PRESIDENT'S ASSENT TO TWO BILLS
The President has given his assent
to the Delhi University (Amendment) Bill, 2002 and the Coast Guard
(Amendment) Bill, 2001. With this, the two Bills have been notified
in the Gazette of India as Act nos. 43 and 44 respectively of
the year 2002. Both the Acts, passed during the Monsoon Session
of Parliament, which ended on August 12, 2002, have come into
force with immediate effect.
The Delhi University (Amendment)
Act, 2002, seeks to exempt any educational institution affiliated
to the Indraprasth Vishwavidayalaya incorporated under the Indraprath
Vishwavidayalaya Act, 1998 from the provisions of Section 5 of
the Delhi University Act, 1922.
The Coast Guard (Amendment) Act,
2002, which replaces the Coast Guard (Amendment) Bill, 1996, seeks
to bring the provisions of the Coast Guard Act, 1978 in conformity
with the provisions of the Board Security Force Act, 1968, the
Army Act, 1950, the Navy Act, 1957 and the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973. The Act seeks to provide for for-feiture of all pay, salvage,
prize money and allowances which have become due but not paid,
in addition to certain other punishments . It also increases the
existing time limit from six months to two years during which
trial of personnel ceasing to be subject to the Act will commence.
Besides, the Act includes the rank of Pradhan Yantrik in the definition
of the expression "subordinate officer", makes the punishment
for the offence of desertion more deterrent, increases the time
limit within which the trial of the offender should begin where
more time is spent in investigation of an offence or the commission
of an offence comes to light after a long gap of its occurrence.
It provides for punishment of officers below the rank of Commandant
by the Director General, Coast Guards and other authorities for
expeditious trial of such officers for the offences which are
of less serious nature. It regularizes absence of personnel punished
with mulcts of pay and allowances and seeks to admit reports of
certain scientific experts as evidence in a trial proceedings.
