From the archives of the Hindustan Times: August 6

Government appoints Law Commission (1955)

New Delhi- The Law Minister announced in the Lok Sabha today (August 5) the long-awaited appointment of a Law Commission for consolidating and bringing up to date Central Acts of general application and importance.

The Commission is required also to review the system of judicial administration and suggest improvements so that justice may be both speedy and inexpensive.

Mr M. C. Setalvad, Attorney-General of India, has been chosen as Chairman of the Law Commission. His colleagues, numbering ten, have been drawn from the Bench and the Bar.

The Commission has been appointed, in the first instance, up to the end of 1956. Its headquarters will be located in New Delhi. The House cheered the Law Minister’s announcement.

The following is the text of Mr Biswas’s statement:

Suggestions have been made from time to time, both in Parliament and outside, that a Law Commission should be appointed for revising our statute law and suggesting ways and means of improving the system of judicial administration in the country. A few months ago we had a discussion in this House on a resolution to that effect moved by Mr Thimmaiah. On that occasion, the Prime Minister accepted the resolution in principle and stated that the Government were considering what exactly the terms of reference to the Law Commission should be, what should be its personnel, and various other details.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Government of India have now decided to appoint a Law Commission consisting of the following members: Mr M. C. Setalvad, Attorney-General of India (Chairman); Mr M. C. Chagla, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; Mr K. N. Wanchoo, Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court; Mr G. N. Das, retired judge of the Calcutta High Court; Mr P. Satyanarayana Rao, retired judge of the Madras High Court; Dr N. C. Sen Gupta, advocate, Calcutta; Mr V. K T. Chari, Advocate-General, Madras; Mr Narasa Raju, Advocate-General, Andhra; Mr S. M. Sikri, Advocate-General, Punjab; Mr G. S. Pathak, advocate, Allahabad; and Mr G. N. Joshi, advocate, Bombay.

JP wins Magsaysay award (1965)

Manila: Mr Jaya Prakash Narayan, Indian Sarvodaya leader, was named today (August 5) winner of the annual Ramon Magsaysay award for public service.

He was cited “for his constructive articulation of a public conscience for modern India.”

The citation said: J. P. Narayan has had the courage to see and say that forms such as independence, nationalism or socialism in themselves offer no answer to man’s most basic needs.

“When through bureaucracy, over-centralization, distortion of purpose or otherwise they make of tyranny a handmaiden their worth a discounted. Instead, Narayan begins with the individual, his yearning for liberty and need to become equal to its demands.”

Balwinder lowers Asian shot-put mark (1986)

New Delhi- Stocky Indian shot putter Balwinder Singh tossed the iron ball past the Asian mark while favourites P. T. Usha, Shiny Abraham and Suman Rawat posted sweeping victories on the opening day of the two-day Playmaker International athletics at the Nehru Stadium here today (August 5).

Former national champion and a gold medalist of the last Asian meet at Jakarta, Balwinder convinced himself that the trouble he had with his feet, which prevented him from coming out with his best at the Patiala trials last week, had cleared up as his second throw of 18.71 metres overhauled the all-time Asian best of 18.66 set by compatriot Babadur Singh a decade back for the Montreal Olympic trials. Balwinder’s two others throws measured more than 18.35 metres.

Iqbal (Steel Plant) an official Indian entry for Commonwealth Games and Jaspal Singh (Railways) also crossed the 18-metre barrier while settling for silver and bronze with respective career-best heaves of 18.29 and 18.19 metres.

Double Asian gold-medalist Bahadur showed that even at 42, he had not lost his agility and competitive edge as he also crossed the qualifying mark of 17.42 with his fourth effort.

Earlier the meet was given a flying start by India’s golden girl P. T. Usha, who strode majestically in the one lap hurdles to clock 56.00 - her best ever on the Indian soil.