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8 Pages Rs: 1.00 Jammu Edition www.thestudentage.com

STUdenT aGe
SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013

JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 18

Defence Ministry Protests Rs 10,000 Crore Budget Cut

SC directs centre to set up Special Court to prosecute Italian marines

IAEA, Iran talks end without deal: diplomat

India to set up language labs in all provinces of Sri Lanka

IN BRIEF Congress' two-day-long 'Chintan Shivir' begins in Jaipur National Bravery

'Our priority is to work for women empowerment': Sonia Gandhi
With image(Sonia, manmohan) JAIPUR: The Congress' brainstorming session has begun Friday in Jaipur and the focus is on the 2014 elections and Rahul Gandhi's role in leading the party in battle. The ruling party hopes to emerge from the twoday-long session armed with strategy on, among other things, how to reconnect with an angry urban middle class. With Rahul Gandhi put in charge of the 2014 poll campaign, Congress is also expected to evolve a strategy to blend youth and experience to evolve a winning formula for the Lok Sabha elections just 16 months away. The significance of the two-day Chintan Shivir and the

NEW DELHI: India will set up nine language labs in the nine provinces of Sri Lanka to fulfill a commitment made in 2011 for setting up of a ThreeTier English Language Training System in Sri Lanka. The Project will be implemented under full grant assistance of the Government of India contd on page 2

Awards: 22 children selected Don't force Rahul, let him including four girls choose: Digvijaya Singh

Zardari Summons Parliament Session Monday

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned a National Assembly session Monday afternoon, reports said. The president summoned a session of the lower of Pakistan's parliament on the advice of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Jan 21, a President House release contd on page 2

Army Chief visits martyred jawan's family in MP

BHOPAL: Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh Friday visited the family of martyred Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh in his native Dadhiya village in Madhya Pradesh and paid homage to the slain soldier. He said that 42 lakh rupees will be given to the family of the soldier as ex-gratia besides other entitlements. contd on page 2

NH-1A blocked after heavy snowfall in J&K

Govt sets up 2 control rooms to monitor snow clearance
JAMMU: On the directions of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, two control rooms, one each at Kashmir and Jammu, have been established to monitor the situation arisen due to snowing in the Kashmir Valley and some parts of Jammu division while the is personally monitoring the situation. At Jammu, the control contd on page 2

AICC meeting that will follow on Sunday is in view of the fact that a section of the Congress is favouring early Lok Sabha elections to coincide with Assembly polls in five states by end of the year. Narendra Modi is expected to emerge as a major talking point with his electoral hattrick in Gujarat with a CWC member saying that a discussion on cur-

rent political situation cannot take place without direct or indirect mention of the controversial BJP leader. Congress President Sonia Gandhi today sent a strong message to party leaders at the Chintan Shivir in Jaipur asking them to understand its electorate, which is younger and less tolerant of the corruption it faces daily. "The last nine years have

JAIPUR: "As far as Rahul is concerned, don't force him. Let him chalk out his own life, his own road map... He is already leading the group to make the 2014 election plan. He is leading the youth wing, the NSUI," Digvijaya Singh said about the 42-year-old son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi who will lead the party's campaign strategy in the 2014 general election. "Rahul Gandhi is the general secretary of the party, he is in the coordination committee, he has enough work to do," added party leader B.K. Hariprasad. Rahul Gandhi, the heir of the contd on page 2 been a period of tremendous growth and social change. There have been new and interesting challenges and responsibilities. There is significant number of contd on page 2

NEW DELHI: Twenty two children including four girls have been selected for 2012 National Bravery Awards. One award will be given posthumously. The coveted Bharat Award will be conferred on 17 year old Master Tarang Atulbhai Mistry of Gujarat who saved four people from drowning in the Narmada River. The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award will be conferred on 18-year old Kumari Renu who was instrumentral in exposing the perpetrators of inhuman treatment of a children's home. The Sanjay Chopra Award will go to 11 and a half year old Master Gajendra Ram of Chattisgarh who saved a child from drowning in a well. The Awards were announced at a function held in New Delhi this afternoon. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will present the awards contd on page 2

Fear in the Valley as Security Intensified

SRINAGAR, JAN 18: Fear has gripped village council members across the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the killing of one and a murderous attack on another elected village representative in Jammu and Kashmir. The army has now started night patrolling in areas where militants are believed to operate. "The night patrolling is meant to dominate such areas and give a sense of security to the panches and sarpanches," a senior police officer said. Director General of Police Ashok Prasad said the government was even considering providing security cover to elected village representatives in specific cases. The attacks come at a time when relations between India and Pakistan have been strained since the Jan 6 killing of a Pakistani soldier allegedly in firing by Indian troops. Two days later, Pakistani soldiers brutally killed two Indian soldiers, beheading one of them, near the Line of Control (LoC). After the panchayat elections in 2011, which were held in the state after a gap of 30 years, the elected village council members have been receiving threats through posters and statements from militants, asking them to resign from their posts. Last year, Syed Salahuddin, chief of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, said that as long as India continues to contd on page 2

First North East International Tourism Mart begins in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: The first ever North East International Tourism Mart begins at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati Friday. Tourism ministers, tour operators, hoteliers from across the globe are participating in the mega extravaganza. Official sources said that the event will showcase tourism destination contd on page 2

India, Pakistan tensions setback to peace: Mufti

JAMMU,JAN 18: Regretting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had lent his "voice to the hawks" in the current India-Pakistan tensions, Jammu and Kashmir's opposition PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the recent events along the LoC were a "severe setback" to the peace process. Sayeed, in a statement, regretted that Manmohan Singh "had chosen to lend his voice to the hawks in the currrent IndoPakistan problems" The people were looking to the prime minister for carrying forward the peace process that had a positive impact on the life of the people in the last 10 years, he said. Ssyeed said it was disheartening for the large peace constituency in the country that the prime minister should have indicated the end of "business as usual" with Pakistan in the wake of the incidents on the LoC and the shrill debate that followed in a section of the media. On Tuesday, Singh said that there can be "no business as usual" with Pakistan following the brutal killings of two Indian soldiers and the beheading of one of them. "These developments contd on page 2

Vehicles stranded on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway after heavy snowfall. SRINAGAR,JAN 18: The vehicular movement on the 300-km-long JammuSrinagar National Highway (NH-1A) remained suspended after heavy snowfall on Friday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded amid chaos and traffic bottlenecks. Incessant snowfall in Anantnag contd on page 2

Avalanche warning in higher reaches

SRINAGAR: High danger avalanche warning has been issued for higher reaches of Naugam, Kaiyan and Gurez sector for the next 24 hours. Medium danger avalanches for higher reaches of contd on page 2

Two Army jawans killed in heavy snowfall in Kupwara

SRINAGAR: Two Army personnel were killed due to heavy snowfall in Nougam sector near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of north Kashmir contd on page 2

Kichloo for free boarding, lodging for stranded passengers at Jammu

JAMMU: Minister of State for Home Mr. Sajad Ahmad Kichloo along with Provincial President National Conference Jammu, Mr. Davinder Singh contd on page 2

Sopore Sarpanch family receives ex-gratia relief of Rs. one lakh

BARAMULLA, JAN 18: Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Khawaja visited the family of recently killed Sarpanch of Bomai, Sopore and expressed his grief. The Deputy Commissioner handed over a cheque of rupees one lakh as ex-gratia relief to the bereaved family on the occasion.

BSP, DMK urges UPA to reconsider decision on diesel price hike

NEW DELHI: Key UPA allies DMK led by M Karunanidhi and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are extremely disappointed with the Congress government's decision to deregulate diesel prices, allowing a hike of 40/50 paise/ litre every month. According to reports on Friday, the two parties have completely disapproved the decision terming it as anti-poor and demanded a rethink on the told reporters. She said the Congress should deliberate on this issue in its ongoing conclave in Rajasthan. On raising the cap on subsidised LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders to nine, she said that the BSP demands raising the cap to one cylinder per month; that is 12 per year. "They should have thought how it would affect the economy," she added. Commenting on the contd on page 2

same rollback. Observing that a hike in diesel prices would lead to allround inflation, BSP chief Mayawati today asked the Centre to rethink its decision to

allow state-run oil marketing companies to revise diesel rates. "The Centre should rethink the diesel issue," Mayawati said while on a visit to the national capital. "This is not right," she

Ghulam Ahmed Mir

VAQARRasool-Wani

Abdul Majid Wani

CONGRATULATIONS

Diesel hike by 45 paise, petrol cut by 25 paise

NEW DELHI, JAN 18: A day after the government allowed state-run companies to raise diesel prices periodically, the price of diesel was Friday hiked by 45 paise per litre excluding state levies, whereas petrol price was cut on an average by 25 paise per litre. The decision to raise diesel price came late Thursday night and is applicable from midnight Jan 17, 2013. The oil marketing companies (OMCs) were able to hike the price of the transport sensitive fuel after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) at contd on page 2

To all newly inducted Congress Ministers in J&K State

Jan Skinder
State Secretary IYC (J&K)

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Islamabad to seek dissolution of parliament, ouster of the government and a corruption-free country. The protest was called off after three days Thursday night. The Supreme Court order to arrest the prime minister and 15 others, including senior officials, in a corruption case added to the uncertain political situation. The move comes nearly three years after petrol prices were similarly freed in June 2010. Ministry officials said the move to deregulate diesel prices was necessitated by the fact that oil marketing companies had accumulated losses of Rs.52,711 crore from April-September, 2012 (Rs.9.60 per litre in the present scenario by selling diesel at below cost). The OMCs had incurred under-recoveries of about Rs.81,192 crore for the 2011-12 and Rs.34,706 crore in 2010-11. Diesel prices were last hiked in September 2012, when it was increased by Rs.5.63 a litre, the sharpest ever rise. The hike in diesel prices is expected to affect a wide gamut of transportation ranging from locomotives to heavy duty trucks. Meanwhile the scrips of the three OMCs -Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum -- rallied at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Indian Oil scrip grew by 11.11 percent in intraday trade at Rs.351.00, while that of Bharat Petroleum increased by 9.56 percent at Rs.433.75 and Hindustan Petroleum, up 8.81 percent at Rs.376.05.

Contd. from page 1...

NH-1A blocked....
district has resulted in the closure of the NH1A on Friday (January 18). The highway connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country. A passenger from New Delhi, Rohan, expressed his ire over the negligence of the administration as it failed to make any arrangements for the stranded commuters. "I have come from Delhi and we are stuck since four days at national highway. The administration is taking no step to clear snow from the road. The authorities have also not made any food and accommodation arrangements. We came to Kashmir to enjoy but if this continues then we will not plan our trip again," he said. According to met department, the district recorded three inches of snow. Meanwhile, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) has started clearing operations to rescue the stranded passengers and drivers.

Govt sets up 2 ....

rooms has been set up at Engineering Institute Ganghinagar with phone number 0191-2436030 while at Kashmir it has been established at Chief Engineer, MED office at Shaltaing with phone number 0194-2311364 and both the control rooms will work round the clock. This was disclosed by the Minister for R&B, Mechanical Engineering Department, Mr. Abdul Majeed Wani while talking to media persons here today. Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Home and R&B, Mr. Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Chief Engineers of R&B and MED Jammu, Superintending Engineer, Jammu-Kathua Circle Mr. PL Bushan besides other senior engineers of the departments were present on the occasion. Mr Wani said that the Mechanical Engineering and R&B departments had already been alerted in view of the weather forecast and was ready to tackle the situation. He said the Government is trying its best to remove snow from all major roads and keep the roads clear for traffic moment, especially on major district routes. Mr. Majeed said that concerned Chief Engineers of both Kashmir and Jammu divisions have been asked to supervise the functioning of the control rooms, while Chief Engineers of R&B and MED Jammu have been instructed to pass on consolidated situation reports on hour to hour basis. The Minister said that concerned officers have been directed to mobilize all men and machinery and ensure that all major routes remain open for traffic. He said Kashmir Valley has been divided in to three zones in which 91 heavy to medium size snow clearance machines have been pressed into service to clear the roads. He said the priority would be to keep district roads opens followed by town and interior roads. Mr. Kichloo said that opening of JammuSrinagar highway will be priority of the Government while all out efforts are being made to remove snow from Jammu-Srinagar national highway. "We are in touch with BRO and GREF authorities to ensure early resumption of traffic on this route. He said mechanical engineering department has been asked to reach out every part of the affected areas in both the divisions to avoid any public inconvenience. The Minister said that traffic department has been instructed to keep close vigil on traffic moment on Jammu-Srinagar national highway till the road is cleared fully for traffic.

protect any loss of life and property in case of any possible eventuality due to vagaries of weather and heaving snow and rain fall going on in various water zone areas of the state for last two days. They assured the stranded passengers that free boarding and lodging facilities will be provided to them till the vehicular movement is restored on the highway. The Minister directed the concerned officers to take stringent action against the profiteers especially those hoteliers who are charging exorbitant rates from the stranded passengers. Speaking to the people, Mr. Kichloo said that redressal of the people's grievances is the prime concern of the Omar led coalition government and "the service to humanity is its mission and goal". Mr. Kichloo has also directed the police and civil administration to activate men and machinery to provide all possible respite to the people living in the snow bound areas of the state and ensure functioning of all the essential departments and health institutions so that people are not put to inconvenience. Mr. Kichloo has also called for activating different market checking squads to check black marketing, hoarding and profiteering by unscrupulous shopkeepers and traders, who are habitual to get undue advantage of the weather and road conditions during the winter season.

