India News: October 2007

Fifth UPA-Left meet on Indo-US N-deal today
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 22 (ANI): A crucial meeting between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties will be held here today in an attempt to end the impasse over the much-touted Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury yesterday said that concerns expressed by the Left Front needed to be met before arriving at a consensus on the contentious civilian nuclear deal."Monday's meeting may not be the last meeting," he said. "Till the meetings are over and till our concerns are taken on board, we expect the government not to proceed (in operationalisation of the deal)," he said.He also said that the Left parties expect the government to respond to issues raised by them regarding impact of the deal on India's foreign policy and security concerns, at the meeting. He said that the UPA-Left panel is expected to come out with its findings on the nuclear deal after Diwali.The UPA-Left Committee set up to look into the concerns expressed by the Communist leaders on the nuclear deal held its last meeting on October 9. CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan also asked the government to clear its stand on the deal. His remarks came in the wake of a statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the bilateral deal was very much alive and a consensus was needed to be built over it."We do not know what exactly the UPA representatives will tell us. But we expect them to clearly say that deal is off or that it has been put on hold," Bardhan said. (ANI)He said that the Left's stand was clear and the UPA must make its stand clear on the issue."If the government feels that it is not a one-issue government, then it should not make it (the nuclear deal) the sole issue for deciding its fate," he said. According to some Left leaders, as of now, consensus has not been made on even a single point. The Central Government has committed to take into consideration the findings of the committee.Earlier, some of the UPA coalition partners, particularly the Sharad Pawar led NCP, Lalu Yadav's RJD and M Karunanidhi led DMK had expressed their reservations about the deal after the Left's opposition to the nuclear agreement reached its zenith, leading to speculation that the Communists may withdraw their support to the Central Government.Congress party president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said recently at a rally in Haryana that those opposing the deal "were not only against the Congress, but also against the development of the country."However, at an interaction at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, she indicated that the Congress was unwilling to sacrifice the government for the deal. During the same summit, the Prime Minister also said that the failure to carry the deal through would not be "the end of life" even though it would be a disappointment.The Left has been insisting that the deal would make India subservient to US interests and asked the Centre not to go ahead with the 'operationalisation' of the deal.They have also asked the Congress-led UPA Government not to go ahead with the talks for the India-specific agreement with the IAEA that are needed for the operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. Last week, US President George Bush called up Manmohan Singh and discussed the Indo-US nuclear agreement.The Prime Minister also explained to Bush that certain difficulties have arisen with respect to the operationalisation of the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement. (ANI)

Hearing in Dera chief's case today
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Ambala, Oct 22 (ANI): A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will today hear a case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who has been accused of sexual assault and murder. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought cancellation of interim bail to Singh, alleging that the sect chief was threatening the witnesses. In an application filed before Special CBI Judge R K Saini, the investigating agency also demanded that no regular bail be granted to Dera Chief as he pressurise the witnesses.The defence counsel, however, said that allegations against his client were not true. The Dera chief is accused of two murders -- that of a driver and a journalist -- besides a case of sexual harassment of a woman disciple.The CBI has transferred all the three cases against the Dera chief to a session court. The CBI had filed a chargesheet on July 31, accusing him of murdering sect manager, Ranjit Singh, and a Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chatterpatti, and for the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. Two accused, Inder Sain and Avtar Singh were discharged in the Chatterpatti murder case on a defence plea that the duo had not been named as accused by the CBI in the chargesheet. Three others -- Kishan Lal, Kuldip Singh and Nirmal Singh have been facing charges of conspiracy and murder. Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh has been charged under Section 120-B (Conspiracy) in connection with the case relating to the murder of Ranjit Singh. The other accused are Kishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil, Avtar Singh and Inder Singh, booked under Section 302 (Murder). Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh is the lone accused under Section 376 (Rape) in connection with the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. A case was also registered against him following a complaint by a Bathinda resident, who accused Ram Raheem Singh of hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs by donning the attire of the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. (ANI)

Monday's meet on N-deal may not be the last: Yechury
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, Oct 21(ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said concerns expressed by the Left Front need to be met before arriving to a consensus on the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal.His statement comes a day before the crucial meeting between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties on the nuclear deal."Monday's meeting may not be the last meeting," Yechury told reporters."Till the meetings are over and till our concerns are taken on board, we expect the government not to proceed (in operationalisation of the deal)," he said.The Left parties expect the government to respond to issues raised by them regarding impact of the deal on India's foreign policy and security concerns, at the meeting, Yechury said.He said that the UPA-Left panel is expected to come out with its findings on the nuclear deal after Diwali.The Left parties understand that the findings of the committee will be taken into account before the government proceeds with the operationalisation of the 123- Agreement, Yechury said.The UPA-Left Committee set up to look into the concerns expressed by the Communist leaders on the nuclear deal held its last meeting on October 9. On Saturday, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A B Bardhan asked the government to clear its stand on the deal. His remarks came in the wake of a statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the bilateral deal was very much alive and a consensus was needed to be built over it."We do not know what exactly the UPA representatives will tell us. But we expect them to clearly say that deal is off or that it has been put on hold," Bardhan said. (ANI)

Chidambaram to begin 3 day visit to Norway
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram will leave on a three-day visit to Norway on October 23 to hold bilateral discussions focusing on economic ties.Chidambaram, who will be accompanied by a business delegation, will hold bilateral discussions with his Norwegian counterpart Kristin Halvorsen.The two ministers are likely to discuss wide ranging issues of mutual interest particularly related to strengthening of bilateral economic ties in areas such as Information Technology, food processing, hydrocarbons, fisheries, shipping and ship building, hydro-electricity, tunneling and environment. Chidambaram is also likely to call for policy changes by the Norwegian Government in order to facilitate investments in India from the corpus of the Pension Fund-Global (PFG).The Norwegian Minister for International Development, Erik Solheim will call on Chidambaram for bilateral discussions on issues related to Bilateral Development Co-operation.Chidambaram will also meet the Governor of the Norges Bank, the Central Bank of Norway.Norway's Pension Fund-Global, which has a huge corpus of more than 350 billion dollars is being managed by the Investment Management (NBIM) division of the Norges Bank. NBIM is currently registered with SEBI in India and has started investments in India from July 2005 and as per SEBI, the purchase value of Norges Bank investments in India on October 4, 2007 was Rs. 2107 cores (533 million dollars).While GPF-G investment in India has crossed half a billion dollar mark in two years time from its registration with SEBI in June, 2005, the figure is only 0.15 percent of the total corpus of GPF-G. Chidambaram's meeting with the Norges Bank Governor is significant in this context.Chidambaram will also attend an Investment Promotion Symposium, which is being organised by business and trade associations of Norway to help promote bilateral investments.He will also visit the prestigious Noble Institute at Oslo, where he will deliver a keynote address on "India's Socio-Economic Agenda: Development with Democracy", besides he will visit the Norwegian School of Management BI at Oslo, which is Europe's largest private business school, and will deliver an address on "India's emergence as an economic power: Road traveled and the way forward".An IT outsourcing event is also being organised keeping in view India's strength in this sector, which is likely to be attended by Norwegian business houses and also representatives from the India IT industry. Chidambaram will also attend this event. (ANI)

UPA and Left leaders are Ravanas
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Activists belonging to Shiv Sena on Sunday burnt effigies of UPA and Left leaders, which were decorated as Ravanas, to register their protest against the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Canal project.They burnt effigies of the leaders of the Congress coinciding with the Dussehra festival, when effigies of demon King Ravana are burnt.Activists shouted slogans and held banners accusing the leaders of insulting Lord Ram.The Hindu groups have been upset with the Central Government's statement before the Supreme Court on the project, saying that Ramayana is no proof of the existence of Lord Ram. But the Congress party led ruling coalition backtracked on the 'affidavit' the next day and sought three months time from the apex court to file an amended one, following threats of nationwide protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Pictures of the faces of Sonia Gandhi and other leaders were pasted on the effigies.Jaibhagwan Goel, chief of north India faction of Shiv Sena, demanded an apology from the leaders."We are protesting against (Congress party President) Sonia Gandhi, (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh, (Union Law minister) Hansraj Bhardwaj, (Union Culture Minister) Ambika Soni, (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) Karunanidhi, (Union Shipping and Transport Minister) T R Balu and (General-Secretary of Communist Party of India-Marxist) Prakash Karat," Goel said."Today we are burning their effigies in place of Ravana on the tenth day of the festival, to give the message to the people," he said.Hindu groups have been opposing the 560 million dollar project, saying it would destroy the 'holy' Ram Sethu, a 48-kilometre chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka.According to the Central Government, research has shown that the Ram Setu was a series of sand shoals created by sedimentation, but according to Hindus the narrow link, also known as Adam's Bridge, was built by Lord Rama. The Sethusamudram Project will dredge a channel in a narrow strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and cutting costs for freight traffic for ships moving from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. Dredging for the project began in 2005, and the channel -- 12 metres deep, 300 metres wide and almost 90 km long -- will provide a crucial link between the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar once completed. (ANI)

Prayers to Sai Baba on his Mahasamadhi Day
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Thousands of devotees paid their homage today at the shrines dedicated to Sai Baba, to mark the seers' Mahasamadhi Day (the day of eternal salvation).The Sai Baba died in October 18, 1918, and his body was laid in the tomb at Shirdi.This day is celebrated with fervour in India and abroad. New Delhi being the main center of faith holds a special importance."The Mahasamadhi Day of Sai Baba is celebrated in a big way not only in Delhi but also in Shirdi, the birth place of Sai Baba, who attained samadhi (salvation) there on October 18, 1918,'' said T K Ramaswamy, President, Shri Sai Bhakta Samaj.According to legend, a nameless pauper took shelter in a mosque but never asked for food, or water and hardly spoke. Villagers took pity on the feeble and sparsely clothed man and donated fruits and clothes. But to their surprise the "Saint" shared the offerings with destitute and even animals.Soon "Sai" and "Baba", both words became synonymous with the saint's name.The saint, who is widely revered, preached his principle of love and faith irrespective of caste and creed.It is believed that no devotee visiting the shrine of Sai Baba has ever returned empty handed. (ANI)

