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

STUdenT aGe
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013

JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 31

RTE does not apply to nursery admission: Tharoor

Page 6

UPA regime okays weak anti-corruption Bill

Editorial

Malala's name submitted for Nobel Peace prize 2013

Page 7

IN BRIEF
Pak teen activist Malala Yousufzai nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
NEW DELHI: Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl-turned-icon of Taliban resistance who was shot at has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Fifteen-year-old Malala was targeted for promoting girls' education. Malala was shot by Tehreek-e-Taliban gunmen contd on page 2

Cabinet approval of ordinance on tough rape law draws mixed response

NEW DELHI, FEB 2: In its effort to make the country safer for women in the wake of the Delhi gang-rape case, the Cabinet on Friday approved an ordinance amending the existing criminal laws. Sources said, backed by public outcry to hang the gang-rape accused, the Cabinet also approved death penalty in the rarest of rare rape cases causing death or persistent vegetative state. The ordinance will make the existing laws more relevant and stringent for checking crime against women by including acid attacks, trafficking, sexual harassment at work places and stalking under the sexual assault law, while it red flagged marital rape. According to a source, President Pranab Mukherjee will soon sign the ordinance, which reflects the recommendation of the Justice J S Verma committee report. "Ordinance approved by the Cabinet replaced the word 'rape' by the technical term 'sexual assault' and included stalking, acid attacks and use of criminal force under the relevant sections of the law. The Cabinet discussed the Justice Verma Committee report before approving the amendments. The ordinance will entail the changes to be enacted in the existing criminal laws by amending

Court frames charges against gang-rape accused

Trial for murder to begin from Tuesday
NEW DELHI, FEB 2: A fast-track court here here has paved the way for the trial from Tuesday of five men accused of gang-raping a young woman in a moving bus Dec 16, 2012, by framing charges against them. Additional Sessions Judge Yogendra Khanna Saturday framed the charges of murder, gang-rape and kidnapping, among others, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused. The five accused are Ram Singh, a bus driver, and his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller, Vinay Sharma, a gym instructor, and Akshay Thakur, a bus cleaner. They are currently lodged in Tihar Jail. The other charges framed against them are unnatural offence, destruction of evidence, attempt to murder, causing hurt while committing robbery, dacoity with murder, and common intent. The Juvenile Justice Board declared the sixth accused a minor last month, and his case will be heard by the board. The pre-trial proceedings in the case started Jan 21 at the fast-track court which was set up for the case that led to a nation-wide outrage against crimes against women. The accused were formally charged by police in the Saket court 18 days after they gang-raped and tortured the 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus, causing multiple-organ failure that led to her death. They also assaulted her 28-yearold male friend. Both were thrown out of the bus after around 40 minutes, naked, bleeding and shivering. The friend is the main witness in the case. The chargesheet, with annexures, ran into thousands of pages and included the victim's statement, details of the accused, evidence and forensic reports. contd on page 2

Airtel launches emergency alert service for women

KOLKATA: Bharti Airtel which introduced an emergency alert service two months ago in New Delhi continued to sell the service in eastern region among female customers. "Out of total customer base of around 19 million customer base in the states of West Bengal and Odisha, one-third would be female. We expect subscription for this service from about 10 per cent from female contd on page 2

'The ordinance approved by the Union Cabinet on the basis of the Justice Verma Committee report, will definitely create fear among the criminal elements of the society.' Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath

'The content of the ordinance is doing injustice to the Justice Verma recommendations because it is highly selective in what it has included in the ordinance. We don't agree with this ordinance'. Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat

"It's a beginning made, but it's a very long way to go because Justice Verma (Committee's) recommendations is a holistic correction'. Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and activist Kiran Bedi

Women groups reject ordinance, urge President not to sign it

Govt launches portal providing information about exports, imports

NEW DELHI: The Commerce Ministry has launched a portal which will provide detailed information about the country's exports and imports. The portal aimed at expanding trade, offers exporters and importers a comprehensive guidance for concluding international trade transactions successfully with a specific focus on SAARC, ASEAN and top 25 trade destinations. It provides userfriendly access to relevant information for import and export contd on page 2

omen groups on Saturday urged President Pranab Mukherjee not to sign the ordinance of Criminal Law amendments passed by the Cabinet on Friday. Human rights lawyer Vrinda Grover said, "The ordinance is complete betrayal of the people's faith." She also questioned as to why the

ordinance remained silent on Armed Forces Special Powers Act. "Justice Verma Committee targeted the impunity of family, policemen, Army officers, and bureaucrats. But the government went soft on that. Why are the recommendations on AFSPA not accepted. It's completely scandalous what the government has source added. Despite public outcry and political

done." She also said that women organisations were alarmed to see the ordinance as it ignored many recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. "We are alarmed by the ordinance content. We do not see any recommendation of the Verma Committee contd on page 2 parties like the Congress and BJP favouring contd on page 2

the Indian Penal Code, Evidence Act and Code of Criminal Procedure," the

Vasundhara brought back to head BJP in Rajasthan

NEW DELHI, FEB 2 : Gearing up for assembly elections in Rajasthan slated for later this year, BJP brought back former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to head the party in the state. Announcing Raje's appointment in the presence of senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun leader Gulab Chand Kataria will be the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. He will take over from Raje who quit the post. Singh earlier held a meeting with party leaders from the state in a bid to put up a united face of the faction-ridden party in Rajasthan ahead of the contd on page 2

Thirty-five killed as militants attack Pakistan checkpoint

ISLAMABAD , FEB 2: Militants attacked an isolated army checkpoint in Pakistan's restive northwest on Saturday, with at least 35 people killed in the initial assault, subsequent crossfire and a rocket attack on a house, officials said. The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to a U.S. drone strike in neighbouring North Waziristan last month in which two commanders were killed. The Pakistani military and pro-government militias have since 2009 regained territory from the Pakistan Taliban, who once controlled land a few hours' drive from the capital of Islamabad. The militants attacked the post at Lakki Marwat early on Saturday. contd on page 2

International Symposium at JU concludes

Jaitley, BJP President Rajnath Singh said party

Ex Puducherry CM P.Shanmugam passes away

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader and former Puducherry Chief Minister P.Shanmugam died at his residence in Karaikal today. He was 85 year. Party sources said, he suffered a stroke and fell down and under its impact hitting his head against the wall. P.Shanmugam had been the PCC President of Puducherry for a period of nearly 20 years. He served as three time Member of Parliament also.

Vishwaroopam row ends; Kamal, Muslim groups reach accord

CHENNAI, FEB 2: Ending a week-long suspense and drama, Kamal Haasan's controversial Tamil film Vishwaroopam is finally poised for release in the state with some cuts after the actor and Muslim groups opposed to it reached a settlement during the state-government brokered talks here today. Emerging after the marathon talks lasting six hours in the presence of Home Secretary R Rajagopal at the Secretariat, Haasan said they have agreed to remove certain audio portions and hoped the government would revoke the ban imposed in the wake of protests by some Muslim outfits which considered the film offensive to their religion. "We will immediately arrange to announce the date of release after consultations, including with technical team," the actor who produced the mega-budget Rs 100 crore film told reporters ending nearly two-month long uncertainty marked by twists and turns over its release. Haasan said they would withdraw their petition in the Madras High Court challenging the two-week ban and expressed hope that the government would revoke its action that drew nation-wide criticism for stifling freedom of expression. Tamil Nadu Muslim contd on page 2

N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kashmir, addressing the Valedictory Session of the 3-day 2nd International Symposium on "Semiconductor Materials and Devices at Jammu University. JAMMU, FEBRUARY 2 : Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kashmir, today emphasized the need for forging collaborative arrangements among the universities, leading laboratories and research institutions, DRDO and the industry for undertaking research in carefully identified areas for enabling the time-bound development of cells, modules and materials which will pave the way for large scale production of the required semi-conductor products. The Governor, as Chief Guest, was addressing the Valedictory Session of the 3day 2nd International Symposium on "Semiconductor Materials and Devices (ISSMD-2)", organized by the Department of Physics and Electronics, University of Jammu, in collaboration with the Society for Semiconductor Devices, New Delhi, at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium here this evening. The Governor said that alongside undertaking high-end research projects there is urgent need for developing manufacturing skills and observed that such endeavours contd on page 2

MNREGA aids financial inclusion, Govt would setup health centers in second Green Revolution: PM, Sonia difficult topographical areas: Shabir
NEW DELHI, FEB 2: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said his government's flagship MGNREGA scheme had accelerated the pace of financial inclusion in villages while Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said it could usher in a second 'Green Revolution' but corruption in the scheme had to be checked. Speaking at the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) anniversary function here, Manmohan Singh said that over four crore bank accounts have been opened after the implementation of the scheme, and many more have been started in post offices. "These accounts will also help in the direct cash benefit transfer scheme," the prime minister said. Gandhi, also the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson, stressed the need to check complaints of corruption and misuse of money under MGNREGA. Noting the scheme faces challenges of greater inclusion and creating durable assets, she said there was need to implement the scheme effectively in Maoistaffected areas and all steps should be taken to provide work under the scheme within 15 days of demand having been made. She also called for timely social audit under the scheme. The prime minister, in his speech, asked the rural development ministry to collaborate with states to provide technical assistance to panchayats. "It will help empower Panchayati Raj Institutions, improve participation of people in development process and allow proper formulation of labour budget under the local development plan," he said. The prime minister said construction of anganwadis had been added to new works under contd on page 2 POONCH, FEBRUARY 02: Reiterating the commitment of the government towards holistic development of all the regions of the State with special focus on border and hilly areas, the Minister of State for Health, Mr. Shabir Ahmed Khan has said that governments' pro-people policies and exemplary initiatives have placed the State on the track of peace and prosperity. He affirmed that this rhythm would be carried forward with a mission to ensure all-round development of rural as well as border people. Addressing a public gathering at border town Mendhar today, the Minister expressed confidence about the State touching zenith of development and progress in the coming years. Referring to various revolutionary initiatives taken by the government during the past four years for bringing accountability and transparency in the administration to assure good governance besides empowering the people at gross root level, the minister said that Laws like Right to Information Act, Public Service Guarantee Act, holding of free and fair Panchayat elections are land mark steps in improving governance structure in the state. Highlighting the priorities under health sector, the Minister said that all such areas having difficult topography would be provided health center facilities. He said in this regard the government has already moved a proposal to the Centre for approval of funds. The Minister said that under the flagship programme of National Rural Health Mission Rs.224. 24 crore is being utilized for improvement and up-gradation of health care facilities in the State. Union Health Ministry has released Rs 52 crore to the State under NRHM, to carry out the work on under execution health projects in different districts he added. contd on page 2

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The union cabinet Friday approved an ordinance for enhanced punishment in cases of crimes against women, including sexual assault, acid attacks, voyeurism and trafficking, as suggested by the Justice J.S. Verma Committee. The government recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee that an ordinance be issued. The Verma Committee, set up by the government Dec 23, 2012 after the gangrape to review laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault, submitted its report Jan 23. ly in other states including Kerala with a 25 per cent Muslim population, and Andhra and Karnataka. Its Hindi version "Vishwaroop" hit theatres in north India yesterday which, according to Haasan, had evoked 'fantastic' response. Haasan, who made a brief statement and refused to take questions, thanked Jayalalithaa for facilitating the solution to the issue which sparked a major controversy. "In the talks with my Muslim brothers, I heard their grievances and explained technical problems. The censor board would be informed," he said on the mutually accepted cuts. The talks were to be held yesterday but did not materialise as the Muslim organisations insisted on the presence of Haasan who was in Mumbai for the release of the film's Hindi version. A spy thriller set in the US and Afghanistan with the plot centring around terror, the film hit the first roadblock after tech-savvy actor's faceoff with exhibitors over his insistence on releasing it on Direct-to-Home platform a day ahead of the theatre release, forcing him to put it off indefinitely. Another hurdle came when Muslim outfits expressed apprehensions over the content of the film and sought a preview for them, which the actor obliged but failed to win their nod leading to the government's ban on grounds of law and order problems. Haasan took the battle to the court challenging the ban and got a relief with a single judge allowing its release, but it was shortlived as a division bench on an appeal by the government struck it down. The case is coming up on February 6 for hearing before the single judge to whom the division bench reverted the matter. Anguished and hurt, a "fed up" Haasan threatened 'self-exile' to move to a 'secular place' in the country excluding Tamil Nadu, or overseas as done by late painter M F Hussain following oppposition by right wing groups to his nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. As Haasan spoke of 'cultural terrorism' and poured out his heart explaining pledging of his entire property to make the film, support flowed for him from the film industry in Tamil Nadu and Bollywood as also the Centre which questioned the state government's ban after the censor board's clearance. two views on that." The announcement comes as part of the party's efforts to end dissidence in its state unit. The tenure of the 200member current assembly in Rajasthan ends on December 31, 2013.

