India News

Kolkata: The CPI(M)-led Left Front government is West Bengal is losing popularity in the state, claimed Union Finance Minister and President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress party office here, Mukherjee pointed out that it was becoming apparent that the anti-Left people in the state were now supporting the Trinamul led Trinamul Congress–Congress (I) alliance.
 
Mukherjee said the people had voted overwhelmingly for the alliance in the Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent municipal elections in the state.

They also voted for the alliance wherever a joint candidate was put up during the assembly by-polls.

He said it was clear that the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in the state was losing the support of the voters.

Mukherjee, however, declined to comment on a possible date for the assembly elections in the state, scheduled for 2011.

The Congress party''s alliance partner, the Trinamool Congress and its leader Mamata Banerjee has been clamouring for early polls in West Bengal.

Mukherjee said the date cannot be announced now, but it was apparent that the people of the state were now in favour of the opposition alliance.

In a clear snub to Banerjee, Mukherjee said the decision to carry out joint operations against Maoists in Lalgarh was taken by the state government and the centre together and the forces would remain in Lalgarh till deemed fit.

Banerjee had said at a recent rally that she did not support the joint operations in Lalgarh.

Mukherjee’s statement today makes it clear that the centre is in no mood to cave into Trinamool Congress demands.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Cyclone Phyan bypassed Mumbai and the threat alert has been reduced for the city.

The alert level in neighbouring Gujarat has also been downgraded.

However, heavy rains continue to lash Mumbai and the rainfall is expected to continue for the next 48 hours in the city and adjoining areas.

The seas are rough and ports have been told to reduce their activities for the day.

Earlier, a cyclone alert had been sounded across north Maharashtra and south Gujarat by Meteorological Department in the wake of a deep depression over the southeast and the Arabian Sea.

All schools and offices were shut down by the BMC.

The cyclone alert was not just for Maharashtra, but also for Gujarat.

Mumbai is witnessing such a cyclone after sixty-seven years.

Airline and railway services were also affected by the alert on Wednesday.

Source ANI

Mumbai: The Protem Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the behaviour of Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi in the assembly and in its premises.

 

Deshmukh made the announcement following repeated demands by opposition members, who alleged that Azmi had made provocative speeches and had insulted Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

 

In the ruling Deshmukh said: "A detailed inquiry of the matter would be conducted by the Principal Secretary of the House as demanded by the Opposition parties and a report would be submitted to the Speaker of the House.”

 

Moving an adjournment motion, Opposition leader Eknath Khadse alleged that repercussions of events in the House were visible across the state.

 

"Azmi is misusing the house for pushing his political agenda," he alleged.

 

Khadse also demanded that Azmi''''s misbehavior in the House should be taken into consideration and action taken against him.

 

Alleging that Azmi provoked members of the House by showing his shoes, Khadse said, "Azmi''''s behaviour was not examined and one-sided action was taken. Azmi''''s son also used foul language from the public gallery, which is condemnable".

 

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said his government would not condone behaviour that was unbecoming of any member and which would malign the image of the House, within and outside, and action would be taken against those members.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Union Government on Wednesday decided to give USD 25 per day per head as pocket money to Indian sportspersons playing abroad.

According to the Union Sports Ministry: “ It has decided to provide Out of Pocket Allowance @ USD 25 per day per head to players and other members of the Indian contingent who are deputed as part of the official contingent at Government cost for the participation in major international sports events abroad.”

Keeping in view the long-standing demand of the sportspersons, the Ministry has issued orders with a direction to all National Sports Federations for implementation with an immediate effect.

Source ANI

Kathmandu: The health of former Nepal Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala who has been kept under medical observation, is gradually improving, doctors said today.

Koirala was admitted to the Sahid Gangalal Rastriya Hridaya Kendra after his health became critical.

According to doctors, his condition is better following an improvement in the oxygen level in his blood.

He is inhaling oxygen more easily and the oxygen level in his blood has increased, Nepalnews quoted Dr Man Bahadur KC, one of the doctors involved in his treatment as, saying.

Earlier, plans to take Koirala to Singapore for further investigation of the disease had been put off due to the sudden complications that developed in his health yesterday.

Taking his condition into account, the plan to take him to Singapore for medical check-up has been cancelled for now.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called an emergency meeting to review disaster management preparations on the oncoming Cyclone Phyan, which is expected to hit the Gujarat coast later this evening.

The high alert meeting was attended by government officials, including the Revenue Minister, Urban development minister, Chief Secretary, State Police Chief, Revenue and Disaster Management officials.

Modi directed collectors and disaster management units of Bhavnagar, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and all south Gujarat districts to stay on high-alert.

District authorities have asked people living in low lying areas of Valsad and Navasari to evacuate the areas as a precautionary measure.

He also directed the police chief to put State Reserve Police Force on alert.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Home Ministry on Wednesday clarified that it has not taken any decision to reduce the security provided to Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

 

In a press release, the Home Ministry stated that: “A section of media has reported that the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram recently ordered slashing of security provided to Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi by half. The report is not factually correct.”

 

The ministry also clarified that the “security cover of Rita Bahuguna Joshi continues as before and there is no change in the security cover provided to her.”

Source ANI

Gorakhpur: China is allegedly using the traditional Indo- Nepal trade route to dump its low cost and less durable consumer goods in India.

 

Chinese products have a huge demand in the Indian market. They are very popular with people who wish to buy fake versions of their favorite brands at throwaway prices.

 

From electronic products like I-pod and DVD players to warm clothes, porous borders like Soloni have become the hub for cheap Chinese goods.

 

Both local people and tourists flock to these borders to buy the desired products at lower prices. Low prices and attractive packaging are the major reasons behind the growing popularity of Chinese goods in India.

 

"I have come to Gorakhpur for shopping. Here we can get good looking branded stuff for less price. I am aware that the products available here are made in China but the look is so good that I want to buy them,” said Kamal a customer.

 

“Apart from shoes, items like warm clothes, electronic items like digital video players and I-pod etc are available here at cheap prices. I know that the life expectancy of Chinese products is low but I buy them as they fulfill my desire of owning a branded product," he added.

 

Smugglers take advantage of the easily accessible Indian-Nepal border to smuggle Chinese goods and products to India. They even use the improper routes leading to India in order to avoid the custom duty officers located at the borders.

 

Custom duty officers not inspecting the luggage of the tourists properly and local people helping smugglers in greed for money are the reasons that drive smuggling the most in this area.

 

According to Gorakhpur''s Custom Officer, Satpal Yadav : “An individual is allowed to carry personal consumption goods worth Rs 25,000, each time he comes to India from Nepal. The individuals who know this fact often misuse it. Some people come in large groups of 8 to 10 people and while traveling in public transports they divide the goods among themselves with each person carrying two goods each and thus they make it difficult for officials to detect whether the goods carried are meant for personal use or for smuggling purpose.”

 

“Smuggling of Chinese goods is a bane for both India and China. This illegal act is dampening the Indian market, as with the increase in foreign products the consumption of homemade products would lower, thus creating huge losses for the nation on the whole,” he added.

