Govt must cut spending: RBI governor - India

31 oct 2012

Govt must cut spending: RBI governor

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that the government must balance its books by cutting spending as this is the only way to achieve a sustained fiscal consolidation. The statement by the RBI governor comes in the wake of a new road map for fiscal consolidation, which does not have any significant reduction in subsidies.
"All of us - not just RBI, but all stakeholders in the macroeconomic management - are concerned about the quantum of fiscal adjustment and also the quality of fiscal adjustment. International experience shows that fiscal adjustment that comes from expenditure compression is more sustainable than one that comes from tax increases," said D Subbarao, governor, RBI, in a conference call with analysts.
"In our own country, we achieved consolidation in pre-crisis period largely due to tax increases. It will be worth our while to focus on expenditure compression to manage credible and sustainable fiscal consolidation on our way forward," he added.
The governor's comments seem to hint at scepticism over the government's new road map to bring down fiscal deficit to 5.3% of GDP in FY13, 5.8% in FY12, 4.8% in FY14 and 3% by FY17. Analysts have expressed disbelief at the ability of the government to bring down fiscal deficit to 5.3% without any additional reduction in subsidies.
"The (governor's) conference call clearly gave an indication that lot more needs to be done in the execution of measures announced by the government," said Ashish Vaidya, head of fixed income currencies and commodities trading at UBS Ag India.
"This should be seen against the backdrop of the 50-bps reduction in policy rates in April in belied expectation that government would take action on the policy front," he added.
P Chidambaram, who took charge in August in the wake of a downgrade warning from Standard & Poor's this year, has been trying to send a signal that the finance ministry is committed to policy action, but the central bank appears to be playing it safe. According to Vaidya, if the measures announced by the FM are implemented between now and March and the fiscal numbers remain on target, a downgrade would be staved off for now.
In the conference call, the governor continued to be optimistic of an economic environment supporting a rate cut in January 2013. "The guidance of policy action in January is based on overall assessment of growth inflation situation. We ourselves have said that inflation will peak during this quarter and then trend down in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal. In January, we will be responding not just to the point inflation numbers but also the projected trajectory. If the growth inflation plays off, we feel that there will be scope for easing," Subbarao said.
The governor reiterated that the central bank has no intention of supporting the rupee at a particular level nor does it plan to buy dollars to build up reserves.

Astronauts see superstorm Sandy from space station - India

30 oct 201

Astronauts see superstorm Sandy from space station

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Cape Canaveral, Florida: The commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams, said on Tuesday that she and her crew were able to make out the big swirl at the center of Sandy as it neared land on Monday.

Her family lives in New England, and she's keeping a special watch over what's happening in the region.

As for the other big news - the U.S. presidential election, Ms Williams and the other American on board, Kevin Ford, already have cast their votes. The two filed absentee ballots before rocketing into orbit from Kazakhstan. Mr Ford arrived at the space station last week.
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Exiled Tibetans hold candle light vigil in Dharamsala - India

29 oct 2012

Exiled Tibetans living in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, held a candle light vigil on Saturday to express solidarity with four compatriots, who self-immolated themselves in last two days in different parts of Tibet.

The vigil was organised by Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) who urged United Nations to intervene into the matter so as to put an end to the self-immolations.

The RTYC President of Dharamsala unit, Tenzin Tsundue informed that two Tibetans resorted to self-immolation on October 26.

A 24-year-old Tibetan farmer, Lhamo Tseten, died on Friday from self-immolation near a military base and a government office. Later on Friday, Tsepag Kyab, 21, also set fire to himself and died.
"Yesterday, while we were sitting here, while we were standing here and saying our prayers for Lhamo Tseten, he gave up his life yesterday in the afternoon. And in the evening very quickly we put together this candle light vigil, we were saying prayers, but we did not know at that moment what was happening. But while we were going out of here, immediately people started receiving this information that another Tibetan has set himself on fire yesterday in the evening, while were doing the prayers here, and he has died," said Tsundue.

 Tsundue further said that until now the total number of self-immolators has reached to 62, out of which most have died.
According to media reports, two Tibetan cousins set themselves on fire in their village on October 25 to protest Chinese rule. Tsepo, 20, and Tenzin, 25, called for independence for Tibet as they set themselves ablaze in front of a government building.
Tsepo reportedly has died and Tenzin's condition is unknown.
"Two Tibetans had already self-immolated and one had dies and the other one was in critical condition. But news of this, which happened day before yesterday, did not reach here yesterday, we came to know only late night. Between two-days four self-immolations have happened and yet we don't have a photograph of them, we don't have much information. All that we knew that there are these incidents of self-immolation, some people have died, and the other one is in critical condition. Until now 62
Tibetans have self-immolated and most of them have died," said Tsundue.
As per latest media reports, these incidents have brought the total number of self-immolations to seven this week, the highest since the protests began last year.
The surge in self-immolations in China in protest over its rule in Tibet has heightened tension in recent months.
Indian-based rights groups said there had been a massive security clampdown in Tibet and Tibetan areas of China, and in some instances protesters were beaten even as they were ablaze.
China rejects criticism that it is eroding Tibetan culture and faith, saying its rule has ended serfdom and brought development to a backward region.
China has ruled Tibet since 1950, when Communist troops marched in and announced its "peaceful liberation".
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising, has accused China of "cultural genocide". Beijing considers him a separatist and does not trust his insistence that he only wants greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.
China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist for his long struggle for Tibetan autonomy, and tensions over the issue are at their highest in years after a spate of protests and self-immolations, which have prompted a Chinese security crackdown.