Contd. from page 1...

Pak teen activist ....
at point blank range as she travelled on a bus to school on October 9, 2012. The award will be announced in early October, but the deadline for nominations expired on Friday. Among other reported nominees are jailed Belarusian human rights activist Ales Belyatski and Russian Lyudmila Alexeyeva. of second green revolution," she said. Gandhi said while women participation was nearly equal at national level, they find it difficult "to come in many states due to lack of information or lack of facilities." She said there was need to create durable assets under the scheme. "Often there are complaints of corruption and misuse of money. There is need to curb it. Social audit is necessary and should be held timely," Gandhi said. MGNREGA aims at enhancing the livelihood security of villagers by guaranteeing 100 days of wageemployment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members would perform unskilled manual work.

First all-girl Kashmiri band faces online threats

SRINAGAR: If the deluge of online threats and abuses against Kashmir's first allgirl band is anything to by, a lot of people seem to be opposed to youth in the valley making music. This band which has defied convention is facing a challenge from conservative sections of the society. The teenage girls who came to limelight in late December 2012 after their performance at the annual 'Battle of the Bands' competition have received online threats and absurd comments, leaving their parents worried and forcing the girls to keep a low profile. Though there are dozens of bands currently playing popular music of different genres in the Valley, but this being an all-girl band is facing problems. The girls -vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and Guitarist Aneeka Khalid (all students

Victim of mindset

International Symposium...
would materialize if the industry is involved right from the beginning of a project. He added that there is need for acquiring expertise in various arenas for securing rapid economic development of the country. In this context, he emphasized the need for the development of semiconductors and the materials from which these are to be manufactured and emphasised that this would require close collaboration between physicists, chemists and engineers in various fields, among others. In regard to harnessing non-conventional energy sources, particularly solar energy, the Governor observed that this can go a long way in meeting the colossal gap in the obtaining energy availability but this shall require developing appropriate technology to make the required products cost effectives. The Governor congratulated the University of Jammu for organizing this Symposium on a highly relevant subject and complimented the Society for Semiconductor Devices, New Delhi, for supporting this laudable initiative. The Governor was honoured on this occasion by presenting to him a memento by Prof. M. P. S. Ishar, Vice Chancellor, Jammu University. Prof. M. P. S. Ishar, Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, speaking on the occasion said that the Symposium provided a very good opportunity for the young scientists to present their research papers and interact with the renowned experts in the field. Prof. Mushahid Husain, Secretary, Society for Semiconductor Devices, New Delhi, dwelt on the establishment, evolution, growth and activities of the Society. He also gave a resume of the various conferences organized by this organization from time to time and its future plan of action. He thanked the Governor for delivering the Valedictory Address. Dr. Sudarshan Kumar, Director CFEES, DRDO, Delhi, presented a global scenario of the research being conducted on semiconductors and in the arena of nanotechnology within and outside the country. Prof. Naresh Padha, Convener, ISSMD-2, presented the Symposium Report. He said that 21 invited talks were delivered and 107 papers were presented during the various working sessions of the Symposium. In her welcome address, Prof. Anju Bhasin, Head, Department of Physics and Electronics, Jammu University, gave details about the aims and objects of organizing this International Symposium and the topics discussed during the working sessions. Er. Anik Gupta, Scientist, University of Jammu, presented a Vote of Thanks. Among those present on the occasion were Mr. K. B. Aggarwal, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, delegates of the Symposium, senior functionaries of the Jammu University, Heads of Departments, Faculty Members, research scholars and students.

Airtel launches ....

customer," Bharti Airtel (Kolkata & WB) COO Vir Inder Nath told reporters here today. During an emergency, Airtel mobile customers can now send an alert thrice in 30 minutes with their geographic location to their closest 10 loved ones simultaneously with just a call, Nath said during demonstration of the service. Airtel which aims to popularise the service nationwide to help people in distress situation pointing at recent atrocities on women, with a subscription of Rs 30 per month, fails to pinpoint the location of the affected person may be required during such situation. The service will only give geographical position based on a cellular tower location which usually serves about 500 metres in radius and not exact location unless any form of communication is established with the caller.

Thirty-five killed ....

A security official said 12 militants and 13 soldiers were killed in the clash. Two bodies had suicide bomb belts on them. "Cross-firing between militants and security officials continued for four hours," one source said. The militants also targeted a house next to the camp with rockets, killing 10 members of one family, including three children, the official said. "Pakistan has been cooperating with the U.S in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," the Taliban spokesman said. He said four suicide bombers attacked the camp and blew themselves up. He said more than a dozen soldiers were killed.

Cabinet approval ....

the noose for rapists, Justice Verma Committee report did not recommend death penalty, saying that women's groups were unanimously against it. The Cabinet agreed with suggestions of the committee on punishment of 20 years in rape cases and life imprisonment, which shall mean the rest of the person's natural life in gang-rape or rape that caused grievous injury.

of tenth standard) -formed their rock band named "Pragaash" (light) and won the best performance award in their first public appearance. "There has been a wicked campaign against the girls ever since they made their maiden appearance in public on December 26," owner of Band Inn, a musical academy where the girls are undergoing training, said. "Whenever a new thing happens in a society especially related to music and fash-

ion, such things happen," he said indicating that the girls will not be cowed down by the online threats and absurd comments and will continue to pursue their dream in music. He said the band is presently working on an album. Criticism is nothing new to Kashmiri women singers who defied strong opposition in the past as well and made a name in the music field. Raj Begum, renowned Kashmiri singer, even won the national award.

Omar, activists back all-girls Kashmiri rock band

SRINAGAR: Activists, filmmakers and others today came out in support of Kashmir's first all-girls rock band, which is facing online threats and abuses, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordering a police probe and hoping that the talented teenagers will not let themselves be silenced by a "handful of morons". The girls, vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir (16), drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid (both 15), who defied convention to form the rock band "Pragaash" (darkness to light), have stopped live shows in the wake of the online threats. Activists and artistes expressed outrage at the online hate campaign against the girls, all students of Class X. "It is completely shameful...why is police silent against these cyber criminals.... Police chief should have initiated action against them and it should be done under the law of the land. Enough is enough," filmmaker Shaykhh Mukhtar said. Activist Humaira Khan said "we are moving ahead, but why aren't our mentalities. We move ahead in real sense only when we open our minds." The first live performance of Pragaash at Srinagar's music festival Battle of the Bands in December had created ripples in the Valley. But their euphoria was short-lived as the girls soon started receiving online threats including to their lives and absurd comments, leaving their parents worried and forcing them to keep a low profile. The Chief Minister said it was a matter of shame that those who demand freedom of speech on social media networks, use it to threaten the girls. "The police will examine the threats issued and whether any provision of the law can be used to book those making the threats (to the rock band)," Mr Abdullah said, adding "I hope these talented young girls will not let a handful of morons silence them." "Shame on those who claim freedom of speech via social media and then use that freedom to threaten girls who have the right to choose to sing," he wrote on Twitter.

Army chief to visit Japan to bolster military ties

NEW DELHI: With India and Japan in the process of further cranking up their military tiesacross the entire spectrum, Army chief General Bikram Singh will be heading for Tokyo on a fourday visit later this month. "The strategic-military partnership with Japan is evolving to a new level. General Singh, who will leave on February 11, will meet the Japanese defence minister, military chiefs and others to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. He will also visit some defence establishments," said an official. The visit comes soon after India and Japan, both wary of the increasingly assertive behaviour of China and the rapid modernisation of its People's Liberation Army, held their first-ever maritime dialogue on January 29. Ranging from joint combat exercises and coordinated anti-piracy patrols to counterterrorism and service-to-service exchanges, India and Japan are implementing a "action plan to advance security cooperation".

Women groups....
in the ordinance," Vrinda Grover said. "The ordinance is a trick to sideline Justice Verma report," she added. The opposition BJP and Left too have joined the activists in saying the ordinance is not tough enough. While the government claims it has accepted most of recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee on punishing sex offenders, it has not included proposals like changing rules for the armed forces under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The ordinance has also left out recognition of marital rape as a crime. "We've accepted almost all the recommendations. The Central Government is committed to giving stringent punishment to the culprits. We've included acid attacks and stalking in the definition of sexual crimes against women. We feel that this will send out a strong message," Union Minister Krishna Tirath said. CPM leader Brinda Karat said the government has ignored the main recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. "We do not approve of this ordinance. The ordinance has ignored the main recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. The ordinance is an attempt to divert attention from the main questions being raised in the Justice Verma Committee report," Karat said. Women groups have also called the ordinance a dilution of the Verma panel recommendations. Meanwhile, former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi welcomed the passing of this ordinance calling it the beginning of a long journey. "I think the people demand a holistic response, it is a very part law response. Very well, it's a beginning made, but it's still a long way to go, as the Justice Verma recommendations are a holistic correction," Bedi said.

Govt launches ....

of different products in digital form. The link to the portal has been provided through department of commerce website under 'What is New' and 'Useful Links'.

Govt would ....

The Minister announced release of Rs. 85 lakh for up gradation of health infrastructure in Poonch district under NRHM. He said out of this released amount Rs 25 lakh are to be utilized for carrying out remaining works of Sub District Hospital Mendhar. The Minister reaffirmed that being the local representative equal development of all the areas was his priority and no injustice would be done to any area of the district on the developmental front. He assured the people that all their genuine developmental needs would be carried out in a phased manner. Mr. Shabir said that primary responsibility of the public representatives is to go to the people for identifying and addressing problems through Government agencies. He asked people to remain informed about their rights and seek due share in developmental process launched by the Government across the State. The Minister said that people have placed their hope in public representatives and asked the Panches and Sarpanches to work sincerely for the welfare and development of the people.

MNREGA aids....
MGNREGA approved last year. "If resources under ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) and MGNREGA were used collectively, it will significantly improve services under ICDS," he said. He said amended rules were being formally implemented from Saturday and stress had been laid on improving planning, increasing role of panchayats and improving quality of assets. Terming MGNERGA as the biggest poverty alleviation schemes in the world, the prime minister said over eight crore people had benefited and Rs 1.3 lakh crore had been spent on it. He said schemes such as MGNREGA reflect the stress being laid by the government on inclusive development. "More than half of the works have benefited the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and participation of women has been around 47 percent. Of the money going to women, more than eighty percent is going to their bank accounts. It is helping them take economic decisions," the prime minister said. Recalling indirect benefits of the scheme, he said it had reduced forced migration of people and improved crop yield of small farmers. In her speech, Gandhi laid emphasis on empowerment of panchayats and meeting challenges in implementation of the scheme. She said people were, at times, not aware of all the benefits under the scheme, and its potential to increase agricultural production was not being used fully. "If modern agricultural techniques are added, it can lead to manifold increase in production. MGNREGA can play a role in realizing goal

The plan, which dwells upon strategic and defence cooperation as well as coordination in tackling terrorism, piracy and proliferation, is meant to reinforce the strategic focus in the "global partnership" between India and Japan, say officials. "India and Japan have similar views on several global and regional issues like extremism, terrorism and WMD-proliferation. The two are also keen to ensure the safety of sea lanes in the Indian Ocean Region and Asia-Pacific because both depend largely on maritime traffic for their energy and trade needs," said an official. "In addition to regular exercises being held between the Indian and Japanese coast guards, our naval warships are also conducting coordinated anti-piracy patrolling in the Gulf of Aden. We also have regular Navy-to-Navy staff talks," he added.