Source ANI

Manali: Tourists are flocking to the town of Solang Nala town in Himachal Pradesh, to see its first snowfall.

A beeline of tourists, draped in a thick white blanket, made their way to Silang Nala to welcome the scenic winter and enjoy various snow sports.

"We have been recently married, we are enjoying a lot here. There are lot of games and we are enjoying skiing. There is also a sort of ball game and paragliding," said Aastha, a tourist.

Snow sports enthusiasts also enjoy variety of winter sports like Skiing, snow scooter riding sledging, etc. on natural snow.

"We are here since two days, we have enjoyed a lot because of snow, weather and now we are doing skiing and after that we are planning for paragliding and zorbing ball," added Vikram, another tourist.

Every year, millions of tourists from India and abroad gather in Himachal Pradesh to witness snowfall.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Spain''s Crown Prince Felipe called on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Wednesday.

Prince Felipe, also known as the Prince of Asturias and Princess Letizia arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday.

They met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna earlier in the day.

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia would be inaugurating an exhibition of Picasso etching at the Spain''s Cervantes Institute in New Delhi.

The event aims at improving the cultural dialogue between the two nations and give a further boost to the already existing cordial relations.

The institute would also aspire to make Spanish a language of importance in India.

Prince and Princess would call on Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and leader of opposition Lal Krishna Advani later on Wednesday.

They are also scheduled to offer floral tribute at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi.

They would depart for Madrid on Thursday afternoon.

Prince Felipe had earlier visited India in February 2001 as a Guest of Honour at India Engineering Trade Fair - 2001 where Spain was a partner country.

Source ANI

Kolkata: Scientists from three Indian institutes have developed a new live oral cholera vaccine from non-virulent innocuous strain, which was modified to formulate the vaccine.

National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) developed this new vaccine with the help of scientists from Institute of Microbial Technology in northern Chandigarh and Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata.

Scientists developed this vaccine after scanning more than 10000 isolates.

"We choose a route to sort out with a virulent strain and try to develop a vaccine out of that, and that virulent strain was discovered at this institute, National Institute of Cholera by Dr Nair and Dr Rammurti by scanning more than 10000 isolates," said Amit Ghosh, Emeritus Scientist, National Institute Of Cholera and Enteric Diseases.

The development of this new vaccine was regarded as the path-breaking achievement in the history of Indian Cholera vaccination.

This new vaccine got the US patent named VA 1.4 in just ten months.

"The novelty of this strain was acknowledged when we were able to get a US patent on it within 10 months of filing it. This is the only patent outside USA and nobody else has done this outside USA and we did it," added Ghosh.

Cholera affects thousands of people in India each year. Nearly all the sick are poor, tribal people -- among the most neglected groups in India -- who caught the disease from eating bad meat or drinking polluted water.

Scientists said that the new vaccine would lessen the burden of Cholera in India, which is one of the major hotspots of Cholera in the world.

"In the past month only we have investigated six outbreaks outside the country. So what people don''t see to understand that there is a lot of Cholera and there is a need for a public tool to lessen the burden of cholera in the country," said G B Nair, Director, National Institute Of Cholera and Enteric Diseases.

Cholera can cause its victims to expel massive amounts of water from their bodies through diarrhoea and vomiting, and can kill within days if the patient fails to take in plenty of fluids. It does respond to antibiotics.

Major hotspots for cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases include Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and much of Africa.

Source ANI

Tawang: The visit of the Tibetan spiritual guru the Dalai Lama to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, has generated a lot of enthusiasm among the locals and Tibetans exiles in India.

 

On Sunday, the Dalai Lama was welcomed by thousands of people lining the road to Tawang -- which is home to the Monpa people who practice Tibetan Buddhism.

 

In 1959, The Dalai Lama passed through the same village, a remote Buddhist enclave nestled in the icy folds of the eastern Himalayas while trying to flee Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

 

"For me, I think this visit is very important, especially, for the people of Tawang, because, predominantly it is Buddhist area. So, it is very important in Tibetan Buddhism that the disciples meet their Lama. And, people are so happy as we have seen in news, and this is what I believe is very successful and I very much thank Indian government for allowing his holiness to Tawang," said Tenzin Choeying, young Tibetan activist in-exile.

 

Young Tibetan freedom activists look this successful visit of their spiritual leader as a positive indication for the Tibetan freedom struggle in future.

 

"I think I am really proud that this time India stood up to its belief and let his holiness travel to Tawang even if ether''s was a lot of pressure from Chinese government side. I am really proud of India standing on its belief, for its belief," said Tenzin Chodon, another Tibetan activist.

 

Beijing sees the visit as encouraging the Tibetan struggle by undermining Chinese territorial integrity and has slammed it as the Dalai Lama''s "scheme to wreck China''s relations" with India.

 

But the Tibetan leader says it is merely a spiritual lecture tour. Beijing calls the Dalai Lama a dangerous "splittist" plotting Tibetan independence, a charge he denies. He says he is merely seeking autonomy for Tibet.

 

Tawang, is the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama and part of territory Beijing considers as "southern" Tibet. It is at the heart of the border dispute.

 

For the local residents and thousands of other Buddhist followers who traveled for days to get a glimpse of their revered leader, it was a moment of spiritual bliss.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday said, that the Central Government is committed to providing good quality education to every child.

Addressing the National Education Day function to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. Singh said that a system of education built on the premises of quality and equity is central to India''s rapid progress as a modern and dynamic society.

Emphasing the importance of good teachers, Dr. Singh said there was a difficulty in getting top level professors and lecturers in newly created institutions of higher education.

"This state of affairs cannot be allowed to persist and called for addressing the problem of deficiency in the quality of teaching in schools, colleges and universities," he added
He said the realization of the Right to Education does not depend merely on the expansion of educational infrastructure, but also on the availability of trained and qualified teachers with a commitment to their profession.

"An additional million teachers will be required to implement the act on Right to Education," he added.

Observing that efforts should be made to find ways to improve the quality of teachers, Dr. Singh asked the academics and planners to address this problem of deficiency in the quality of teaching in schools, colleges and universities.

He further said that the country needed an additional ten lakh teachers to implement the Right To Education Act, which seeks to provide free and compulsory education in the 6-14 age group.

Source ANI

Mumbai: With the cyclonic storm ''''Phyan'''' menacingly approaching north Maharashtra and south Gujarat, the Maharashtra government has asked all the educational institutions and offices to close down by this afternoon.

"All schools and offices have been advised to close down for the day in view of the inclement weather that is likely to worsen," said BMC Additional Commissioner A Maheshkar.

While schools have been asked to shut down at 1 pm, offices have been advised to close by 2 pm, Maheshkar said after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Johny Joseph at Mantralaya.

The BMC said it was arranging for buses at the Chhatrapati Shivaji and Churchgate terminus to ferry people back home, she added.

All the twenty-four control rooms of the BMC have been activated, she said, adding that many trees maybe uprooted as the city and its adjoining areas were expected to experience high-speed winds reaching upto 90 Kms per hour.

