Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013
Sebi freezes assets of Subrata Roy and two Sahara Group companies
Editorial
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IN BRIEF
Centre can not intervene if states restrict media: Manish Tewari
NEW DELHI: With the fourday gag on newspapers in Kashmir Valley coming under criticism, union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari Thursday said the centre could not intervene when a state government imposed curbs on media. "Freedom of expression is a contd on page 2
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NEW DELHI, FEB 14:India and France today concluded negotiations on the Short Range Surface to Air Missile nearly worth of $6 billion during the talks between French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who also said talks on $10billion deal for Rafale fighter aircraft are "progressing well". After a comprehensive talks, the leaders said views were exchanged on a number of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of common interest including defence ties, civil nuclear cooperation, counter-terror-
ism and situation in Mali. Observing that India is Hollande's first Asian destination for a bilateral trip, Singh said this demonstrates the importance of this rela-
tionship between the two countries. "President Hollande and I exchanged views on a number of bilateral, regional and contd on page 2
rench President Francois Hollande who is on a two-day visit to India was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan Thursday. Later he visited Rajghat in New Delhi and paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Hollande was received by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. contd on page 2
AGARTALA: Tripura today witnessed a massive turnout of 91.6 per cent of 23,52,505 voters in peaceful polling amidst tight security for the 60-member House. The percentage of polling could rise as poll process was still continuing in some parts of the state, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said. In the last assembly election in 2008, the percentage of polling was 92.6 per cent. The Left Front is hoping to return for a record fifth straight time with the main contest between the LF and the Congress. The fates of chief minister Manik Sarkar, finance minister Badal Chowdhury, Higher Education minister Anil
Sarkar, TPCC president Sudip Ray Barman, former chief minister Samir Ranjan Burman and Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) president Bijay Hrankhwal among 249 candidates of 16 political parties were sealed in the EVMs. Police said five crude bombs hidden in a bush were recovered from Bodhjungnagar area of Khayerpur constituency by a CRPF patrol team. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, officials said. The chief minister cast his vote at a booth in Umakanta School in Ramnagar constituency. TPCC president and INPT chief contd on page 2
oters queued up in large numbers outside polling booths in Tripura from early morning Thursday as the singlephased assembly elections proceeded peacefully and briskly, officials said. "Polling began at 7 a.m. with men and women queuing up in large numbers to cast their votes in 60 assembly constituencies," said Ashutosh Jindal, chief electoral officer. "I expect a huge turnout by the time polling ends at 4 p.m. Tripura recorded 93 percent polling in the last assembly contd on page 2
International Rafting LC Panel for launching BJP defends NDA govt's Cup 2013' on Chinab Silk Mission in State decision on chopper deal River from 22 Feb
SRINAGAR, FEB 14: To explore the adventure sports potential of the Chinab region, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is going to organize 'Jammu and Kashmir International Rafting Cup 2013' on Chinab River from 22nd of this month. In view of this forth coming event District Development Commissioner Doda convened a meeting of District and Sectoral Officers and reviewed the necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event. Nodal Officer of event AD Tourism Pahalgam Srinagar Tariq Hussain besides Executive Officer Municipality Doda, Thathri, Army Officers and other District and Sectoral Officers attended the meeting. During the meeting it was revealed that the championship starts from Thathri and culminate at Pul Doda and 11 teams are scheduled to take part during the Championship. Various arrangements were discussed in the meeting which include boarding and lodging of teams and their stay in District Doda, Security arrangements, uninterrupted contd on page 2 JAMMU, FEB 14: The Departmental Related Standing Committee on Industries and Commerce of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council Thursday called for launching silk mission on the pattern of Horticulture Mission to tap the huge potential of silkworm rearing in the state. The Committee, which met here today under the Chairmanship of MLC Mr. Ravinder Kumar Sharma, said that to exploit the available potential to the full, need of the hour was to constitute Counselling Guide and Consultancy Wing with the involvement of experts from different fields. Legislators, Mr. Nizamuu-din Khatana, Syeed Rafiq Ahmad Shah, Mr. Bashir Ahmad Magray and Mr. Ali Mohammad Dars stressed for identification of establishment of small scale industrial units in the State especially in Rajouri, Poonch and other hilly and remote areas to benefit the unemployed youth of these areas. Threadbare discussion was held on progress and achievements of various wings of Industries and Commerce department including Khadi and Village Industry, SIDCO, Handicrafts, Handloom and SICOP. The panel took serious note of delay in submission of questionnaire called by the Committee and asked the concerned to look into the matter and fix responsibility against the erring official. The Committee directed the Industries and Commerce authorities to ensure quality control of the products through the experts for competing in the market . It said that the economic empowerment of artisans is purely incidental to the quality of the product. The panel was informed that 15 exhibitions were held this contd on page 2 NEW DELHI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh has defended the NDA government's decision to change the chopper deal norms in 2003, saying it was taken for purely professional reasons. "That's true that technical parameters were changed during that time. I don't see why there is so much excitement as there was a plausible and good reason. The original proposal emerged in 2000 and the Air Force had said that helicopters for VVIP movements ought to be able to go up to 18000 feet. When it came to the Cabinet Committee of
Security, the National Security Advisor very rightly suggested that a single vendor proposal would be improper." When asked about former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi's claim about the then NSA Brajesh Mishra having suggested changes in technical parameters, Jaswant Singh said, "He did no wrong by doing that." This came after former Air contd on page 2
Protests over Vayalar Ravi's remarks, BJP asks Cong to rap him
NEW DELHI: There is outrage in Kerala after Union Minister Vayalar Ravi was caught on video making a personal swipe at a female reporter who wanted his reaction to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson PJ Kurien's alleged involvement in the Suryanelli gangrape case. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari Thursday said that his colleague and Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi has apologised for his sexist comments, and the matter should rest there. Tewari said the remark was unbecoming for someone working in the public sphere, but since Ravi had apologised unfortunate that the union minister behaved this way, if this is his conduct in front of the camera, what would he do in the absence of camera?" "Personal apology holds no good, he owes an apology publicly. If you misuse your position you set a very bad example. Congress should rap Ravi for this kind of behaviour," she added. Smriti Irani also said the Congress was setting a bad example by not acting against such acts. "I am sure the PMO is aware of this incident. I feel that by keeping quiet on this behaviour, it gives an impression that the Congress high command is okay with such behaviour," she said. contd on page 2
and withdrawn his remarks, the matter should now be put to rest. Women journalists in Kerala expressed outrage and staged protests, following which Vayalar Ravi apologised to the reporter. The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded action against Ravi. BJP leader Smriti Irani said, "It is
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maintenance of sanctity of town , road and venue area besides various other arrangements were discussed in the meeting. DDC impressed upon the officers to put in place all the arrangements well in time for the smooth and enthusiastic celebration of this International event in the District and asked the officers to work in coordinated manner to make the event successful. He said that this event will go a long way in promoting tourism potential of the District and also prove a milestone for development of the District and future tourism seasons in the region. He said efforts must be made to explore 100 percent tourism potential of the region. or information is available which may indicate serious misconduct on the part of a public servant but is not adequate to justify registration of a regular case. On Monday, Italian agencies had arrested the then CEO of Finmeccanica's subsidiary AgustaWestland, Giuseppe Orsi, for alleged bribe given to Indian middlemen to clinch the deal. Yesterday, the agency had received a complaint from the Defence Ministry seeking a probe in the alleged kickbacks given in the procurement of 12 helicopters from Finmeccanica's subsidiary AgustaWestland. In February 2010, India had inked the Rs 3,600 crore deal to acquire the 12 three-engine AW-101 helicopters from the Italian company for the services of VVIPs including the President and the PM. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is also monitoring the developments and might register a case under the stringent clauses of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in this deal once the CBI files an FIR and also will take in account its ongoing investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The proposed bill, part of the Congress manifesto in the 2009 general elections, is expected to be the flagship legislation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. "It is a pro-poor bill it is a dream project of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi," said Thomas. "It aims at protection of lifecycle of the poor people." The bill will add Rs.20,000 crore more to the Rs.1 lakh crore food subsidy at present. Also, food grain requirement under the bill will go up from 55 million tonnes to between 60-62 million tonnes. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2011 and sent to a parliamentary standing committee. The revised bill is being worked out on the basis of the panel's recommendations, Thomas said. While states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh wanted universal PDS, Orissa, Kerala and Bihar said the quantity of 5 kg grain per person per month suggested by the parliamentary panel was not sufficient.
