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

STUdenT aGe
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013

JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 43

Shinde likely to make statement in Parl on 'Hindu' terror row

An all-weather friend of great substance

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

92 percent voting in India, France sign $6 bn deal Tripura Assembly Poll


France's Hollande on his maiden visit to India

on Surface to Air Missile

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Education sector suffers from leadership crisis: Survey


NEW DELHI: The dire shortage of capable leaders is precipitating a crisis in our higher education sector, a situation not likely to be remedied until 2020, according to a global survey conducted by the Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI). The survey results were unveiled on the first day of the two-day education summit at the India International Centre contd on page 2

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-

Ink four pacts, discuss Jaitapur, Rafale deal

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

French Prez visits Rajghat, pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi

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

Polling proceeds briskly, peacefully

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

Delhi to host conference on India and Muslim world


NEW DELHI: A two-day conference on India and the Muslim world begins here Friday to discuss issues related to cultural heritage, educational cooperation and diplomacy. The event will be organised by the Institute of Objective Studies at the Constitution Club Annexe. Key issues to be discussed at the conference will include the historical backdrop of India's relationship with the Muslim world and the attitudinal proximity between the two 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

RTI activists raise slogans in K'taka assembly, five detained


BANGALORE: Unruly scenes and protests erupted in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday afternoon when some RTI activists raised slogans from the Assembly's visitor gallery. Five persons were detained. The activists were protesting against the appointment of Justice Y Bhaskar Rao as the Karnataka Lokayukta. Activists have said the government was not in a hurry to appoint a new Lokayukta since Justice Hegde's activism contd on page 2

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

Don't execute Veerappan associates: Amnesty


NEW DELHI, FEB 14: Amnesty International Thursday urged India not to execute the four associates of the late forest brigand Veerappan whose mercy plea have been rejected. "India must immediately halt the impending executions of four prisoners whose mercy petitions were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee," Amnesty said in a statement. The presidential action marks the final course of appeal in the country's justice system. According to officials, the four are Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran. They are lodged in a jail in Karnataka. Amnesty said they were "now at high risk of imminent execution". The president's contd on page 2

CBI meets defence ministry officials; seeks records


NEW DELHI, FEB 14 :Finding some newspaper clippings provided by the Defence Ministry insufficient for probe in the VVIP helicopter deal, the CBI today asked the ministry to furnish all documents, including its internal investigation, for registering a formal enquiry in the case. A CBI team met a Joint Secretary level officer in the Defence Ministry who is also Acquisition Manager (Air) and sought all records required to proceed with the probe in connection with the alleged kickbacks paid to clear the Rs 3,600 crore deal, agency sources said. During the meeting, the CBI team asked the officials to provide it files related to any sort of internal contd on page 2

SC asks Centre, states to give details of expenses on security


NEW DELHI, FEB 14 : The Supreme Court today asked the Centre, all states and union territories to furnish details of expenses incurred on providing security to various categories of persons including people with criminal background and kith and kin of VVIPs. The court made clear that it did not want to know the expenses incurred on the security of constitutional functionaries such as President and the Prime Minister and their state counterparts. "The Centre, all State governments and Union Territories administrations shall furnish the details of total expenses in providing security to public persons and private persons other than the Constitutional functionaries such as President, Prime Minister, Vice President, Lok Sabha Speaker... and their counterparts in States and Union Territories," a bench of justices G S Singhvi and H L Gokhale said. The order was passed after two-hours of hearing during which senior advocate Harish Salve gave examples of how the provision of providing security and use of beacon lights were being misused and coming in way of right to equality of citizens. The senior advocate cited recent reports that Minister of state for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, surrounded by his security guards contd on page 2

Govt invites suggestions for draft J&K Police Bill, 2013


JAMMU, FEB 14: The Government has invited suggestions/ comments from general public, social organizations, NGOs, academicians and other stakeholders with regard to the draft Jammu and Kashmir Police Bill, 2013. The draft plan has been prepared in pursuance to the judgement of the contd on page 2

Court reserves order on Owasi's bail plea


NIZAMABAD: The II Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate Court today reserved its order till tomorrow on the bail petition filed by Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) Legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi who was currently under judicial remand in the alleged hate speech case. Magistrate N Amaravathi has announced this after hearing the arguments from both sides. Mr Owaisi had filed a bail petition in the court on February 12 after it was rejected by the same court on February 5. contd on page 2

Food bill in budget session: K.V Thomas


NEW DELHI: The Congress-led UPA government wants to pass the National Food Security Bill during parliament's budget session beginning Feb 21 and will protect the interest of the states, Food Minister K.V. Thomas said Thursday. "We hope to introduce the bill in the last week of the first half of the budget session and pass it in the second half," Thomas told reporters. He said many states Wednesday expressed reservations on the provisions of the proposed bill, especially on subsidised grain allocation, with Tamil Nadu saying it wanted to stay out of it. "We will protect the current subsidised grain allocation of the stateswe hope Tamil Nadu will also come around to our view," said Thomas. The food ministry had held detailed discussions with the state ministers Wednesday. The revised bill will be finalised based on the agreements reached with the states, he said. The points of convergence are overall 67 percent of the 1.2 billion population to be covered with the beneficiaries entitled to five kg grain per person per month at Rs.3 per kg for rice, Rs.2 for wheat and Re.1 for coarse grain. Many states expressed differences on the quantity 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.

Contd. from page 1...


India, France...
multilateral issues of common interest. We reviewed progress on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and reiterated our commitment to its early implementation as soon as the commercial and technical negotiations, which have made good progress, are completed," Singh said at a joint press event after the talks. Expressing satisfaction with the progress in defence cooperation, Singh said, "Discussions on the MMRCA contract are progressing well. We have also concluded negotiations on the Short Range Surface to Air Missile, which, once approved by the Government, will be co-developed and co-produced in India," while noting that the defence ties were poised to reach a qualitatively new level. The Rs 30,000 crore worth of SR-SAM project is a co- development joint venture between India and France and would be developed by MBDA of France and DRDO from the Indian side. The surface to air missile defence system would be deployed by the IAF and the Navy. Hollande, also accompanied by a large contingent of French business leaders, including Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier, whose company is hoping to seal the deal to sell 126 Rafale warplanes to India in the world's biggest defence contract currently under negotiation. On his part, Hollande said he has come to take the Indo-French strategic partnership to "yet another level" while noting that the defence cooperation reflects India's trust for French technology and France's trust for use of technology by India. "India is a country of peace", the French President added. The two sides also inked four pacts, including one in the field of railways

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.

Protests over Vayalar...


In the video, Ravi was seen asking the reporter if she has had a personal problem with Kurien. Women journalists in Kerala have expressed outrage over the incident and staged protests. When the reporter asked Ravi for his comments, Ravi is seen saying, "Do you have anything personal against Kurien? I am sure you do. Has something happened between you and him in the past?" Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari reacted to the furore over Ravi's remarks saying, "The minister has retracted his remarks and this is anyway not expected out of anyone and let's leave it at that."