Defence Ministry Protests Rs 10,000 Crore Budget Cut

NEW DELHI: The Indian Defence Ministry has opposed a decision of the Finance Ministry to reduce its budget by Rs 10,000 crore saying this move will adversely impact its plans for procuring critical equipment for the three Services. The Defence Ministry has asked the Finance Ministry to take back its decision to cut Rs 10,000 crore from its allocated budget of around Rs 1.93 lakh crore citing the impact it can have on the modernisation plans of the Armed Forces including the raising of the new Mountain Strike Corps and procurement of 126 M-MRCA, sources said here. Financial Adviser Priti Mohanty has also held a meeting with Secretary (Expenditure) in Finance Ministry R S Gujaral to put across the requirements of the Defence Ministry and also why the budget cut should not be implemented, they said. Last month, the government had imposed a five per cent cut in the Rs 1.93 lakh crore defence budget in view of economic slowdown. After the budget cut, several key acquisition plans of the three forces including the procurement of 126 combat aircraft for the IAF are expected to be pushed for the next fiscal. In view of the cost-cutting measures, defence forces have been asked by the ministry to concentrate on prioritising their procurements. Under the Rs 1.93 lakh crore budget, Rs 1,13,829 crore is for revenue expenditure including salaries and pensions and Rs 79,579 crore was allocated for modernising the Armed Forces by acquiring new assets.

Army Chief ....

Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh also accompanied General Singh. On Wednesday, General Bikram Singh paid homage and met the family members of Lance Naik Hemraj at Shernagar village of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura District. On January 8th, the two soldiers - Lance Naiks Sudhakar Singh and Hemraj Singh were killed near the LoC by Pakistani troops. The jawans belonged to the 13 Rajputana Rifles. India has lodged a strong protest against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and made it clear to it that the Army reserves the right to retaliate if provoked. The Army's position was conveyed at a brigadier-level flag meeting between the two sides at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing-point in Poonch sector of the Jammu region on Monday.

First North .....

of Assam and other North-eastern states to international tourists. The international tourism mart is showing North-East's tourism products and their prospective before a global audience. Delegates from the US, Australia, Italy, Switzerland and ASEAN countires, among others are taking parts in the fair. The event has included presentations, interaction, cultural activities and exposure tours. Business to Business meetings between tourism stakeholders from the North-East and the international delegates will be another feature of the mart. The 10th annual convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India will also be held at the same venue after the end of International tourism mart.

Congress' two....
participants from the younger generation, and this reflects our priorities. Our priority is on issues related to atrocities against women and children and what must be done for their empowerment," Congress president said in her opening address. "Across the length and breadth of our country, people are expecting much more from the political parties," said Sonia, as she read out from her speech. "Our people are fed up with the corruption they face. We must understand this. Today's India is better informed and equipped. The technology has led them to ask more of their leaders," she added. Asking the Congress to look at its strengths, weaknesses and threats, Sonia Gandhi said: "There is increased competition and inroads have been made in our traditional strongholds. We have to strike a fine balance between respecting alliances and ensuring rejuvenation of the party." She asked partymen to observe austerity. "Lavish weddings will lead to questions on where money came from," she said. Sonia said Congress was the only pan-India party in the country, and added that the nation's expectations are growing. It is time for introspection, she said, also noting that there was a need to strike a balance between allies and government policies. The remark is significant in view of the fact that several allies have been opposing various policies and economic reform measures of the Congress-led UPA government. Sonia pointed out that there was a disconnect between the party leadership and the younger India, and even questioned the lavish display of wealth by some of the party leaders. While claiming that the Congress was the only party which existed in every village and city of the country, she did not elaborate on how that party was planning to address its decline in big states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. She asked the leaders to look at the Congress's strengths and weaknesses, and suggest ways to deal with the threats the party faced. Praising the work done by the Manmohan Singh government at the centre, she said the party has not been able to translate this into political support in some states. In the wake of the brutal gangrape of a 23year-old woman aboard a moving bus in the capital and the continuing cases of violence against women, the UPA chairperson said, "With the greatest anguish I have to say that discrimination against the girl child continues. The way we still treat widows, the trafficking of children, brazen sexual harassment are very disturbing trends." Taking a tough stand on maintaining ties with neighbouring countries, Sonia said that the relations should be based on "principles of civilised behaviour". Her statements come in the wake of the brutal killing of two Indian Army soldiers near the Line of Control by Pakistani troops on January 8. "Improving our economic performance, keeping our secular values, better and closer relations with our immediate neighbour will not only make immediate peace. However, let us be very clear, it should be based on principle of civilised behaviour."

India, Pakistan....
have come as a severe setback to the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Sayeed said in a statement. He also disapproved of the measures that "undermine" the peace process between the two countries. Tensions on the Line of Control soared this month after India accused Pakistan of killing two of its soldiers Jan 8 while Islamabad said three Pakistani soldiers were killed by the Indian Army. India accused the Pakistan Army of beheading one of its soldiers and mutilating the body of another. The delay in implementing the new liberal visa regime and the return of the Pakistani players who were to participate in the Hockey India League had sent extremely negative signals to people in the state, Sayeed said. The two armies Wednesday agreed not to violate the 2003 ceasefire on the LoC.

Russian super fighter undertakes long-range flight

MOSCOW: Russia's prototype fifth-generation Sukhoi T-50 fighter jet, on which will be based India's new super fighter has carried out its first successful long-range flight. The T-50 fighter which features elements of 'stealth' technology, super-cruise capability, advanced avionics suite including an X-band active phased-array radar underwent a long range flight from its manufacturing plant in Russia's far-east to an airfield near Moscow yesterday, Ria-Novosti reported quoting Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. "It is a breakthrough" Rogozin who oversees the Russian defence industry, wrote in his Twitter blog adding, "The plane flew 7,000 kms, making two landings, in Abakan and Chelyabinsk, on the way to the Russian capital." A derivative of the stealth fighter is being developed for the Indian air force and an IAF version is to be test flighted in 2014. The Indo-Russian version which is called the perspective multi-role fighter is to be developed at an estimated cost of USS 30 billion. The deal is reported to be in its final stages. The plane joined three other T-50 prototype models at the Zhukovsky airfield prior to state flight tests, which are scheduled to start in March 2013. The T-50, also known as project PAK-FA, first flew in January 2010 and was presented to the public at the Moscow Air Show in 2011. The Russian Defence Ministry is planning to finish the state flight tests of eight prototypes by 2015, so that they could go into standard production in 2016. The fighter is expected to form the core of Russia's future fighter fleet.

BSP, DMK urges....

recent rail fare hike, she said, "It is clear now that the Congress is no more with the common man, but with capitalists." Meanwhile, the DMK chief also disapproved the Centre's dision and demanded the government to revise it. The party also asked the Centre to raise the subsidised LPG cylinder cap to 12 from the proposed nine, asking it not to invite the wrath of the poor on cooking gas. "Allowing state-owned oil companies to increase diesel prices even by a small quantum is a wrong decision", DMK chief M. Karunanidhi said in a statement, a day after government partially deregulated diesel price allowing a hike of 40-50 paise a litre every month. He said the poor and the middle class would not be able to bear even the increase of 50 paise per litre in diesel and this would pave the way for increase in inflation. "The Centre should reconsider the decision on the diesel price issue so that poor and the middle class are not affected," he said, reminding that the diesel price was hiked by Rs. 5.63 per litre in September 2012. On the announcement to raise the cap on subsidised cooking gas cylinders from six to nine a year, Mr. Karunanidhi said a Parliamentary committee had already recommended that it should be increased to 12 a year. Karunanidhi said, "The government has to give a cylinder at subsidised rate every month. Though it will cost additional burden, government should bear them so as not to attract the wrath of the poor." "Government should reconsider the decision to give nine LPG cylinders only. It should come forward to give one cylinder a month," he added. Oil companies yesterday hiked the price of diesel by 45 paise excluding taxes effective today, Indian Oil said in an official statement. The good news -- petrol prices, which were only earlier this week hiked by 35 paise, will come down by 25 paise per litre. While the price of petrol is purely marketdetermined, diesel is still under government control, even though oil firms now have the freedom to make minor revisions in the price.

Fear in the....
project elections as proof of the people's participation in democracy in the state, militants will target the village council members. He later retracted his statement. The intelligence agencies, both state and central, believe the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops on the LoC is directly related to the targeting of panchayat members by the militants in the hinterland. "After all, both the (Pakistan) army and the militants have the same masters across the LoC," said a senior intelligence official here. This perhaps is the reason that only after two successive attacks on village council members in north Kashmir's Sopore sub-division widespread panic triggered among them across the Valley. Over 50 village representatives have so far publicly announced their resignations, displaying their identity cards before the media in Srinagar. The panches and sarpanches say that unless militants announce that they have pardoned them it might not be possible for them to return to their villages. More than 38,000 village council members were elected in 2011 and providing security to each one of them is not administratively possible for the National Conference-Congress coalition government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The recent attacks on a sarpanch and a panch in Sopore forced Abdullah to rush to Srinagar from Jammu, where he discussed the law and order scenario with top officers of the army, paramilitary, state police and state and central intelligence agencies. In a nutshell, for thousands of those living close to the LoC and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, and also those living in the hinterland, war and peace on the LoC has a direct bearing on their lives.

Avalanche warning.....
Chowkibal, Tangdhar, Keran, Machil, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Uri. People staying in snow bound areas of these locations have been advised not to venture in avalanche prone areas. Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed today. No commercial flight operated due to poor visibility. The weather is likely to improve on Saturday, January 19, 2013.

Maharashtra says no to disclosing information on Kasab

MUMBAI: Disclosing any information on Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab, who was hanged 21 November in a Pune jail, could affect India's sovereignty and strategic interests, the Maharashtra government has told a Right to Information (RTI) activist. Leading RTI activist Anil Gangali was informed that disclosure of any information on Kasab, including his mercy petition to the president and autopsy report, "could adversely affect the country's sovereignty and integrity, security, strategic, scientific or economic interests". "This is quite strange, as Kasab is now dead. But the government is not providing any relevant information citing RTI Act, 2005, Sec 8(A)(G)(H)," Galgali told reporters. Galgali said that this (section) pertains to exemption from disclosing any information on ground that it could affect the country's interests, relations with foreign states, lead to incitement of offence, or could endanger the life and safety of any person or compromise the sources of law enforcers, or hamper the investigation or prosecution of the offenders. "Now that Kasab has been hanged and buried, how are all these things relevant. Is the government trying to 'hide' something by using this section to withhold information," Galgali said. He suggested that if the government indeed does not want to make any information pertaining to Kasab public for whatever reasons, then it should bring out an official notification to the effect. Galgali's RTI query revealed that the central and state governments spent Rs.28.46 crore to provide security, food, medicine and clothes to Kasab during his four-year stay in Mumbai's high-security Arthur Road Central Jail, and briefly before his hanging at Yerawada Central Jail, Pune.

Two Army....
on Friday, Army said. "Two jawans were killed due to weather vagary at Padam Post in Nougam sector," Army spokesman Col B Pandey said. He said the exact cause of the incident was not known due to communication breakdown. A helicopter was sent to the scene to evacuate the bodies but could not land due to bad weather, the spokesman said. Kashmir Valley is witnessing heavy snowfall in higher reaches including areas near the LoC since yesterday.

India to set....
and will be completed in the next three months. Under the project equipment and teaching aids will be provided for setting up a language laboratory of 30 computers each in the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The project will help in enhancing the English Language training infrastructure in Sri Lanka, raise the general level of proficiency in English language of various sections of society and familiarize teachers from schools, colleges and universities in Sri Lanka on recent trends in English language teaching and upgrade their skills.

Diesel hike...
a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday gave the nod for a partial deregulation of the fuel. In the national capital, diesel price stood at Rs.47.65 per litre from Rs.47.15 per litre a day ago. In Mumbai, the price stood at Rs.53.71, in Kolkata at Rs.51.51 and in Chennai at Rs.50.68 per litre respectively. Meanwhile, petrol price in New Delhi, stood at Rs.67.26 per litre, in Mumbai, the price was Rs.74.00, in Kolkata Rs.74.72 and in Chennai at Rs.70.26 per litre. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily Thursday said the cabinet in a meeting decided to allow the OMCs to fix their own diesel prices. The move is expected to lessen the government's subsidies bill and rein in the fiscal deficit. According to ministry officials, OMCs could revise prices by an amount less than Rs.1 per litre at one go.

Don't force ...

Nehru-Gandhi family, has been widely perceived as the man who will be party's future candidate for prime minister. There has been speculation that at the Chintan Shivir -- the brainstorming session --of the party here, he would be assigned a bigger role. The three-day Congress strategy meet, expected to draw a road map for the 2014 general elections, starts Friday.

Kichloo for free....

Rana today went to main Bus Stand, Jammu and assured the stranded passengers that the traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which has been closed as a pre-cautionary measures in the wake of weather forecast about heavy snowfall and snow avalanches in different parts of the state especially higher reaches and hilly areas, improves. Mr. Kichloo and Mr. Rana said that the National Highway has been closed temporarily to

Zardari Summons ....

said. The session, to be held at 4 p.m., will deliberate on the political situation prevailing in the country. The country has been witnessing massive turmoil in the wake of Pakistan-born Canadian cleric Tahirul Qadri's protest along with tens of thousands of his supporters near parliament in

National Bravery....
at a ceremony ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. President Pranab Mukherjee and several other dignitaries will also host these children, who will be given a medal, certificate and cash prize. The reports said that the National Bravery Awards were initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare to recognise deeds of bravery by children.

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STATE
JAMMU, JAN 18: The Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs', Mr. Abdul Rahim Rather today asked the Disaster Management Committees (DMCs) both at Divisional and District levels to respond swiftly in the wake of weather forecast about heavy snowfall and possible snow avalanches in different winter zone areas of the State adding that an all time and fool proof mechanism needs to be put in place and kept in the state of readiness to meet any eventuality. Asking the heads of different DMCs, comprising Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to immediately activate Central Control Rooms in their respective areas of juris-

NEWS IN BOX

Agriculture Minister meets Governor

JAMMU, JAN 18 : Mr. Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for Agriculture, called on Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan here today. During their meeting, the Governor and the Agriculture Minister discussed the to date implementation status of various schemes underway for enhancing the productivity of Agriculture and its allied sectors and the measures being taken for providing high yielding variety seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to the growers for enhancing agri-productivity and production in the State. Other important issues relating to the role of Panchayats in promoting the rapid socio-economic development of the State were also discussed.