LC Panel for..
fiscal where in 900 artisans participated and displayed their products. The Committee sought detailed report about the number of carpet units and tribal schemes in vogue for the security of the Committee members. Earlier, Commissioner/ Secretary, I & C Mr. Shantmanu briefed the Committee about the activities of various wings of the department. The meeting was attended by the Director, Industries Jammu Mr. G. A. Quershi, Director Geology and Mining Mr. Farooq Ahmad Khan, Director Carpet Industries Mr. Zubair Ahmad, Director Handloom Development Department, Mr. D. R. Sharma, Managing Director, SIDCO Mr. Mohammad Muazzam, MD , JKHDL Mr. B. S. Dua, Deputy Secretary Legislative Council Mr. Mohammad Maqbool Bhat and other offices of I & C department besides officers from Council Secretariat.
SC asks Centre...
and supporters, entered and vandalised the official residence of District Magistrate at Murshidabad in West Bengal. Citing the affidavit of Tamil Nadu, Salve said the Prince of Arcot is being provided the security because of his old status accorded by the Britishers, who did it to us for "political" reasons. "Let me point out that the problem has become an endemic and a part of our political culture," he said. The bench, hearing a PIL filed by a Uttar Pradesh resident on misuse of red beacon, passed a slew of directions after going through two notes provided to it by Salve, who had also moved the court on the issue, and said, "if streets are unsafe then it has to be unsafe for the Secretary of the State also." Earlier, Salve had also filed a plea questioning the stoppage of traffic and other security paraphernalia put in place for facilitating the movement of a high functionaries during the cremation of former Prime Minister I K Gujral on December 3 here. During the hearing, Justice Singhvi today said, "I K Gujral would not have done it in his lifetime but his body did". Salve said, "I just wanted to draw the attention of the court that in my colony, five vehicles of Haryana Police are stationed outside a posh house" and on being enquired, it came to light to they were guarding a relative of the Chief Minister. "How the police of a state can enter into other state's territory with arms... It has become a tradition. Earlier, a businessman was beaten up by Punjab police in connection with a case... luckily, he had the boarding pass of Indian Airlines flight from Bangalore to Delhi. All are not so lucky," he said. Taking note of the submissions, the court said all citizens should be treated at par and passed a slew of directions seeking responses on several issues including the total number of persons who have been provided security at state expense. The bench, in its order, said, "Details of security provided to children, family members and the relatives of the public functionaries within and outside the state be also provided. Details of the persons, who are facing criminal charges and to whom security has been provided at state expenses, be also provided." Considering Salve's pleas based on affidavits of various state governments on security given to persons, including businessmen like Vijay Mallya, the bench sought a response on such covers provided to private individuals. It wanted to know whether the private individuals foot their security bills or they are borne by the state. The court also asked the state and Union Territories to "provide details of reviews undertaken of the security provided to public and private individuals. "All the States and Union territories shall also file copies of the Rules/orders which empowers police or functionaries to close the roads for the movements/visits of persons." After being pointed out that blowing of sirens, during the movements of VVIPs, create nuisance, the bench also sought replies on the issue. However, it made it clear that the ambulances and vehicles of security forces would not fall under regulatory measures. Salve, during the hearing, sought a direction to the Centre to frame guidelines for review of security given to persons. He also said besides diplomatic reasons and ceremonial state functions, the roads should not be blocked. The court asked Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Delhi government, to respond as to on what basis the security covers are being provided. It asked the Centre to apprise it about the meaning of "high dignitaries". During the hearing, the bench said the red light has become a status symbol. "We will start from ourselves. Remove the red light from our vehicles... get a response from the MHA Ministry of Home Affairs), it said. Earlier, the court had said that police personnel, who are put on duty for giving security cover to VIPs, should be deployed for better purposes like making the roads safe for women. Even judges of various courts would not have a problem if security personnel given to them are withdrawn and deployed on streets, it had said.
BJP defends...
Chief Marshal SP Tyagi dragged in some crucial names including Brajesh Mishra, the former National Security Advisor during the NDA regime into the Italian chopper deal controversy. "When the requirements were made out, the height decided was 18,000 feet, subsequently we found that only one particular helicopter which met this requirement, because there was only one, we could have still bought, if there is only one of its kind. One problem was the government is always charry about handling a single vendor situation. Mr Brajesh Mishra who was then the NSA wrote to say that this helicopter doesn't meet the SPG's requirement and since there is no other helicopter available at this height, we need to change the requirements and it was then suggested, the height be changed," Tyagi said. However, former Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy denied receiving any letter from the Prime Minister's Office in 2003 on the AgustaWestland chopper deal. "I don't think there was any request for proposal or anything that started in my time. We have been working on VVIP helicopters since 1993," S Krishnaswamy said. "I am saddened if it's true. The investigation has been ordered and they will go to the depth of it. Time is right that truth must come out and people must be punished whosoever has done wrong," he added. When asked about the alleged involvement of former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi's family members, Krishnaswamy said, "We never met the Tyagi brothers." Meanwhile, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has demanded a probe monitored by the Supreme Court. "This whole probe needs to be monitored by the Supreme Court, otherwise this will also be a cover-up operation. Let us understand that both the Bofors and this have common elements in it. Both have Italian connection and middlemen and that is why we need to be more cautious," Javadekar said. While SP Tyagi named the NSA during Vajpayee's term, the Italian report alleged that 51 million euro kickbacks were paid between 2005 and 2011, during the UPA regime. The kickbacks were paid in the form of monthly remittances disguised as payments for engineering contracts. Italian officials say at least 21 million euros was paid from 2007 to 2011, making the UPA government accountable, as it was in power. The payments were allegedly made through two companies - IDS India and IDS Tunisia - and no taxes were paid on the same. The report has a detailed list of payments which continued till as late as December 2012. The Rs 3,600 crore deal has also come under the scrutiny of the Enforcement Directorate. It is expected to lodge a criminal case of money laundering to probe the allegations.
92 percent...
Bijoy Hrankhawl exercised their franchise at Agartala and Kulai in Dhalai district respectively. Polling stopped at Sonamura in West Tripura district and Dharmanagar in South Tripura district following technical problems in EVMs. However, the EVMs were replaced and the voting resumed after 10 minutes, the officials said. CPM, the dominant partner in the LF, contested 55 seats, RSP two and CPI two and Forward Bloc one. Congress contested 48 seats and its alliance partners INPT in 11 and National Conference of Tripura in one. Altogether 250 companies of central paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and order. The BSF had sealed the 856 km-long border with Bangladesh and deployed additional forces to prevent infiltration.
Polling proceeds...
elections in 2008," Jindal said. More than 30 percent votes had been cast by 10 a.m., he said. The tempo was expected to increase as the day progressed. New voters and women appeared the most enthusiastic. Of the total population of 37 lakh, about 23.5 lakh are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 249 candidates, including 15 women and many independents. In a few polling stations, trouble with electronic voting machines (EVM) led to voting being stopped for a while. "In the wake of threats from separatists and possible violence, a record 40,000 security personnel have been deployed while two air surveillance teams led by senior police officials are also keeping vigil," the election official said. After casting his vote at a school here, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: "The Left Front would get more votes and more seats this time too." "There is absolutely no impact of 'paribartan' (change) slogan, raised by the Congress, here. The Left Front will won the elections comfortably in most seats," Sarkar told reporters here before leaving for his Dhanpur assembly constituency in western Tripura under Sipahijala district. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) spokesperson Gautam Das said: "We are happy with the casting of votes. Polling so far is peaceful." The Congress has accused the CPI-M of illegally gathering party supporters in two to three polling station areas. "Some general voters were being marked to cast their votes through postal ballots. We have informed the election officer about this," said Ashok Sinha, Congress spokesperson. "The Election Commission has deployed specially modified EVMs in all the 3,041 polling stations across the state to check possible malpractice and other irregularities," he added. About 18,000 poll officials have been deployed to conduct the elections. Of the 3,041 polling stations, 32 have been categorised as very vulnerable and 112 as vulnerable in view of militancy and other security related problems. The Election Commission has appointed over 2,000 micro observers to assist 48 general, expenditure and police observers to oversee electioneering. Thursday's vote will decide the fate of the chief minister, his 11 cabinet colleagues, former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Samir Ranjan Burman his son and state Congress chief Sudip Roy Barman, opposition leader (Congress) Ratan Lal Nath, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) president and former militant leader Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl and a host of others. After a month-long high-voltage campaign, the ruling CPIM led Left Front is locked in a direct fight against the opposition combine of the Congress and the INPT. The Left Front, which has been in power since 1978 barring one term (1988-1993), has been facing a challenge on numerous issues, including higher salaries to the state government employees and rising unemployment.
