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The proposal in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill that says that a person in authority convicted of rape will have to spend the rest of his natural life in jail could also be taken up by the Cabinet, PTI reported.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is also meeting. It is likely to decide on allowing an additional five million tonnes (mt) of wheat exports, as bulging stocks might lead to storage woes. The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill is also expected to be considered, paving the way for the reconstitution of the medical regulator's board of governors.
Last year, in its advisory opinion on the 2G presidential reference, the Supreme Court had said all methods other than auction "cannot be struck down as ultra vires the constitutional mandate". Judge D K Jain had said, "Auction as a mode cannot be conferred the status of a constitutional principle. Alienation of natural resources is a policy decision, and the means adopted for the same are thus, executive prerogatives."
However, when such a policy decision wasn't backed by a social purpose and precious natural resources were alienated for commercial pursuits of profit, means other than competitive ones might be arbitrary and against Article 14�" equality before law, the court said. The methodology of disposal of natural resources was an economic policy, it said, adding it entailed economic choices that couldn't be made by the court.
"It cannot, and shall not, be the endeavour of this court to evaluate the efficacy of auction vis-à-vis other methods. The court cannot mandate one method to be followed in all facts and circumstances. Therefore, auction, an economic choice of disposal of natural resources, is not a constitutional mandate," it said.
After the court had cancelled 122 licences for 2G telecom spectrum, the government made a presidential reference to it, seeking clarifications on the judgment and on whether it was mandatory to auction natural resources in other sectors as well. The Department of Telecommunications felt the judgment had far-reaching implications on other sectors that followed the first come-first-served policy for allocation of natural resources.
A decision on wheat exports would be crucial to tackling rising stocks of the commodity. At the beginning of February, Food Corporation of India godowns had about 30 mt of wheat, against the actual requirement of 11 mt.
The proposal will replace the provision in the ordinance on crimes against women, promulgated last month, which has subscribed life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for those in authority committing rape.
"Tomorrow, there is one issue before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. A proposal on exporting wheat from government stocks has come from the food ministry. Let's see what happens," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said.
