India News

Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), the premeir body of the Sikhs, has sought the help of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to resolve the issue of Sikh identity being faced by the community in various countries.

Harper on Wednesday visited the Golden Temple, the holy place of the Sikhs, while on a three-day visit to India.

Covering his head with white scarf Harper entered in to the Golden Temple amid tight security.

Before entering the Golden Temple, Harper, sources said, applied antiseptic cream upon his feet and hands. It is normal for VVIPs from foreign when they have to remove shoes in the holy temple here. He also checked his appearance twice in the mirror Sikh’s Pagri or, the traditional headgear was tied around his head.

Earlier, Punjab Deputy chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Avtar Singh Makkar, President of SGPC, other political and religious leaders, accorded him a warm welcome.

While welcoming Harper on his visit to the Golden Temple, Makkar requested Harper to influence the French government in resolving turban issue as well as the Sikh identity issue emerging in various countries.

It is pertinent to mention that after 9/11 Sikhs became the victim of mistaken identity.

The SGPC honoured the Canadian PM with an honorary  robe and a set of religious books.

Sukhbir Badal honoured the Canadian PM with a “Shawl”, a sword and a replica of the Golden Temple.

Harper also visited the “Langar Hall” (the community kitchen).  

Harper avoided interaction with the local media.

In the visitors’ book the Canadian PM wrote, “Thank you very much for the great honour of taking me through this beautiful and sacred place, an experience I will never forget.”

Meanwhile, in a letter to Harper, SGPC President Makkar said due to their distinct religious and cultural identity, Sikhs were facing an identity crisis worldwide, as the world community is yet to get fully familiar with the Sikh identity.

He said that such lack of awareness was the basic reason for the French government imposing a turban ban on Sikh students.

Makkar has also urged the Canadian PM to take up Sikh issues, including the matter of the Sikh turban at the UNO and other world forums.

He thanked the Canadian government for granting honourable status to the Punjabi language in Canada and mentioned it was a generous act for which the Sikhs owe a lot to the large heartiness of Canadian people.

Source ANI

Amritsar: A group of Canadian and Indian citizens on Wednesday registered their protest against the Canadian government over the infamous Komagata Maru ship incident of 1914, which involved 300 Indians mostly Sikhs seeking entry into Canada through sea but were disallowed to enter Canada.

On their return journey, having left to wander in the sea, at least 20 of those 200-odd persons had died.

The activists at Jaliawalan Bagh at Amritsar lit candles on Wednesday in memory of those 20 individuals who died in that incident.

The activists have sought apology from the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons, just as the Canadian government has done in the case of Chinese and Japanese brotherhood.

It is pertinent to mention that the Prime Minster Harper visited the Golden Temple, the world famous Sikh holy place at Amritsar on Wednesday as part of his three days tour to India.

The Komagata Maru sailed into Vancouver harbor on May 23, 1914, with 376 people on board. The dominion government did not permit passengers to disembark due to racist immigration laws and the vessel remained docked at the harbor for two months.

The Komagata Maru ship was later forcibly sent back to India where the British-India police shot dead many passengers in Calcutta.

Holding banner in their hands the activists including children peacefully marched in the premises of the Jalianwala Bagh.

Members of various organizations including “Alami Punjabi Virasat Foundation” (APVF) joined hands with the Canadian activists.

“Though the Prime Minister apologized for the Komagata Maru ship incident but the fact that he apologized at a public gathering and not from the floor of the Parliament. That apology was unacceptable and that was a political statement,” said Sahib Thind, President, Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation (Canada). 

Last year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an apology in Surrey, British Columbia, before about 8,000 people in August.

Harper’s had apologized to Chinese-Canadian community in 2006 for the head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants to Canada between 1885 and 1923. 

Singh said that we demand that the Prime Minister Harper should do the same in the House of Commons, as they have already apologised to the brotherhood from China, Japan and tribal community so that we would feel the same equality sense while living in Canada.

Bhupinder Singh Sandhu, President Alami Punjabi Virasat Foundation (APVF) said that on the basis of principles of human rights, freedom, fairness and equality, the Komagata Maru tragedy is every sensitive issue for the Indo – Canadian Community.

He said that if the apology would be offered from the floor of House of Common as sought by the community it would heel the wounds of the kins of the victims.

Source ANI

New Delhi: On the eve of the Indian Prime Minister''s state visit to United States, US envoy to India Timothy Roemer has  reiterated that US wants to see action against terrorist from its partners in Pakistan.

Roemer also urged Pakistan to dismantle its terror infrastructure and bring Lashkar chief Hafeez Saeed to justice.

Briefing the media in New Delhi, he said cooperation between India and US was never so close and could be said to be unprecedented.

The US envoy cited how FBI agents testified and provided key elements in investigations of 26/11 Mumbai carnage.

Roemer told reporters that the Indian Prime Minister and the US President will build upon the high-level meetings between the Indian and American leaderships, and, officials will outline future cooperation on the issue of terrorism, which has acquired a global manifestation.

"We will work shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, hour by hour against terrorism with India," Roemer added.

The Prime Minister''s visit to Washington will coincide with the first anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, in which more than 165 people died, including six Americans.

Meanwhile, India has handed over a seventh dossier to Pakistan which contains more evidence on the involvement of Pakistan based terrorists in the deadly attack.

India has repeatedly expressed its disappointment with Pakistan''s lack of cooperation and concrete action on the dossiers so far submitted.

Referring to recent visits of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. (Retired) James Johns to Pakistan, Roemer told reporters that a  message is being conveyed to Pakistan that results and action needed to be seen to be believed.

Roemer said that he expected Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Obama to have a healthy discussion on AFPAK and the situation in Pakistan, besides exchanging notes on counter-terrorism measures.

Source ANI

Pune: The polling phase doesn''t seem to die away from the Pait and Parunde villages here. The villagers will cast their votes on November 22 to choose whether liquor shops should be banned in the area.

The residents of Pait village in Khed taluka and Parunde in Junnar taluka have put forward a memorandum to the District Collector and the Excise Department asking for the liquor shops to be removed from the area prior to the election.

The symbols this time are just two: a standing bottle and a tilted bottle.

