplay his differences with the Defense Ministry over the messy and prolonged age row.

The man was held back by the supporters of Ramdev and was beaten by them. Later, police arrested and took him to the Parliament Police Station.

Earlier Baba Ramdev announced that he will start campaigning against black money and corruption targeting congress in all poll bound states.

After the incident, Baba Ramdev told reporters that he is fighting to get the black money back to the country, instead he got black ink. He further stated that his fight against black money and corruption will continue against the odds.

People were standing in a long queue outside an Apple store in Beijing to get their hands on iPhone 4S. The crowd got furious when they were denied entry in the shop. According to the reports, at least two people have been detained by the police.

Apple told that the demand for this new device has been incredible. For time being, the new phone will not be available in their stores in Shanghai and Beijing. Buyers can still place an order online.

Greater China, that includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, has turned into Apple’s fastest growing region. An Apple fan told that he will be really disappointed if the outlet does not open.