Al Qaeda inspired groups, minus goal of striking US - India

28  oct 2012

Al Qaeda inspired groups, minus goal of striking US

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Washington: One of the currents running through the presidential campaign has been a tacit but fundamental question: After 11 years of the war on terror, what kind of threat does al-Qaeda pose to America?

The candidates offered profoundly different answers during their final debate last week, with President Barack Obama repeating his triumphant narrative of drone attacks and dead terrorists, and Mitt Romney warning darkly about Islamists on the march in an increasingly hostile Middle East.

In a sense, both are true. The organization that planned the Sept. 11 attacks, based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is in shambles; dozens of its top leaders have been killed since Obama assumed office, and those who remain appear mostly inactive.

At the same time, jihadists of various kinds, some identifying themselves with al-Qaeda, are flourishing in Africa and the Middle East, where the chaos that followed the Arab uprisings has often given them greater freedom to organize and operate. The death of J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, in September during an assault by armed Libyan jihadists on the U.S. mission in Benghazi has driven that home to the American public.

But there is an important distinction: Most of the newer jihadist groups have local agendas, and very few aspire to strike directly at the United States as Osama bin Laden's core network did. They may interfere with U.S. interests around the world - as in Syria, where the presence of militant Islamists among the rebels fighting the government of Bashar Assad has inhibited U.S. efforts to support the uprising. But that is a far cry from terrorist plots aimed at the United States itself.

"In a lot of ways we've gone back to the way the world was before Sept. 11," said Brian Fishman, a research fellow in counterterrorism at the New America Foundation. "It's local jihadi groups focused on projects within their own countries, even if they sometimes maintain the rhetorical framework of al-Qaeda and its global struggle."

While these local groups may have benefited in the short term from the turbulence that followed the Arab Spring uprisings, they have also suffered an ideological blow that could make it far more difficult to recruit young followers. Peaceful protest movements brought down dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt, and there, as in the more violent conflicts in Libya and Yemen, the United States was on the side of change.

The idea of attacking the United States, "the far enemy" in jihadist parlance, was always unpopular for many Islamic radicals, whose chief goal was replacing their own governments with theocracies. The concept became more unpopular after the Sept. 11 attacks when bin Laden and his followers were driven out of their sanctuary in Afghanistan. In the following years, al-Qaeda's affiliates in Iraq and Saudi Arabia did the brand considerable harm by killing large numbers of Muslims, although killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq, where those troops were seen as Crusader-like occupiers, was still met with wide approval.

What al-Qaeda retains is a mystique, the legend of a small band of warriors who took on an empire and struck a devastating blow. That mystique still has tremendous appeal, even for insurgents who differ with al-Qaeda's methods or its focus on attacking America.

Recent years have seen the proliferation of jihadist movements that may take some inspiration from al-Qaeda, but have greatly divergent goals. In Nigeria, the radical Islamist group Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in the past few years in its struggle to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state. There, the struggle is largely sectarian; Boko Haram has struck mostly at Christians and burned churches.

Jihadists now control Mali's vast north, as Romney mentioned more than once in the last debate, and have links to an older group officially affiliated with al-Qaeda that grew out of Algeria's civil conflict in the 1990s. Although these groups are well armed and dangerous, some appear to be more criminal than ideological, focused on kidnapping and drug smuggling. Jihadists have also gained strength in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, just across the border from Israel.

At one point during the debate, Romney appeared to link these varied threats with the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power in Egypt. To some terrorism analysts, this kind of talk is counterproductive, because it blurs crucial distinctions between potential allies who profess to believe in democracy and civic rights, like the Brotherhood, and more militant Islamists who view those principles as heresy.
"There is still a tendency to talk about the enemy in grand terms, linking them all together, because it makes you sound tough," Fishman of the New America Foundation said. "In fact, it does the opposite, because it obscures differences that should be at the heart of our counterterrorism efforts."

The most dangerous al-Qaeda movement, from an American perspective, is the one in Yemen, which has tried repeatedly to plant bombs on airliners bound for the United States. There, as in Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. drone strikes have had a devastating effect, killing the U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and many other top leaders. The group took over vast territories of southern Yemen last year while the Yemeni government was distracted with street protests in the capital; but the jihadists were driven back in June, with U.S. military assistance.

At the same time, most of the political realities that inspired bin Laden's organization are still in place, including America's support for Israel and the rulers of the Persian Gulf states. The U.S. military is still fighting in Afghanistan, and the Taliban, which hosted al-Qaeda during the 1990s, could gain greater power after a U.S. withdrawal.

