News and Events - September/October/November/December- 2009

[dineshchaturvedi]

Arrested hoax caller delays flight; now to face court
Arrested hoax caller delays flight; now to face court
New Delhi: The scare that 25-year-old Abhishek Gupta, a software engineer with a tech giant, allegedly created aboard the Go Air flight on Sunday morning in New Delhi was certainly not worth the end out-come.

Gupta, the alleged crank caller, was running late for his Go Air flight G8 201 from Delhi to Bangalore. The flight was scheduled to depart at o845 hrs IST on Sunday from Delhi airport.

From aboard the Gorakhdham Express that travels from Lucknow and was running late, Gupta allegedly made three calls to the Go Air headquarters, asking them to reschedule his tickets. When that failed, he made another call at 0805 hrs IST, this time to the commercial manager of the airline.

The Joint CP (operations) of Delhi police, Satyendra Garg said, "He hit upon the idea and made a call that there is a suspicious object on the airliner. His idea was obviously to delay the flight till the time that he though his train would reach the Delhi station and he could reach the airport."

After receiving the warning call, the commercial manager of Go Air contacted the Bureau of Civil Avaition Security in Delhi. The Bureau in turn asked the bomb threat assessment team to carry out a security check. All 150 passengers were asked to disembark and a thorough screening of the luggage and flight was conducted.

No threat was detected. Abhishek, meanwhile made it to the ticketing counter by by 0920 hrs IST, only to be detained by the airport authorities. He was then arrested by the Delhi Police. As Abhishek was being interrogated, the flight finally took off for Bangalore at 1230 hrs IST.

For the passengers on board though, it was an ordeal they could have done without.

Arriving at Bangalore airport, one of the hassled passengers said, "It was an ordeal.It was a very long wait and not a pleasant experience at all."

"You lose a whole day. It is inconvenient," complained another.

"They just asked us to get out of the flight and then again we were asked to board the plane," another narrated.

Abhishek will be produced in court on Monday morning.

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We have people like these in our country

 

[Pintu]

NRI on the run from Britain arrested in Goa resort- ET Cetera-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

NRI on the run from Britain arrested in Goa resort
27 Oct 2009, 1133 hrs IST, IANS

PANAJI: A non resident Indian (NRI) who is wanted in Britain for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a businessman has been held here.

Deputy superintendent of police Umesh Gaonkar said that Ajay Kaushal, 50, was arrested under section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) after the police contacted their counterparts in Britain and confirmed his identity.

"We found Kaushal's identification documents on him, which helped us confirm his identity and corroborate it with Lancashire police," Gaonkar said, adding that Kaushal would be handed over to the British police on their arrival.

Kaushal's arrest was accidental. His companion, a 39-year-old Briton William Scott, was found dead in a hotel room in the resort village of Colva, 40 km from here. The hotel authorities had reported Scott's death to the police, and the authorities were alerted to Kaushal's identity while investigating that death.

Kaushal is listed on the Lancashire police website as a wanted man.

Kaushal, who used to live in the Stretford area in Manchester, is accused of kidnapping a British businessman at Burnley some six years ago. According to Lancashire police, the businessman was later beaten up, and then released on payment of a 100,000 pound ransom.

Kaushal was booked but failed to appear before the Preston Crown court, where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. "We do believe that he has fled the country," said a missing persons website based in Britain.

 

[Pintu]

Nellore docs booked for botched eye surgery - Hyderabad - City - The Times of India

Nellore docs booked for botched eye surgery
TNN 27 October 2009, 06:42am IST

NELLORE: The Nellore district administration on Monday registered a case of negligence against the Bollineni Global Eye Foundation Hospital after doctors of the foundation botched the cataract operations last week which came to light on Saturday.

While eyeballs of four patients were removed on Oct 23, that of a fifth patient were taken out on Monday. Six of the total 34 patients who underwent cataract operation are in a critical condition at Sankar Netralaya in Chennai.
Nellore SP B Malla Reddy told TOI that a case of negligence was registered against the hospital management and the doctors who performed the operation.

