The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Corrections and clarifications

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and clarifications

The reference to the 103rd constitutional amendment being unanimously passed ("Countering social discrimination", Editorial page, June 2, 2006) is incorrect. It should have been the 93rd amendment which relates to reservations in educational institutions. (A clarification on this appeared in "Corrections and Clarifications", April 13, 2006.)

In the edition dated June 3, 2006, the report "Office of Profit Bill in monsoon session" said: "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also cleared a proposal to re-allocate the grant earmarked for the 220 kv Srinagar-Leh transmission line to set up a 44 kw hydroelectric power project on the Suru river in Kargil district and a 45 kw hydroelectric power project on the Indus river in Leh district at a cost of Rs. 621 crore and Rs. 611 crore respectively." A reader says the figures 44 kw and 45 kw are too small and should have been 44 MW (megawatts) and 45 MW. The projects are the Chutak Hydro Electric Project on the Suru in Kargil district (4 x 11 MW) and the Nimoo Bazgo Hydroelectric Project (3 x 15 MW) on the Indus.

In the weather chart (June 5, 2006), the paragraph under the table read "The columns show maximum and minimum temperature in Celsius, rainfall during last 24 hours (trace) and total rainfall in mm since March 1, 2006." It should have been "The columns show ... since June 1", a reader says. He is right. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) clarifies that the calculation of rainfall is done in blocks of four. They are: Block 1: January/February; Block 2: March/April/May; Block 3: June/July/August/September and Block 4: October/November/December.

In "The triumphal return of Kannagi" ("Newscape", June 4, 2006), the report said that the original statue had been installed by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi during the World Tamil Conference in 1968. A reader says that it is incorrect as Mr. Karunanidhi was not the chief minister at that time. He was the PWD Minister and the late C.N. Annadurai was the Chief Minister. The statue was unveiled by the late M.P. Sivagnanam. Mr. Karunanidhi only presided over the function.

In connection with a clarification on the SSB ("Corrections and Clarifications", June 1, 2006), a reader says: "It was originally known as Special Service Bureau and was established as a counter-espionage agency under the Cabinet Secretariat in the wake of the Indo-Chinese conflict. However about five years ago, its charter of duties was changed and it was called upon to patrol the porous Indo-Nepal border. It became a paramilitary outfit and was put under the Home Ministry. The name was changed to Sashatra Seema Bal so as to ensure that the abbreviation remained the same — SSB."

A reader says that the caption to the standalone AP photograph titled "Mass death" (June 4, 2006) would have readers believe that dissolved oxygen levels in lake water decreased drastically "due to cloudy atmosphere" (The caption was: "Asphyxiated: A labourer removes dead fish from the Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Thousands of fish died in the lake in the last two days as dissolved oxygen levels in the water dipped due to cloudy atmosphere."). He says such atmospheric variations have no effect whatsoever on dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen in lake waters is depleted most commonly by unchecked influx of materials having unacceptably high Biological Oxygen Demand, which most frequently are untreated sewage or industrial effluents.

It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page.

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