Saying yes to the tilted bottle means the voters want the liquor shops in the village to shut, while a yes for the standing bottle would mean they want the shops to remain in business.

"Women here work so hard, taking care of the household, cooking food and then at night our husbands would come home drunk wasting everything from the food to our future," said Savitha Jadhav, a villager.

The procedure for such a choice was laid out on June 30, 2003, in the rules in the Gazette of the excise department, which says that if 25 per cent of women in a village support a move to ban the sale of liquor in the village and put their names down on an application, it becomes mandatory for the excise department to close the shops selling liquor immediately and later hold an election. In the election, if more than 50 per cent women vote for closing the shops, the Collector, in consultation with the excise department, has to order them shut.

Parunde village has a population of 1,657, of which 795 are women.

"It''s become almost like a routine. The husbands would come every night in an inebriated state and start beating us. This abuse has to stop and we would leave no stone unturned to accomplish our goal," said Alka Bhokse, head of Pait village which has a population of 3,222, out of which 1,596 are women.

The women from 13 villages will probably cast their votes.

Source ANI

Haldwani (Uttarakhand): A record holder in reverse-motor-driving, who has made it to the Limca Book of Records laments the lack of support from the state government in facilitating his bid to get into the Guiness Book of World Records.

Mobin Khan, 40, a resident here, always drives his car backwards and holds the record for the longest reverse driving without a break.

Khan teaches driving for a livelihood and is also financially supported by his friends.

Khan claims he can work wonders with a little support from the state government as he can drive in reverse gear for several kilometers and for hours at a stretch without applying the brakes even once.

The indifference of the state towards him prevents him from making a world record, claims Khan. A dejected Khan says his correspondence with the state authorities, including the Sports Minister, has all gone in vain.

He plans to undertake a reverse driving venture from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Kerala.

The expertise, according to him will cost 1.2 million rupees.
 
People who have seen Khan drive, say that he is a budding star.

"I have never seen anything like it. It is terrific, we find it difficult to drive straight and he does it in reverse. Really, the government must do something for him. He must be helped to reach where he wants to," said Raja.

Khan has entered the Limca Book of Records twice.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Government is learnt to have cleared the names of C N R Rao, scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, A.K.Ganguly, former chairman of Hindustan Lever and H K Dua, editor-in-chief of The Tribune, for the Rajya Sabha. 

The government has to nominate three distinguished persons to the upper House of Parliament.

A notification will be issued soon.

Rao is a well-known scientist and Dua is a senior journalist who has also been media advisor to prime ministers.

Source ANI

Chandigarh: The Indian Army organised a three-day horse show here recently that attracted a large number of passionate riders from across the region.

Organised in association with the Equestrian Federation of India, the show witnessed participation of more than 200 riders from the region with their horses.

The event, which began on Sunday, came to an exciting end on Tuesday.

Many other related events like show jumping and tent pegging were also held to popularise riding in the region.

"In this horse show today, more than 218 horses have participated and over 200 riders have also come from various parts of the country. We have tried to showcase some of the major events of the show jumping for the seniors, for the juniors, novices as well as for children. It was very popular with children at the beginning of the children''s day and also we want further progress in the same," said Major General Kamal Mohe, a member of the organising committee.

Major Krishan Yadav (representing northern command of the Indian Army) won the Show Jumping Novice, while Ram Ishwar of northern Haryana Police won the Tent Pegging event.

"Chandigarh, it is yet to come up to that level whereas in Bangalore, Calcutta and Delhi you will find this is the nodal point for the equestrian. In the recent years, a lot of civilians have become interested in the sport. People are spending a lot of money buying horses from abroad and horses costs 40 to 50 lakhs (four million to five million rupees) but people are willing to spend that much money and invest in the sport because there is a bright future for the sport," said Major Krishan Yadav.

Youngsters also showcased their talents in the show and participated in large numbers.

"By participating in such events, our confidence level goes up and also we can improve our riding skills. I would like to take horse riding as a serious career option in the future," said Uday, a young rider.

The show drew attention from a large crowd, as there were no entry fees levied to watch the show.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said that India has quite adequate stocks of food grains though some imports may be needed at a later stage, due to projected shortfall in Kharif crop.

“We have started the rice season with almost six million tonnes surplus, which began from October 2009, with starting of wheat season from 1st April with surplus of almost 7 million tonnes. Therefore stock is quite adequate,” Mukherjee told reporters here.

“Since there is a projection that there would be some shortfall about kharif crop, to make it up we may have to make some imports, but exactly what quantum and at what point of time we will decide later,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma had said that India was looking at importing rice from Thailand and Vietnam.

This would be the first time in 20 years that India would be importing rice.

The government might also consider banning cotton exports to help domestic supply, Sharma added.

Three state-run trading firms last month floated rice import tenders totalling 30,000 tonnes and received 18 bids ranging from 373 to 599 dollars per tonne.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma has stated that while Indian industry had made great strides in achieving global competitiveness and becoming one of the most attractive investment destinations for global investors, there was need for further accelerating its growth and enhancing productivity.

Delivering a keynote address at the first Conference of State Industry Ministers here, Sharma emphasized the role of states in taking industrial development to the next level and announced that a High Level Committee of State Ministers is being constituted to make policy recommendations to increase the share of manufacturing in national GDP to 25 percent.

Sharma informed the participants that the State Industry Ministers’ Conference would now be held annually and he would hold a special session with the North-East States to address the issues and challenges of industrial development in that region.

He also stated that his ministry will try to achieve an annual FDI inflow of 50 billion dollars by 2012 and 100 billion dollars by 2017.

Sharma further announced the setting up industrial parks for labour intensive manufacturing sectors such as gems and  jewellery, toys, sports goods, glass and glass products, ceramics, bicycles and invalid carriages, and electronic hardware.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted the strengths of Indian industry and stressed the need to encourage industrial growth by creating an investor friendly policy regime.

He exhorted the state government to work closely with Government of India to achieve the goal of accelerated industrial growth.

Ajay Shankar, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, expressed the belief that the targets announced by Sharma would be achieved by working closely with the state governments.