Salathia inaugurates KVIB exhibition

SAMBA, FEBRUARY 02: MLA Vijaypur, Surjit Singh Salathia today inaugurated three day district level exhibition cum sale of Khadi and Village Industries products organized by the J&K Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB)at Block Development Office Vijaypur. District Development Commissioner, Samba, Mubarak Singh, District officers was present on this occasion. Fifteen stalls were set up by the department to display the products manufactured by the KVIB units which include Desert coolers, Sewing machines, Shoes, Soft toys, sanitary fittings, Masala items etc. Experts from different fields were also present to disseminate information and to guide the youth for setting up their own enterprises\income generating units. Addressing the gathering, Mr Salathia asked the youth to avail optimum benefits of the various schemes. He called for a change in the mind set of the unemployed youth to become job providers instead of job seekers. He congratulated the officers and staff of the KVIB for bagging the National award for implementing Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme and achieving 100% targets. He directed the concerned officers to create massive awareness about different State and centrally sponsored schemes and stressed upon the Panches and Sarpanches to render their services with utmost zeal and dedication.

Vasundhara brought....
elections. Besides the two Leaders of the Opposition in Parliament, others present at the meeting with Rajnath included Raje, Kataria and outgoing party state president Arun Chaturvedi. "The party will work unitedly under the leadership of Vasundhara Raje," Singh told reporters. Raje is also expected to be BJP's chief ministerial face, though a final decision in this regard will be taken after the polls. Soon after assuming her new responsibility, Raje said "BJP is a family. In this, not just us but workers are also there. This is a big family and, as Gulab Chand Kataria said, we will take it forward with everybody. I want assure everybody that in this big family everybody has a place and for this we all, Gulabji will make the Rajasthan BJP strong and take it ahead. There are no

Vishwaroopam row....
Munnetra Kazhagam representative M H Jawahirullah, MLA, said Haasan has agreed for some cuts in the film, portions of which Muslims had deemed to be offensive. "The outcome of the meeting is fruitful," he said as the tri-partite meeting came after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa offered to facilitate it to pave the way for the release of the film though she had strongly justified the ban. The multi-lingual film, originally slated for release on January 11, has been released and running smooth-

Correction of Mother's Name

I, Vikhyat Kashyap D.O.B: 12/04/2011, son of Naresh Kumar, went to change the name of my mother from Suhani to Pooja. If anyone has any objection on may report the same at H.No. 821, Ward 37, Janipur Colony, Jammu Mob: 9796602165 within a week.

Court frames....
All the accused were arrested between Dec 17-21, 2012.

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NEWS IN BOX

Omar reviews restoration of Poonch transmission line

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 02: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today reviewed the status of restoration of Poonch power transmission line at a high level meeting of PDD officers here. The transmission line has been severely damaged by the recent heavy snowfall in the area. Various towers have got completely uprooted whileas many have been broken by the snow storm. Receiving detailed brief on the restoration work, the Chief Minister asked the PDD department to put in added efforts so that the transmission line is restored within the shortest possible time. The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary Power Development Department, Development Commissioner Power, various Chief Engineers and other officers.

Without competition democracy is meaningless: Mehbooba

SRINAGAR: Opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday alleged that the ruling National Conference has "stifled" all opposition to ensure a monopoly for itself. The PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said people of the state alone can bring in a change in the system of governance and their lives through the process of public accountability. "Change will start with the first vote cast in right direction that could make all political parties accountable to people for whatever good or bad they do," Mehbooba said addressing a workers ensure a monopoly for itself," she alleged. This, she alleged, resulted in a situation in which the people became mere pawns in power game that ruling NC manipulated for its benefit. Mehbooba said people must believe in their power to change their destiny through democratic means, which is the first requirement in bringing in the change. "Unfortunately, we have been led the wrong way, for too long, which resulted in immense loss and turmoil in the past, because of the selfish policies of the NC," she said.

Kashmiri Pandit delegation calls on CM, Discuss migrant issues and concerns
JAMMU, FEBRUARY 02: A deputation of Kashmiri Pandit migrants from various migrant camp and areas Saturday morning called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here and discussed with him various issues relating to the migrants. While expressing gratitude to Omar Abdullah for his efforts resulting in enhancement of migrant relief, the delegation emphasized the need for raising the per month relief of per family to Rs. 10, 000/. They requested the Chief Minister to raise this issue with the Central government. The deputation also talked about employment package for migrants and issues relating to return and rehabilitation package. The Chief Minister assured the delegation that he would take up the cash relief issue with the Central government. He said state government is well versed with the difficulties and status of migrants and is taking all measures to redress the genuine grievances besides accommodating the genuine demands. The delegation was led by Anil Dhar, A. K. Hangloo, H. L. Pandit, Jatin Bhat, S.L. Koul, Ravinder Koul, Bushan Lal, Sanjay Kumar and Babloo Ji.

Principal Secretary Planning and Development briefs Governor

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 2: Mr. B. R. Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, called on Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan here today. During the meeting, the Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, briefed the Governor about the to-date status of implementation of major development projects and schemes. The Governor also discussed issues relating to monitoring the execution of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the State with Mr. Sharma.

rally at Pahalgam, 10 She claimed that the PDP was an important instrument in this process as it has provided the people with a credible alternative first time in the state's history. Mehbooba said the governance has been made

hostage to vested interests of a single party in the state, that corrupted both the system as well as those who ran it without challenge. "Democracy is meaningless without a competition and for the last 65 years NC stifled all opposition to

Two cops detained in connection with 'illegal' activities

SRINAGAR: Two police constables were detained on Friday for their alleged involvement in "illegal" activities, police said here. "Constables Manzoor Ahmad and Ishfaq Ahmad of Sadder police station were taken into custody after police received complaints about their involvement in illegal and anti-social activities," Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Ashiq Bukhari said. Police is looking for a self-styled social worker, hailing from Channapora area of the city, as she is also alleged to be involved in these activities, Bukhari said. Probes are on into the complaints and the department will take due action if the allegations are found to be correct, he said. However, the SSP said that no case has been registered so far.

Workshop under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan held at Baramulla

BARAMULLA, FEBRUARY 02: A day long Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan workshop was today held at Dak Bungalow Baramulla under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner Baramulla, Ghulam Ahmad Khawaja. The ADC Baramulla and other officers of the department were present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, the DDC said that government has introduced the new scheme under which lavotary blocks shall be constructed in each Panchayat halqas. He stressed the need for more awareness about the schemes so that people at large could avail the benefits of the society.

Lone pays surprise visits to various colleges in Jammu

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 02: Minister for Higher Education, Mr. Mohammad Akbar Lone today paid a surprise visit to various colleges of Jammu. These included Government Gandhi Memorial Science (GGMS) College, Canal Road, Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar and Government Moulana Azad Memorial (MAM) College Jammu. He took stock of the functioning of these institutions and facilities available to the students. The Minister also went around classrooms of these colleges interacted with students and the teaching staff. He called for ensuring punctuality and full attendance of students in classrooms. At Gandhi Nagar College, the Minister inspected various blocks including arts block, administrative block, lecture rooms, moot court, career council cell, library and laboratories. He also inspected first aid center of the col-

Directs to ensure full attendance & punctuality

Relief for residents as night temp rise in Kashmir Valley

SRINAGAR: Residents of Kashmir got much needed relief from the two-month long chilly weather as the night temperature rose by several degrees and weatherman forecasting light rainfall or snow over the next few hours. The minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, rose by nearly five degrees to settle at 3.1 degrees Celsius last night, an official of the MET Department said. Qazigund gateway town in south Kashmir also registered an upward movement of the mercury as night temperature settled at 0.8 degrees Celsius, while nearby Pahalgam health resort recorded a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara town recorded night temperature of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Leh and Kargil towns in Ladakh region continued to reel under severe cold. While Kargil recorded a low of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, the mercury settled at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius in Leh town. The weatherman has forecast light rainfall or snowfall across the Kashmir Valley over the next 24 hours.

Minister for Higher Education, Mohammad Akbar Lone during surprise visit in college at Jammu. lege. The College management briefed the Minister about the overall functioning and issues confronting them. The Minister directed the Principal of the college to submit the status report of land of the college earlier acquired by the Government for construction of new flyover bridge. During visit to Library, the Minister was informed that 55000 books are available in the library. Mr. Lone directed for proper utilisation of library funds as per requirements. He also stressed for maintaining a book record register and adequately training all persons engaged on daily wage basis working in the library. While inspecting the laboratories in these colleges, the Minister stressed for proper upkeep and maintenance of these laboratories. At GMAM College, the Minister inspected various sections included administrative block and Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The concerned official briefed the Minister about the activities conducted by IQAC. While inspecting under execution auditorium hall, Mr. Lone directed the concerned to complete it within stipulated time frame. He was informed that the construction for chain link fenc-

CD organizes awareness camp at Bun

UDHAMPUR, FEBRUARY 02: Civil Defence organization in collaboration with District Information Centre, Udhampur organized a one day awareness camp on Civil Defence and Disaster Management in Anand Bhartiya Vidyalaya at village Bun in Udhampur District on Saturday. Principal of the host school, Mrs. Reetu Abrol was the chief guest on the occasion. Deputy Controller, Civil Defence. Dy SP Bodh Raj in his welcome address gave a detailed account of the working of his Organization in the district and also asked the volunteers to come forward and take part in such awareness camps to minimize loss of lives and property in the case of any eventuality. While appreciating the functioning of Civil Defence Organization in Udhampur, Mrs. Abrol said that move of the organization is to organize awareness programmes in rural areas of the district would certainly go a long way in creating awareness among the common masses about the disaster management. Master Trainer Mr. Kuldeep delivered a lecture on the topic of earthquake and presentation taken before, during and after the earthquake and their impact on human life. Deputy Chief Warden, Advocate Swantantar Dev Kotwal also delivered lecture on various facets of civil defence. On the occasion a film show was also organized by the department. Among other Wardens, Trainers, staff members, local people in large numbers and students were also attended the camp.

ing at a cost of Rs. 3.62 lakh will be started soon. Interacting with the students of these colleges, the Minister impressed upon them to strive hard to achieve their desired goal and bring laurels for the State. He said Government was committed in making education within reach of all segments of society including youth in far-flung areas. The Minister also inspected hostel at GGM Science College and took stock of the meals and other facilities provide to the students. The students apprised the Minister about various issues for his intervention. Mr. Lone directed the Director Colleges who accompanied the Minister during his visit to submit a detailed report about the construction of new infrastructure in these colleges. He also asked the concerned principals to go ahead with minor works.

2 SMGS security personnel suspended

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 02: Principal, Government Medical College, Jammu, Mr Aniece Choudhary has directed the Medical Superintendent SMGS Hospital Jammu to place under suspension two hospital security personnel in connection with the missing of new born baby from SMGS Hospital. A similar action has also been sought by the police authorities against the constable Police Post SMGS Hospital. Principal, GMC has directed Administrator Associated Hospitals to conduct a detailed enquiry into the matter with the assistance of Medical Superintendent SMGS and office incharge police post SMGS Hospital and submit a report within three days.

