Osmania Courier Bimonthly lab newspaper | Published by the Department of Communication & Journalism, Osmania University | RNI No. 8132/62 | Vol. 59 No. 3 | 25 January 2014 | Pages 8 | Rs. 4 WIDER HORIZONS
CAMPUS MATTERS
Destination Arts College
INTERVIEW
Musings on 66 years of Independence
‘Great feeling on moving to CIC’
Media should stop being ‘Parliament’s cynical: Keshava Rao say final on state formation’
Media’s role highlighted in restoring Telangana’s ‘lost moorings’ Courier Bureau
Experts clarify the legal position on bifurcation of State
(From left) Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, retired Judge, Supreme Court of India, Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri, Prof. K. Nageshwar and Mr. Mallepally Laxmaiah at the workshop. Photo: Taher Hussain Hima Bindu D.
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arliament’s power to create a new State is paramount and unfettered, and Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution are the only provisions that apply to State bifurcation, experts said at a workshop organised by the Department of Communication and Journalism recently. Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, retired Judge, Supreme Court of India, said Parliament’s power to create a new State under Article 3 is not subject to the views of the State legislature. “In India, states are not sovereign but the Union is. Indestructible Union of destructible States is the essence of Constitutional philosophy and the nature of federalism which we have in this country,” he noted. The comments assume significance in the context of the ongoing debate over the legal provisions that apply to the formation of Telangana. Delivering the keynote address on ‘Constitutional and Legal Questions on State Bifurcation’, Justice Reddy observed, “The plea that a resolution in the State legislature must precede the presentation of the Bill is not part of any Constitutional scheme or convention. There are no established conventions except the interplay of Articles 3 and 4 as to how the views of the state legislature are required to be gathered.” Speaking to an audience of students, faculty members and alumni, he explained that the limitations to Article 3 are accepted on only two grounds: lack of legislative competence and violation of fundamental rights. Neither of these would apply in the case of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Throwing light on the nature of Article 371 (D), he said that it was a transitory and supplemental provision that came into the Constitu-
tion by an amendment, and could not override the original Article 3. He clarified that Article 371 (D) was an enabling provision that allows the State government to divide a State into zones to ensure equitable opportunities in education and employment. He also disagreed with the view that Article 368 requires a State Reorganisation Bill to be passed in Parliament with two-thirds majority. “More than 159 direct amendments were made to the Constitution without following the procedures prescribed under Article 368,” he stated. Prof. K. Nageshwar, Member, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, said that political issues and Constitutional principles were getting mixed up in media coverage of the Telangana issue. He said, “Forming a new State is the exclusive domain of Parliament. It is free to do what it wants provided there is the opinion of the State legislature before it. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the principle that the power of Parliament under Article 3 is paramount and unfettered.” On whether a two-thirds majority is required in Parliament, Prof. Nageshwar said, “Article 4 of the Constitution says that if a measure is supplemental, consequential or incidental to Article 3, it doesn’t come under Article 368 which prescribes two-thirds majority.” Citing the Court rulings in the cases of Babulal Parate, Pradeep Choudhary and Mullaiperiyar, he said Article 371(D) cannot have precedence over Article 3 of the Constitution. Later, Mr. Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri, senior journalist and MLC, emphasised that Hyderabad cannot be a common capital of the two regions because there is no ... Continued on Page 4
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elangana Rashtra Samithi secretary general K. Keshava Rao has described the media as “organisers of public opinion” and urged it to “stop being cynical, understand the grievances of the masses and articulate them.” Delivering the keynote address at a one-day seminar on the ‘Role of Media in Rebuilding Telangana’, organised by the Department of Communication & Journalism recently, he said the media should help people of Telangana rediscover their moorings. Mr. Rao was of the view that Telangana had lost its cultural moorings and selfconfidence over the last 60 years of integrated Andhra Pradesh. At this cusp of the formation of Telangana state, one needs to unearth the region’s lost glory, he said. Mr. Rao was critical of the media for distorting reality, and said the issues of employees’ relocation and water-sharing in future Telangana were being presented in a provocative
(From left) Prof. K. Nageshwar, Dr. K. Keshava Rao, Prof. S. Mallesh and Prof. P.L. Vishweshwer Rao launch the special issue of ‘Osmania Courier.’ Photo: Taher Hussain manner. He traced such distortion to the “near-total ownership of the state’s media organisations” by people from Seemandhra region. In his remarks, Dr. K. Nageshwar, MLC, underscored the importance of media as “the realm of ideas,” and gave an overview of the potential for development in the future state of Telangana. In the second session, G.S. Varadachari, Ombuds-
man, HMTV, called upon the media to be vigilant and ensure that there is a model government in place with greater transparency. Pasham Yadagiri, Editor, Telangana News Network, exhorted the audience, especially journalism students, to inculcate “critical thought” and wanted them to emulate ordinary people rather than the political class. Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani, former Registrar, Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar Open University, alleged that the media was provoking people by consistently presenting halfbaked information. However, such behaviour would change as time passes by, he felt. He also asked students to formulate and assert their agendas more forcefully. He said the political parties would otherwise go by their own calculations. Continued on Page 4
Campus turns into a ‘global village’
Growing presence of international students on campus marks a new trend
Tumisang Badubi
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t is a sight one cannot miss on the campus these days. Along with students from every section of Indian society, international students are a major presence, be it in the classroom, on the lawns or in the canteen. The University Foreign Relations Office (UFRO), the nodal office for international students, confirms the trend. !Mr. C. Venugopal Rao, Director, UFRO, said the number of international students in the university has grown tremendously over the past 14 years. Speaking to!Osmania Courier,!Mr. Rao said, “The University started admitting foreign students in 1999, when 25 students joined. Today, around 4,000 students from 77 countries are studying in Osmania University.” Most of the international students hail from countries in West Asia and Africa, apart from China. Mr. Rao suggests that the students are drawn to the University by its reputation for high-quality education coupled with affordable fees. “The University has managed to attract many international stu-
dents because of its high-quality education at affordable cost and the well-established facilities that make the learning environment comfortable,” he said. Jiang Yujie, who hails from China, seems to agree. Ms. Jiang, who enrolled in the Master of Communication & Journalism (MCJ) course, said she was pleased with the infrastructure in the University, particularly the equipment such as television cameras. Kagiso Moswang, a first-year MBA student from Botswana, said she joined Osmania University because of its reputation. Mr. Rao said the University had opened its first international students’ hostel earlier this year. This was part of the strategy adopted by the University “to ensure that international students don’t struggle with accommodation”.! However, there are also challenges that the university is facing with international students, the most important being the language barrier. While all the courses in the University are in English, many students struggle with the language. Prof. S. Mallesh, Principal, University College of Arts and Social
Sciences, said that they had suggested that foreign students should go through TOEFL or IELTS exams as part of their admission requirements. “We have suggested that foreign students go through TOEFL or IELTS exams. And also, as part of the programmes, foreign students should have a bridge courses designed to help them with the language before they can start their courses.” Most foreign students complain about lack of communication between them and the administration. A just-graduated student from Kenya, Raphael M Jilani, said there is lack of communication between administration and the foreign students and that results in confusion. Ms. Moswang however has a word of praise for the UFRO, saying, “As a new student, I found UFRO extremely helpful. They guided us not just on academic requirements but even on social matters.” The university intends to remove these hurdles and continue with its mission of building a world class campus.