As Ravanas burnt, Goddess Durga leaves for heavenly abode
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi/Kolkata/Agartala, Oct 21 (ANI): As sun went down, fireworks lit Delhi sky with the burning of effigies of demon King Ravana, symbolizing the victory of good over evil on Dusshera.Effigies of demon King Ravana and his brothers- Kumbhakaran and Meghnath were burnt with actors dressed as Hindu Gods Rama, Laxmana and Hanumana marching the grounds, depicting the famous mythical battle. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were present at one such ceremony in the national capital, which was held at the historic Ramlila ground.Priyanka Gandhi was also present along with her kids at the ceremony. Dusshera marks the end of the nine-day long Navratri festival. The day signifies the victory of Lord Rama over demon king Ravana, who had kidnapped Rama's wife Goddess Sita.The day also was celebrated as Vijay Dashmi, the last day of the ten-day long Durga Puja. The festival, which is celebrated with fervour and zeal mostly in eastern part of the country, today came to an end with the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga in rivers, ponds and other water bodies. The ten-day long festival also symbolizes the victory of good over evil as the goddess kills the demon Mahisasura, according to Hindu mythology.Bengalis, for whom the celebration of the festival is part of their culture and time to meet their near and dear ones, consider that the Goddess Durga comes on earth during this time and on Vijay Dashmi she leaves for her heavenly abode.From afternoon devotees started gathering along the makeshift camps (pandals), where idols were kept for the last ten days, for the immersion ceremony.Married ladies, including mothers, wives and daughters with their faces smeared with vermilion joined together to bid adieu to the Goddess. They applied vermilion on each other, praying for the well being of their better halves, asking the Goddess for her blessings, seeking prosperity, health, wealth and peace.In Agartala, where the festival is celebrated with pomp and fervour, people danced around in the rhythm of the dhakis (drummers) playing the dhak (traditional drum) with their maximum strength bidding the Mother Goddess farewell. Vijay Dashami, as the day is known, is a mixture of joy and sadness as it marks the end of the puja but with better hope for the coming year. "We prayed that Goddess Durga should grace her earthly abode again next year. The festivities bring us closer and for this year were ending. It is a moment of happiness for all of us here and at the same time we are sad that the puja is ending," said Reba Chakraboty, a devotee.The Durga Puja rituals start with Bodhan, the invocation of goddess Durga on the first day, and ends with 'Sindoor khela,' the ritual where married women put vermilion on each other before the immersion march of the Goddess Durga begins. (ANI)

NRIs dream of making Punjab an IT hub
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Amritsar, Oct 21 (ANI): Jasvir Gill, co-founder of Start-up Farms International Inc. (SUFI), dreams of making Punjab as an educational and IT hub by vastly improving the situation in rural areas.Gill, a software engineer, migrated to the US from Punjab in 1988. In 1980s there was a scarcity of jobs for IT professionals in India, said Gill, adding that on the other hand, America was leading in the IT race with more employment opportunities and the placement system was also favourable. "If you are hard working and display good business ethics, success will be at your doorstep," said Gill.Jasvir was the CEO and co-founder of Virsa Systems, before its acquisition by a German Software major SAP.Gill aspires to train youths of Punjab in Information Technology."So that one day even they may be able to set up companies like Virsa and become the CEOs of software companies," he said.Besides, Gill is providing funds to a girls' college founded by his father in a Punjab village. The college provides education to girls, whose parents cannot afford the expense of sending their children to cities for higher studies.He has handpicked 20 such institutions in Punjab, which are in need of financial assistance. (ANI)

Nagas up for Feb 2008 State Assembly poll
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Kohima, Oct 21 (ANI): Election to Nagaland Assembly is still four months away, but the people of the State are excited. They have already started assessing parties on the basis of their past performances.Nagaland, once known to be the hub of insurgency and violence, today is recognised as a success story of democracy. Political parties -- both regional and national -- vie for space to woo the people.More than 10 political parties are in the fray in the tiny State with just 60 Assembly seats. The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) is a coalition of more than eight political parties, with Nagaland People's Front (NPF) being its major constituent.NPF State Secretary K G Kenya said: "Regionalism and regional party in Nagaland is of immense importance. We will continue to educate people. I am sure in future also it will hold importance to people."Xavier, a local journalist, said: "Nagaland is marching towards a multi-corner contest, where national parties like Congress, BJP, NCP, RJD and the local parties, including Nagaland People's Front and some Independent parties may contest in upcoming February 2008 election."Hopkheto Sumi, the President of the Pradesh Congress Committee said the grassroots preparations have already started for the poll.Besides Congress, the mainstream political parties like, the BJP and the JD(U) have made their presence felt in Nagaland.V. Victor, state BJP Secretary, said: "We will work for peace in Nagaland, so that youth and the people can live in peace."People vouch for democracy and want all the problems to be solved through dialogue and through people's participation.Vibilie Seyie, project co-coordinator of a business firm, said: "Democracy is the best form because only through it the voice of the people can be heard. For the development, peace is required and only non-violent methods can achieve it." (ANI)

Mona Suri 's assailants remain unidentified
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Mona Suri, a resident of South Delhi, has died due to multiple-organ failure in a hospital here, where she was admitted with 80 percent burns on August 12. She passed away late on Saturday night as her condition deteriorated.She was hospitalised after two unidentified men tried to burn her alive at her Greater Kailash-II residence, but police have not been able to identify her assailants till date. On August 12, the assailants came to her house on a motorbike and rang the doorbell. When Mona came out to open the door, they poured kerosene on her and threw a lighted matchstick leaving her burning. Mona, 35, had alleged that Rachna, a colleague of her husband, Naveen might be behind the attack. Mona had alleged that Rachna was having an affair with her husband and had also tried to kill her earlier.Based on the statement, police registered a case against Rachna.Mona Suri's brother Taranjeet Bawa, dissatisfied with the investigation by Delhi police into the case has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Police had earlier questioned Rachna, but found no incriminating evidence linking her to the heinous incident. (ANI)

Ludhiana tribute to Shringar blast victims
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Ludhiana, Oct 21 (ANI): The people of Ludhiana paid tribute to those who were killed in a blast that took place inside a cinema hall here on October 14, claiming six lives. Locals carried placards and shouted anti-terrorism slogans in a peace march on Saturday to condemn the blast. "Among us, there are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, and we are all like brothers. We condemn this bomb blast," said Mansoor Ansari, a demonstrator. Meanwhile, the residents here also performed a fire ritual in memory of the blast victims and for peace and harmony. The ritual was organised at the cinema hall, the site where the blast occurred, before the opening of the first show at the theatre. At least six people were killed and 16 others were injured in the blast that took place on October 14 in the auditorium of the cinema hall. Located in the heart of the city, close to 500 people were watching the evening show at the hall. The blast occurred when Bhojpuri superstar Manoj Tiwari’s film 'Janam Janam Ka Saath' was being screened. Tiwari has announced that he would hand over an interim relief of Rs 25,000 to the families of those dead. “Monetary help for the injured will be decided only after I visit them and ascertain the extent of help required,'' he said. (ANI)

Durga Puja in Kashmir Valley
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Srinagar, Oct 21 (ANI): Army personnel, who are deputed at Srinagar, celebrated Durga Puja here, and marked the festivities in a manner akin to the ten-day long festival being celebrated in Kolkata. At Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, special arrangements were made for the Durga Puja with Army personnel of various ranks visiting the Durga Puja Pandal (makeshift temple) showcasing their devotion. This Durga Puja Pandal attracts attention for various aspects. The colourfully decorated Pandal has been illuminated with various fancy lights. A priest from Kolkata was especially brought here to conduct the rituals in praise of Goddess Durga. "I have come from West Bengal to celebrate Durga Puja, here. I was overwhelmed to see the enthusiasm of the people in the Cantonment area for the festival," said Ashu Bandan, a priest. To generate a feeling of being in Kolkata during Durga Puja, Dhakis or drummers from West Bengal have been brought here for the celebrations at Badami Bagh Cantonment. With so much to enjoy this Durga Puja, the ladies belonging Army families are elated to enjoy the festival with religious fervour and merriment. "Everybody has been celebrating Durga Puja with much fun and unity here. I am glad to be a part of the celebrations," said Ramei, one of the housewives. Hundreds of other devotees, apart from the Army personnel, have visited this Pandal in the last few days to pay their obeisance to the Goddess Durga, the deity worshipped during the festival. "Such festival celebrations boost up our morale. We get a feeling of concord and peace. I wish that the Goddess blesses all of us with the strength to work harder for the development of our nation," said Major Vinay of Indian Army. Durga festival infuses a feeling of unity among masses. Hence, it is a factor closely associated with the State's peace and prosperity. "The Puja is similar to the one I have back there in Assam. I am delighted to be a part of it. I pray for peace and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir," said R. K. Dutta, one of the soldiers. Moreover, a variety of entertainment programmes are being organised at the venue. (ANI)

Gwalior museum offers insight into Hindu Goddesses
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Gwalior, Oct.21 (ANI): A visit to Gujri Palace Museum around Durga Puja and Navratri festival has an unusual significance in Gwalior. Located inside the 15th century Gujri Mahal, the museum boasts of rare and ancient collection of statues of Hindu Goddesses. The treasured statutes captivate attention, especially of art lovers and scholars, due to its rich artistry. The antique idols, dating back to a period between 7th to 16th centuries, have been carved in Balua sand stones and red stones. Besides their historical and archaeological importance, the statues give an insight into the faith and mode of worshipping Goddess in the bygone age. Archaeologists discovered these idols and statues during excavation at various sites. "We can say that these ancient sculptures have been made by the people with the feeling of religious integrity. Today, the people are practising it in the society. We have no idea as to who sculpted it. But he must have had the feeling of faith in Goddess during ancient time. And, this tradition is still going on in our country and people are worshipping that Goddess as “NavaDurga”," said L. B. Singh, an archaeologist at the Gujri Mahal Museum, Gwalior. Today, hundreds of tourists and research scholars visit this museum to see the sculptures. Some of the major attractive sculptures include the idols of Mahishasur Mardhini, believed to be of 12th century, Goddess Chamundeshwari, sculpted in 8th century, Goddess Vighnantak that is made of eight metals and excavated in Nepal and others. Another remarkable statue is that of the tree Goddess Shalbhanjika from Gyraspur. It has an all absorbing values due to one of the finest applications of miniature. Though the statue has not been put on public display, one can have a close look after a special request made to the curator of the museum. Gujri Mahal is a monument that marked the love of Raja Mansingh for his Gujr queen, Mrignayani. He proved his ideals by marrying "Mrignayni" who belonged to a backward caste.The Mahal is at the base of Gwalior Fort that now houses the Archaeological Museum. (ANI)