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.

Centre can not ...


constitutional right. It is the responsibility of the central and state governments to protect this right. However, states have the exclusive powers to maintain law and order. The question plays out within these two remits, and it is difficult territory," Manish Tewari said, interacting with women journalists at the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) here. "In states affected with insurgency, left wing extremism, or separatist movements, there is a law and order problem. The state government has to decide on imposing restrictions, how far can the centre step in? The states have to handle the situation on the ground," he said. He, however, added that self-regulation by the media could prove a way out. "Growing up in Punjab when insurgency was at its peak, I did not see any restrictions on newspapers. There were no television channels then, but newspapers followed some selfrestraint," Tewari said. Newspapers in Kashmir Valley remained shut for four days after parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged in New Delhi Feb 9. Newspapers in the Valley resumed operations Wednesday. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had asserted, however, that the state government had not imposed any curbs on newspapers. He had tweeted that the authorities had imposed curbs on the Internet to prevent rumours from spreading, but newspapers were allowed to print news and circulate copies freely. Omar Abdullah said that some newspapers, however, chose not to print copies for a few days as curfew conditions had made it hard to deliver the papers.

French Prez visits ...


He inspected the guard of honour and also met members of the Indian Cabinet. The visiting President said it was a great honour for him to visit India and thanked his Indian counterpart for extending a warm welcome to him. "It's a great honour for me to be visiting India. I thank you (Pranab Mukherjee) President for this welcome. I am sure that this visit will lay our relationship at the best level we can hope. And we must always improve the relationship between our two countries. India is a great democracy," Hollande told media here.

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.

Don't execute ...


move came just days after the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was the second man to be hanged in India in less than three months. "This government has executed more people since November 2012 than in the previous 10 years. To continue such a regressive trend would be truly shameful," said Amnesty India chief G. Ananthapadmanabhan. "Given the political climate and the two other recent executions, there is a real concern that these four men will be put to death soon. The Indian government must ensure that this does not happen." The four were convicted in 1993 for their involvement in a landmine blast that killed 22 people and injured many including policemen who were on their way to arrest sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. Amnesty added: "This new practice of executing in secret without prior notification to relatives is deeply worrying. "We urge the Indian government to immediately establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition." Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. It opposes capital punishment in all cases without exception.

Delhi to host ...


on philosophical, political, economic, cultural and security issues, a statement said. During the conference, the institute's lifetime achievement award will be conferred upon Maulana Saeed Al Azami Al Nadwi, chancellor, Integral University, and chief editor, Al Baas Al Islami, Lucknow. The conference will also have a special session on India and Saudi Arabia.

Govt invites ...


Supreme Court passed relating to the Police reforms. The draft bill can be accessed by logging on to the website www.jkhome.nic.in. All concerned can send their comments/ suggestions to the Home Department either through post or through email( home-jk@nic.in) within 15 days commencing from 15th February, 2013.

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

RTI activists ...


when he was the Lokayukta. Hegde's tenure saw many high profile ministers of the state government being slapped with corruption cases, which eventually led to their resignations. The marshals of the Assembly evicted the protesting activists after a brief scuffle. They are now in police detention.

Food bill in...


of grain to be given at subsidised rates under the bill and on who would be the beneficiaries. Thomas said the states would identify the beneficiaries based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria agreed between them and the centre. Welcoming states who run their own subsidised food schemes, the minister said state laws will be dependent on the central law as it gives subsidy on the grain. "There will be no conflict with state laws," said Thomas. He said the food security bill would be implemented in consultation with the states, many of whom have asked for a one year window to prepare for it. Bihar, Orissa, Punjab and Gujarat want the government to modernise the public distribution system (PDS) before implementing the proposed law. "Distribution is key to implementation of the bill," said Thomas.

Court reserves ...


Magistrate Amaravathi had extended his judicial remand till February 26, two days ago. The court, on February 12, has recorded the voice of Mr Owaisi under the supervision of APFSL experts when he read an urdu news paper before the magistrate and when he was asked formal questions with regard to his personal details. The exercise is to facilitate matching of his voice with that on videotapes of the hate speech under which the legislator is an accused. The MIM MLA was under judicial remand in the Adilabad district jail after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Nirmal extended judicial remand till February 15 on the same issue. Meanwhile, the Adilabad District Court has admitted the bail petition filed by Mr owaisi and the arguments were yet to begin.

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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NEWS IN BOX

Student crushed to death by IAF vehicle, trigger protests


JAMMU: A teenaged student was crushed to death today by an Indian Air Force (IAF) vehicle, triggering protests and road blockade in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. A Tata Sumo vehicle of IAF hit the student, identified as Divnesh at Rond-Dumel area in the district after which he was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead by the doctors, they said. The incident triggered protests among the locals, who blocked the vehicular traffic on the highway. Later, they were pacified by the authorities and dispersed from the highway resulting in normalising of the traffic, police added.

Govt committed to economic emancipation of Women folk: ViKar


JAMMU, FEB 14: Minister of State for Technical Education (Independent charge)Social Welfare, Information, Power, Rural Development, Law and Justice, Mr. Vikar Rasool, today strongly advocated for Gender Budgeting at all levels, including Panchayat Level , saying that partnership of women folk in the development process was imperative for achieving the desirable economic growth. Addressing panchs and sarpanchs at one day Conference on Gender Budgeting held for Panchayat representatives of Jammu district here today, Vikar said that with this objective in mind, the centre and state Governments have kept special provisions and allocations in the development and welfare schemes for the emancipation of the women folk. The Conference was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Council (JKRC) as part of its awareness programme towards the emancipation of weaker sections of the society. He said there are many schemes which have been specially designed to extend moral, financial and technical support to women so that they were able to live a respectful life and also lead the society. He said the schemes like National Rural Health Mission in health sector, Sarva Siksha Abhiayn (SSA) , RMSA in education sector , have special provisions for women health and girl education. Highlighting the necessity of Gender budgeting, he said in comparison to men, the women today have a bigger role in the society as they are managing the home and also working outside. He said that 48 per cent of total population of the country are women folk and these women and girls not only a large part of the valuable human resource, but they are also individuals in their own right and their socio-economic development sets the foundation for sustainable growth of the Country and society as a whole. He said Government has already taken a number of steps for the welfare of women but there was still much do be done as on the ground level they still face disparities in health, literacy, educational attainments, skill level and occupational status . Prof and Head, Economics Deptt, University of Mumbai, Dr Ritu Dewan, Member State Planning Commission, Raipur, CG, Mr. P.P. Soti, Sr. Research Officer, Gender Budgeting and Gender Mainstreaming, Ministry of Women and Child Dev, GOI, Dr Bansuri Nag, representatives of Ministry of Women and Child Dev. GOI, Director Rural Development Jammu, Mr. Shafiq Raina, Managing Director Women's Development Corporation, Ms. Nahida Soz were present on the occasion. Stressing for a separate budget for the women at all levels, Mr. Vikar asked the Panches and Sarpanches and other concerned agencies to keep a provision for a separate budget for the women so that they can be able to tackle the problems confronting to them as a routine matter Mr Vikar said after independence India has produced a number of women who led the nation towards development and economic prosperity, while citing the example of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former President Pratiba Patil, UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, Speaker, National Parliament, Meera Kumar adding the Jammu and Kashmir government also have a leading woman minister Ms Sakina Itoo . The Minister said that Government should formulate a comprehensive policy for Gender budgeting as it is very essential to meet the challenges in the way of socio-economic emancipation of the women. Hailing JKRC for organising such 19 programmes, he stressed upon the authorities for conducting more and more such programmes in the future. Mr Vikar emphasized for highlighting such issues in Legislative Assemblies and National Parliament by respective members. He said the ruling parties and opposition shall raise issues relating to the upliftment of the women with one voice as that would have a great impact on the society. He said the Gender budgeting can help improve economic governess and financial management and also provide feedback to government, whether it is meeting the needs of different age groups, men woman and youth. He said that the main thrust of Gender Budgeting shall be on the needs of women and girls, because generally they are at a economical disadvantage. He said it can directly promote women empowerment, when funds are allocated for programmes that address the economic condition of women population.