Rather directs DMCs to act swiftly

Says black marketers won't be allowed to fleece People
diction, Mr. Rather said there should be no room for any lapse adding that the Public delivery system should, in no case be allowed to get affected. He said these committees have been constituted with a broader perspective to put in place advanced remedial measures to take care of eventualities incase of any natural calamity so there should be no scope for any compromise in this regard. "Administration is accountable and answerable before the people", Mr. Rather added. Mr. Rather has directed the concerned officers and field agencies of Divisional and District administration to press into service all the available men and machinery to clear snow from roads for ensuring un- interrupted vehicular movement on all routes including both intra district and inter district roads. He has directed for operationalization of round the clock control room for closely monitoring the situation in case of vagaries of weather and possible snow avalanches especially in the upper reaches adding that people should be kept informed about the telephone numbers of these Central Control Rooms for use in case of any emergencies. He said presence of all the concerned officers, engineers and field agencies in their respective areas should be ensured so that people are not put to any inconvenience or hardships due to any laxity on the part of administration. Mr. Rather has stressed for keeping all the emergency services functional in any case adding that un-interrupted Power Supply to the hospitals, health institutions and emergency services should be the top priority. Mr. Rather has also called for ensuring availability of adequate quantities of essential commodities including rice, atta, sugar, kerosene and cooking gas in all the habitations especially in remote and inaccessible areas. He also called for submission of stock and off-take position in various godowns of the CA & PD on daily basis to the government, during the entire winter months for close monitoring about the availability of essential commodities in the snow affected areas of the State. Mr. Rather has also called for activating different market checking squads to check black marketing, hoarding and profiteering by unscrupulous shopkeepers and traders, who are habitual to get undue advantage of the weather and road conditions during the winter season. "All such attempts aimed at fleecing the people in garb of weather and road conditions should be curbed sternly", Mr. Rather directed and called for devising an all time, fool proof and practicable market surveillance mechanism to defeat motives of unscrupulous traders and other elements. He has also directed the concerned DDCs to ensure punctuality of staff in every Government establishment so that Peoples' grievances are redressed appropriately. In this regard, he made a special mention of Tehsil Offices and Niabat, PHE, Health, CA & PD, Power and R&B departments adding that stern action shall be taken against the employees who are habitual of missing their duties and late comers.

Director General of Police briefs Governor

JAMMU, JAN 18 : Mr. Ashok Prasad, Director General of Police, called on Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan here last evening. During their meeting, the Governor and the Director General of Police discussed the obtaining security situation in the State and issues pertaining to internal security management. Among the more important matters in regard to which the Governor was concerned the DGP briefed him about the threats received by Sarpanches and Panches and the measures being put in place to deal with the obtaining situation.

GOC 26 Infantry Div briefs Governor

JAMMU, JAN 18 : Maj. Gen. Ashwani Kumar, GOC, 26 Infantry Div, called on Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan, here today. During the meeting, the GOC briefed the Governor about the overall security situation in the area of his responsibility. This was Maj. Gen. Kumar's first meeting with the Governor after recently taking over as the GOC of the 26 Infantry Div. The Governor wished Maj. Gen. Kumar a very successful tenure.

Dy CM lays foundation stone of "Rama Krishan Paramhansa Chikitsa Bhawan"

JAMMU, JAN 18: Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand today laid foundation stone of "Rama Krishan Paramhansa Chikitsa Bhawan" in the premises of Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission Charitable Hospital, Ambhphalla Jammu here today. While speaking on the occasion, he lauded role of the mission in providing quality and affordable healthcare to the people. He said Rama Krishna Mission has been devotedly perusing its aim of providing better medical facilities to people at price which everyone can afford. "Government is doing its best to provide better and timely medicare to the rural, poor masses at their door steps but health care centres set up by social organisations like the mission are positively supporting the cause of health in the state," he added. stone, the Deputy Chief Minister paid a visit to all the sections of the Hospital. He was highly impressed by the activities of the hospital including its planning and construction and provision of highly specialized medical and surgical services to the General Public. He asked the doctors, paramedics to work with dedication and devotion to ensure that better health facilities reaches to the people at grass root level. He asked for effective implementation of various scheme to improve health infrastructure. He also suggested for establishing another centre of the hospital in the Peripheral areas. Mr. Tara Chand was also presented a Memento of Swami Vivekenanda. The Deputy Chief Minister assured all possible help for the future development of the hospital project.

Govt. clarifies on Shah Kul

JAMMU, JAN 18: An official spokesman today dismissed the contents of a report carried by a Jammu based newspaper regarding the construction of prestigious Shah Kul in Shopian district. The spokesman has termed the report as malicious, defamatory and concocted published with the malafide intention of maligning the image of the Department and Minister concerned. Giving details, the spokesman said, Shah Kul is a historic irrigation project of Kashmir, conceived and constructed by late Budshah, hence the name Shah Kul. It used to irrigate 41 villages and the area came to be known as the apple bowl of Kashmir. In 1902, the spokesman added, the irrigation canal became dysfunctional due to a severe cloudburst. During the last three years, the main canal has been restored and due to non availability of private land, people volunteered to make distribution system on the alignment fixed by Irrigation & Flood Control Department through an arrangement called Hal Shiree to avoid any disputes. This year, the spokesman said, water has been released partially, benefiting the villagers, who, during a visit of the Minister concerned to the area, came in thousands to thank him for reviving what Budshah and Maharaja had built for them. Once completed, the canal would dramatically change the economic condition of the people of these 41 villages who were looking for Nature only for irrigating their fields and whose produce had now diminished to minimal levels. The spokesman said accord of Forest clearance is a continuous process for Government works. The Forest Department has already granted clearance in respect of some portions and in case of others work is in progress. Also, the project is not a new one but the modernization of a 110 year old canal. The alignment of the canal was recorded in the GT sheets prepared in 1902 and there has been no change in it since then, the spokesman said. Terming the allegation that the canal was constructed to benefit the orchard of the Minister as beyond any comprehension and imagination, the spokesman said it is a glaring fact that the said orchard is situated 50 feet above the canal and it has its own water harvesting tank constructed some 20 years ago. "Water always moves downwards and not upwards, as it seems from the allegation", the spokesman remarked. The spokesman invited the reporter of the newspaper to have a look of the area for factual position.

Gurezi directs engineers to ensure supply of drinking water

JAMMU, JAN 18: Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry (Independent Charge), PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Mr. Nazir Ahamd Gurezi today directed the Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Kashmir to ensure supply of drinking water facilities to the people affected due to recent snow fall. He asked the concerned District Development Commissioners to gear up administration and put in service men and machinery and clear the snow from the roads in general and inner links of Gurez, Tangdar, Uri, Machal and Keeran in particular so that the people could not face any difficulty during the winter. Mr. Gurezi also directed them to ensure un-interrupted power supply.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand laying foundation stone of "Rama Krishan Paramhansa Chikitsa Bhawan at Jammu. He said that with active support from the Union government the state government has launched mega-health care projects and soon the state can boast of having one of best health infrastructure in the country, adding that super speciality and other underway modern projects would go a long way is addressing the medical needs of people in the state. The Deputy Chief Minister was received by the President of the Mission MLA Jammu West Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, members of the Managing Committee and other hospital staff. After laying the foundation

Heavy snowfall in Poonch

POONCH, JAN 18: The district administration especially the Power Development Department has been geared up to restore the 132 KV line from Thanamandi to Poonch via Draba which has got damaged due to bending of towers/33 KV and 11 KV lines in the wake of heavy snowfall. The people have been asked to have patience and cooperate with the district administration. A strenuous efforts are being made for restoration of power supply which may take some days. Due to power snapping drinking water supply will also be affected. The people have been asked to conserve drinking water and make its use judiciously. The School and Colleges in the district shall remain closed tomorrow. In case of any emergency, the people should contact Police Control Room at 01965-220258 or district Control Room at 01965-220347, 222723 or nearest police post, police station or army post. People are advised to remain cautious and should not venture into landslide or avalanches prone areas.

Shehnaz, Bhagat, Monga calls on Sagar, Vikar

JAMMU, JANUARY 18: Members Legislative Council, Dr. Shehnaz Ganai, Mr. Sham Lal Bhagat, Mr. G.N. Monga, Mr. Ali Mohammad Dar all duly elected MLCs from Panchayat Quota today met Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar and Minister of State for Rural Development Mr. Vikar Rasool and put-forth various issues of Panchayati Raj Institutions for their early redressal. They also complimented the govt for holding elections to the council seats meant for Panchayats in which more than 90% of Sarpanches and Panches participated. The also demanded Wages rate of MNREGA to be enhanced and made at par with other workers working in different departments/ organizations, Life Insurances cover for all Sarpanches and Panches of J&K State, Provision of Honorarium for all Sarpanches and Panches of J&K State, Provision of grantin-aid type financial assistance to Panchayat Raj Institutions for making them financially autonomic, the Amount of Financial Assistance under IAY to be enhanced in view of price hike, the programme of Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan to be speeded up so that rural sanitation issues are taken care and Provision of supporting staff for normal functioning of Panchayat Raj Institutions. Mr. Sagr assured the delegation of MLCs that the state government is keen to strengthen the Panchayats and these issues shall be got examined at appropriate level.

Re verify BPL lists, ensure feedback from consumers: Ramzan to CAPD officers
JAMMU, JAN 18: Emphasizing the need to further improve the system of stocking, supply and distribution of food grains in the State, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) and Transport, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan has said that providing quality ration to the consumers at the nook and corner of the State is the priority of the government. Chairing a meeting of officers of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) and Legal Metrology Departments here today, the Minister underscored the need for early dispatch of food grains to all sale out lets for onward distribution to the consumers well in time adding that supply of food grains through Public Distribution System to the people without any hindrance is the prime responsibility of the field functionaries of the Department. Minister of State for Technical Education & CAPD, Mr. Vikar Rasool was also present in the meeting. Ch. Ramzan directed concerned authorities to closely monitor the dispatch of quota to the sale outlets and further distribution at the sale out lets. He asked the authorities to get feedback from the consumers to know whether they are getting the ration in time and as per the prescribed scale. The Minister instructed the authorities to re-verify the families being provided ration under Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the State. He stressed to mobilize the field staff of the Department for the purpose and get the families re-verified within shortest possible time and ensure that the genuine families get ration under the BPL quota. Earlier, Secretary Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Mr. Muhammad Abbas gave a detailed resume of the functioning of the department. He apprised the Ministers that presently the food grain is being received as per the 2001 census.

Ajaz Khan monitoring situation in Kashmir

JAMMU, JAN 18: Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Ajaz Ahmed Khan monitor situation in the entire Kashmir valley arising out of after snowfall from yesterday. The Minister, who had gone to Srinagar, the other day was in continuous in touch with the all the Deputy Commissioners throughout the day. He took brief from them about snow clearance operation in these districts and the stock and supply position of essential commodities. He directed all the Deputy Commissioners to set personally monitor snow clearance operation and ensure that the people don't feel any scarcities of essential commodities including food, gas, k.oil etc. Mr. Ajaz also had meetings with several Divisional heads to ensure that people don't suffer on account of the in climate weather. He also asked Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to coordinate the efforts of the administration.

Div Com conducts Srinagar city tour

SRINAGAR, JAN 18: Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon today conducted an extensive tour of Srinagar city and took stock of situation arises after current spell of snowfall. The Divisional Commissioner was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mr. Baseer Ahmad Khan, Chief Engineers of various disciplines, Joint Director Information Kashmir and a team of divisional level officers and engineers during the city tour. Divisional Commissioner visited Power Control Room at Grid Station, Bemina and reviewed the situation of power supply in Srinagar city and other districts of Valley. The Chief Engineer Electric Maintenance, on the occasion informed the Divisional Commissioner that 40 percent of power supply has been restored in Srinagar city while as restoration process is in apace in other areas of the city. The Divisional Commissioner was also informed that restoration work of power supply in hilly and far off areas like Shopian, Damhal Hanjipora and Gulmarg etc. is in progress and power supply will be restored by tomorrow evening. On the occasion, the Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering Kashmir, Mr. Shafat Ahmad Chishti apprised the Divisional Commissioner that mechanized snow clearance operation was started in the early morning of January 18, 2013 at about 3 a.m. throughout the entire Valley. The Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering said that 100 snow cutter machines were pressed into service and all the important inter district, inter town roads including the internal roads of cities and towns besides roads leading to important installations like Hospitals, PHE and PDD were cleared on priority before 7.30 a.m. The Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering said that the traffic on the major roads of the Valley moved unhindered and uninterrupted. Dr. Samoon was also informed that 29 dewatering pump sets have been put into service by Irrigation Department in Srinagar city while as Municipal Corporation have also put their men and machinery to service for dewatering in low lying areas of Srinagar city. Review supply position of essentials, the Divisional Commissioner was informed that buffer stock of ration, LPG and other eatables are available at different outlets of CA&PD. On the occasion, Dr. Samoon directed officers to remain punctual in their offices and not to leave station without proper permission so that people do not face any inconvenience during the winter season. He also directed Disaster Management Committees to remain active for any eventuality and inform the concerned authorities at district and divisional administration. The Divisional Commissioner also visited Dargah Hazratbal and took stock of the facilities being provided to the devotees during the auspicious days of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW). Dr. Samoon was informed that 120 Safai Karmcharies have been deployed to ensure proper cleanliness in the Dargah Hazratbal area. He was informed that supply position in the area is quite satisfactory. He was also informed that three medical aid camps established in the area besides deployment of doctors. The Divisional Commissioner also visited the Chatti Patshahi, Rainawari, Srinagar and took stock of the facilities being provided to Sikh community.