Source ANI

Thoubal (Manipur): Hundreds of students from various schools of Thoubal District of Manipur under the banner the Private Schools Development Council formed a human chain to condemn the burning down of a school here on Wednesday.

 

On Monday night, some unknown miscreants set a Khongjom Standard English School located at Khongjom Sapam Khunou of the district

 

According to the school officials the fire burnt down five classrooms and computer lab and several other valuable practical equipment worth one million rupees.

 

"Six rooms three on the top floor and three on the ground floor have been burnt down, of which five are classrooms and one was a computer lab. Three computer sets, one television set, one inverter set and some science equipments, one compound microscope have been burnt." L. Shaktidhar Singh, Administrator, of the school.

 

Speaking to the media, Private Schools Development Council Secretary B. Surchandra Sharma, said: “This has hurt the sentiments of private school owners and especially of students resulting them to come out on the street to demonstrate against the arson and appealing the concern people not to repeat the extreme act again.”

 

Students are also angry due to such incidents as their academic calendar is being affected due to frequent boycotts.

 

Worried over the prolonged deprivation of education to students, parents, guardians, teachers and concerned school authorities are making fervent appeals to both the government and the agitating organizations to find a solution to end agitations.

 

Earlier on November 9, some unknown miscreants hurled a patrol bomb at the Anand Singh Higher Secondary School in the city in a bid to torch the school building.

 

Following the incidents of attack on education institutions the state government has intensified patrolling by security personnel and also deployed the Village Defence Force (VDF) members in and around educational institutions round the clock.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday predicted a 14-15 million ton shortfall in paddy production and procurement in 2009-10.

 

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of a Union Bank event, Mukherjee said : "There are some estimates that grain production will be less -- 14-15 million tons.”

 

He added that the country might import rice to shore up its stocks.

 

"There is a projection that there will be a shortfall of our Kharif crop. So, we may have to make some imports," Mukherjee said.

 

"As of now, the government has six million ton of surplus rice and seven million ton of wheat stocks," he added.

 

Mukherjee said the government is waiting for the assessment of sub-normal southwest monsoon and the impact of floods.

 

During the 2008-09 Kharif season, country’s rice production stood at 84.5 million ton, compared to an estimate of 69.45 million ton during the current fiscal.

 

Commenting on the Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) inflows Mukherjee said the surge in FII inflows is not a matter of concern and measures will be taken to counter it, if distortions emerge.

 

FIIs have put in a whopping over Rs 71,900 crore so far this year in the country''s bourses, the highest ever investment made in rupee terms in a single year.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The world’s first vaginal birth control ring, NuvaRing, was launched in India on Wednesday.

The introduction of a product is expected to augment the contraception options currently available to Indian women.

NUVARING is a once in a month vaginal ring that offers the same benefits as ‘the Pill’ but with the added convenience of not having to be used daily.

It is a flexible and transparent ring containing hormones that are dispersed throughout the ring’s core and absorbed through the vaginal lining directly into the bloodstream, when inserted.

The exact positioning of the ring is not critical for it to work. Additionally, the ring works, like ‘the Pill’, by inhibiting ovulation.

In order to prevent pregnancy for a full month, NUVARING must be inserted and left in place for three consecutive weeks.

After a one week ring-free interval, a new ring must then be inserted in order to have continued contraceptive effect.

“NUVARING heralds a new era in contraception in the Indian market,” said K.G. Anathakrishnan, managing director of Organon (India) Limited.

“It offers the busy, multitasking Indian women of today, the convenience of a monthly regimen and a self-controlled method in terms of insertion & removal of the ring,” he added.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts will celebrate its 24th Foundation Day on November 19 (Thursday) to commemorate the 92nd birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The IGNCA was launched on November 19, 1985 by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the fond memory of his mother.

The institution was formally established as an autonomous trust on March 24.

To celebrate the twin occasion, the IGNCA is organising classical dance performances by celebrated exponents of Indian art at 6.30 p.m. at its premises.

The cultural events will include an Odissi performance by Padmasree Madhvi Mudgal and dancers of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya; a Bharatanatyam performance by Padmasree Geeta Chandran and the Natya Vriksha Dance Company and a Kathak performance by the Kathak Kendra Repertory Company.

Source ANI

Haridwar (Uttarakhand): The ''Maha Kumbh Mela'' or the Great pitcher festival, celebrated once in every 12 years, here is expected to attract 10 million people.
 
Satpal Brahmachari, former chairman of the city board, says that the authorities are not utilizing the funds given by the government for the preparations of the festival properly.

"The construction work which is being commenced now, should have been completed two months back. Now on one hand the festival will progress and on the other the construction work, so there won''t be any cooperation between the two. The city has been facing a problem of traffic jams lately, due to the dug up roads. The authority has to speed up and complete the work efficiently," said Brahmachari.

Though the preparation for the festival has taken a front seat, the locals believe there is still a lot of work to be done.

"The work will finish on time, as the labourers are working very hard. But still there are some areas that they need to pay attention to. They have constructed a bridge over the holy Ganges River, which will be of no use and won''t help the devotees in any way. They should make provisions for toilets and safe drinking water rather than making bridges. I think this time the devotees will have to face a lot of problems," said Anil Kumar, a local.

The authorities concerned have made no provisions for the holy saints till now and moreover traffic jams take place with roads being dug all over the city, he added.

The Kumbh Mela is a sacred occasion for the Hindus who believe in washing their sins by taking a bath in the Ganges in the occasion.

Source ANI

Hyderabad: Cine star and founder of Prajarajyam Party Chiranjeevi had a narrow escape when electrical wires bust into flames over his head during a campaign rally here on Wednesday.

 

Chiranjeevi was holding a road show asking votes for his party candidates in the upcoming Hyderabad Municipal election when the incident occurred.

 

The mega star was traveling in an open-top truck when the vehicle passed under dangling wires. A party worker tried to lift the wires with a rod, triggering a shower of electrical sparks.

 

People of the area have been complaining about the dangling wires for several days now and hope that this incident would make the authorities to notice of the problem.

Source ANI

Chennai: William Heum, a Dutch national, who has been charged for child sex, has been sent to 15 days judicial custody by the Saidpet Magistrate Court here on Wednesday.

 

Disclosing this to the media Chief Public Persecutor said Heum has confessed his crime.