Education sector..
here Thursday, which is debating the role of transformational leaders in the sector. The summit was organised by the EPSI, a representative body of over 500 higher education institutions in India. Nearly 81 percent of the respondents, who took part in the survey, pointed to a serious gap between the existing pool and the requirement of academic leaders to meet targets of the 12th Five Year Plan and India Vision 2020 for Higher Education sector. Only 18 percent respondents said there is moderate gap between the expected demand and the available pool, according to an EPSI statement. The survey received responses from thought leaders, chancellors, vice-chancellors, deans, principals and professors from the US, Britain, Germany, Australia, France, Hungary and Dubai. The survey was conducted in 22 Indian cities, including DelhiNCR, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Manipal. When asked about 'the critically important traits' of a transformational leader in Indian Higher Education, 80 percent of the respondents cited innovative approach to development as the most important. The respondents also felt that high professional integrity, ethical standards, global exposure and ability to change were some of the other requisite qualities of a transformational leader. Arun Nigavekar, former chairman of University Grants Commission, defined the traits of transformational leaders, which includes making critical judgments; differentiating between good, bad and indifferent; communicating intelligently and being flexible, adaptable and tolerant of other creeds and cultures.
CBI meets...
enquiry undertaken by it in connection with alleged graft in acquiring 12 AW-101 helicopters from Italian firm AgustaWestland for IAF's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries the President, PM and other VVIPs, they said. The agency also asked the officials to provide prima facie conclusions arrived in the probe. The sources said the agency managed to get the 64-page report filed by Italian prosecutors through informal channels but it cannot proceed with the probe on this basis. They said they had gone through the complaint given by the Defence Ministry and found that they have not provided any material except some press clippings which are not enough to proceed with a preliminary enquiry in the case. According to the sources, Defence Ministry has deputed an IAF officer as nodal officer to help the CBI in its probe. They said the ministry has provided some documents and also assured the agency to provide all the details as soon as possible so that probe can be initiated by it. CBI registers a preliminary enquiry when a complaint is received
International Rafting ..
power supply, Deployment of Chinab Rescue teams (Divers) at the venue, maintenance of normal water level during the event, deployment of Medical teams and ambulances, regulation of traffic,
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Government and District administration is all set to foil the Eid-Gah Chalo call given by Hurriyat
SRINAGAR, FEB 14: Government and District administration is all set to foil the Eid-Gah Chalo call given by Hurriyat (G). According to reports all the areas of downtown have been sealed and mobile bunkers have been put in place to foil any attempt on part of people on Friday. Meanwhile strict curfew remained in place in Bandipora, Sopore and Handwara areas in north Kashmir, and old city areas in Srinagar for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday. Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday started limping back to normalcy, five days after the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, even as curfew remained in force in 10 towns of the Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure. A police spokesman said curfew has been relaxed in many parts of the Valley this morning."Curfew is in force in some places as a precautionary measure which includes six police station areas in the city and some towns in rest of the Valley," the spokesman said. He said curfew was not relaxed in north Kashmir towns of Sopore, Pattan, Baramulla, Handwara and Bandipora while in south Kashmir restrictions continued in Shopian, Yaripora and Anantnag town. Curfew also remained in force in old Srinagar city. Authorities relaxed curfew in phased manner in Ram Munshi Bagh, Kothibagh, Shergarhi, Saddar, Rajbagh, Shaheed Gunj, Lal Bazar, Pantha chowk, Parimpora, Bemina, Nowgam and Budgam areas. Curfew was also relaxed from 10 to 12 pm in Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian except Shopian maintown, Islamabad (Anantnag), Awantipora, Kulgam and Yaripora. Curfew was relaxed in entire Baramulla district except the main town and Pattan. A police officer told news sources that protestors resorted to heavy stone pelting in Ladoora Sopore and stray incidents of stone pelting were also reported from Kangan, Rainawari ,Noorbagh and Bandipora. Overall the situation remained peaceful, a police official said. Meanwhile all the arrangements have been made to foil the Eid-Gah Chalo call given by Geelani led Hurriyat. Sources said an important meeting was held in Srinagar on Thursday in which top rank district and police officials participated. The security arrangements made for the Friday was discussed in the meeting at a thread bare. Pertinently, curfew was imposed across Kashmir Valley on Saturday following hanging of Guru inside Tihar Jail in Delhi. Three persons died and over 50 others were injured in clashes between protestors and security forces during protests against Guru's execution.
Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan speaking at a meeting of ISM Department, convened to reviewing the physical and financial status of ongoing projects at Jammu. JAMMU, FEBRUARY 14: Minister of State for Health, Mr. Shabir Ahmad Khan today said that the government was keen to promote Indian system of treatment in the state and with this objective in mind five ISM hospitals, 30 dispensaries involving Rs. 101 crore are being established across the state. The Minister was speaking at an officers meeting of ISM Department, convened to review the physical and financial status of ongoing projects taken up under the flagship health scheme NRHM and State plan for up-gradation of ISM related infrastructure in the State here today. The Health Minister asked the department to encourage the people to also avail this choice of treatment, as the government has already setup ISM health centers at all State and District level hospitals, besides Primary Health Centers, where free medicines as well as other related facilities have been available free of cost for needy patients. Director ISM, Dr. Abdul Kabir, Mission Director, NRHM, Dr. Yashpaul Sharma and other senior officers of concerned Departments attended the meeting. The Health Minister emphasized upon the concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment facilities to at the ISM hospitals adding that it should be strictly ensured that patients are get free medicines and other health care facilities kept available by the government for them in these hospitals. The Minister directed for time bound completion of under execution hospital buildings and asked the Director ISM sort out the issues with concerned departments so that the work do not hamper. Director, ISM, Dr. Abdul Kabir gave detailed resume of physical and financial achievements registered by the department towards promotion of ISM treatment in the State. He said that about 40 lakh people have been treated in ISM health centers and hospitals during last 10 months of current fiscal. He said 2 AYUSH unit have been set up at 396 PHCs providing the choices of treatment under one roof, besides treatment facilities like panchkarma, kasharsutra and regimental therapies have been made available for the patients in 2 Community Health Centers in Kupwara and Sarwal, Jammu . He said to provide Sowa Rigpa treatment facility to the people of ladakh, 20 AMCHI practitioners have been engaged under NRHM there.
Indian Media distracting attention from the ground situation of Kashmir: Hurriyat
SRINAGAR, FEB 14: Hurriyat (M) spokesperson in a press statement issued from Srinagar has lashed out at the Indian media and mainstream political parties for deliberately engaging in a political onslaught to distract attention from the ground situation in Kashmir resulting from Afzal Guru's hanging. Stating that Afzal Guru's hanging has angered and anguished Kashmiris, the spokesperson added that such diversion tactics will not hide the fact that the sentiments of Kashmiris have yet again been treated with utter contempt and disregard. The Hurriyat (M) spokesperson stated that Kashmir was a raging conflict that has real dimensions that affect the lives and rights of the Kashmiri people. Why is the Indian media so brazenly selective in its moral outrage? There is an absolute lack of expressed concern for the state of collective siege in Kashmir by both the Indian Media and mainstream political parties. The Hurriyat (M) spokesperson termed the media campaign on Yasin Malik as a blatant "media trial" and a ploy to shift attention from the political repercussions of Afzal Guru's hanging.