Sagar calls for increasing the wage rate of MG NREGA

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 02: Maintaining that MG NREGA has acted as a tool for accelerating the development of rural and far flung areas besides providing employment opportunities and stopping the distress migration, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar said that the new initiative of convergence of the scheme with other activities would go a long way in ensuring in its successful implementation and socio-economic transformation of the State. The Minister was speaking at MG NREGA Sammelan organized to commemorate the 8th year of the launching of the scheme at New Delhi today, attended by the Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Mr. Jairam Ramesh and Rural Development Ministers of different States. Mr. Sagar said that the scheme has become a household name in the country side and the timely amendments in the Act on the operational guidelines based on the inputs from the field, is a healthy step, which synchronizes the implementation of this Act with the realities at the ground level. He said that the scheme has to a great extent acted as a tool to curb unemployment, disguised employment and provided employment opportunity at the doorsteps besides removing the regional disparities in the socio-economic development. While calling for the increase in the wage rate from the existing oneto Rs. 150/-, the Minister pleaded the Union Government to come to the rescue of the State by enhancing the wage rate under MG NREGA in the State. He said that the issue of including the snow clearance as a permissible activity under the scheme may also be extended to the State as it shall be of a great help in providing employment opportunities during the winter months. Mr. Sagar also asked for involving the job holders in other programmes and schemes of different departments maintaining that it would expand the opportunity of unskilled employment outside the domain of MG NREGA. This will definitely widen the scope of the idea of enacting this landmark act shall go a long way in eradicating the unemployment. The Minister said that like other parts of the country, MG NREGA is becoming a backbone of the socio-economic development in rural areas and 10.55 lakh families have been registered under the scheme constituting about one half of the rural households as per the recent census.

3 lakh patients get medical treatment in district Hospital Handwara

HANDWARA, FEBRUARY 02: As many as 3 lakh outdoor and 2,500 indoor patients have been treated in District Hospital Handwara during current financial year so far. This information was given out in a review meeting of Health department, chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner, here today. It was further informed in the meeting that 6,300 major and minor operations have been performed during the same period, besides 7,000 USG and 20,000 X-Ray conducted besides as many as 2,800 pregnant ladies were provided medical treatment during the last nine months. The Additional Deputy Commissioner stressed upon the officers to maintain cleanliness sanitation in and around the District Hospital and primary health centres besides ensure healthcare facilities to the patients.

DHS inaugurates workshop on "The Interface of Psychiatry and Medicine" at Tangmarg

TANGMARG, FEBRUARY 02: As a part of Medical Education Programme launched by the State Government, an improvised workshop on ''The Interface of Psychiatry and Medicine'' held at Regional Health and Family Welfare Institute, Dhobiwan Tangmarg was organized by Director Health Services Kashmir today. As many as 110 doctors drawn from across the Valley, besides Psychiatrists and experts from medical fraternity participated in the workshop. Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-urRehman, while addressing the workshop said that on the subject of psychiatry and medicine, this programme has a great significance of being first of its kind to benefit the masses in respect of ensuring mental health to all groups of age in Valley. He hoped that such workshops will be held in other parts of the Valley so that the people living in remote and far flung areas would also be benefited. The workshop was informed that around 1,13,940 patients suffering from mental health problem and 11,838 patients were treated for drug addiction by the department besides 28 camps were organized for the purpose and 1051 doctors and 1301 paramedics were imparted training on the subject.

Bhalla launches Rs. 68 lakh development projects at Qasmi Nagar

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 02: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Mr. Raman Bhalla has said that State Government endeavors to eradicate illiteracy from every nook and corner of the state by opening and upgrading scores of schools besides equipping the Government educational institutions with better infrastructure and qualified staff. This was stated by the Minister while addressing a large gathering after laying foundation stone for additional accommodation block in newly upgraded Government High School, Qasim Nagar under Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RAMSA), here today. Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation Mr. Kuldeep Lal Khajuria besides other senior officers of School Education, Public Health Engineering, Power Development Department, Roads and Buildings and Urban Environmental Engineering Department accompanied the Minister. Mr. Bhalla asked the executing agency to complete the project within three months by constructing additional rooms, office room, toilet block, computer and laboratory room so that the classes for next session students batches could be started there. He said Government is making all efforts to reach out to every part of the State by opening new schools within one-kilometer distance and introducing several educational programmes to cover all children. Mr. Bhalla asked the parents to send their wards to schools, colleges and universities for their better and secure. He asked the teaching fraternity to put their sincere efforts in providing quality education to the students. He said central Government has introduced RAMSA scheme for upgrading infrastructural facilities in High and Higher secondary schools. He said 69 schools would be upgraded under RAMSA across the state, adding that Rs. 49.90 lakh would be spent on construction of additional blocks for computer and science laboratories, bathrooms etc in each newly upgraded high and higher secondary school. Mr. Bhalla said that Government is committed to provide all infrastructural facilities to the inhabitants of Qasim Nagar like safe drinking water, road connectivity, electricity, education, healthcare, multipurpose community hall besides better lanes and drains. Responding to the demand of locals, the Minister announced Rs. 19 lakh for up gradation of link road besides all internal lanes and drains. He asked the executing agency to complete the works within prescribed time frame. Regarding construction of slab over nallah near Rabi Dass Sabha at Kalika Colony, Mr. Bhalla asked Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation to immediately start the work. He also asked to prepare estimate for construction of public convenience near Rabi Dass Sabha and submit the same for funding so that the project could be started at an earliest for the convenience of the visiting pilgrims.

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41 stranded passengers airlifted in Bandipora

BANDIPORA, FEBRUARY 02: As many as 41 stranded passengers were airlifted from Bandipora to Gurez and vice-versa today. According to Tehsildar Bandipora, 20 passengers include one child were airlifted from Bandipora to Dawar while as 21 passengers airlifted from Dawar to Bandipora.

Devotedly attend to duties: Dy CM to teachers

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 2: Calling upon teaching fraternity to devotedly attend to duties, Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Tara Chand today said that teachers play a very special role in society and everybody looks up to them with admiration. Student- teacher share a pious and special bond which is carried throughout the life, he added. "Our tradition culture and scriptures have also given special respect to teachers due the fact that they lead students from darkness to the light of knowledge and now it is duty of every teacher to come up to the expectation by serving with devotion and dedication," he urged. Mr .Tara Chand was addressing annual day cum parents meet at the Government Higher Secondary School, Dori Dager. Cultural items and mast past was presented by the students. Five adjacent schools of the area also participated in the celebrations. Joint Director, State Institute of Education, SDM Akhnoor, CEO and other officers as well as staff of the

GHSS Dori Dager celebrates annual day

Kichloo visits BEACON headquarters, discusses status of ongoing projects

SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 02: Minister of State for R&B, MED, Home and I&C, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo today met Chief Engineer BEACON TPS Rawat and discussed the status of BEACON roads and projects in the State. During the meeting, the Minister discussed in detail the status of all ongoing projects in the State. He was given a detailed presentation about approach roads in either side of Sopore bridge as well as 4 lanning of Parimpora road. The Minister was also updated on the status of SinghporaVailo tunnel, SinthanKishtwar Road, BatoteKishtwar and KishtwarGalhaar-Sansari road. Chief Engineer assured the Minister that work on all BEACON roads in the State have been fast tracked. However, he made pointed references to some technical difficulties being faced with certain departments in execution of the projects. The Minister assured that he will take up the issues flagged by BEACON with line departments and talk to the Ministers' Incharge so that hassle-free working atmosphere is created for smooth functioning of the organization. Kichloo said he will take up issues pertaining to all important roads being constructed by BEACON with the Union Ministry so that the projects are expedited on priority. "I will be visiting Delhi shortly to discuss the issue of fast tracking road and tunnel projects especially Singhpora-Vailo tunnel which is a long pending demand of the people in the State," he added. Earlier, the Minister laid floral wreaths at Marytrs Stambh at BEACON headquarters and paid tribute to the engineers and officials who laid down their lives during execution of various BRO projects. The Chief Engineer, in a review meeting of senior officers of BEACON, briefed the Minister about ongoing projects and assured that all these will be completed in stipulated timelines.

Director Social Welfare reviews performance

UDHAMPUR, FEBRUARY 02: Director, Social Welfare Department Jammu, M.H. Bhatti on Saturday convened meeting of Officers of Social Welfare Department to review the schemes being implemented by the department at Udhampur. The meeting was attended by the Programme Officer (ICDS Project) Udhampur, District Social Welfare Officer, Udhampur and all the Child Development Project Officers of District Udhampur. During the meeting, Director Social Welfare undertook a detailed review of the progress made under the schemes like Post-Matric and Pre-Matric Scholarships to SC/OBC students, Widow, Old Age and Disability Pensions, working of Nari Niketan and Bal Ashram etc. Director also reviewed the functioning of AWC's in detail and the status of procurement of Nutrition items in the AWC's. Strict instructions were issued to the Officers concerned for timely disbursement of the honorarium to AWW's and AWH's, Pension and Scholarships and to monitor the AWC's rigorously, in order to ensure that they are fully functional, so as to provide maximum benefits to the beneficiaries.

Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Tara Chand along with others during cultural function at the Govt Higher Secondary School, Dori Dager. schools attended the function. Describing education as priority sector, the Deputy Chief Minister today said that focused attention is being paid to upgrade infrastructure in the sector and to equip education institutes with most modern facilities, adding that the government is aware of the fact that the department has dearth of staff and efforts at the highest level have been initiated to fill up the posts on priority. "We are aware that rural and far-flung areas are worst sufferers of the shortage of staff in schools and directions have already been issued to take up the matter at cabinet level and constitute district level boards to ensure fast track filling of vacant posts of teachers" he detailed. He said a transparent and vibrant transfer policy would be put in place and those employees who serve in hard areas would be given preference in next postings. Serving rural and far-off schools would be made mandatory but those give one academic year in such areas would automatically get subsequent preferential posting, he added. He said posts have already been referred to PSC for selection and seniority lists of teachers have also been finalized for promotion, posts thus created would also been filled on priority through SSRB. Underscoring on promoting transparency, the Deputy Chief Minister said that fool proof transparent mechanism would be put in place by utilizing IT in the education department and urged upon the authorities for early submission of report of the committee constituted to inquire into the fake RET appointments. Taking note of continuing attachments, he said clear cut directions have been issued to immediately detach all the staff and any officer found not relieving the staff would face severe action under the law. Stressing on monitoring student performance, Mr. Tara Chand said bench mark for judging the report card of any government school is result of the institution and those schools where students show brilliant results, suitable rewards would be given to the teachers, adding that those education institutes where the performance is below the standard concerned would be dealt with strong hands. He said performance based incentives would be allowed and those principals and teachers whose schools under perform the staff would be treated as dead wood and action would be initiated under relevant rules.

Mir asks people to share benefits of country's huge economic potential

CHINKAH (ARNAS), FEBURARY 02: Holding cheap politicking responsible for the backwardness of Jammu and Kashmir, Minister for Agriculture, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir today asked the people of the state to take the benefits of huge economic power that India is emerging. The Minister was addressing a mammoth public gathering at Chinkah , Arnas today. Minister for PHE, Irrigation, Flood Control, Mr. Sham Lal Sharma, Minster of State for Revenue and Rehabilitation, Mr Ajiaz Ahmad khan, Member Parliament, Mr. Lal Singh, MLC, Sham Lal Bhagat, senior leader Mr Kavil Singh also spoke on the occasion. Mir said over the past six decades since India became independent, the country has marched ahead on the path of development and progress while as the state could not keep up with that pace of development due to political mudslinging between various sections and groups. The Minister said a revolution has taken place in infrastructure, road connection, power, education and health sector in the country and there is economic boom prevailing in the country. "Jammu and Kashmir is yet to receive its share of benefits which it could not owing to all these reasons" he noted. Mir made a fervent appeal to all political classes in the state cutting Sharma said that coalition government is making all out effort to upgrade the basic facilities in all regions with special focus on rural areas. He said that a comprehensive programme has already been formulated for the development of J&K which could help transform the socio economic profile of the people. The Minister asked the people to strengthen the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah adding that cooperation of people is pivotal for implementing various flagship programmes. Minister of State for Revenue, Rehabilitation, Mr Aijaz ahmad khan, said that government is committed to address the grievances of people particularly living in far off areas on fast track basis. He directed Deputy Commissioner to implement the public services Guarantee Act strictly so that the people of this far off area could avail benefits of all services at the earliest. He also directed to expedite land acquisition cases coming under road connectivity network in the area. In his address MP, Mr. Lal Singh said that peace is pre requisite for development and asked people to fully cooperate in successful implementation of welfare initiatives by the government. He said that with liberal funding of centre massive development has been registered in the state during last ten years.

