Experts call for revamping strategy to deal with Naxals Amidst Infrastructure Boom and Intensified Mind control Game with Hidden Rothschild agenda of Mass Destruction of Aboriginal Indigenous Landscape!Army chief wants greater interaction with DRDO, industry!
World stocks down on worries debt will slow growth!
Troubled Galaxy destroyed Dreams- Chapter 474
Palash Biswas
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
World stocks down on worries debt will slow growth!
Mamata Matua, The Change ICONISED BrahaminKanya has not criticised OBC Headcount as she has Converted to Anti Brahaminical Matua Religion to get SC Vote bank in her favour, but she has opposed CASTE count deducting her Banerjee title from her Bengali signature. Banerjee remains intact in Hindi, English and urdu. Economic Times published an Edit Article against OBC Head count as Bengal Media opposes caste Identity quite Progressively. Gadkari versus OBC Mud slinging has diverted our attention from Anti People Legislation and Policy Making as National Defence commission has to be constituted to ensure Sanctity to Defence deal Scams. Environment Tribunal is followed by Company law Tribunal which makes Judiciary Exclusively Different from the Micro Minority Brahamincal India Incs governing as they would get justice to justify Economic Ethnic Cleansing, displacement and Monopolistic aggression under localised judicial Provision whereas the Masses would wait generation after generation to have justice. Chief economic adviser Kaushik Basu has hinted Financial and fiscal Reforms to abolish SUBSIDY!
* Fund seen helping infrastructure investment
* Fund likely to be in place by year-end
* Govt looking to liberalise policy to attract more funds
(Adds details, quotes)
By Abhijit Neogy and Rajesh Kumar Singh
NEW DELHI, May 14 (Reuters) - India will set up a $11 billion dollar fund to upgrade its creaking infrastructure, refinance high cost debt and develop the debt market by issuing more long-term paper, a planning commission adviser said.
India has possibly grown 7.2 percent in the fiscal year which ended in March and is expected to grow around 8.5 percent in the fiscal year 2010-11.
But investors and analysts say poor infrastructure acts as a drag on growth in Asia's third-largest economy.
Capacity bottlenecks like infrastructure in the economy is also partly responsible for driving up headline inflation in India to near double digit levels. Continued...
http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDEL00297920100514palashbiswaslive: Mulnivas Nayak on OBC Headcount and the Betrayal
9 May 2010 ... Mulnivas Nayak on OBC Headcount and the Betrayal. Mulnivas Nayak on OBC Headcount and the Betrayal. Posted by Palash Biswas at 7:25 AM ...
palashbiswaslive.blogspot.com/.../mulnivas-nayak-on-obc-headcount-and.html - Cachedpalashbiswaslive: Waman Meshram Demands OBC Headcount for social ...
Waman Meshram Demands OBC Headcount for social Justice and Planning as Bharat Mukti Morcha Continues to Burn the anti People Budget! ...
palashbiswaslive.blogspot.com/.../waman-meshram-demands-obc-headcount-for.html - CachedSupreme Court to hear PIL on OBC headcount - dnaindia.com
13 Apr 2010 ... A separate OBC headcount was required to silence the critics of reservation for OBCs in educational institutions and government jobs on the ...
www.dnaindia.com/.../report_supreme-court-to-hear-pil-on-obc-headcount_1370551 - CachedCensus: Bhujbal, Munde seek OBC headcount
11 Apr 2010 ... Latest news, breaking news - Census: Bhujbal, Munde seek OBC headcount.
www.indianexpress.com/...obc-headcount/604303/ - United States - CachedBJP support for OBC census- Hindustan Times
Openly taking a line that has hitherto been associated with regional parties, the BJP has come out in favour of an OBC headcount in Census 2011. ...
www.hindustantimes.com/BJP-support...OBC.../Article1-539031.aspx - CachedHave separate head count for OBCs: Munde, News - City - Mumbai Mirror
11 Apr 2010 ... Gopinath Munde and Chhagan Bhujbal are with political parties opposed to each other. So when they come together on a dais, it could spell ...
www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2... - CachedCensus: BJP says count OBCs, poor - Yahoo! India News
4 May 2010 ... The BJP on Monday formally demanded that an OBC headcount and a drive to identify APL and BPL population be undertaken along with the ...
in.news.yahoo.com/48/.../tnl-census-bjp-says-count-obcs-poor_1.html - CachedSC to hear PIL on OBC headcount
Rakesh Bhatnagar. NEW DELHI Facing a challenge to hold a separate OBC headcount, the government on Monday explained to the Supreme Court (SC) that it was ...
news.indiainfo.com/c-82-945915-1062302.html - CachedForward or backward? - India - The Times of India
8 May 2010 ... There is certainly a new vigour for mapping the OBC share in the ... Akali Dal lending their voice to the rising pitch for OBC headcount. ...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Forward-or.../5906345.cms - CachedGovernment gets 3 weeks to explain why no OBC census
12 Apr 2010 ... The lawsuit said a separate OBC headcount is also required to silence the critics of reservation for OBC in educational institutions and ...
blog.taragana.com/.../government-gets-3-weeks-to-explain-why-no-obc-census-21384/ - Cached
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A calculative push towards the infrastructure sector can be instrumental in boosting the alloy industry.
Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee is set to unveil Budget 2010-11 on 26th February which, will mark the withdrawal of concessions granted in the last fiscal year to cope up the global economic meltdown. The steel industry however, is hoping for the continuation of stimulus package to maintain the GDP growth rate.
U.S. FINANCIAL REGULATION
6 Wall Street firms face probe
Prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation of major banks to determine if they misled investors. Full Article
THE GLITTER FACTOR
Gold too hot for Indian buyers
Traders say many are responding by buying smaller quantities to maintain the same expenditure, or recycling old jewellery. Full Article | Slideshow
SBI posts weaker profit
India's largest lender was hurt by a sharp rise in bad loan provisions. Full Article
What does the verdict mean for Indian energy?
The SC judgment asserts gas is a national asset that is owned by the government until it is delivered to customers. Full Article
Experts call for revamping strategy to deal with Naxals Amidst Infrastructure Boom and Intensified Mind control Game with Hidden Rothschild agenda of Mass Destruction of Aboriginal Indigenous Landscape!In United states of America, Investigators arrested three people linked to the suspect in the failed Times Square bombing during raids in suburbs of New York, Boston and Philadelphia.Thus, War against Terror and Internal Security Chemistry makes an Wonderful Blind Nationalism Communal Game and Exclusion the most Prominent ALCHEMIST of Economic Ethnic Cleansing as Globalisation pushes for Resurgence of Ruling Class Religions Christianity, Hindutva and Zionism not only Global Alliances but it makes a Perfect Global Hegemony of US War Economy and post Modern Manusmriti Rule as Working and Productive Classes, Aboriginal and Indigenous and Minority Classes along with Displaced lot in Exodus, Slum dogs, Refugees and migrants Black Untouchables worldwide have to face the Global Warming of Gestapo Culture Resurrected!Experts monitoring audio and video messages released by the terror group, Al Qaeda and its number two leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, feel that it has suddenly "gone dark," and too quiet in Waziristan, and suggest that this could be the lull before the (terror) storm.The US seems to be speaking in twin voices on the attempted bombing in New York's Times Square, warning Pakistan of consequences if the attack was traced back to that country but also saying the incident would not affect ties between the two countries.
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI): The controversial nuclear liability bill has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests for examination, amid expectation that it would come up in the monsoon session of Parliament.
The Committee headed by senior Congress member T Subbirami Reddy has been given two months' time to examine the Bill and report back.
The Civil Liability For Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010, which provides for payment of compensation in the event of a nuclear accident, was introduced in the Lower House amid protests and walkout by opposition NDA and Left parties which termed it as "illegal" and "unconstitutional".
Left parties had contended that Parliament has no legislative competence on the issue.
Official sources said that the Bill has to go to this Standing Committee and not to the one on Energy as the rules of procedure make it quite clear that matters related to Atomic Energy fall under the Science and Technology Committee.
The bill, whose passage is a key requirement for operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, provides for maximum liability of Rs 500 crore on the part of the operator in case of a nuclear accident, a provision that has been objected to by the NDA and Left parties.
Significantly, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD leader Lalu Prasad, who had opposed the bill in March when the first attempt was made to introduce it, appeared to be siding with the government when it was introduced at the fag end of the last session.
Meanwhile,With less than a fortnight left for Nepal's parliament to be dissolved and the major parties still unable to agree on the future course of action, a top UN official Friday warned the nation that it was rapidly running out of time.On the other hand,Thai troops battled anti-government protesters in central Bangkok on Friday attempting to seal off their encampment after an assassination attempt on a renegade general unleashed a new wave of violence.
Army chief wants greater interaction with DRDO, industry!Army Chief General V K Singh today sought greater interaction among the armed forces, DRDO and industry to help produce better missiles and rockets to meet the country's artillery firepower needs. "The user, the developer and the producer form a triad.
Army is the user, which comes up with its operational requirements. The developer is the DRDO, which has made fair progress on Pinaka and Brahmos artillery systems. Industry is the producer. Great amount of interaction is required among the three, so we get better artillery for the armed forces," Singh said here.
"Right from days of yore, artillery has always been a decisive arm. It is the artillery which has brought in devastating firepower to break the will of the enemy, whether it was in the days of the Moguls or it is today," he said.
"The developments in missile technology, guidance system and transparency in battlefield has made a person sitting on target the most vulnerable. This has been amply proved in the two Gulf wars and in the Indian context during the 1999 Kargil episode, where artillery was battle-winning factor in ensuring that the will of the enemy was seriously degraded," he said.
Pointing out that the battlefield environment in our subcontinent was changing, the Army Chief said the armed forces had to look at the "hybrid threats" that were coming up beyond the conventional threats.
The current strategy to deal with the challenge posed by Naxals should be re-examined and new development policies should be framed for areas affected by the left-wing extremism, experts said today.
"We will have to re-examine our paradigms of development and look fresh at the policy issues in the Naxal affected states," Mohan Guruswamy of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a New Delhi think-tank, said at a seminar here.
Warning that the left-wing extremists pose a serious challenge to the country, M L Kumawat, former Special Secretary (Internal Security), said a revamped strategy to deal with Naxals and development going hand in hand can be the solution. "Then there is a serious problem of access to Naxal-infested areas.
The government appears set to dissolve the controversy ridden Medical Council of India and replace it with an independent panel of chiefs of seven top medical institutes to run it for six months.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is gearing up for the most far-reaching overhaul in its 52-year chequered history plagued by embarrassing time and cost overruns in key military projects.
Seeking to make the DRDO more competitive and accountable, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Thursday approved a raft of measures such as creation of an overarching body to oversee its functioning, decentralising management functions and merging laboratories to make the organisation leaner.