THE JAMMU & KASHMIR STATE BOARD OF SCHOOL EDUCATION, JAMMU NOTIFICATION
In view of the prevailing situation, it is herby notified for the information of all the stake holders that the examination of E.T.T.C. First Year Session 2011-2013 which was scheduled to commence w.e.f. 18th of February 2013 in the State is hereby postponed. The fresh date sheet for the said examination shall be issued separately.
No: F(ETT Exam) Ist yr/Annual/2011-13 Rehari Colony, Jammu Dated: 14-2-2013 (V.R. Sharma) Joint Secretary ETT, JD
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Train link to Katra likely to open by June
KATRA: Travelling by train to Katra, the base camp to the Vaishno Devi shrine, is set to become a reality by June when railways expects to complete the work on this stretch of the ambitious Kashmir rail link project. The opening of the 25km Udhampur-Katra section could see a good number of trains running up to the town, saving passengers the bother of undertaking journey by road from Jammu to the shrine which sees an annual flow of about 10 million people. "We hope to complete work on the section by May following which there would be inspection by commissioner of railway safety before it is commissioned," said CAO of UdhampurSrinagarBaramulla Rail Link Project BD Garg. The route passes through inhospitable terrain making it an extremely challenging engineering project. Talking about one of the tunnels on the section, a portion of which gave in, leading to delays, he said the problem has been sorted out as "we abandon that portion and create a detour". Ballast-free track is being laid before winding up the work. The 292-km-UdhampurKatra-QuazikundBaramulla rail link is vital for the Kashmir Valley as it aims at boosting the economic prosperity of the region by facilitating transportation. Plans are afoot to electrify the entire stretch later on. At present, passenger trains ply between Jammu and Udhampur and between Qazigund and Baramulla. The commissioning of the Udhampur-Katra section is expected to bring in more pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine from across the country. Keeping this in mind, the vast expanse of Katra station has been provided with pilgrim guide tourist assistance, cloak room, waiting hall, VIP lounge, escalators and lifts besides parking space on the either side of the station. Talks are on with Vaishnodevi Shrine Board to have a counter at the station itself. "While the facilities at the station are one of the best in the country, the three platforms itself can accommodate 26 coach trains," Garg said. The first floor has been provided with plush accommodation facilities matching star hotels with cafeteria by IRCTC. Garg noted the construction of the station has given a spurt to the local economy and hospitality sector as a number of hotels have sprung up in close vicinity along with other commercial establishments.
Ashwani Bhatia General Manager, SBI NW-II of Chandigarh Circle during inaugurational gesture. credited to customers A/C immediately. Customer will get immediate response indicating the credit to linked A/C through SMS. In addition to cash deposit transactions, the
Blanket ban on media not acceptable Pt. Bhajan Sopori's musical reform for prisoners in Democracy: Wajahat Habibullah
SRINAGAR, FEB 14: Lambasted the State of Jammu and Kashmir for muzzling the voice of people, Chairperson of the National commission on minorities and the Ex Chief Information Commissioner of the Government of India, Wajahat Habibullah Thursday said that by gagging internet and mass media, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a way is tarnishing the democratic principles of the country. "Free flow of information is the essence of democracy and once you gag the internet and media on the pretext of law and order, that means you are filching the liberty and freedom of people which is not acceptable in a democratic set up," Wajahat Habibullah told reporters and added that the situation in Kashmir Valley is very serious. Refused to comment on the execution of Afzal Guroo, Wajahat Habibullah said that he can't say under what circumstances he was executed and what will be its repercussions. "I can't comment on the execution of Afzal Guroo but I can tell you the situation in Kashmir Valley is very serious where the freedom and liberty of the people are being crippled," He said. The former Information Commissioner of India said that he is surprised the way State Government has put a blanket ban on mass media in Valley. "You can't gag media in a democracy. In this age of information and technology it is absurd to gag internet and not allowing people and youth in particular to make use of the internet facility when we know that internet has become the nerve centre and necessity of life," he said and lamented that even newspapers were not allowed to get published and hundreds of published newspaper copies were seized by the police which tells a sorry state of affairs. Chairperson of the National commission on minorities, Wajahat Habibullah asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to lift the ban on internet and restore the freedom of people. "I hope gag on media will be lifted completely and people will be allowed to freely express their views and opinions," he said JAMMU, FEBRUARY 14SaMaPa (Sopori Academy of Music and Performing Arts) during the ongoing SaMaPa Aalap Festival 2013 today presented a special concert at the District Jail Jammu, Amphalla featuring Santoor recital by the 'King of Strings' and the Saint of Santoor', the Great Music Legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori. The SaMaPa Aalap 2013 is being presented by SaMaPa in collaboration with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, J&K Police and Department of Tourism, Jammu. DGP Prisons Naveen Agarwal was the chief guest while DIG Dr. Mohd. Sultan Lone was the guest of honour on the occasion . The chief guest said that the concert is a major initiative by SaMaPa, Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Abhay Rustum Sopori. He highlighted Sopori family's contribution in keeping alive the rich culture of state and contributing to the society in a grand manner. He said that music is a good medium to touch the soul of a prisoner and the concert provided mental peace to the prisoners which would reform them and relieve them from various environmental tensions they have gone through. He said that Pt. Sopori's music is an opening to positive clarifications. He wished that SaMaPa continues to have such presentation in future also. Superintendent District Jail Jammu, Amphalla Dinesh Sharma in his welcome address said that music is an art that helps to bring harmony and expressions of emotions while reducing tension and anxiety and provides healing touch. He thanked Pt. Sopori for his concern for the jail inmates and helping the society for its betterment. Superintendent Central Jail Kotbhalwal Jammu Rajni Sehgal presented the vote of thanks. Earlier, Pandit Bhajan Sopori said that this concert aimed to provide a musical healing touch and create vibrant activities for the inmates. He said that the programme was organized with a motive to provide emotional support to the prisoners and in order to help them psychologically with music therapy in an attempt to make them better human beings so that they are able to face the world with confi-
dence. The concert also featured the young Sufi Singer Ragini Rainu who presented various Sufi Qualams which were uplifting. She was accompanied by renowned Tabla player of the country Mithilesh Jha ,Abid Hussain on Sarangi, Ravi Sharma on Harmonium, Kamal Sharma on Dholak and Jagmeet Singh on Guitar. Santoor Maestro and Music Composer, and Secretary SaMaPa, Abhay Rustum Sopori spoke on the occasion. He said it's important to create a positive thought process with love for the inmates and create music oriented reform which would help in building sensitivity in each inmate. The programme was attended by a large number of prison inmates and jail staff.
Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Taj Mohi ud Din interacting with mediapersons in connection with the coming Jammu Marathon at Jammu. have playing teams in at least three disciplines of cricket, football and hockey. He said the state has ample human resource in sports but the infrastructure needs to match with it. He said an astro turf would be laid in Srinagar for which the tendering process has almost been completed whileas an indoor sports complex is being developed at Jammu. On the coming 4th Jammu Marathon race being held on February 17, the Minister said large number of people including some celebrities are expected to join the race which would be
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he expose of taped conversations supposedly between the CBI's chief prosecutor on the 2G Spectrum case and one of the highprofile accused in that mega corruption scandal has only served to further muddy the waters. Revealed by a television news channel on Monday, the audio recordings purportedly show public prosecutor AK Singh discussing the specifics of the 2G Spectrum case with Mr Sanjay Chandra, managing director of Unitech which is one of the telecommunication companies that benefited from the Union Government's unfair allocation of 2G Spectrum licences five years ago. A voice that is believed to be Mr Singh's is heard divulging the prosecution's strategies to another man who is supposedly Mr Chandra, then sharing with the latter the brief that he had previously given to senior officers at the CBI and finally, advising him on how best to strengthen his own defence. Of course, it is only fair that one awaits the results of the forensic investigation that is currently being undertaken to ascertain the veracity of the audio tapes before passing any judgement on either the country's premier investigating agency or the corporate that has been accused. Having said that though, there is also no looking away from the fact that the CBI itself has considered the tapes prima facie evidence enough of collusion between Mr Singh and Mr Chandra. So much so that CBI Director Ranjit Sinha has already removed Mr Singh from his role as the prosecutor on the case and also informed the Central Vigilance Commission, the Union Law Ministry and the Supreme Court of the development. Additionally, a prelimi-
nomically powerful (and sometimes scary) China. The relations between France and India may not be as glamorous as with some countries, but they are old, stable and based on trust. For most observers, these are their main traits, whether it is in the domain of defence, civil nuclear energy, space, economic and scientific exchange or culture. 'The mother of all deals', the supply of 126 Medium Multi-
from France). A communique announced that Dassault and Reliance Industries had signed a partnership, "for pursuing strategic opportunities of collaboration in the area of complex manufacturing and support in India." During his Press conference, Union Minister for Defence AK Antony clarified that Dassault could not decide on the quantum of work by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in the Rafale deal, as the Request for
time in April or May, and if it comes back with favourable notings, the deal may be signed soon after. During an informal talk with the French Air Chief, General Denis Mercier, I asked him to characterise the Indo-French relations. He just said 'trust' and quoted the example of the Garuda joint air exercises between France and India. He explained that with very few countries was France so confident to 'share', and this
The relations with India are nevertheless exceptionally important for Paris. It is why Mr Hollande has chosen India for his first visit to Asia, even before visiting the economically powerful (and sometimes scary) China. The relations between France and India may not be as glamorous as with some countries, but they are old, stable and based on trust. For most observers, these are their main traits, whether it is in the domain of defence, civil nuclear energy, space, economic and scientific exchange or culture. 'The mother of all deals', the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft to the Indian Air Force, for which the Rafale of Dassault Aviation has been selected, will be at the centre of the visit. Though the negotiations appear to have reached a final stage, the contract will not be signed immediately.