The machinery has been geared up to promptly clear the streets of the trees and people have been cautioned against taking shelter under them.

The BMC Additional Commissioner said that no decision had been taken yet, whether the educational institutions and offices would remain closed even on Thursday.
 
She also confirmed that flights out of Mumbai and railway services have been affected. Some flights and trains have been cancelled, she added.

She said that the BMC has issued a notice to the general public to stay at home till the cyclone is over.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday hiked its minimum fare from six rupees to eight rupees, while the maximum will be 30 rupees instead of 22 rupees.

 

The new fares will come into effect from Friday.

 

According to the DMRC, the average increase in fare for all slabs is around 36 per cent. The DMRC also clarified that the 10 per cent discount on smart card will continue.

 

This is the third time that the DMRC has revised fares after starting the metro service in 2002.

 

The first one was in March 2004, while the second revision took place in December 2005.

Source ANI

New Delhi (ANI): The four members of Raj Thackeray''s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) created headlines this week when they slapped Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for taking his oath at the swearing in ceremony in Hindi, instead of Marathi, in the Maharashtra State Assembly. 
 
They have been suspended for four years for their behaviour, as the Indian Constitution permits newly elected members of the assembly to take their oath in the National Language or other regional languages specified in the Constitution and not necessarily in the language of the State.
 
As a result of the fracas in the assembly, Azmi has emerged as a champion of Hindi, the National Language. 
 
Raj Thackeray is reported to have complimented the four MLAs -- Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam, Ramesh Wanjhale and Vasant Gite.  They have emerged as the champions of Marathi, though their children are studying in English medium schools and colleges.
 
They have not blazoned a new path.  For decades now, politicians have been exploiting the ''mother tongue'' to win local sympathy.  In Bangalore Vatal Nagaraj of the Kannada Chaluvaligars has been agitating against the use of English in schools. 
 
In Tamil Nadu, political leaders have been agitating against the ''imposition '' of Hindi, even though the Constituion of India clearly states that it is the National language. 
 
I was at the receiving end of the controversy against Hindi that erupted in Tamil Nadu in 1986. It was sparked off when the regional office of the Press Information Bureau in Chennai (then known as Madras) put up posters on the occasion of ''Hindi Week''. The practice of observing ''Hindi Week'' was a routine exercise held every year.      
 
After observing the ''Hindi week'' reports are sent to the Department of Official Languages giving details of the work done in each of the offices in Hindi, which also used to contain the number of officers and staff who are able to originate the work in Hindi.
 
The country has been divided into A, B, and C zones and letters from the Centre to the States in the A zone should go in Hindi. In the B zone, they may go either in English or Hindi; and in the C zone, they should go in English.
 
Not many of us remember that Hindi in the Devnagari script, according to Article 343(1) of the Constitution of India is the Official Language of the Union.  English could be used initially for a period of 15 years, but the Article 343(3) provides for the continued use of English for official communication even after 50 years.   
 
A great deal of time and effort is spent on the ''implementation of the official language'' Members of the Official Languages Implementation Committee visit various States of the country and even Indian Embassies and High Commissions abroad to scrutinize how they implement the official language. 
 
A number of circulars are issued to the various divisions of each organization giving details as to how the Hindi week has to be observed.  In 1986, I had signed one such circular, which said that during the Hindi Week, all offices of the Press Information Bureau should try to do official correspondence in Hindi, and those who did not know the language, should at least try to sign their name on letters and official notes in Hindi. 
 
The Chennai office of the Press Information Bureau had a very conscientious Deputy Principal Information Officer heading it.  He put up the circular on the notice board of the office in a prominent place.  The Hindu saw the circular and published  a report saying that the Press Information is asking its officers to work in  Hindi .during the week.  It was interpreted as ''imposition of Hindi'' in Tamil Nadu. 
 
Very soon protest meetings were held in front of the PIB office in Chennai.  Political leaders in Tamil Nadu, who objected to the directive of the Principal Information Officer, issued statements of protest. Reports appeared in Delhi newspapers too and very soon a communication protesting against the circular issued by the Press Information Bureau was sent to the Government of India by the Government of Tamil Nadu.  Some Tamilians, according to news reports, threatened to immolate themselves.
 
As Principal Information Officer I was in a dilemma.  As required by the rules, I had to ensure that all steps were taken to observe the Hindi week and give reports about the way in which the Press Information Bureau was striving to spread the use of the Official Language in the country. 
 
On the other hand, there was an agitation against the imposition of Hindi that was gathering momentum.  Political leaders in Tamil Nadu were recalling that India''s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had given an assurance to Tamil Nadu that Hindi would not be ''imposed '' on non-Hindi States. 
 
Any number of clarifications issued by the Press Information Bureau and communications sent by the Home Ministry had little impact on the situation in Tamil Nadu.  
 
I was getting worried as to whether the agitation would gather momentum.  In the Information Ministry we knew how a decision to rename the All India Radio as Akashvani became a point for agitation in Tamil Nadu and the decision was reversed in l982.  
 
In 1965 Tamil Nadu went through a state of turmoil, during the anti-Hindi agitation led by the DMK or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and seven young people committed self-immolation, pouring kerosene/petrol over their bodies in different parts of Tamil Nadu.  In the general elections held in 1967, the Congress was roundly defeated in Tamil Nadu and the DMK won the elections hands down.
 
I was worried that the observance of Hindi Week in Tamil Nadu would not spark off another anti-Hindi agitation. 
 
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr M. G. Ramachandran, was visiting New Delhi.  He was calling on the Prime Minister.  A small brief was prepared for Rajiv Gandhi.   The Prime Minister received Ramachandran, and during the course of the meeting, an assurance was given to him that Hindi would not be imposed on Tamil Nadu. 
 
Apparently mollified, Ramachandran told the media about the Prime Minister''s assurance. 
 
Every year, during the observance of Hindi week, I recall that controversy in 1986. Apparently, Raj Thackeray is in good company for upholding " the Marathi cause".

Source ANI

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh today alleged that he received a death threat call for Abu Azmi, a legislator of the newly elected Maharashtra State Assembly, over his derogatory remarks against Shiv Sena leader Balasahab Thackeray.

"Around two hours ago, I received a call from an unknown number. The caller said that Maharashtra''s Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi will have to pay heavily for making offensive remarks against Balasaheb Thackeray and when he will leave for the Legislative Assembly in the morning, he wouldn''t be spared. There are sharp political differences between Balasaheb Thackeray and the Samajwadi party and will remain forever. There is no place for violence in democracy," said Singh.

Meanwhile, natives from Uttar Pradesh beat up Marathi speaking passengers travelling by the Pushpak Express due to the ongoing language row in Maharashtra. The natives were immediately chased away by security personnel.

Azmi was assaulted by right-wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) legislators on November 9 for taking his oath of office in Hindi, and not in Marathi.

Azmi was also criticized by the Shiv Sena for taking his oath in Hindi.

Commenting on the remarks made in ''Saamna'', Azmi said that Balasahab Thackeray was growing old and was hence speaking like a child, which drew the ire of both the Shiv Sena and MNS activists who surrounded him outside the State Assembly and warned him against making comments like that.