The recommendations made by the P. Rama Rao Committee in February 2008 — the DRDO's first external review — form the bedrock of the roadmap for restructuring the R&D body.
A Defence Technology Commission will now oversee the DRDO to ensure timely execution of projects. The Commission, to be headed by the defence minister, is expected to include the National Security Advisor, Cabinet Secretary and the three service chiefs.
The DRDO's management is being decentralised by merging its 50-odd labs to form seven clusters based on technology domains such as missiles, electronic warfare, radars, aerial vehicles and underwater weapons.
Labs working on life and food sciences would be disbanded to allow the DRDO to focus on critical weapons programme. The organisation has barely achieved 35 per cent indigenisation against a target of 70 per cent.
The DRDO has also been asked to hire consultants to revamp it HR structure.
Infrastructure News
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EARLIER HEADLINES
- HCC hives off IT division into new unit- Reuters - Thu 13 May, 12:50 PM
- The gull has landed- HT - Thu 13 May, 10:17 AM
- A major power up- HT - Thu 13 May, 10:17 AM
- Gopalpur Port gets fin closure for phase I
- Indian Express - Thu 13 May, 03:05 AM - HSIIDC to set up food development centre- Indian Express - Thu 13 May, 02:50 AM
Subsidy for all must end,limit it to the needy: Kaushik Basu
The government must expose people to the rising global commodity prices and cover only the vulnerable sections to prevent deficit from getting out of control,chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu said today.
"If international prices of certain commodities are rising and that is going to put pressure on the fiscal sector, you will have to allow the consumers to face the international prices. There is no choice," Basu told PTI in an interview.
Noting that there is no other way of addressing the issue, Basu said the rising global prices of basic goods like iron ore, steel, petrol and other fuels may put pressure on overall inflation, which is already ruling at a high 9.9 per cent as of March.
"The world raises the price of steel. What could you do? (except for exposing people to it). Because you can't let the fiscal deficit go out of control," he said.
Global oil prices started rising from March 2010 and was hovering around USD 87 a barrel early last week. It slipped to near USD 76 a barrel now on expectation of weak demand from the Eurozone nations some of which are facing sovereign debt crisis.
Finally, India to get a national defence university
NEW DELHI: India has long lacked a robust strategic thinking culture both within the military as well as outside it. The government is now finally scrambling to establish the Indian National Defence University (INDU) to help craft strategic planning and analysis in keeping with the country's long-term geo-political objectives.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday will take up the proposal to set up INDU, as a fully-autonomous institution to be created by an Act of Parliament, decades after it was first mooted.
Even the 2001 GoM report on "Reforming the national security system'' had strongly recommended INDU's creation to usher in much-needed synergy between the academic world and the executive. At present, university research on defence and strategic issues is neither structured effectively, nor does it have any policy orientation.
Conversely, US, China and several other countries have institutions like INDU to ensure cross-pollination of ideas and strategic thinking between academia and government. In Washington, for instance, it's commonplace to find "strategists'' straddling both the worlds with equal ease.
Officials said INDU's charter will be to undertake long-term defence and strategic studies, create "synergy'' between academicians and government functionaries, and "educate national security leaders on all aspects of national strategy''.
"We hope to infuse governance with an appropriate strategic culture. It will also promote coordination and interaction among Army, Navy and IAF,'' said a senior official.
INDU will bring together existing institutes like the National Defence College (Delhi), College of Defence Management (Secunderabad), Defence Services Staff College (Wellington) and National Defence Academy (Khadakwasla), which are currently affiliated to different universities, under its umbrella.
| A world in which technology extends our reach. |  |
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It's also likely to include new institutes like the National Institute of Strategic Studies, College of National Security Policy and Institute for Advanced Technology Studies, apart from a war gaming and simulation centre.
It's no wonder then that Punjab and Haryana have long being jostling with each other to host the INDU campus. Haryana, however, seems to have won the battle, with land close to New Delhi being identified in its Rewari district. With an initial investment of Rs 230 crore, it will take around three years for INDU to come up.
Maoists kill four CPM workers in West BengalTimes of India - 8 hours ago KOLKATA: Four Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) workers were shot dead by Maoists in West Bengal's West Midnapore district and their bodies were found ... Villagers Pay Dearly for India's War with Maoists Inter Press Service Phone media brings news to India's Maoist heartlandHindustan Times - 11 hours ago Such simple and cheap technology is a boon in Chhattisgarh, which is beset by an increasingly violent Maoist insurgency. State television and radio are the ... India fights Maoists with herbs, honeyAFP - 9 hours ago India's war against Maoist insurgents cannot be won with guns alone, experts say -- economic development and solutions to the grievances of rebel ... Arms and the Maoists The Hindu When police disseminate statistics Express Buzz Maoists are not terrorists: Digvijay SinghTimes of India - May 12, 2010 Singh condemned the violence by Maoists, their theory of armed struggle, and their objective to overthrow India's political system, saying it was "totally ... Even after Dantewada, Naxals are not terrorists for Digvijay Economic Times Maoists are misguided ideologues: Digvijay IBNLive.com Chidambaram rules out using army against MaoistsEconomic Times - May 12, 2010 "The people in these areas do not have the faith in good sense of the business people of India," Chidambaram said. "Even the Tatas cannot do today, ... Video: PC seeks corporate help in growth of Maoist prone areas  Asian News International (ANI)People distrust govt in Naxalite-hit areas: Chidambaram Times of India 'Bridge tribals' trust deficit in Naxal area' Hindustan Times India's STF Arrested Four Cops In Smuggling Arms To Maoistsindia-server.com - 7 hours ago In an intensifying operation a combo force of the Special Task Force (STF) and the police on Thursday nabbed four security official for aiding the Maoist by ... Locked In A Fatal EmbraceTehelka - 1 hour ago At the urging of India, 22 anti-Maoist parties hastily cobbled together a bloc to form a new government, with Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of ... What next for Nepal? The Guardian Letting go Nepali Times Experts call for creation of Adivasi Police, tribal autonomy to deal with ...Oneindia - 29 minutes ago Participating in a roundtable on "Meeting the Maoist Challenges: A relook at the current strategy", organised by Observer Research Foundation, experts also ... Security experts oppose using army against Maoists Thaindian.com Email this storySuspected Maoists force Orissa youth to join their causeOneindia - May 12, 2010 ... Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist threat one of the gravest homegrown threats to India's internal security. ... Delhi accused of curbing debate on MaoistsFinancial Times - - May 9, 2010 Nearly 460 Indian troops have been killed in the past 16 months by rebels from the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which has established a strong base of ... Video: UP Cong lawmakers blame Chattisgarh govt for maoist strikes Asian News International (ANI)Rights group decries India's warning on Maoist support CNN International Police: Maoist rebel blast kills 8 troops in India The Associated Press Stay up to date on these results: |
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Inflation will fluctuate for another 3 months: Basu
Press Trust of India - 2 hours ago... to fluctuate over the next three months before it starts falling steadily, chief economic advisor with the finance ministry Kaushik Basu said today. ...'Inflation may not hit double digits now' - Economic Times
Some open market actions by RBI needed to tame rupee: Basu - Thaindian.com
all 18 news articles »
Subsidy for all must end,limit it to the needy: Kaushik Basu
Economic Times - 3 days ago... commodity prices and cover only the vulnerable sections to prevent deficit from getting out of control,chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu said today. ...India may gain from moderate debt crisis in Europe: Basu
Economic Times - 4 days ago9 May 2010, 1414 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: Chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu has said the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe may, in fact, ...European Debt Crisis May Benefit India, Adviser Basu Tells PTI - Bloomberg
Outswing vs inswing – making sense of capital flows - Hindu Business Line
Prolonged debt crisis in Europe could impact India - Press Trust of India
India Today
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April inflation eases, rate hike seen in July
Moneycontrol.com - 2 hours agoInflation may also have peaked, Kaushik Basu, chief economic advisor in the finance ministry, said. He suggested on Friday that inflation was unlikely to ...India WPI inflation to ease to 6-7 pct in 3 mths: Adviser
Economic Times - 6 May 2010"At 6-7 percent actually; I would expect within next three months," Kaushik Basu said when asked by when he expects the headline inflation to slacken pace. ...Food inflation cools down to 16.04% - Times of India
Food prices ease; Govt sees inflation at 6-7% in 3 mths - Moneycontrol.com
Food inflation cools down further to 16.04% - Hindu Business Line
Financial Express - Moneylife Personal Finance Magazine
all 98 news articles »
Chief econ adviser says time China revalued yuan
Moneycontrol.com - 2 days ago... tell my government that it is time to revalue in the interest of the country itself," Kaushik Basu, the finance ministry's chief economic adviser, said. ...India Chief Economic Adviser: Time To Revalue Chinese Yuan - Easy Bourse
all 3 news articles »Greek shadow on India rates
Hindustan Times - 2 days agoWhile Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu says this could eventually attract foreign funds inflow into a stronger economy in India, Deputy Governor of the ...India safe haven, immune to Greek crisis: Ashok Chawla - Economic Times
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India likely to grow over 8.6 pc in Q4 of FY'10: CEA
Economic Times - 4 May 20104 May 2010, 1855 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: Chief economic adviser Kaushik Basu on Tuesday pegged the economic growth at over 8.6 percent for the January-March ...Inflation may drop, but rise in commodity prices a worry: CEA - The Hindu
Tackling inflation a task for policymakers - NDTV.com
Consumption to remain strong, despite inflation - Business Standard
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No adverse impact on India
Express Buzz - 3 days agoHowever, the chief economic advisor in the Union Finance Ministry Kaushik Basu has noted that the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe may turn ...Economy to grow at 8.75%
TopNews - Shalini Kakkad - 17 Apr 2010
According to the Chief Economic Advisor at finance ministry Kaushik Basu, the economy grew by nearly 8.6% for the January-March quarter and going forward ...
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India decides to overhaul state-owned defence research body
DRDO reforms cleared, to report to panel
Is DRDO's makeover just cosmetic?
Govt kicks off overhaul for more competitive DRDO
Govt plans DRDO revamp, defence projects watchdog
India To Restructure Defense Research Labs
Government gives nod to next generation Arjun tanks
Government announces major restructuring of DRDO
Government to establish a new Defence Tech Commission
DRDO reshaped to boost defence research
Indian defence team inspects Gorshkov refurbishment
A high-level Indian defence team has carried out a detailed inspection of refurbishment of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, which Russia is expected to deliver to India by 2012.
Vice-Admiral Nadel Nirajan Kumar, who headed the Indian delegation, noted "positive dynamic in the works on the aircraft carrier" at Sevmash shipyards in Severodvinsk region, shipyard spokesperson, Yekaterina Pilikina, was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.
She said the Indian delegation visited the warship and examined the refurbishment in detail.