Role Combat Aircraft to the Indian Air Force, for which the Rafale of Dassault Aviation has been selected, will be at the centre of the visit. Though the negotiations appear to have reached a final stage, the contract will not be signed immediately. Mr Hollande certainly remembers that on May 22, 1981, the day after his political guru Franois Mitterrand was elected as the first Socialist President, the French Press announced, "India chooses the Mirage 2000 to modernise its Air Force". One can be certain that Mr Hollande is keen to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and ensure that the contract for the 126 MMRCA is concluded at the earliest. It is in the interest of both France and India. The French bird was the star of the Aeroshow 2013 held recently at Yelahanka Air Force Station, near Bangalore. Before the event, news had circulated that Dassault was keen to have a deal with Reliance Industries to build 108 Rafales in India (18 will be directly supplied Proposals had clearly laid down the parameters under which the deal for the 126 aircrafts would be awarded. Though Dassault was rather mute during the show, the presence of its newly appointed chairman, Mr Eric Trappier, showed the vital importance of the contract for the French side. Union Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid, who visited Paris early January, had told the Press: "We know good French wine takes time to mature, and so do good contracts just wait a little for the cork to pop and you'll have some good wine to taste." Dassault is perhaps not ready to wait too long for the wine to mature , nor is the Indian Air Force, for which the deal is vital as many of its planes (such as the MIG 21) are soon due to be phased out. Someone noted that if Dassault's karma is good, the deal may be signed before the summer. The Indian Air Force chief confirmed during his Press conference that the file would be sent to the Union Ministry of Finance sometranslated into meaningful joint exercises. With Dassault, the collaboration has been long and uninterrupted (not interrupted even after India tested a nuclear device in Pokhran in 1998). The French company supplied the Ouragan ('Toofani' for the IAF), the Mystere IV, the Aliz (with Brguet), the Jaguar and then the Mirage 2000 in the 1980s. During his last visit to India in December 2010, Mr Sarkozy signed an agreement for 'refitting' (or modernising) 51 Mirages for some two billion dollars. As a Socialist leader, one issue that Mr Hollande could 'diplomatically' broach with his Indian interlocutors is the fact that India seems to still live in the Soviet era where the defence industry has to be owned by the State. If the private sector enters the defence market in a direct manner, it would be a win-win decision for all. In Bangalore, doubts were raised whether the two mastodons (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Defence Research and Development Organisation)
If China develops the Gwadar port into a strategic outpost, India's options will be significantly constrained, writes Harsh V. Pant
he Pakistani government last week gave its nod to a proposal for a company owned by the Chinese government, China Overseas Port Holdings Limited, to purchase control of the Gwadar port from Singapore's PSA International, which had won the contract in 2007 to operate the port for 40 years. With this, the operational control of the strategic deep-water Gwadar port will go to China. New Delhi's reaction was as confused as ever, with the Indian defence minister describing it as a matter of serious concern for India, but the external affairs minister suggesting that India should not "overreact to everything that Pakistan does or everything that China is involved in". China has always been keen on gaining a strategic toehold in the Arabian Sea, and Gwadar has been an attractive option. Despite its problems, the Sino-Pak military collaboration too has been proceeding apace. Despite some suggesting that China's role in Gwadar would remain limited because of mounting troubles in Baluchistan and its keenness to avoid raising hackles in New Delhi and Washington, China has now taken the plunge into the murky waters of Gwadar. The Gwadar port, opened in 2007 with $200 million from China, has been a commercial failure so far because of the inability of Pakistan to use it effectively. But where Beijing has repeatedly played down the significance of the Chinese role in Gwadar, many in the Pakistani establishment have gone to the extent of explicitly asking China to build a base at Gwadar. China wants to overcome its 'Malacca Dilemma' as more than 80 per cent of its oil imports travels through the Straits of Hormuz. Given its reluctance to rely on US naval power for unhindered access to energy, it has moved to build up its naval power at choke points along the sea routes from the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea. The Gwadar port is central to this aim. Situated about 400 kilometres away from the Straits of Hormuz at the apex of the Arabian Sea, it can be a key asset for China. No doubt, the Gwadar port will need significant infrastructure investment before it can be viable, but this is not an insurmountable problem. There are plans to build a 900 kilometer road for overland transport from Gwadar to China as well as rail and road links to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Indian Ocean is going to be the theatre
where great power politics will be at its most pristine in the coming years. China's new naval strategy of "far sea defense" is aimed at giving Beijing the ability to project its power in key oceanic areas, including and most significantly the Indian Ocean. China has fired the first salvo. Others will have to react seriously if they want to retain their role in the region. India's interest in Iran's Chah Bahar port is often viewed as a response to China's presence in Gwadar. But where China's ability to execute its projects in foreign lands in a time-bound and financially viable manner is becoming impressive by the day, India's lacklustre approach to infrastructure development remains a major problem. The notion that China aspires to naval domination of the Indian Ocean remains a bit farfetched. China would certainly like to play a greater role in the region, protect and advance its interests, especially Chinese commercial interests, as well as counter India. But given the immense geographical advantages that India enjoys in the Indian Ocean, China will have great difficulty in rivalling India in the Indian Ocean. Even the task of protecting sea lines of communication remains a challenging one for the navy of the People's Liberation Army as of now. It will be a long while before China can convert these facilities into military ports. But those who are arguing that China will not be able to develop the port into a military base are missing the point. If China is able to develop Gwadar and other such facilities in the Indian Ocean around India's periphery into viable strategic outposts, India's options will be constrained very significantly. And given close defence ties between China and Pakistan, New Delhi would be fooling itself if it believes that Beijing needs an actual military base in Gwadar to project its power vis--vis India. It is possible to explain the construction of ports and facilities by China in the Indian Ocean, including Gwadar, on purely economic and commercial grounds. But regional and global powers like the United States of America, Japan and India inevitably view the sum total of China's diplomatic and military efforts in the Indian Ocean as projecting its power vis--vis competing rivals. Moreover, most of the Chinese naval facilities in the Indian Ocean are dual-use in nature, and no serious strategy can discount their future military use. There may be no pearls in China's string as of yet, but New Delhi would do well to remember that even a pearl-less string is capable of great damage.
could cope with modern requirements. If Dassault or Safran of France, Boeing or Lockheed-Martin of the US or Rafael of Israel are able to serve their respective states well, why can't the Tatas or the Reliances do so in India? Will Prime Minister Manmohan and his Defence Minister listen to a Socialist leader? If President Mitterrand laid the foundation of a solid friendship, the regular dialogue was institutionalised during President Jacques Chirac's visit in 1998 through a 'strategic' partnership. This is still the base of the 'trusted' relationship. During the visit of Mr Singh to Paris in September 2008, France was the first country to ink a civilian nuclear deal with India. In December 2010, during Mr Sarkozy's second visit to India, New Delhi and Paris decided to build two European Pressurised Reactors of 1650 MW each for an estimated cost of about 9.5 billion dollars. A framework agreement was signed but due to the complexity of the project on the Jaitapur site in Maharashtra (and the vital security issues involved), Areva and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India need some more time to reach a final agreement. While the bilateral economic relations are growing smoothly, a domain which still lags behind is educational exchange. In 2007, Ms Valerie Pcresse, the then French Minister for Higher Education, had announced a target of 4,000 Indian students going to France for higher studies. When Mr Sarkozy visited India in 2010, the target had not been reached; it is still an objective today. As for cultural relations, they will go on regardless of who is at the helm of India or France. As Mr Hollande will say "Bonjour India" in New Delhi, for India, a trusted partner has come.