“At this stage, we have booked a case of negligence under Section 338 of the Indian Penal Code (causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers human life) against the foundation and the doctors. Investigation to pinpoint the accused will begin shortly,” the SP said.

But being booked for negligence, the accused can get away lightly as the punishment is a mere two years’ imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both.
“After investigations, if the situation warrants, we can slap more serious cases against the offenders,” the SP added.

The case of negligence was registered after the state government on Monday morning directed Nellore collector K Ramgopal to suo motu take action against the foundation and its doctors.

 

[RAM]

Train from Jammu to Varanasi

Wanpoh (Anantnag), October 28
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the examination for recruitments in the Railways would now be a one-day affair across the country.

She was addressing a gathering on the occasion of inauguration of the 19-km Anantnag-Qazigund railway line by the Prime Minister in presence of UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in south Kashmir here.

She said the examination would also be held in Urdu. She also announced concessions for students undertaking rail travel in Kashmir and sops for minority women and economically backward classes.

On the question of recruiting a member from each of the families whose land has been acquired for the rail project, she said 375 cases had already been screened while the process was on in respect of the remaining families.

She also announced to launch a new train service between Jammu and Varanasi. The railway station at Jammu Tawi would be made multi-functional, she added.

Responding to Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah’s demand, she said the work on railway lines from Jammu to Poonch, Ramban to Doda and Baramulla to Kupwara was already on.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the importance of railway in the economic development of the state. “We are eagerly waiting for the day when the valley will get linked with Jammu and the rest of the country through rail link,” he said. He asked for connecting Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and other areas of the state through rail link.

With the inauguration of the 18.359-km rail link between Anatnag and Qazigund, the 119-km railway line from Qazigund to Baramulla has become operative. The project has been completed at an expenditure of about Rs 3,250 crore.

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

 

[RAM]

Indian-made Ecuadoran chopper crashes during military parade


Quito: An Indian-made Dhruv helicopter crashed here during a military parade injuring its two pilots and prompting authorities to ground another six recently purchased Dhruv choppers.

The helicopter was flying in formation with two other choppers over an air force base near Quito when it suddenly veered off course and slammed to the ground, witnesses said.

"The two crew members managed to get out by their own means and were taken to hospital. Their condition is apparently good," air force general Leonardo Barreiro told reporters.

He said the chopper was destroyed in the accident, which is under investigation. The crew members were both trained in India.

The remaining six Dhruv helicopter bought from India six months ago for $45 million "have been grounded for the moment until the investigation is finished," the presidential office said in a statement.

The helicopters include one used by president Rafael Correa.

Indian-made Ecuadoran chopper crashes during military parade - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

Dhruv helicopter crash; HAL team in Ecuador

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 17:42 IST Email


New Delhi: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has asked its team in Ecuador to look into the reasons behind the crash of a Dhruv helicopter during a military parade in Quito today in which two pilots were injured.

"Our team is stationed in Ecuador to support their Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) fleet and it is looking into the reasons behind the crash," HAL spokesperson Anantha Krishnan said over phone from Bengaluru.

"We don't have any further details of the incident," he added.

After the crash, Ecuadorian authorities grounded their fleet of the remaining six ALHs, a report from Ecuador said.

The chopper was destroyed in the accident and the crew members, who had trained in India, were injured, it added.

An ALH helicopter crashed before the start of the Aero India exhibition in 2007, killingpilot.

Ecuador had procured seven ALHs from India and one of them was being used in their Presidential fleet also.

In 2005, Indian armed forces had grounded the ALH fleet after one of the choppers made a forced landing due to problems in its tail rotors.

Dhruv helicopter crash; HAL team in Ecuador - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

Gandhi memorabilia: khadi cloth, communal tensions and humour

London: A selection of letters written and received by Mahatma Gandhi, and a piece of khadi spun by him and signed by, besides the Mahatma himself, Sarojini Naidu and Gandhiji’s private secretary Pyare Lal, were among the memorabilia presented on Wednesday to President Pratibha Patil by Curry King Sir Ghulam Noon and NRI entrepreneur Nathu Ram Puri.