Ms. Pilikina said the team was "pleased" to see the United Shipbuilding Corporation taking all efforts to keep with the work schedule that has been agreed to by both the governments.
Initially, the contract was estimated to cost $1.5 billion, but in early 2008 Russia sought an additional $1.2 billion.
After protracted negotiations, India finally agreed to pay $2.3 billion for the carrier, which is to be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditya.
The 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier will replace INS Viraat and after modernisation it is expected to be seaworthy for 30 years.
Latest in this section
Mamata prods Sonia - Bid to get Cong support for early Assembly polls | ||
| OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT | ||
Calcutta, May 13: Mamata Banerjee today hinted she would renew political contact with the Congress high command, including Sonia Gandhi, after the municipal polls are over in a bid to garner the party's support for her call to advance the Assembly elections in the state. The Trinamul Congress's alliance with the Congress in Bengal has fallen through after disagreements over the seat-sharing formula for the civic polls. After releasing Trinamul's manifesto for the Calcutta Municipal Corporation polls, Mamata said: "The people of Bengal know the extent of terror the CPM has unleashed in the state. Clashes have broken out in every nook and corner of the state since the last Lok Sabha elections. There is no democracy here. I have written to the UPA chairperson, (Sonia), informing her about the situation in Bengal. She has enough evidence of the ground realities. I will raise the demand for early Assembly elections in Bengal after the civic polls are over.'' Sonia had not intervened when the Congress-Trinamul alliance for the municipal polls fell through. She had also left it to state Congress chief and Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and leaders Ahmed Patel and K. Keshava Rao to discuss the seat-sharing formula with Mamata. According to a Trinamul MP, Sonia is upset with Mamata over her opposition to some of the UPA government's legislative and administrative decisions in recent months. "That is why Mamata wants to get her support ahead of the Assembly polls,'' the MP said. Mamata today sought to justify her call for early Assembly polls by accusing the Left Front government of "not carrying out any development work in the state". "There is no governance in the state. No development work is visible. Every day spent by the CPM government is a day wasted. So why should this government stay in power? We feel the Assembly polls should be advanced and held in October. The government can easily hold the polls six months in advance''. A Trinamul MLA close to Mamata said she wanted the "keep the Congress high command in good humour" so that "efforts can be made to persuade Sonia to think about early polls in Bengal". "Didi (Mamata) is smelling a big victory in the civic polls," the MLA added. Although Mamata claimed that it was "constitutionally possible" to advance the Assembly elections, it is the state government that has to recommend early elections to the Election Commission. Trinamul sources said Mamata wanted to use her demand for early polls in her campaign against the CPM in the civic elections. The Trinamul chief also said she had spoken to Union home minister P. Chidambaram on the possibility of early polls. "I had spoken to the Union home minister a number of times regarding our demand. He knows the ground situation in Bengal,'' she said. Concerned about the possible impact of the failure to secure an alliance with the Congress for the civic polls, Mamata urged the people of Bengal not to split the anti-Left vote by "voting for parties that are bent on helping the CPM". "Please vote for Trinamul. Don't split the anti-Left vote as some agents of the CPM want. The CPM would have gone 20 years ago but for these agents,''she said. CPM state secretariat member Mohammed Salim today said early polls were the prerogative of the state government and blamed the Trinamul chief for trying to create a constitutional crisis". | ||
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100514/jsp/bengal/story_12447703.jsp
Should caste be included in Indian census?
Should caste be included in Indian census?14 May 2010, 1456 hrs IST,IANS |
NEW DELHI: For the first time since 1931, as India hotly debates whether to include caste in the census, many experts say it will yield a wealth of information that can be used for better governance. But those against it say it will harm the concept of India.
Gautam K Kshatriya, who has specialised in population genetics, warned that caste-based census would divide Indian society.
"It is anti-constitutional. This will create a lot of division in society. It will harm the concept of India... our unity in diversity," the teacher in Delhi University's Department of Anthropology said.
But MR Gangadhar, an associate professor in the department of anthropology in the University of Mysore, said nothing would go wrong if people were asked to reveal their caste. "It will help the government in implementing its socio-economic development programmes," he said.
Pius Malekandathil of the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University's history department said caste-based census would help identify the strength of socially backward communities.
The census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the Indian people. The census operation, held once in 10 years, will cover 1.2 billion people -- and more -- in one single database.
"With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time-tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, beginning from 1872," says the Census Organisation of India, which reports to the home ministry.
The first census that sought out people's caste was conducted in 1931 when the British ruled India.
According to political scientist Laura Dudley Jenkins, the need for an abbreviated census during World War II forced the authorities to give up caste tabulations. Moreover, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of India, was a strong critic of counting the caste.
Today's politicians have a different viewpoint.
Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said that the caste system "is a reality" in India and warned of a "volcanic eruption" if caste-based enumeration was not undertaken.
Catholic Christian community leader Rev. Babu Joseph said the decision to enumerate the caste was meaningful in the context of the reservation policy in education and employment.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board member SQR. Illyas agreed. "We support caste-based census because caste is a factor on the basis of which reservations in jobs and educational institutions are determined."
"Even if one changes one's religious faith, his/her caste affiliation remain much the same," said Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), said.
For the first time since 1931, the government has said it will consider, mainly under political pressure, whether census enumerators will ask people, among other things, what their caste is. A decision is expected to be taken by the cabinet soon, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament.
The decision followed vocal demands from Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad who argued that the strength of every caste needed to be known so that their members make use of caste-based quotas in education and employment.
The Yadavs quickly gained the support of other political actors, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde and the Communists.
Vodafone terms TRAI report "perverse", asks govt to reject it
Terming the TRAI recommendations on spectrum "retrograde and perverse", Vodafone today asked the government to reject the report as its acceptance would sound the death knell for the telecom sector.In a letter written to Telecom Minister A Raja days after the sectoral regulator submitted the report to the Telecom Department, Vodafone said, "...The entire industry is devastated by the illogical, retrograde and perverse recommendations."
Vodafone has requested the minister to intervene and ensure that the proposals are rejected by the government.
All TRAI proposals need to be approved by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to be made a law.
The letter comes at a time when all the major GSM and CDMA operators, including Tata Teleservices (TTSL) and Bharti Airtel, have strongly opposed TRAI's recommendation to charge incumbent telecom operators a one-time fee for holding 2G spectrum beyond 6.2 Mhz.
For radiowaves beyond the contracted 6.2 Mhz in their possession, the TRAI on May 11, recommended that operators pay a one-time fee based on prices of 3G spectrum, the auction for which is currently on.
Bharti, Vodafone Essar, MTNL and BSNL hold over 6.2 Mhz of spectrum in many of the circles. Bharti and Vodafone hold more than 10 MHz in many circles, including Mumbai and New Delhi.
As per TRAI proposals, for spectrum between 6.2 Mhz and 8 Mhz, operators have to pay a one-time fee discovered by the 3G auction. For spectrum between 8 Mhz and 10 Mhz, the fee will be 1.3 times the 3G price.
The letter further said that the recommendations have caused much negative sentiment in the market and have already led to a loss of confidence amongst the investing community.
Telecom stocks were battered on the bourses following the TRAI proposals in anticipation of operators' balance sheets being hit by huge payout.
"If accepted, will lead to many investors rethinking their business plans and prospective investments in Indian telecom. This would undermine the goal of extending LCM and mobile broadband services to the poorest across the country," the Vodafone letter said.
NRIs, cash in on investment avenues available in India
Comment 
Mail to friendBy: Ravi Bharadwaj
The Indian economy has emerged as one of the most robust economies of the world, as was evident during the recent global meltdown. Despite the difficult times, investments in our home land continue to be lucrative to Non Residents Indians (NRI).
Funds invested in India not only yield higher returns when compared to investments in the US or other European nations, but also gives a sense of security to the investor. The private sector, characterised by its dynamic and competitive nature, has been a key driver for the economic growth witnessed by India in recent times and presents considerable scope for foreign investment.
The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) defines NRI as a person resident outside India who is an 'Indian citizen' or a 'Person of Indian Origin' (PIO). FEMA broadly regulates matters related to NRI investments viz., investment in immovable property, foreign exchange, bank deposits, government bonds, investment in shares, units, securities, and foreign direct investment in India.
However, due consideration should be given to Income-tax implications on income generated from investments in India and to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations.
Investment avenues in India
Food Act not coming this year
14 May 2010, 0411 hrs IST,Prabha Jagannathan,ET BureauPolitical considerations, differences over poverty numbers and logistical hurdles could delay the implementation of the Food Security Act by another year, despite the best efforts of the Planning Commission.
Rolling out of the Act is likely to be dictated by political interests rather than the food ministry's preparedness to implement the law that proposes to distribute 35 kgs of foodgrains per month to poor families.
Elections for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala, states crucial for the ruling United Progressive Alliance, are scheduled for May 2011. Indications are that the implementation of the Act will be timed to derive maximum mileage in these three states.
"It will take at least 10 months, is my guess (before the paperwork is through)," said food minister Sharad Pawar, whose ministry prepared the legislation.
The Planning Commission has to finalise numbers of the below poverty line (BPL) families, eligible for receiving subsidised foodgrain. Once that is done, the Cabinet will discuss the Bill at length and then send it to state governments. The draft Bill will then be circulated among state governments and central ministries before putting it in the public domain to solicit additional suggestions from non-government organisations and agricultural economists, Mr Pawar said on Thursday.
The minister rejected suggestions that the possibility of a huge subsidy bill is the key deterrent to its implementation of the legislation. "I am not worried about the burden on the exchequer. If anything, I should worry about foodgrain availability. The government is making changes in poverty figures. It has authorised the Planning Commission to work on this and I should be ready and able to honour our commitment (on numbers)," he said.
Mr Pawar said delivering grains through the existing public distribution system (PDS) was as important as the implementation of the Act itself. This needs to be facilitated through the use of biometrics, smart cards or food coupons. A lack of grain storage could be the biggest problem for the early implementation of the Act. The food minister acknowledged that key grain producing states Punjab and Haryana do not have enough storage to support the implementation of the law. A senior food ministry official said sufficient storage is imperative at the state level.
A Deutsche Bank study pegged the incremental food subsidy bill due the new poverty estimates at Rs 6,300 crore. While the Planning Commission has pegged the number of poor families at 65.2 million, the Tendulkar Committee estimates that there are 74 million such households.
West Bengal assembly poll as slated in 2011: Left Front
KOLKATA: Contesting Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's claim that assembly polls in West Bengal may be advanced to October, the state's ruling Left Front chairman Biman Bose Friday said that elections will be held as per schedule next year."According to the constitution of India, the state will go for assembly polls in 2011 only. The state government will complete its full term. The polls are not going to happen before 2011 according to the whims of someone," Bose told reporters here.