The MNS has a powerful influence in Mumbai, much like its larger political rival Shiv Sena, drawing sustenance from the politics of resisting immigration into Mumbai by people from states other than Maharashtra, and championing the cause of  Marathi.

Source ANI

Hyderabad: Rising pollution in the Hussain Sagar Lake is threatening the environmental in Hyderabad, Deccan.

Hussain Sagar Lake is the city''s main water body and a major tourist attraction. People are expressing serious concern over the worsening condition of the lake, which has become a health hazard for the people living in close proximity to the lake.

The immersion of idols made of toxic materials and usage of the lake by the nearby slums, the inter-connection of the sewage line and dumping of industrial and domestic wastes, are some of the reasons that are causing the lake to get polluted.

Those who pass by complain of the foul smell that comes from the lake and feel that the government should take steps to clean up the lake.

"It is very difficult to sit here for even five minutes, as the foul smell coming from the contaminated lake is very strong. This is a park where a common man comes for walking and jogging, but if there is no fresh oxygen then what is the use? The government should take action to clean the lake," said Sunil a resident.

The environmentalists are also concerned over the health hazards caused by the pollution. They say appropriate methodology has to be opted for preventing the water contamination in the lake.

"The water from drains should be treated properly before it reaches the lake. Further, solid wastes should be taken care of and only clean and purified water should be injected into the lake. A treatment plant should be introduced to make the lake pollution free," said Ved Kumar, an environmentalist.

He added that due to the pollution, the ground water will also get contaminated and the aquatic life will be severely affected.

Hussain sagar Lake is an artificial lake made in 1562 by the erstwhile Hyderabad Nizam for irrigation and drinking water purposes.

Source ANI

Patna: Hundreds of junior doctors at the state-run Medical College Hospital (PMCH) in Patna went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday demanding hike in their stipend.

The interns are seeking an increase in their stipend from rupees 15,000 to rupees 25,000. The government they say, hasn''t heeded their plea since August forcing them to go on strike.

"We have only been getting assurances from the government that in one or two months our salaries will rise. This delay made us go on strike on August 26. We were then assured by the Health Minister that our salaries would increase to rupees 25,000 and a committee would be set up to look into our other demands. But nothing happened," said Dhananjay Kumar, President, Junior Doctor''s Association, Patna.

The strike is likely to cripple services in the government-run hospital.

"We had come to PMC. They told us here that doctors have gone on strike so all the patients are being shifted to other hospitals. Some suggested us to go to NMCA and some told us of other hospitals. We just don''t understand where to go at this moment of emergency," said Rohit Sah, kin of a patient.

Source ANI

Reasi (J-K): A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant surrendered before security forces in Reasi district of Indian Kashmir on Tuesday.

Mohammad Ashraf, alias Abu Ibrar, a resident of village Angralla in Mahore block, laid down arms before security forces.

"In the past four months we have killed 25 militants. That created pressure on him. He was scared and was worried about losing his life," said Surendra Choudhary, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations), Reasi.

Ashraf, who joined Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in 2006 and later shifted to Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit, laid down an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.

Source ANI

Chennai: The death toll in rain related incidents in Tamil Nadu has gone up to 75.

Nilgris district alone has reported 42 deaths, as people were killed in landslips and wall collapse.

Torrential rains had triggered landslides and traffic on the Mettupalayam- Udhagamandalam Ghat section has been completely cut off.

Vehicular traffic in various parts of the district has been disrupted. The Nilgris Mountain Railway service has also been suspended as huge boulders fell on the tracks.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi announced an ex-gratia of one lakh each to the families of those killed.

The death toll might rise further as the rescue operation is still going on.

Tourists have been advised not to travel to Ooty, a famous tourist destination.

Source ANI

Malappuaram (Kerela): The famous ferry queens plying on the backwaters of Kerala have failed to attract domestic and international tourists this year following the recent boat tragedies.

At least eight school students died when the boat in which they were sailing capsized in Malappuaram district on November 4. The accident occurred barely a month after state''s worst tragedy on September 30, when a double-decker boat with tourists capsized in Thekkady Lake, claiming 45 lives.

For houseboat owners, this time of the year was regarded as peak season to earn all their extra income and save it for the forthcoming dull season but tourism is at a standstill and the boat workers are worried as how will they be able to eke out a living.

"The season has already started and by November it used to peak but this year it has not picked up yet. Mainly foreigners used to come at this period of time but now even north Indians and other domestic tourists are not willing to come here for cruising. And this is all because of the media reports on boat safety and they are scared now, which is affecting our business," T.P. Reji Kumar, owner of houseboats, Alleppey.

Out of 650 odd houseboats just less than 10 are getting daily business from pre-booked tour packages and rest have to wait at the boat itself for some one to check in.

Boat tragedies got extensive media coverage and now tourists as well as boat owners are concerned over the safety measures taken in boats across Kerala.

Boat owners say that even slashing down of fares is of no help this time.

"We have slashed the fare as compared to earlier years. Its one fourth of the previous fares but still no one seems to be interested in cruising. If this continues it will be difficult for all the owners to survive as they have spent lakhs in house boat tourisms industry.," said S. Baby, another houseboat owner, Alleppey.

Many of the boats and cruise vessels plying on the backwaters of Alleppey have taken huge investments to make these most luxurious ones and with that comes the daily expenses like wages and maintenance which, if the business is not running, may spell doom in the months to come.

Source ANI

Kolkata: 15th edition of Kolkata film festival got off to a colourful start with the screening of Mark Hasrman''s "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" here on Tuesday.

Organised by the state''s information and cultural affairs department, the festival was opened by renowned Bollywood filmmaker Mani Ratnam.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also graced the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mani Ratnam asked the viewers to enjoy the festival to the fullest.

"I think any good film will promote good films. Sometimes even bad films help you to make better films. Do not worry, festival is festival, celebrate and enjoy it. Any film festival will have a take back. You come to a film festival; you will definitely not go back empty hand. You will go with something," said Ratnam.

Ratnam also inaugurated an exhibition on acclaimed Bollywood filmmaker Bimal Roy.
The first day of the film festival also drew a large crowd of movie enthusiasts, who were all excited to watch different genres of movies.

"Generally the kind of movies we cannot watch in our regular TV or regular cinema houses, those movies that we cannot reach out, mainly those kinds of films we will look out here. Like you know not only Hollywood or Bollywood films that usually runs in our cinema houses but the kind of movies, kind of off beat movies, we do not see in our cinema houses, only in festival we are able to see that," said Anwesha Ghatak, a film lover.

The films that are being showcased in the festival have been divided into several categories - Contemporary World Cinema, Documentary films, Century Tribute, Homage, Short films, Marquez on Celluloid, Encounter, Honour, Mexico in Focus, Indian Select, Remembering World War 2 and others.

The festival, which will continue till November 17 will screen 228 films including 175 feature films, 38 short films and 5 documentaries from 56 countries.

Source ANI

Leimakhong (Manipur): A Myanmarese army delegation, participating in a liaison meeting in Manipur, has assured India that they would not allow their territory to be used by anti-India insurgent groups.