The letters were sold by the London auction house Sotheby’s on July 14, 2009 for a total of £ 17,500, and Ms. Patil received them at a simple function in the Indian High Commission here. In a voice choked with emotion, Mr. Puri said he felt privileged to have been able to secure the letters.

The items were sold in three lots. Included in the first were three autographed letters to Maulana Abdul Bari (1878-1926), an Islamic scholar, leading figure in the Khilafat movement and close friend of the Mahatma. The purple-bordered khadi cloth, signed by the Mahatma in Gujarati, came in the second lot. The khadi piece was a gift from Gandhiji to South-African born actor Moira Lister, and was sold at an estimated price of £ 2,000-2,500. The third lot contained two autographed postcards addressed to Urdu poet Hamidullah Afsar.

The letters to Maulana Bari reflect the tensions of the time, and contain many references to Hindu-Muslim relations. In one of the letters, the Mahatma expresses gratitude for the gift of cotton for spinning. In a second letter, he thanks Maulana Bari for his mohabbat bhari khat (letter of overflowing love) and hopes the two can continue to have open and frank conversations in the future. The Mahatma speaks of hosting Khilafat leaders, Ali brothers (Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali Jauhar), and says the three of them spent a lot of time discussing Hindu-Muslim relations.

Most of the letters are in Urdu, and in one of them, the Mahatma, in characteristic wry humour, chides Hamidullah Afsar for writing an unstamped letter. “Hamidullah Saheb, I got your letter, but I do not reply to unstamped letters,” the Mahatma says, obviously irked that he had to bear the cost of the unstamped letter. This is the third time Sir Ghulam and Mr. Puri have bought Gandhi letters at an auction. Fifteen years ago, Sir Ghulam, in partnership with Lord Raj Kumar Bagri, bought another set of letters for £ 14,000. In 1998, Sir Ghulam and Mr. Puri bought some more Gandhi letters at a Sotheby’s auction for £ 21,000. These letters are in the National Archives, where the third set is also expected to be lodged.

In her speech, Ms. Patil described Gandhiji as more than an individual; his spirit cut across the world and crossed the seas and the mountains. She said his leadership and vision had inspired world leaders from Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela, and his message of Ahimsa moved the United Nations to declare October 2 a day of non-violence.

Later speaking to the press, Sir Ghulam said it did not matter that the Indian government had not exerted itself to acquire the Gandhi letters. “It does not matter who bought them. I am thankful for having got the opportunity to do my bit to keep his memory alive.”

The Hindu : Front Page : Gandhi memorabilia: khadi cloth, communal tensions and humour

 

[badguy2000]

One 20-floored Building Being Demolished Forcibly in China

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One 20-floored building is being demolished Forcibly in Wuhan city,China,because it defys the city's landscaping plan.

UPA(the urban planing administration) of Wuhan city expessed the reason:

"According to the approved permission of the building plan,the building should be only 12-floored ,but the owner obvioulsy defys the authorities and disobeys the urban landscaping plan."
"If all people were to disobey urban planning as that , then our city would be as messed as african cities. We can not let they go their way! it is time to show our determination!"

The owner also acknowledged that they disobeys the approved urban planning ,but they didn't expect that the authorities would go sooo far. He said:

" We have been ready to pay fines for the disobey since the start . We don't think that it is so rude just to demolish such a big buildings."

Some people questiion why the authorities has not demolish the building until the building has grown 20-floored.

The authorities explained:" We found they disobeyed the urban planning when the buildings was 13 floored----the building has the approval of 12 floors. We noticed the owner not to go on at once. but the owner rejected our appeal and go on."
"As we know , it is very fast to build constructions now. 3 floors usually can be finished in one week in CHina"

 

[RAM]

'US scientist tried to sell secrets to Israel for $2 millon'


Washington: A detained US scientist, who played a key role in India's 'Chandrayaan' mission in finding evidence of water on the Moon, had sought to sell top US secrets to Israel for a sum of $2 million, federal prosecutors have charged.