Crucial UPA-Left meet on Indo-US nuke deal
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): The crucial meeting between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties will take place here on Monday to end the impasse over the much-touted Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement.The UPA-Left Committee set up to look into the concerns expressed by the Communist leaders on the nuclear deal held its last meeting on October 9. Yesterday, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A B Bardhan asked the government to clear its stand on the deal. His remarks came in the wake of a statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the bilateral deal was very much alive and a consensus was needed to be built over it."We do not know what exactly the UPA representatives will tell us. But we expect them to clearly say that deal is off or that it has been put on hold," Bardhan said.The CPI leader also said that the Left’s stand was clear and the UPA must make its stand clear on the issue."As far as we are concerned, our stand is clear. We think the government has also to some extent realised it. The allies have also realised it. Therefore, they were compelled to say that it is not a one-issue government," Bardhan said."If the government feels that it is not a one-issue government, then it should not make it (the nuclear deal) the sole issue for deciding its fate," he added.According to some Left leaders, as of now, consensus has not been made on even a single point. The Central Government has committed to take into consideration the findings of the committee.Earlier, some of the UPA coalition partners, particularly the Sharad Pawar led NCP, Lalu Yadav's RJD and M Karunanidhi led DMK had expressed their reservations about the deal after the Left's opposition to the nuclear agreement reached its zenith, leading to speculation that the Communists may withdraw their support to the Central Government.Congress party president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said recently at a rally in Haryana that those opposing the deal "were not only against the Congress, but also against the development of the country."However, at an interaction at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, she indicated that the Congress was unwilling to sacrifice the government for the deal. During the same summit, the Prime Minister also said that the failure to carry the deal through would not be "the end of life" even though it would be a disappointment.The Left has been insisting that the deal would make India subservient to US interests and asked the Centre not to go ahead with the 'operationalisation' of the deal.They have also asked the Congress-led UPA Government not to go ahead with the talks for the India-specific agreement with the IAEA that are needed for the operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. Last week, US President George Bush called up Manmohan Singh and discussed the Indo-US nuclear agreement.The Prime Minister also explained to Bush that certain difficulties have arisen with respect to the operationalisation of the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement. (ANI)

Ponting for “different” approach in T20 format
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Mumbai, Oct 21 (ANI): After having failed to impress much in the shortest version of cricket, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has said that his team needs to change its game plan in the Twenty20 format. "I think we have to all be aware of that and to make sure that in the next Twenty20 event we go into, we try a little bit different. We try more dynamic sort of stuff that you have to encounter in this game," Ponting told reporters after the seven-wicket defeat at the hands of India her at the Brabourne Stadium. Pointing out that any mistake made in T20 games can be “magnified very quickly,” Ponting said the team made too many faults giving the game to India. “As you saw tonight…getting the first ball spelled off a no ball and the next ball too I think called it a deep square leg he tried it for a six…So, little things like that you can't afford to happen in the game. Who knows had we got (Gautam) Gambhir right then it might have been a different game. But we made the mistake and we paid the price," he said. He also said that Australia looked forward to playing more matches against this younger generation of Indian cricketers. Gambhir scored a half-century to power India to a seven-wicket victory over the visiting Australian team in a one-off Twenty20 international. The left-handed opener cracked 63 and shared two useful partnerships to help the hosts, the World Champions in this form of the game, achieve the target of 167 with 11 balls to spare. Lauding the innings of Gambhir and Robin Uthappa, Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni said that the youngsters like them have matured, and they were playing sensibly. “I think in Twenty20 we are using more head than in the 50 overs game. They are batting really well and aggressive,” Dhoni said. Meanwhile, a bevy of Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Sunil Shetty with their wives Gauri and Mana, and actress Deepika Padukone, were present for the match to cheer on the Indian team. Padukone said the national team played excellently. "Congratulations, and I think he's (Dhoni) done a good job leading the team…I think Gambhir played well," she said. Padukone rebuffed speculations that she was specially invited to the match by the Indian skipper. "No, I am here as any spectator and I was here to cheer the team," she said. (ANI)

Advani writes to PM
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Senior BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani, has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bring his attention to the “growing unrest among the paddy growers across the country, particularly in the southern states.” Advani said in the letter dated October 20 that the paddy farmers were agitated over the new Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Centre, which has no relation to the cost of cultivation. An added cause for their unrest is the widespread feeling that the UPA government is discriminating between paddy growers vis-à-vis the wheat growers, he claimed. “It is reported that the CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices) has recommended an MSP of Rs. 1,000 per quintal for wheat in the coming season. Paddy growers, however, will get Rs.645 per quintal for the common variety and Rs.675 per quintal for the A grade. These are only slightly higher compared to the MSP of Rs.620 and Rs.650 respectively in the previous season,” Advani wrote. He said that many representatives of farmers’ organizations have approached him to say that the MSP for paddy is way below the cost of cultivation, which, according to them, is about Rs.950- Rs.1000 per quintal. This is due to the steep hike in recent years in the cost of all the inputs – power, irrigation, transportation, fertilizers, pesticides and labour. Appreciating the hike in the MSP for wheat, Advani, however, said the government must address the concerns of paddy growers. “I learn that several state governments have brought this issue to the notice of your government. I, therefore, urge you to take urgent steps to declare a hike in the MSP for paddy to Rs. 1,000 for the current procurement season,” he said. The letter also mentioned about “certain important issues” concerning sugarcane growers in Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)

Delhi Deputy Mayor Bajwa dies
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): The Deputy Mayor of Delhi, S S Bajwa, who was badly injured after falling from the terrace of his house following an attack by monkeys, died in hospital on Sunday. The 52-year-old Corporator from Anand Vihar ward succumbed to the head injuries. He is survived by a wife and a son. Bajwa was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Apollo hospital on Saturday with multiple injuries, but he could not survive as his condition deteriorated on Sunday morning, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi President Harsh Vardhan said. Bajwa was elected to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the first time in April this year. In past, the Delhi High Court has on many occasions directed the civic body to contain monkey menace in the city. (ANI)

2nd Indo-Pak Anti-Terrorism Mechanism meet
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): The second round of India-Pakistan talks on the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism (JATM) will be held here on Monday, during which Islamabad is expected to raise the issue of Samjhauta Express blast inquiry report.External Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary (International Organisation) KC Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the meeting, while Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary (UN and EC) Khalid Aziz Babar will lead his side.The JATM was constituted after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met on September 16, 2006, on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Havana, to put in place a joint anti-terrorism institutional mechanism to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations. India and Pakistan had agreed to exchange information about terrorism with an aim of tracking down the culprits of the past attacks and prevent incidents in future. In March this year, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had rubbished Islamabad's demand, after the first meeting of the mechanism on March 6-7, that violence in Jammu and Kashmir could not be covered under the JATM as the state was 'disputed'.Meanwhile, a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Home Ministers will also be held here on October 25 to discuss terrorism, money laundering, drug and human trafficking. Prior to this meeting, police chiefs from SAARC countries will meet on October 23. (ANI)

Bobby Jindal first Indian-origin US Gov.
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Washington, Oct 21 (ANI): Bobby Jindal, Republican US Representative, was on Saturday, elected as the Governor of Louisiana, in the process becoming the first Indian-American to lead a US State. Jindal, 36, the Oxford-educated son of Indian immigrants, won 53 per cent votes with his nearest competitor Democrat Walter Boasso who could procure only 18 per cent of votes. Independent John Georges received14 per cent and Democrat Foster Campbell garnered 13 per cent of the votes. Jindal has become the state’s first non-white governor since Reconstruction and the nation's youngest governor in office upon taking oath in January. “My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream, and guess what happened? They found the American Dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana,” a foreign news agency quoted Jindal as saying in his victory speech. The race for the post of the Governor is said to be one of the highest spending in Louisiana’s history. Jindal alone raised 11 million dollars, and Georges poured about 10 million dollars of his personal wealth into his campaign, while Boasso spent around five million dollars. Incidentally, in 2003, Jindal garnered 48 per cent of the vote, but still lost to Democrat Kathleen Blanco. Blanco ended her re-election bid earlier this year after being sharply criticised for sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. (ANI)

Delhi to host 4th Intnl Confon Federalism
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): India, which will host the fourth International Conference on Federalism in the first week of November, is all set to take and give suggestions on the issue to the participating countries. The country, being run by a coalition government, will share its experience on the Federal Government structure with other nations at the three-day conference to be held here from November 5. This conference is the fourth in a series organized in partnership between host governments and the Forum of Federations. The earlier conferences were held in Canada 1999, Switzerland 2002 and Belgium 2005. It envisages promoting dialogue on the renewal and development of federalism and greater cooperation among practitioners in pursuit of better or good governance. The participants include practitioners of federal democracy – at all levels – including those heading Federal Governments – Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chancellors; to those heading constituent units – Premiers, Chief Ministers; and those representing federal practice at the grassroots – leaders of village or town governments. Besides, scholars, experts, administrators and social activists dedicated to federalism also take part in the conference. All participants collectively engage in the process of sharing ideas, experiences and drawing inspiration from one another. The conference, titled ‘Unity in Diversity – learning from each other,’ is based on four broad themes and twelve sub-themes. Each of these is developed by a panel of Indian and international experts. These papers have been peer reviewed at a Pre-Conference from February 21 to 23, 2007, before being published as background reading for the conference. Participation confirmation has been received from Chairman, Council of Ministers, Bosnia-Herzegovina, President of Comoros, Prime Minister of Ethopia, Prime Minister of St. Kitts &and Nevis, and President of Switzerland. International invitees include Cabinet level Ministers, Provincial Heads, State level Ministers, Diplomats, Administrators, members of Judiciary, former Ministers, Civil Servants and representatives of International Organizations. National Invitees include the Vice President, Lok Sabha Speaker, Central Cabinet Ministers, Secretaries to the Government of India, Governors, Chief Ministers, Leaders of national political parties, Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Departments concerned in the States among others. Congress party president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker House of Representatives, USA, Hillary Clinton and Rona Ambrose, Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs, Canada, former US Vice president and Nobel laureate Al Gore, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and many other eminent personalities have also been invited at the conference. (ANI)

Nation celebrates Dussehra with full fervour
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 21 (ANI): Dussehra, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, is being celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across the country today. A tight security arrangement has been made for the festival in the wake of recent terror attacks in some parts of the country. Meanwhile, President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have greeted fellow citizens on the occasion of Dussehra. In her message, Patil said: “On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, I send my greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens in India and abroad.” “May peace, goodwill and prosperity abound in the country and may we all work for the unity and well being of our nation," she added. Manmohan Singh in his message said that Vijayadashmi is a festival amass the length and breadth of the country, which signifies the triumph of good over evil. “It is an occasion to foster goodness within and to radiate peace and harmony. “May the festivals of Dussehra and Durga Puja bring health, happiness and prosperity to all,” the Prime Minister added. According to Hindu mythology, the ten-headed Ravana abducted Sita, Lord Ram's consort. Ram went to war with Ravana to release his wife from captivity and killed the demon-king, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhkarna. Ram's victory over Ravana is described as the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated every year as Dussehra. Dussehra is also interpreted as "Dasa-Hara", which means the slaying of the ten heads of Ravana, denoting abdication of ten vices --passion, pride, anger, greed, infatuation, lust, hatred, jealousy, selfishness and crookedness. (ANI)