Al-Qaeda "was never a mass movement; it was always meant to be a vanguard," Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, said. "So even with the first generation of leaders largely gone, it's very difficult to declare the movement dead."

Bali's 'largest' ancient Hindu temple discovered - India

27  oct 2012

Bali's 'largest' ancient Hindu temple discovered

Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever found on the Indonesian island, archaeologists said.

The workers were digging a drain in the island's capital Denpasar at a Hindu study centre when they came across the remainsof the stone temple. They reported the discovery to the Bali archaeology office, which then unearthed substantial foundations of a structure that the excavation team believes dates from around the 13th to 15th centuries.
"We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali," Wayan Suantika, the head of the team, said late Wednesday.
He said the excavation was still in progress and the team did not yet know whether enough stones would be unearthed to allow them to reconstruct the temple.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

This general view shows the reconstructed Wasan temple (L) in the village of Sukawati in Bali which is currently the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever unearthed on Bali, reconstructed after its discovery in 1986. AFP Photo

The construction workers on Sunday found the first stone one metre (yard) underground, which was one metre long, 40 centimetres (16 inches) deep and 40 wide, said Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma, owner of the Hindu centre.
The excavation team then found what they believe is the foundation of the structure's 20-metre-long east wing, Suantika said.
The popular resort island is a pocket of Hindu culture in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world.

Naveen Jindal releases footage of 'sting' against Zee; claims extortion - India

26  oct 2012

Naveen Jindal releases footage of 'sting' against Zee; claims extortion

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Still from the footage

New Delhi: Congress leader and steel tycoon Naveen Jindal at a press conference on Thursday showed a video recording of meetings with Zee TV executives and claimed this to be proof that they were trying to extort money from him. Zee News has refuted the allegation.

Mr Jindal said the TV channel told his company's executives that if they did not spend Rs. 100 crore on advertising, the channel would run unfavourable stories about how his firm was allocated coal fields.

Mr Jindal says the extortion attempt was caught on a hidden camera; he released CDs of this footage to reporters. The 'reverse sting' was carried out between September 13 and 19 over four meetings in different locations in Delhi.

Mr Jindal's company Jindal Steel and Power Limited has also filed a police case against Zee, which is promoted by Subhash Chandra. "Broadcast licences are given for news, not for blackmail and extortion," Mr Jindal said.

The steel tycoon claimed that the Zee TV executives had asked for Rs. 20 crore over five years as advertisements, but then raised their demand to Rs. 100 crore for not running stories on allegations his firm is facing in the coal block allocation scam. The Comptroller and Auditor General has named Jindal Steel and Power Limited as one of the beneficiaries of the allocation that was done bypassing auctions.

Zee has refuted the charges. In a press release, Zee News said, "We see this as a deliberate attempt to malign and to defame us." Its executives also said that this was actually an attempt by Mr Jindal and JSPL to "buy them out".

"He chose to display an edited/doctored CD where only selected portions are shown. Mr. Jindal has a history of unfairly targeting those who dare to confront him with the truth. Attempts by media houses like Zee News to bring out the final truth in the Rs. 1.86 lakh crore Coalgate scam are being muzzled by Mr. Naveen Jindal by distorting the truth," the statement says. Zee's editor Sudhir Chaudhry also questioned the fact that Mr Jindal refused to be quizzed by the media at the press conference.

Mr Jindal says there is more "explosive" material with him against Zee.

The channel also claims that Mr Jindal manhandled some of its reporters when they asked him to comment on Coalgate allegations earlier.

In the midst of the press conference, there was some more drama when the family of a Right to Information activist from Chhattisgarh started shouting slogans against JSPL and Mr Jindal. JSPL's power plant and coal blocks are in Chhattisgarh.

Earlier this month, Justice M Katju, the chairmen of the Press Council of India, asked for an inquiry into Mr Jindal's allegations.

"It is alleged that they first telecast false news against Jindal as regards allocation of coal blocks and other issues, in order to injure and harm the reputation and business of Jindal, and when Jindal invited them for a discussion to tell them the correct facts Zee officials demanded 100 crore for publicising the version of Jindal," Justice Katju said in a letter to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA).

24  oct 2012

Dussehra celebrated across India

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: Towering effigies of 10-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran crackled in fiery splendour marking the triumph of good over evil as gusto and fervour marked Dussehra festivities across the country today. 

Amid beating of drums, devotees, dancing frenziedly, also bid adieu to Goddess Durga as she returned to her celestial abode.

At sundown, the fire crackers-stuffed giant effigies, dotting grounds and open spaces in towns and villages, went up in flames as crowds burst into cheers.

With security forces keeping a hawk-eye vigil, the festivities passed off peacefully in different parts of the country.

In the national capital, President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were among a large number of dignitaries who watched the evil going up in smoke at Parade and Ramlila Ground.

Dussehra, which also marks the end of scorching summer and heralding of winter, is preceded by nine auspicious days of Navaratri during which devotees pray, fast and feast.