How Afzal's Execution May Further Widen The Kashmir Valley Disconnect
By Pradyut Hande: fzal Guru's hanging owing to his involvement in the barbaric and audacious terror attack on the Parliament House, New Delhi back in December, 2001 has evoked a strong response across the board. While on the one hand, the average jingoist has vociferously expressed his "satisfaction" on his execution, on the other hand, the Government's decision has understandably caused a palpable degree of agitation in the Kashmir Valley. In my previous article, I'd touched upon the potential ramifications of Guru's execution. Through this article I aim to throw light on one of the biggest fall outs with regards to Guru's hasty hangingthe growing divide between Kashmir and the rest of India. Shrouded in utmost secrecy, the Centre moved with alacrity in its bid to hang Afzal Guru once his mercy petition was rejected by the President on February 3. Did the Government act in haste and fail to respect due legislative procedure in this case by disallowing Guru to file an appeal against the rejection of his plea for clemency to which one is legally entitled to? Was the move politi-
With a host of critical problems already on its hands, the Centre may have thought that they could solve one of them by undertaking Afzal Guru's execution. However, they may have inadvertently compounded an age old problem by further alienating the people of Kashmir. The imposition of a curfew in the region as a precautionary measure in the aftermath of Guru's death is liable to amplify the negative sentiment even more. The next few weeks will be critical as the State and Central Governments attempt to achieve a sense of fragile stability in the region.
that demand answers that are usually far from forthcoming. The Government is also receiving stick for not permitting Guru's family to meet him before his execution. There are also contradictory reports suggesting that his family was not even informed in time regarding the execution. Consequently, Guru's hanging coupled with the aforementioned "triggers" has understandably rubbed many in the Kashmir Valley the wrong way. For a region steeped in volatility and fractured allegiances, this incident is bound to further exacerbate the existing trust deficit. Afzal Guru may have been an anti-national element propelled by the heady fuel of dangerous ideology and unwavering determination, ure, revered for his courage and conviction in his beliefs. In order to bridge this divide, the Centre now ought to convincingly debunk the theory of "political profiteering" from the entire episode by proving that Guru's execution wasn't carried out to purely satiate societal demands. That makes a strong case for the potential execution of the likes of Balwant Singh Rajoana, responsible for killing former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh and Santham, Murugan and Perarivalan; the assassins of former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhiall of who's executions have been stayed repeatedly. Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah probably sums it up best when he says, "The onus will lie on the judiciary and Kashmir and to the wider world that this wasn't a selective execution for political purposes". Now exactly how the Government goes about doing that is a matter of conjecture. All that being said, let's observe this argument through a more discerning lens. Capital punishment is no small matter; nor is it a political tool meant to appease myriad sections of a society. It is impossible to please everyone in a country as diverse in its people, beliefs, likes and dislikes; as India. There needs to be a sense of mutual understanding that pervades the consciousness of all concerned stakeholders. The people ought to realise that a man's life is at stake; regardless of his depraved actions or
absence of remorse. However justified our anger, outrage or desire for revenge maybe; an "eye for an eye" mentality ought not to take root. The Government, on the other hand, needs to carefully weigh all the pros and cons before passing a judgement of such a grave nature. Taking the public's prevalent mood into account is imperative, but being swayed by populist sentiment is hazardous. There are multiple aspects that need to be taken cognisance of before making such a life altering (or life ending, whatever way one may look at it) decision. With a host of critical problems already on its hands, the Centre may have thought that they could solve one of them by undertaking Afzal Guru's execution. However, they may have inadvertently compounded an age old problem by further alienating the people of Kashmir. The imposition of a curfew in the region as a precautionary measure in the aftermath of Guru's death is liable to amplify the negative sentiment even more. The next few weeks will be critical as the State and Central Governments attempt to achieve a sense of fragile stability in the region.
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Armed with posters and banners, the BSP MLAs tried to disrupt the Governor's speech. Targeting the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh led by Akhilesh Yadav, the BSP members accused it of not handling the stampede case seriously. The opposition members blamed the SP government for improper arrangements and crowd mismanagement that led to the stampede at the platform no-6 of the Allahabad Railway Station on Sunday evening last week. It is to be noted that a blame game had also begun between the Centre and the state government over lapses that to the unfortunate incident. The state government later ordered a high-level probe to ascertain what triggered the stampede. Compensation packages were also announced by the Indian Railways, the Central and the state government for the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy and those who were injured.
BSP MLAs create ruckus in UP Assembly over Allahabad stampede Shinde likely to make statement
LUCKNOW: The opening day of the Budget Session of the Uttar Pradesh State Assembly on Thursday witnessed uproarious scenes when opposition MLAs led by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) created a ruckus over the last week's stampede at the Allahabad Railway Station that left at least 36 people dead. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly reasserted its claim today as home of the worst-behaved legislators in the country. According to reports, shouting anti-government slogans, the BSP MLAs stormed to the well of the House and allegedly dis-
rupted Governor BL Joshi's inaugural speech. The members of the opposition created the ruckus when the Governor was addressing the
joint session of the House. BSP members stormed in the well of the Assembly and raised slogans against the Akhilesh Yadav government.
NEW DELHI: Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is likely to defuse the row over his controversial Hindu terror remarks by making a statement in Parliament that he had no intention to hurt anybody. Shinde, who is also Leader of the Lok Sabha, has already stated that he and the Congress believe terrorism has no colour. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko Thursday side-stepped questions on whether Shinde will tender an apology in Parliament to facilitate smooth functioning of the House. "Shinde has already clarified it and there is no question of an apology... He had said what he meant. And it is a fact that all of us know. We know who are the people involved. So, might be he used a word that was objectionable and he has clarified that," Chacko told reporters. In a bid to resolve the impending deadlock, Shinde had reached out to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley. The Home Minister had reportedly even sent a draft of the statement he intends to make in the House on the issue but it has not satisfied the BJP. The Opposition party is under pressure from Sangh founthead RSS to pursue the
matter strongly both inside and outside Parliament and force Shinde to apologise. The party had earlier even demanded that if Shinde does not apologise then he should be sacked. Party managers want that the issue should blow over and not create disruptions at a time when BJP and RSS have strongly objected to the issue. The main Opposition has said it will boycott Shinde in Parliament. Shinde's comments had led even the Congress to distance itself from his remarks. "Terrorism should not be linked with any religion. Congress does not see any connect between terrorism and any religion. The party had earlier also made it clear that terror has no religion or colour. Congress never uses word like saffron terror or Hindu terror," Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi had said.
Delhi gangrape: JJB to hear arguments for framing charges against Juvenile
NEW DELHI: The Juvenile Justice Board on Thursday is likely to hear arguments for framing charges against the minor accused in the December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape. The Delhi police had filed a supplementary chargesheet against the juvenile during the last hearing in the case. The juvenile accused can get a maximum of three years in a reformatory. The trial of the other five adult accused began last week when the Delhi police filed a supplementary chargesheet which included the post-mortem and forensic reports. The 28-year-old male friend of the Delhi braveheart and the sole eyewitness to the brutal assault was, on February 6, cross examined by the defence in a fast-track court. The youth, a software engineer, had testified as a witness for the prosecution against the five accused, who have pleaded not guilty to charges, which include rape and murder.
ed and 40% is on the verge of being cultivated and only the remaining 10% requires water. "Having heard the parties and taking consideration of the expert committee report, we are satisfied that the interest of justice would be met if Karnataka is directed to release 2.44 TMC of water," the bench said.