The 38th Indo-Myanmar biannual liaison meeting was held at Leimakhong on Tuesday.
A 15-member Myanmarese delegation led by Brigadier General Tin Maung Ohn is in the border town since Monday for the meeting.

"They are very helpful. In fact, they assured us that they would not allow their territory to be used by any of these Indian insurgent groups. They gave us full assurance and I am sure they are already acting on it," said Major General SS Pawar, leader of the Indian delegation.

The meeting was followed by a polo game showcased by the All Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association.

India shares a 1,645-km border with Myanmar.

India says around 3,000 rebels live and train in the camps inside the jungles of Kabaw Valley of Myanmar''s Sagaing Division.

India has a pact with Myanmar to share intelligence, but officials say it is not enough to stop insurgent activity.

Source ANI

Kolkata: Thousands of school children, environmentalists and representative of non-governmental organizations walked across several villages located in the estuarine area of the Sundarbans of West Bengal to spread awareness about tiger conservation.

The unique five-day walk was flagged off from Bally Island and will wind its way through a dozen areas before finishing at Pakhiralaya on November 13.

The NGO Sanctuary Asia, the Bengal Tiger Line, the Wild Life Conservation Trust, the Wildlife Protection Society of India, the WWF and the Indian Institute of Climbers and Nature Lovers have all come together for this awareness campaign.

"This is basically to enhance the tolerance level of villagers, as we have seen in the recent past, tigers getting into villages. Incidents of tigers getting inside villages have increased over the last couple of months, so, we are trying to enhance the uplift the moral of the villagers because without the help of villagers and full support of the villagers, it is practically not possible for the forest department to actually get the tiger out of the village and again send it back to the forest," said Joydeep Kundu, Coordinator, Sanctuary Asia.

The campaign will use folk theatre to reach out to the villagers. Tiger dancers from Orissa are also participating in the walk.

"The tiger comes to our house. It kills cows, goats, even attacks people sometimes. But we don''t kill the tiger; we try to protect it. We inform the project people when the tigers come. We want to protect the tigers and bring back the tigers to Sundarbans. So we are walking for the tiger. We will walk once every year for tigers," said Sameer Nayak, a student.

The campaign will also focus on the importance of villagers and forest officials working together during tiger straying incidents. Villagers are being asked to inform the forest department in case of a tiger sneaking into human habitats.

The number of tiger attacks on people has been growing in the Sundarban islands due to habitat loss and dwindling prey caused by climate change.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Centre plans to introduce a ''state-of-the-art'' legislation during the winter session of Parliament to deal with complaints of corruption against judges and also to ensure accountability of the higher judiciary.

The Judges Standards and Accountability Bill will cover the "entire judiciary" and would not be a "one sided affair," claimed Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily.

 It would also provide appropriate protection to the judges, he added.
 
Moily said the Judges Inquiry Act of 1968 would be repealed once the proposed bill is adopted.

Moily  said, "The Judges Inquiry Bill deals only with the impeachment process of judges. We want to replace it with a comprehensive Judges Standards and Accountability Bill." 

The plan assumes significance in the context of growing complaints of misconduct against judges of the higher judiciary and a feeling that the redressal system is ineffective.

The "forward looking" bill has been drafted after taking into consideration "the best of lessons" learnt from all over the world, including United Kingdom, France and the US.

Source ANI

Shillong/Guwahati: Senior ministers from the states of Meghalaya and Assam are scheduled to meet today to iron out the vexed border dispute between the two states.
 
Meghalaya Revenue Minister Prestone Tynsong and Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attend the meeting of the ''Joint Special Committee on Meghalaya-Assam Boundary.''
 
"This will be the first meeting of the special committee, and both sides are expected to first work out modalities on how to resolve the vexed border dispute," said Tynsong earlier on November 10.
 
He added that the committee would mainly deal with Langpih, a disputed area between the two states.
 
Of late, the tribal Khasi and Garo people, residing in Langpih, have accused the Assam government of disrupting peace and tranquility in the area by pushing Nepalese nationals.
 
Last year, a Chief Secretary level meeting of both states had agreed in principle to maintain the status quo and that the border dispute should be solved within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.
  
In 1985, the Assam and Meghalaya governments entrusted Justice YV Chandrachud to head a committee of experts for giving an opinion on the constitutional aspects of the boundary demarcation between the two neighboring states.
  
Assam has claimed Langpih based on the recommendations of Justice YV Chandrachud Committee Report.
 
Meghalaya, however, has rejected the report.

Source ANI

Mumbai/ Ahmedabad: A cyclone alert has been sounded across north Maharashtra and south Gujarat, besides coastal areas by the Meteorological (Met) Department in the wake of a deep depression over the southeast and the Arabian Sea.
 
The bulletin said the deep depression (system) is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm.

The Met office has advised fishermen not to venture out to sea in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

It said Mumbai and Thane district will receive very heavy rains for the next twenty-four hours.

Winds reaching speeds of 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph, are likely to commence along and off the south Gujarat and Kerala coasts, besides Lakshadweep from today.

It will hit Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra coasts during the next forty-eight hours.

Source ANI

Ranchi / Mumbai: A team of investigators spent the whole day on Tuesday at the residence of Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, sifting through his papers and questioning him. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also begun action against him in New Delhi.

The ED will also send a team to Mumbai today to collect documents of all companies mentioned by Vikas Sinha, a close aide of Koda.

Sinha, who was arrested by the income tax sleuths on November 6 underwent medical tests yesterday and has been allowed to take rest.

The ED is looking into reports that two film actresses may also be involved in hawala payoffs.
 
Koda reportedly is not cooperating with the investigators.

"We are questioning him about the evidence we found in his house. Till the whole process is completed, it is difficult to ascertain what information we have. Our investigations have been positive. It is moving forward in the right direction. So far as cooperation is concerned, Koda is giving statements. If the statements are clear, it will take less time, because it all depends on how clear the statements are," said Income Tax Commissioner Ajit Srivastava.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Indian Army is set to procure over 100 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), which would be deployed in different kinds of terrains.

The Army has initiated the process of acquiring these APCs by issuing a Request for Information (RFI) recently.

According to the RFI, at least 100 APCs will be procured from the vendor chosen after the acquisition process and the rest would be licence-produced in India after a Transfer of Technology to an indigenous firm.

Over a period of five years, the Indian Army is looking to add over 500 new APCs to its existing fleet of around 1,500 Russian-origin BMP-I and BMP-Iis, Defence Ministry sources said.

Currently, the Indian Army has 26 mechanised infantry battalions with its APCs having the capability to carry around 10 soldiers each.

Some of the APCs are equipped with missile launchers for firing Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM).

The Army wants its new APCs to be capable of being air-lifted in IAF heavylift aircraft such as the IL-76 and C-130Js to be procured from US in the near future.

The new APCs should also be capable of being carried in Navy''s amphibious warships such as the INS Jalashwa and the INS Airavat.