Ramlilas, vivid enactments from the life of Lord Rama, were staged in large parts of the country during the nine days preceding the festival.

Hundreds of idols of Goddess Durga, which had adorned the marquees, were immersed in holy rivers by devotees marking the culmination of festivities.

A number of fairs were also held on the occasion of Dussehra which also symbolises the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over buffalo demon Mahishasura.

Controversial full-body scanners at major airports to go - India

24 oct 2012

Controversial full-body scanners at major airports to go

Washington: The US is replacing full-body scanners deployed at some major airports that have been criticised for triggering potential health risks and privacy violations with a new type of machine that is faster and not too intrusive.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates more than 700 body scanners at about 180 airports across the country.

TSA officials say the millimetre wave machines are being moved into high-traffic airports like Los Angeles International because they can screen each passenger in about 10 seconds. The backscatter scanner can take up to a minute.

The machines were introduced at American airports after a Nigerian national tried to blow up a US airliner near Detroit with explosives hidden in his underwear on December 25, 2009.

About half of those scanners employ "backscatter" technology that uses low-level X-rays to create what resembles a nude image of passengers to detect weapons. The faster scanners use low-level radio waves, or millimetre waves, and instead use a generic avatar figure to show hidden objects, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The backscatter machines have been criticised by academics and privacy advocates who say the radiation they emit poses a health risk and the images they create violate the privacy of passengers.

Torrance-based Rapiscan Systems Inc., the makers of the backscatter machines, declined to comment, the paper said.

Meanwhile, Brandon Macsata, executive director of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights, said he does not believe the TSA's reason for switching out the machines.

"It's hard to believe what they say," he said, citing previous TSA statements about the privacy of the scanners that Macsata said have been false.

Pakistan worried about Saudi Arabia-India's growing anti-terror cooperation? - India

22  OCT 2012

Pak worried about Saudi Arabia-India's growing anti-terror cooperation?

New Delhi: Fasih Mohammad , a suspected senior functionary of the banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, boarded the India-bound Jet Airways flight 9W 567 at King Fahd Airport in Dammam along with his Indian escorts minutes before the take-off. All through the three hour flight, his escorts - mostly from the Delhi Police - kept a hawk's eye on him. Fasih was whisked away by the Delhi Police Special Cell officials minutes after the plane touched down at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

And, with that, Fasih became the third terror suspect to be deported back to India from Saudi Arabia this year. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia had, in similar manner, sent back A Rayees - a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative - to Mumbai where team officials from Kerala awaited him. Rayees is now being questioned by the Kerala Police. He is wanted in a 2009 case, in which a large quantity of ammonium nitrate was seized.

Earlier, in June 2012, Saudi Arabia handed over Abu Jundal - a 26/11 master mind to India overriding Pakistan's objections. Jundal or Zabiuddin Ansari had taught Hindi to the ten terrorist - including Mohammad Ajmal Kasab - who carried out the attack in Mumbai in 2008. Besides this, Jundal had also passed on instructions to the terrorist during the attack from the Karachi control room.

To prevent India from getting to Jundal, Pakistan had claimed that Jundal was a Pakistani citizen and wanted in Pakistan. However, overriding Pakistan's objections, Saudi Arabia had handed over Jundal.

Describing the cooperation the between Saudi Arabia and India as robust and firmly grounded on the understanding that terrorism will have to be fought jointly, a senior security official said that "Saudi Arabia understands our concerns and has helped us get to three suspects."

Fayaz Kagzi, a suspected LeT terrorist who was spotted in Saudi Arabia, has escaped to Pakistan. The series of the deportations from Saudi Arabia, counter-terror experts feel, sends a clear message to Pakistan and terror groups harboured in Pakistan, that it is no longer safe to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.

"It was common practice, that Pakistan-based terrorist would disperse to neighbouring countries to deflect pressure and give Pakistan a level of deniability. The growing understanding and cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia may no longer make that possible," a senior official associated with counter- terrorism told NDTV.

Jordan foils Al Qaeda-linked 'terror plot': Reports - India

21 oct 2012

Jordan foils Al Qaeda-linked 'terror plot': Reports

Amman: Jordan has foiled a "terrorist plot" and arrested 11 Al Qaeda suspects who planned to carry out suicide attacks against shopping malls and diplomats, Petra news agency reported on Sunday.

"The General Intelligence Department has foiled a terrorist plot against national security, by an 11-member terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda's ideology," it said.

The suspects were planning to launch a wave of attacks targeting shopping malls, diplomatic missions, hotels and other key sites using explosives, car bombs, machineguns and mortars, the state news agency said.

They were arrested before they could carry out their plot, it said, adding that the intelligence services had been alerted to the plot and was monitoring the suspects' moves.

A judicial source said that the case had been referred to the prosecutor of the state security court which is a military tribunal, who has begun questioning "11 Jordanian nationals from Salafist movements."

"They will face two charges: conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts and possession of explosives," said the source who declined to be named. The charges carry the death penalty.

Petra also published pictures of the 11 suspects.