Stewart D Nozette, 52, a Nasa scientist and Maryland resident, was taken into custody by FBI last week on charges of espionage for Israel.

He had served 16 years in sensitive positions in various wings of the federal government, including the White House, Nasa and Energy Department and assisted in the development of the Clementine bi-static radar experiment which purportedly discovered water ice on the south pole of the Moon.

According to the grand jury indictment, the information which Nozette tried to provide to Israel included directly concerned satellites, early warning systems, means of defence or retaliation against large-scale attack, communications intelligence information and major defence strategy elements.

Federal prosecutors charged that Nozette had sought to sell the top US secrets for $2 million.

The Washington Post, in a recent report, claimed that Nozette had threatened to sell secretes to Israel or India, if authorities tried to put him behind bar in a fraud case against him, in which he had pleaded guilty early this year.

However there is no mention to India in any of the affidavits or indictments, expect for direct mentioning of Israel, and an unnamed 'Country A'.

'US scientist tried to sell secrets to Israel for $2 millon' - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

6.0 magnitude quake hits Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A 6.0 magnitude earthquake jolted several parts of Pakistan, including capital Islamabad and Lahore, late tonight, but there were no
immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The tremors were felt in several Pakistani cities at 11: 44 pm (local time) and continued for over 30 seconds causing panic among the people, TV channels reported.

The quakes epicentre was located in Hindu Kush mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The US Geological Survey put the quake at 6.0 and said that its epicentre was located 131 kilometres northwest of Pakistani town of Chitral at a depth of 202 kilometres.

Tremors were also felt in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Swat, Abbotabda and other areas. TV channels said tremors were felt in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir

6.0 magnitude quake hits Pakistan - Pakistan - World - The Times of India

 

[RAM]

AK Antony seeks report on army land scam


New Delhi: Defence minister AK Antony has called for a comprehensive report on the effort by an obscure education trust, with tacit support of some senior army officers, to pocket at least two major chunks of land under army control, or requiring its clearance.

DNA had reported on Thursday how the same trust, floated by three Kolkata-based companies , had tried to obtain the land -- one in Bengal measuring about 50 acres, and another in Uttaranchal measuring about 70 acres -- and how army officers manipulated documents to favour them.

In the first case, documents were forged at the 33 Corps headquarters in Sukna in West Bengal to give the trust the necessary security clearance. This piece of land is just outside the helipad of the critical corps that looks after most parts of the China border in the northeast. The land, belonging to the West Bengal government, requires army clearance for any activity.

Lt general PK Rath, chief of the 33 Corps who was to take over as the next deputy chief of army staff in Delhi from November 1, has now been attached to the Kolkata-based eastern army command for an inquiry. In Haldwani, Uttarakhand, at the Kumaon Regimental Centre, senior officers are under the scanner for a similar move. In both the cases, the trust was supposed to start a franchise of Ajmer's famed Mayo College, but the latter told army authorities that they had not authorised any trust.

Antony's order comes in the light of the fact that the trust could not have carried out such a operation without support from some sections of the army top brass, especially since it enjoyed strong support from senior officers at locations.


AK Antony seeks report on army land scam - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

Dalits enter TN temple first time in 100 yrs

Dalits enter TN temple first time in 100 yrs

NAGAPATTINAM: For the first time in a hundred years, dalits of Chettipulam village stepped inside the local Shiva temple on Tuesday, in a historic
moment brought about by government and political intervention.

Escorted by revenue and police officers, nearly 70 dalits of the village situated near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district entered the century-old Kamatchi Amman Sametha Ekambareswarar Temple at around 11 am and offered prayers for 25 minutes. Dressed in their best, women had brought flowers and other offerings. A group of non-dalits, including panchayat president V Manimaran, also accompanied the dalits. District collector C Munianathan himself distributed prasadam' to the dalits after the prayers.