ADDC Doda reviews functioning of PRI's in Kahara, Jangalwar

DODA, FEBRUARY 02- To ensure implementation of Panchayati Raj Act and empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the district, Additional District Development Commissioner Doda, Mr. G.N Balwan who is also the Nodal Officer Panchayati Raj Institutions in district, today convened a meeting of Block Level Officers, Sarpanches and Panches at Figsoo Jangalwar to review the action taken and achievements made by the departments in empowering PRI's in the District. While speaking on the occasion Mr. Balwan underlined the need to bridge the gap between PRI's and different departments in the district for empowerment and development of Panchayati Raj Institutions. He directed the Block Level Officers to fully implement Government Order in letter and spirit and asked the officers to involve and consult PRI's in the planning and implementation of various schemes and programs, identification of beneficiaries, supervision of works, supervision of field functionaries, Anganwadi centres, flow of funds and organizing awareness camps.

Training programme, awareness camp at Kotli Bala

UDHAMPUR, FEBRUARY 02: Two days training cum awareness camp was organized for the farmers of Chenani Block regarding Kissan Credit Card at Panchayat Ghar Kotli Bala of Zone Samroli under Agriculture Sub Divisional Udhampur. About 50 numbers of farmers of different village of the area took part in the camp. Speaking on the occasion, on the importance of Kissan Credit Card Agriculture Extension Officer, Mr. Jyoti Parkash advised the farmers to use KCC judiciously by purchasing good quality of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other farm machinery to increase agriculture production as well as to increase economic status of the farmers. Highlighting the benefits of KCC JAEO, Mr. R.K.Pandoh said that it serve as identity to farmers besides providing crop insurance, accidental insurance and monetary support to them to purchase quality inputs. Expert, Mr. Chander Mohan also apprised to the farmers about various state and centrally schemes for uplifting of farming community. The farmers have also been advised by the expert to layout Mushroom, Apiculture programme implemented these programme in their area for additional income. Prominent among others present on the occasion were Sarpanches, Panches and large numbers of farmers were participated in the camp.

Minister for Agriculture, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir along with other ministers addressing a mammoth public gathering at Chinkah , Arnas. across party lines to come forward and plead the case of the state in one voice. "We have lost enough time in doing politics" he said adding that time has come when we should show the people of the state particularly the youth the way forward and make them equitable partners in the growth and progress of the country. The Minister said that J&K faces peculiar set of problems and it cannot tide over them without the active involvement and support from the centre. He said that whole hearted financial support from the centre has helped the state in launching numerous ambitious projects in different sectors to upgrade the basic facilities in J&K besides providing employment opportunities to skilled and unskilled youth of the state. Asking the people of the area to give attention to agriculture activities the Minister said that introduction of latest Agri techniques, quality hybrid seeds and farm mechanization has helped the farmers to enhance their production to many folds and thus earn good returns. He said that the agriculture department is providing quality seeds; latest agri-techniques and guidance to farmers on their door step besides providing various incentives to them on introduction of farm machinery and other agriculture inputs. Saying that the hilly belt of the Reasi district has huge potential for organic farming, he urged farmers to adopt organic farming for which the government shall provide incentives for three years besides facilitating them in extending market linkages for their produce. He said in today's consumer market, organic produce has huge market demand as it is being considered safe. In his address Minister for PHE, Irrigation & FC, Mr sham Lal

DGP reviews functioning of PP Schools, Parivar Fuel Stations

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 2: The Director General of Police (DGP), Mr. Ashok Prasad today had a detailed review of the functioning of Police Public Schools and Police Parivar Fuel Pumps. He stressed for making the schools exemplary institutions and the fuel pumps source generating outlets. A high level meeting of Police Parivar was held at Police Headquarters (PHQ) here today. The meeting was chaired by DGP, who is also patron of Police Parivar and was attended by Chairperson, JK Police Wives Welfare Association (PAWWA), Mrs. Kiran Prasad and senior police officers, besides lady members of PAWWA. The meeting was briefed about the initiatives taken in recent years with regard to upgradation of Police Public Schools, Police Fuel Pumps strengthened by providing them all requirements including well trained teaching staff. Expressing satisfaction over the functioning of these institutions, Mr Prasad stressed upon the management to work with more dedication to make them exemplary institutions. He said that steps are being taken to affiliate police public schools with CBSE, which could help the students to acquaint themselves with the national level syllabus and compete in higher level examinations. He asked the administration to fulfil all required formalities in this regard and get the institutions registered at national level. Referring to the suggestions posed by lady members and other senior officers with regard to improvements of police public school and Fuel pumps, the DGP said that need based vehicles for transportation of students would be procured for newly established schools. He also stressed to frame guidelines for running hostel messes making them more ecofriendly and hygienic. The meeting decided to constitute committees to look into other suggestions for bringing more improvements in the working of these institutions. While discussing the matters related to the fuel pumps, the DGP said that these stations needs to be made source generating which could help in providing assistance to the families of martyrs. He said that besides ensuring standard quality of the fuel, audit of the pumps should be made mandatory making the work transparent. He also asked to acquire sufficient land for the outlets to establish allied business, making them more profit earning.

Director General of Police (DGP), Ashok Prasad along with others reviewing functioning of PP Schools, Parivar Fuel Stations at Jammu. and functioning of newly established schools at range level. An over all view of the achievements registered on this account was taken with directions to continue and further improve the progress with missionary zeal at all the levels. The meeting had threadbare discussion on improving the functioning and quality of education of Police Public Schools. It was told that effective steps have been taken to equip the institutions with modern facilities to achieve desired results. It was also decided that facilities in newly established schools at range level would be upgraded to run these schools efficiently. Dwelling on the objectives of schools and parivar fuel pumps, Mr. Prasad said police public schools have been established at the twin capital cities with the aim to provide quality education to the police wards including the wards of martyrs, besides sharing its responsibility to make the society better. He said that encouraging results of these schools inspired the organization to spread the branches in other ranges of the state. The schools in the capital cities have been upgraded to higher secondary level, having sufficient infrastructure and equipment with all facilities of modern education. The range level schools are being

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EDITORIAL
By Kamal Mitra Chenoy ndia's imperfect democracy got a little more flawed this week, and we all know the reasons. Democracy has come to mean protection of the organised minority, while those who dare to speak the truth are forced to run for cover Barack Hussein Obama won the election on November 6, 2012, giving him a second term in the White House, defeating a Mormon candidate more plastic than a Bgrade Hollywood actress emerging out of the offices of a Beverly Hills surgeon. On Sunday, January 20, 2013 in a private ceremony in the White House (podcast to the whole world) President Obama took the oath of office, and he did so again on the steps of the Capitol, and under blue-grey skies the following day. It is dangerous to make profound statements in these times, especially if they are imaginative and try to challenge dominant wisdom. You might think that being outspoken at literary meet, in this case the annual Jaipur Literary Festival, is reasonably safe. Professor Ashis Nandy clearly thought so and is paying the price. Nandy is known for his more than four decades of support to the backward classes. In 1991 when the Mandal Commission came out with its report, he supported it, unlike the hordes of upper caste intellectuals even in a supposed egalitarian bastion like JNU who were in the opposition. But there is a bitter irony in the current situation. The area of reservation, subsidies and weightage in matters of education, work and other facilities have not led to what the Mandal Commission had advocated and hoped. Tarun Tejpal, who spoke immediately before Nandy, raised the question of the oppressed classes and was pessimistic about the end of their oppression given the system of written and unwritten rules which govern society by an elite and for an elite. Nandy reacted by going a step further. In a widely believed corrupt system he felt the backward classes were also being corrupt in order to survive. His presentation was full of irony and some satire. For example he said that West Bengal was a state without corruption because it had no backward classes. He, of course, meant the opposite. Anyone who is acquainted with Nandy's corpus of writings would know that this was a sharp criticism of the Left and its performance in West Bengal. After all it would be absurd to state that there are no backward classes there. The problems clearly arise from Nandy's view of the egalitarian possibilities of corruption. This led him to argue that Dawood Ibrahim's gang had a lot of Hindus and was therefore totally secular. Secularism does not mean that subordinates who are Hindu by following their Muslim gang leader become secular. It is not a dreaded gang's religious mix but what it does for inter-religious and inter-caste wellbeing and amity that makes it secular. Nandy then went on to cite OBC politicians like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav and Dalit leader Mayawati to show that compared to the upper caste/ class leaders these leaders suffered from "a sense of desperation, utter desperation and insecurity." Thus, "our corruption doesn't look that corrupt, their corruption does." Now this is certainly a sweeping statement that needs more analysis and factual basis. It is made more problematic by his conclusion: "It is a fact that more of the corrupt come from the OBCs, and the Scheduled Castes and now increasingly Scheduled Tribes and as long as this is the case, Indian Republic will survive." This is a paradoxical statement. Since Nandy holds that the backward classes though corrupt are less so than the upper castes/classes and this is largely due to a ruling machinery that favours the traditional ruling classes over the backward classes, how could he arrive at this particular formulation? The poorer, less empowered backward classes are, according to him, necessary to save the Republic. Who are the backward classes saving the Republic and how? Nandy concedes that though the backward classes are corrupt, they do not have the network and class-biased rules which facilitate the rule by upper castes/ classes. Since he himself says this is the case, then how can this backward class formation displaces an entrenched upper caste ruling class and saves the Republic? It appears that Nandy is caught between two stools. On the one hand, he argues that "corruption in Indiahumanises our society." But all studies of the poor show that they are victims and not beneficiaries of corruption. The scale of corruption in welfare schemes for the poor is notorious. Rajiv Gandhi had famously stated that not much from each welfare Rupee actually reaches the poor. This is no less true now. Experiences with what was called NREGA - a rural employment scheme in recent years has shown that its performance has declined sharply. Further, the Indian political economy which has embraced neo-liberalism is just not concerned with the hopelessness of the poor and the backward. Nandy's humanity has led him to argue that corruption humanises society. But the reverse is true. It is the poor who pay a relatively higher proportion of taxes including indirect taxes on fuel, food etc. Since 1947, if Nandy had his way, the Indian polity and economy would have been near paradise. The power of the so-called corrupt backward classes to provide stability to the system, humanises it and secularises it. This is precisely the kind of utopia that Dr BR Ambedkar warned against in the Constituent Assembly. Contrasting political equality with social and economic inequality, Ambedkar warned that this contradiction if not resolved could have very serious consequences for society and the Constitution itself. The rise of insurgencies as well as social banditry (eg Phoolan Devi, Dadua and others) in various parts of the country is a clear consequence of what Dr Ambedkar had warned. Arguably banditry is also a form of corruption which should lead to equalisation and stability for the Republic, by his standards. Of course, he would not make such a formulation. But in the light of what he, an internationally renowned sociologist and a consistent supporter of the backward classes has stated as cited above, people may read him this way. It is a denial of the promise of social justice and intellectual liberation to attack a thinker because you disagree with him. The Chairperson of the SC/ST Commission had called for