Information Minister Samih Maayatah told a news conference, meanwhile, that the 11 suspects had entered Jordan from neighbouring Syria.

"The prisoners came across the border from Syria and were caught red-handed," he said, adding that authorities seized weapons and maps showing the locations of the sites they planned to attack.

70,000 Pakistanis sing national anthem to create new record - India

20 oct 2012

70,000 Pakistanis sing national anthem to create new record

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon I

Lahore: A gathering of 70,000 Pakistanis set a world record by singing the country's national anthem together at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore.

The organisers of the event said that an official of the Guinness Book of World Records was present and watched the gathering, including athletes and students, as it sang the anthem this evening.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, whose government played a key role in helping organise the event, joined the crowd. So did several artists including singer and actor Ali Zafar.

The event was the main feature of the Punjab Youth Festival 2012 in which students and athletes from institutions from across Punjab participated.

Several rehearsals were conducted before the record- breaking attempt.

"I have seen very few events like this one in the city of Lahore. Events such as this prove the resilience of the Pakistani people," Sharif said.

The coordinator to the Youth Festival, Rana Mashhud, told reporters that the world record was earlier held by a crowd of 21,000 people.

"We have registered a new record with some 70,000 people, including athletes and students, taking part in singing the anthem," he said.

The arrangements made for the event had met the specifications laid down by the Guinness Book of World Records, Mashhud said.

South Indian poet meet begins in Andhra Pradesh - India

19 oct 2012

South Indian poet meet begins in Andhra Pradesh

Thiruvananthapuram: Noted Malayalam poets Rose Mary and Anvar Ali represented Kerala at a meet of south Indian poets in Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh, which began on Friday.

The two-day meet, aimed at promoting the language and literature of South India, has been organised by Dravidian University.

L Thomas Kutty, an upcoming poet from Kerala, also represented Malayalam in the symposium which a number of well-known Tamil, Kannada and Telugu language poets attended.

A Dravidian University release said noted Tamil poet Narayanan Sukumaran delievered the keynote address.

Feminist and Dalit poets had made Tamil literature more democratic, Mr Narayanan said in his address.

The meet was held in connection with the anniversary celebrations of the university based in Kuppam.

Forty saplings would also be planted on the university campus as part of the meet, the release said.

Bangalore Metro completes a year - India

18 oct 2012

Bangalore Metro completes a year

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Bangalore: 

It has been a year since the much-hyped and awaited Bangalore Metro began commercial operations in the city. Running across a seven-kilometre stretch between the central Mahatma Gandhi road and Byapanahalli in the east, the metro ferries around 22,000 passengers daily and has to some extent, eased the pressure off the notorious traffic situation in the city.

Now, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation - the nodal body for the project in the city - is hoping that the northern and southern stretches in the city will be ready for use by the second half of 2013. This entails another 35 kilometres of connectivity, with nine kilometres running underground. The entire project is budgeted at Rs. 11,600 crore.

Plans are also afoot for a metro rail connection to the Bangalore International Airport which would cost an estimated Rs. 5000 crore.

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Built at a cost of Rs. 1,540 crore, that took a little over four years, the Bangalore Metro currently sees earnings of over Rs. 11 crore per day. Presently, the elevated trains that link the city centre to eastern suburbs run from 6 am to 11 pm. Trains are scheduled every ten minutes in peak hours. The cost for a one-way ticket is Rs. 15.

Sachin Tendulkar admired in Australia just like in India: Julia Gillard - India

17 oct 2012

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: Claiming that Sachin Tendulkar is widely admired in her country as in India, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday, thanked the iconic cricketer for accepting the Membership of the Order of Australia.

Addressing Indian industry chambers here at a luncheon meeting, Gillard said that the Australians admired Tendulkar for his achievements and they had come out in large numbers to see him play for one last time on Australian soil early this year.

"At the start of this year it was my pleasure to host the Australian and Indian cricket teams at my Sydney residence. The summer was a celebration of the game and of the ties it has created between our two peoples," she said.

"And many Australians gathered for what could be their final sight of Sachin Tendulkar in Tests. Tendulkar is almost as widely admired in Australia as he is here in his homeland," Gillard said.

"... we are delighted that he has accepted an honour from the Australian people, Member of the Order of Australia," she added.

Gillard, on Tuesday, announced while visiting a cricket clinic here, that Tendulkar would be conferred with the Membership of the Order of Australia, an honour "rarely" bestowed on non-Australians.

The 'Order of Australia' is an order of chivalry to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service. The 39-year-old Tendulkar will be awarded an AM, which is one of the six grades in the Order of Australia.

Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee and the first sportsperson from the country to get the honour.

Saif Ali Khan's and Kareena Kapoor's mehendi - India

16 oct 2012

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  Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor had a mehendi ceremony and sit down dinner for family and close friends at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai last night before the big wedding which will take place today. We caught a fleeting glimpse of bride-to-be Kareena Kapoor who let her hair down for the mehendi ceremony, unlike her chignon and gajra look for the sangeet.

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  Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India
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Groom-to-be Saif Ali Khan reaches the venue with sister-in-law Karisma Kapur and a friend.