"It is a historic day for us. For decades, we were barred from entering the temple. All we could do for generations was to stand 10 feet away from the temple entrance and offer prayers," said Nandan alias N Natarajan, a dalit labourer. He and other dalits were greeted by non-dalits inside the temple.

The dalits here had earlier made three attempts to enter the temple. On September 30, they found it locked. The next day they were arrested when they tried to break the lock. On October 14, when Nagapattinam revenue divisional officer Rajendran led the dalits towards the temple, violence broke out as non-dalits started pelting stones. Police fired warning shots in the air and resorted to a lathicharge. The CPI(M), spearheading the agitation, had warned of another attempt on November 2 if the government failed to ensure entry of the dalits into the temple by October 30.

A tripartite meeting involving non-dalits, dalits and government officials was held on Monday. It was decided there that the dalits would be taken into the temple on Tuesday.

A large of posse of police personnel was deployed in the village. On Tuesday morning, a police vehicle picked up dalits from their doorsteps and took them to the temple. Once everybody gathered in front of the temple, the collector ushered them in. Thanjavur range DIG Abhay Kumar Singh and SPs of Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur were also present.

"The dalits need not worry about their safety in the village. They can enter the temple and offer prayers without fear. The district administration will ensure that they are not stopped from entering the temple," said Munianathan. Police would be stationed in the village for a few more days, he said.

Meanwhile in Chennai, the CPI(M) took out a rally to highlight the rights of dalits and tribals. Later, they met chief minister M Karunanidhi

Dalits enter TN temple first time in 100 yrs - India - The Times of India

 

[RAM]

India high on radar of cyber criminals
survey by the software major Symantec Corporation has ranked India to be amongst the first countries in the Asia Pacific Japan region in terms of worms and virus attacks on computers. With growing instances of cyber crimes, Ratnamala Dam Manna, director (security technology and response) at Symantec tells DNA as to where India stands in terms of cyber security threats.

Q: Where does India figure in terms of such attacks?
A:According to our report, India saw a substantial increase in its proportion of malicious activity in almost every category. India had the fifth highest number of broadband subscribers in the Asia Pacific Japan region in 2008 and the third highest volume of malicious activity, with 10% of the regional total. In fact, India is high on the radar of cyber criminals in almost every type of attack, including spam, phishing, worms and viruses.The ISTR XIV ranked India first on the worms and viruses attacks prevalence chart in the APJ region. India is also becoming a significant region from where spam originates.

Q: How much of these attacks are happening out of India?
A: Over the past year, Symantec observed a 192% increase in spam detected across the Internet, from 119.6 billion messages in 2007 to 349.6 billion in 2008. India continues to figure among the top countries of spam origin. India ranked third on this list in September.

Q: Any reason for the increase in attacks on India?
A: Growing Internet infrastructure, a burgeoning broadband population and rampant software piracy have made India a top target for attackers. With Indians increasingly going online and making confidential transactions, often unaware of the dangers, users here could be sitting ducks for malware authors.

'India high on radar of cyber criminals' - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

Free for all: Russians don’t need visa in Goa

PANJIM: Right under the eyes of the Goan authorities — in fact, with the active assistance of its immigration authorities — the country's security appears to have been seriously compromised in the guise of tourism-friendly visa procedures.

Immigration authorities are handing out visa on arrival virtually every day to foreign tourists, although India — unlike Thailand or Indonesia — does not extend the facility, barring in ``emergent situations'' like death or illness in family, as set down by the norms of the Bureau of Immigration.

But this provision for visa due to human tragedy or emergency has become the norm in Goa. Check out these figures. In 2000, only 28 ``temporary landing facility'' (TLF) — as these 15-day visas are called — were granted. In just eight months between October 2007 and May 2008, 1,960 TLFs were issued — in other words, on an average, eight TLFs a day.