Banerjee, also the railway minister, claimed Thursday that the assembly polls due next year may be advanced to October if her party won the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation election.
The state is gearing up to hold polls to 81 municipalities and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation May 30.
Monitor infra development every quarter: PM tells Plan panel
With a view to expedite major infrastructure projects, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the Plan panel to set up a mechanism to monitor the targets of all important projects on a quarterly basis.These targets, the officials said, would be monitored on quarterly basis by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) which is headed by the Prime Minister.
The Planning Commission, which will prepare the quarterly reports which are to be presented to the CCI, is slated to unveil the physical targets for each ministry that deals with the infrastructure sector on Monday.
It's also been decided that the status of infrastructure development would open to public scrutiny as the ministries dealing with roads, power, railways, sea ports and airports would post their targets and achievements on their Websites.
The sources said all infrastructure projects would not come under the proposed monitoring mechanism, though. For instance, only those airport projects having a project cost of Rs 150 crore or above would be monitored by the Planning Commission, the source added.
Meanwhile, the Plan panel has proposed to set up a mega fund with a seed money of Rs 50,000 crore to facilitate investment of over Rs 45 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector during the 12th Plan (2012-17) period.
The Plan panel has also constituted a committee that would be headed by HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, to look into funding of major infrastructure projects. The committee would submit its report to the Plan panel in two weeks.
For the proposed dedicated infrastructure fund, the government would seek assistance from multilateral lenders like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, domestic financial institutions, including insurance companies and pension funds.
Greek crisis not impacting policy: RBI
The Greek crisis is not having any impact on the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) policy approach at present, Subir Gokarn, a deputy governor at the central bank, said on Thursday. The pace of exit from the loose monetary policy takes into account that the global economy is still not stable, he told reporters on the sidelines of a banking conference. ( Watch )The RBI has said it prefers baby steps to normalise monetary policy, but analysts say high inflation could force it to tighten more swiftly and sharply.
Liberalise trade in gradual manner: Assocham
NEW DELHI: The government should open up trade with Australia and the EU in a gradual manner for the benefit of domestic players, rather than opening the market at once through FTAs, Assocham said today.The chamber said industry should be given time to prepare itself to meet the challenges following a duty reduction on goods and the subsequent surge in imports.
"Instead of direct free trade agreements (FTA), India should first have a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) initially... so that India Inc can gear up for competition," Assocham said.
In FTA, the parties reduce tariffs (customs duty) on a host of tradeable products, while the duty cut under PTA is limited to select items.
India has FTAs with South Korea and ASEAN, among others, and PTAs with nations like Chile and Afghanistan.
Different business situations should be taken into consideration and a cost benefit analysis must be undertaken before moving ahead with FTAs, Assocham said.
"FTAs should lead to win-win situation," it said. The government is negotiating comprehensive FTAs with Australia, Japan, European Union and New Zealand.
Pakistan detainee claims he's bomber accomplice: reportAFP - 2 hours ago WASHINGTON — A Pakistani man detained in Pakistan has told interrogators he is an accomplice of the man arrested over planting a bomb in New York's Times Square, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The paper cited US officials as saying the ... Times Square Bombing Probe Leads to Massachusetts, New JerseyVoice of America - - 1 hour ago Photo: AP US Attorney General Eric Holder says three people arrested Thursday in the United States may have provided funds to the Pakistani-American charged in the recent failed bombing in New York's Times Square. US agents carried out raids on ... Obama Thanks NYPD for Response to Times Square Bomb PlotVoice of America - - 3 hours ago Photo: AP President Barack Obama made a stop in New York City Thursday to thank the city's police department for its work in tracking down and arresting a man accused of attempting to detonate a car bomb in Times Square on May 1. ...
Times Square plot: 3 Pakistanis held in US, one suspect in PakistanDaily News & Analysis - 1 hour ago PTI NEW YORK: Three Pakistani men, who allegedly supplied funds to Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad, were arrested by FBI in a slew of raids across Asian-dominated suburbs, US authorities said, amid reports that another person linked to the ... Pakistani insurgents' connection to Times Square bomb attempt still not foundWashington Post - - May 11, 2010 US officials investigating the failed car bombing in Times Square are still far from certain about the role Pakistani insurgent groups may have played in orchestrating the attempt, the Senate intelligence committee's top Republican said ... Pakistani men held over links to Times Square bomb suspect, says FBITimes Online - 16 hours ago Two Pakistani men arrested in raids in Massachusetts yesterday have a direct connection to the Times Square bomb plot suspect, officials said. The men, held on immigration charges during one of a series of FBI raids, are alleged to have provided funds ... Obama Praises NYPD; FBI Arrests Several in Times Square CaseABC News - - 4 hours ago The Times Square bombing case has been a huge success for law enforcement. On Thursday, President Obama came to the New York Police Department's command center to thank officers. Federal agents arrest three Pakistani ... Times Square probe: three arrested in raidsThe Hindu - 11 hours ago Federal investigators conducted raids on Thursday in three north-eastern states in connection with the probe into the botched car bombing of Times Square in New York. Federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that search ... Searches in Times Square probe yield 3 arrestsThe Associated Press - - 19 hours ago WATERTOWN, Mass. — Two Pakistani men suspected of providing money to Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad were arrested by the FBI in a string of Thursday morning raids across the Northeast, law enforcement officials said. ... Shahzad received money for NY plot at Dunkin' Donuts outlet : SourcesOneindia - 4 hours ago New York, May 14 (ANI): Sources close to investigations concerning the botched Times Square bombing plot have revealed that Faisal Shahzad, the prime accused in the case, had received about 4000 dollars for his terror plot at a Long Island Dunkin' ... | Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story
Videos US arrests over Times Square bomb plot ITN NEWS - 16 hours ago Watch video  Three Arrests in Multi-state Terror Raids The Associated Press - 20 hours ago Watch video  World: A Visit to Faisal Shahzad's Village - nytimes.com/video New York Times - 22 hours ago Watch video  FBI Conducts Raids in Connection to Terror Plot The Associated Press - May 13, 2010 Watch video |
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Market Update
Fri, May 14 - 2:53PM IST
The key benchmark indices continued to shed points in the afternoon session which has made the domestic market to hit fresh intraday low. The market is now trading in bearish mood following the weak o...
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| ALOKIND.BO | 20.05 | +0.20 | +1.01% | ALOK INDUSTR |
| RNRL.BO | 47.40 | -2.15 | -4.34% | RIL NAT RES |
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| SKUMSYF.BO | 116.64 | +19.44 | +20.00% | S KUMARSNFAB |
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| KANCOENT.B | 5.54 | -6.50 | -53.99% | KANCO ENTER |
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Top Stories
As of 5 hours ago
Global ad industry eyes boost from mobile devices
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The reason behind this is that the government has decided to impose a charge on real estate developers to give road connectivity to new properties.
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India seeks more security information from ZTE
13 May 2010, 2237 hrs IST,REUTERS
Officials from ZTE and G K Pillai, secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), met on Thursday after India barred telecoms operators in the country from ordering equipment from ZTE and larger Chinese rival Huawei Technologies.
New Delhi has denied any country-specific ban though it has made it mandatory for carriers to obtain security clearance from the telecoms ministry before placing equipment orders.
The dispute, centred on Indian concerns Chinese equipment may have spying technology embedded, risks growing into a diplomatic row between the giant neighbours, who have long been suspicious of each other and fought a war in 1962.
A series of attacks on Indian government websites by suspected Chinese hackers in recent months has also hardened the authorities' position on importing potentially sensitive equipment from neighbouring countries.
India is the world's fastest-growing wireless market with operators signing up 16 million new users a month on average. Global mobile equipment makers are fighting to win lucrative contracts in Asia's third largest economy.
Officials from ZTE and the Chinese ambassador to India separately met the home secretary in efforts to allay New Delhi's security concerns. Pillai is in charge of internal security.
"They discussed issues relating to security clearance for the product of the company," India's home ministry said of ZTE's meeting with Pillai.
"Home secretary sought some clarifications and additional information. Once this is received, MHA will process the matter further," the ministry said in a statement.
Separately, a senior home ministry source told reporters India had asked for clarity on issues including company ownership details, certification of the equipment to be supplied and also to which other countries the equipment is being supplied.
The source, who declined to be identified, said the ministry expected to receive the clarifications within a month.
Zhang Yan, China's ambassador to India, met Pillai separately on the security clearance issue.
"We had a very good discussion," he told Reuters after the meeting. "I hope all the issues will be resolved soon."
SECURITY CONCERNS
Last year, India directed state-run telecoms firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam not to procure equipment from Chinese vendors in 15 border provinces, citing national security.
India has long been suspicion of China's growing military clout and fears Chinese telecommunications equipment poses a security risk. Huawei's founder was an officer in the People's Liberation Army.
ZTE said on Wednesday it had been told by telecoms operators that its equipment had not met Indian security tests necessary to be allowed to supply equipment to carriers in India.
"We had a word, the talks are going on. And we have appealed to the government. We have put forward our thoughts and let's see," ZTE's India unit chairman, D.K. Ghosh, told reporters on Thursday after meeting Pillai.
Huawei and ZTE are taking a series of measures to ease New Delhi's security fears and have said they are contemplating building factories in India. ZTE shares rose 6.5 percent in Hong Kong on Thursday after the firm said on Wednesday it would consider setting up a plant in India.
BOOMING MARKET
Shenzhen-based Huawei and ZTE have taken on global names like Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel Lucent in recent years, winning major contracts in both emerging and developed markets and are active in India.
Huawei more than doubled revenue from India during the year to March 2009 to 62.4 billion rupees ($1.4 billion) and ZTE generated 48 billion rupees in the same year, according to data compiled by technology publisher CyberMedia.
India is currently auctioning third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum and plans to allot radio waves to telecoms operators by September. Investments in 3G networks would also expand gear makers revenue from India.
Bids for one all-India 3G licence reach $3.33 bln
Bids for one set of nationwide third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum licences in India reached Rs 150 billion ($3.33 billion) on the 29th day of an auction, an indication the government could earn revenue of more than Rs 600 billion from the sale.As of Thursday, 162 rounds of bidding had been completed, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said on its website. Nine mobile operators, including Bharti Airtel , Reliance Communications and Vodafone's Indian unit, are participating in the auction.
Bidding for the 3G spectrum, which would allow firms to offer high-speed Internet and other premium services such as video calling on mobile phone, started on April 9 and is expected to conclude in coming days. The base price for one set of pan-India licences was set at Rs 35 billion rupees.
The government will sell four such licences -- three from the auction and one set to state-run telecoms firms which would have to match the highest bid price paid by the private operators -- plus one extra licence each in five of the 22 telecom zones.