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  Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India
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Saif Ali Khan's other sister, jewellery designer Saba Ali Khan, arrives with Soha's beau Kunal Khemu.

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  Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Saif's sister Soha with beau Kunal Khemu.

Block Development Council poll postponed in Jammu and Kashmir - India

15  oct 2012

Block Development Council poll postponed in Jammu and Kashmir

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government today decided to put off next month's elections to Block Development Councils (BDC) in order to provide for reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and women candidates in them.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Omar Abdullah this evening.

The cabinet also decided to bring an ordinance for cancelling the BDC polls for which the notification was issued on October 4, an official spokesman said here.

Tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations for the BDC polls. The poll process was to be completed by November 7.

In the last one year, the state government had taken a series of actions to empower panchayats and strengthen the Panchayati Raj system by giving an effective role to the elected representatives at the grassroots level, the spokesman said.

However, over the last couple of months, there has been a demand from various stakeholders as well as opinion leaders who have been associated with the governance of panchayats in different parts of the country, for bringing in certain changes in the state's Panchayati Raj Act in a bid to further strengthen panchayats and also make reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women, the spokesman said.

Taking cognizance of views on the issue, the Chief Minister constituted a core group of the alliance partners (National Conference and Congress) comprising ministers belonging to both the parties.

The core group made certain recommendations which were considered at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Sunday and attended by President of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee Saif-ud-Din Soz along with other members from National Conference and Congress, where a decision was taken that the state cabinet should be apprised of the recommendations made by this core group for a suitable decision in the matter, the spokesman said.

"The state cabinet which met here today, after thoroughly studying the recommendations of the core group and after considering the opinions of different people, decided that to strengthen the resolve of the government for a robust Panchayati Raj system, certain changes have to be incorporated in the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, thereby creating a steel-frame of democracy at the grass root level," he added.

"In order to bring these changes in a transparent manner after due diligence and deliberations with all the stakeholders, the cabinet decided to bring an ordinance for cancellation of general elections of Chairman of Block Development Councils", he said.

Arvind Kejriwal scoffs at Salman Khurshid's 'proof', says will produce more evidence today - India

14  oct 2012

Arvind Kejriwal scoffs at Salman Khurshid's 'proof', says will produce more evidence today

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

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New Delhi: As Law Minister Salman Khurshid held a dramatic press conference showing pictures and documents of camps held by his NGO as proof that allegations against him are baseless, activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal continued his attack against Mr Khurshid by questioning the 'evidence' produced by the Law Minister. "He (Salman Khurshid) must have conducted a few camps but the majority of them didn't take place... I question all the proof he put out," Mr Kejriwal said.

Mr Kejriwal alleged that the photographs shown by Mr Khurshid were from 2010-11 fiscal. "The photos he showed today do not come under the time frame. The allegations are about 2009-10. He has been caught," he claimed.

The activist-turned-politician, who recently launched his yet-to-be-named party, said he will produce fresh evidence against Mr Khurshid on Monday.

"In his press conference, Khurshid produced a man who appeared in the sting to rebut the claims he made in the sting. We won't allege that he changed his statement due to pressure but some people feel that Khurshid is a powerful person," he said.

Mr Kejriwal also asked why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi are silent on the issue. "Why is the Prime Minister silent over the issue? Does he think Khurshid needs to resign?" he asked.

Mr Khurshid along with his wife, Louise, had held a press meet in the Capital on Sunday where he produced pictures and documents, saying 34 camps were held by the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by him and run by his wife, in 2009 and 2010 across several districts in the state. The trust is meant to help people with special needs in Uttar Pradesh.

"We have a list of all the people who held camps or you can say that all these people are lairs...nobody said that the camps were symbolic...the allegations are that the camps were not held at all," Mr Khurshid had said.

The raging war of words is centred around a controversy over alleged financial malpractices in the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust. The allegations that were aired recently in a sting carried by a Hindi news channel claimed that the NGO forged signatures of government officials to attest that the funds were being used as intended. Since then, Mr Kejriwal has been vociferous in his demand for Mr Khurshid's resignation. "We need non-corrupt leaders; not someone like Salman Khurshid," he had said on Saturday.

Mr Kejriwal had, earlier on Sunday, also accused the Akhilesh Yadav led-Uttar Pradesh government of colluding with the Centre in an attempt to shield the Union Minister. He was speaking at a sit-in protest at Parliament Street in central Delhi.

A draft report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) invigorated his campaign against Mr Khurshid. The draft report, accessed by NDTV, pointed out several irregularities in the utilisation of Central grants given to the trust. It says that in 2009-10, a Central grant of Rs. 71.5 lakh - meant for distributing aid and appliances to differently-abled people in 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh - wasn't fully utilised, with the trust giving out wrong information. The draft report also suspects fraud in the accounts of Mr Khurshid's trust.

Earlier, his wife, who is in the eye of the storm for being at the helm as the alleged scam played out at the NGO, told NDTV, "I do not believe any signatures have been forged... Khurshid seems to have been made a victim of conspiracy... Why should Salman resign, what has he done wrong?"