 

“William confessed about having affairs with boys. He also confessed he stored and later uploaded child pornography from his computer,” said the public prosecutor.

 

However, Heum refuted the claims of public prosecutor, and affirmed that he hasn’t confessed anything, and would like to go back to Netherlands.

 

“No, of course not. I did not do anything. You can talk to my lawyer,” Heum said.

 

Heum also added that he did not wish to make any comment lest the prosecution got an advantage.

 

His bail plea is expected to come for hearing on Thursday.

 

Heum has been residing in the country for last 30 years and had applied for Indian citizenship, but now he has asked the Dutch Embassy to help him to fight the case.

 

“This is too much. Next case, next case - how you can live this way? I will go back to Netherlands I think," he said.

 

Earlier the Chennai Police produced Heum before the Saidapet magistrate court in the morning in connection with the 2005 charge of posting child pornography on the Internet, a crime under the new IT Act.

 

Heum is also facing another case in Mahabalipuram since 2002.

 

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Sudhakar confirmed to the media that Heum did confess during interrogation to storing and uploading child pornography on the World Wide Web.

 

“The confession has been submitted to the court along with additional evidence,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Chennai Police conducted two separate raids on Heum’s residence here.

 

According to police pornographic CDs and other incriminating documents in the process were recovered during the raids.

 

Police said the materials have been sent to the forensic science laboratory and a report is awaited.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Khadi, the hand spun fabric that was backed by Mahatma Gandhi has undergone a major change to attract the customers with its new stylish look.

Once considered a uniform of politicians, the fabric now caters to the needs of today''s fashion conscious age group.

Populararised by many fashion designers, the fabric has gained international recognition and is now in fashion.

"Khadi is in fashion these days. Earlier only politicians used to wear it that too, only white kurta pajama. But nowadays, many fashion designers have also developed Khadi a lot. Ladies kurti, jeans wear, everything is available in Khadi. Today people wear Khadi for fashion, earlier it was a need. Khadi also provides employment to so many people. Everybody should wear it, it is such a cheap fabric and there is a lot of variety available in it as well," said Bhikha Bhai Desai, a Khadi trader.

Customers at the Khadi exhibition were amazed to see the age-old fabric in a completely new appearance.

"Trends have changed. After coming here, I brought a lot of Khadi clothes; sari, coat and kids can even wear Khadi to parties. I feel like using Khadi only after today and also tell other people to use Khadi only. Trend has completely changed and I got to see an entirely new collection," said Munish Saini, a customer.

Khadi is a versatile fabric and can be worn in every season.

Moreover, it provides employment to a large number of people in the rural areas and is a flourishing business at present.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Vilas Pandurang, an instructor at Moksha gym here refutes links with 26/11 terror suspect David Coleman Headley.

Pandurang said that he had no connections with Headley and only used to instruct him at the gym.

"He (David Headley) used to come to the gym and work out by himself. One day he was doing something in wrong way so; I interrupted him in between and told him he was doing it wrongly. He asked me to show him the right way. Maybe he felt nice that I initiated to help him. From then on, he would come up to me and ask me to help him. So I used to help him out. It never struck me even once that this man could be like this," said Vilas.

Vilas had shared Headley''s information with the police on his own will, which even cost him his job. Now, he is also looked upon with suspicion.

Pakistan has accepted that Mumbai terror plot was planned in Pakistan as claimed by India and has begun a trial of seven suspects.

Headley was arrested on October 3, 2009, by the Chicago FBI''s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) at O''Hare International Airport prior to his boarding a flight to Philadelphia; planning to travel on to Pakistan.

Source ANI

Tarn Taran: An increasing number of farmers are being motivated to undertake crop diversification and livestock farming in Punjab.
 
As part of its endeavour to ensure the growth of  the livestock farming sector, the government is holding various livestock shows in Punjab.
 
Departments of Animal Husbandry have been instructed to provide details of various government schemes to farmers.
 
The presence of farmers at such livestock shows reflects a rapidly popularizing dairy sector and other related livestock business in the state.
 
Farmers from Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala districts recently converged in Tarn Taran to participate in the three-day “Livestock and Competition Fair” to show their cattle of best quality.
 
Mahga Singh of Sarya village, who arrived here with his award winner “Goat”, said: “Now, my sons have started doing this business as their family income has increased. People from all over the Punjab come to them to buy livestock."
 
The department has registered every farmer of the area and is encouraging them to breed “Beetal Goat”. They are provided with free medical aid and medicines.
 
Dr. Arvind Sharma, a veterinary official, said that government is now encouraging farmers to do live stock business of  “The Beetal” as this is a breed used for meat and milk production and found in Punjab and widely in demand all over the India.
 
Dr. Hazra Singh Cheema, agriculture development officer (Animal Nutrition) said: "Our endeavor is to make this side business as the main business of the farmer and for this purpose, the government is offering various lucrative schemes to farmers.
 
He claimed that the department has more than 300 veterinary inspectors and 1,500 veterinary officers to provide quality veterinary services and to promote the livestock business in the state.
 
However, some farmers have a demand that the state government should keep a check on the increasing rates of the feed for livestock.
 
Lakhbir Singh, a dairy farmer, said that the prices of the feed for livestock have almost doubled in a couple of months, and the relevant departments were doing nothing to ensure availability feed at affordable prices where as milk prices remains same.
 
Dr. Cheema, however, has assured that the concerns of the farmers would also conveyed to the department.

Source ANI

Sherri (Jammu and Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress chief Saifuddin Soz has hinted that talks with separatist leaders might be renewed soon.

 

Interacting with the media here, Soz said consultations were on with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, (APHC) and they were at an advanced stage.

 

"Dialogue has already been on, sometimes it is on the front burner and sometime it is on the back burner…but dialogue is already on and there are many actors who are involved in this…my information is that Hurriyat will join the dialogue and talk to Delhi,” Soz said.

 

"Congress party, both at the central and state level, shall facilitate vigorous dialogue, so in that case Congress party has the big role and I said that Prime Minister''s doors are open for all hues of Jammu and Kashmir state including the leaders of Hurriyat camp. So whatever the Hurriyat says it is for them to decide but I can say that the government of India is very serious about it," he added.