Panches, Sarpanches Conference on Gender Budgeting held

Execution of Afzal a blot on Indian democracy: JKLF


SRINAGAR, FEB 14:The spokesperson of JKLF in a statement said, that the execution of the death sentence of Afzal Guru has once again revealed the real and the ugly face of Indian democracy. For keeping the opposition and its vote bank alive, the Congress has hanged an innocent Kashmiri for second time in a row after Martyr Mohammad Maqbool Bhat in 1984. But this time the situation in J&K is altogether different. The Kashmiri people will not be let down by this tragic incident, instead it has boosted their morale and infused a new lease of life in their fight against the oppression and illegal occupation of J&K by the Indian forces. The spokesperson further said that the Indian Govt while satisfying the conscience of opposition and other communal forces have always ignored and hurt the sentiments of Kashmiri people. It seems that the policy of Congress and BJP are somewhat similar as the congress has now started adopting the communal policy of BJP. The people of Kashmir will always remember 9th and 11th Feb for the martyrdom of Shaheed Afzal Guru and Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Bhat respectively. The Spokesperson hailed the peaceful activity and hunger strike made by M.Yasin Malik in Islamabad, Pakistan against the Execution of Martyr Afzal Guru and accused the BJP for unnecessarily exaggerating the issue and making a mountain out of a mole hill. JKLF spokesperson welcomed the statement given by Jihad Counsel and APHC leaders about unity between all pro-freedom groups. Spokesperson said that JKLF (H) is already working in coordination with other profreedom and leaders from since last two years for joint activity on continuing freedom struggle. He also condemns the arrests of all pro-freedom leaders by police and Indian forces.

Security forces in J&K asked to exercise maximum restraint


SRINAGAR: Security forces have been directed to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with law and order situations in Kashmir valley, a top police official said on Wednesday. "Police force on ground has been directed to exercise maximum restraint while tackling any law and order situation, IGP Kashmir, SM Sahai said. The relaxation in the curfew bound areas will be taken at the local level by district authorities after evaluating the situation from time to time, a police spokesman quoted the IGP as saying. Sahai said the extension of relaxation period, in areas where it has been given, will be taken after assessing the situation. He also added that availability of essential commodities is being ensured by the civil authorities at all district head quarters. The police is always ready to assist in ensuring the essential commodities are made available to the public if asked to do so, he said. Curfew was imposed on Saturday following hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru inside Tihar jail in Delhi.

Lecture on basic life support, first aid delivered


UDHAMPUR FEBRUARY 14, 2013: As a part of the six days Training programme for Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) under Pilot Project Scheme being organized by Civil Defence Organization, an expert lecture on Basic Life Support and First Aid" was held in the premises of Civil Defence Complex Udhampur. Deputy Medical Superintendent District Hospital Udhampur, DR. Deepak Kumar delivered lecture on the said topic. In the power point presentation, Dr. Deepak imparted awareness among the volunteers about the different facets of the basic life support and first aid to the victim at the time of any incident. He said that human life is precious and all efforts have to be made by the first responder at the incident site to save the human life. Deputy Controller, Civil Defence, Udhampur, Dy SP Bodh Raj presented vote of thanks and appreciated the support and cooperation of the Dy. Superintendent for the successful training programme. Deputy Chief Warden Advocate Swatantra Dev Kotwal, Civil Defence conducted the proceeding of the function.

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.

5 ISM hospitals, 30 dispensaries worth Rs. 101 cr coming up in State

Govt keen to promote Indian system of treatment: Shabir

Training Prog on Bee keeping held


JAMMU FEBRUARY 14: An awareness cum training programme on Bee-Keeping was organised by the Department of Agriculture Jammu for unemployed educated youth of Jammu district in collaboration with Swabhiman NGO under the guidance of Director Agriculture Jammu Mr Ajay Khajuria. More than 40 youth participated in the awareness-cum-training Programme. Assistant Entomologist Jammu, Mrs Parveen Kouser imparted awareness about bee-keeping and said that it is one of the best agro-based income generating activity. Impressing upon the youth to adopt beekeeping as a profession to earn their livelihood, she said that cost benefit ratio in honey production is quite higher as compared to cultivation of field crops due to its high medicinal value. She gave the details of various incentives being provided by the Department under different state and centrally sponsored schemes which include strengthening of bee colonies, assistance to bee breeders and exposure visit of the beekeepers to the other states to improve their technical knowhow and acquaint them with the latest developments in bee-keeping. The technical session was conducted by Sawarkar Anand and S MG Singh and Bishan Choudhary Apiculture Development Assistants. They demonstrated the techniques of handling bee-colonies, use of various tools and equipments in bee-keeping and gave details about honey production and its marketing.Chairman Swabhiman, Vikram Malhotra thanked the Department and stressed upon the participants to take up beekeeping with the help of Agriculture Department.

Awareness camp on female foeticide organized


JAMMU, FEBRURAY 14- Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Department of Social Welfare Jammu today organized an awareness camp on female foeticide and its impact on society. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Gurmeet Singh Sassan expressed his views regarding the declining sex ration in the state and its future implication on the civil society. During the camp, 100 adolescent girls were provided free medical check-up besides IFA tablets were distributed among them. Among others CDPO Jammu, Mrs. Narinder Kour, MO ICDS, Dr. Sharda Kapoor and supervisors of ICDS in large number attended the camp.

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.

Stock and supply position reviewed in Shopian


SHOPIAN, FEBRUARY 14: A meeting of officers was held under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner, Shopian, Mr. Mohammad Javaid Khan, convened to take stock of the essential commodities with the CA&PD department of the district. The meeting was informed that 11988 quintals of rice, 555 quintals of atta, 452 quintals of sugar and 4854 LPG cylinders were distributed among the consumers of the district. The Deputy Commissioner impressed upon the officers to work in coordination to provide all possible facilities to the people of the district. He also enjoined upon the authorities to ensure punctuality in their offices.