Source ANI

New Delhi: India and Colombia have strongly pitched for the UN-sponsored Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism becoming a vital law enforcement instrument, believing that international joint counter-terrorism efforts will benefit as a result.

Emphasizing this through a joint statement issued on Tuesday after Colombia Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez Merizalde concluded a two-day official visit to India, both New Delhi and Bogota reiterated the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism.

Merizalde reiterated the condolences of the people and government of Colombia on the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and expressed the hope that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be brought to justice.

He said that Columbia strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whoever, wherever and for whatever purpose and, has stressed that there can be no justification, whatsoever, for any acts of terrorism.

“Colombia and India are convinced that the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism would become a vital law enforcement instrument in international joint counter-terrorism efforts,” the foreign ministers of the two countries said.
 
During the visit which took place during the Golden Jubilee year of the establishment of bilateral relations between India and Colombia, both ministers expressed satisfaction over the growing bilateral relations.

They held extensive discussions covering bilateral, regional and global issues and decided to encourage exchange of high-level visits between the countries and regularly hold Foreign Office Consultations, the last round of which was held in Delhi in April 2009.

Expressing satisfaction over growing bilateral trade and economic linkages, both sides acknowledged the significant role played by the apex chambers of commerce and industry, business federations, investment promotion agencies in both countries and business entities such as the Colombia-India Chamber of Commerce in Bogota and The TEQUENDAMA Group in India, in facilitating commercial and investment ties.

The Ministers noted that leading Indian companies have undertaken significant investments in Colombia in various sectors such as oil and hydrocarbons, mining, engineering, chemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and information technology.

They acknowledged the contribution of the MOUs signed between business Chambers and Federations of both countries and celebrate the signature during this visit of the MOU between ANDI and NASSCOM.

During the visit, a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement (BIPPA) and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Bamboo were signed during the visit.

Both ministers also stressed the need for early finalization of agreements on extradition; mutual legal assistance; mining; energy, health; education, agriculture, public services and other areas of mutual interest.

Both sides also agreed to expedite talks for finalization of a double taxation avoidance agreement. With the signing of these agreements, economic and commercial ties will be further strengthened and ongoing bilateral engagement will be diversified, the joint statement said.

The two sides praised the high level of cooperation in the ICT sector as envisioned under a bilateral MoU signed in 2002 and also underlined the importance of collaboration in new and renewable energy sources and on collaboration in outer space.

They said the ratification of the bilateral agreement on cooperation in science and technology provides an important instrument for collaboration in these and other sectors.

Both countries welcomed prospects for strengthening ongoing bilateral technical cooperation under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme [ITEC] and expressed satisfaction at the process of cooperation and MOUs signed between 10 (ten) Universities of both countries.

The two ministers also held discussions on multilateral issues of mutual interest such as international financial and economic crisis; UN Reform; Climate Change in the context of UNFCCC in Copenhagen; Terrorism and Narco-trafficking and; exchanged views on regional developments in South Asia and Latin America and Caribbean.

Both emphasized the essential role of the UN for maintaining global peace and security, for promoting the economic and social advancement of all people and for meeting global threats and challenges.

India and Colombia stressed the need to implement the process of UN reforms to make it more representative, legitimate and effective.

They agreed that any expansion and restructuring of the Security Council must reflect contemporary realities, more representative, increase transparency, democracy and include developing countries.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will arrive in Mumbai this evening on a short six hour visit before emplaning for national capital New Delhi for talks with the Indian leadership, which are scheduled for Thursday.

Rudd is expected in Delhi at around 11.30 p.m.

He will begin his program on Thursday with a meeting with Dr. R.K. Pachauri, chief of TERI and thereafter will move to India Gate to pay homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Before calling on the President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil at 11 a.m., Rudd will visit the National Museum.

On Thursday afternoon, he will interact with captains of Indian industry and is expected to project Australia as an improving investor friendly destination.

He will also make an address on strategic affairs and foreign policy and open the India-Australia Round Table at the Indian Council of World Affairs.

Later in the evening, he will call on the Vice President, Hamid Ansari and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at their respective residences.

He will meet the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh for bilateral talks between 6 and 7.30 p.m. at Hyderabad House, following which a joint statement will be issued.

He will leave for Singapore on Friday morning.

Rudd is the most senior member of the government to visit India after an outcry over the treatment of Indian students in Australia, and it is expected that New Delhi will air its concerns to him during the bilateral interaction.

Education is Australia''s third biggest export, bringing in over 15 billion dollars each year.  India sends the second largest number of students to Australia after China but there are fears that figure could take a hit after recent events.

An issue Canberra and New Delhi haven''t seen eye to eye on is the Rudd government''s refusal to sell uranium to India because it isn''t a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).

The matter will be raised during the visit ahead of a review of the NPT next year.

Australia and India may use the visit to announce the start of negotiations towards a free trade agreement after a feasibility study reportedly found a deal to be favourable to both countries.

India is Australia''''s fourth biggest export market and, like China, is crucial to growth prospects over the coming decades.

From India, Rudd heads to Singapore for the 17th annual summit of leaders from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, on November 14-15.

Rudd will return home on November 16.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition Lal Krishna Advani on Wednesday stressed on the need to develop mutual cooperation between countries to root out terror.

 

Addressing a school function participated by students from India and abroad, including Pakistan, Advani said: "There is mutual agreement between countries to extradite people who have committed any crimes in this country or escaped to another country. All these agreements have been of great help in cooperation in a matter of dealing with terror. And I wish India could have such treaties with every country of the world represented here."

 

India has witnessed a series of terror attacks in the recent years, with the major one being in Mumbai last November, which left at least 166 dead.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Government on Wednesday issued advisories to eight coastal States and Union Territories over cyclone Phyan and put the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) batallions in Gujarat and Maharashtra on alert.

 

The movement of a depression in the central Arabian sea region since early Tuesday morning has been watched very closely by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

Assessing the impact of its movement, in consultation with the IMD, Ministry of Home Affairs has sent advisories to the concerned State Governments of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, every few hours.

 

Eight such advisories had been sent till Wednesday evening.

 

“Following the movement of this cyclonic depression and the consequential heavy rainfall caused by it, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Bns. in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been put on the alert,” said an MHA release.  

 

“Simultaneously, to meet any emergent requirement of rescue and relief, the NDRF teams comprising about 400 trained personnel with boats and other equipments, have been pre-positioned in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Another 200 have been kept in readiness for Mumbai. Ministry of Defence has also alerted the Air Force,” the release added.  

 

The cyclonic system has, however, moved north-eastwards due to which the IMD has withdrawn the warning from the States of Gujarat and Goa. The IMD has alerted Maharashtra on the possibility of heavy rainfall in Maharashtra region, the MHA release stated.  

 

However, the Ministries of Home Affairs and Defence have kept themselves in readiness to assist in any rescue and relief operations, if required.

Source ANI

New Delhil: The Government on Wednesday issued an alert warning for four cities of three States along with Delhi over probability of multiple terror attacks.

 

Ministry of Home Affairs issued the alert for Delhi, Agra, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), and Mumbai (Maharashtra) following inputs that David C. Headley had visited these cities and inspected various places in these cities.