Sonia expresses concerns to Benazir
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 20 (ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto over telephone, and expressed her concern over the Thursday night's suicide attack on her homecoming procession. Expressing her deep anguish over the incident that left close to 140 people dead, Sonia told Benazir, "The cult of hatred and violence has to be eradicated with unity of purpose by everyone concerned.""The Congress President felt that forces of terror and violence possess great potential threat to democracy and civilised society," Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said. Sonia said she was relieved that Bhutto and her family members had a miraculous escape in the attack and wished her well.On Friday night, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also spoken to Bhutto and wished her well. (ANI)

LexisNexis CEO denies laptop theft allegations
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 20 (ANI): Andy Prozes, CEO of LexisNexis, has denied his company's involvement in the recent theft of two laptop computers detailing personal information about commercial drivers in the US, who transport hazardous material.Two laptop computers, with detailed personal information about commercial drivers across the US who transport hazardous materials had been reported as "missing and considered stolen" recently.The laptops belonged to a contractor working for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in Washington.They contained the names, addresses, birthdays, commercial driver's license numbers and, in some cases, Social Security numbers of as many as 3,930 people, as mentioned in an October 12 letter from TSA to lawmakers.A report in the Washington Post had named LexisNexis as the main contractor for the TSA program called the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment. It collects information for security-clearance purposes for any driver who transports hazardous material.LexisNexis is a leading provider of information and services solutions catering to a wide range of professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets.Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview in New Delhi on Friday, Prozes said the newspaper in question, the Washington Post, had also carried a corrected version later. "Those were not LexisNexis computers. That's not correct. That story was corrected. It had nothing to do with LexisNexis. We were not the contractors," said Prozes.Whilst Prozes denied any involvement in the theft of these two laptops, he clarified that such 'mishaps' had occurred with LexisNexis before this."So I don't want to say that our record is absolutely without mishaps, because we have had mishaps. But on that particular occasion, I can tell you that that story in the final edition of the Washington Post was corrected. And LexisNexis is not involved in that," he added.Earlier this year, TSA lost a computer hard drive with sensitive bank and payroll data for over 100,000 employees. (ANI)

Foreigners dance to Garba tune in Indore
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Indore (MP), Oct 20 (ANI): Dozens of foreigners performed the traditional Indian folk dance, Garba, in Indore city during the ongoing 'Navratri' festival.More than 50 foreign tourists participated in the 'dandiya dance' or the traditional dance with sticks.The colourful dance form, the beautiful costumes and foot tapping music enthralled the foreigners, who were visibly excited and happy."It is amazing. It is so nice and the costumes are the best. Like when we danced in South Africa, we did not have extravagant and colourful costumes like these and I felt like an Indian princess wearing them; it is very interesting and I have learnt a few steps," said Mary, a South African tourist.The visiting foreigners could not stay untouched by the ongoing festive fervour across the country and participated with zest in the traditional celebrations."I enjoyed it a lot. I tried my best but sometimes I got the beat wrong but it was lots of fun. I like dandiya very much and the colours, the clothes and the different culture," added James, another South African tourist.The foreigners danced till the wee hours on Friday night and wanted to come back next year for the puja celebrations again.'Dandiya' and 'Garba', traditional dance forms of India are a special attraction of the 'Durga Puja' celebrations.The dancers usually wear colourful, traditional outfits and dance the Garba to foot tapping music. And then there is the clash of 'dandiya' sticks to the beats of the music. The 'Navratri' festival, which literally means 'nine nights', is celebrated twice a year. It is believed that the festival is in honour of the nine manifestations of Hindu goddess Durga and falls in the months of April-May and September-October.According to the Hindu almanac, the commencement of 'Navratri' marks the conclusion of 'Pitr Paksha' or the fortnight of ancestors and heralds 'Devi Paksha' or the fortnight-long festival of Hindu goddess Durga. (ANI)

Thousands protest in Kashmir
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Kupwara (J and K), Oct 20 (ANI): Thousands of locals took to streets on Saturday protesting against the killing of a teacher allegedly by army personnel in Kupwara district.Abdul Rashid Mir was allegedly shot down after he objected to army personnel's harassment of women, who were accompanying him. The incident allegedly took place when the deceased was passing through the Rawatpora forest. After the bullet-ridden body was recovered, thousands of protestors came out on to the streets shouting slogans against army personnel. They also pelted stones at the army personnel."We want accountability from the army. The guilty must be punished according to the provisions of law", said Ghulam Mohamd Mir, father of the victim.The protestors torched an army vehicle as well as a vehicle belonging to the executive magistrate in Rawatpora village in Kupwara district.Meanwhile, the Army has initiated an investigation in to the matter. Mohd. Tariq, an army personnel has been detained. Police is also conducting an independent trial into the matter. (ANI)

Hearing in Sauda chief's case extended
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

Ambala, Oct 20 (ANI): A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court today deferred the hearing in the case, in which Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh has been accused of sexual assault and murder, till October 22. Earlier, the court had extended the interim bail given to the sect chief till October 20.The Dera chief is accused of two murders -- that of a driver and a journalist -- besides a case of sexual harassment of a woman disciple.Rajan Gupta, special advocate of the CBI, said the prosecution opposed the bail plea of Guru Ram Rahim Singh on the grounds that witnesses would not be able to depose before the court fearlessly."The accused Baba Gurmeet Singh should not be given bail till the trial is going on because it is our contention that there is a threat that witnesses will not be able to depose fearlessly. So he should be confined to judicial custody during the pendancy of the trial. It is our basic intention in all the three cases - under 302, for the murder and rape as well," said Gupta.The defence counsel, however, said that allegations against his client were not true. "When we have not threatened the witnesses in five years while the CBI has been carrying out its investigations and has also filed a charge sheet, then this accusation by the CBI that we are trying to intimidate the witnesses is just a means for them to admit any kind of document in the court," said S.K. Garg Nirvana, defence counsel.The CBI has transferred all the three cases against the Dera chief to a session court. The CBI had filed a chargesheet on July 31, accusing him of murdering sect manager, Ranjit Singh, and a Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chatterpatti, and for the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. Two accused, Inder Sain and Avtar Singh were discharged in the Chatterpatti murder case on a defence plea that the duo had not been named as accused by the CBI in the chargesheet. Three others -- Kishan Lal, Kuldip Singh and Nirmal Singh have been facing charges of conspiracy and murder. Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh has been charged under Section 120-B (Conspiracy) in connection with the case relating to the murder of Ranjit Singh. The other accused are Kishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil, Avtar Singh and Inder Singh, booked under Section 302 (Murder). Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh is the lone accused under Section 376 (Rape) in connection with the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. A case was also registered against him following a complaint by a Bathinda resident, who accused Ram Raheem Singh of hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs by donning the attire of the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. (ANI)

Government retains EPF interest at 8.5 pc
Monday, October 22, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 20 (ANI): The Union Government on Saturday approved the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Board’s decision to retain the EPF rate of interest for the year 2006-07 as 8.5 percent.The EPF Central Board of Trustees, which met on July 23 to consider the proposal for determination of rate of interest payable to the members for the year 2006-07, had agreed to continue paying 8.5 percent interest rate.The EPF Scheme requires that the interest shall be credited to the account of each member at such a rate as determined by the Central Government in consultation with the EPF Central Board of Trustees.“All the RPFCs (Regional Provident Fund Commissioners) have been instructed to immediately give effect to the above and issue annual statement of accounts for the year 2006 at the earliest possible time,” a release from the Labour and Employment Ministry said today. (ANI)

Court to hear Dera chief case today
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

Ambala, Oct 20 (ANI): A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will today hear a case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who is accused of sexual assault and murder. Earlier, a court had extended the bail of Singh till October 20 in two cases of murder and one count of rape. The court had refused Singh's plea for regular bail on grounds that the Dera chief was not present at the hearing on October 15. Defence lawyer, however, had stated that Singh was not needed be present. "The order of the High Court is very clear, it is not necessary for him to be present during the hearing of this bail application. As and when required the court will call him. The judge is satisfied that it wasn't necessary for him to come," said, Jasmair Chand, Defence counsel. The CBI has transferred all the three cases against the Dera chief to a session court. The CBI had filed a chargesheet on July 31, accusing him of murdering sect manager, Ranjit Singh, and a Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chatterpatti, and for the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. Two accused, Inder Sain and Avtar Singh were discharged in the Chatterpatti murder case on a defence plea that the duo had not been named as accused by the CBI in the chargesheet. Three others -- Kishan Lal, Kuldip Singh and Nirmal Singh have been facing charges of conspiracy and murder. Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh has been charged under Section 120-B (Conspiracy) in connection with the case relating to the murder of Ranjit Singh. The other accused are Kishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil, Avtar Singh and Inder Singh, booked under Section 302 (Murder). Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh is the lone accused under Section 376 (Rape) in connection with the alleged rape of a Sadhavi. A case was also registered against him following a complaint by a Bathinda resident, who accused Ram Raheem Singh of hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs by donning the attire of the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. (ANI)

Prez, VP greet nation on Durga Puja, Dussehra
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil today greeted fellow citizens on the occasion of Durga Puja, which is being celebrated across the country.In her message, Patil said, "On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, I extend my warm wishes to everyone for their success, happiness and prosperity.""The Durga Puja celebration symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. Let this occasion inspire us to dedicate ourselves to all causes that are good and noble and work for the betterment of humanity at large," said Patil.Vice President Hamid Ansari in his greetings on the joyous occasion of Dussehra, which will be celebrated on Sunday with religious fervour and enthusiasm, said the festival celebrates the epic victory of the forces of good over evil. "The mood of jubilation is reflected in the festivities. This festival reaffirms our faith in all that is good, noble and virtuous in life and promotes the feeling of harmony in the society," Ansari said. "The festival fill our lives with peace, prosperity, and harmony and unite us all in a common brotherhood of all humanity," he said. (ANI)

Advise spokespersons to maintain mental balance: Cong
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Reacting to the Bharatiya Janata Party's criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress party on Friday said the BJP leadership should "advise their spokespersons and representatives to maintain their mental balance,""He is the Prime Minister of the country and at some level, the Prime Minister represents every citizen of the country, and any responsible person should think twice before using such language," AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here. Dwivedi's remarks were in response to the BJP terming the Prime Minister's critical comments about the party "desperate rattling" of a "much weakened" leader.BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad had said: "The tirade by the Prime Minister against the BJP is not only condemnable but outrageous. It is a desperate rattling of a Prime Minister who is much weakened and who does not enjoy authority in the Cabinet, backing of his party and supporting parties." Prasad said the Prime Minister has "lost his mental balance" when he terms Agra summit as a "fiasco" as the talks were unsuccessful because of the Vajpayee government's "determined stand" that there will not be any compromise on cross-border terrorism.Speaking to reporters on his way home from the IBSA Summit in South Africa on Thursday, while rejecting the BJP demand for his resignation over the setback to the Indo-US nuclear deal, Singh said that the BJP was "least qualified to talk about our moral right to govern" since it was in power when the Gujarat "holocaust" took place, when the Agra Indo-Pak summit ended in a fiasco, and was "sleeping" when the Pakistanis intruded into Kargil. (ANI)