Training organized on Health Education & Nutrition


JAMMU, FEB 14- Community Food Nutrition Extension Unit Jammu organized two days Orientation Training course in collaboration with Social Welfare Department and Health Education Bureau Directorate of Health Services Jammu for Anganwadi Workersat Ajit Colony Gole Gujral . Programme was inaugurated by Dr. Dinesh Kumar HOD Community Medicne Govt. Medical College Jammu. Others present were Dr. R.P Gupta Ex- Dy. Director Health Services, Jyoti Raina CDPO Migrant camp and supervisor of the project. Guest lecture were delivered by Dr. R. P. Gupta Dr. Dinesh Kumar and A.K Braroo Ex. Demonstrator of CFNEU, Jammu. Jagdish Prashad Officer in charge of CFNEU, Jammu spoke on low cost nutritious recipes made from locally available food stuffs at home, Pankaj Gupta Calligrapher Health Education Bureau Directorate of Health Services spoke on the Health Schemes launched by the government. Various low cost nutritious recipes were demonstrated and literature on nutrition was distributed among the participants. Group discussion and evaluation was also organized on the occasion . Vote of thanks was presented by Jyoti Raina CDPO Migrant camp Jammu.

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.

SBI launches 24x7 self service banking at Gandhi Nagar Jammu


JAMMU 14 FEB 2013: Ashwani Bhatia General Manager, SBI NW-II of Chandigarh Circle formally dedicated 24x7 Self service Kiosk & Cash Deposit Machine to the people of Jammu today through Video. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bhatia advised that our customers who own any variant of SBI ATM Cum Debit Card & SME INSTA Deposit Card can deposit loose bank notes to their mapped A/C'S up to a maximum of Rs. 49900any time. The cash deposited through this machine gets customers can carry out other functions like balance enquiry, mini statement & pin change. The other attraction in the lounge is Self Service Kiosk which is non cash self service terminal through which customers can make every financial & non financial transactions using these SBI ATM Cum Debit Cards. The SSK provides the convenience of handling 20 different transactions like Pass Book Printing, funds transfer, bill payments, cheque book request, balance enquiry. Account summery, sbi life insurance payment. Loan statement etc. Sh Ajit Kumar Jain Dy. General Manager of the J&K Module advised the gathering that SBI has launched many products for the benefit of its esteemed customers that includes Car loan & Home Loan at lowest interest rates. No minimum balance requirement & Nill service charges besides Personal Accident Insurance Scheme of Rs. 4.00 lac for just Rs.100 for all saving bank a/c holders. With an aim to boost the economy SBI is lending to eligible SME borrowers under CGTMSE upto Rs. 100 lac without guarantee or collateral security. Unlike other banks the upfront fee& the annual service charges are being borne by SBI. Another customer friendly product for our farmer brethren is agriculture gold loan where the ROI after subvention is just 4%. Mr P K Abrol Regional Manager RBO II Jammu & Sh B M Sharma Chief Manager SBI Gandhi Nagar branch besides other functionaries were present on the occasion.

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.

Workshop on Dogra wall paintings begins at GDC


UDHAMPUR FEBRUARY 14: A two-days workshop on theme Dogra Wall Paintings was inaugurate here in the premises of Govt. Degree College (Boys) Udhampur. Organized by the Heritage Club of the college in collaboration with Centre for History and Culture of Jammu and Ladakh Regions, University of Jammu, the purpose of the workshop is to sensitize youth about the important socio-historical aspect of our heritage. The exhibition of wall painting replicas painted by Ms. Antima Manhas is also a part of the programme. Director Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy Udhampur,Mr. Farooq Khan was the chief guest who formally inaugurated the workshop. While addressing, Mr. Khan emphasized upon preservation and conservation of Heritage sites especially fragile wall paintings which speak of our glorious past studded with aesthetic expression. Our wall paintings have been a victim of negligence both from the authorities and the public. But the kind of awareness campaign started in this college by the Heritage Club witnesses the involvement of the youth which is a very positive sign. This college must offer to start Archeology as subject to its a students," he added. The Technical session chaired by Dr. S.K Magotra, Head Dept. of Chemistry of the College. Prof. Anita Billowria, Director, Centre for History and Culture of Jammu and Ladakh Regions, University of Jammu made an explicit presentation on Dogra wall Paintings , their history, influences, special features, themes by showing various sites and research carried on this socio-historical aspect of heritage. Curator Dogra Art Museum, Jammu, Mr. Kirpal Singh in his presentation touched the preservation and conservation aspect of the theme. A numismatist from Dept. of Buddist Studies , Dr. Sonia Jasrotia also made a presentation in the workshop. Principal of the College Dr. Nutan K. Resutra in his welcome address said that there is a dire need to sensitize the youth to grow love and affection for tangible & intangible heritage of our country. "We, as a responsible institution of higher learning, are providing every opportunity to our students to carve heritage lovers who are equipped with sufficient knowledge and concern for its preservation. The workshop was attended by alumni, and heritage lovers along with the Heritage Volunteers of the host College, GCW Gandhi Nagar, GCW Parade, GDC Akhnoor GCW Udhampur & Shivalik College of Education Udhampur.

Keen on dev of sports infrastructure in J&K: Taj


Jammu Marathon on Feb 17, dedicated to women's dignity JAMMU, FEBRUARY 14 Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Taj Mohi ud Din today said he was keen on development of sports infrastructure in the State for which the state Government would seek all possible help from the centre. Interacting with mediapersons in connection with the coming Jammu Marathon event being held on February 17, the Minister said that soon after he took over as the Minister incharge, he had directed that every middle and high school in the State should
flagged off from M. A. Stadium and pass through B. C. Road, Amphalla, Kachi Chawni, Parade, Shalimar, Gumat to finally culminate back at the stadium. He said the 8.5km long race would start at 8.30 am. Mr. Taj said the race has been dedicated to the dignity and pride of Indian women. He said the aim of the race is to motivate general public on the issue and sensitise them accordingly. He said the first three runners would be awarded prizes of Rs. 21000, 11000 and Rs. 5100 respectively. Secretary, J&K Sports Council, Dileep Thusoo, organizers for 4th Jammu Marathon were also present on the occasion

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

Cultural Academy announces annual State Photography Awards


JAMMU, FEBRUARY 14:The Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages has announced the State Photography Awards 2011. The awards instituted in 2008 are conferred in three categories carrying a cash prize of Rs 15,000, 10,000, and 7,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Apart from the three awards, four consolation prizes of Rs 1000 each are also given annually to the winners. While making the announcement Secretary J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Khalid Bashir Ahmad said that as many as 89 entries were received by the Academy for the competition. Of these, he informed, the Adjudicating Committee selected 67 entries for the competition. Disclosing the winners Khalid said that the first, second and third prize have been bagged respectively by Ms Puja for her photo titled Purity, Channi Anand for his picture In an Animal Conflict and Abrar Ali Wani for his image Devotion. The names of the consolation prize winners were also disclosed. The winners include Maqsood Bhat, Mir Sarwar, Mushtaq Assad and Parveen Kumar. All the four would get an equal amount of Rs 1000 as the prize money. The Secretary Academy said that photo entries for the 4th edition of the competition were placed before an Adjudicating Committee which selected the eligible photos for the competition and on final evaluation the winners were chosen. He said that the Award winners would be given the prizes at a function to be held shortly.