 

Earlier, the APHC had demanded New Delhi to pull out troops, release prisoners and end human rights violations before resuming peace talks.

 

Dialogue between the government and APHC broke down in 2006. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered to resume talks last month during a visit to Kashmir.

Source ANI

Dharamsala: Tibetan exiles have expressed unhappiness over U.S President Barack Obama calling Tibet an integral part of China and calling for a resumption of a dialogue to resolve the Tibet crisis while on a visit to Beijing.

Chinese media reports stated that Obama had said that the US considers Tibet an integral part of China and has called for resumption of dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Obama''s statement shocked the entire Tibetan community, said Tenzin Cheoying, the president of a voluntary Students for Free Tibet.

"I don''t think there is a need to rethink the path of non-violence, but definitely we need to rethink about the path of so-called dialogue with the Chinese government. And, we should not let ourselves believe that the United States would come forward and help us in solving the Tibetan issue or neither should we believe that the European Union or any powerful countries could do that. For us, now, what we firmly believe is that it is only up to the individual Tibetans, all the Tibetans unitedly, we need to come out with new strategy," said Cheoying.

Even if the dialogue takes place, it has to be result oriented, said Dhondup Dorjee, vice president of the Tibetan Youth Congress.

"Whatever he (Obama) stated today, of course, Tibetans in general we welcome his appeal to the Chinese leadership in urging early resumption of dialogue, but a dialogue without any result, dialogue with lots of pre-conditions from the Chinese government and with no intentions to come to a solution, will reach us no where. So, we expect the President to take up the Tibet issue at a higher level, not at the mere usual common stand to encourage dialogue. And, what was the fate of the dialogue we have seen in the 80''s and even in the recent dialogue what happened," Dorjee said.

The Tibetan government-in-exile on Tuesday expressed its willingness to hold talks with China after Obama called for a recommencement of dialogue to end the Tibet crisis.

Earlier, Chinese officials and messengers of Dalai Lama have held eight rounds of talks that have not been successful.

Riots and protests against the Chinese presence had hit the roof last year over the Dalai Lama pronouncing that he is looking for autonomy for Tibet.

Obama is scheduled to meet the Dalai Lama after his return to Washington, a meeting that China has strongly opposed.

Source ANI

Shimla: Wrestler Dalip Singh Rana, popularly known as ''Khali'' inaugurated an awareness drive about special children organised by the Himachal chapter of Special Olympics here on Tuesday.

The main motive behind the campaign was to spread awareness about the problems faced by the mentally and physically challenged children and also about the Special Olympics.

"This is a signature campaign which will be held all throughout the state where approximately we want some 10,000 signatures of the normal children making them aware of the problems of the disabled and taking a promise from them to support the Special Olympics Movement and also to support these special children wherever they are in their lives," said Mallika Nanda, Chairperson, Special Olympic Himachal.

Hundreds of children assembled at the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla to participate in the special drive solely meant for the differently-abled kids.

Nanda wished that the presence of ''Khali'' would motivate the physically and mentally challenged children and also draw attention to the quadrennial event-held both in summer and winter.

Khali has been entrusted with the responsibility of making the society responsive about the Special Olympics and the problems faced by the special children.

The last Winter Special Olympics was held in the USA in February this year, while the next Summer Special Olympics will be held in Athens, Greece in 2011.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Visiting Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper on Tuesday assured India of full cooperation in tracking down the links of Canada born Lashkar operative Tahawwur Rana.

Rana is suspected as one of the elements behind the Mumbai terror attack.

Addressing the joint press conference after the delegation level talks here Harper said: "We worked very closely with our American friends in this matter. And Prime Minister Singh and I certainly discussed the case and certainly resolved to cooperate closely in exchange of information on these matters."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the two sides have decided to expand the area of cooperation in dealing with the menace of terrorism posing threat to international peace and security.

Singh said a civilian nuclear agreement with Canada was in the offing on the lines of similar pacts New Delhi has inked with the US, Russia and France in the recent past.

"And we look forward to negotiating in the near future a very similar nuclear cooperation deal with Canada," Singh said.

Canada collaborated with India''s civilian nuclear programme until India conducted the first nuclear explosion at Pokhran in 1974.

"We believe Canada-India have a prosperous civilian nuclear future ahead of us. We also have great faith in our Indian friends and partners. We are not living in 1973, we are living in 2009. As Prime Minister Singh said India has quality negotiations with other significant players in the world. And this is notwithstanding the challenges they face, this country, in the neighborhood, which they live,” Harper said.

Calling India a stable and reliable friend of his country the Canadian primer added,  “We have no, certainly no reservation about pursuing this kind of agreement."

The two countries also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on setting up a joint study group to examine possibility of a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement and on Energy with an aim to accelerate cooperation in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Kavita Karkare, the wife of former Maharashtra Anti Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare on Wednesday questioned the state government on why her husband and two other senior officials who were killed on 26/1, did not get reinforcements on time.

 

This is for the first time the slain officer’s family has confirmed that he did not get the back up when it was required.

 

Karkare, along with Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashok Kamte and Inspector Vijay Salaskar were killed by terrorists near Cama Hospital in Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus during the Mumbai siege.

 

Speaking to the media, Kavita said: "I just didn''t know anything in the initial six months, politicians, media people and other people were coming to my place, but I was not aware what exactly was going around. Nobody has ever told me that what exactly happened that day. No senior officers have told me till date what had happened with my husband. I have just gathered information from media people, or read in magazines and newspapers, till date I don''t know the exact facts of that day.”

 

“But when politicians started raising questions saying that he acted in very hasty manner and went for the operation blindly then we started gathering facts about the incident. Then, we came to know when Kamte, Karkare, Salaskar were planning strategy in Cama hospital for 40 minutes. They had asked for help, but they couldn''t get help in those 40 minutes. Why they could not get help in 40 minutes, but nobody is giving me that answer,”she added.

 

Kavita revealed that she was told by some police officials that it would not be possible for her to get to know what exactly happened with her husband during the terror attacks.

 

She also alleged that Hemant Karkare was left injured and unattended for over 40 minutes and not taken to the hospital on time.