 

The alert was issued following David Coleman Headley, the U.S national and a key Lashkar-e-Toiba operative’s visits to these cities. The U.S authorities held him recently.  

 

On Tuesday, Home Minister P.Chidambaram confirmed that the key Lashkar-e-Toiba militant David C Headley visited India many a times before the Mumbai terror attack occurred on 26/11 last year.

 

"He visited India many a times before 26/11. We are investigating probable link between 26/11 and Headley, " P. Chidambaram stated.

Source ANI

New Delhi: India on Wednesday expressed concern over the recurrence of incidents of attacks on Indian students in Australia and stressed at the need to undertake more effective measures to prevent recurrence of such attacks.

 

"Unfortunately the attacks have reoccurred in the last week, so obviously these attacks are a matter of concern for us…we are in regular touch with Australian authorities…it is important that measures are effective, we have to stay the course and we are constantly reviewing the situation, we are constantly looking at ways and means to ensure that such attack don''t happen," said Vishnu Prakash, spokesman for Ministry of External Affairs in the capital.

 

Vishnu Prakash, however, informed that Canberra has assured New Delhi that Australia will follow a policy of zero tolerance towards such incidents.

 

He added that India would take this issue with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when he visits the country.

 

There have been over 30 attacks on Indians in Australia since May this year. Recently a group of locals attacked a 22-year-old Indian student in Melbourne.

 

Vishnu Prakash also pointed out that co-operation between two countries would continue in variety of disciplines including information technology (IT), education and Defence.

 

"We have a broad-based relationship with significant scope and potential for expansion in areas like economic and trade, science and technology, energy, IT, education, defence and so on…You are aware that Australia has been supportive of Indian candidature for permanent membership at the UN Security Council," Prakash said.

 

Rudd''s visit to India comes less than a month after Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Minister''s visit.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Energy starved India, which is pressing hard to ensure sufficient nuclear fuel supply for its drying nuclear reactors, is likely to persuade the visiting Australian Prime Minister  Kevin Rudd to open up the uranium sale to India.

"India is more than willing to buy Uranium from Australia and it will be a part of the agenda of the  "broad-based" discussion with Kevin Rudd who will hold talks with his Indian counterpart and host of other leaders during his three-day India visit,” said informed sources to ANI on Wednesday.

Empathizing with the domestic complications of the Rudd’s Labour Party, which have strong reservations over supplying uranium to non-NPT signatories, sources said: "We (India) are ready when they (Australia) are ready to sell uranium.” But “We don''t press the point," source added.

Australia is one of the largest uranium producers of the world and its Olympic Dam mine (in south Australia) alone has the capacity to produce 35 per cent of the world''s uranium. Its reserves could last for 100-150 years.

India derives consolation from the fact that Australia had supported India in getting clean waiver at the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) and also at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last year.

However, in spite of exemptions and lifting of sanctions on India for doing nuclear trade, Canberra is sticking to " No Uranium Sale to India" on the ground that India is non-signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Australia is not only one of the largest reservoirs of uranium, it also possesses huge reserves of clean coal and natural gas, which India is eyeing on. Sources told ANI: “Our dependence on Australia for energy security is not just cantered around uranium sale.”

Australia is the largest exporter of coal and the quality of coal is better than India, as it has less hash content which is good for environment.

Off late Australia and India have signed first long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with India, with India''s Petronet LNG signing a 20-year agreement to take gas from the massive Gorgon project. According to the agreement Exxon Mobil will supply about 1.5 million tonnes per annum of its share of LNG from the proposed Gorgon LNG project over 20 years.

Other than energy security, both countries are also expected to increase cooperation in the field of Maritime Security, issue of security of Indian students down under will also be a part of the broad- based talks between India and Australia.

Discussion on possible Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries on which the feasibility study is already going on by the Joint Study Group will also come up during Australian Prime Minister’s visit.

Source ANI

Ludhiana: People in Punjab can now adopt wild animals and birds in major zoos of the state after the introduction of a new government scheme.

Under the Animal Adoption Scheme, a person can adopt an animal from the stock of animals in the zoo by paying for the maintenance, safety and food of the animal.

After adoption, the person will have the right to check the diet and living conditions of the animal and can seek an explanation about anything pertaining to the adopted animal from the authorities.

People have been given an opportunity to develop love and sense of care for other living beings through such a scheme.

“Another advantage is that the adopters would be regularly informed about the upkeep of their animals and the biggest advantage of this scheme is that people get a chance to do something good for the natural habitat by taking care of an animal,” said Vishal Chauhan, Divisional Forest Officer, Ludhiana.
  
The new scheme is generating a lot of interest among locals residents and animal lovers.

"For the first time in Punjab, an effort has been done which is both initiated and approved by the government. Under the scheme we can adopt animals and birds belonging from any zoo or protected area and thus provide safety for their lives. By adopting them and providing them food and water we can give them a better life," said Kuldeep singh, a local residents.

"I have adopted a deer here as I feel that wild animals and birds are the only existing link between us and the nature. If they also get extinct then there would be nothing left for us to show to our children as they link us to the habitat. So it is very important that as citizens we come forward and promote this act," said Ranjeet, who has adopted a deer at the Ludhiana Zoo.

The ''Animal Adoption Scheme'' is a boon not only for the zoo inmates but also for the adopters.

People adopting any animal or bird get their names displayed in the zoo premises and they automatically become the ex officio members of the ''Zoo Development Society''. The adopters will also get free entry in the Zoo.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma on Wednesday urged developed nations to provide greater market access to developing and less developed countries.

“We feel that there should be an understanding among the countries of the world i.e. between developing and developed, rich and poor which creates better opportunities and gives better access to the developing countries and less developed countries to bigger markets,” Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.

“That was the main reason that India had taken an initiative to bring together in rainbow coalition to energise the Doha round of the WTO and we will continue it,” he added.

Sharma was interacting with reporters after inaugurating the fifth International Forum on Creativity and Inventions, which was organised by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in association with Indian government.

India says that a global commerce deal would deliver a boost to the world economy in the wake of financial crisis and help stave off protectionism.

But Doha remains elusive after eight years of talks, and the World Trade Organisation warned countries would miss a 2010 target for a deal unless the pace of negotiations was stepped up.

Sharma added that India would not raise import duty on refined vegetable oils and the ban on the export of non-basmati rice would continue top meet the domestic demand.

Some traders expected India, the world''s top importer of vegetable oils, to raise the duty on overseas purchases after imports touched a record high in September.

India imposes 7.5 percent duty on refined vegetable oil imports and allows tax-free purchases of crude varieties.

Source ANI

Kolkata: With China observing the year of the Tiger in 2010, conservationists across the globe fear the endangered mammal would be threatened more, as trade in tiger goods is likely to rise considerably.

Chinese superstition is one of the primary reasons behind poaching of tigers.

There is huge demand for tiger skins, tiger bones, tiger tooth and tiger nails amongst superstitious Chinese.

In the Year of the Tiger, the demand for tiger products would be obvious for its auspicious value. 