Div Com visits Ganderbal, Bandipora


SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 14: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon conducted an extensive tour of Bandipora and Ganderbal districts today to take stock of the availability of essentials and basic amenities being provided to the people. Divisional Commissioner was apprised that adequate stocks of essential commodities are available in the twin districts and sale outlets are functioning smoothly to distribute food grains to the people. The Health Services are also being rendered to the people in all the health institutions. Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner took stock of the essentials available in the valley during video conference with the Deputy Commissioners. Director Health Services informed that 249 surgeries were conducted in various hospitals of the valley, 74 surgeries in Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals whileas 237 medical shops remained open to provide necessary medicines to the patients. The meeting was informed that there were no restrictions in Pulwama district and life remained normal throughout the district. In Anantnag district the restrictions were imposed in town only. Similarly, there was no curfew in Budgam and Kupwara but restrictions continued in Langate. Relaxations were given from 4 pm onwards in Baramulla, Sopore and Shopian. However, restrictions continued in Ganderbal, Kulgam and Bandipora. On the directions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Additional Commissioner Kashmir, Srinagar inspected various offices of Srinagar district and checked attendance of the employees. It was found that 93 employees were absent from duty unauthorizedly while as 73 % attendance was recorded in the Srinagar offices. It was given out that 280 ATMs and 256 branches of J&K Bank were open and functioned smoothly today besides transactions worth Rs. 4.60 crore were made in different districts. The meeting was informed that Rs. 53 crore were disbursed through various treasuries. It was also informed that all district treasuries functioned normally in the valley today. The meeting was also informed that truck loads of essentials commodities which crossed today Zig Lower Munda towards Srinagar include 733 of rice and 293 of wheat 71 sugar, 11 poultry, 15 sheep and goat truck loads, besides 116 koil tankers, 86 diesel tankers, and 55 LPG cylinder truck loads.

ADMISSION BOOKING 2013


12th Pass or 12th Class studying students who are interested in Engg. / Medical fields are informed to get their seats booked in reputed colleges of Northern India under Management seats without any donation securing 50% marks in Phy, Chem, Maths/Bio for the following courses, M.D.S, B.D.S, M. Tech, B. Tech, B. Sc Nursing, B. Pharmacy, Diploma in all streams G.N.M, M.Ed, B.Ed, MBA, LLB, Hotel Management, MCA, BBA etc.

Sufficient stocks of food grains available in FCI godowns: Dir CA&PD


ANANTNAG, FEBRUARY 14: Director CAPD Kashmir Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Mir today checked the availability of essential food items in Anantnag Township and inspected all the CAPD stores and physically took stock of the food grains and other essential commodities available in the stores. The team of officers including Deputy Director CAPD Anantnag accompanied the Director CAPD during his inspection to FCI godown at Mir Bazar. The Director was informed that 51560 quintals of Rice, 5910 quintals of wheat and 725 quintals of Sugar are available in the FCI godowns of the district and distribution process is gathering momentum day by day. During his visit to food store at Khannabal and various distribution centres in the town, Director expressed satisfaction with the stock of essential commodities including LPG in the town. The team made a surprise visit of two LPG outlets at Nai Basti and Cheeni Chowk Anantnag where they directed the Gas distributors to make gas distribution feasible at the doorsteps of the consumers. He also directed them to ensure gas availability round the clock to every person especially during curfew days. The gas distributors ensured the authorities not to leave any stone unturned for making LPG available to every consumer wherever the requirement arises.

RAINA EDUCATION CONSULTANCY


(Opposite Sub Treasury Tirth Nagar Talab Tillo Jammu) Mob: 94191-37183

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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-

Did prosecutor-accused nexus compromise case?


nary inquiry has also been launched by the CBI that names Mr Singh and Mr Chandra. Against this backdrop, if the tapes are eventually verified to be original recordings, then the first question that needs to be answered is to what extent has the 2G Spectrum case been compromised on account of Mr Singh's duplicity. Second, the CBI will also have to be scrutinised closely to ensure that there are no more such double agents. The investigating agency has no doubt done a stellar job in investigating the 2G scam, especially given how difficult it usually is to re-trace money trails. However with the emergence of these tapes, the CBI has also come under a cloud. And, the agency's reputation as a handmaiden of the ruling party does not help matters one bit. On his part Mr Sinha, as CBI chief, has sought to reassure the nation that the public prosecutor was just one bad apple in the organisation. This could well be the case, but Mr Sinha's simultaneous efforts to write off this episode as a "trivial aberration" are worrying. The brazen manner in which the public prosecutor has sought to undermine the system and short change the nation is appalling. The 2G Spectrum case is India's most high profile graft case in recent times involving at least one Union Minister, an MP and several A-list corporate executives. The Supreme Court itself is monitoring the investigation into the case which is constantly under intense public scrutiny. That none of these may have mattered to Mr Singh as he allegedly worked hand-in-glove with Mr Chandra and systematically wrecked the case he was tasked to build is only proof of how deep runs the rot.

An all-weather friend of great substance


By Claude Arpi he India-France relationship may not be particularly glamorous, but it is old and stable. And, these main traits characterise bilateral collaborations, be they in the field of defence, civil nuclear energy or culture President Francois Hollande of France has scored a point on Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, his rival during the last French presidential election in May 2012. Mr Hollande's partner, Madame Valerie Trierweiler, will be treated as his 'wife' during the President's ongoing state visit to India. However, Ms Carla Bruni did not get this coveted status during Mr Sarkozy's short first visit in January 2008 (though she got it in December 2010). It is a good personal start for Mr Hollande, but the IndoFrench relations go far beyond society gossip or the often-rigid Ministry of External Affairs' protocol. When in May 2012, Mr Hollande, the 'normal' Socialist candidate, defeated Mr Sarkozy, the 'hyperPresident', many asked: Will the new incumbent in the Elyse Palace have a different foreign policy from that of his predecessor? To be honest, one of the main characteristics of last year's presidential campaign was the total lack of interest in foreign affairs; both candidates were also not too apart as far as France's foreign relations were concerned. Take Afghanistan: Both Mr Hollande and Mr Sarkozy agreed to withdraw French troops, and the difference was just on the question of timing. Mr Hollande promised the departure of the French forces before the year-end (which he did), while Mr Sarkozy preferred to wait till 2013. 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 eco-

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)

PLUNGE INTO MURKY WATERS

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-

cally motivated at any level? These are pressing questions

but to many in the troubled Valley he was a relatable fig-

the political leadership to prove to the people of

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-

in Parl on 'Hindu' terror row

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.