Violence during 12-hour BTAD bandh in Assam Y Bhaskar Rao takes oath as Karnataka Lokayukta
UDALGURI/GUWAHATI: A Congress party office and three trucks were on Thursday set ablaze in Udalguri district and vehicles damaged in Baksa district in lower Assam where police fired in the air to disperse persons using force to impose the bandh in the area. During the 12-hour BTAD bandh, called by the Rabha Hasong Joint Action Committee, unidentified persons poured kerosene on the Congress office, Rajib Bhavan, at Tangla in Udalguri district and set fire to its wooden doors and windows, police said. The police fired in the air at Kalaigaon to disperse a group of persons using violent means to impose the bandh by forcing shop-owners to close down their shops. At Khoirabari in the same district, some persons torched three trucks and blocked roads to chayat elections on February 12. Markets, shops, offices, banks, educational institut i o n s remained closed and vehicles kept off the roads in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) comprising Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang districts, the sources said. The death toll in the panchayat violence, meanwhile rose to 20 as two houses were set ablaze last night in fresh incidents on the outskirts of Goalpara town. Two fire brigade personnel, who had gone there, also received bullet injuries. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the state government would recommend a CBI enquiry into the incidents. Though counting of votes of the three-phase panchayat elections began today across the state, the counting in Goalpara district was postponed for tomorrow with the entire exercise now to be completed within one day, official sources said. The indefinite curfew continued in Krishnai and Mornoi areas, the sources said. The movement of people by river and other water-bodies in the district between 3 pm to 7 am was banned by the district administration till further orders to prevent movement of trouble-makers. The Army, deployed since the poll day, was carrying out flag marches in the trouble-torn areas of Goalpara district, which is the nerve centre of the Rabha Hasong Joint Action Committee, which is opposed to panchayat polls. Bharadwaj. According to reports, Justice Rao's choice was cleared by a panel comprising, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, acting Chief Justice of the High Court K. Sreedhar Rao, Legislative Council Chairman DH Shankarmurthy, Legislative Assembly Speaker K.G Bopaiah and Leaders of the Opposition in the two Houses Siddaramaiah and S.R. Patil. Justice Rao, who hails from Andhra Pradesh's Karimnagar District, was acting Chief Justice
prevent movement of vehicles. In neighbouring Baksa district, a car and two trucks were damaged. The bandh enforcers stopped movement of all vehicles in the area, threatening to destroy them, police sources said. The bandh, supported by the Rabha Hasong Students Union, was called to protest against the alleged killing of people of the Rabha Hasong ethnic community in police firing and clashes in Goalpara district during the pan-
BANGALORE: Former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Justice Yarabati Bhaskar Rao on Thursday took oath as the state's new Lokayukta. The 74-year-old former Chief Justice was sworn into office at the Raj Bhavan by Karnataka Governor H.R.
of Karnataka High Court for three months in 1999 and later served as Chief Justice from March 9, 2000 to June 26, 2000. After retirement, he was appointed Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission and later became a member of the National Human Rights Commission. The post of Karnataka Lokayukta had been lying vacant since September 2011, after Shivaraj V. Patil resigned from the post in the wake of a media expose that showed irregularities in the allotment of two residential plots to him and his wife.
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unaccounted for and six police were taken to hospital, officials said. Rooted in two separatist wars in Chechnya, Islamist insurgents launch attacks daily as part of their campaign to turn the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region into an Islamic state. Dagestan, on the eastern edge of the Caucasus mountain chain, has emerged as the epicenter of violence. It was unclear how many
people were in the car, but the Interior Ministry said that the original target was likely in Khasavyurt. Russian police are under orders to clamp down on insurgent violence across the North Caucasus ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Putin told security officers last year to prevent attacks on the major events that Russia will host in coming years, including the 2018 World Cup. Putin was to meet senior
ECONOMY
Sebi freezes assets of Subrata Roy and two Sahara Group companies
MUMBAI: The Securities and Exchange Board of India, or Sebi, on Wednesday seized bank accounts and properties of two Sahara Group companies and its promoter - the enigmatic and colourful Subrata Roy - a move that could make it difficult for the Lucknow-based group to carry out normal business. In an order issued late Wednesday evening, the capital market regulator ordered the attachment of the bank accounts and properties of Roy and a few other directors; assets of two Sahara Group companies that had forayed into real estate; development rights on thousands of acres of land in Aamby Valley; prime locations near Gurgaon, Versova (Mumbai) and Lucknow; and stakes in several special purpose vehicles floated to set up townships and realty projects. The companies in question have been barred from redeeming mutual funds and operating bank and demat accounts. Also, they have been directed to recover investments in other Sahara Group companies. Banks holding accounts of the companies and individuals concerned have been told to move funds to a prescribed account opened to refund investors who had purchased the convertible debentures floated by the Sahara entities to raise close to Rs 20,000 crore. The orders will come into effect immediately. today's order does not take into account the changed facts and circumstances," it said. Sahara also expressed concern that accounts of individuals had been frozen since it was the company that was liable to repay the money. Sandeep Parekh, founder of Finsec Law Advisors, said, "The only option for them now is to pray, and perhaps seek more time from Supreme Court to delay any freeze of assets. This could probably be the first time that Sebi has attached properties and bank accounts." The market regulator's powers are largely confined to freezing bank accounts for three months. But in this case, Sebi has gone beyond its usual powers because of the final ruling of the Supreme Court and the oral directions from the court. If the regulator succeeds in monetising the assets after it attaches them, it would be possible to refund a sizeable part of the liability of Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation (SHICL) -- the firms that had issued OFCDs to close to 3 crore investors between April 2008 and 2011. Along with Roy, the other directors whose movable and immovable properties would be attached are Vandana Bhargava,Ravi Shanker Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary. All of them have been told to furnish details of all properties standing in their names within 21 days.
In a statement issued late Wednesday evening, Sahara Group reiterated that it owed only Rs 5,120 crore to investors. It said an application seeking interim relief would come up in the Supreme Court. The company claimed that Sebi's order was based on outdated information. "Today's order of Sebi for attachment of the assets is based on old facts and details of assets as of January 2012. Since then, facts have changed in view of redemptions made by Sahara from time to time. This fact of redemption was known to Sebi. Hence,
DOT slaps Rs 878cr demand on Vodafone Govt extends wheat sale in open market till March end
NEW DELHI: Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has raised a demand of around Rs 877.6 cr from Vodafone as spectrum charges for the period between 2008-09 and 2011-12, sources said. Every operator has to pay various kinds of annual charges like spectrum usage charge and licence fee, which is based on their revenue earned from telecom services. The total amount raised against Vodafone - which includes penalty and interest for all the four financial years separately - has to be paid by February 20, sources added. These charges have been levied on spectrum held by the company in 20 out of the 22 service areas where it operates, sources said. DoT has asked Vodafone to pay Rs 14.78 crore for the Andhra Pradesh service area due for fiscal 2009-10. The company has also been asked to pay Rs 12.24 lakh for Assam and Himachal Pradesh for fiscal 2008-09. No immediate comments was received from Vodafone on the matter. NEW DELHI: Government extended sale of wheat in open market to bulk consumers by a month till March-end to clear surplus stocks in FCI warehouses. "Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved extension of sale of wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) till March with same price conditions set earlier," sources said. However, the committee did not approve reduction in prices of wheat for sale, sources said. The one-month extension for wheat sale under OMSS would help clear the stocks in the central pool, which at present are more than double the actual requirement, they added. In October last year, government had allowed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to sell 6.5 million tonnes of wheat to bulk users in the wake of surplus stocks. It had set February this year as deadline to complete the sale. According official data, only 2.6 million tonnes of wheat has been sold out of 6.5 million tonnes so far. The reason for poor sale, traders said, was high prices set for consuming states at Rs 12.85 per kg plus exLudhiana freight and local taxes. A Delhi Roller Flour Mills Association official said, "The traders were not actively buying wheat from FCI for last one month as there was uncertainty about price change. The decision will help traders decide about future buying." To clear surplus stocks, government had started selling wheat under the OMSS in July last year. In the first tranche, it sold close to 2.7 million tonnes out of the total 3 million tonnes. Food Corporation of India has a
stock of 66.19 million tonnes of wheat and rice as on January 1, as against the actual requirement of 25 million tonnes. It has storage capacity of only 63 million tonnes.
