The measures taken include amendment of the Civil Procedure Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, increase in the number of posts of judges and judicial officers, establishment of easily accessible special courts and tribunals. The other measures taken are adoption of alternative modes of disputes resolution, such as , arbitration and conciliation. Lok Adalats have been given a statutory base as supplementary forum for resolution of disputes

    The Lok Adalats have proved an effective mechanism for alternative disputes resolution through persuasive and conciliatory approach. The enforcement of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, is also a step forward in the direction to make justice inexpensive. As per the latest information, total number of Lok Adalats held from 1996-96 to 1999-2000 cases disposed of by them have been about 36,000 and 37 lakh cases respectively. During the same period, about 25 lakh people have been rendered free legal aid and advice in law courts.

    The other queries include whether the threshold criteria should include asset criterion, and the suggested threshold levels, whether the 90 working days stipulation for deemed approval is practical, whether the callegium approach for selection of chair person and members of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is acceptable, whether agreeing with the composition of such collegium, whether the chair person of the CCI should be an eminent person from any discipline listed in the draft Bill and not necessarily from the judiciary and whether other Regulatory Authorities should refer the cases of mergers, acquisitions and competition arising in their respective areas to the CCI.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Shipping Shri Arun Jaitley has invited the apex chambers of commerce for discussion on the draft Competition Bill on November 17, 2000 in his chamber.

    The Government intends to finalise the draft Bill by November 20, 2000 to forward to the Cabinet for timely approval to enable the Law Minister Shri Arun Jaitley to introduce the Bill and have it passed in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 20, 2000.

    The Power Minister emphasized that if Indian goods were to compete with foreign goods in Indian markets in the new globalised economic scenario, the country would have to develop a low cost economy of which power was a crucial component. To create a low cost economy, there was a need to develop very efficient systems of purchases so as to eliminate supplier cartels. Shri Prabhu said supplier cartels force buyers to pay higher cost for purchases. The Minister said that the Ministry of Power would soon be launching a portal in which the process of purchases and tendering would be transparent.

    The Minister hoped that the Seminar would produce ideas which could then be integrated into a system which would lead to optimum utilization and this could then help make India an optimum cost economy.

    Releasing the National Family Health Survey-II here, today, the Minister said that it will help in further strengthening data base required for formulation, implementation and monitoring of various policies and programmes in the health sector. There is striking demographic diversity among the States and Union Territories and in some parts of the country the benchmarks on fertility, morbidity and mortality continue to remain very high. Efforts can be intensified now in areas where the progress has been sluggish, after comparing NFHS-I and II. International Institute for Population Sciences has brought out these survey reports.

    Next National Family Health Survey is likely to commence in the year 2004.

    This is a unique concept developed by NSIC where under one umbrella discussion could lead to final agreement resulting in mutual cooperation. Techmart India 2000 will be the centre stage for those associated with the small scale sector and interested in keeping abreast with the latest technological developments in the Indian small sector. In Techmart India 2000 the special theme area has been created on Software and Electronics industries, Machine tools and Automobile ancillaries and Agro and Food processing units.

    The NSIC was established in 1955 by the Government of India with a view to promote, aid and foster the growth of small-scale industries in India.

    Based on the Christian Marriage and Matrimonial Causes Bill, 1962 as reported by a Joint Committee of both the Houses of Parliament and the latest changes in the matrimonial laws as contained in the Special marriage Act, 1954 and the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Legislative Department prepared a Bill, namely, the Christian Marriage Bill, 2000. With a view to obtaining the consensus of the Christian community and to introduce the proposed legislation in the Budget Session, 2000 of Parliament, the then Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs held a meeting with the leaders of the prominent Christian Churches in India and with the Members of Parliament belonging to the Christian Community on April 28, 2000. Even though there were unanimity that the Bill should be introduced in Parliament, yet no agreement on certain specific provisions of the Bill could be arrived at.

    The High Courts of Madras, Calcutta, Bombay and Andhra Pradesh have come down heavily on the gender inequality in the matter of grounds of divorce as contained in Section 10 of the Indian Divorce Act, 1869. In 1995, the Kerala High Court struck down the words "incestuous" and "adultery coupled with" as appearing in that Section. There has also been criticism against the undue delay caused in obtaining decree of divorce/nullity due to provisions for confirmation of such decrees by High Courts as required under Sections 17 and 20 respectively of the Indian Divorce Act, 1869. The High Courts of Bombay and Madhya Pradesh have specially

    commented on these provisions. The then President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Archibishop Alan De Lastic and several other persons, in fact, noted that many High Courts had declared these provisions of the Act as "obsolete, antiquated and gender biased". Further there is a vacuum in the States where the High Courts have not pronounced on provisions of the Indian Divorce Act, 1869 since judgements of the High Courts are not binding in the jurisdictions other than their own. It is, therefore, necessary to bring about uniformity in application of Sections 10, 17 and 20 to the entire Christian community all over the country by amending these provisions.

    The Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs and Shipping, Shri Arun Jaitley will introduce the amending Bill and have it passed in the ensuing Winter Session of Parliament.

    The Amending Bill will also seek to repeal three related laws, such as, the Indian and Colonial Divorce Act, 1926, the Indian and Colonial Divorce Act, 1940 and the Indian Divorce Act, 1945 as these Acts have outlived their utility and become obsolete as per the recommendations of the P.C. Jain Commission Report on Review of Administrative Laws.

    Shri Prabhu also informed Members about his interaction with the World Bank President. The Minister said the World Bank is keen to finance the power sector and the Bank has accepted the need for credit to State Governments to face the transition period of reforms.

    The Members of the Consultative Committee were given a presentation on the power sector reforms which highlighted the difficulties in financial closure of Independent Power Producers, the financial health of the State Electricity Boards, the factors responsible for this and the status in the reforming States. Members while expressing their views said there was a need to tap hydel power sources and to rectify the distorted hydel-thermal mix, remove delays in implementation of power projects and a proper focus in the reforms which should start from restructuring of SEBs and bringing a turnaround in transmission and distribution. If theft was controlled, there may perhaps be no need to increase tariffs. Some Members also felt that farmers and agriculture needed special attention.

    Following Members were present :

    S/Shri Shankar Sinh Waghela, S.B. Chavan, Vijender Pal Singh, Prabhakar Reddy, Suresh Chandela, Ramdev Bhandari, Shish Ram Ola, Drs. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Jaipal Reddy and Smt. Prabha Rao.

‘6A’

Appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the following:

    Shri Bhaskar Barua, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation to hold additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.

    Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and DG, CSIR, to hold additional charge of the post of DG, ICAR, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.