K'taka leaders to meet PM on Feb 18 over Cauvery row


BANGALORE: An all-party delegation from Karnataka would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday to apprise him of the state's position on the Cauvery issue. The announcement to take a delegation of floor leaders of both Houses of the state legislature to New Delhi was made by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar in the Assembly. The BJP government has been facing fire from opposition Congress and JD-S for releasing Cauvery water in compliance with the February 7 order of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to immediately release 2.44 TMC feet of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu whose plea for 12 TMC ft was refused. A bench headed by Justice RM Lodha increased by 0.44 TMC the amount of water to be provided to Tamil Nadu on the recommendation of the Central Water Commission (CWC). The bench also comprising justices J. Chelameswar and Madan B. Lokur directed Karnataka to release the water immediately. The court passed the order after going through the report submitted by an expert committee of CWC which said that only 10% of cultivated land in Tamil Nadu needs water. The committee said that 50% of the arable land has already been cultivat-

Meghalaya chief secretary on leave to 'avoid controversy'


SHILLONG: Following the footsteps of his Nagaland counterpart, Meghalaya chief secretary W.M.S. Pariat will be going on leave as his brotherin-law is contesting the state assembly elections. "I am going on leave for 15 days since my brother-in-law is contesting the assembly elections and to avoid any controversies," Pariat said. Lamboklang Mylliem is contesting the Feb 23 polls from Jirang assembly constituency in Ri-Bhoi district, bordering Assam's Kamrup district. Former Meghalaya CM J.D. Rymbai, who had been elected for five consecutive term decided not to contest the assembly elections. "My 15 days' leave was to assure the people of the state that the entire elections process are being held in free and fair manner," Pariat added. Pariat said the Election Commission has granted them leave following their request to ensure free and fair polls. The Election Commission has directed P.B.O. Warjri, additional chief secretary in-charge forest and environment to take the charge of chief secretary till the entire election process is over. Nagaland chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir and additional chief secretary Banou Z. Jamir have gone on leave to ensure a fair play as their son Merentoshi is contesting the state assembly elections. Meghalaya & Nagaland will elect new legislators for the 60member assembly Feb 23. Counting will take place Feb 28.

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.

SC directs state govts to disclose money spent on security of VIPs


NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court directed state governments and union territories to disclose the amount of money being spent on providing security to VIPs. The court has also asked for clarification on how many people with criminal records are being provided security and how many relatives and family members of VIPs are being provided security. This comes a week after the apex court questioned the Delhi police on providing security personnel to VIP instead of deploying them for safety of women. The SC's observation came after amicus curiae Harish Salve told the court that thousand of crores of rupees were being spent on VIP security. Taking a tough stand on the issue, the apex court had directed all the state governments to file affidavits on police force engaged in providing VIP security. "What kind of money is being spent on this and who are the people who are being provided this security?" questioned the Supreme Court.

Congress and opposition BJP boycott Odisha Guv's speech in Assembly


B H U B A N E S WA R : Opposition BJP and the Congress Thursday boycotted the speech of Governor M C Bhandare on the inauguration day of the budget session of the Odisha Assembly here today. As soon as Mr. Bhandare entered into the house to address the members, BJP MLA Jaya Narayan Mishra stood up and said the Governor has no moral right to address the House since his term has already been expired and he has not been given any extension. Mr.Mishra said Mr.Bhandare's term has been expired on August 20, 2012 and he has not been given any extension. All the BJP members present in the House then boycoted his speech and walked out. Independent member Pratap Chandra Sharangi also joined with the BJP and boycotted the speech of the Governor. The Governor in his address first expressed deep condolence on the sad demise of former Prime Minister I K Gujral, former Governor B Satyanarayan Reddy and several other former members of the House besides the police personnel and jawans who have laid down their lives for the cause of the nation. As soon as the Governor completed his condolence message and started his speech with 'My Government', Leader of Opposition Bhupender Singh stood up and drew the attention of the Governor to various sops announced by the government without taking him and the House into confidence. The leader of Opposition described the action of the Chief Minister in making series of announcements as contempt of the House and also the people of the state and announced to boycott his speech. Soon after all the Congress members walked out of the House. The Governor however, undeterred by the boycott of the Opposition, went on highlighting the various achievement of the state government.

Suryanelli case: PJ Kurien meet Sonia Gandhi in Delhi


NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, facing allegations in Suryanelli gangrape case, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday. Kurien had earlier sought appointment with Sonia to discuss the 1996 case. Denying allegations against him, Kurien has been refusing to step down. He has claimed that he was being victim of a political conspiracy. In 1996, in Kerala's Suryanelli, bordering the tea gardens of Munnar, a teenaged girl was raped by over 42 men including a bus conductor and many others. Faced with ostracisation, the victim's family had to leave the village. Kurien was acquitted in the case, but the gangrape survivor named him as one of the men who assaulted her in 1996. She had also sent a letter to the Supreme Court, asking for a review of the apex court's order quashing all charges against Kurien. Mr Kurien was exonerated by the Supreme Court a few years ago in what's known as the Suryanelli rape case, but the woman has reiterated in recent weeks that he was among her assaulters, and was not investigated seriously because of his political influence. Her renewed allegations come after the Supreme Court set aside an order of the Kerala High Court, which acquitted 34 of 35 men accused of raping her. Mr Kurien's critics said that when the Supreme Court agreed that there was no need for Mr Kurien to be tried in the case, it relied at least in part on that order. The Supreme Court has ordered a retrial of the case. So now, the victim and many of Mr Kurien's opponents say, he should be re-investigated. This week, the only man who had been convicted by the Kerala High Court in what's known as the Suryanelli rape case appeared on television after years of being untraceable by the police and said that he drove Mr Kurien to the guest-house where the woman says he raped her in 1996.

Khurshid to speak to Maldivian counterpart on Nasheed


NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will be speaking to his counterpart in Maldives which has raised strong objections to India's views regarding former President Mohamed Nasheed, who has sought "refuge" at the Indian High Commission in Male. "I will be talking to the Foreign Minister of Maldives (Abdul Samad Abdullah) regarding the issue," Khurshid said. 45-year-old Nasheed yesterday took refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male to evade arrest warrant issued by a local court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January last year. Sources here said that senior Indian officials are going to understand from Nasheed his future plans. Earlier in the day, Maldives had denied India's claim that it held discussions with Indian officials regarding Nasheed, saying it cannot interfere with the independence of the judiciary. "Maldives wishes to confirm that neither the High Commission of India in Male, nor any other authority of the Government of India has had had discussion with the Government of Maldives concerning former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed's reported request for 'refuge'," Maldives' Foreign Ministry said. It said that after several inquiries by the ministry, the Indian High Commission had confirmed Nasheed's presence there. "Nasheed's on-going trial is a matter handled by two independent State institutions, namely the Prosecutor General and the judiciary," the statement said. The statement termed as "unfortunate" what it called the "public comment" by India on events instead of opting for bilateral discussions between the two Governments. "It is further unfortunate that the Government of India has decided to comment on the types of candidates that could contest the upcoming Presidential Elections in the Maldives scheduled for September 2013," it said. Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2008. He resigned a year ago after weeks of public protests against the judge's arrest. His deputy, Mohammed Waheed, succeeded him.