Indians buying more cars, pushing up gas prices: Obama
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is asking auto-loving Americans to use public transportation more as the fact that Indians and Chinese are buying more cars would push oil prices higher. "Because one of the things, obviously, that we have to recognise is, is that no matter what we do, oil prices are going to be going up over the long term," he said choosing his first visit to recession-hit Buffalo in upstate New York to plug for public transportation. "I mean, year to year, they may vary. Sometimes it's four bucks a gallon at the pump, sometimes it drops back down to two-and-a-half," he said at a rally in Buffalo Thursday. "The mass transit system would be good for the environment too." The new grouse about Indians pushing up gas prices comes on top of his much publicised rhetoric in May last year when he announced that US companies that outsource jobs from "Buffalo to Bangalore" would lose their tax incentives. "You're not always clear what's going on, but the long-term trend is just because countries like China - they're starting to buy cars and countries like India are starting to buy cars, and so the demand on petroleum and fossil fuels are going to be greater and greater," Obama said. "We've got to get a first-class transit system," he told auto-loving Americans, who have 950 cars per thousand people as against 8.5 per thousand for Indians. "We don't have one right now. We used to be at the top. Now you've got China - they're building multiple high-speed rail lines all across the country, leaving us behind," Obama said. "But it's not just transit. It's our ports, our airports, our sewer systems, our water systems." "We're going to figure out how do we make those kinds of long-term investments, but do so in a way that doesn't increase our deficit, and that's going to be a challenge, but I think it's going to be a priority," the president said. Economists might have used "all kinds of fancy formulae and mathematical equations" to declare recession has ended," Obama said. "But if you're still looking for a job out there, it's still a recession. If you can't pay your bills or your mortgage, it's still a recession." |
World stocks down on worries debt will slow growth
Britain's FTSE 100 slid 1.8 percent to 5,333.80, Germany's DAX dropped 1.4 percent to 6,161.67 and the CAC-40 in France was down 2.7 percent at 3,629.82.
The euro fell as low as $1.2433, its weakest since November 2008 and down from $1.2520 yesterday, before climbing back to $1.2466 in afternoon European trading. On Monday, the 16-country common currency had rallied as far as $1.31 on news earlier this week of a new European loan backstop for indebted governments.
Asia closed lower and Wall Street was expected to dip on the open. Dow futures were down 0.6 percent at 10,706 and Standard & Poor's 500 futures were down 0.6 percent at 1,149.50.
Investors initially cheered Monday's announcement of the $1 trillion debt bailout package from the European Union and International Monetary Fund as it halted a speculative run against Greek bonds that had threatened to engulf other countries.
But now, with the worst case scenario averted, investors are wondering how deep spending cuts aimed at cutting deficits in Spain, Portugal and Greece - as well as big economies like the UK - will slow the global economy.
``It was taken as good news at first, but investors are starting to focus on the impact the austerity measures will have on the macroeconomic picture in Europe,'' said Lee Kok Joo, head of research at Phillip Securities in Singapore.
Corporate news was somewhat more encouraging, with investors welcoming the latest earnings report by EADS NV, the parent company of plane maker Airbus. Although net profit fell 39 percent, the shares traded higher because the company seemed to have overcome the worst of its delays and cost overruns on several of aircraft programs. Shares were up 1.3 percent in Paris.
Looking ahead, markets will be eyeing the latest US economic data, including retail sales, which are expected to have edged up slightly in April.
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Posted: 13 May, 2010, 0038 hrs IST
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/global-markets/World-stocks-down-on-worries-debt-will-slow-growth/articleshow/5931462.cms
Gas to RNRL only if available: Finance Minister
14 May 2010, 1932 hrs IST,PTIAllocation to new plants like Anil Ambani group's proposed power plant in Dadri, UP, would be made "when the gas will be available. I cannot be distributing a non-existing and non available resource," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here.
The comment comes within days of the Supreme Court upholding the government's sovereign right on gas, while giving its verdict on the four-year-old gas pricing and supply dispute between the group firms of Mukesh and Anil Ambani.
"We had already taken certain decision. Those decisions ought to the implemented... for certain sectors, we had indicated that gas will be available to you as and when you are in a position to take the gas (or) absorb the gas," Mukherjee said.
The Supreme Court had on May 7 rejected RNRL's plea for 28 mmscmd gas at USD 2.34 per million British thermal unit - 44 per cent lower than Government approved rates, for 17 years from RIL under a 2005 private family agreement between brothers Mukesh and Anil.
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| → RIL independent directors may oversee RNRL talks |
| → Small fields in KG-D6 unviable at $4.20 per mmBtu: RIL |
The court had asked them to renegotiate the deal in conformity with the government policy.
Mukherjee, who headed ministerial panels that approved the USD 4.2 per mmBtu price for gas from Reliance Industries' KG-D6 fields, fixed its users and decided on the government's intervention in the Ambani gas dispute, welcomed last week's Supreme Court verdict establishing the government's right over the national resource.
"I am happy with the judgement because it clearly established the authority of the government" as the owner of the natural resource to fix price and users of the fuel as per national priorities, he said.
An Empowered Group of Ministers, he headed, had allocated 64 million cubic meters per day of gas from KG-D6 fields to fertilizer, power, petrochemical, refineries and steel plants for five years to March 2014. Another 30 mmscmd was given on temporary or fallback basis while the peak approved output from KG-D6 fields is 80 mmscmd.
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Posted: 14 May, 2010, 1804 hrs IST
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Posted: 14 May, 2010, 1450 hrs IST
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Posted: 14 May, 2010, 1304 hrs IST
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil--gas/Gas-to-RNRL-only-if-available-Finance-Minister/articleshow/5931630.cms
Afghan war is at a stalemate: General McChrystal
The top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has said the war is at a stalemate.General Stanley McChrystal said the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants has been stopped, but for now, nobody is winning.
In an interview on PBS's NewsHour, Gen McChrystal said he saw significant progress for the allies fighting the Taliban this year.
He said the uprising remains serious, with a reach that spans the country and a large number of fighters. (ANI)
Nepal Prime Minister consults parties on extending Constituent Assembly term
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal continued consultations with the political parties regarding the Constituent Assembly term extension on Friday as well.He met the leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janshakti Party, Sadbhavana Party, Nepali Janata Dal, RPP-Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal and Nepal Parivar Dal.
Pashupati Shamsher Rana of RPP, Surya Bahadur Thapa of Rastriya Janashakti Party, Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhavana Party, Harischandra Sah of Nepal Janata Dal suggested the prime minister to extend the term by forging consensus among the political parties.
They said the parties need to give a convincing grounds to the people to ensure that they will produce the new constitution in the extended time.
However, Kamal Thapa of RPP-Nepal reiterated his party4s stance to go for fresh elections saying the parties had no authority to extend the Constituent Assembly as people mandated them only for the two-year tenure.
"If it fails to accomplish its mission, elections should be held to seek fresh people's mandate," he said.
Nepal also met Attorney General Bharat Bahadur Karki, Minister of Law and Justice Prem Bahadur Singh and Law Secretary Madhav Paudel in this regard.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has said that there would be no alternative left but to dissolve the Constituent Assembly if the Unified CPN (Maoist) is not sincere towards the important task of Constitution writing.
"It would be better to dissolve the Constituent Assembly rather than deceive the nation and the people by extending its term," she said, adding that the Constitution will not be written even if the Constituent Assembly 's term is extended unless the Maoists come to an understanding.
She further said that the Constitution could be promulgated within May 28 deadline if the Maoists show flexibility on issues like army integration, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)
India extends ban on LTTE for two more years
The Union Government on Friday extended its ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for another two years.The Union Home Ministry has issued a notification in this regard.
The LTTE was banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers, is a terrorists group that has waged a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the latter part of 1970s in order to create a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern part of the island nation.
The group-led by V Prabhakaran had been proscribed as a terrorist organization by several countries including the United States.
The LTTE was involved in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned by India since 1992.
India was the first country ban the LTTE followed by USA, United Kingdom, 27 European Union Countries, Canada and it is learnt that Australia as well as Malaysia are seriously contempt plating n banning this terrorists' outfit in their soil. (ANI)
Americans optimistic about economy, pessimistic about jobs
A majority of American voters believe the nation's economy is improving, but an equal number believe the job situation is getting worse, according to the latest Fox News poll.Many more voters continue to say former President George W. Bush is responsible for the federal deficit.
The new poll finds 49 percent of voters think the economy is getting better, while 37 percent say it is getting worse and 11 percent say "staying the same."
The number saying things are getting better is up 9 percentage points from 40 percent who thought so a year ago (June 2009).
But when it comes to jobs, it's the reverse: 36 percent say it's getting better and 48 percent getting worse.
On a personal level, 36 percent say it feels like things are getting better for their family, while about the same number - 38 percent - says it feels like things are getting worse. Another 24 percent say it feels like things are staying the same.
Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll for Fox News among 900 registered voters from May 4 to May 5. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. (ANI)
Migrant boom led to 3 mn rise in British population
Britain saw a rise of over three million people, a majority of them immigrants, during the 13 years of the Labour party regime, a development that led new Prime Minister David Cameron to promise a cap on non-EU immigration.The majority of these three million - around 70 percent - are immigrants, direct arrivals or children born to them, the Office for National Statistics said in its report Thursday.
The population of Britain, at present, is estimated at 61,398,000 - 15,000 higher than the official estimate of 61,383,000. This includes over 1.5 million Indians, 740,000 Pakistanis and 280,000 Bangladeshi citizens.
But experts are of the opinion that the figure could be doubtful because of the failure to estimate how many migrants came into the country illegally.
'These figures confirm the large influence of immigration on our population. What is more, immigration will add over a million to the present population every five years,' Alan Green, of think tank Migration Watch, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.
A Migration Watch estimate said there were at least 1.1 million illegal immigrants in the country.
The number of immigrants arriving in Britain increased by 3,084,200 since 1997, which has led experts to believe that the estimated population of 70 million could be reached well ahead of the current estimate of 2029.
In the first 11 years after Tony Blair became prime minister in 1997, the population went up by 3,084,200.
The coalition government said in policy statement Wednesday that there should be an 'annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work'.
The Labour party had, as part of its policy, a system which allowed highly-qualified migrants from outside the EU.
Under Labour, there has been a continuous rise in the number of people arriving from around the world, supplemented by a leap in asylum seekers in the late 1990s and influx of more than a million eastern Europeans after 2004, the think tank said.
The only method of counting the number of immigrants was 'landing cards', which non-EU migrants had to fill in after arrival at British ports and airports. The Labour government, however, scrapped the rule in 1998.
Pakistani Taliban militants have warned America that it will soon burn while calling for Pakistan's rulers to be overthrown for following America's agenda.