or long, the Congress-led UPA Government has been claiming that it is committed to a strong and effective Lokpal. And for long the Opposition and the social activists agitating for the cause have been rubbishing the claim. Now, it is amply clear why all of these people have been suspicious of the Government's motive. The Union Cabinet's recent endorsement of certain amendments to the Lokpal Bill, which vastly dilute the supremacy of the Lokpal, conclusively demonstrates that the regime just does not want a strong, anticorruption watchdog. The much-awaited Lokpal Bill was intended as the antidote to systemic corruption, but in its present form it resembles a toothless tiger, to say the least. For one, it does not make the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Central Vigilance Commission independent bodies. Though there are provisions for a prosecution wing of the CBI to handle the Lokpal's probes, the body will invariably be answerable to the Government - its appointing authority. Unless the investigating agency is taken out of the Government's control, any tinkering with the law would only be window-dressing. There have been frequent allegations of the CBI being the ruling Congress-led dispensation's 'handmaiden', whose services have been liberally, even brazenly, employed to browbeat the Opposition and coax recalcitrant partners into toeing the Congress's line. Here was a good chance for the UPA Government to invalidate those allegations and redeem itself by unshackling the CBI. But the reluctance to accept certain amendments related to unfettering the CBI from its control -reportedly eight suggestions were made by the Opposition parties and civil rights groups and only one was accepted - has justifiably raised questions about the regime's integrity of purpose. The Government has also shot down a recommendation that an officer assigned by the Lokpal to investigate a case not be transferred without the anti-graft body's approval, on the plea that it was exclusive right of the Government and the CBI chief, as it was an administrative matter. A move to check such transfers, the Government claims, will 'undermine the CBI's autonomy'! What a joke! Again, by rejecting the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee that a public servant accused of corruption must not get a hearing before an investigation against them is sanctioned, the Government has shown that it is not really serious about ensuring probity in public life. Not surprising there are apprehensions that this will not just allow the guilty persons to manipulate or destroy evidence once given the chance, but also severely erode the very purpose of the Bill. A toothless Lokpal, in its present effete form, is ill-equipped to stand the test of time. It will not benefit the people who are fed up with rising corruption in every sphere of public life. The proposed law does not hold out much hope of a way out of this morass. The Government has not done a favour to the people of this country by bringing in this Bill. It seems to have fallen way short of its constitutional duty to ensure a corruption-free regime. The Government has betrayed the people of the country, the anti-corruption activists and the Opposition by endorsing a thoroughly watereddown version of a strong Lokpal Bill.

UPA regime okays weak anti-corruption Bill

Free speech, everything decent, under attack

Nandy's arrest even before giving him a showcause notice, leave alone having a talk with him. Another Dalit leader called for Nandy's arrest under the National Security Act. The political class jumped in. Hardly any of them spoke openly in his support. Of course, intellectuals from the backward classes like Kancha Iliah, Chandra Bhan Prasad, TulsiRam and others are notable exceptions. The upper caste intelligentsia also rallied in some measure but the majority chose to stay away from an issue that had enraged backward classes and their leaders. It is basic to examine the foundational concepts of any theory and relate them to society. Nandy did not do that. And he could not in a brief speech. But his body of work clearly illustrates his commitment to the backward classes and to an egalitarian Republic. One may not agree with Nandy's latest somewhat stray comments. But even reading those does not show him to be a bigoted upper caste/ class intellectual ignorant of the social reality of the poor and the depressed. Building on what Tarun Tejpal and Nandy said in Jaipur, will be a Herculean task. There can and should be any number of nuances because India is complex and diverse. But philosophers and theorist must be given due space and latitude. To cite a famous incident during the Algerian war, a French minister urged President De Gaulle to arrest Jean Paul Sartre for opposing the war. De Gaulle, retorted: "One does not arrest Voltaire". Intellectuals are critical for the development and plurality of India. In such an India, the Ashis Nandys should be cherished.

One last chance for Mr Singh

Self-confident cosmopolitanism in a literature festival

By Swapan Dasgupta hen I first attended the Jaipur Literature Festival six years ago as a speaker for their concluding public debate, the event was held in the Durbar Hall of the Diggi Palace Hotel which could, at best, accommodate some 300 people. These days, the Durbar Hall counts as one among the smaller meeting rooms for the festival, an annual event which, this year, registered something like two lakh 'footfalls'-up by an astounding 80,000 from 2012. The complaint which I have often heard, that the literature festival has been transformed into a generaltamasha where people turn up for no apparent reason, is probably legitimate. This year, I was astonished to see nearly 800 people crowd into the tent where the popular classicist, Tom Holland, delivered a fascinating lecture on how Persia emerged as the middle kingdom in the classical world. I am not sure how much of Holland's erudition sank in but at least there was a sense of relief that no fringe group rushed to the dais to attack the author for his innovative interpretation of early Islam in his earlier work In The Shadow of the Sword. Tom's sibling James, nursing a black eye from a game of cricket the day before, may have had other fears. A military historian with nearly a dozen published works under his belt, he was understandably concerned whether anyone at all would show up for the session on his book Dam Busters, about the 1943 air raid that destroyed two iconic dams in western Germany. As the moderator for the session, I shared James Holland's anxieties. There is, after all, nothing more dispiriting than addressing five drowsy individuals and 295 empty chairs. We did succeed in attracting a modest gathering of some 60 people, including many whose initiation into World War II history was courtesy Combat comics that depicted all Germans as clumsy oafs whose vocabulary didn't extend beyond "achtung" and, for some inexplicable reason, "donner und blitzen". They appreciated James's potted history of the making of the bouncing bombs, the skills and hazards of low-flying precision bombing, and his spirited debunking of the belief that Britain won the war by clinging to the

By Arindam Chaudhuri he Prime Minister has got nothing more to lose. He will not get a third term even if the Congress-led UPA through some miracle returns to power. He can erase the shame of being a non-performer and a non-leader with a dynamic Budget This is the 13th time in 13 years that I am starting the presentation of my Alternative Budget. There have been a few, rare occasions when Union Finance Ministers have unveiled proposals that have made me hopeful about the future of India. On most occasions, the budgets have been a series of fatuous statements and flogged-to-death proposals that have done virtually nothing to make a difference to the fundamental problems that confront India. But I don't need to repeat and rehash a list of those proposals, since every Indian with some knowledge of economics and some common sense knows that budgets have been a spectacular and persistent failure when it comes to solving India's problems. But there is something poignant about 2013. When Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister in 2004 after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi refused the pleadings of her Congress sycophants, he came with unparalleled experience in matters pertaining to administration and economics. After all, wasn't he the man who uncaged both the Indian tiger and the elephant in 1991 through a series of bold and path-breaking measures in his first Budget as Finance Minister? Wasn't he the man who had already served the Government and the nation in a large variety of administrative duties? After all, wasn't he the ultimate

insider who knew how the country is run and what bold steps were required to propel India towards a sustained 10 per cent per year GDP growth rate? Is it any surprise that we have been bitterly disappointed and feel completely let down? Mr Singh has repeatedly failed to say 'no'. He has failed to say 'no' to people like A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi who are alleged to have indulged in unprecedented corruption. He has failed to say 'no' to people like Lalu Prasad who used their clout in 2005 to topple the democratically elected Government of Nitish Kumar. In almost all cases that really matter for the future of India, Mr Singh has failed to say 'no'. He has repeatedly failed this test of leadership. There is no doubt that Mr Singh still carries the aura of unimpeachable integrity and personal financial honesty in public life. But of what use is that integrity and honesty when history will not only judge the UPA Government as the most corrupt, but also the most arrogant, unresponsive and repressive when it comes to dealing with opposition of all hues? And yet, common sense says that there must be a lot of intelligence, a lot of pride, a lot of self- respect and a sense of duty in that man. Surely he knows that he will be the longest-serving Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Surely he knows that both of them, as also PV Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have left behind legacies that may be controversial - but powerful nevertheless. Does Mr Singh want to be a Prime Minister who served for 10 successive years and failed to leave behind a

durable legacy? Surely, there must be some ego in the man, some desire to be remembered fondly, if not very favourably, by history. And it is not as if he does not have options and choices. Let's first eliminate the options that he doesn't have and those he shouldn't exercise. In the first category comes politics. Now, even a school student knows that Mr Singh is a Prime Minister because Ms Gandhi gave him the job. All of us know he remains Prime Minister only as long as Ms Gandhi desires so or thinks it is in her and her family's and the party's interests. So disengaged has this Prime Minister been from the rough and tumble of politics that he has chosen not to contest a Lok Sabha election. In any case, with Rahul Gandhi being anointed as the next leader of the party, there is not much that Mr Singh can do. He also knows that he will not be the Prime Minister again even if the UPA somehow conjures up some magic and wins another term. So what options does Mr Singh really have? The signs have been visible since the summer of 2012, and he must grab the opportunity with both hands. Since 2004, Ms Gandhi and her band of jholawallah members of the NAC have been dictating economic policy. The policy has been simple: Just keep dishing out welfare schemes for the poor and to hell with commonsense economics. Not a single major step to accelerate economic growth has been taken by the UPA Government since 2004. But the chickens have started coming home to roost. Our GDP growth rate, which remained mostly in excess of eight per cent a year during the first decade of this century, has crashed. Luckily for

India, Ms Gandhi seems to have realised in 2012 that there simply is no money with the Government to throw at poor people in the name of welfare schemes named after members of her family. This realisation resulted in the halfhearted attempts at reform that were carried out in the second half of 2012 and subsequently by raising the price of diesel and LPG, by allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail and civil aviation and recently by hiking railway fares. Back in 2008, when I presented my Alternative Budget, I had argued that Budgets had become meaningless exercises because Finance Ministers and Governments were not leveraging the Budget to make fundamental changes. Just recall how just one budget presented by Mr Singh as Finance Minister in 1991 changed the destiny of the Indian economy. Also remember that for all its flaws and all the corruption and plunder, the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has actually resulted in big increases in real wages and real consumption in Indian villages. So the first step is to identify those selected policy changes or budget allocations that can make fundamental changes. So my request to Mr Manmohan Singh is very simple and very clear: For nine years, you have carried on with the tag of being a 'nonperformer' and a non-leader. You also know that there will be no more Budgets with you as Prime Minister after this 2013 exercise, since the one presented in 2014 before the Lok Sabha election would be a vote on account. I appeal not just to your sense of duty and patriotism but also to your sense of history and your ego. This really is the last chance for you to redeem yourself.