 

"My question is that when these people were there in Cama Lane for 40 minutes, why were they not given any help? And, when there bodies were lying, why the bodies of those people were not picked for about 40 minutes,” Kavita questioned.

 

“Today, they are spending millions of rupees to preserve the bodies of the nine militants who launched the attack, just because at international level we have to show that we are showing humanity. But the bodies of martyrs were lying there as it is. What is happening in our country? And when will there be a change,” she added.

 

Earlier last week, Kavita also alleged that her husband''s bulletproof jacket has gone missing.

 

She said when his body was found, the bulletproof jacket was missing and the Right to Information (RTI) application had not yielded any information on its whereabouts.

 

“And, after six months it struck me that his jacket is missing. But I was not in my senses to file RTI application. Now two months back when I filed RTI, I came to know that the jacket is actually missing," Kavita said.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Professor S. D. Muni, India’s self proclaimed Nepal expert talking to a daily in Kathmandu, has refuted media allegations that he is associated with RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), India’s notorious intelligence agency.

“I don’t know what people say or write in Kathmandu. Sometimes they write that I am RAW agent. I’m not accountable to what people write there. I didn’t facilitate any meeting,” said Professor Muni, who is often alleged in Nepal for fueling the Madhesh turmoil.

Muni, who is in Singapore currently, has already met Koirala and Prachanda.

“I only know that Koirala is in Singapore for a treatment and Prachanda is also in town. If you are asking me about political issues, I’m not in a position to say anything because I don’t know anything,” The Nepal Telegraph quoted Professor Muni, as saying.

However, Amresh Kumar Singh, a student of Professor Muni and a former Nepali Congress Parliamentarian, who is also dubbed as a man close to the RAW machinery in Nepal had informed about Professor Muni''s and his impending visit to Singapore a day in advance.

Source ANI

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): A large number of militants are ready to enter the country from various points along the international border and the Line of Control (LoC), security officials claimed here on Tuesday.

There have been infiltration efforts, but the security forces have deterred most of them, said Raman Shrivastava, the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF). 

Infiltration was bound to rise before the snow blocked the mountainous passes, he added.

Shrivastava was speaking on the wreath ceremony of BSF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) O P Tanwar who was killed in a blast in the Ramgarh sector of Samba here on Monday.

"We have inputs from various sources about large number of militants waiting at different points along the entire international border and the Line of Control and different launch pads in Pakistan. The entire borders are alerted; the Army is alerted on the LoC, BSF is also there at the LoC. We are trying to prevent this infiltration because there will be a surge in infiltration before the snow closes the passes for winter. Therefore we know they are going to try, they have tried, and at many places we have repulsed them," said Shrivastava.

India and Pakistan have gone to war twice over the Loc divided Kashmir.

Pakistan has always refused its involvement in backing up the anti-India insurgency that has claimed more than 47,000 lives since 1989.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Amid speculation by the media that Rajnath Singh, the President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), may quit from his post before the completion of his term, Singh said he has no problems about quitting before his tenure, provided the party finds a suitable successor.

Singh whose term as BJP President ends on December 31, told reporters here that he along with his party colleagues would find an early solution.

"There should be efforts that it happens as soon as possible. But I will sit with all my colleagues and hold discussions to reach a consensus," said Singh.

The change of responsibility is a natural thing and it would be done with the consent of the party, he added.

"As far as the question of Bharatiya Janata Party is concerned, change of responsibility is a natural process. As it is, my tenure is getting over and new president has to take over the work. And whenever change of responsibility takes place in BJP it would be done after a consensus and the information will be passed on to you," said Singh.

Singh said that he would abide by the party''s decision and would continue to work for the party''s ideology as a party worker in the coming years.

"As far as question of coming years is concerned we are all workers of the party. We are committed to the ideology of the party and we will continue working for the party''s ideology for our whole life with a firm conviction," said the BJP President.

The name of Nitin Gadkari, the state unit chief of BJP in Maharashtra is cropping up for the post of BJP chief.

Gadkari is said to have the backing of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

It is speculated that he will take over as BJP President in mid-December when BJP goes for elections in all the states.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Bangladesh Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad is visiting New Delhi on Wednesday to hold a preliminary round of energy cooperation talks ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina''s India visit next month.

Azad, who is also accompanied by a delegation, will hold preparatory talks with Indian Power Ministry officials.

Interacting with the media, Azad said the delegation would discuss the modus operandi of importing at least 100 megawatts power from India as offered during the September visit of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni to New Delhi.

Besides, the Bangladesh delegation is expected to hold talks on equity sharing in a power project in Tripura as Dhaka had earlier agreed to offer overland transport facilities through Bangladesh for carrying equipment for the installation.

Azad said the talks with Indian officials would also include the SAARC power grid connectivity and other issues of concern to the people of both countries.

Bangladesh has been reportedly calling for the setting up of a SAARC Grid to facilitate availability of cheap hydropower from Nepal or Bhutan.

The Bangladesh delegation is also likely to discuss future cooperation for human resources and technical development between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and its Indian counterpart state-run power producer.

Setting up of a joint technical team to scrutinize the issue of power inter-connectivity between India and Bangladesh and review the modalities of power purchase on short-term and long-term basis is also likely to figure during the five day talks.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Government on Wednesday announced the Revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards-2009, which provides a legal framework for control of air pollution and protection of public health and any citizen can approach the court demanding better air quality.

The national ambient air quality standards have been revised after a gap of 15 years.

"We have notified the national ambient air quality standards. It brings the ambient air quality standards in India to European levels and in many cases it exceeds the standard prevalent even in the USA," Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, told reporters in New Delhi.

The revision of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, was undertaken by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in consultation with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Ramesh also pointed out that the revised standards for air quality would be same for industrial area and residential areas.

"We have removed the distinction between industrial areas and residential areas. This is very important. So far we had a lower standard in industrial areas as compared to residential areas. Now standards will be uniform irrespective of whether it is classified as industrial area or a residential area," Ramesh said.

The new guidelines have been prepared after considering the norms of the European Union as well as the World Health Organisation.

Source ANI

New Delhi: CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday questioned the UPA Government’s intention on bringing the ordinance on sugarcane pricing on the eve of the Winter Session of the Parliament.