Pay attention to girl child’s education: Prez
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today urged a group of women and girls from Jammu and Kashmir to spread the message of the importance of education of the girl child. Interacting with a group of 34 women and girls at Rashtrapati Bhavan from the districts of Rajouri, Doda and Poonch who are currently on a visit to Delhi, Ajmer and Jaipur under the Indian Army's 'Operation Sadbhavana,' Patil emphasized the need to educate the girl child. "The education of the girl child is as important as the education of the boy child," she said while appealing to them to spread this message when they return to their homes after their visit to Delhi. During the interaction with the President, the group said they were very happy with the work being done by the army for them in their districts, and also are happy that the tour has given them an opportunity to travel outside their district and state, to see the development and progress that has taken place in the country. Patil was very keen to know from the group what professions they were pursuing. They told her that some of them are involved in agriculture while others have taken up tailoring and stitching for which the army has helped them. The President said the women in the group were brave, as they have been facing up to terrorism, and urged them to help the army in its efforts to fight terrorism in the state. The ladies will be felicitated by various army formations en route to instill a feeling of belongingness and unity. The women and girls are in the age group of 18 to 50 years. The group arrived in the capital today. The theme of the tour is, "Nari Shakti Shanti Path Par". Two lady officers of the army are leading the group. (ANI)

PM congratulates Pachauri
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its Chairman Dr. R.K.Pachauri on winning the Noble Prize for Peace for the year 2007. In his message, Singh said that it is a matter of great delight and honour to know that the IPCC headed by Indian environmentalist Dr. R.K. Pachauri has won the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with former US Vice President Al Gore. “It is a historic moment for Dr. Pachauri and India. Never before has a UN body headed by an Indian been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This exceptional honour is recognition of the extraordinary work of Dr. Pachauri and his team at IPCC,” he said. “They have done yeoman service in awakening our consciousness about the dangers of global warming and the measures that need to be taken urgently to address the serious challenges posed by it,” Singh added. The Prime Minister said the award is a “big boost” to the efforts of Dr. Pachauri and his team of scientists, climate experts and economists to carry forward their work, which would eventually promote the welfare of mankind. “I have great pleasure in extending my hearty congratulations to Dr. Pachauri, his Panel and all those associated with this effort for being recognized for their efforts through the prestigious Nobel Prize. I am sure that it will encourage them to work with renewed vigour towards a more sustainable future,” he added. (ANI)

PM writes to Musharraf, Benazir
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today wrote messages to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf and former premier Benazir Bhutto, condemning Thursday night’s blasts that claimed close to 140 lives and injured hundreds of others. Singh conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives. He also condemned terrorism and extremism in all its forms. At least 139 people were killed, including three police officers, and over 550 were injured late on Thursday night as suspected suicide bombers tried to attack Benazir's convoy on her return to the country after eight-year self-imposed exile. Two explosions went off a minute apart shortly after midnight near Karsaz close to the vehicle Bhutto was travelling in, at the head of a procession of hundreds of thousands of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supporters who had flooded the streets of Karachi to welcome her. The attack reportedly bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda and resembled assassination attempts by militants linked to the terrorist network on President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in recent years. A state of high alert has been declared in Karachi. Schools and colleges will remain closed in the city. A medical emergency has been declared at the Jinnah and the Civil Hospitals here. Traffic was thin on the roads of Karachi on Friday, as a majority of the people decided to remain indoors. (ANI)

Rs.250-crore Master Plan for Amritsar
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

Amritsar, Oct 19 (ANI): To ensure planed and regulated growth of Amritsar, the Punjab Government has decided to prepare a Rs.250-crore comprehensive master plan for its cohesive development with class infrastructure in terms of road connectivity, drinking water, sewerage facility and uninterrupted power supply. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with the local MLAs and the Members of Parliament at Circuit House. Badal said the master plan would be completed within six months, adding that out of Rs. 250 crore, the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board would release a sum of Rs.100 crore within a day or two. The Chief Minister further said that the sole objective for preparing this master plan of Amritsar was to check the haphazard and unregulated growth for the want of perspective plan. He underscored the need that the development schemes and projects in the city would be executed only after the finalization of the blue print. Badal asked the Local Government department to seek the expertise of the renowned consultants from world over in the field of architectural planning to finalize the master plan in a meaningful and result-oriented manner by floating global tenders, keeping in view the long perspective of at least 100 years. Badal pointed out that Guru Nanak Dev Hospital would be developed as a world-class health care institution with ultra-modern super specialties. He said the eminent consultants in the field of hospital infrastructure had been engaged for the facelift of the hospital and soon it would emerge as one of the leading health care institutions of India. Referring to the setting up of skilled development upgrading centres to impart skilled training to the urban and semi urban youth of Amritsar, it was decided in the meeting that one crore rupees would be released out of Skilled Development Institution (SDI) fund by the Centre. He directed the local Deputy Commissioner to tie up with Department of Employment Generation for the implementation of the project expeditiously. Badal categorically said that the master plan of Rs.250 crore sanctioned for the development of the city in the today’s meeting was in addition to the city development plan approved for Rs.3150 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission (JNURM). He also asked the district administration to ensure the completion of elevated road project to Sri Darbar Sahib within the stipulated time schedule. The Chief Minister also directed the Mayor and Deputy Commissioner to find a suitable location in the city to set up a press club thereby conceding the long pending demand of journalist fraternity. Badal announced to grant of Rs.10 lakh for the construction of the press club. Cricketer-turned-politician and local MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was present at the meeting, also announced a grant of 15 lakh from MPLAD for the press club. On the master plan, Sidhu said it should be implemented in such a way that the contacts for the construction of various projects under the integrated development plan be awarded to the construction companies of repute with a proven track of experience and calibre. Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included Health and Family Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Raminder Singh Bularia, Dr. Dalbir Singh Verka, Manjinder Singh Kang, Malkiat Singh, Anil Joshi (all MLAs), Mayor Sawet Malik and Senior Deputy Mayor Ajaybir Pal Singh Randhawa. (ANI)

India, Pak to continue nuclear CBMs talks
Saturday, October 20, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): India and Pakistan on Friday agreed to meet in Islamabad next year to carry forward the dialogue and the process of confidence building in the nuclear and missile area. The decision was taken at the fifth round of India-Pakistan expert-level talks on nuclear and missiles related CBMs held here today. The day-long discussions focused on a review of the implementation of existing agreements on CBMs and on disarmament and non-proliferation related issues of mutual interest in multilateral forums as provided for in the Lahore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 1999. The talks, begun in June 2004 as part of the Composite Dialogue process, were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, an External Affairs Ministry release said. K. C. Singh, Additional Secretary (International Organizations), Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian side at the talks, while the Pakistani delegation was led by Khalid Aziz Babar, Additional Secretary (UN&EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Singh and Babar will also lead their respective sides at the Second Round of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism (JATM) to be held here on October 22. Discussions in the Second Meeting of Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism will follow the mandate given to the group when it was constituted after the meeting of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in Havana on September 16, 2006, and the first meeting of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism held in Islamabad in March this year. (ANI)

Ponting expects an entertaining T-20 match
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Mumbai, Oct 19 (ANI): Having bagged the seven-match one-day series comprehensively, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said on Friday that he expects an entertaining Twenty-20 match against India here tomorrow. "It is a very beautiful ground. The wicket looks pretty good. I expect to have a good and entertaining twenty-twenty game of cricket',” Ponting said on the eve of the match to be played at the Brabourne Stadium. The Australian captain further said that the playing eleven would be finalised tomorrow morning. "We have got bowlers who can adapt and adjust to any conditions. We leave it until tomorrow to finalise our side. A few guys have got a touch of flu and they have not done trying (net practice) today. We will wait and see before we finalise our team in the morning", he said. Australia, returning after a six-month break, were beaten by the eventual winners India in the semi-finals of the Twenty-20 World Cup in South Africa last month. (ANI)

Don't break the news while breaking news: Azad
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Srinagar, Oct 19 (ANI): Media, especially the TV channels, should not "break the news" while breaking news, says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.Taking a dig at the media in his inaugural address at the All India Social Editors' conference on infrastructure issues here, Azad said: "In the name of breaking news one should not break the news.""Breaking news has become a fashion. If a wife does not serve tea to her husband, it suddenly becomes breaking news," Daily Excelsior quoted Azad as saying.Azad observed that the projection of only negative news was sending a wrong picture about the country across the world."If one reads a newspaper or switches on to a news channel one gets to read and see only negative news like murders, family discord and arson as if the entire country was on fire," he said, adding that positive news takes a back seat.He claimed that during the Congress-led UPA Government, an all- round progress was being attempted in rural and urban development, which does not find a mention in any television channel.Observing that media definitely is the fourth estate of the democracy and the right of expression is enshrined in the Constitution, Azad expressed the problems of the government in disseminating information about the achievements of the Government. He said: "I wonder do we need to hire an external agency to promote the good work done by the Government.""Is it not the responsibility of the media?" he asked.Azad asked the media to promote the development as well as be a critic wherever the Government does anything wrong, adding that "Negative news is not the only news."Major development projects that are directly connected with the welfare of the masses are either missed out or not adequately reported by print and electronic media, he pointed out. (ANI)

Myanmarese women seek Sonia’s support
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Myanmarese women, based in India, staged a demonstration opposite Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s house here today demanding India’s intervention to restore democracy in Myanmar.They have submitted a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her support for the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar.Myanmar military government had cracked down last month on the biggest pro-democracy protests seen in the last 20 years resulting in the death of 10 demonstrators, although many diplomats say the number might have been higher. 'Women's League of Burma' activists carried posters and raised slogans, as they demonstrated outside Sonia’s residence.Neng Boi, an activist of the Women's League of Burma, said their protest was against the “covert support” being extended by New Delhi to Myanmarese junta.“Indian officials can be seen shaking hands with the General (Senior General Than Shwe, who is the country's top military leader and heads the SPDC, the body of 12 senior generals that runs the country). We deplore this,” Boi said.India shares a 1,645-km (1,000-mile) border on its east with Myanmar.India and China, both bordering Myanmar are seen as having some influence over the military junta.The official media said nearly 3,000 people had been arrested since the army ended the protests earlier this month; and all but 468 were released.There has been no word yet of the secret trials conducted in Yangon, where soldiers raided more than 20 monasteries, taking most of the monks into custody, in the early stages of the crackdown.The junta's night raids continue despite United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari efforts to stop them. Gambari is now touring Asia trying to drum up support for a united front to persuade the military government to talk to the opposition and end the raids.He even made a plea on Monday, but the same day the New Light of Myanmar, the junta's main mouthpiece, declared that the Generals would not be persuaded to drop their policies.On Tuesday, relatives said five members of the detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy were jailed for up to seven-and-a-half years. (ANI)