The United States is convinced Pakistani Taliban militants allied with al Qaeda and operating out of northwestern Pakistani border regions were behind an attempted car-bomb attack in New York's Times Square on May 1.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing. If confirmed, it would be the first time their members were involved in an attempted attack in the West.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman, in a video message obtained by Reuters, repeated a claim of responsibility, saying:
The movement proved what America could not have even imagined ... It was just an explosive-laden vehicle which did not explode.
But it (America) will see, all imperialist forces will see that it will explode also and America will also burn, said the spokesman, Azim Tariq, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of a rock face and speaking in Urdu.
America's allies would meet the same fate, he said.
They can neither eliminate the mujahideen nor jihad, nor they can harm Islam, he said, referring to Muslim holy warriors and holy war.
Instead, they will have to die themselves, they will be burnt themselves, they will have to dig their own graves, said the spokesman, sporting a long black beard and turban.
Pakistan has been battling its homegrown Taliban, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban, and who have been accused of numerous suicide bombings killing hundreds of people across the nuclear-armed country.
But Tariq denied responsibility for bombings in public places, saying authorities wanted to malign the militants with such attacks.
Tariq spoke of fighting in various places in Pakistan saying his men were holding their own and the security forces, which he said were being paid with US aid money, were suffering significant losses.
They are being defeated, he said.
JIHAD WILL CONTINUE
Tariq did not refer specifically to any attacks abroad, but said mujahideen wherever they were, in any part of the world were supporting each other.
Analysts have long doubted the Pakistani Taliban, operating out of remote mountains along the Afghan border, had the sophistication to plan and execute a bomb attack in a Western country on their own.
They can, however, support and train people who are able to travel to the West and carry out attacks. Tariq said the Pakistani people were being sacrificed for the sake of the United States by their own government, which he called un-Islamic.
Now is a time to remove them from power as soon as possible. All their policies are anti-Islam, anti-people, he said.
Jihad will continue as long as the ruling coterie and the unholy army continue to follow the American agenda, he said.
Pakistan has been cooperating with U.S. investigators trying to determine what links the Pakistani-American man suspected of carrying out the attempted Times Square bombing, Faisal Shahzad, had with militants in Pakistan.
The Washington Post reported that Pakistani authorities had arrested a man linked to the Pakistani Taliban who said he helped Shahzad travel to northwest Pakistan for bomb-making training.
It was not clear if the newspaper was referring to a man officials said earlier was detained in the southern city of Karachi on May 4.
The government has denied that any arrests have been made in connection with the case but security officials said the man held in Karachi, Mohammad Rehan, was suspected of having taken Shahzad to northwest Pakistan to link up with militants.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said despite Pakistan's recent improved efforts to tackle militants, it must do more.
We think that there is more that has to be done and we do fear the consequences of a successful attack that can be traced back to Pakistan, she said.
Gujarat riots: SIT submits report to Supreme Court
SIT submits report on Gujrat communal riots
Gujarat riots: SIT submits report on Modi to SC
Narendra Modi's call records given to Riots commission
Fri, May 14 08:26 AM
Enlarge Photo Anti-government protesters force a bus with Thai policemen to leave the area close to their... Violence flared in the Thai capital on Friday as troops confronted groups of protesters around a major commercial district following overnight fighting that killed one and wounded nine, including a rogue general.
The usually bustling business area near Lumpini Park was tense and quiet after fighting until dawn. Soldiers were earlier seen using tear gas and water cannon before dawn at Nana intersection, packed with shops and racy go-go bars.
Shots and loud bangs were heard in several areas of Bangkok, but police said they were warning shots fired into the air to frighten the red-shirted protesters, who remained defiant, standing their ground at their barricades and new checkpoints.
"They are tightening a noose on us but we will fight to the end, brothers and sisters," a protest leader, Nattawut Saikua, told supporters to loud cheers.
The latest violence followed tough security measures imposed on Thursday evening to reclaim Bangkok's commercial district after the collapse of a reconciliation plan proposed last week by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Troops had yet to seal off all roads surrounding the main protest site as earlier promised, raising questions over whether Abhisit would succeed in dispersing them and adding to uncertainty in Thailand's financial markets.
"Investors should avoid making investments today and wait to see the situation over the weekend," said Kiatkong Decho, a strategist with stockbroker CIMB Securities in Bangkok, predicting a two percent drop in share prices on Friday.
"The city is pretty much shut off right now. Everyone is on edge and tensions are just very high," he added. "At this point, I think there are not many options left for Abhisit but to forcibly remove the protesters."
The shooting and a security cordon mark the start of a violent crackdown in which the Thai government stands a good chance of clearing the streets, the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy said.
"But it will not end the polarisation that has led to the current instability -- ensuring that the pressure from the red shirts will persist and that political volatility will remain a persistent problem for Thailand for the forseeable future".
It is unclear who shot a renegade general who has been in charge of security for thousands of protesters occupying a 3 sq-km (1.2 sq-mile) stretch of central Bangkok since April 3.
Khattiya Sawasdipol, a suspended army specialist better known as "Seh Daeng" (Commander Red), was shot in the head, apparently by a sniper, while talking to reporters on Thursday evening.
He underwent brain surgery and remains in stable condition.
The shooting sparked half a dozen confrontations overnight between rock-throwing protesters and armed security forces on the outskirts of the protesters' barricaded encampment.
One protester was shot in the eye and died after a group of red shirts confronted soldiers armed with assault rifles next to a park in the Silom business district, witnesses said. Some protesters hurled rocks and troops fired in return.
Gun fire, explosions and sporadic fighting continued into the night around army checkpoints near the main protest site, which was protected by barricades made from tyres and wooden staves soaked in kerosene and topped by razor wire.
By Friday morning, nine people had been wounded, according to the Erawan Medical Center. The military brought in armoured vehicles, shut down power in some areas at the protest site and cut some mobile phone services.
PRIME MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE
Khattiya had been branded a terrorist by the Thai government, which accused him of involvement in dozens of grenade attacks that have wounded more than 100 people.
But in recent days he was equally critical of other red shirt leaders, accusing them of embracing Abhisit's proposed "national reconciliation" which unravelled after protesters refused to leave the streets.
Most businesses and embassies in the area have evacuated staff and were closed for the day. Apartment complexes were mostly empty after the government warned it would shut down power and water supplies, and landlords urged tenants to leave.
Abhisit is under enormous pressure to end the protests, which began with festive rallies on March 12 and descended into the deadliest political violence in 18 years in which 30 people have been killed and more than 1,400 wounded.
The crisis has paralysed parts of the capital, decimated tourism, pushed away foreign portfolio investors and slowed growth in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.
Foreign investors have sold $584 million in Thai shares in the past six sessions, cutting their net buying so far this year to $607.6 million in an emerging market seen at the start of the year as one of Asia's most promising.
(Additional reporting by Ploy Ten Kate, Chalathip Thirasoonthrakul and Damir Sagolj; Editing by David Fox)
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Editorial Pensions, too, must be sold New Pension Scheme flounders for want of marketing. Well said, Mr Chidambaram He seals a debate on countering Maoists. Espousing causesWhat can a man do for a beloved spouse? | |||
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Lizards throw up first proof of climate cost - Global-scale extinction alert | ||
| G.S. MUDUR | ||
New Delhi, May 13: The world's lizards appear doomed to extinction, scientists announced today, unveiling the first evidence of a global-scale extinction process linked to rising temperatures from climate change. An international research team has discovered that many lizard populations have already vanished in Africa, North and South Americas, Australia and Europe, and India falls in a zone with a super-high risk of extinction. Scientists believe the disappearance of lizards might have a cascading effect up and down the food chain. Lizards prey on disease-carrying mosquitoes and other insects, and themselves are prey for birds and snakes. The study has suggested that four per cent of lizard species have gone extinct worldwide since 1975, and 20 per cent of all lizard species will be extinct by 2080. The scientists combined temperature trends and local extinction to catalogue lizards already lost and predict accelerated extinction in the years ahead. These findings will appear in the journal Science on Friday.
While lizards normally bask in the sun, temperatures exceeding their physiological limits could make them retreat into shade rather than risk death from overheating. This could restrict their activity and prevent them from foraging for food. "We run the risk of losing species even before they are known to science," said Aaron Bauer, a team member at the Villanova University in the US. Bauer, who has earlier worked in India's Western Ghats and the Thar desert, said several lizards in India appear to be at risk, but there were not enough herpetologists in India to study the country's rich lizard fauna and document the extinction. "Lizards at higher elevations, including the Western Ghats and the Himalayas, are likely to have (increased) risks of extinction because they will be species that have adapted to cooler temperatures," Bauer told The Telegraph. The loss of lizards could lead to a collapse of other species at the upper end of the food chain and an explosion of insect populations, said Barry Sinervo, a professor of ecology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and lead author of the study. Team member Fausto Mendez de la Cruz in Mexico and his colleagues compared surveys for lizard species at 200 sites in Mexico in 2008 with historical surveys in the 1970s and found that 12 per cent of local populations have gone extinct. The extinction occurred at sites where temperatures have changed rapidly. The researchers also developed a mathematical model to predict extinction that had already been observed in South America, Europe, Australia as well as Africa. "None of these are due to habitat loss. These sites are not disturbed in any way, and most of them are in protected areas," said Sinervo. "We thought we'd see evolution in response to climate change, instead we're seeing extinction." "The preferred body temperature in lizards is highly species-specific — it doesn't evolve very rapidly," said Elizabeth Bastiaans, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a co-author of the study. "That's why we predict that lizards won't be able to evolve new (temperature) preferences quickly enough to keep up with climate change," Bastiaans told The Telegraph. Although scientists have been investigating the potential effects of climate change on plants and animals for years, evidence to support actual extinction on a local or global level has been lacking. "This is the first research work to offer a model of extinction risk due to global warming, validated with actual extinction events and a physiological model to explain them," said Martha Calderon-Espinosa, a team member in Columbia. Although scientists have not yet documented lizard extinction in India, lizards belonging to the family of gekkos which occur in India are expected to experience about 24 per cent extinction by 2050. According to the projections, wall lizards, which also occur in India, are predicted to suffer 46 per cent local extinction of populations by 2080. Researchers say some of the predicted extinctions may not be preventable. "Even if we were to stop emitting all carbon dioxide tomorrow, the planet would continue to warm for a while. That makes it unlikely that the extinction that our model predicts can be avoided at this point," Bastiaans said. The team that surveyed the lizard extinction in five continents and developed the extinction model for predictions also included researchers from Brazil, Chile, France, South Africa and Australia. | ||
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100514/jsp/frontpage/story_12448299.jsp
New face of terror: radicalised in US, trained in Pakistan
Washington: Almost nine years after the Sep 11 2001 terror attacks, a worrying number of American citizens and longtime US residents are becoming radicalised and training to be terrorists in Pakistan, US counter-terrorism officials say.