CPM opposes Centre's move to deregulate diesel

JAMMU,JAN 18: Terming the Centre's decision to allow oil marketing companies to hike diesel prices as "anti-people", Jammu and Kashmir unit of CPI(M) on Friday said the move will have a cascading effect on overall market prices. "There is a dire need in the country for reforms in the oil sector and the deregulation of diesel at this stage will have a disastrous effect on common people, who are already reeling under the burden of price rise," state Secretary CPI(M) Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said. The move needs to be condemned by one and all, he said. Tarigami said the decision will lead to continuous increase in diesel price, just as it happened with the petrol after deregulation.

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EDITORIAL & STATE WATCH

ing desalination plants (in a country where water is the most scarce resource), exotic food items being mobilised from various regions and delegates commuting in sedans and SUVs that guzzle tonnes of fossil fuel. For the 17,000 delegates who attended the last conference, more than 21,000 rooms at 87 and Russia didn't see any virtue in its extension. At present, the Kyoto Protocol only represents a meagre 15 per cent of the global emission of greenhouse gases - a sharp departure what was promised when the agreement was signed in in 1997. A broader agreement should have been reached at Doha as emissions are not merely restricted to developed nations. The Doha conference brought nothing but disappointment to climate campaigners, rights groups and the scientists who expected at least some concrete steps and realistic targets with earmarked carbon cuts within a stipulated deadline. But nothing happened except some rhetoric and efforts to protect the public opinion in the home turf of concerned countries - a US delegate candidly admitted of a possible backlash back home in case they committed to fossil fuel reduction. All said and done, climate change is becoming a great cause for worry. We desperately need a focussed platform that delivers results. The much hyped COP 18 didn't seem to be that. At best, it allowed political leaders to showcase their oratory skills and allowed some backdoor lobbying. Also, the conference brought a new wave of tourism to Qatar, which of course comes at a huge cost to the environment. And not to forget, the biggest climate change summit was organised in a county that itself earns around $7,000 million every month from the export of fossil fuel! Undoubtedly, COP 18 was a failure. It's time for a serious rethink.

Get serious on climate change

By Arindam Chaudhury
ven as world leaders gathered for yet another meaningless conference to save the planet, extreme weather conditions, think of Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Bopha, continued to cause untold devastation across the globe. The devastating effect of storms, tsunamis, floods and other natural catastrophes across the world is mostly a consequence of rising sea levels - a direct impact of global warming. The last few years have seen the consequences of global warming like perhaps never before. More than 110 people were killed in the US alone by Hurricane Sandy, apart from 67 casualties in the Caribbean and two in Canada. In the Philippines, the deadly typhoon Bopha killed at least 540 people, injuring another 1,100. Topping the misery chart in recent times is Japan's tsunami, which claimed a jaw dropping 15,700 lives. All these calamities, are posing an impending danger to human lives. This year itself has begun with a scary chill across the world with temperatures falling to new lows and pollution smogs hitting new highs. Delhi is a good example where the shivers of winter were felt like never before. Given the fragility of human civilisation, this rapidly changing climate and deteriorating ecosystem has induced among mankind. Yes, there is no clear evidence to pinpoint that global warming will end of the world but there is no denying that human activities have made life worse. Increasing pollution and

use of toxic products have caused diseases (both new and old) to incubate and flourish. Fear and panic has also given developed nations a reason to meet every year and make policies that seem pro-environment but in reality are pro-rich and anti-poor. One such global event that is

Pakistani regime and Army unite to trash India

any experts have been Zardari-Ashraf Government might Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar arguing in the aftermath have reacted differently if Pakistan's has been going around ridiculing the of the political crisis that Army had not taken a tough line on beheading incident and instead blamhas gripped the Government of the developments along the LoC. ing New Delhi for raising war cries. Pakistan that New Delhi must tone They point to the uneasy relation that But then, it has not been the first time down its current aggression in a bid Islamabad has had over the last five that this democratically-elected Government of Pakistan to help out the demoAlthough both Mr Zardari and his Prime has demonstrated comcratically elected regime across the bor- Minister have remained silent on the unfortu- plete disdain for conder. This line of thinknate and shocking developments along the cerns raised by India. ing would have had LoC, their Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani The manner in which it substance but for three Khar has been going around ridiculing the has handled issues regarding the 26/11 reasons. The first is that beheading incident and instead blaming New Mumbai terror attacks India has upped the ante following not just Delhi for raising war cries. But then, it has not to the beheading of Pakistan's persistent been the first time that this democratically- Captain Saurabh Kalia violations of ceasefire elected Government of Pakistan has demon- in the Kargil war, are all that the along the Line of strated complete disdain for concerns raised instances Control but also the by India. The manner in which it has handled regime has been no more sensitive than its gruesome beheading by issues regarding the 26/11 Mumbai terror Army in its response. its Army personnel of There is of course no an Indian jawan and attacks to the beheading of Captain Saurabh that country's blatant Kalia in the Kargil war, are all instances that dispute with the conrefusal to take blame for the regime has been no more sensitive than its tention that a democratic Pakistan is largely in it. The second reason is Army in its response. the interests of India that the Government in Pakistan has behaved no less differ- years with the Generals of and that a regime under the dominaently from its Army in the wake of Rawalpindi who are apparently tion or influence of religious extremthe horrific incident, with its senior unhappy with their supposed margin- ists and the Army can prove to be a leaders making statement after state- alisation after the democratically stumbling block in the normalisation ment not just rubbishing India's well- elected regime took charge and has of ties between New Delhi and founded allegations but also accus- clung on to power despite many hic- Islamabad. There is history to hold ing New Delhi of war-mongering. cups along the way. It is true that the the perception out as the truth. That And the third reason why India must two institutions are not on the best was the primary reason why New not go out of its way to sympathise terms when it comes to matters that Delhi had welcomed with open arms with the Asif Ali Zardari-Raja Pervez relate to power struggles within and unbridled enthusiasm the arrival Ashraf regime in Islamabad which is Pakistan. But these commentators of the Zardari presidency and a demless than three months away from forget that when it comes to issues ocratically elected regime then headIndia, both the ed by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf completing its full tenure in power is concerning because the political crisis in Government and the Pakistani Army Raza Gilani, just as it had earlier Pakistan is that country's internal come on the same page. hailed the prime ministership of matter which should be best left to its Developments over the last fortnight Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. So, India has been for years investing leaders to resolve. The protagonists are evidence enough of that. Although both Mr Zardari and his heavily - and some say too naively of the idea that India must contain its belligerence despite the grave provo- Prime Minister have remained silent in the peace process with Pakistan. cation from the other side of LoC on the unfortunate and shocking It's now time to take stock of the forward the argument that the developments along the LoC, their results and move ahead accordingly.

The latest conference, better known as COP 18 (Conference of Parties; session 18), which concluded in Doha last month is a case in point. Nothing can be more paradoxical than the COP 18 gathering, at a time when we really need fast and serious action. A summit on protecting the environment was held in a city (and a country) that in all probability is the largest contributor to global warming.
organised under the pretext of addressing global warming is the UN Climate Change Conference. The latest conference, better known as COP 18 (Conference of Parties; session 18), which concluded in Doha last month is a case in point. Nothing can be more paradoxical than the COP 18 gathering, at a time when we really need fast and serious action. A summit on protecting the environment was held in a city (and a country) that in all probability is the largest contributor to global warming. No renewable sources of energy are used in Doha, which has a per capita annual carbon emission of 50 tonnes that is three times that of the US, eight times that of China and 33 times that of India. Moreover, this socalled Climate Change Conference, year after year, witnesses delegates flying down in their fuel-guzzling private jets from all corners of the world, parades of motorcycles plying through the streets for security checks, water supplied from state-of-the-art power consumhotels and residences were blocked, which wasted monumental energy while providing the most luxurious of services. The amount of environment destruction caused can be gauged by the fact that a similar conference back in 2009 released around 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The Doha COP 18 conference was more of a freewheeling exercise where delegates from across the globe gathered without a purpose, commitment or initiative in mind. For those who still remember the moribund Kyoto Protocol (a resolution between industrialised nations that placed restrictions on their emissions), the agreement was supposed to expire by the end of last year. Yet, there was no sign of any major country coming forward to extend a token of consent for its extension, though a resolution was taken finally to make a second commitment to reduce emissions by the end of 2020. However, the US never joined the Kyoto Protocol, while Japan, New Zealand, Canada

STATE WATCH

Plea to defer Tripura, Meghalaya poll dates

AGARTALA/SHILLONG: The BJP, which has also announced candidates for 41 seats, has urged the ECI to defer the Feb 14 assembly polls in Tripura in view of Saraswati Puja Feb 15, a popular puja among Hindu students. State BJP president Sudhindra Dasgupta in a fax message to the ECI said: "Lakhs of students would be upset if they do not perform the traditional Saraswati Puja. Hence, the polls must be deferred by a few days." "Our central leaders have also met the ECI in New Delhi and requested the commission to defer the polling date in Tripura to respect the sentiments of lakhs of school, college and university students," Dasgupta told reporters Friday. The BJP state chief has also threatened to launch a state-wide movement if the commission does not change the polling date within four days. Majority of the 3,018 polling stations in Tripura would be set up in various schools across the state and lakhs of students would have to perform Saraswati Puja Feb 15 in their schools, colleges and universities. A church body in Meghalaya has also requested the ECI to postpone the polling date (Feb 23) to make sure that churchgoers remain unaffected. "As Feb 23 is a Saturday, the contention of the Garo Baptist Convention is that polling officials would have difficulty in attending service the next day," Garo Baptist Convention general secretary Rev R.G. Momin said in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath. Momin in his letter said: "Conducting of polling on a Saturday means that election officials will have to travel back Sunday. Even if they are to return on the same night, being a mountainous state, travel is not comfortable, and majority of the roads is in a decaying condition. "This will cause physical strain and make it difficult for them to attend service on Sunday, which is a day of worship for Christians not only in Meghalaya, but across the world," he said. Another Christians' dominated northeastern state Ngaland is also set for polling Feb 23. More than five million Christians live in Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur besides many in the other northeastern states. Results of all three states' assembly polls will be announced Feb 28. The assemblies in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland have 60 seats each. The five-year terms of these assemblies expire March 10, March 16 and March 26, respectively. Meanwhile, by-election will be held Feb 23 in Chalfilh assembly seat in Mizoram. The assembly segment was lying vacant after the death of parliamentary secretary and Congress legislator Chawngtinthanga Sept 16 last year.

TRIPURA/ MEGALAYA

PUNJAB

Moga bypoll litmus test for all political parties

CHANDIGARH: The February 23 Moga byelection is going to be the litmus test for all the political parties in the state, including the two main political parties the Congress and the Akali Dal as well as the marginal political forces like the Bhartiya Janata Party and the People's Party of Punjab for different reasons. The stakes are the highest for the ruling Akali Dal, particularly its president and the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who has taken a gamble by inducting a sitting Congress MLA Joginderpal Jain and making him the party candidate after his resignation. Odds are heavily staked against the Akali Dal in general and Jain in particular. Jain has to fight the charges of political betrayal and opportunism as he was twice elected on Congress nomination. Moreover, the overall mood across the state is against the government and its reputation has touched its nadir particularly due to some serious incidents related to law and order. The war within the Akali Dal has already started. That the Moga Akali strongman Tota Singh and former DGP PS Gill who contested the last election against Jain will work against Jain is already too well known, now the battle has come in open with supporters of Tota Singh and Jain clashing in a Gurdwara on Wednesday. Moga being an urban and Hindu majority constituency has a significant number of BJP voters also. It is difficult to accept that the BJP will support Jain at any cost as political wisdom defies any such possibility. For the Congress the stakes may not be high, but it has got a golden chance to defeat the Akalis. Moga has turned out to be a Congress bastion during the last two assembly elections on 2007 and 2012. It depends as who will be the Congress candidate and whether the party is able to present itself as a united force. If it manages to do so it will certainly upset the Akali applecart. For the People's Party of Punjab it is an equally important election to demonstrate its strength. In 2012 the PPP candidate got over 9000 votes which in a way facilitated Jain's victory as his margin was about six thousand only. It remains to be seen whether the party will be able repeat its performance or not. Last but not the least the Moga byelection is going to be very important for the BJP which is in power in alliance with the Akalis in the state. For a long time the party has nourished a grievance against its major partner that it has been continuously ignored and sidelined and that too when the Akalis depended so much on its support. IN case the Akalis win Moga, they will have absolute majority of their own. In the house of 117 the Akalis have 56 MLAs of their own besides the support of two independent MLAs. In case they win they will not be dependent on the BJP which will further weaken the party's bargaining, if there was any, capacity vis-a-vis Akali Dal. It can be anybody's guess as how the party will like its workers to vote.

BIHAR Mangal Pandey appointed Bihar BJP chief

Uttar Pradesh Tribunal orders closure of polluting industries in Ghaziabad

NEW DELHI: Pulling up Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) for failing to check polluting industries in Ghaziabad, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed closure of units which are discharging harmful effluents into air and water in violation of the Board's consent order. A bench headed by Tribunal Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar passed the interim order after going through the affidavits submitted by the UPPCB and Central Pollution Control "All the parties before us are ad idem (in agreement) that there is a serious air and water pollution problem in the city of Ghaziabad and number of industries are operating without obtaining the requisite consent from the Pollution Control Board and/or by violating the terms and conditions of the consent order issued by the Pollution Control Board. "By an ad interim injunction, we direct closure of these units and issue notice to all these units as well, returnable on the next date, February 19, 2013," the bench said. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice P Jyothimani and expert members G K Pandey, D K Agarwal and A R Yousuf, however, pulled up the UPPCB saying it "has failed to exercise proper check upon these industries". "Hardly one can mention about prevention but it (UPPCB) has failed to even control pollution, air and water both in the city of Ghaziabad," it said. The bench also said that the affidavit filed on behalf of the UPPCB "does not provide the complete and entirely correct information" adding that "it is difficult to believe there will (only) be a few hundred industrial units in the city of Ghaziabad". The Tribunal has now directed the UPPCB to file within two weeks an affidavit showing the number of industries functioning in the city and how many of them are operating with and without the board's consent.