Call for "Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award"
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Reno (USA), Oct.19 (ANI): The claim for giving the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award of India to prominent chaplain and Indo-American leader Rajan Zed is picking up. Now, the police chief of Reno has joined various other organizations and individuals in demanding Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for Rajan Zed, who recited the historic first prayer from ancient Indian scriptures in the US Senate a few months back. These organizations have been highlighting Zed's work for promoting ancient Indian heritage and culture abroad, interfaith dialogue, and peace; restoring a sense of belonging and self-esteem among Indians; and his services to the sick/hospitalized and other community. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are the highest honor for Indians settled abroad and shall be presented on January nine next by President of India in New Delhi at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the annual conclave of the Indian diaspora. Michael Poehlman, Reno's police chief, in a letter to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, has strongly recommended Zed for the award, saying, "Mr. Rajan Zed has helped bring communities together in order to promote compassion, cooperation, community service, and partnership through interfaith dialogue. He studied and worked with different spiritual traditions from the vantage point of respect, accuracy and appreciation. He believes that by working with other people of different traditions than one's own, one gets the opportunity to refine and appreciate one's own tradition and belief. With his cooperative and positive interaction with people of different religious traditions/faiths, he derives a common ground in belief through a concentration on similarities between faiths". Talking about Rajan Zed's service for the community, Poehlman further stated, "Moreover, he helps the sick in various hospitals of northwestern Nevada and adjoining California by volunteering as a chaplain. He serves on Reno Police Chief Advisory Board and on the Board of Directors of various other prestigious organizations and never hesitates to help in social/community issues…" "It is an honor to put his name forward for your distinguished award," Poehlman added.The Nevada Clergy Association, Prayer and Peace Circle, India Heritage Panel, and various other organizations and individuals have already demanded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for Zed. Besides the US Senate, Rajan Zed read the historic first prayer from ancient Indian Sanskrit scriptures in California State Senate, Nevada State Senate and Nevada State Assembly in the past few months and is very active in interfaith dialogue in the region. In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Zed recently addressed the congregation of Unity Church of Today, Annual Ramadan Dialogue and Friendship Dinner of Sierra Foundation, and Unitarian Universalist church. He has been invited to address Annual Conference of Catholic Diocese in January next. (ANI)

23 foreign bikers tour Himachal
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Dharamsala, Oct 19 (ANI): A group of 23 bikers, including participants from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, are touring Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkahand to discover the adventure potential of these two hill states.The 'Discover India' rally will cover a distance of 1000 kilometres over eight days.Navigating winding hill roads on 'Enfield Bullets', the bikers started from Amritsar in Punjab. On Thursday, they journeyed from the picturesque hill town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.V K Garg, the organiser of the rally, said its objective is to promote adventure tourism in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand."They (the bikers) will see the hills and what kind of facilities are available for tourists. They will also explore potential for river rafting, water sports and paragliding," said Garg.The impression that they would carry back with them would help in promoting tourism in these states, he added.Letitia Harvey, an Australian biker, said: "When I go home I will tell people they must come here. Its an indescribable experience."Andy Reid, another participant, said: "It's been fantastic learning and seeing different cultures."The rally will culminate in Uttarakhand's Haridwar city.With their panorama of temples, rivers and barren mountain peaks, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have been pitching aggressively to tap the vast potential of adventure sports.Analysts, however, say Indian tourism suffers mainly from poor marketing and its inability to exploit the potential of the country's snow-clad Himalayas, forests, palaces and sun-soaked beaches. (ANI)

Centre announces new coal distribution policy
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): The UPA Government has approved a new coal distribution policy which seeks to facilitate the supply of assured quantities of coal to various categories of consumers at pre-determined prices. The new policy takes into consideration the regulatory regimes in which various sectors of the economy are functioning for classification of consumers and prioritization of coal supplies in terms of quantities. The policy also envisages an enlarged role for state governments in the supply of coal to a large number of small and medium industries. Under it, e-auction sale of coal will be re-introduced with certain modified features to encourage emergence of proper coal market in the country.A government release said that it has been evolved based on the extensive discussions held by all stakeholders. The Committee comprised of representatives from the Ministries of Power, Steel, Law, Finance, Small Scale Industries, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Planning Commission, Coal India Limited and Coal Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited. The key features of the new Coal Distribution Policy are as under :I.Classification of consumers and supply of coal thereof :·The existing classification of coal consumers into core and non-core sectors is being dispensed with.·Presently, the core sector consists of power, steel, cement, fertilizer, paper, aluminum, defence, loco, central PSUs and exports.·Non-core sector comprises of remaining consumers in various types of industries like textiles, rubber, engineering, glass, refractory, lime, jute, copper, foundries, crockery etc. besides seasonal consumers like brick sector.·Since power and fertilizer sectors are operating in a price regulatory regime coal to the extent of 100 percent of the normative requirement of the units in these two sectors will be made by the coal companies as at present but only under Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs).·In view of the importance of the defence sector and railways, their total requirement will continue to be met. ·For all other consumers with coal requirement of more than 4200 tons per annum 75 percent of their normative requirement of coal would be provided under FSAs.·Supply of coking coal to steel plants would be based on FSAs as is done at present.·In respect of small and medium sector consumers the existing cap of 500 tons of coal per year will be increased to 4200 tons per year.·Since Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries cannot deal with a large number of such small and medium sector consumers, state governments will be required to take up the responsibility of identifying such consumers and arranging supply of coal to them through their designated agencies. ·To begin with, a quantity of 8 million tons of coal per year will be made available to meet the requirements of the small and medium sector consumers.·State Governments will enter into Fuel Supply Agreements with public sector coal companies for sourcing coal for distribution through their designated agencies which could include National Cooperative Consumers Federation, National Small Industries Corporation, any state government agency and established industrial bodies.II.Letter of Assurance and Fuel Supply Agreements :·An innovative feature of the new policy is the concept of Letter of Assurance (LOA) to be granted by the coal companies to the project developers as against the present system of granting coal linkages.·Such LOAs will be converted into FSAs after specific milestones are achieved by the project promoters in a period of two years in case of power plants and one year in case of other consumers.·Consumers granted Letter of Assurance have to furnish a Bank Guarantee equivalent to five percent of their annual requirement of coal which will be forfeited if the suggested milestones are not achieved within the stipulated period.·Bank guarantee system is being introduced to encourage only genuine consumers and to prevent pre-emption of coal linkages without developing the end-use projects in time as has been happening currently. ·Letters of assurance in case of power (including power utilities, IPPs and captive power plants), steel (including sponge and pig iron) and cement sectors will be granted by the Standing Linkage Committee (Long Term) functioning in the Ministry of Coal.·For all other consumers, LOA will be issued by the Coal India Limited.·Under the new policy, Coal India Limited will be at liberty to import coal to meet their supply commitments to various consumers and in such case necessary price adjustments will be made by the coal companies.III.Introduction of e-auction sale of coal :E-auction sale of coal will be re-introduced with certain modifications like :i)There will be no floor price for bidding under e-auction scheme as was the case in the last phase of e-auction sale of coal.ii)Coal PSUs will, however, have the liberty of having a reserve price which is not lesser than the notified prices of coal for appropriate commercial decision making.iii)Under the new mode of e-auction there will be two platforms – one for the supply of coal for a longer period of one year or more and the other for supply of coal for shorter periods as per the frequency of offer of e-auction.iv)All the coal PSUs will be required to announce a schedule of offer of coal for sale under e-auction mode at the start of the year for proper planning both by the coal supplies and consumers.IV.Efficiency norms :To encourage economic and efficient use of coal by the consumers, norms of consumption for all the major sectors like power, steel, cement etc. will be reviewed taking into account continuous improvements in technology, manufacturing process and other developments. V.Pricing of coal supplies :Coal to be supplied under FSAs will be charged at the notified prices of CIL. For supplies to small and medium consumers, state government designated agencies would be entitled to charge actual freight and 5% as service charge over and above the basic price charged by the coal company. VI.Implementation of new policy :Various provisions of the new Coal Distribution Policy will be operationalized as per the following time schedules :a)All the existing linked consumers shall enter into FSAs with respective coal companies within a period of 6 months failing which coal supplies can be discontinued.b)State Governments shall put in place necessary institutional mechanisms for supply of coal to small and medium sector consumers as envisaged in the new policy within a period of six months.c)Provisions of the new policy applicable to the new consumers will be given immediate effect to.d)E-auction sale of coal to be introduced within one month and until such time the present scheme of sale of coal under e-booking will continue to operate. (ANI)

Advani condemns Karachi blasts
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct.19 (ANI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader L.K.Advani today expressed his shock over Thursday night's twin bomb blasts in Karachi, and said that he was relieved to know that Benazir Bhutto had escaped unhurt in the incident.In a message condemning the incident, Advani said: "I am aghast at the news of the terrorist attack last night on the convoy of Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, within hours of her return from her eight-year-long exile abroad. The reported deaths of more than 125 persons in two bomb blasts show that the perpetrators of this barbaric act wanted to inflict maximum damage on an event that held the promise of the return of democracy in Pakistan. I am relieved that Ms. Bhutto has survived this bid on her life.""It is an irony that, at a time when tall claims are being made about Pakistan’s democratization, one former Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharief, was recently prevented from returning to his own country and another former Prime Minister, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, has been ‘greeted’ by a terrorist attack on her arrival. I have always been of the view that Pakistan’s stability and progress, as also the normalization of India-Pakistan relations, are best guaranteed by the establishment of genuine democracy in that country, combined with a resolute fight against religious extremism and terrorism," he added. "Last night’s shocking incident in Karachi leaves no doubt whatsoever that the battle for democracy and the battle against terrorism are inter-related. I join fellow Indians in conveying our solidarity to the people of Pakistan in this arduous two-pronged battle," he concluded. (ANI)

The chicken tikka masala is turning 60!
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

London, Oct 19 (ANI): Britain’s favourite dish-Chicken tikka masala- is all set to turn sixty this month. The dish was first made at a restaurant in New Delhi in October 1947. The owner made the first industrial version of the tandoor Indian stove and prepared a type of butter chicken that became famous as tikka masala, reports the Sun. After the dish became an instant hit in Indian eat outs, the food came to Britain in the fifties. Tikka masala was officially declared UK’s No 1 meal in 2001. Beginning on Oct 22, its mouth-watering taste will be celebrated in the National Curry Week. (ANI)

Antibiotics ‘unnecessarily prescribed’
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