MISC
Hockey World League: India men play opener Parvez Rasool signs for Pune Warriors against Fiji; women lock horns with Kazakhstan
NEW DELHI:The International Hockey Federation (FIH) released the schedule of the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 2013 for men and women groups. The tournament will be held between February 18 and 24 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here. The men's group will feature teams from China, Ireland, Bangladesh, Oman, Fiji and India while women from Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Fiji and India will be competing against each other. The Indian men's team will play its first match against Fiji on February 18 followed by a clash against China on February 23. The women's team will also start its on the same day with a match against Kazakhstan followed by their match against hard-hitting Japan on February 22. Matches will begin at 10 in the morning with six matches scheduled to be played on 18, 21 and 24 of the month while three will be played on 19, 20, 22 and 23 league for the 2014 World Cup which will be held in the Netherlands. In the men's category, 54 countries are participating and a total of 45 teams from five continents are participating in the women's category. In first round of the league, held from August 17 to December 15 last year, 34 teams participated and played matches in a roundrobin format in nine venues. Thirteen teams qualified from Round 1 and will now join 10 higher-ranked teams in Round 2. The twenty-three teams in the FIH Hockey World League Round 2 will compete against each other at four venues - New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, SaintGermain-en-Laye (France) and Elektrostal (Russia) from February 18 to June 2. Seven teams will qualify from Round 2 and will join nine highest-ranked teams in the FIH Hockey World League Round 3 (SemiFinal league), to be held in the Netherlands and Malaysia from June 13 to July 7. NEW DELHI: All-rounder Parvez Rasool on Thursday became first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to bag an IPL contract, signing up with Pune Warriors for the 2013 season. Rasool, who was a star performer for the Board President's XI by grabbing seven Australian wickets, was being chased by at least three franchises but the 24-year-old signed on dotted lines for the Sahara Pariwar owned franchise. "A few franchises approached me but it was Pune who approached me first. So it was an ethical decision to join them as they had shown interest much before the Australia match happened. I am very excited and it is an honour to play in the IPL and become the first cricketer from the valley to achieve this feat," an excited Rasool said . According to IPL sources, Kings XI Punjab were chasing Rasool as Chandigarh based franchisee's proximity to Jammu and Kashmir. Since Rasool is an uncapped player, he will be getting Rs 20 lakh as per IPL norms.
Rasool becomes first J&K player to bag IPL contract "Parvez is an asset for us. He is a capable all-rounder and since we can have only four foreigners, his batting and off-break bowling makes him a good choice in the playing XI. "Also the kind of exposure that he will be getting interacting with international cricketers will be phenomenal. Trust me, he can be a good player in the longer version too," a franchise official stated. Rasool is excited that he will be getting a chance to share the dressing room with Australian captain Michael Clarke. "It is a dream come true for me that I will be interacting with Michael Clarke. Also having Yuvraj Singh will be a bonus. I have just started my journey in topflight cricket and this stint with Pune will only help me grow. I hope that I will be able soak in all the information that I can get from our coach Allan Donald," he said. On asked what this IPL contract meant for budding cricketers of his state, Rasool said, "I would like to convey a small message for all my well-wishers in Jammu and Kashmir. aI would like to tell them that it was not only talent but hardwork that has helped me realise my dream. I believe, parents would now believe that someone can make a decent career out of cricket even from our state."
INDORE: Skipper Suresh Raina smashed an unbeaten 70 off 48 balls while Prashant Gupta made 87 as a dominant Uttar Pradesh crushed Rajasthan by eight wickets in their limited-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Indore on Thursday. While Raina hit four fours and as many sixes during his belligerent knock, Gupta hit 10 boundaries during his 93-ball essay at the Emerald High School Ground. Opting to field, Uttar Pradesh restricted Rajasthan to 198 for seven in 35 overs in a curtailed match, and then chased down the tar-
get with 21 balls to spare. Not a single Rajasthan bowler was spared as Raina went on a rampage, carting them to all corners of the park. Gupta was the perfect foil as he gave Raina company, scoring his runs at a quick pace. Robin Bist (60) and skipper Ashok Menaria (53) were the two significant scorers from the Rajasthan team.198 was not a bad total at all considering the number of overs UP had to chase down the target, but Raina's swashbuckling knock changed the equation in a matter of few overs.
the conditions at Ahoy arena. "Hall play is different. It's warmer, so the ball flies more and it takes a bit of getting used to," he said. "The first ones are never easy. But I'm happy to be back and playing well.".
LONDON: England wicketkeeper Matt Prior warned on Thursday of the prospect of rows between players and administrators unless the England and Wales Cricket Board softened its stance towards the Indian Premier League. The lucrative domestic Twenty20 competition attracts players from all around the world. However, the ECB will not allow any of their centrally-contracted England players to play longer than half a season in the Indian franchise tournament because of Test commitments. Such a position means many England cricketers are not considered to be attractive targets in the big-money player auction that takes place before each edition of the IPL, with Prior 'unsold'
for the past two years. Star batsman Kevin Pietersen briefly called time on his England limited overs career last year after a refusal by team management to release him for the full duration of the IPL, although other factors were involved in a move that has since been rescinded. Prior though, while having no personal issues with the ECB's position, foresees a time when the sums of money involved in the IPL could make it hard for English cricket chiefs to maintain their current stance. "I know for a fact that players want to play in the IPL -- you can't get away from the fact that there is an enormous amount of money at stake," the 30-year-old Prior said. "If that's when the Test
Mathews to head Sri Lanka in ODIs and Tests Govt to open sport schools in 628 districts
COLOMBO: Allrounder Angelo Mathews has been appointed Sri Lanka's Test and ODI captain, replacing Mahela Jayawardene, for a period of one year. The 25-year-old Mathews was Jayawardene's deputy and was the heir apparent to the captaincy since the latter announced that he would be quitting captaincy after Sri Lanka's tour of Australia. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal will be Mathews' deputy, but will lead the national side in the Twenty20 format. Lasith Malinga will be the team's vice-captain for T20. The selectors have also named a 20-member pool of players for the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, starting next month. Veteran Thilan Samaraweera, opener opener Tharanga Paranavithana and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene have been dropped from the squad. Four uncapped players -- batsmen Kithruwan Vithanage and Ashen Silva, a medium pacer Dushmantha Chameera and off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal -- have been included. Test squad: Angelo Mathews (c), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Ashen Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Mahela Jayawardene, Kushal Janith Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, Chanaka Welegedera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Rangana Herath, Tharindu Kaushal. NEW DELHI:As a part of its longterm development plan to unearth talent for Olympic sports, the sports ministry is planning to start sports schools in all the 628 districts of the country. Sports secretary P.K. Deb said the schools will be opened within a period of 10 years. The schools will be set up as public-private partnerships, except in remote and disturbed areas, where such projects may not be feasible. Each school which may cost around Rs.31.8 crore each will have an athletic track, hockey and football fields, indoor halls and fully equipped gymnasiums. Approximately 100 talented youngsters (50 girls and 50 boys) in the 6-14 year age group will be identified through the ministry's Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan Scheme (PYKKA). The talents will be given admission in the DLSC and will be provided with allowances for maintenance, diet and sports kit for the years they spend in the school and continue to participate in the special training programmes. The government is likely to spend Rs.1,017 crore annually in providing stipends and allowances to the 628,000 youngsters. Each school will be staffed with at least four trained physical education teachers, who will also act as district talent scouts during the PYKKA and other competitions. At least one will be trained in biomedics and will be given the responsibility of identifying the sports discipline for each trainee. These trainees will be provided with allowances for maintenance, diet and sports kit for the years they spend in the school and continue to participate in the special training programmes designed for them. At an appropriate age, the trainees will be sorted out and assigned specific disciplines though a scientific process. The individual sports curriculum will concentrate on the disciplines identified as those for national programmes. However, the schools' facilities will also be open to other students who would like to specialize. If they do well and excel, they will be eligible for the next stage and will be put in the government's centres of excellence.
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