Board (CPCB) which said some industries in the city are operating without or in violation of

the consent order and the pollution levels have reached a very high level.

PATNA: Mangal Pandey was Friday appointed the chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar. Pandey, 44, replaced the 81year-old C.P. Thakur, a former union minister. "Pandey was elected unanimously. Now the BJP leadership in the state is in the hands of a young leader," Ananth Kumar, in-charge of the party's affairs in Bihar, said. A member of Bihar legislative council, Pandey was the only candidate to file nomination for the post, the deadline for which was Thursday. Pandey is from Bhrigu Ballia village in Maharajganj block of Siwan district and joined the party in 1990. He started his political career as an ABVP activist and later joined the BJP Yuva Morcha. The soft spoken leader is known as a close confidant of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who was the architect of Nitish Kumar led Janata Dal (United)-BJP coalition government in the state. "It is a victory of Sushil Kumar Modi who managed to appoint his nominee Pandey as state BJP president. It will strengthen the party's alliance with the Janata Dal (United)," a senior BJP leader said. The BJP will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and Bihar assembly elections in 2015 under Pandey. However, a section of BJP leaders are not happy with Pandey's appointment. Some party workers and supporters of outgoing president Thakur created ruckus by raising slogans against Sushil Kumar Modi when central party leadership arrived here Thursday.Earlier, a senior BJP legislator Avnish Singh publicly expressed his displeasure over nomination of Pandey as the paty's state president.

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STUDENT AGE SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013

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FAMOUS LEADERS: Ram Manohar Lohia

derfully through India's freedom struggle for independence to postindependence social and economic issues with an unswayed enthusiasm and dedication. Be it organizing a small strike on the death of Lokmanya Tilak or providing support to India's freedom struggle by participating in the Satyagraha Movement at the age of ten; raising his voice to the social evils like rich-poor divide, elimination of caste system, and man-woman inequality; summoning the youth on the topics of politics, literature, and arts during his last few years; he did it all. At the age of 57 he passed away, but not before making an applaud-worthy contribution to both, India's history and future. It's only respectful that many colleges, universities, hospitals, and roads have been named after him in his remembrance. Early Life Son of Hira Lal and Chanda, Ram Manohar was born on 23rd March 1910 in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh in the British India. His mother, who was a teacher by profession, passed away while he was still very young. At a young age, Ram's father, who was a nationalist, introduced him to India's freedom movement through various rallies and protest assemblies. The turning point in his life came when his father, an impassioned follower of Mahatma Gandhi, took him along on a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi. Deeply inspired by Gandhi's personality and beliefs, Ram took his values and principles to heart which helped him come through the testing times and supported him in many of his endeavors in future. At the age of ten, he participated in the Satyagraha march and proved both, his loyalty to Mahatma Gandhi and his metal as a significant freedom fighter in the time to come. In 1921, he met Jawaharlal Nehru, with whom he developed a deep bond over the years. However, the two had clash of opinions over various issues and political beliefs. At the age of 18, in the year 1928, young Lohia organized a student protest to object the all-white Simon Commission which was to consider the possibility of granting India dominion status without requiring consultation of the Indian people. However, in midst of all this, Lohia did not give up on his education. He attended the Banaras Hindu University to complete his intermediate course work after standing first in his school's matric examinations. He, then, completed his graduation in B.A from Calcutta University in 1929 and went to Berlin University, Germany to pursue his PhD and completed it in 1932. He soon learned German and received financial assistance based on his outstanding academic performance. Contd...

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Born On: March 23, 1910 Born In: Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh Died On: October 12, 1967 Career: Freedom Fighter, Socialist, Political Leader An honored freedom fighter, a maverick socialist and an esteemed political leader are phrases that have long been and still are synonymous to Ram Manohar Lohia. Having been born in 1910 in the pre-independence era to a nationalist-atheart father, it didn't take him long before he entered the freedom movement. And with Mahatma Gandhi as his mentor, he never shied away from the truth and worked his way won-

Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box

stay here, maybe I shall go mad before I see anything." The young man's father was out all this time, when this talk was going on between him and his poor old mother. The old woman begins by saying to her son before leaving, "Well, well, my poor boy, if you want to go, it's betterfor you to go, and God be with you."-(The old woman thought for the best when she said that.)- "But stop a bit before you go. Which would you like best for me to make you, a little cake and bless you, or a big cake and curse you?" "Dear, dear!" said he, "make me a big cake. Maybe I shall be hungry on the road." The old woman made the big cake, and she went on top of the house, and she cursed him as far as she could see him. He presently meets with his father, and the old man says to him: "Where are you going, my poor boy?" when the son told the father the same tale as he told his mother. "Well," says his father, "I'm sorry to see you going away, but if you've made your mind to go, it's better for you to go." The poor lad had not gone far, when his father called him back; then the old man drew out of his pocket a golden snuff-box, and said to him: "Here, take this little box, and put it in your pocket, and be sure not to open it till you are near your death." And away went poor Jack upon his road, and walked till he was tired and hungry, for he had eaten all his cake upon the road; and by this time night was upon him, so he could hardly see his way beforehim. He could see some light a long way before him, and he made up to it, and found the back door and knocked at it, till one of the maid-servants came and asked him what he wanted. He said that night was on him, and he wanted to get some place to sleep. The maid-servant called him in to the fire, and gave him plenty to eat, good meat and bread and beer; and as he was eating his food by the fire, there came the young lady to look at him, and she loved him well and he loved her. And the young lady ran to tell her father, and said there was a pretty young man in the back kitchen; and immediately the gentleman came to him, and questioned him, and asked what work he could do. Jack said, the silly fellow, that he could do anything. (He meant that he could do any foolish bit of work, that would be wanted about the house.) "Well," says the gentleman to him, "if you can do anything, at eight o'clock in the morning I must have a great lake and some of-the largest man-of-war vessels sailing before my mansion, and one of the largest vessels must fire a royal salute, and the last round must break the leg of the bed where my young daughter is sleeping. And if you don't do that, you will have to forfeit your life." "All right," said Jack; and away he went to his bed, and said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o'clock, and he had hardly any time to think what he was to do, till all of a sudden he remembered about the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself: "Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now;" and then he felt in his pocket, and drew the little box out. And when he opened it, out there hopped three little red men, and asked Jack: "What is your will with us?" "Well," said Jack, "I want a great lake and some of the largest man-ofwar vessels in the world before this mansion, and one of the largest vessels to fire a royal salute, and the last round to break one of the legs of the bed where this young lady is sleeping." "All right," said the little men; "go to sleep." Jack had hardly time to bring the words out of his mouth, to tell the little men what to do, but what it struck eight o'clock, when Bang, bang went one of the largest man-of-war vessels; and it made Jack jump out of bed to look through the window; and I can assure you it was a wonderful sight for him to see, after being so long with his father and mother living in a wood. By this time Jack dressed himself, and said his prayers, and came down laughing; for he was proud, he was, because the thing was done so well. The gentleman comes to him, and says to him: "Well, my young man, I must say that you are very clever indeed. Come and have some breakfast." And the gentleman tells him, "Now there are two more things you have to do, and then you shall have my daughter in marriage." Jack gets his breakfast, and has a good squint at the young lady, and also she at him. The other thing that the gentleman told him to do was to fell all the great trees for miles around by eight o'clock in the morning; and, to make my long story short, it was done, and it pleased the gentleman well Contd...

My Parents Sent Me To the Store

nce upon a time, and a very good time it was, though it was neither in my time nor in your time nor in any oneelse's time, there was an old man and an old woman, and they had one son, and they lived in a great forest. And their son never saw any other people in his life, but he knew that there was some more in the world besides his own father and mother, because he had lots of books, and he used to read every day about them. And when he read about some pretty young women, he used to go mad to see some of them; till one day, when his father was out cutting wood, he told his mother that he wished to go away to look for his living in some other country, and to see some other people besides them two. And he said, "I see nothing at all here but great trees around me; and if I

A Funny Family Poem for Kids My parents sent me to the store to buy a loaf of bread. I came home with a puppy and a parakeet instead. I came home with a guinea pig, a hamster and a cat, a turtle and a lizard and a friendly little rat. I also had a monkey and a mongoose and a mouse. Those animals went crazy when I brought them in the house. They barked and yelped and hissed and chased my family out the door. My parents never let me do the shopping anymore. ~Kenn Nesbitt

Craft: Silhouette Display

What you'll need: Camera, Ruler, Ceramic or glass dinner plate (10- to 12-inch diameter) or salad plate (7- to 8-inch diameter). Plastic won't work, Regular printer paper (photo quality not necessary), Scotch tape, Card-stock paper (in whatever color goes with the plate), Sharp, thin scissors, 2-inch foam paintbrush, Mod Podge, Permanent marker How to make it: 1. Take a photograph of your child in profile (be sure to choose his best side); his head should fill the frame. 2. Lay the ruler across the plate to determine approximately how much of the surface you'd like the silhouette to cover. Print out or order the profile photo at the appropriate size: For a dinner plate, you'll probably want an 8-by-10; for a salad plate, a 5-by-7. 3. Put a loop of tape on the back of the photo, then press the photo onto the card stock. 4. Cut around the outline of your child's head through both layers of paper (it's easiest to turn the paper, not the scissors, as you cut). 5. Remove the photo and tape from the cardstock profile and discard. Place the profile,

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

IMAGE TO COLOUR

back side up, on a sheet of paper. Use the brush to paint the profile with a thin layer of Mod Podge all the way to the edge. 6. Put the silhouette, sticky side down, on the center of the plate and gently smooth with your fingers to get out any air bubbles. 7. Cover the silhouette with another thin layer of Mod Podge, brushing it out slightly past edges, and let dry completely, 20 minutes. 8. Use a permanent marker to write your child's name and the date on the back of the plate. He may want to eat off the plate, but don't let him. (While Mod Podge is nontoxic, it is water-based, and food can damage it.) Instead, display it on a shelf or hang it with a plate hanger.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"Do not get angry because others question what you believe, be calm and loving, for anger is the root of a faulty belief." ~ Leon Brown

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NATIONAL

SC directs centre to set up Special Court to prosecute Italian marines

'Verdict on marine case not setback: Chandy'
NEW DELHI: In a big setback to the two Italian nationals, who are facing trial for killing two Indian fishermen off Kollam coast, the Supreme Court on Friday said that a special court be set up to try them. The apex court, while responding to a petition filed by the two Italian marines, maintained that the Kerala government and its police have no jurisdiction to try them as the incident took place in international waters. With the Supreme Court today ruling that the Kerala government has no independent jurisdiction to try the two Italian marines for Indian fishermen. The apex court, in its ruling, directed the Centre to set up a special court in consultation with the Chief Justice of India to prosecute them. Earlier, Dora Gelastine, wife of one of the fishermen Gelastine, 45, said she will let the court decide on justice for her. "I have lost everything and hence I have no opinion to say on this new ruling. Let the court decide and I should get justice," she said. An apex court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar held that it was only the Union of India that had the jurisdiction to hold the trial of the two marines Massimilano Latorre and Salvatore Girone. However, the court said the central government, in consultation with the chief justice, will set up a special court to hold the trial. Reacting to this, former Left Democratic Front (LDF) minister from Kollam Premachandran blamed the central government for playing truant. "Initially the centre pointed out that the country has no jurisdiction in this case as it happened in international waters, but bowing to huge public pressure, they changed their stand. "The government took a casual approach and allowed the two Italian marines to go home for Christmas," said Premachandran. Two Italian marines, Chief Master Sergeant Massimilano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore Girone, on board the Italian cargo vessel Enrica Lexie had shot dead two Indian fishermen Feb 15 last year suspecting them to be pirates.

Rains lash plains, snow covers hills in North India

NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR: After a brief respite, cold wave is back in North India with temperatures dipping following rain and snowfall in the region. The national capital witnessed a wet Friday morning after a night of heavy rain and even hail in many parts, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The cloud cover over the city saw a slight increase in temperature with the minimum recorded four notches above average at 11.3 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 18 degrees Celsius, the IMD official added. More rain and hailstorms are expected in the day, the weather office said. The city recorded a total of 21 mm of rain. The city of Taj Mahal, Agra, also saw a night of roaring storms, hail and chilly winds. The showers also lashed other parts of western Uttar Pradesh, including Mathura, Etah, Mainpuri and Firozabad.

shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast last year, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the verdict is no setback because it upheld the argument that the case can be tried under Indian law. "The Italian's had argued that Indian laws are not

applicable and this has been ruled out by the apex court. Now the Indian law will oversee the case," Chandy said. The apex court, however, said that the case comes under the jurisdiction of the Government of India and it can prosecute the two Italian nationals for killing two

LoC incidents won't affect peace process: Khurshid

should be getting an appropriate response from our side," Khurshid told reporters here. He said the matter will come up for discussion at the three-day Congress Chintan Shivir here. "Peace process is not going to be undermined by these incidents. We hope that we will find a resolution to all these matters and we have treated the whole issue with great care and the closest attention possible," Khurshid said. "Peace process is something in which we have invested a lot...and it was done because it is strategically and tactically important for India's role in the world," he said. On the talks offer by Pakistan, Khurshid said: "We are trying to work on it and the prime minister has been trying to ensure things remain in control and our concerns are addressed and situation doesn't deteriorate. All these things have to be kept in mind." Khurshid had Thursday declined to commit himself to accepting Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's offer for bilateral talks, saying that India cannot move forward for talks just on the basis of "one statement". Ties between the two neighbours have been strained ever since the Jan 6 killing of a Pakistani soldier allegedly in firing by Indian troops. Two days later, Pakistani soldiers brutally killed two Indian soldiers, including beheading one of them, near the LoC.