Shahzad is a typical case of how well-off American citizens could be radicalised by the Al Qaeda. This is worrying a lot of Americans.
Brainwashed by Al Qaeda's extremist ideology, many are also learning the bomb-making skills necessary to become potentially dangerous terrorists, CNN said in a special report citing officials. They are training in the mountains of Waziristan in northwestern Pakistan, where Al Qaeda still enjoys significant safety, it said.
Faisal Shahzad was trained by the Pakistani Taliban, a group with close ties to Pakistan.
That's where, according to the US government, alleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was trained by the Pakistani Taliban, a group with close ties to Al Qaeda.
Shahzad's case has strong similarities to that of another American, Bryant Neal Vinas, who plotted with terrorist groups in Pakistan to attack the US, CNN said. Vinas, a Catholic convert to Islam from Long Island, New York, who became radicalized, travelled to Pakistan to join up with Al Qaeda and helped Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization plot a bomb attack on New York City.
Al Qaeda has been able to make deep inroads in the US by establishing links with well educated US citizens of Pak origin.
CNN said both Vinas and Shahzad were well-integrated into American life before becoming radicalised. Both travelled to the heart of Al Qaeda's operational command in Pakistan's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.And both allegedly met with the most senior leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in the weeks before allegedly plotting against the United States.
A file photo of the Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle that was packed with bomb materials in New York's Times Square, May 1, 2010.
Several top US counter-terrorism officials cited by CNN had the same message: Americans radicalised at home and trained in Pakistan represent a new and disturbing threat to the American homeland.
In the last year, 16 Americans or American residents were implicated in Islamist terrorism, a surge in such cases. The Times Square plot is case No. 17. While it is still unclear whether Shahzad had radical associates in the United States, counterterrorism officials are concerned that others like him may be being radicalized through personal contact with proselytisers, CNN said.
Most serious plots directed at the West in the last six years saw plotters either trained or directed by established jihadist groups in Pakistan, according to a recent study conducted for the New American Foundation.
Americans radicalised at home by the Al Qaeda and trained in Pakistan represent a new and disturbing threat to the American homeland.
In recent months, videos have emerged purporting to show two Americans fighting with militants along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. One of the alleged Americans, going by the name Sayfullah Amriki, was featured with his face blurred in a video produced by the propaganda arm of the Islamic Jihad Union, an Al Qaeda-affiliated Uzbek group.
In the video, Amriki said he was not the only American who had joined up with militants in the area.He also made a plea in English for new recruits to fight American forces in Afghanistan."We must rush to the lands to jihad. It is an obligation on us," he said."How can we lose when we wish for death?" But it's what happens when fighters like Amriki come home that most worries US counterterrorism officials, CNN said.
Source: IANS
Underworld follows terrorist footprints with VoIP, e-mail
Mumbai: The probe into Shahid Azmi's murder has revealed that underworld gangs are getting as tech-savvy in their communication as terror outfits have traditionally been. Also, the Crime Branch today submitted a 1,224-page chargesheet against four arrested men and six fugitives in the murder of advocate Shahid Azmi.
Fugitive gangster Bharat Nepali is named the prime conspirator; the chargesheet says he plotted the murder from Bangkok. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch said Nepali and Vijay alias Bala Shetty, spoke to contract killers in the city using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling platforms in cities as far-flung as Los Angeles, London, Toronto and Hong Kong, to pass on orders to their men in Mumbai and coordinate the hit on Azmi.
"Some of the VoIP services used were Teleglobe, RAITEE, and Del Telecom Holding. The numbers used by Nepali, Shetty and the arrested accused were connected to these platforms. Even the Pak-based handlers involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attack had used a similar modus operandus to pass on instructions," said an officer.
During the 26/11 attack, the 10 terrorists had used Indian cellphone numbers 9819464530, 9820704561 and 9910719424. These numbers received calls from +12012531824 and outgoing calls were made to +43720880764, +43720880767 and +43720880768. Subsequent investigations revealed these numbers were connected to an account created with New Jersey-based VoIP service provider Callphonex.
Investigations in the Azmi murder have revealed that Hasmukh Solanki, among those arrested in the case, was sent two recent photographs of the advocate shortly before he was murdered. "These photographs were sent from Bangkok from an e-mail account in the name of Rajiv Sharma. The photographs were mailed to the same account itself by the sender, and the user name and password of the account communicated to Solanki so that he could access the account and the pictures," said an officer.
The Crime Branch has invoked sections of the stringent MCOCA against alleged contract killers Devendra Babu Jagtap alias JD, Pintoo Deoram Dagale, Vinod Yashwant Vichare and Hasmukh Solanki. The murder was allegedly executed on the instructions of Nepali and his associate Vijay alias Bala Shetty who had paid Rs 1 lakh to the killers.
The chargesheet lists 91 witnesses, including eyewitnesses such as a peon who had identified the shooters. The police have submitted ballistic reports to show the bullets in the body had indeed been fired from the weapons seized from the arrested.
The police seized four firearms, three of which, they said, were actually used in the murder. The chargesheet also has details about how the target was given to the assailants through e-mail, which they received in a cyber café at Mulud. There are also transcripts of telephonic conversations between the different accused involved. However, the police are yet to establish a motive. They said that Nepali, who allegedly was with the Chhota Rajan gang, is believed to have separated and he ordered the killing to establish himself as a ganglord.
To slap MCOCA the two prior offences are mandatory for MCOCA. The arrested are history-sheeters. For Nepali, the police cited extortion cases registered at Borivili and Chembur police stations in 2001 and 2006.
Source: Indian Express
Comment: BJP or Bharatiya Jokers' Party?
"Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage' (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)." Coming from BJP president Gadkari this was no surprise. He made this comment with a smirk while in Chandigarh, kicked up a political storm and, hours later, ate his 'dog words'. And in one stroke, he sent the BJP to the dog house as well.
Sources say that Gadkari is prone to make such comments as he uses a language that has a rough edge to it. At the end of the day it is the image of the BJP that got a big dent (not that it had none).
Wonder what outspoken Arun Shourie has to say on Gadkari. The 'one-liner' expert had described Gadkari's predecessor Rajnath Singh as 'Alice in Blunderland,' a Humpty Dumpty and Tarzaan. Probably Shourie is beyond words to describe the new Alice in Blunderland.
This is the problem in the BJP. It has Alices, Humpty Dumpties and Tarzaans, not leaders. The party does not have tall leaders with the right leadership DNA. The last leader that the party saw was Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Would he have ever made such a remark even under grave provocation? Never. It was his ability to move out of a politician's garb and politically attire himself as a statesman that earned him respect in the BJP and, more importantly, from his opponents too.
When Gadkari was chosen to head the BJP, eyebrows were raised. Even at that time, leaders like Shatrughan Sinha wondered if he could fit into a leadership template. Gadkari, when he took over as party president, promised a BJP with a difference. If the dog comment is any shade of what the difference is going to be, the BJP better watch out lest it becomes a pack of jokers.
Just days before the dog comment, senior party leader from Karnataka, Anant Kumar, had called Lalu Prasad a 'gaddar.' Again, an unfortunate remark, not that Lalu deserved something better for betraying the BJP over the fuel price issue.
One may say that Lal Krishna Advani is a leader. Well, he was. But in the last elections and thereafter, the BJP's `Loha Purush' (iron man) just rusted in some parts and melted in other areas. He was caught lying in the infamous expulsion of former foreign minister Jaswant Singh from the BJP.
The issue pertained to the facts on the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar. New revelations showed that Advani was present at the Cabinet meeting when the decision was taken to swap Pakistani terrorists for the hijacked Indian Airlines passengers in Kandahar in 1999.
Advani had taken a stand during the elections to the Lok Sabha that he was not aware of the move trade terrorists for the freedom of the hijacked passengers of the Khatmandu-Delhi IC 184 flight or the decision of the then foreign minister Jaswant Singh to accompany the terrorists to Kandahar. Mind you, he was the Deputy PM and Home Minister then. And if a Home Minister did not know that hardcore terrorists were being swapped, there was something wrong or there was a big lie in the episode.
Jaswant called this a complete travesty of truth. Later in an interview to TV channels then, Brajesh Mishra, the then National Security Adviser, confirmed what Jaswant Singh had earlier said. Mishra said that Advani, who was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, was present in the Cabinet meeting that took the decision to free the terrorists.
Jaswant had, soon after his expulsion, Advani a liar and said that he (Advani) not only knew of the decision to free terrorists but also was part of the Cabinet meeting. But he covered up for Advani, Jaswant said, and was bitter that when he (Jaswant) was in trouble over the book on Jinnah, Advani looked the other way.
This revelation caused a big blow to the image of Advani who had wanted to become the Prime Minister of India.
The BJP got another big blow when the Bellary brothers held the first BJP-led government in Karnataka to ransom by driving Chief Minster B S Yeddyurappa to tears and putting the government in a limbo. Here too the BJP was not able to show leadership and put the Reddy brothers their place. Why? Because senior party leader and the present Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, was on the side of the Reddy brothers and Advani on the side of Yeddyurappa.
Again, no leadership quality.
Who else can one call a true blooded leader in the BJP? Arun Jaitley? His is a good strategist, but cannot take party men along with him. He has very few supporters within the BJP itself. At best he can be a stinging spokesperson who can slice through criticism with ease.
Sushma Swaraj: Clean image, but no pan-India mass support. She may be a safe bet, but rebuilding a tattered BJP may be just too much for her. She is doing a good job as Opposition leader and this probably is her true place.
Narendra Modi: Many wanted him to take over the reins after the BJP's debacle in the last elections. But putting him at the head would mean that the party will lose whatever little support it has from the Muslim vote bank. Moreover, if he is given charge, the BJP will be seen as a hardline rightist party. And with so many cases and charges piled up against him over the Godhra riots, the BJP will only have time to defend Modi rather than take the party forward.
What the BJP needs now is to focus on itself and not on a Lalu or Mulayam. The party has to set its house in order.
Source: R Shankar, India Syndicate
Paramount, Jet receive highest number of complaintsMumbai: Paramount Airways and Jet Airways had the highest number of passenger complaints for March 2010, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) figures. The industry average of the number of passenger-related complaints was 4.5 per 10,000 passengers carried for March.
Are Congressmen in love with Pakistan and China?The inimitable Congress general secretary and loose cannon Digvijay Singh is at it again. In a startling statement on Thursday, Singh said that the Samjauta train blast was the handiwork of Hindu militant groups. This turned the entire findings on the train blast on its head.
Comment: BJP or Bharatiya Jokers' Party?"Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage' (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)." Coming from BJP president Gadkari this was no surprise. He made this comment with a smirk while in Chandigarh, kicked up a political storm and, hours later, ate his 'dog words'. And in one stroke, he sent the BJP to the dog house as well.