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galvanized South Korea into flexing its military muscle and highlighting its own technological prowess. "With this missile, we could hit any facility, equipment or individual target in the North anywhere, at any time of our choosing," army Major General Ryu YoungJeo said of the cruise missile. On Wednesday, South Korea said it would accelerate the development of longer-range ballistic missiles that could also cover the whole of North Korea. In October last year, South Korea reached a deal with the United States to almost triple the range of its ballistic missile systems -with Seoul arguing it needed an upgrade to counter the North's own missile development. The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its ballistic missile capabilities. The defense ministry also said it would speed up the deployment of a "kill chain" system capable of detecting, targeting and destroying North Korean missiles. DONETSK, UKRAINE: Five people died when an Antonov AN-24 plane with dozens of football fans on board made an emergency landing in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk officials said. "Most of the survivors were able to walk off the plane by themselves," emergency ministry spokeswoman Svytlana Borodyna said. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear but the plane was flying from the southern resort city of Odessa when it overturned and began breaking up upon landing at Donetsk airport, according to the ministry. Aside from the five dead, twelve people were injured in the incident, Borodyna said. We were all going to the match in Donetsk because we love our club," said Igor, who declined to give a second name, as he received treatment for a sprained arm in hospital. A local security source had earlier said that the plane overturned and wound up in a field some 700 metres (yards) from the airport runway. It was unclear whether the aircraft had skidded off the runway after landing or whether it had overshot the runway, local media said, adding that there was heavy fog at Donetsk airport at the time of the accident. "I was lucky," added Igor, who is in his 40s. "After the crash I found myself in the plane lavatory. I was able to push myself up with my feet. "My shoulder hurt but I

South Korea flexes missile power after North test


SEOUL: Two days after North Korea's nuclear test, South Korea signaled on Thursday the deployment of a new cruise missile capable of a precision strike on members of Pyongyang's high command. The defense ministry called in reporters for a special video presentation of the recently deployed missile being fired from a warship and a submarine. "The cruise missile unveiled today is a precisionguided weapon that can identify and strike the office window of the North's command headquarters," ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said. It has "deadly destructive power" that could "restrain the enemy headquarters' activities" during wartime, Kim said. South Korea's military has been on a heightened state of alert ever since Pyongyang first threatened the nuclear test which was eventually conducted on Tuesday. It was the North's third test, following previous detonations in 2006 and 2009, and seismic data suggested it was significantly more powerful. The test appears to have

Five dead as plane makes emergency landing in Ukraine


started to walk, unsteadily. Someone helped me... they took me by the arm and walked me out of the plane. There was so much fog I couldn't see anyone, not even the plane," he recalled. The Antonia AN-24 is a twin-engined 50-capacity propeller plane dating from the Soviet period, with more than 1,000 built between 1959 and 1979. The planes are still widely used for regional flights in former Soviet countries

Operation to kill Osama was very risky: Panetta


WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that the daring operation to kill Osama bin Laden at his Abbott bad safe house in Pakistan was very risky as the al-Qaeda chief's presence there was not 100 per cent confirmed. As Director of the CIA, Panetta played a leading role in the finding and killing of bin Laden. Subsequently, he was made the Defense Secretary by President Barack Obama. "What I saw... was a very professional intelligence operation that was able to determine the location of the compound in Abbott bad," Panetta said. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be replaced by Chuck Hagel, former Nebraska Senator. "I think despite all of the work that was done on the intelligence side... we were putting the bits and pieces together, we never had a hundred per cent confidence that it was bin Laden who was located there. So from the very beginning, it was always very risky because we didn't know that in fact it was bin Laden," he said. "We continued to look at the intelligence. It seemed to all point to it being bin Laden, but very frankly, we did not have a hundred per cent," he said. Panetta disclosed that during planning for the operation, there were a lot of different views that raised questions and concerns about whether or not the US should do this. "I remained very confident that, with the information we had, the best information we'd had on bin Laden since Tora Bora, that it was important for us not to simply ignore what we had but to take action and to go in and determine whether or not it was him," Panetta said.

Maldives president must step down: Nasheed


MALE: Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed Hassan must quit and an interim, caretaker government should be set up, former president Mohamed Nasheed demanded on Thursday. Nasheed, who took refuge in the Indian High Commission after a court ordered his arrest, said Hassan cannot be trusted to hold a free and fair presidential election. "The events of the past year - the mass arrests, police brutality, the politically motivated trials - demonstrate that Waheed cannot be trusted to hold a free and fair election," said Nasheed. "Waheed should do the right thing and resign from office," he said. "An interim, caretaker government should be established that can lead the Maldives to genuinely free and fair elections, in which all candidates are freely able to compete." Nasheed, 45, entered the Indian mission after a court issued an arrest order after he failed to attend a scheduled hearing over the detention of Criminal Court chief judge Abdulla Mohamed. Nasheed resigned Feb 7 last year followed by what he alleged was a coup. Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan succeeded him. The statement describing his ongoing trial against him as "a politically motivated sham". He said the Hulhumale Magistrates Court - established to hear his case - was illegal and created "with the sole purpose of disqualifying me from the presidential elections". He accused Waheed of ruling the Maldives with "the barrel of a gun". The Maldives, an atoll nation, is known for its deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. It comprises 1,190 islands - of which about 200 are inhabited and has a population of 350,000. The country has been in political turmoil even since Nasheed was ousted.

Suicide bomber kills three police in Russian Caucasus


MOSCOW: A suicide bomber killed three policemen and wounded another six in Russia's North Caucasus on Thursday before President Vladimir Putin was to meet with officials to discuss security ahead of next year's Winter Olympics. The Kremlin is fighting to staunch an insurgency that aims to carve an Islamic state out of the Caucasus region, which borders Sochi, Russia's planned site for the 2014 Games. The suicide bomber detonated explosives at a security checkpoint as police stopped his car for a routine document check on its way into the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan province, the Interior Ministry said. "Police officers stopped the car for a routine check. Behind the wheel was a terrorist suicide bomber," the ministry statement said. "When police officers walked up to the car, he detonated the explosive device." One person remained officials from the Federal Security Service, the domestic intelligence agency, on Thursday to outline their priorities for the year. The Investigative Committee, a criminal investigation arm that answers only to Putin, said the explosion tore a hole almost four meters (13 feet) wide in the checkpoint building. Television showed pictures of the twisted wreckage of the car near the security checkpoint where police regularly check identity papers. Human rights groups say the insurgency, led by selfstyled emir of the North Caucasus Doku Umarov, is being driven by a volatile mix of religion, corruption and grievances against the strong-arm tactics of some local leaders against suspected militants and their families. The suicide bombing followed a police raid on a Dagestani forest hideout that killed five militants earlier this week

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.