“The fact of the matter is that the ordinance that the government has brought, has also brought on the eve of the Parliament. Both our parties have always said that on the eve of the Parliament do not bring in ordinances. Let the Parliament discuss and legislate,” Yechury told reporters.

“The price that has been fixed in the ordinance is less than what the sugarcane growers are already getting in some parts of the country. So all this could have been discussed in the Parliament," Yechury added.

The sugarcane farmers are now caught in the crossfire between the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the Union Government and the State Advised Price (SAP) mechanism formulated by the Uttar Pradesh state government.

The FRP price is 129.85 rupees per quintal, while the UP government had set the sugarcane SAP at 165 rupees.

Farmers, however, are demanding a price of 280 rupees per quintal of cane.

According to the ordinance, if a state government fixes SAP higher than FRP, it will have to pay the difference.

Yechuri also said that the Cenre and the UP Government should have mutually reached a decision.

"The Central government could have talked to the state governments and together they could have taken the decision, which did not happen," said Yechury.

Parliament withholds its winter session on Thursday.

Source ANI

Mumbai: National Security Guards (NSG) commandoes, who played a pivotal role in rescuing victims during last year''s Mumbai terror attacks, on Wednesday gave their statements in-camera before a special court through video conferencing. .

 

Last month, the trial court had summoned some commandos as witnesses but the Bombay High Court directed that their deposition be kept confidential so as not to give out their strategy and tactics.

 

"NSG commandoes gave their statement in-camera on the order of High Court…since these proceedings are confidential so I will not comment and speak what they (commandoes) said," Chief Public Prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam told reporters in Mumbai.

 

Nikam said that Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, accused to be the sole surviving gunman of the last year''s Mumbai strikes, keeps making flimsy grievances.

 

"Ajmal Kasab has the habit of complaining, last time he told the court that the food given to him in jail is laced with tranquilisers, he also produced a sample of some powder before the court. On his complaint, the court sent the packet for medical examination and the report and the experts have opined that the sample did not contain any tranquiliser," added Nikam.

 

Ten gunmen landed on Mumbai shores by boats at sunset on November 26, 2008 and fired indiscriminately at a busy railway station, a Jewish settlement, restaurant and luxury hotels.

 

Several people were held hostage for the next three days and at least 166 people were killed before NSG commandoes smoked out the last of the terrorists on November 28th.

 

Pakistan has acknowledged that the Mumbai attack was plotted and partly launched from its soil and has put on trial seven suspects, though the key suspects like Hafiz Sayeed despite being in Pakistan have not been brought to justice for the Mumbai attack.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet, running into 73 pages, in a local court against Raj Thackeray, Chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and 20 others for causing riots and assaulting north Indian students appearing for a Railway Recruitment examination here in 2008. .

 

Raj Thackeray and other accused have reportedly been given a copy of the chargesheet through their lawyer Sayaji Nangre.

 

Charges have been made against the accused persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) such as 142 (unlawful assembly), 144 (joining unlawful assembly with deadly weapons), 145 (joining unlawful assembly knowing it has been commanded to disperse), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on various grounds and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153(B) (Imputations prejudicial to National Integration), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

 

The incident occurred when MNS’ agitation against the Railway''''s policy to issue advertisements in newspapers in north India to attract candidates from that region instead of giving priority to the local people.

Source ANI

Jaipur: The 17th century world famous Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is undergoing a 4.5 million-rupee refurbishment job.

The historic monument is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II.

At 27 metres, an instrument known as the Samrat Yantra is the world''s largest sundial.

The renovation is being carried out for the second time after the first one carried out in 1901.

“The sun sign instrument was last renovated in 1901. This is the second time, the restoration work is being carried out. The mixture for construction work is prepared in the same traditional way maintaining the precision and the accuracy,” said Pandit O P Sharma, Superintendent of Jantar Mantar.

The renovation is carried out very precisely taking care of the ingredients, which were used 108 years ago.

"The renovation is carried out similar to that of the traditional way where lime and tiny rocks are used as a mixture for construction purposes. Accuracy of instruments is also being taken care of," Sharma said.

The 4.5 million-rupee renovation project is getting public appreciation as well.

"This is very good. It is very important heritage building. It should be fully renovated, so that our future generation will also be able to see it," said Ramesh, a visitor.

"Because we have come from the United States and there is nothing like this to visit there. These monument are different, unusual," said Seema from the U.S.

The observatory consists of 14 major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars'' location, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes.

Each is a fixed and ''focused'' tool.

Built from local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining.

The Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948

Source ANI

New Delhi: As the U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday expressed their support for improvement in India-Pakistan ties and their readiness to promote peace and stability in the South Asia region, India on Wednesday stressed on resolving all pending issues with Pakistan bilaterally.

 

“Government of India is committed to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through a peaceful bilateral dialogue in accordance with the Simla Agreement. A third country role cannot be envisaged nor is it necessary,” said Ministry of External Affairs official spokesman in reply to a query on US-China Joint Statement made on Nov.17:

 

India reiterated that a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan could take place in an environment, which is free from terror threat.

 

“We also believe that a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan can take place only in an environment free from terror or the threat of terror,” the MEA spokesperson added.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday issued guidelines for various aircraft operations during low visibility conditions at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. 

 

The DGCA has given detail about action required to be taken by various agencies at airport like aerodrome operator, airlines, Air Traffic management, Meteorological department.

 

The guidelines are revised by DGCA from time to time on the feedback and previous experience for making them safe and convenient for handling the situation arising due to the fog at IGI Airport. 

 

Preparedness of all agencies like India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL), Airport Authority of India (AAI) and airlines were reviewed with regard to forthcoming fog season and existing guidelines in the  DGCA  office on November 16, 2009.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Civil Aviation Ministry’s National Bird Control Committee (NBCC) has met here and addressed the serious safety issue of bird strike which result in aircraft accidents.

 

Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary, M.M. Nambiar chaired the meeting.

 

The meeting reviewed the action taken by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on directions issued by the NBCC.

 

The meeting asked the state government to direct the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner or Head of the District in the Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) along with local civic bodies and police.