'No statues at public places': SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday restrained all the state governments and Union Territories from granting permission for erecting statues or construction of any structure at public places which obstructs traffic movement. However, the apex court said that this order would not apply for installation of structures like street lights which facilitate smooth traffic movement. The order was passed by a bench comprising justices R M Lodha and S J Mukhopadhaya while dealing with an application filed against the Kerala government for granting permission for the erection of a statue of a leader at a particular point on a national highway. The bench said, until further orders, status quo should be maintained where the statue is permitted to be installed. The application against the Kerala government was filed in the pending petition in which the Supreme Court had already directed all the state governments to remove unauthorised constructions including places of worships from roads and public places.

In Himachal Pradesh, popular tourist resorts of Shimla and Manali got fresh snow on Thursday after a long break. Tourist spots near Shimla, like honeymooners' paradise Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda experienced moderate snowfall, turning the hill stations more picturesque. Likewise, the Solang ski slopes, 13 km uphill from Manali, and Kalpa, 250 km from the state capital, also saw snow, the weather office said. The minimum temperature in Manali was 0.6 degrees Celsius below freezing point. In Kashmir, continuous snowfall was recorded since Thursday afternoon. Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway had to be stopped as a result. The Met office has forecast heavy snowfall for today.

JAIPUR: Welcoming the "positive statements" coming from Pakistan for talks to de-escalate tensions along the border, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Friday said the recent incidents won't affect the peace process between the two countries. "There is a positive content in the statement that has come from Pakistan foreign minister and high commissioner to India. It is welcome and it

Centre to continue Post-Matric scholarship scheme for ST students

NEW DELHI: The Central government will continue the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme during the 12th Plan period to promote educational empowerment of Scheduled Tribes-ST- students. 100 per cent assistance is extended to the states under the centrally sponsored scheme for all eligible ST students to pursue studies beyond matriculation in all courses. The Plan also calls for exploring the possibility of paying college fees directly sparing students not to pay any fees. The Plan stresses the need to start a scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship for all school going ST children across the country to deal with low levels of literacy and bridge the gap between dropout rates of tribals and non-tribals. The Plan also suggests expanding the scheme of hostels for ST students, especially girls in deficient areas across the states.

India-Vietnam witness crucial discussions on strategic issues

HANOI: Vice President Hamid Ansari's visit to Vietnam witnessed crucial discussions on several strategic issues, but both countries remained tight-lipped about their differences with China over the South China Sea issue. Realising the sensitivity of the issue, Ansari and the team of diplomats from the Ministry of External Affairs, who were accompanying him, were coy about discussing the South China Sea and China's objections to India's oil and gas exploration in the region. During an interaction with the media persons travelling with him on board the special aircraft, Ansari mentioned that India's work in oil and gas exploration in the region is continuing but went no further specifically on the issue. He also said strategic issues were discussed between him and the top Vietnamese leadership and India will continue to engage in continuing "across the board cooperation". The two countries entered into a strategic relationship in our oil exploration is concerned. There is an on-going problem between China and Vietnam about the sea boundary. That is something about which the whole world is concerned about because it is something that will have an impact on movement of shipping lanes and trade... Everything." Ansari maintained that India's view all along on the issue is that it has to be settled "within the framework of existing international norms and settled peacefully through negotiations".

Delhi gangrape: SC admits plea seeking juvenile accused be considered as an adult

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre and the Delhi Police after a Chandigarh-based lawyer filed a PIL seeking that the juvenile accused in the horrific Delhi gangrape case be considered as an adult. The PIL stated that the mental age, and not the physical age, of the accused should be taken into consideration, as he had been involved in such a heinous crime. The accused has been claiming to be a minor, with reports suggesting that he is 17 year. The Juvenile Justice Board that was looking into the matter has reserved its order for January 28. The statements of two of his school principals have been recorded. If the court is not satisfied with the statements and the proof presented by the principals, it may order a bone-ossification test. Meanwhile, the accused's family in Badaun in western Uttar Pradesh is shocked to know that he is alive. The accused had left home five years ago and had been untraceable since then. His family now says he should be punished if found guilty.

2007. Asked if China's objections to India exploring oil and gas in the South China Sea came up during his discussions with Vietnam, Ansari said, "Not as far as

No question of forming govt with BJP: Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: Former chief minister and KJP leader BS Yeddyurappa on Friday ruled out the possibility of his party forming a government with BJP after the Assembly polls. "There is no question of KJP joining hands with BJP to form the government. Some of them are trying to create confusion in the minds of people. Our aim is to form KJP government on our own," he told reporters after inaugurating KJP's Election Office here. Assembly elections are due in May. Yeddyurappa also said there is no question of his party tying up with other parties to form the government. "When I was in BJP, I was determined to bring it to power in South India and did it. I am now determined to bring KJP to power and I am confident I will succeed," he said. Yeddyurappa said he did not expect any political change after January 23, nor was he "trying anything of that sort (destabilising the present government)." Yeddyurappa said if JDS and Congress are ready to destabilise the government, why should he do it. On his supporter Nehru Olekar's remarks that about 20 MLAs and four ministers would join KJP on January 23, Yeddyurappa said he was not aware of it. Yeddyurappa said he has not given any deadline to BJP MLAs and Ministers to join KJP. "If they want to join my party happily, let them do so. If they feel safe in BJP, let them continue there. I have not set any deadline for them," he said.

Hyderabad literary fest begins Friday

HYDERABAD: The third edition of the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) began here Friday with the participation of over 100 writers, artists, scholars, publishers from India and abroad. The three-day multilingual event being held at Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) will focus on writing in Indian languages. There will be conversation with authors, reading, panel discussions, workshops, book launches, cultural programmes and events for college and school students.Panel discussions on topics like translation as recovery, writings about Hyderabad, and endangered languages and cultural traditions will be held. France is the invited guest nation at the event with participation of French writers and cultural artists. It will feature Indo-French collaborative work.Telugu will be Indian language in focus with eminent Telugu writers addressing special sessions. Starting this edition, HLF will focus on one Indian language every year.Inaugurating the festival, Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan hoped that it would help reignite the reading habit. He noted that the literature has lost some of its sheen due to complete shift in reading and writing habits because of technological advancements. "We don't even write letters these days as we simply send messages through our mobile phones. This is one of the perils of technology. While we have to move forward with times, we should not forget our traditions and culture," he said. The governor also regretted that students were concentrating on optional subjects while ignoring the languages.

Swamiji's birth anniversary will awaken our minds: President

KOLKATA: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday hoped that the commemoration of Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary would awaken the people to the great contributions and sacrifices made by him for the welfare, progress and enlightenment of mankind. In an extempore speech after inaugurating Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary celebrations at his ancestral house in north Kolkata, Mukherjee described the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission as a "great visionary, a great humanist". "The more I read, the more I am fascinated that in such a short span of life a man could transform society, which had lost its selfconfidence," Mukherjee said, recalling the state of affairs in the country when Vivekananda was born in 1863. "It was a very momentous decade. In 1861 Rabindranath (Tagore) was born, in 1863 Swami Vivekananda was born. And in 1869 Mahatma Gandhi was born. But what was the state of affairs?... Even educated people, who were the proud products of the (Bengal) renaissance, had lost confidence in themselves," the president said. In such a scenario, with the blessings of his spiritual mentor Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Swami Vivekananda inspired the nation. "He took the gigantic task and shook us vigorously. All the quotations (of Vivekananda) which are around us speak of the philosophy which brought back confidence in a shaken nation, all over the country," the president said to a packed audience at the famous Simla Street address, the ancestral house of the monk. Referring to Vivekananda's humanism, Mukherjee said he was the first to recognise that India could not develop so long as the poor and the underprivileged were exploited. "He was a great traveller, travelled all over India, a large number of countries, and he recognised for the first time and could articulate the problem: How could you expect the country to develop so long as the poor and the underprivileged were exploited," the president said, in a 11minute address. Mukherjee agreed with former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's observation that Vivekananda was "rooted in the past, and full of pride in India's prestige, yet modern in his approach to life's problems and a kind of bridge between the past of India and her present". Mukherjee pointed out that Vivekananda stressed that every educated Indian was a sinner because he does not care for the exploitation of the teeming millions, at whose cost they have educated themselves."He is relevant now, and he will continue to be relevant as long as civilization continues," he said. Mukherjee, who earlier inaugurated Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary celebrations in Delhi Jan 12, the philosopher-monk's birthday, expressed satisfaction that a memorial had been built in Chicago at the hall where he gave his famous address at the parliament of religions in September 1893. He said a chair has also been established in the prestigious Chicago University for the study of the teaching, philosophy and relevance of Vivekananda.

Children in rural India getting poor in maths, reading ability: Report

NEW DELHI: Five out of 10 school students of class V in rural India cannot solve simple arithmetic problems, says a nationwide survey on education. Putting a question mark on the quality of education imparted, the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASAR) said while in 2010 more than half of class V students were able to read class II level texts, the proportion came down to 46.8 per cent in 2012. "The decline in reading levels is more visible among children in government schools as compared to those in private schools. It has fallen from 50.7 per cent in 2010 to 41.7 per cent in 2010," the report prepared by Pratham, a voluntary organisation, said. HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju, who released the report, expressed his "dismay" over some of the findings even as he dismissed suggestion that the decline was due to introduction of contentious and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) process in classrooms. "I will certainly not attribute it to the factor of CCE," he said after president of Pratham Education Foundation Madhav Chavan sought to highlight CCE for some of the negative indicators. The report was based on a survey carried out in rural schools across 567 districts and covering about six lakh children in the age of 3-16. Highlighting the declining reading level, the report said that while seven out of 10 children (70.9 per cent) in class 5 were able to solve simple two-digit subtraction problem, it declined to five out of 10 (53.5 per cent) in 2012. Barring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, it said every major state has shown signs of a "substantial drop" in the arithmetic learning levels. Incidentally, 2012 was designated as the year of mathematics in India. The report also sought to put a big question about the outcome of Right To Education (RTE).

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INTERNATIONAL & ECONOMY

in a year of attempts by both sides to secure a deal. Sources said "technical discussions" on Wednesday had focused on finding a "solution to concerns and questions raised by the IAEA". Nackaerts urged Iran to be "constructive", in remarks Tuesday before flying out to Tehran. He also repeated "hope" Iran would grant access to Parchin, a military base near Tehran where the agency suspects Iran could have carried out experiments with explosives capable of triggering a nuclear weapon. In mid-December the IAEA failed to reach an agreement for a "structured approach" for Iran to address what it calls "overall, credible" evidence of nuclear weapons research having been carried out until 2003 -and possibly since then. Iran vehemently denies having ever sought an atomic bomb.Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the government hoped to conclude a comprehensive agreement with the IAEA on Wednesday.

7 PM Raja Ashraf's Graft-Case Investigating officer found dead

ISLAMABAD: One of the police officers investigating a corruption case in Pakistan linked to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has been found dead. Reports say the man, Kamran Faisal, was found hanged in the government hostel in Islamabad where he lived with colleagues. The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Mr Ashraf on Tuesday over allegations he accepted bribes when approving power generation projects as minister for water and power in 2010.He denies the allegations. Police said they were investigating whether Mr Kamran had killed himself, and that an autopsy would be carried out. "We are investigating from different angles... We will establish an opinion after the autopsy," said Islamabad police chief Bani Amin. The order to arrest Mr Ashraf came as a populist cleric led thousands of protesters in a march and sit-in in Islamabad. Tahirul Qadri and his supporters were demanding the government resign ahead of elections due in May. The government has since reached a deal with cleric, agreeing to dissolve parliament before 16 March, but the events have raised fears of a political crisis in Pakistan. Analysts say Mr Ashraf is unlikely to be arrested imminently. The head of the NAB, Fasih Bokhari had refused to carry out the arrest, saying there was not enough evidence to justify it.

IAEA, Iran talks end without deal: diplomat

VIENNA:Iran and the UN atomic watchdog agreed Thursday to resume talks over the Islamic state's disputed nuclear activities in Tehran on February 12, sources said The announcement came after two days of talks between a team of UN nuclear experts and Iranian negotiators ended without agreement, according to a diplomatic source speaking to media in Vienna. The UN team led by the International Atomic Energy Agency's chief inspector Herman Nackaerts was due to return to Vienna on Friday, the source said. Iran's state television did not provide any details about the negotiations. The talks marked the second round of negotiations in little over than a month between IAEA experts and negotiators headed by Tehran's IAEA representative Ali Asghar Soltanieh, sources reported Diplomats in Vienna said earlier they had received no indication from the IAEA delegation whether any real progress had been made at the meeting in Tehran, the latest

S Korea to deploy guided missiles near sea border with North

SEOUL: South Korea plans to deploy Israeli-made precision guided missiles near its tense sea border with North Korea next month, including an island shelled by the North in 2010, a report said on Friday.The South will deploy 50 to 60 Spike anti-tank missiles to two border islands on the Yellow Sea to guard against potential attacks from the North, S Korean media reported The two islands are Baengnyeong, the closest island to the disputed maritime border, and Yeonpyeong, which was shelled by the North in November 2010 in an attack that left four South Koreans including two civilians dead. "Work to fix some technical problems found in past test-fire sessions have almost been completed," says official "There is no problem in deploying them (the missiles) by the end of next month," the official was quoted as saying. The South's defence ministry spokesman declined to confirm the report. The shelling of Yeonpyeong -- the first attack on civilians since the 19501953 Korean War -- sparked brief fears of an all-out conflict and sent cross-border ties into a tailspin. The South's military has since strengthened troops and weaponry at five frontier islands off the west coast - a constant flash point and scene of bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and 2009. Seoul's military authorities reached a deal in 2011 to buy the Spike missiles developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense System.The missile - using global positioning system technology and with a range of 25 kilometres -- is reportedly capable of hitting North Korean artillery hidden in mountain caves.