WPI inflation falls to 6.62% in Jan


MUMBAI: Declining for the fourth straight month, WPI inflation fell to 6.62 percent in January despite rise in prices of food items like vegetables, onions and rice. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) had stood at 7.18 percent in December and 7.24 percent in Nov. It was at 7.23 percent in Jan, 2012. Further, inflation in manufactured items category too witnessed a decline and stood at 4.81 percent in January, as per official data released on Thursday. Inflation in food articles, which have a 14.3 percent share in the WPI basket, however witnessed an increase as onion prices shot up during the month. Inflation in the food articles category was at 11.88 percent from 11.16 percent in Dec. Onions became expensive by 111.52 percent during Jan, from 69.24 percent in Dec, 2012. While rice became costlier by 17.31 percent in Jan, from 17.10 percent in December, vegetables became dearer by 28.45 percent from 23.25 percent in last month. Inflation in wheat and cereals stood at 21.39 percent and 18.09 percent respectively in January. Potatoes were expensive by 79.07 percent, while inflation in pulses was up 16.89 percent. While, inflation in egg, meat and fish stood at 10.81 percent, those of milk rose up 4.47 percent and fruits by 8.42 percent. For the fuel and power category, it moderated to 7.06 percent in Jan, compared to 9.38 percent in Dec, 2012. The cooling off of January inflation would provide the much needed comfort to Reserve Bank, which had projected March-end inflation at 6.8 percent.

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

Nifty rejig effect lifts NMDC, weakens Wipro, Siemens


NEW DELHI: As the NSE decided to replace Wipro and Siemens with NMDC and IndusInd Bank in the 50-share Nifty benchmark from April 1, the outgoing stocks witnessed selling pressure. But, NMDC and IndusInd Bank moved up. Wipro slumped 2.94 per cent at Rs 397.4 and Simens fell 2.9 per cent at Rs 587.1. NMDC moved up 2 per cent to Rs 148.85 and the IndusInd Bank gained 1.17 per cent at Rs 445.8. These changes are on account of the semi-annual review of the National Stock Exchange benchmark. As the benchmark Nifty is tracked widely by domestic and global fund managers for a variety of purposes such as benchmarking fund portfolios, index-based derivatives and index funds, Wipro and Siemens fell. Besides, index and exchange-traded funds have to realign their portfolio in tune with the benchmark, that will add more pressure in the coming days. On the other hand, NMDC and IndusInd Bank may attract fund inflows. To be part of Nifty, a stock should meet the liquidity (measured by the impact cost) and free float (at least 10 per cent shares should be readily available for trading) criteria.

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.

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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."

February at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. The Hockey World League is a qualifying

Pankaj storms into Welsh Open quarter-final


NEW DELHI: Pankaj Advani continued his dream run in the BetVictor Welsh Open Pro Snooker Series as the eight-time world champion on Thursday rewrote history by entering the quarterfinals of a major ranking event, defeating Scotland's Graeme Dott 4-1 at Newport, Wales. Continuing his great run after ousting World No. 4 Shaun Murphy in the prequarterfinals, the reigning world billiards champion comfortably defeated 2006 world champion Dott to once again stamp his authority on the professional snooker circuit. Advani had on Wednesday become the first Indian cueist ever to reach the pre-quarters of the Welsh Open when he overcame a spirited challenge from the former world champion Murphy 4-3 in the Round of 32. Advani now awaits the winner of the last-16 clash between World No.2 Judd Trump and Andrew Higginson. "Being the only Indian to make it to the quarters of any professional snooker ranking tournament ever is a huge high for me. I really have no words to express how amazing this feels. I hope this will translate into big steps forward in Indian snooker," Advani said In Thursday's match, Advani started with a bang in the first frame, compiling a fine break of 63 to take a 1-0 lead. Denying Dott any chance to settle in, the 27-year-old Bangalorean constructed another frame-winning break of 73 to go 2-0 up. Dott, currently ranked at 13, replied with a steady performance in the third to reduce the gap and make it 21. However, Advani came back in the fourth with a 46 clearance to be one frame away from creating history. And the Indian did not disappoint. After missing the first colour attempt, Dott left the table not expecting that to be his last visit of the championship, as Advani executed a brilliant 100-break to storm into the quarters. Apart from Dott and other legends on the game, Advani, the only active player to compete at the highest level in both billiards and snooker concurrently in the same season, has impressed the world with his unprecedented first year performance on the professional circuit.

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Raina fires as UP crush Rajasthan

ABN AMRO meet: Federer cruises into Round 2


ROTTERDAM: Defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the second round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Wednesday by beating Grega Zemlja 6-3, 6-1. Federer, a two-time winner at the indoor hard court tournament, had taken a two-week break after losing a grueling five-set semifinal to Andy Murray at the Australian Open and he showed signs of rustiness early against Zemlja. The Slovenian dropped only one point on his first two service games and then forced two break points on Federer's serve in the fourth game. But that was as good as it got for the No.64-ranked Zemlja. Federer switched up a gear, saved both break points and broke in the next game and again in the ninth game to take the opening set. The second set was over even quicker, with Federer closing out the match in 58 minutes. Federer conceded he took a while to get into his stride after his break and get used to

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.

Matt Prior urges ECB to clear its stance on the IPL


matches are, then that's when the Test matches are. My priority is playing Test cricket for England and when I am needed to play Test cricket for England I will play," the Sussex gloveman added. "The one thing, however, is that the IPL and these Twenty20 competitions are not going away. "People love them and the players enjoy playing in them, so there are going to be more and more people getting frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play in the IPL. So things may have to change in time." The sixth IPL starts on April 3 and runs to May 26, a period that includes England's first Test at home to New Zealand starting on May 16. At present, the only England players involved in the IPL are Pietersen and fellow batsman Eoin Morgan. Prior, who has appeared in the Australian domestic Twenty20 Big Bash competition for the Sydney Thunder, said he feared the kudos attached to playing cricket might not always be enough to prevent players from around the world turning their back on the five-day game if the price was right.

MI among top-150 most valuable team brands


NEW DELHI: IPL franchise Mumbai Indians is among the world's 150 most valuable sports team brands according to a list topped by English football giants Manchester United, which has a brand value of USD 852 millions. In the assessment of brand values of all major sports teams worldwide done by a London-based brand valuation firm, the Mukesh Ambani-owned team found the 146th position with a brand value worth USD 48 millions, followed by Chennai Super Kings at USD 45 millions. The firm, Brand Finance plc, had compiled the list of the world's 250 most valuable sports teams, including football clubs and teams from the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and the Indian Premier League as on June 1 last year. The inaugural IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals (USD 27 millions), have the least brand value among the other teams in the competition. Despite cricket being one of the world's biggest sport, the total value of IPL teams is just USD 321 million, the research claimed. As per the average team brand value for different sports, the cricket event has USD 35 million brand value.

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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