What's more interesting is that 90% of the TLFs, say sources, have been issued to Russians for whom Goa has emerged as a favoured destination. It's said that chartered plane-loads come from Russia without visa, and they are being granted entry without due verification or background check. (For more details, see `Sun, Sand, Subversion?' on Page 2 of today's TOI-Crest edition).

The trend has got the Union home ministry worried. A top official told TOI, ``The number of TLFs are disproportionately high in Goa. It has serious security implications. We will look into it.'' The ministry is also worried that many Russian groups have shady links, especially with drug dealers, and can be penetrated by terror groups.

Giving reason for the large number of TLFs, Goa SP (immigration) Tony Fernandes said Indian visas can be obtained from the embassy in Moscow or consulates in St Petersburg and Vladivostok. ``There are many Russians who stay far from these places and find it difficult to travel to the embassy or consulates there. So we get requests from tour operators to give TLFs for tourists from far off places,'' he said.

That's not a satisfactory explanation for other security agencies that are alarmed by this phenomenon of Russians and Ukrainians bypassing regulatory background checks before being allowed in. The local police has sounded an alert that Russian mafia may be using this route to get into India.

As per rules, any person coming on a charter aircraft to India needs a valid visa before taking off from his home country and must return by the same aircraft. But the Goan authorities fear a substantial number of people coming on TLFs may be staying back clandestinely and possibly joining the thriving local sex and drug industry.

The concern among Goan authorities is only recent. Last month, Goa SSP (security) V V Chaudhary sent an internal circular that said that the practice of ``granting of visa on arrival...should be discontinued.'' The Indian ambassador to Russia P P Shukla wrote in a despatch to Delhi on January 15, 2009, that ``misuse of such a discretionary facility, needless to say, could be a matter of serious concern from security angle.''

In other words, there has been worry on this count, but no action yet.


Free for all: Russians don?t need visa in Goa - India - The Times of India

 

[RPK]

Hoax bomb call at HAL airport

fullstory


Bangalore, Nov 4 (PTI) A bomb call received at the old HAL airport turned out to be a "hoax" today, police said.

The call, received at the HAL airport police station late in the afternoon, was traced to a public phone booth near HAL staff quarters. After a thorough search of the area, it was proved a hoax, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East Division) B N S Reddy said.

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/364549_30-dead-in-HP-bus-mishap

30 dead in HP bus mishap

STAFF WRITER 14:48 HRS IST

Dharamsala, Nov 6 (PTI) At least 30 passengers were killed and as many injured when an over-crowded bus rolled down into a gorge near Haripur in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district today.

The accident took place around 10 am when the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a turn and the bus fell into the 100-feet deep gorge from a road bridge on Baner Khud.

The bus, on way to Dehra from Nagrota Suriyan in the district, had hardly travelled half-a-km from the Guler railway station when the mishap took place.

The injured have been sent to Dr Rajendra Prasad government Medical College Tanda, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dehra, Rakesh Sharma told PTI from the accident site, about 45 km from here.

Six of the injured area in a critical condition.

Thirty bodies have been found. The dead included the conductor of the bus.

 

[RAM]

Manmohan meets Advani over lunch, China on menu

New Delhi: Six months ago, prime minister Manmohan Singh and the leader of the opposition were barely on talking terms. Now, they are breaking bread together. On November 7, a day before LK Advani's 83rd birthday, Singh invited him over for lunch at his Race Course Road residence for consultations on China.

What Singh failed to do politically in the first five years of the UPA regime -- ie consult the opposition and take it into confidence on important issues -- he has begun doing in his second innings as prime minister. One of the BJP's main gripes in the past has been that the government didn't consult it on major issues.

The meeting is significant in the context of the rising mistrust in the India-China relationship. Since the BJP has taken a strong stand on China's efforts to ratchet up the Arunachal issue, it made sense for Singh to take the party's top leadership into confidence.