U.S., China on tentative deal on North Korea resolution: envoys

UNITED NATIONS: The United States and China have struck a tentative deal on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution condemning North Korea for its December rocket launch, though Beijing has yet to give its final approval, U.N. diplomats said on Friday. The resolution would not impose new sanctions, but would call for expanding existing U.N. sanctions measures against Pyongyang, the envoys said on condition of anonymity. A draft was expected to reach the 15-nation council as early as later on Friday, with adoption possible next week, they said. The deal, if China and the rest of the council accept it, represents a compromise. The United States had wanted to punish North Korea with a U.N. Security Council resolution that imposed new sanctions against Pyongyang, but Beijing rejected that option. Beijing had wanted the council to merely issue a statement calling for the council's North Korea sanctions committee to expand the existing U.N. blacklists, diplomats said. The tentative deal reached, they said, was that Washington would forgo the idea of immediate new sanctions, while Beijing would accept the idea of a resolution instead of a statement, which makes the rebuke more forceful. Assuming the North Korea sanctions committee agrees to expand existing measures, the resolution will ultimately lead to more stringent sanctions against Pyongyang. After North Korea's April 2012 rocket launch, the council passed a so-called "presidential statement" that condemned the move and urged the North Korea sanctions committee to tighten the existing U.N. sanctions regime. The sanctions committee then blacklisted additional North Korean firms and broadened a list of items Pyongyang was banned from importing. Washington was determined not to use the same formula as last year, which is why it insisted that the council adopt a resolution, not a presidential statement as China had wanted. China is the North's only major diplomatic ally, though it agreed to U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang in the wake of North Korea's 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests. North Korea is already banned under Security Council resolutions from developing nuclear and missile technology but has been working steadily on its nuclear test site, possibly in preparation for a third nuclear test, satellite images show. December's successful long-range rocket launch, the first to put a satellite in orbit, was a coup for North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un. It raised tensions in East Asia at the same time as Japan and South Korea elected new leaders. Washington wants them to mend relations after a dispute over an island claimed by both countries boiled over.

US officially recognises Somali government after two decades

WASHINGTON: The United States has officially recognised the Somali government in Mogadishu after more than two decades. "There is still a long way to go and many challenges to confront, but we have seen a new foundation for that better future being laid," US State Secretary Hillary Clinton said on Thursday during a joint press conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is in Washington on a visit. "We are taking an important step toward that future. I am delighted to announce that for the first time since 1991, the United States is recognising the Government of Somalia," Clinton said. Mohamud took office in 2012.Washington had not recognised Somalia's government since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

'we reserve the right to take extreme measures' Tahirul Qadri warns govt.
ISLAMABAD: A cleric who has been pushing for electoral reforms in Pakistan will resort to street protests again if the government does not abide by an agreement that eased a political crisis, an aide said on Friday. Qadri, who shook the country's government with his three-day siege of the capital demanding dissolution of national and state assemblies, left for Lahore on Friday morning after signing an agreement with the government on the timing of the general elections. Claiming his 'long march' as successful and congratulating the entire nation, the Tehrik Minhaj-ul-Quran (TMQ) leader after reaching Lahore told reporters that if the agreement signed with the government was not implemented, they reserved the right to take extreme measures, a Pakistani news channel reported. Qadri had been protesting in the capital since Tuesday after having begun his 'long march' from Lahore on Sunday. On Thursday night, while addressing participants of the sit-in in Islamabad, following the signature of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on what was termed as the 'Islamabad Long March Declaration', Qadri said, "The march that started on Sunday and continued till today had become a great model for the world to see." The agreement could be reached after a 10-member committee, formed by Ashraf and headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), held negotiations with Tahirul Qadri to end the sit-in.According to the declaration, the National Assembly shall be dissolved at any time before March 16, 2013 (due date), so that elections may take place within 90 days. According to sources, Qadri came down from his bulletproof cabin following an agreement with the government late Thursday, climbed into his sleek black SUV and headed towards Lahore leaving thousands of his followers behind celebrating the "victory". "I congratulate you. Today is the day of victory for the people of Pakistan. You should go home as peacefully as you came here," Qadri told participants after signing the deal with the prime minister.Qadri's supporters danced and cheered in a carnival-style atmosphere despite the chilly winter night, before packing their bags, collecting their mattresses and blankets and getting into their vehicles.

ECONOMY

Govt imposes 2.5 pc import duty on crude edible oils

NEW DELHI,JAN 18: The Union government has imposed a 2.5% import duty on crude edible oils to restrict overseas purchases and protect domestic oilseed growers. The import duty on refined varieties of palm oil, however, remains unchanged at 7.5% to check the prices. "The Cabinet has decided to levy these duties after an in-depth consultation. The move is likely to encourage oilseed growers," said food minister KV Thomas after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. With the enhanced duty on crude palm oil, price payable to farmers will increase by around 150 per tonne. On the other hand, the impact of enhanced duty on prices of edible oils would be negligible at less than 1 per kg. "The price may be further moderated on account of the huge stocks of palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia, which may force these countries to lower the export duty currently levied in an effort to boost their exports," said an agriculture ministry official. remained unchanged as a fiscal measure to contain inflation. The freeze has led to a significant variation between 20% to protect soya bean and mustard seed farmers, who are struggling to find a right price in the market due to falling oil prices following heavy imports. The prices of refined palmolein oil have come down drastically from 58,789 a tonne in December 2011 to 48,000 a tonne in December 2012. The import of edible oil during 2011-12 (Nov to Oct) rose 19% to 99.8 lakh tonne compared to 83.7 lakh tonne during the previous year. However, the domestic availability of edible oils during 2011-12 has been 73.4 lakh tonne as against 79.2 lakh tonne during the previous year. Edible oil companies, however, don't see any immediate change in retail prices. "There will be no change in the retail price because the duty hike may result in an increase of 50-60 paise a litre," said Angshu Mallick, COO,Adani Wilmar that sells edible oil under the Fortune brand name.

Provide 5 kg wheat and rice for Rs 3 & 2 per kg: Panel Report
NEW DELHI,JAN 18: The UPA government's food security bill should guarantee 5 kg of wheat and rice to all beneficiaries at a uniform price of Rs 3/kg and Rs 2/kg , respectively , a parliamentary panel report has suggested . It has recommended scrapping of separate rates and quantity of grain sold to the poor and the general public . At present , below the poverty line families effectively get 7 kg of wheat at Rs 4.15 a kg and rice at Rs 5.65 per kg , per month . In the Food Security Bill , the government had proposed to change this by giving 7 kg of wheat and rice at Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kg . Non-BPL families , as per the bill , were to get 3 kg of grain at half the government's fixed minimum support price , which translates to about Rs 7 per kg for wheat and Rs 10 per kg for rice . The report of the parliamentary committee has set the stage for speedy roll out of the scheme , once it is approved by the Parliament . In its report submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker , the panel accepted the government's suggestion that subsidised grains should be given to 67% of the population instead of discriminating between priority households and general households. "There should be a single category of beneficiary with uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month . The beneficiaries should get rice , wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3, 2 and 1 per kg , respectively ," the panel suggested in its report . The panel said that states will be free to distribute more than 5 kg of food grain per person a month . "But then the states will have to bear the additional cost," said panel chairman Vilas Muttemwar . The panel said that the food security should cover 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban people as mentioned in the Bill . The panel also said that the states should have the option to choose from distributing grain or transfer food subsidies directly to the account of beneficiaries . "Direct transfer should not happen unless there is adequate banking infrastructure available in the state," he said . At 5 kg per person per month , 48 .8 million tonne of grain would be required for PDS and another 8 million tonne for other social welfare schemes . "The annual food subsidy requirement would also be lower at about Rs 1.12 lakh crore ," the chairman said . However, CPM leader TN Seema , a member of the panel , submitted a dissent note . "The uniform entitlement recommended by the committee at 5kg per head is quite unacceptable as it would reduce even the present entitlement for BPL and AAY families of 35 kg effectively by 10 kg for a family of five ," she said . The recommendations of the House panel are not binding on the government , but the government is likely to accept the changes proposed , as these suggestions match its own re-thinking on implementation of the ambitious scheme . If accepted , the recommendations will benefit the general population in both price and quantity , while BPL member will get lesser quota than what was proposed in the original bill . A pet project of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi , the bill was introduced in December 2011, and was referred to the standing committee for examination in January 2012

The agriculture ministry, which moved the proposal, had initially proposed a 7.5% duty on crude edible oil and 15% on refined palm oil. "These tariffs were quite steep and could have resulted in dearer oil prices in the country," said another minister who attended the meeting. The tariff value will be aligned with international oil prices and fixed on a fortnightly basis. "Since 31 July 2006, tariff values of edible oils have

the notified tariff values and the landed prices based on international prices of edible oils, adversely affecting revenue collection and the domestic refining industry. The duty imposition will encourage domestic refiners," said a food ministry official. The Solvent Extractors Association (SEA), an industry body, has sought that the government raise the import duty on crude palm oil by 10% and refined palmolein oil from the existing 7.5% to

Tax evasion of over Rs 2,600 crore detected

NEW DELHI, JAN 18: Revenue and excise intelligence officials have detected Rs 2,600-crore tax and duty evasion in the quarter to December. Data released by the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) and the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), agencies under the finance ministry's revenue department, pegs the evasion in service tax, central excise and customs duty at Rs 2,670.51 crore. Of this, over Rs 880 crore has been recovered, the agencies said on Thursday. While unpaid service tax amounts to Rs 1,700 crore, customs and excise duty evasion is pegged at Rs 701.17 crore and Rs 268.80 crore, respectively. During the quarter, the DRI seized contraband worth Rs 504.39 crore and detected 143 cases of duty evasion, its director-general, Najib Shah, said in a statement. Sixty-two persons were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962. During the quarter, the DRI recovered Rs 369.34 crore in customs duties, compared with Rs 362.04 crore in the year-ago period, the statement said, adding that the agency is probing cases of misuse of exemption notifications and undervaluation of imports, which together amount to over Rs 1,000 crore in customs duty evasion. In the year-ago quarter, the agency had detected duty evasion of Rs 172 crore and recovered Rs 85 crore. According to Shah, 13 preventive detentions were made under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974. The trend is indicative of illegal trade in gold not only by way of outright smuggling but also through commercial manipulations, including misuse of the free trade agreement with Thailand, Shah said. Other trends detected include influx of fake currency from Bangladesh, heroin from Pakistan, hashish from Nepal, miscellaneous contraband like cigarettes, branded shoes and ozone-depleting refrigerant gases from China, and high-end watches from Europe. The DRI also detected cases of under-valuation of imports and overvaluation of exports, under-valuation and misuse of exemptions relating to import of aircraft by non-scheduled operators, money laundering by way of over-invoicing of imported drawings or designs, and illegal export of urea. The DGCEI detected 315 cases of service tax evasion involving Rs 1,700 crore, its director-general, J Chaturvedi, said. Of this, about Rs 445 crore has either been recovered or commitment for payment secured.

RBI seen cutting interest rate by 25 bps as inflation slows: Poll

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India is expected to reduce its policy interest rate by 25 basis points in a policy review on January 29, making its first cut in nine months on the back of slowing inflation and weak economic activity, economists polled by Reuters said. Thirty of 40 economists surveyed said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to lower its repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.75 per cent. Data released on Monday showing headline inflation slowed to its lowest level in three years, was seen giving the central bank leeway to focus on supporting growth that is set for its weakest expansion in a decade during the fiscal year that ends in March. "The reason why the RBI can now cut rates is we are seeing some moderation in inflation, and it is likely to continue throughout 2013," said Gaurav Kapur, senior economist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Mumbai. "They would use this available space to support growth." The repo rate has been unchanged at 8.0 per cent since April, putting India's interest rates among the highest among major economies. While many central banks have pushed through monetary stimulus packages to beat a slowdown in the global economy, the RBI has stood its ground, citing high inflation and high fiscal and current account deficits. New Delhi's decision on Thursday to give fuel retailers leeway to raise prices of heavily subsidised diesel could be inflationary, though it is also likely to improve the fiscal deficit, economists said.

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MISC

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Tennis row: Rebel players approach Sports ministry
NEW DELHI: In a desperate attempt to get back to the Indian Davis Cup team, the 11 rebel players have sought intervention of Sports Ministry to resolve the crisis but their effort is unlikely to bear any fruit with the ministry categorically stating that it has "no role to play in selection matters". AITA was forced to pick an inexperienced side, which has only one top player in Leander Paes, to take on South Korea after the revolting players did not make themselves available by the stipulated deadline of January 11. Even the AITA Vice President Karti Chidambaram, who is said to be at loggerheads with the AITA top brass, has also written to the Ministry, saying that the national federation selected the team well before the ITF deadline and could have resolved the issue in that period. The last date to submit the squad is January 22. AITA accommodated many demands of players, including change in support staff and an increased share in prize money and later added three more concessions. However, Sports Secretary P K Deb said they cannot enter a territory which does not belong to them.