Conservationists want the trade in tiger goods to be stopped completely by the Chinese government.

“Merely making tiger the theme for the year is dangerous. The government should initiate awareness programmes for the protection and conservation of tigers. Killing of tigers for tiger products should be stopped completely. As long as there is poaching, tigers would continue to remain on the endangered list”, claimed Suchanda Kundu,
Member, Sanctuary Asia.

“Creating awareness amongst the local population about the need to protect the tiger and conserve its habitat is also essential”, added Atanu Kumar Raha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, West Bengal.

“There is no doubt that a man-tiger conflict exists wherever there are tigers. However, this conflict can be kept at a minimum if both sides don’t infringe upon each other’s habitation”, Raha added.

In West Bengal, there are about 250 to 274 tigers within the Sunderbans delta area and another 45-50 in other protected zones like the Buxa Tiger Reserve, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary etc.

According to Raha, keeping the tiger population intact at around 200-250 is ideal for the territory in Sunderbans. However, depletion of grasslands in North Bengal for setting up tea gardens has brought down the number of herbivores in the area, consequently affecting tigers, which don’t breed in such a situation.

Hence, the number of tigers in Buxa Tiger Reserve or Jaldapara National Park has come down significantly.

The good news is that on the Bangladesh side of the Sunderbans covering about 6000 sq kms, the tiger population was estimated at around 400 during the 2003, joint Indo-Bangladesh Tiger Census.

The Sundari tree forests across the border, sustainable due to less salinity in the water on the other side, have been conducive to the tiger population, according to Raha.

The next Tiger Census in the Sunderbans is scheduled for January, 2010 and it will be done through a combination of traditional pug mark process as well as the new DNA analysis of tiger excreta.

Large number of teams would fan out across the 4000-odd sq km area of the Indian Sunderbans to collect tiger excreta as well as put up bait for tiger
under camera surveillance.

The results of the pug mark identification, DNA analysis of tiger excreta and camera surveillance would all be combined together to arrive at a much more realistic figure of the existing tiger population, said Raha.

There have been several reports of tigers venturing into villages in the estuarine area and killing cattle and attacking people.

However, Raha points out that these incidents have been occurring for years but due to lack of good communication, the news did not come out. Now, with improved roads, transport and telecommunications, information comes out of the delta area faster, giving the feeling that tigers coming into villages have increased.

“But what has really changed is the number of straying cats being killed by the villagers. The villagers have been sensitized through campaigns by the wildlife department as well as several NGOs working in the region to not hurt the animal. They now know to immediately call the forest officials who rush to the spot, trap the animal and then release it within the core area of Project Tiger safely, said Joydeep Kundu, Member, Sanctuary Asia.

According to Raha, the Central government sanctions about Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore for tiger conservation in West Bengal while the State Government spends around Rs 7 crore each year. However, to conserve the tiger, the entire eco-system needs to be supported and conserved.

Funds are being solicited from the Japan Bank for development in the Sunderbans area. The idea is to set up employment opportunities for the villagers outside forest areas.

“Then, the villagers would not go inside the core area or the forests for timber, firewood, honey or fishing. This would reduce the man-animal conflict considerably and
also keep the tiger habitat projected”, Raha added.

The plan is for sustainable development in the area with ample employment opportunities, security measures against poaching and creating awareness on the need to save tigers.

Raha feels that the Sunderbans is currently saturated as far as the tiger population is concerned. The challenge lies in ensuring that the numbers do not decrease.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued guidelines to all airlines on Wednesday following the skidding of the Kingfisher aircraft in Mumbai on Tuesday.

 

Keeping in view the inputs received from Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), the DGCA issued new directions to all airlines for strict compliance when using the runway. These directions are in addition to the existing directions of the DGCA.

 

According to the new set of guidelines pilot-1 should be a training captain and pilot-2 should have minimum 300 hours of experience on type.

 

New guidelines bar all assisted take-off and landing. The DGCA clearly said that no operation should take place when runway surface is wet.

 

The new guidelines made it mandatory for the pilots to file a de-briefing report after every flight.

 

The DGCA had also directed MIAL to carry out videography of operations on every Tuesday during runway operations. DGCA, FOI has also been stationed at Mumbai Airport during closure.

 

DGCA is undertaking a full review of safety assessment for short runway operations at MIAL.

 

On Tuesday, ATR 72-212A aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines operating a scheduled flight IT-4124 Bhavnagar-Mumbai sector, while landing at Mumbai skidded off the runway resulting in damage to aircraft.  All passengers and crew were evacuated safely.  Six passengers and one crewmember were released after first-aid.

 

The DGCA has ordered investigation into the incident and de-rostered all six pilots of three operators – Kingfisher, Go Air and NACIL who operated flights during wet runway conditions on Tuesday.

 

The DGCA has also issued show-cause notices to three operators for alleged violations of its directions regarding wet runway operations.

Source ANI

New Delhi/Kabul: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has cancelled his trip to Mumbai because of Cyclone Phyan,an ABC News report said.

Rudd,however, will visit New Delhi for a day and a half, where the Indian leadership is expected to re-emphasize its concerns about race-motivated attacks on Indian students in Australia.

A spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday that New Delhi will give top priority to this issue during the bilateral meetings scheduled for Thursday. The two sides, he said, would also look for ways to enhance strategic and trade ties during this first visit by the Australian Prime Minister since he assumed office last year.

Prior to his arrival in New Delhi later this evening, Rudd undertook a surprise visit to the Tarin Kowt base in southern Afghanistan to meet Australian troops deployed there as part of the NATO-led offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

According to ABC News, Rudd had visited Australian troops at the same base in December 2008. Today''s visit was kept under wraps due to security fears, and was undertaken because Rudd wanted to spend Remembrance Day with Australian troops.

Rudd''s visit came hours after an Australian soldier was wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Australia currently has about 1,500 troops in southern Uruzgan province.

His visit to India follows efforts by a parade of state and federal government ministers who have tried in recent months to repair damage to the international student sector, after a spate of violent attacks in Melbourne and Sydney seemingly directed at Indian students.

The recent collapse of international colleges and reports of unscrupulous education agents ripping off international students has also caused tension between the two countries.

One international security expert says Australia has long ignored its economic and strategic relationship with India and Mr Rudd''s visit should be focused on that.

Program director for international security at the Lowy Institute, Rory Medcalf, says Canberra has neglected the subcontinent but the feeling has been mutual.

"The real challenge is to take it to a new level in terms of strategic trust, diplomatic cooperation, and I don''t think we''re anywhere near our potential on those fronts yet," he said.

"India has tended to see Australia through a couple of very outdated lenses. It has seen Australia as eventually an appendage of the United States or it has seen Australia as some sort of afterthought in Asia.

"I think for a long time India has just simply not understood and has not appreciated how much Australia has to offer."

Meanwhile, Rudd''s wife Therese Rein is already in India visiting a kindergarten in the slums of Mumbai.

She braved pouring rain to take books and educational toys to the 24 children at the kindergarten, known locally as Muskaan, which means "smile" in Hindi.

Source ANI