Delhiites, stay indoors as temperature to hit 45 deg New Delhi: Delhiites will get no respite from the sweltering heat with the maximum temperature expected to hover around the 45 degrees Celsius mark, four degrees above average, an official said Friday.
Maulana plucked off a flight for a `shady' cell callNew Delhi: A respected and widely-travelled 50-year-old maulana from Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, was plucked off an aircraft and arrested in Delhi after a woman on board claimed she had heard him having a "dangerous conversation" and "talking in Arabic" on his cell phone.
- India seeks ownership details of Chinese telecom firm
New Delhi: The union home ministry Thursday sought ownership details and some other information from a Chinese firm to process its plea for security clearance to export telecom equipments to India.
- MCI president, arrested for graft, resigns
New Delhi: Medical Council of India (MCI) president Ketan Desai, who has been arrested on corruption charges, has submitted his resignation from the council.
Hold your ears and apologise, a raging Lalu tells GadkariChandigarh: A day after his comments against Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad, BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday expressed regret over his remarks, saying he had just used a phrase and had no intention of hurting anyone.
- Man held with two live cartridges in North Block
New Delhi: A man was held in the high security North Block of the Central Secretariat in the national capital after two live cartridges were found in his briefcase, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official said Thursday.
- Slain Delhi scribe's mother appeals for bail
Ranchi: The mother of Delhi-based journalist Nirupama Pathak, who was allegedly killed for her relationship with a man from different caste, Thursday moved a bail application in Jharkhand's Koderma district court.
BCCI to use only docu proofs provided to ModiMumbai: Lalit Modi's defence against BCCI show cause notice got a boost today with the cricket board assuring the suspended IPL Commissioner that only documentary proofs provided on charges levelled against him would be used in the proceedings.
- Bhopal gas tragedy verdict on June 7
Bhopal: Twenty-six years after one of the worst industrial disasters, Bhopal gas tragedy which claimed thousands of lives occurred, a local court trying the case would pronounce its verdict on June 7.
- India's first defence university to come up near Delhi
New Delhi: Drawing lessons from the 1999 Kargil conflict, the government on Thursday decided to set up the first defence university in the country to enable holistic study of defence and strategic security challenges.
- Tata Steel to tweak tenure for suppliers' contracts
Kolkata: Tata Steel will switch to quarterly contracts for raw material suppliers from the existing annual benchmark pricing system.
- Pharma firms' March quarter growth uneven
Pharmaceutical companies have done well in the quarter ended March. Two front-line companies, Ranbaxy and Dr Reddy's Laboratories, have registered a turnaround.
- Rajiv's killer Nalini fears threat to her life, probe ordered
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has appointed a committee headed by a top prison official to look into the allegations by Nalini, serving life term in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, that her life was under threat in jail.
- HC directs govt to conduct caste-wise census
Chennai: Madras High Court on Thursday issued a fresh direction to the Centre to conduct caste-wise census in the country. Allowing a PIL by lawyer R Krishnamoorthy, a Division Bench yesterday directed the Census Commissioner to take all steps to hold caste-wise enumeration.
Manmohan turns down Jairam's offer to quitNew Delhi: Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh offered to resign following his controversial remarks against Home Ministry for allegedly stalling some Chinese imports but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned it down, PMO sources said on Thursday.
Fire at Heera Panna mall in MumbaiMumbai: A fire broke out this morning at Heera Panna mall in Mumbai.
- StanChart IDR issue to open on May 25
Mumbai: UK-based banking major Standard Chartered plans to hit the Indian markets with its initial share sale from May 25 to 28 to raise USD 500-750 million, becoming the first foreign entity to list its shares in the country's bourses.
- Sensex up, gold records high
Mumbai: A benchmark index for Indian equities Thursday was ruling 128 points higher in the first 30 minutes of trade.
- India Inc steps up hiring; job index rises 7% in Apr
New Delhi: Riding on improving business confidence, Corporate India's online hiring activity rose for the fifth month in a row, leading recruitment services provider Monster India said.
- Wal-Mart steps up India rollout, hopes rules ease
New Delhi: Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's biggest retailer, will accelerate its rollout of wholesale stores in India, a crucial growth market that has long frustrated overseas operators with restrictive rules.
- New 2G norms to make Govt richer by Rs 11,200 cr
New Delhi: Operators Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Essar, Aircel, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Idea Cellular might have to fork out over Rs 11,200 crore for having spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz, if the government accepts the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendations.
- Trai tries to change horses midstream
New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today recommended that operators not be given free spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz when their licences came up for renewal, but must pay market rates based on 3G prices, a move that would hit established players like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.
- Carrefour's first wholesale store in India in 2 months
New Delhi: The government may soon ask companies with less than 50 per cent foreign equity to seek approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to make any downstream investment.
- Punj Lloyd bags Rs 2,056 cr gas project in Abu Dhabi
New Delhi: Infrastructure major Punj Lloyd today said that it has won a Rs 2,056-crore contract for the Shah Gas Development Project in Abu Dhabi, in consortium with Technicas Reunidas of Spain.
- ICICI private equity to launch $500 mn infra fund
Mumbai: ICICI Venture, the private equity arm of lender ICICI Bank, plans to launch a $500 million fund by July to invest in infrastructure projects, its chief executive said.
- Carrefour in deal with Biyani's Future Group
New Delhi: No 2 global retailer Carrefour sees signs of an improving investment climate in India, a senior official said, as it looks to build its presence in a restrictive but fast-growing market that has long tantalised and frustrated foreign operators.
- April auto sales grow highest in a decade
Mumbai: Several new launches in the compact car category, easier availability of finance and the low base effect of last year helped the Indian automobile industry to continue its growth momentum of 2009 into April 2010 as well, with passenger car sales registering their highest growth in a decade.
- Emami plans big foray into Ethiopia, other African countries
New Delhi: The Emami group, the $165 million Indian personal care and ayurvedic medicine major, is making a big foray into Africa, the newest frontier for Indian companies, not just in their traditional lines of businesses but also in contract farming and power generation.
- TRAI wants operators to pay for unused spectrum
New Delhi: India's telecom watchdog Tuesday suggested a one-time levy on unused radio spectrum with service providers based on the price derived from the auction for 3G frequency that could bring Rs 35,000 crore ($7.7 billion) of additional revenue for the government.
- Citigroup director to get $3,50,000 for 3 weeks
New York: Citigroup Inc has agreed to pay board member Robert Joss up to $350,000 this year for as little as three weeks of consulting work, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Sensex slips at opening bell
Mumbai: After a stupendous rise the day before, a benchmark index for Indian equities Tuesday slipped at opening bell and was ruling 0.33 percent lower than its previous close.
http://news.in.msn.com/business/
Fri, May 14 06:41 PM
Enlarge Photo British Prime Minister David Cameron (R), watched by Secretary of State for Energy and Climate... Britain's central government will cut its emissions of climate-warming carbon by 10 percent in the next 12 months, while speeding up the wider move to a low-carbon economy, the new UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday.
"I don't want to hear warm words about the environment. I want to see real action. I want this to be the greenest government ever," the Conservative leader of Britain's first coalition government since 1945 told staff at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
"If we do this, we'll cut the government's energy bills by hundreds of millions of pounds ... In fact, we've made a good start. Someone pointed out when you mix blue with yellow - you get green."
The environment was a key part of the yellow-flagged Liberal Democrat election campaign, and the Conservative-led government announced several carbon cutting plans on Wednesday.
The new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne, said on Thursday his party had agreed not to vote against new nuclear power stations as part of its compromise to do a deal with the blue flag waving Tories.
"The benefits of the low carbon economy are agreed between both parties, this is a priority agenda common to both manifestos," Huhne said.
"I intend to make decisions put off for too long to fundamentally change how we supply and use energy in Britain ... To give the power industry the confidence it needs to invest in low carbon energy projects."
UK energy regulator Ofgem said in February Britain's energy markets needed to be radically redesigned to spur hundreds of billions of pounds of investment in low-carbon technologies, from wind and solar to nuclear, a view shared by utilities.
Most of Britain's ageing nuclear power plants are scheduled to shut over the next decade and the previous Labour government has been pushing private companies to build new ones as part of a low carbon power generation mix -- a policy supported by the Conservatives but not the Lib Dems.
Europe's biggest utilities have been lining up to build the plants, paying hundreds of millions of pounds for farmland to build them on, but want higher long-term charges on rival gas and coal fired power plants to support their multi-billion pound investments.
The coalition said on Wednesday it would introduce a minimum charge for emitting carbon but it remains unclear whether it will be high enough to have a significant impact on the economics of building a nuclear power plant.
(Reporting by Daniel Fineren)
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National Security Council (India)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Security Council (NSC) of India is the apex agency looking into the political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns of India. It was established by the A B Vajpayee government on 19 November 1998, with Brijesh Mishra as the first National Security Advisor.
Prior to the formation of the NSC, these activities were overseen by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
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[edit] Members
Besides the NSA, the Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, Finance of the Government of India, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission are members of the NSC. Other members may be invited to attend its monthly meetings, as and when required.
[edit] Organization
The three-tiered organization of the NSC comprises the Strategic Policy Group, the National Security Advisory Board and a Secretariat represented by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC).
[edit] Strategic Policy Group
The Strategic Policy Group is the first level of the three tier organization of the National Security Council. It forms the nucleus of the decision making apparatus of the NSC. This group consists of the following members:
- Cabinet Secretary
- Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
- Director of Intelligence Bureau
- Foreign Secretary
- Home Secretary
- Defence Secretary
- Finance Secretary
- Secretary (Defence Production)
- Secretary (Revenue)
- Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) of the Cabinet Secretariat
- Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy
- Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister
- Secretary of the Department of Space
- Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC).
The Strategic Policy Group undertakes the Strategic Defence Review, a blueprint of short and long term security threats, as well as possible policy options on a priority basis.
[edit] Joint Intelligence Committee
The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) of the Government of India analyzes intelligence data from the Intelligence Bureau, R&AW and the Directorates of Military, Naval and Air Intelligence. The JIC has its own Secretariat that works under the Cabinet Secretariat.
[edit] National Security Advisory Board
The National Security Advisory Board consists of persons of eminence outside the Government with expertise in external security, strategic analysis, foreign affairs, defence, the armed forces, internal security, science and technology and economics.
The board meets at least once a month, and more frequently as required. It provides a long-term prognosis and analysis to the NSC, and recommends solutions and address policy issues referred to it.
[edit] See also
- National Security Advisor
- Intelligence Bureau
- Intelligence Bureau (India)
- List of Indian Intelligence agencies
- Research and Analysis Wing
- Strategic Policy Group
[edit] External links
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- Espionage Info - India, Intelligence and Security
- FAS - Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
- Global Security - India Intelligence and Security Agencies
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