coat-tails of the Americans. There was even an awkward smirk on the faces of the handful of Britons when I made a fleeting mention of Squadron Leader Guy Gibson's black Labrador - immortalized by the legendary 1955 film starring Michael Redgrave. Overall, it was a lovely, quirky session that appealed to the handful that appreciated the difference between the Lancaster and the Mosquito. It is this appeal to minority tastes that distinguishes the festival in Jaipur from other similar exercises in India. Yes, there is the ritual genuflection at the altar of 'bhasha' correctness, the mandatory sessions on Bollywood (where Javed Akhtar can hold any audience spellbound) and cricket (this year it was Rahul Dravid's turn to be mobbed), and the invariable celebrations of spiritualism featuring the holiest of holies - the Dalai Lama, no less. But these, I would like to believe, are largely to attract the sponsors. If it wasn't for the large numbers of youngsters who throng to Jaipur - "We never see young faces at similar events in Britain", Howard Jacobson (author of The Finkler Question) told me happily - the likes of Coke, Google and Tata Steel wouldn't have cared to sponsor a literature festival. Two years ago, I even noticed the London Library on St James's Square among the sponsors. It was a noble gesture based on hyperbolic assumptions. Amid all the hype and the needless controversies centred on Salman Rushdie's threatened presence last year and Ashis Nandy's off-the-cuff wisdom this year, there is a paradox that India needs to address. There has been an explosion of literary festivals that amount to a celebration of reading. At the same time, there has been no corresponding growth in either the sale of books or the reading habit. Yes, there has been an exponential growth in the number of publishing houses setting up shop and the numbers of people convinced that they are the next best thing after Salman Rushdie and Amitav Ghosh - for some odd reason, no one talks of Sir Vidia Naipaul any longer. Indeed, the Eton-educated British MP of Ghanian origin, Kwasi Kwarteng, who possesses a wicked sense of humour, offended many literary groupies in Jaipur by suggesting that the Indian who parachuted into a god-for-

saken African country in search of a disaster travelogue was guilty of the same presumptuousness that whites were once charged with by angry 'post-colonial' audiences. Fortunately, as I discovered in Jaipur with an enormous sense of relief and reassurance, earnest young women mouthing platitudes in a language that is both strident and incomprehensible may well be a thing of the past. Or, at least, the phenomenon hasn't seriously infected the Pink City Circus. In a land where, at least for a disproportionate number of English-reading people, the road to enlightenment runs through a Chetan Bhagat novel and an MBA degree, it is easy to intimidate people into looking for the Exit sign at the mention of literature. What used to be a pleasurable activity involving the human experience was successfully transformed by the high priests of 'postmodernism' and other lifestyle diseases into something utterly fearful or, worse still, boring. For me, a worrying feature of literary festivals in India was the nagging fear that the appreciation of books and writing would degenerate into a seminar on the inadequacies of the intellectual architecture of what we, bound up in reams of 'false consciousness', imagined was creative stuff. In what I thought was a piece of delicious irony, the festival organizers scheduled a discussion on Rudyard Kipling involving three of his biographers - Charles Allen, David Gilmour and Andrew Lycett - on the morning of Republic Day. As the moderator for the session, I had gently told the three Britons that they should speak their mind and not be concerned with how Kipling is perceived in the corridors of political correctness. For me, this Republic Day was really an Empire Day as I shuttled between Kipling, Lord Cromer, Lord Lugard and the legacy question. I was struck that the fullthroated demands for the de-colonization of the mind were swamped by the self-confident cosmopolitanism of a generation willing to discuss Empire, appreciate it and laugh at its many thousand absurdities. Jaipur facilitated that conversation because it was structured on the belief that Indians aren't the narrow-minded, dreary, uptight bores the official custodians of taste make them out to be.

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paise (per litre) every month," he said. The Petroleum Minister, however, did not make it clear when would the next revision come. The government had earlier on January 17 permitted the state-run oil marketing companies to set diesel prices in a move that could help the government reduce its Budget-busting subsidy bill. Oil marketing companies immediately followed it up with a price hike of 45 paise per litre effective the following day. Diesel currently costs Rs 47.65 in Delhi, Rs 51.51 in Kolkata, Rs 53.71 in Mumbai and Rs 50.68 in Chennai. NEW DELHI: With a few months to go for the Delhi elections, Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has raised the pitch against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Kejriwal has alleged that the Delhi Police tried to break up his scheduled protest against rising water bills. Kejriwal on Saturday tweeted alleging that the police came and removed the stage and the tent. Earlier he had alleged that the state government was conniving with power distribution companies to levy hefty power bills. NEW DELHI: Five of the six accused of the brutal gangrape have been formally charged by the fast-track court today. The accused have been charged on 13 sections of the Indian Penal Code. They are likely to be awarded death penalty by the court and have been booked under murder, gangrape, kidnapping and sodomy. The gruesome rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student in a moving bus on December 16, had led to widespread protests and anger across the nation. The girl died 13 days later in Singapore. The trial in Delhi gang-rape case will begin from Monday. The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) had declared the sixth accused a minor last month, and his case will be heard by the board. The five accused

Nitish Kumar targets Congress over diesel price hike

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday poked fun at the UPA government over its move to hike diesel prices every month, saying there can be no control on inflation till the Congress party is in power at the Centre. "The government at the Centre takes pleasure in enjoying the prices. As long as the Congress Party will be in power, it would be quite difficult to control inflation," he told the media here. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily yesterday said the diesel prices will be hiked by 40-50 paise per litre every month until

Kejriwal claims Delhi Police trying Delhi gang-rape: Court frames to break up his scheduled protest charges against five accused
are: bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, fruit seller Pawan Gupta, gym instructor Vinay Sharma and bus cleaner Akshay Thakur. All of them are presently in Delhi's Tihar Central Jail. They had also assaulted her male friend (28) who was accompanying her on that unfateful night. Both were thrown out of a moving bus and left naked, bleeding and shivering. The friend is the main witness in the case. The union cabinet had approved an ordinance for enhanced punishment in cases of crimes against women, including sexual assault, acid attacks, voyeurism and trafficking on Friday, as suggested by the Justice J.S. Verma Committee. The government had recommended to President that an ordinance be issued.

the losses from selling the nation's most used fuel at subsidized rates have been completely wiped out. "Until further orders, oil marketing companies can increase it (diesel price) by 40-50

Govt to initiate comprehensive India, Mauritius medical check-ups for children sign MoUs to NEW DELHI: Health acid has been initiated to bed capacity in district hospistrengthen Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad overcome anaemia among 13 tals and medical colleges, Stay away from Internet, TV: has said that the government crore adolescents. The overburdened with increased collaboration in Shivraj Singh Chouhan delivery loads. will soon initiate comprehenMr Azad said that brain. sive medical check-ups for textiles sector
all school going children and even those out of school. He said, a mobile team of doctors with supporting staff for each State has been granted for implementation of universal screening of children. Chairing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Parliament on child health in New Delhi, Azad said a programme for universal supplementation of iron and folic steps are also being taken to create networks of basic and advanced ambulances for covering even the remote and inaccessible areas. He said government will provide funds for purchase of drugs for all types of illness to patients visiting government health facilities to universalise healthcare for all. NEW DELHI: India and Mauritius have signed a number of MoUs to strengthen collaboration in textiles sector. The MoUs include one between Apparel Export Promotion Council and Enterprise Mauritius to establish cooperation in standards compliance and enhancing competitiveness of the apparel industry. An official release said, the MoU between Northern India Research Association and Mauritius Standards Bureau aims to foster cooperation in standardization, quality assurance and conformity assessment activities. C l o t h i n g Manufacturers Association of India and Mauritius Exporters Association will cooperate in fashion and design promotion, education and training through effective knowledge network of textile professionals and industry representatives of the two sides. The MoUs were signed earlier this week.

The Aam Aadmi Party convener also accused Dikshit of stalking an order of the DERC to cut power prices by 23 per cent in 2010. Kejriwal said that in May, 2010 the then DERC chief Berjinder Singh wanted to pass an order to reduce power tariffs but Dikshit asked them to withhold it.

Minister informed the meeting that government has also started funding creation of maternal and child health wing, which will improve the

BJP being defamed under planned conspiracy: Rajnath

NEW DELHI: BJP president Rajnath Singh on Saturday reached out to the Muslim community saying his party is being defamed and maligned continuously over Gujarat riots under a "planned conspiracy". He said BJP did not believe in politics of divide and difference, and appealed the Muslim community to help in removing the "widespread confusion". "BJP is defamed and maligned continuously under a planned conspiracy. You all have seen our government in the Centre when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. Who can say that we did politics by creating differences between humans?" he told a group of Muslim leaders who met him at the party office here. "Our opposition parties allege that BJP is the party which creates enmity (nafrat) between Hindus and Muslims...I want to make an ology and our political thought wants to give only this message that we don't want to create enmity between humans and we don't want to make our government by creating divide." "If we want to make a government, then we want to base it on the politics of humanity and justice," Singh said. He also alleged that many more riots have taken place in the country during the Congress regimes. "Did riots not take place during Congress rule? I can say with confidence that during Congress rule, many more riots took place...We have our government in several of the states...If a riot takes place anywhere, then it should not be assumed that BJP instigated the riot," Singh said.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has come out with a bizarre statement, saying youths should stay away from Internet and television. Addressing a gathering in his home state, Chouhan advised youths to stay away from Internet and television as it many times it shuts down the

"The people who are used to computer just cannot see the outer world," the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said. "Leave television, Internet and join 'akharas' as it keeps the body fit," Chouhan further told the gathering. It was not just the chief minister but his Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta also came up with a bizarre statement. Gupta said according to a study, in 84 percent of the rape cases relatives and acquaintances are involved, so it is not possible to take precautionary measures to prevent such crimes.

IAC takes on Parrikar for 'insulting' Justice Hegde

PANAJI: Taking on Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for trying to "slight" Justice (retd) N Santosh Hegde's credibility, India Against Corruption (IAC) said on Saturday those who criticise the former Karnataka Lokayukta "should have the stature to sit at his feet". "Before making comments about his credibility, those who criticise him should see whether they have the stature to even sit at Hegde's feet," IAC spokesperson Satish Sonak said at a press conference here. On Friday, Parrikar had demanded an apology from Hegde after he accused the Goa government of diluting the state's Lokayukta law. The chief minister challenged the former Supreme Court justice to a public debate on the issue. He said that IAC members were being misguided. Sonak also said the Goa Governor should not give assent to the controversial amendments to the public ombudsman legislation, which he claimed "promotes corruption, instead of arresting it".

Modi has 'country-wide appeal': Naqvi

ALLAHABAD: Amid talks within BJP over prime ministerial candidate, party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday called Narendra Modi a "towering symbol of nationalism" having country-wide appeal, but said there were a number of "capable leaders" and decision will be taken at appropriate time. "Modi has definitely emerged, over the years, as a towering symbol of nationalism with proven record of providing good governance and tackling terrorism and lawlessness," Naqvi said. "Although he is the Modi, his popuer, hastened to add, "We, in the BJP, are proud of the fact that we have a number of capable leaders who have the skill to face any type of challenge. "A formal decision (with regard to projecting a Prime Ministerial candidate) will be taken at an appropriate time," he said. "BJP is not a party in which leaders are chosen on the basis of the family they are born in. It is a party wherein all start off as dedicated workers and rise through the ranks through sheer hard work," Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

appeal to you people. If anyone can remove this widespread confusion, only you people can do this and this beginning should be made from Delhi," he said. Stressing that BJP's ideology did not believe in dividing people, he said, "Our ide-

larity has been gradually growing outside the state and it would not be wrong to say that he has gained a country-wide appeal," he said. The BJP leader, howev-

President inaugurates Surajkund International Crafts Mela today

NEW DELHI: The 27th Surajkund crafts mela in Fraidabad district of Haryana was formally declared open by the President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday. Surajkund International Crafts Mela, a 15-day annual cultural extravaganza showcasing the country's rich handicrafts, cuisine and culture, started Friday on a vibrant note. Addressing the audience after inaugurating the fair President Mr Mukherjee said that Indian states have progressed in showcasing culture, which is a part of Ancient India`s way of life. He said that Indian Handicraft Industries have added in foreign exchange of the country. Artistes and craftspersons from across the country and globe besides those from neighbouring SAARC nations and Eurasian countries like Ta j i k i s t a n , Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan would display their craft at the annual fair, which has been upgraded to an international crafts fair now. The Surajkund crafts fair would also showcase folk dancers from various parts of the country. This year the focus state is Karnataka and more than 300 craftspersons, weavers, artisans, folk musicians and dancers from the state will bring alive the Mela with a colourful and vibrant display of their unique talent. Displaying the cultural and archaeological heritage of Karnataka in an aesthetic grounds. Besides finest handloom and handicrafts display, authentic flavours of rich Indian cuisines are the major attraction at the Surajkund fair. A grand stage has been set for the artistes and craftspersons. A wide variety of handlooms, painstaking designed by craftspersons with skilled strokes replicate the traditions and culture of our country. The marvels of many ancient techniques of art blended with the rustic environment of the Mela has left a profound impact on the visitors, who never miss their date with the Mela. And not to anyone's surprise, the first day of the Mela saw a good attendance and even foreigners visiting the country. "The celebration of the simple joys of rural life and reverence of epic traditions all mingle well. All these colourful events are also presented before the audience in the open-air theatre named Natyashala," a statement from Haryana Tourism said. The cultural programmes at Natyashala this evening saw a scintillating performance by a cultural troupe of Karnataka. The Mela will open to public from 1 PM on February 2 after its formal inauguration.