London, Oct 19 (ANI): Antibiotics are unnecessarily being prescribed to reduce the risk of possible complications after upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, or ear infection, a new study has found. However, the study insists that they do reduce the risk of pneumonia after chest infection, especially in elderly people. “On the basis of the evidence in this study, there seems to be a substantial gap between evidence based guidance and general practitioners’ prescribing behaviour,” the British medical Journal quoted the authors, as saying. Risk of serious complications in the month after analysis was recorded: mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone of the skull) after ear infection, quinsy (an abscess at the back of the throat) after sore throat, and pneumonia after upper respiratory tract infection and chest infection. The number of patients for treatment to put off one complication was also recorded. Only in rare cases, there are serious complications after upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat, and ear infection. Though antibiotics reduced the risk, over 4,000 courses were required to prevent one complication. However, the risk of pneumonia following chest infection was quite high, particularly in elderly people, and was significantly reduced by antibiotic use. The authors conclude that general practitioners should not base their prescribing for sore throat, ear infection, or upper respiratory tract infections, expecting serious complications. However, antibiotic prescribing to reduce the risk of pneumonia after chest infection is justifiable, particularly in elderly patients in whom the risk is highest. (ANI)

Haryana police learns etiquette
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Gurgaon (Haryana), Oct 19 (ANI): Police in Haryana are undergoing etiquette lessons to improve the image of the state police force in the public eye.Under a private-public initiative, cops in Gurgaon are being trained in basic behaviour and code of conduct at Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) offices.Infamous for being rowdy and unfriendly, the policemen are getting a crash course in being polite to the public.Police officials, especially those who attend calls at the control room and at police stations, are being trained to respond rationally to people in distress. Mahendra Lal, Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon, said the programme is aimed at making policemen people savvy."This is basically behavioural training that we are imparting to our employees. We are targeting the officers in the control room and the police stations. This will help people in changing their attitude towards us and will help them treat us as their friends," Lal said. Ved Pal, a policeman undergoing training, said that it would help them be more efficient and to work better."This training is good and I am sure it will help us a lot. There are many basic things that we tend to forget. This training will re-acquaint us with those," he said.At present, around a 100 policemen and police women in batches of 20 are attending lessons at WNS Global Services in Gurgaon. The police force has been under an image overhaul in recent years following the introduction of fitness and attitude training programmes besides morale boosting sessions for its often overworked cardres. (ANI)

India condemns bombing of Benazir's convoy
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): Indian Government today condemned the explosions that took place near former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto convoy late on Thursday night, killing 138 people.“We strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Karachi yesterday. It is reprehensible that senior political figures are targeted in this way with such loss of innocent life,” said Navtej Sarna, MEA spokesperson. “The spectre of terrorism confronting our region requires strong and determined action by all our Governments,” Sarna added. At least 138 people were killed and hundreds injured late on Thursday night as suspected suicide bombers targeted Bhutto on her return.Two explosions went off a minute apart shortly after midnight near Karsaz close to the vehicle Bhutto was travelling in, at the head of a procession of hundreds of thousands of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supporters who had flooded the streets of Karachi to welcome her. The attack reportedly bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda and resembled assassination attempts by militants linked to the terrorist network on President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in recent years. A state of high alert has been declared in Karachi. Schools and colleges will remain closed in the city. A medical emergency has been declared at the Jinnah and the Civil Hospitals here.Traffic was thin on the roads of Karachi on Friday, as a majority of the people decided to remain indoors. (ANI)

Defence Minister meets Sergei Ivanov
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Moscow, Oct 19 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony met Russian Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov and held discussions on a wide range of bilateral issues, including defence cooperation. According to sources, the two leaders might have discussed the defence projects, including the delay in the upgradation of aircraft carrier ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ at their meeting on Thursday evening. Ivanov who looks after the military-industrial complex in the government is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. Antony will leave for home on Friday, a day after India and Russia agreed to produce and co-develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). The agreement was reached at the 7th India-Russia Inter -Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation talks in Moscow, which was co-chaired by Antony and his Russian counterpart Serdyukov Anatoly. The negotiations on the joint manufacturing and development of the new generation fighter aircraft have been going on for the last five years, and the present agreement inked is similar to the successful joint project of developing Brahmos supersonic cruise missile."It's a major landmark, and I hope very soon we will be able to set the Inter- Governmental Agreement on co -development and co- production of multi role transport aircraft also," Antony said.The defence ties between India and Russia are termed 'time-tested' and close to 70 percent of India's inventory are directly or indirectly related to Russia. Moscow is keen on retaining the Indian market in the face of growing competition from the U.S., French and Israeli armaments majors. Antony's trip has set the stage for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow in November for his annual summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (ANI)

Major US trade delegation to visit India
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New York, Oct.19 (ANI): Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty left for New Delhi Wednesday at the head of a 73-member trade delegation to bolster bilateral commercial ties with the country. The aim of the mission is to provide a means for Minnesota business leaders to explore opportunities in India and promote increased exports to India and to develop and expand strategic relationships with key India and United States organisations. The delegation will travel to New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai from October 20 to October 27, for a series of market and industry presentations, networking events, roundtable discussions and one-on-one business events with potential Indian customers, distributors and partners. In each of these cities there will be an evening networking reception in honor of the Governor that will be attended by local government and business leaders.According to Tony Lorusso, executive director of Minnesota Trade Office, "Our interest in India is multifaceted. We are interested in India because it is the fastest growing country globally. There are fewer economies that are growing at 9 per cent GDP growth in recent years and obviously that kind of growth obviously turns into many opportunities from which Minnesota can benefit."Lorusso was quoted by rediff.com as saying that "There is also a pro-western environment that favors US firms we think and then India has a such a huge young population and these are some of the reasons we are looking at India."The website quoted Pawlenty as also saying that his mission will stop in China to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Minnesota's sister-state agreement with Shaanxi Province. During the visit to Shanghai, Pawlenty will visit China's only Best Buy store, where he will present computer equipment donated by the company to a school in Minnesota's sister-province. He will participate in an opening ceremony at the Shanghai Best Buy, the company's first store in China and their largest store in the world. Asked about investment in infrastructure, one of India's top priorities, Lorusso was quoted as saying that Minnesotan companies are absolutely interested in environmental projects or airport projects. "There are several companies in the environmental sector that are going in this mission. They have a lot of interest in the infrastructure sector in India as well," he said.Minnesota sent a small delegation to India ten years ago led by a commissioner. Although since then there has been no trade mission to India, there has been good bilateral trade.Minnesota's exports to India in the last ten years or so has increased 370 per cent and that compares to a 145 per cent for US growth to India. Indian-owned companies in Minnesota include Suzlon [ Get Quote] Wind Energy Corporation in Pipestone, Patni Computer Systems [Get Quote ], Inc., Wipro Ltd [ Get Quote], and Natural Stone Inc. Suzlon has been ranked as the fifth-leading wind turbine manufacturer in the world and its wind turbines are used at 12 wind park sites in southwestern Minnesota. Minnesota Trade Office noted that India's gross domestic product grew an average 7 per cent per year between 1994 and 2004 and recently has tracked at nearly 9 per cent. U.S. manufactured exports to India reached $6.8 billion in 2005, an increase of 111 per cent since 2000. Minnesota's manufactured exports to India grew 208 per cent to $85 million over the same period. "India's middle class is 300 million people and growing by 5 per cent per year. That's a huge segment of the population that has increasingly more money to spend on consumer goods," Lorusso said.The promising sectors include computers and electronics, machinery, medical products, biotechnology, and food processing. In addition, Indian companies have ambitious plans for expanding and diversifying manufacturing activities, particularly in the automobile, auto parts, metals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electronics industries, creating opportunities for Minnesota suppliers. Among those who are accompanying the delegation include Senator Satveer Chaudhary and Gopal Khanna. The delegation with meet with the Confederation of Indian Industry as well as Wipro leadership.Governor Pawlenty will be accompanied by First Lady Mary Pawlenty. In addition to participating in business events on the mission, the First Lady will also devote her time to raise awareness of humanitarian and social causes in which Minnesotans are involved. Some of the programs involve providing hope to Indian orphans, training and resources for the disabled, and advancing healthcare for children. (ANI)

Sunlight exposure may halve breast cancer risk
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

Washington, Oct 19 (ANI): A study has found that increased exposure to sunlight, which helps increase levels of vitamin D in the body, may halve the risk of advanced breast cancer. Esther John, Ph.D., Northern California Cancer Centre, and co-researchers Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Sue Ingles, Ph.D., University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine found that women with high sun exposure had half the risk of developing advanced breast cancer compared to women with low sun exposure. In the study, high sun exposure was defined as having dark skin on the forehead and the findings were observed only for women with naturally light skin colour. For the study, the researchers compared 1,788 breast cancer patients with a control group of 2,129 women who did not have breast cancer. The women who participated in the survey had a wide range of natural skin colour and a wide range of capacity to produce vitamin D in the body. Skin colour determines how much vitamin D is produced in the body after sun exposure. Dark-skinned individuals produce up to 10 times less vitamin D than light-skinned individuals for the same amount of time spent in the sun. People with darker skin are also more likely to be vitamin D deficient than people with lighter skin. In order to determine the actual skin colour of the participants the scientists used a portable reflectometer on the underarm, because that area is not directly exposed to sunlight. The female participants were classified as having light, medium or dark natural skin colour on the basis of the measurements. After classification the researchers compared sun exposure between women with breast cancer and those without breast cancer. Sun exposure was measured as the difference in skin colour between the underarm and the forehead. Women with naturally light skin pigmentation who were without breast cancer had significantly more sun exposure than the group with breast cancer. Since the difference occurred only in one group, the researchers suggested that the effect was due to differences in vitamin D production and not just because the women were sick and unable to go outdoors. The difference was seen only in women with advanced disease, which suggested that vitamin D may be important in slowing the growth of breast cancer cells. “We believe that sunlight helps to reduce women’s risk of breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight,” John said. “It is possible that these effects were observed only among light- skinned women because sun exposure produces less vitamin D among women with naturally darker pigmentation,” he said. The researchers said that besides sunlight - multivitamins, fatty fish and fortified foods such as milk, certain cereals and fruit juices could also provide Vitamin D. Because of the risks of sun-induced skin cancer scientists said that women should not try to reduce their risk of breast cancer by sunbathing. “If future studies continue to show reductions in breast cancer risk associated with sun exposure, increasing vitamin D intake from diet and supplements may be the safest solution to achieve adequate levels of vitamin D,” Schwartz said. “Since many risk factors for breast cancer are not modifiable, our finding that a modifiable factor, vitamin D, may reduce risk is important,” Sue Ingles, Ph.D., a co-researcher from University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine said. The study is reported online in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (ANI)