She also dared Mr Kejriwal to visit the camps run by her NGO to prove the alleged bunglings. "Arvind Kejriwal is an ambulance chaser...he is making all sorts of allegations...Does Kejriwal know what our trust does since 1986?...Let Kejriwal face the beneficiaries of our camps in 17 district," she said, adding, "Kejriwal would want anyone walking on the street to resign if that person didn't agree with him."

The government too backed the Law Minster, continuing to Mr Kejriwal's allegations a "stunt for cheap publicity."

"He is like bull in a China shop. He doesn't know what is democracy; he doesn't know what is parliamentary procedure'; he doesn't know what is administration. He wants cheap popularity and he is using the media for this," Minister of state in the PMO V Narayansamy said.

"Instead of finding solutions, he (Kejriwal) is playing politics," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said.

The Opposition, meanwhile, seized the opportunity to corner a government, already besieged with a string of scams. "He is law minister of India. He is supposed to uphold the law of the country. If his family trust is involved in the case of forgery, it is very unfortunate. An independent inquiry should be conducted," BJP leader and spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said.

‘Biometric system will helpremove bogus ration cards’ - India

12 oct 2012

‘Biometric system will helpremove bogus ration cards’

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

The number of ration cards falls to 1.43 crore

From 1.73 crore ration cards as against about 1.1 crore families in 2010 in Karnataka, the number of ration cards have now been squeezed down to about 1.43 crore, closer to the number of actual families.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department, which undertook the exercise of weeding out bogus cards in association with the National Informatics Centre, is hopeful of eliminating at least another 20 lakh cards by October 20, the extended last date for converting temporary ration cards as permanent ration cards.

The number of cards was about 1 crore till 2006, from which period of time the government entrusted a private company (Comat Technologies) the task of distributing digitised ration cards under the biometric system.

Between 2006 and 2010 when the contract was terminated, the company had issued over 58 lakh cards without collecting biometric details and without creating database.

The number of cards thus shot up over and above the actual number of census families in the State, the then Food and Civil Supplies Minster Shobha Karandlaje had told the Legislative Assembly.

Database

After terminating the services of Comat Technologies, the department, in association with NIC, worked towards creating a strong database of ration card holders in the State, said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister D.N. Jeevaraj.

Mr. Jeevaraj told The Hindu that the department did not spend even one tenth of the amount paid to Comat Technologies (about Rs. 60 crore) to create the database, linking ration cards to electricity meter revenue register numbers.

Besides eliminating bogus ration cards, the database and the newly created system allows an individual to apply for new ration card online throughout the year, Mr. Jeevaraj said. The online application system for new ration card, however, has been suspended till the ongoing elimination process is completed, he added.

Biometric system

Food and Civil Supplies Department Secretary B.A. Harish Gowda said that an applicant has to provide the biometric information, fingerprint as well as photograph, of himself and another member of the family, to obtain the ration card.

A system is being introduced where only these two will get groceries after authentication under public distribution system, which will take final shape in a year.

Mr. Harish Gowda said that unlike many other systems, including smart cards which can be used even without the presence of the cardholder, the biometric system is foolproof and cannot be misused. As a result, the government subsidies will reach the intended beneficiary, he said.

He said that biometric registration has been made mandatory for existing card-holders, holders of temporary cards (issued by Comat Technologies) as well as new applicants.

The government did not spend any money on collecting biometric data; instead it allowed them to collect Rs. 20 per applicant in urban areas. In gram panchayat limits, the biometric details have to be collected by the panchayats after linking the applicant to the property tax register, he said.

Of the 58 lakh temporary ration card holders, only about 36 lakh had applied for converting their cards into permanent cards, indicating that many had held more than one ration card.

Making biometric details mandatory has enabled department officials to identify bogus applicants and weed out existing multiple cards, he said.

Undeterred by warning, Arvind Kejriwal insists on Salman Khurshid's resignation without inquiry - India

11  oct 2012

Undeterred by warning, Arvind Kejriwal insists on Salman Khurshid's resignation without inquiry

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: Law Minister Salman Khurshid has warned "We'll take care of Mr Kejriwal in due course, don't worry." Undeterred, the man he has vowed to go after says Mr Khurshid must resign immediately over alleged embezzlement by an NGO headed by the minister and run by his wife. "This is a matter where there should be no inquiry, Salman Khurshid should be dismissed straight away," said Arvind Kejriwal.

Since he launched his political party last week, one which promises to combat graft, Mr Kejriwal has scripted and starred in a political scandal that has blazed its way into the headlines. He accused Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, of dubious business deals with realty giant DLF. Mr Kejriwal has said that the company gave exceptionally generous discounts on luxury apartments to Mr Vadra, and in return, the Congress government in Haryana acted as "an agent of DLF" allowing commercial construction on land that was intended for public projects. DLF, the Haryana government, and Mr Vadra have denounced the allegations.