3rd ODI: Sri Lanka bundle out Australia for 74

BRISBANE: Sri Lanka laboured to a four-wicket victory after right-arm pacer Nuwan Kulasekara destroyed Australia with a fine display of swing bowling in the third one-day international in Brisbane on Friday. Australia's top and middle order batsmen capitulated before Kulasekara's inswing while Lasith Malinga (3-22) polished off the tail to bowl out the hosts for 74 in 26.4 overs. The win, though not as convincing as it should have been, puts Sri Lanka 2-1 up in the five-match series. Sydney hosts the fourth onedayer on Sunday. For Australia, only Mitchell Starc (22 not out) and Xavier Doherty (15) managed double digits, adding 34 runs for the last wicket to take the home side past their lowest ODI total ever. On a day when ball dominated bat and not a single six was hit, the Sri Lankan batsmen had their problems too and wobbled early on in their chase. Mitchell Johnson (3-11) blew away their top order, while Starc claimed a couple as Sri Lanka lost six wickets before scrambling over the delivery when he removed opener David Warner and Australia captain Michael Clarke was soon left to rue lowed it with a delivery that swung a long way to trap the scoreless George Bailey leg before. Matthew Wade denied him a hat-trick but that was hardly solace for the hosts as Kulasekara returned to peg back Clarke's middle stump and push one through Moises Henriques's gate for his first five-wicket haul, also earning him the man of the match award. After Kulasekara had exposed Australia's lower order, Malinga ran through the tail, removing Johnson, Wade and Clint McKay. Starc and Doherty added 34 runs for the last wicket before Shaminda Eranga dismissed Doherty to end the Australian innings in the 27th over. Number nine batsman Starc took a couple of blows on his helmet but hung on to take Australia past their previous lowest total of 70 that came on two occasions, against England in Birmingham in 1977 and New Zealand at Adelaide in 1986.

Maria Sharapova crushes Venus Williams to reach fourth round

MELBOURNE: Second seed Maria Sharapova sent Venus Williams crashing out of the Australian Open on Friday in a crushing straight sets defeat in the third round. The Russian, who was champion at Melbourne Park in 2008, was in rampant form, winning 6-1, 6-3 in 79 minutes on Rod Laver Arena against the vastly experienced American. Next up for the world number two, who was beaten in the final last year by Victoria Azarenka, is Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who overcame Russian qualifier Valeria Savinykh. Sharapova has been in irresistible form in Melbourne, becoming the first person to score two 'double bagel' 6-0, 6-0 Grand Slam wins in a row since 1985 in her opening two matches. She failed to make it three but gave it a good crack and has now won 36 of the 40 games she has played at the opening Grand Slam of the season. Williams is only seeded 25 but the seven-time Grand Slam winner has been climbing back up the rankings after injury and illness, and was expected to offer more resistance. Williams, who has not won a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2008, knew she had her work cut out

Australia were dismissed for 74 as Nuwan Kulasekara set up a crushing Sri Lankan victory in the third ODI in Brisbane line in 20 overs. Kushal Perera was unbeaten on 22, while Tillakaratne Dishan also contributed as many runs. It was a brave effort by the Australian bowlers after they were let down by their batting colleagues earlier in the day. Angelo Mathews drew first blood with his seventh his decision to bat first as the batting lineup came unstuck. Right-arm pacer Kulasekara tasted his first success when skipper Mahela Jayawardene took a sharp, low catch in the second slip to dismiss the other opener Phil Hughes. Kulasekara was on a hattrick in his next over when he removed Hussey and fol-

when she was immediately broken to trail 1-0. She had a break point in the second game but failed to convert, and went 3-0 down when she blasted a forehand into the net. The American finally got off the mark when the Russian netted a backhand return, but the reprieve was shortlived and Sharapova raced to the set in just 29 minutes. Williams was out of her depth and struggling to even win a point as she fell 3-0 behind in the second set before rallying to claw back to 3-1. She started finding her range and managed to force a break at 5-2 and then held her serve but with 26 unforced errors, most off her forehand, it was delaying the inevitable and Sharapova finished the match with an ace.

Novak Djokovic beats Radek Stepanek in third round

MELBOURNE: World no. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round of Australian Open on Friday. This is Djoker's 17th straight win at the annual event. The 25-year-old Serb is looking to defend his title that he won in 2012 defeating Spaniard Rafael Nadal in an epic final. If he manages to defend his crown, he'll become the first man in the Open era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles. Now he will play either Sam Querrey or Stanislaw Wawrinka in the fourth round on Sunday.

Viswanathan draws with Carlsen at Tata chess tourney Saina Nehwal regains World No. 2 ranking
WIJK AAN ZEE (THE NETHERLANDS): World champion Viswanathan Anand played out an easy draw with world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway, while P Harikrishna scored a smashing victory over Loek van Wely of Holland in the fifth round of the Tata Steel chess tournament. After a hurricane effort that gave him a victory and the best game prize against Armenian Levon Aronian, Anand did not get the desired complexities against Carlsen and the Norwegian held his own to draw comfortably. Against Harikrishna, on the other hand, Van Wely fell prey to some wild tactics on another day that produced five decisive games out of a possible seven. Aronian came back in reckoning defeating Ivan Sokolov of Holland, Chinese Wang Hao scalped for another Dutch Erwin L'Ami, American Hikaru Nakamura proved much superior to Yifan Hou of China and Hungarian Peter Leko scored over Fabiano Caruana of Italy. With eight rounds still to come in the category-20 super tournament, Anand continued to share the lead with Carlsen and Karjakin on 3.5 points but the lead gap is now just a half point from nearest contestants. Wang Hao, Nakamura, Leko and Harikrishna share the fourth spot on three points apiece and they are followed by Aronian on 2.5 points. Giri, Van Wely and Caruana follow next on two points, a half point ahead of Sokolov and L'Ami while Yifan Hou is still at the bottom with one point in her bag. Carlsen employed the Petroff as black to declare his peace intentions early in the game. Anand went for a topical variation wherein the Norwegian exchanged pieces at regular intervals to maintain parity. With a draw in sight, Anand made the proposal on move 24 which was immediately accepted. KUALA LUMPUR: Olympic bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal attained a new high as she climbed to a career-best second in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Thursday.Saina gained a rung to be second with 80091.7444 points. The 22-year-old Indian is a distant second to top-placed Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China who has 94626.7153 points. In the men's list, Olympic quarterfinalist Parupalli Kashyap also headed northwards as he reached a career-high 10th. Kashyap, who was 11th in the previous rankings, has 51986.6900 points and is the only Indian in the top-25 of the BWF list. On a day she regained her world No.2 status, the India ace Nehwal produced a dominant performance to cruise into the quarterthe top billing in the tournament, didn't break a sweat as she brushed aside Pui Yin Yip 21-12 21-9 in a lop-sided women's singles match that lasted only half an hour. The Indian will now take on Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarterfinals at the National Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur. Saina has not yet played the world No. 33 Japanese shuttler who beat Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri 2113, 21-13. Earlier, Saina had reached her career best world No. 2 in December 2010 for the first time, was lagging behind initially but she rode on her 12 smash winners to tame Pui Yin Yip, who played well at the nets.

finals of the Malaysia Open Super Series with a straight-game victory over Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip here on Thursday. The 22-year-old, who was given

ICC shifts Pakistan's Women's World Cup matches to Odisha

NEW DELHI: Amidst the security concerns, ICC on Friday decided to shift Pakistan's league matches of the upcoming Women's World Cup from Mumbai to Odisha. Pakistan are in Group B which also includes teams like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. There has been heavy protest against the Pakistan team's presence amidst the tension between the two countries at the LoC. Odisha Cricket Association will host Group B matches. All Group B matches of the ICC Women's World Cup are to be held in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar instead of Mumbai. Earlier, Mumbai and Ahmedabad were ruled out as venues because of security concerns and possible political protests, prompting the BCCI to look for alternative venues. Fearing that the matches could be disrupted, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf had suggested to the ICC that the entire World Cup tournament should be shifted to South Africa. The eight-team Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in Mumbai between January 31 and February 17 but there are concerns that there might be protests, leading to trouble.

Lance Armstrong admits to doping, asked to return Olympic medal

LONDON: The IOC has stripped Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of his involvement in doping, an International O l y m p i c Committee official said on Thursday. IOC sent a letter to Armstrong on We d n e s d a y night asking him to return the medal. The move came after the International Olympic Committee was notified by cycling's governing body that Armstrong had not appealed the decision to disqualify him. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hasn't been announced. The IOC executive board discussed revoking the medal last month, but delayed a decision until cycling body UCI formally notified Armstrong he had been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and all results since 1998. He then had 21 days to appeal. Now that the deadline has expired, the IOC decided to take the medal away. The letter to Armstrong was also sent to the US Olympic Committee. The move was confirmed to the AP on the same day that Armstrong's admission of using performance-enhancing drugs, after years of denials, is to be broadcast in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.The timing of the IOC move, however, was not related to the TV interview. Two months after winning his second Tour de France title in 2 0 0 0 , Armstrong took bronze in Sydney in the road time trial behind winner and U.S. Postal Service teammate Vyacheslav Ekimov of Russia and Jan Ullrich of Germany. The IOC opened a disciplinary case in November after a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report detailed widespread doping by Armstrong and his teammates. The report called it the most sophisticated doping program in sports. The IOC will not reallocate Armstrong's bronze medal, just as the UCI decided not to declare any winners for the Tour titles once held by the American. Spanish rider Abraham Olano Manzano, who finished fourth in Sydney, will not be upgraded and the bronze medal placing will be left vacant in Olympic records.

LeBron scores 39 points to lead Heat`s victory

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James` 39 points led the Miami Heat to a 99-90 win over rivals LA Lakers in NBA action here.Heat forward LeBron dominated the game Thursday, and finished with eight assists and seven rebounds.Lakers guard Kobe Bryant shot eight for 25, but four for nine from three-point range, contributing 22 points, four rebounds and one assist. "It`s not much of a setback," Bryant said. "They played very well. They obviously have a familiarity, been playing together, and they know where they want to be in their spots. They executed down the stretch. LeBron made some tough shots." "I thought we played well enough to beat them," said Lakers coach Mike D`Antoni. "That`s a championship team. They turned on all the juices, so it`s a good measuring stick. That`s what they do, and we have to get better. We`ve got to get smoother." Dwyane Wade added another 27 points, five assists and four rebounds for Heat. Dwight Howard scored 13 points and 16 rebounds while Pau Gasol had 12 points and four rebounds on his return from a five-game absence with a concussion for the Lakers.

'Freedom of expression under threat in digital age'

NEW DELHI: With social networking site Facebook boasting of 1 billion members globally and microblogging site Twitter claiming millions, opinion was divided on whether the freedom of expression was under threat in the digital age. "Censorship of content should be the last resort as curbing a particular content online actually amplifies its spread over the internet," said Sunil Abraham from Centre for Internet and Society. He was speaking at a panel discussion organised by London based Index on Censorship and the Editors Guild of India on the issue at the India International Centre Tuesday evening. "The government has refused to amend Section 66(A) of the IT Act which is used to curb free speech on the net," said Guild chief TN Ninan who moderated the debate. "The law treats digital media differently than the print media," he said. Director of Free Speech Debate, Oxford University, Timothy Garton Ash said, "There was no threat to the freedom of speech as internet was actually an opportunity for spreading freedom of expression." India with the large number of net users could act as swing state between two extremes of China which is trying to control the net and the US which champions free speech, he said. "The question is what are the legitimate limits of free speech rather than asking for unlimited speech," said Ash. Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO and founder of online portal rediff.com, said "there was a sense of powerlessness among nation states as only local laws applied to any such violations." He said the internet was not so democratic as it sounded as the actual numbers of users who posted content on Facebook were just 8-9 million while the rest just watched. The same was with Twitter with just 7-8 percent users actually posting messages. Kirsty Hughes, CEO, Index on Censorship, said "freedom of speech was universal" while noting a "worrying trend that increasingly governments were moving to control the internet." "The risks of such controls are that we could have a much more controlled, censored and fragmented internet," she said. He said the internet allowed people to instantly collaborate and publish critical information during emergency situations.

Ancient tentacled creature 'early member of small marine organisms'

LONDON: In a new study, researchers have shed light on a peculiar tentacled marine creature that lived 520 million years ago. Experts thought that Cotyledion tylodes may have belonged to the jellyfish-like cnidarian group, but new anatomical evidence from the animal's fossilised remains suggests the species was an early member of the group of small marine organisms called entoprocts. Results of the study, by an international research team, suggest that entoprocts appeared earlier than previously thought. Entoprocts are small organisms that feed by straining food particles from water. Scientists analysed hundreds of Cotyledion tylodes fossils preserved in the Cotyledion tylodes as an entoproct places the fossil record of this group in the earlier Cambrian period. Some anatomical characteristics of Cotyledion tylodes are comparable to those of modern entoprocts, especially the presence of a U-shaped gut with a mouth and anus surrounded by a crown of tentacles. "This is... the first time to confirm that [Cotyledion tylodes] had a U-shaped gut accommodated in the calyx cavity," BBC quoted Zhifei Zhang from Northwest University, Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province, China, as saying. The bizarre-looking creature also had a goblet-shaped body with an upper cup-like cavity and lower elongated stalk, with which it "attached to exoskeletons of other organisms", Zhang explained. Cotyledion tylodes was larger than extant entoprocts, measuring between 8mm and 56mm in height. Its body was covered in external, hardened structures called sclerites, which are not found on modern entoprocts. The "Cambrian explosion" saw the relatively sudden appearance of abundant life forms in the sea. Mr Zhang said that the team's reinterpretation of Cotyledion tylodes as belonging to the Entoprocta phylum adds further support to the idea that "nearly all the living phyla of animals suddenly appeared in the Cambrian". However, few fossil representatives of Lophotrochozoa have been found in Cambrian fossil records.

Chengjiang fossil site in Yunnan province, China, dating from the Cambrian geological period (545 to 495 million years ago). To date, the only uncontested fossil entoproct comes from the Jurassic (205 to 142 million years ago). However this reinterpretation of

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