Chittaranjan Park’s Puja pandal gutted by fire
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 19 (ANI): One of the most popular pandals located at Chittaranjan Park, was gutted in a fire around 3.00 a.m. on Friday. The fire took place at the Pocket 40 Navapalli puja also damaged neighbouring houses and cars. Though there are no reports of casualties, some people who were inside the pandal at the time are said to be injured. The fire took place on Saptami, which is the first day of the Durga Puja. The incident came on the eve of Ashtami which is the most important day of puja.This is victory date for Durga - killing Mahishasura. On this day, prayers will be held in the morning and people keep fast till they offer flowers to Durga and pray for her blessings. (ANI)

No negotiations with NSG
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

On Board PM's special aircraft, Oct 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday made it clear that India would not talk to any member nations of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) till it resolve the domestic concerns about the deal.During his return from the five-day visit to Nigeria and South Africa, Singh said, "I think we have to resolve our problems at home ant that the process is on."On being asked whether he discussed about the nuclear deal with South Africa and Brazil- both are members of the NSG- on the sidelines of the trilateral IBSA Summit, Singh replied, "Our discussions with members of the NSG will only come after we have an India specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA. Only after that the NSG members will consider cooperation with us."He said that the government is trying all the efforts to evolve a national consensus on the issue."I hope that the process which emerges as a result of a wide ranging discussions with our coalition partners will enable us to move forward," he added.Singh admitted that if something does not go as planned then it does have an affect, and that one has to live with 'uncertainties'.However, he added that he has not given up the hope on the successful culmination of the nuclear deal.He reiterated that his government is not one-issue government and that setback on one issue does not mean the "end of life"."We have done many things and there are lots of things to be done," he added. On being asked to comment on some of his coalition partners having said that they had reservations about the nuclear deal from the very onset, Singh replied, " This agreement (123-agreement) was approved by the Cabinet. So where is the question of the UPA going back on it?""This was part and parcel of the Cabinet process," he added.Earlier, some of the coalition partners, particularly the Sharad Pawar led NCP, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and M Karunanidhi led DMK had expressed their reservations about the deal after the Left's opposition to the nuclear agreement reached its zenith, leading to speculation that the Communists may withdraw their support from the Government.He flayed the BJP for questioning him and his party's moral right to be in power after the UPA government agreed to halt negotiations on the nuclear deal under the pressure of the Left Front. "The BJP is least qualified to talk about the moral right to govern," Singh said. "Look at the holocaust that took place in Gujarat. It took place when (Leader of the Opposition) L K Advani was (Union) Home Minister...We all saw the massacre in Gujarat under the BJP," he added, questioning, "So they did not think of their moral right to govern on that occasion?"The Prime Minister also criticised the BJP for the 2001 "Agra fiasco" when the much -hyped talks between the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf failed.Not in a mood to spare the BJP, Singh said, "We all know why the war in Kargil took place.""The infiltrators were coming in into our country and the Government in New Delhi was sleeping," he added.He termed his visit to the African nation as 'fruitful' and said that all three countries- India South Africa and Brazil, reiterated their commitment for successful conclusion of the Doha Round.On the issue of rising prices and inflation in the country, Singh linked it to the global trend of rising prices of oil and essential commodities.He said that countries should cooperate with each other to prevent terrorist groups from investing in financial markets of countries.Terming the money laundering as a global concern, Singh said, "Countries need to cooperate so that the undesirable elements, including terrorist groups do not take advantage of the financial systems of the countries."In the wake of the Wednesday's volatile trading at the Mumbai Stock Exchange after SEBI announced its intentions of regulating Participatory Notes (PN), leading to a huge crash, Singh said that the Union Finance Minister along with the SEBI have already stated about the proposed steps. (ANI)

PM for global cooperation
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

On Board PM's special aircraft, Oct 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that countries should cooperate with each other to prevent terrorist groups from investing in financial markets of countries.Terming the money laundering as a global concern, Singh said, "Countries need to cooperate so that the undesirable elements, including terrorist groups do not take advantage of the financial systems of the countries."In the wake of the Wednesday's volatile trading at the Mumbai Stock Exchange after SEBI announced its intentions of regulating Participatory Notes (PN), leading to a huge crash, Singh said that the Union Finance Minister along with the SEBI have already stated about the proposed steps. (ANI)

Manmohan on his 'reluctant politician' image
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

On Board PM's special aircraft, Oct 18 (ANI): Always being termed as a reluctant politician, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today quoted Bhagwad Gita saying that he does his duty regardless of consequences."(Bhagwad) Gita says that one must do his duty. I do whatever comes my way regardless of consequences," Singh replied when asked about his image of being a reluctant politician.Singh made these remarks while returning from South Africa where he participated in the tri-lateral IBSA Summit. (ANI)

Coalition partners had given consent to N deal: PM
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

On Board PM's special aircraft, Oct 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said that the Indo-US nuclear deal was passed by the Cabinet, where major coalition partners had given their consent to it.On being asked to comment on some of his coalition partners having said that they had reservations about the nuclear deal from the very onset, Singh replied, " This agreement (123-agreement) was approved by the Cabinet. So where is the question of the UPA going back on it?""This was part and parcel of the Cabinet process," he added.Earlier, some of the coalition partners, particularly the Sharad Pawar led NCP, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and M Karunanidhi led DMK had expressed their reservations about the deal after the Left's opposition to the nuclear agreement reached its zenith, leading to speculation that the Communists may withdraw their support from the Government. During his return from South Africa, where he participated in the tri-lateral IBSA Summit, Singh admitted that if something does not go as planned then it does have an affect and that one has to live with uncertainties.However, he added that he has not given up the hope on the successful culmination of the nuclear deal and said that there exist 'difficulties'.'We are in a coalition and we have to find a way out," he said adding, "I have not given up the hope."He reiterated that his government is not one-issue government and that setback on one issue does not mean the "end of life"."We have done many things and there are lots of things to be done," he added. (ANI)

Manmohan lambastes BJP
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

On Board PM's special aircraft, Oct 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for questioning him and his party's moral right to be in power after the UPA government agreed to halt negotiations on the nuclear deal under the pressure of the Left Front. During his return from South Africa, where he had participated in the tri-lateral IBSA Summit, Singh said, "The BJP is least qualified to talk about the moral right to govern.""Look at the holocaust that took place in Gujarat. It took place when (Leader of the Opposition) L K Advani was (Union) Home Minister...We all saw the massacre in Gujarat under the BJP," he added, questioning, "So they did not think of their moral right to govern on that occasion?"The Prime Minister also criticised the BJP for the 2001 "Agra fiasco" when the much -hyped talks between the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf failed.Not in a mood to spare the BJP, Singh said, "We all know why the war in Kargil took place.""The infiltrators were coming in into our country and the Government in New Delhi was sleeping," he added.Singh said that he has not given up the hope on the successful culmination of the nuclear deal and said that there are 'difficulties'.'We are in a coalition and we have to find a way out," he said adding, "I have not given up the hope."Earlier, the BJP had demanded the resignation of the government and had said that the UPA government in a bid to remain in power succumbed to the Left's pressure over the nuclear deal. (ANI)

Tradeindia.com introduces "Call Me Free" service
Friday, October 19, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI/ Business Wire India): Tradeindia.com has recently introduced an innovative "Call Me Free" service in association with eStara, the leading provider of proactive conversion solutions for enhancing online sales and support initiatives. eStara's click to call service has been chosen to power Tradeindia's "Call Me Free" customer service program. "Call Me Free" will assist online browsers, including buyers and sellers globally, to obtain real-time answers to questions by connecting them through a telephone connection without paying any cost. To utilize the "Call Me Free" program, buyers need only engage an embedded "Call Me Free" button within the Tradeindia Web site and type in their phone number."As one of India's largest B2B e-Marketplace, today tradeindia.com serves millions of buyers globally by offering them quality database of manufacturers & exporters," said Bikky Khosla, CEO, Tradeindia.com. "For buyers in order to identify a listed manufacturer/exporter as right potential supplier for their sourcing needs, it's of prime importance to understand and know few things about the supplier. Popular means of first-level communication such as emails and faxes create a vacuum where a buyer after sending a message waits for suppliers to get back which kills valuable business time," he said. "Tradeindia's "Call Me Free" service powered by eStara fills that vacuum, makes first-level communication faster and allows a buyer to speak with the vendor and get solutions to most queries on the first-level of discussions itself. "Call Me Free" helps a buyer and seller both in understanding each others' interest level towards possible business opportunity, which further helps in finalising the business in shortest time and with ease", he added. The Tradeindia partnership also heralds eStara's entry into the Indian market. The company has gained momentum internationally of late, including recently announced deals with Yves-Rocher, a leading botanical beauty care company in France, and Voyages-SNCF, an online travel agency also headquartered in France. Tradeindia is the largest online B2B e-Marketplace in India, with over 650,000 registered users, 1,298 different product categories and sub-categories and over 20.5 million hits per month."We are very pleased to see eStara's international momentum carry us into new markets," said eStara CEO John Federman. "The phone is a primary component of trade communities around the world and eStara's innovative services place businesses in line to provide a premium service to their customers," he added. (ANI)

India, Pak reiterate to uphold ceasefire
Thursday, October 18, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): India and Pakistan on Thursday reiterated their commitment to uphold the four-year old ceasefire agreement in place between the two countries during the fourth round of bilateral Expert Level Dialogue on Conventional Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) held here. A joint statement issued after the talks said that discussions were held in “a cordial and constructive atmosphere,” and the progress made in today's talks would be reported to the respective foreign secretaries. As mandated by the respective Foreign Secretaries, the two sides reviewed the implementation of the existing CBMs. “Consultations continued with the aim of strengthening the ongoing process of confidence building in the conventional field,” said the joint statement. The Indian delegation was led by T.C.A Raghavan, Joint Secretary, External Affairs Ministry, while Aizaz Ahmad Choudhary, Director General (SA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the Pakistani delegation to the talks. The two sides will have talks on nuclear CBM's on Friday. (ANI)

ICC urges to be true to zero tolerance on racism
Thursday, October 18, 2007 | MP

Dubai, Oct 18 (ANI): International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed today urged the members countries to be true to the zero tolerance approach to racism contained in the Council’s Anti-Racism Code. Speaking in the wake of reports of racist behaviour by sections of the crowd during Wednesday’s ODI between India and Australia in Mumbai, Speed said that traditionally racism has not been a significant issue for cricket, and appealed to the nations “to enact the terms of the ICC Anti-Racism Code as firmly as possible.” “It is a sport that we are proud to say is well-known for respect, tolerance, diversity and fair play and we are keen to ensure it stays that way. “If people are seen or heard behaving in a racist way then our message to the ground authorities and host boards is clear: find the culprits, throw them out and keep them out because racism has no place in our sport.,” he said in a statement. Expressing pleasure over the arrest of some offenders in Mumbai during the match, he said: “That is the type of zero tolerance we want in relation to this despicable behaviour.” Speed confirmed the ICC had received a response from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to a previous request for information on reported incidents at the ODI between Australia and India in Vadodara on October 11. “Th