The grounds for Mr Khurshid's resignation, or his dismissal if he does not oblige, according to Mr Kejriwal, lies in a sting aired by Hindi news channel Aaj Tak on Tuesday night. NDTV cannot independently verify the authenticity of the sting. The expose alleges that the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by Mr Khurshid, siphoned lakhs of money meant for physically challenged people in his home state of Uttar Pradesh.
 

In London, the minister told NDTV that he plans to take the Hindi TV channel Aaj Tak to court. "Do you really think I am mad? That I would siphon off money where we've been working for 15 years...giving people tricycles, giving people different implements? This is my constituency. You don't cheat on the people of your constituency," he said. About Mr Kejriwal insisting on his removal, he said, "I don't think that Mr. Kejriwal deserves a reply from anybody but we will take care of Kejriwal in due course of time."

To push for action against the minister, Mr Kejriwal plans to lead a group of demonstrators to "gherao" or march to the Prime Minister's house today.

Mukesh Ambani richest Indian with personal wealth of $19.3 bn - India

10 oct 2012

New Delhi: Energy tycoon and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the country's richest man with a personal fortune of $19.3 billion, says a report.

According to China-based research firm Hurun's inaugural India Rich List, Ambani is followed by the London-based steel baron L N Mittal who has a wealth of $16.9 billion.

Among others in the top 10 are: Wipro's Azim Premji (USD 12.3 billion), Dilip Shanghvi of Sun  Pharmaceuticals (USD 8.5 billion), Pallonji Mistry of Shapoorji Pallonji & Co (USD 7.9 billion), Shashi & Ravi Ruia (Essar Energy, USD 7.2 billion) and Adi Godrej (Godrej Group, USD 6.9 billion).

The other four who make the list of top 10 billionaires are Kushal Pal Singh (DLF, USD 6.3 billion), Kumara Mangalam Birla (Grasim Industries, USD 5.8 billion), Shiv Nadar (HCL Technology, USD 5.7 billion) and Sunil Mittal (Bharti Airtel, USD 5.7 billion).

Men dominate the list with just 5 per cent of the list occupied by women.

Among the five richest Indian women, Savitri Jindal has emerged as India's richest woman with a personal fortune of USD 5.6 billion. She is followed by Indu Jain (Bennett Coleman, 1.7 billion dollars), Anu Aga (Thermax, 690 million dollars), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Biocon, 600 million dollars) and Shobhana Bhartia (Hindustan Times, 490 million dollars).

"The stories of the people on the Hurun India Rich List tell the story of business in modern India," Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher Rupert Hoogewerf said, adding that "12 per cent depreciation of rupee against the US dollar negated the appreciation in India's stock markets."

Among the rich whose wealth was adversely affected in 2012 were Mukesh Ambani, L N Mittal, Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia, Kumara Mangalam Birla's flagship company Hindalco and telecom tycoon  Sunil Mittal.

Those whose fortunes were on the upswing this year included Azim Premji, Pharma King Dilip Shanghvi (Sun Pharma), construction tycoon Pallonji Mistry and technology entrepreneur Shiv Nadar (HCL).

Interestingly, 62 per cent of the individuals in the Hurun India Rich List are self-made and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the only self-made woman in the list.

The list is a snapshot of wealth as on September 22, at an exchange rate of Rs. 54 per dollar.

City-wise, Mumbai is home to 36 of India's Richest 100, followed by Delhi and Bengaluru with 22 and 15, respectively. Also, five of the Top 100 are based outside of India and they are led by L N Mittal in London.

The youngest person on the list is Shivinder Mohan Singh at 37 years old while the oldest, Keshub Mahindra, is 89 years old. The average age of the Top 100 is 62 years while the average age of the Top 10 is 65 years.

09 oct 2012

Colonial era words like 'His Excellency' to go: President Pranab's new protocol

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: Colonial era words like 'His Excellency' used for addressing state dignitaries will soon be passe!

President Pranab Mukherjee has approved a new set of protocol to be used in greetings and meetings dignitaries inside and outside the country.

Besides, Mr Mukherjee has also directed authorities to organise government functions for him within the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises in order to reduce the burden on police and the inconvenience caused to people.

 "Use of the words 'His Excellency' will be discontinued while organising functions within the country and during interaction between Indian dignitaries and the President.

"In Hindi, 'Rashtrapati Mahoday' should be used in place of 'Mahamahin' during such occasions," a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said in a statement today.

Mr Mukherjee, after reviewing the current protocol practices, also directed that the word "Hon'ble" will be used before the title of 'President' or 'Governor'. The traditional Indian greeting of "Shri" or "Smt" should precede the name.

Whereas, "Excellency" will be used only for interaction of leaders with foreign dignitaries as is customary international practice, it said.

Officials said all changes in protocol practice, which have been conveyed to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action, will be implemented with immediate effect.

"Taking into account inconvenience caused to public during his movement within the city and in order to reduce the burden on police and other agencies, the President has instructed that, to the best extent possible, all functions be organised within Rashtrapati Bhavan premises itself," it added.

Mr Mukherjee was sworn in as the 13th President of the country on July 25 this year.