Given the BJP's leadership vacuum, Advani took two other party leaders to the luncheon, where they were briefed by national security advisor MK Narayanan. Relations between Singh and Advani were extremely strained during the UPA's first tenure, with the latter labelling Singh as the country's weakest prime minister. Singh retaliated by saying that Advani's only contribution to public life had been the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Their relationship touched a new low during the last Lok Sabha elections when both sides indulged in no-holds-barred attacks against eachother. But soon after the Congress won the elections, both apologised to each other and since then there has been a distinct thaw in the relationship. The first signs of the ice having melted appeared when Singh took the initiative of inviting Advani for his iftaar party last September. Singh's initiative appears to have had the approval of his party's leadership. If it is sustained, it will mark the revival of the age-old practice of increasing interactions between the government and the opposition on all issues of national importance.

Manmohan meets Advani over lunch, China on menu - dnaindia.com

 

[RAM]

Centre to modernise armed forces: Pallam Raju

The government is spending 40 per cent of its defence allocation for modernisation of armed forces, Union Minister of State for Defence, MM Pallam Raju, said on Tuesday.

The government has taken steps to modernise Army, Navy and Air Force to meet challenges, he told reporters here.

Thirty nine ordinance units, three shipyards and eight public sector undertakings in defence sector will be modernised and fire control system improved.

Bramhos missile's naval and land version are ready. We are taking steps to develop aircraft version, he said adding, "instead of transferring the new methods from one country (Russia) to another, we can achieve good results if both the nations (India and Russia) cooperate with each other to produce weapons."

The Centre is strengthening intelligence agencies in view of threats, he said.

Centre to modernise armed forces: Pallam Raju- Hindustan Times

 

[RAM]

30,000 personnel to ensure free poll in Jharkhand


In the wake of a boycott call by the Maoists and the banned outfit’s statements threatening to target the Congress party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha during the polls, the Centre on Monday said that over 300 companies (30,000) of paramilitary personnel would be placed at the disposal of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair Assembly election in Jharkhand.

The deployment of the Central Para-Military Force for the polls is over and above the deployment of 11 battalions (11,000 personnel) for anti-Maoist operations in the State, official sources said.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs would like to assure all voters in Jharkhand that they should have no concerns about their security and they will be able to exercise their franchise freely and fearlessly,” a Union Home Ministry spokesperson said.

The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) has given a call to boycott elections to the State Legislature in Jharkhand. The Maoists are opposed to parliamentary democracy.

In a recently issued statement, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) said, “We think that the trend of boycott will grow stronger as the revolutionary movement grows stronger, the organs of people’s revolutionary power come into being in vast tracts of the country, the armed strength of the people grows and the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) makes impressive gains and wins decisive victories in some areas.”

In its bid to impress upon the frontal organisations and NGOs supporting the Maoists’ cause, a Ministry statement said, “The Ministry of Home Affairs would like to draw attention to such statements and to ask all those who believe in democracy and a republican form of Government to ponder over the implications of these statements and threats.”

Mallojulla Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji has, in a recent interview, stated that the Congress and JMM would be ‘targeted’ during the elections. Similarly, Samar Jee alias Anmol, Secretary, South Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee has, through a Press release, warned that those who participate in the election process would be ‘punished’ by Maoists.

The Pioneer > Online Edition : >> 30000 personnel to ensure free poll in Jharkhand

 

[RAM]

Prez gets special briefing for her Sukhoi flight


New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) President Partibha Patil, who plans to create history by becoming the first woman to fly in an Indian Air Force fighter jet on November 25, is looking forward to the "experience of an air combat aircraft" and has already undergone a special briefing on it.

Official sources said a special audio-visual briefing was held for the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan recently in which she was told how to get into the SU-30 MKI air superiority fighter jet, how to alight and what instruments to touch.

They said 74-year-old Patil will wear a special anti-gravity suit called G-Suit, which helps in withstanding high gravitational pressure during such flights.

The President was briefed by four Air Force officers, including the pilot and the back up pilot for the aircraft, on which Patil will take a sortie from the Lohegaon air base at Pune.

fullstory