 

The meeting recommended amendments to certain sections of the Aircraft Rules to allow for imposing of fine a Rs.100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding  three months or both for the offence of leaving any animal, object or bird in the movement area of an aerodrome.

 

Equipments and methods used at various airports both public and private for bird strike prevention being reviewed by the DGCA.

 

The meeting made online system of bird strike reporting by airline operators has been made mandatory and asked the DGCA to put it on its website so that pilots have been instructed to follow correct bird strike reporting procedure.

 

The incidents of bird strikes have been increasing one hundred and sixty seven bird strikes were reported in 2006, in 2007, 217 and in 2008, 304. 

 

This year till October 241 bird strikes have been reported to the DGCA.  In 2008, till October, there were 277 bird strike cases reported.

 

 This year, till October, Air India has reported 24 bird strikes, Jet Airways- 49, Kingfisher Airlines-60, Indigo-27, Spice Jet-30, Paramount-1, Go Airways-7, 34 by the International airlines and 6 by other kinds of aircrafts.

 

The financial loss suffered by airlines this year because of bird strike are Jet Airways-8.91 lakhs, Indigo-87 lakhs, Spice Jet-557 lakhs, Go Air-45.6 lakhs.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The National Integration Week will be observed in India  from Thursday.

 

The National Integration Week is observed from November 19-25 every year to foster and re-inforce the spirit of communal harmony, national integration and pride in India’s vibrant composite culture and nationhood.

 

The occasion provides an opportunity to reaffirm age old traditions and faith in the values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

 

The week would begin with National Integration Pledge.

 

National integration, welfare of minorities, linguistic harmony, weaker sections, cultural unity, women’s issues and conservation are the themes for the Week. Activities related to a specific theme would be under focus on each day.

 

The Union Home Ministry has decided to take all possible measures for dissemination and reaffirmation of these values among all sections of the society in view of recent developments in various parts of the country.

 

The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has written to different ministries under Central Government to organize the  programmes and events befitting the occasion.

 

The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (HFCH), an autonomous organization with the Home Ministry also organizes communal harmony campaign during the week.

 

The observation of the National Integration Week would  also help to highlight the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand actual, and potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric of our country, and nurture a spirit of communal harmony in its widest sense.

Source ANI

Ballabhgarh (Haryana): A notorious poacher Bheema, was arrested in a joint operation late on Tuesday evening near Ballabhgarh in Haryana.

 

Bheema was wanted by several central and state agencies in connection with a tiger poaching racket prevailing in the country.

 

He was apprehended in a joint operation led by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Gurgaon Police and other agencies.

 

Bheema was absconding since July 2008, and was subsequently declared a proclaimed offender.

 

The joint operation team also recovered tiger bones, body parts, several traps and implements from his Gurgaon house.

 

He is also suspected to have been involved in the killing of several tigers and leopards in north India and had links to middlemen and illegal wildlife traders.

 

His arrest is expected to provide vital clues on organized poaching networks in the country.

Source ANI

New Delhi: It''s been more than a year since the sealing of the 123 agreement between India and the United States, but nuclear commerce between the two countries is yet to become a reality.

The United States has expressed optimism over the commencement of civil nuclear commerce with India, and admits that there is a technical roadblock pertaining to liability, licensing and reprocessing.

United States Ambassador Timothy J Roamer said on Wednesday: "We are pushing hard and are  optimistic that issues like civil liability legislation and licensing of US nuclear companies and reprocessing will be resolved soon."

US companies like GE, Westinghouse and others have been asking India to introduce civil liability legislation, which will provide insurance to any kind of losses to their commercial nuclear business interest in India.
 
The liability legislation is expected to be ratified by the Indian parliament soon.

Both countries also have to zero down on the procedures of reprocessing of spent fuel in a dedicated facility under international safeguard.

According to sources  Officials have  stepped up  efforts to bridge the gap over the reprocessing deal that will enable India to use the spent fuel in a dedicated national facility and final touches are given to the agreement which is likely to be inked between the Indian Prime Minister and the US president in Washington next week.

Roemer said the Indo-US deal brought a lot of trust and confidence into the bilateral relationship and described it as "a win-win situation" for both countries.

India has already signed Nuclear agreements with six countries, including Russia, France , Kazakhstan and Namibia and an agreement on civil nuclear commerce  with Canada is imminent.

Ironically, the  US which has played a key role in bringing an end to India''s nuclear isolation has left behind the commercial aspect due to technicalities. But there is widespread optimism in New Delhi and Washington that next week''s meeting could end this deadlock.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh visited the steel pavilion at the IITF-2009 today.

Those who have put up stalls in the ‘Steel Pavilion’ include Public Sector Undertakings SAIL, RINL, NMDC, MOIL, MECON Ltd, KIOCL, HSCL, MSTC and FSNL as well major private secto steel producers like TATA Steel, ESSAR and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, and organisations under the Ministry like Joint Plant Committee (JPC), UNDP/GEF Project (Steel) and Institute for Steel Development and Growth (INSDAG).

Speaking on the occasion, Singh explained how several initiatives have resulted in the harmonisation of policies in respect of production, pricing, distribution, import and export of iron and  steel, ferro alloys and refractories.

He also elaborated on the steps being taken for promoting the inflow of speedy investments in the steel sector, fast-tracking clearances of projects and strengthening the delivery chain, particularly in rural areas.

The minister said that despite soaring input prices, fluctuating market and the world economy in a state of flux, the Indian steel sector has remained buoyant

The various timely measures taken by the Government has helped the steel industry bounce back from the shadow of economic slowdown, he added.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, Pawan Kumar Bansal, said today that the Winter Session of Parliament would commence from Thursday and subject to exigencies of Government business, the session will conclude on December 21, 2009. 

He told mediapersons here that the session will provide 23 sittings spread over 33 days.

He said the session will be devoted to essential government legislative and other business,including financial business relating to Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2009-10 in respect of Railway, General Budgets and State Budget in respect of Jharkhand.

Before making the announcement, Bansal held a meeting with Secretaries/Senior Officers of various Ministries/Departments on November 16. Ministers of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs co-chaired the meeting. 

In all, 89 items were identified for discussion during the Winter Session of Parliament.

Source ANI