Poll expenses have doubled in five years in Tripura

AGARTALA: The budget for the February 14 Assembly Elections in Tripura has more than doubled compared to the last polls in 2008, an official said here on Saturday. "The budget to conduct the Assembly Elections was Rs 8 crore in 2008 in Tripura. For the Feb 14 elections, it would be Rs 20 crore," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal said. He said: "As Tripura has 60 Assembly segments (seats), per Assembly constituency, election management spending would be Rs 33.33 lakh." The steep rise in polling expenses is caused, in the main, by the hike in price of paper, increased transportation costs, which also push up the cost of bringing paramilitary troopers for security during the polls, and the hike in allowances to officials involved in the process. The maximum limit of per candidate expenditure stipulated by the Election Commission in three poll-bound northeastern states is Rs 8 lakh. The CEO said that the Election Commission has appointed one expenditure observer for each district to oversee the expenses of the candidates and their parties, and to monitor any illegal monetary deals. The official said that during the 2008 Assembly Elections, 37 candidates of various parties and independents have been disqualified; they have been barred from contesting elections for six years. Besides Leftruled Tripura (Feb 14), two more northeastern states -- Meghalaya and Nagaland -- will go to polls on Feb 23. Results of all three states' Assembly polls will be announced Feb 28.

manner, replicas of the magnificent gates of the Mysore Palace, architectural styles of Belur, Hampi and the world famous monument of Jain Basadis and Bijapur have been put up at the Mela

RTE does not apply to nursery admission: Tharoor

KOLKATA: Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor said the right to education (RTE) does not apply to nursery admissions. "The RTE doesn't apply to nursery admissions as the law specifies eight years of compulsory schooling from the age of six to 14. Nursery children are younger than that," Tharoor said. "As a social mechanism, a school's admission policy has to take into account the enormous pressure of applications. The ministry can only help in encouraging a certain policy. But when children get into the six-14 age-group, I assure nobody will be left out. Nursery admissions are a little more complicated and the ministry cannot decide," Tharoor said. Shashi Tharoor said that he was worried that segments of society claimed the "right to be offended" and pointed out that the expression of heretical views was often necessary for an "evolution of culture". "This is an era when segments of society claim the right to be offended and... it is for the rest of us to pay attention to their sense of offence. This cuts across political lines, state governments and central government, and is a nationwide phenomenon," Tharoor said at the Kolkata Literary Meet, when asked to comment on the "Viswaroopam" controversy. "As a writer, I have to say that one great trend of our civilisation has been the ability to watch culture evolve through the expression of heretical views," said the diplomat-turnedpolitician. While stressing on the state or "If the law, for example, provides for a censor board to decide whether a film offends certain social sensibilities, whether it must be cut, and so on, and then the censor board issues a certificate for the film to be released... it worries me that it can then be second-guessed by the intolerant behaviour of certain groups." Tharoor said he would prefer the government to be on the side of creative freedom, though in most cases over the last 10-15 years it has played safe politically, "going on the side of those who claim to be offended". "Shouldn't the government be defending those people and act against those who incite violence?" he asked. However, Tharoor then turned to practical questions referring to the statement from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha pointing out that it was impossible for the police force to protect every theatre in the state that screened "Viswaroopam". "So all these calculations... it is not so simple. There is an obligation to uphold law and the constitution, and there is an obligation to maintain law and order," Tharoor said. "We live in a society where such things have happened in the past, and where protests on various issues have escalated into violence and loss of life. So you can't entirely blame the government, police and law and order machinery for being conscious of these dangers as well," he said.

Minimum temperatures rise across Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH: People reeling under cold conditions in Punjab and Haryana for past several days on Saturday got the muchneeded respite as minimum temperature rose between 27 notches above normal in both the states. The minimum at Chandigarh rose by over four degrees since yesterday and six above normal to settle at 13 deg C, the MeT office said here. Among other places in Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded respective minimums of 13.4 deg C and 13.6 deg C, up by six and seven notches. Amritsar's minimum settled at 7 deg C, two above normal level. In Haryana, Ambala, Karnal and Bhiwani recorded above normal lows of 13.4 deg C, 10.8 deg C and 13.2 deg C respectively. Hisar's minimum rose by eight notches since yesterday to settle at 13.6 deg C, while Narnaul recorded a low of 8.6 deg C, four degrees above normal. Meanwhile, fog enveloped various parts of the region early today including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Karnal and Ambala. The MeT in its forecast said light rains may occur at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana until tomorrow.

central government's duty to uphold the law and the constitution, he expressed apprehension that "the intolerant behaviour of certain groups" could undermine the work done by statutory bodies like the censor board.

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the school wouldn't discuss specific student cases. A school spokesman, citing student privacy, also wouldn't arship.. Harvard Undergraduate Council President Tara Raghuveer said that the The 20-year-old junior also said there are a lot of questions about whether the take-home exam's instructions were clear enough when it came to expectations about group work. She said both students and professors are being careful to discuss collaboration policies now. Raghuveer also said the school community should make an effort to embrace the students who withdrew for disciplinary reasons when they come back to campus. "The students who are implicated in this scandal from last spring still need to be recognized as members of our community. They shouldn't feel alienated from Harvard," she said. "This was an unfortunate incident. Students are being punished accordingly."

Scores of Harvard students suspended in cheating scandal

NEW YORK: Around 60 Harvard University students were suspended "for a period of time" after cheating on a final Congress exam, the school's administration said. As many as 125 students were implicated when the scandal broke last year. Harvard University said it issued academic sanctions against about 60 students who were forced to withdraw from school for a period of time in a cheating scandal that involved the final exam in a class on Congress, drawing criticism from a high-profile alumnus. The school implicated as many as 125 students in the scandal when officials first addressed the issue last year. The inquiry started after a teaching assistant in a spring semester undergraduate-level government class detected problems in the take-home test, including that students may have shared answers.

French president visits Mali to support French troops

TIMBUKTU: French President Francois Hollande arrived in Mali on Saturday on a one-day visit to support French troops fighting a campaign against Islamist rebels in the Sahel nation. Hollande, accompanied by his ministers for defense, foreign affairs and development, flew into Sevare in central Mali, He was due to go on to Timbuktu, the famed Saharan trading town which was recaptured from the rebels. The French leader was expected to outline the next phase of the mission for the French forces, which in a three-week intervention launched at Mali's request have pushed the Islamist fighters into the desert and mountains of the remote northeast.

In a campus-wide email, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael D. Smith said the school's academic integrity board had resolved all the cases related to the cheating probe. Smith's said in email that

say if any athletes had withdrawn or say which teams might have been affected. The dean said a school committee is working on recommendations to strengthen a culture of academic honesty and promote ethics in schol-

cheating investigation has been a hot topic on campus for months. She said some students started the new school year without knowing if they'd be allowed to finish it because of the lengthy period of time the probe took.

Hollande has said that the French operation, which has 3,500 soldiers on the ground in Mali backed by warplanes, helicopters and armored vehicles, wants to hand over to a larger U.N backed African force which is still being deployed. Sustained French airstrikes have forced fighters from the Islamist militant alliance that was occupying northern Mali to retreat into

the remote Adrar des Ifoghas Mountains near the Algerian border. The rebels are also believed to be holding their seven French hostages previously seized in the Sahel. In their three-week offensive, the French forces recaptured last weekend, with little resistance from the rebels, the two main towns in northern Mali, Gao and the fabled ancient city of Timbuktu.

5.5 magnitude quake hits off Taiwan

TAIPEI: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Taiwan on Saturday, the island's Seismology Center said, but there were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties. The tremor, which was also felt in the capital Taipei in the north, struck at 11:39 am (0339 GMT), 46.9 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Hualien on the east coast, at a depth of 16.9 kilometers under the sea, the centre said. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes. In September 1999, a 7.6magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's recent history.

Malala's name submitted for Nobel Peace prize 2013

ISLAMABAD: Members of Norway's' Parliament from the ruling Labour Party, Fredy de Ruiter, Gorm Kjernli and Magne Rommetveit, have submitted the name of Malala Yousufzai to the Norwegian Nobel Committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize. The Labour Party's website described Malala Yousufzai as "a Pakistani pupil and blogger who attained global fame when she was shot in the head by Taliban in October for criticizing the militant group on her blog". Malala was "engaged in children's specially girl's right to education", the website said. The group of Norwegian MPs recommended that "Malala receive the Nobel Peace Prize 2013 for her courageous fight for girl's right to education, her commitment seemed so threatening to extreme forces that they chose to kill her". The MPs said that her story "has made great impression on people all over the world. She represents a young generation that uses social media to get their message about girls' rights and equal opportunities across". They believed that Malala was "a worthy winner for many reasons. She has become an important symbol in the fight against destructive forces that want to prevent democracy, equality and human rights".

Yemen troops kill 12 'Qaeda militants'

ADEN: Yemen's armed forces killed 12 suspected Al-Qaeda militants in an assault on their mountain hideout in the country's restive south, an official in the region said on Saturday. The military used artillery and aircraft to target the hideout near Shaqra, 35 kilometres (22 miles) from the Abyan capital of Zinjibar, in the operation late on Friday, the official said on condition of anonymity. Among those killed was Belidi Tawfiq, the brother of one of Al-Qaeda's leaders in Abyan province, the official added. Luhishi Hussein, a leader of a paramilitary unit that supports the military against the jihadist network in southern Yemen, said the operation resulted in "more than 10 deaths in the ranks of Al-Qaeda". The militants had been holed up in the area after being driven out of cities and towns in the region following a military offensive launched in June last year. AlQaeda took advantage of the weakness of Yemen's central government during an uprising in 2011 against now-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh to seize large swathes of territory across the south.

Battle of Stalingrad: Russia marks 70th anniversary of key WWII

VOLGOGRAD: Russia on Saturday marks 70 years since the Battle of Stalingrad, a turning point in World War Two in which the Red Army defeated the Nazis. President Vladimir Putin is expected to lead tributes in Volgograd, renamed Stalingrad for the day. The city of Volgograd was renamed Stalingrad for a day Saturday as Russia marked the 70-year anniversary of a brutal battle in which the Red Army defeated Nazi forces and changed the course of World War II. Commuter buses emblazoned with pictures of the feared Soviet dictator ran across the southern city as patriotic Russians remembered what many view as the Soviet people's greatest achievement. The half-year battle in 1943 in the city on the Volga River much of it fought in hand-to-hand combat across the ruined streets claimed the lives of two million people on both sides and eventually led to the German troops' surrender. The battle marked Hitler's first big defeat and led to a Nazi retreat from Soviet territory after a lightning June 1941 invasion that had caught Stalin completely unaware. The pulverized city was renamed Volgograd in 1961 after Soviet leaders admitted the extent of Stalin's tyranny during his decades in power. "We will defend our country by commemorating the great Battle of Stalingrad our great victory," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said veterans who gathered on the city's central square at the start of the commemorations ceremony. Analysts believe this has helped him maintain support among many of the older middle class voters in the face of the first street protests of his rule among the young.

ECONOMY

NEWDELHI: Freebies and subsidies alone would not help in economic development and youth should seek self-employment, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today, "If a country needs to grow, its people stand on their feet and see a strong economic growth, it cannot depend on freebies and subsidies alone. My high command and myself have a clear direction on the progress of the nation," he said here inaugurating 17 branches of REPCO Bank in Tamil Nadu

Freebies, subsidies alone won't help development: Chidambaram Centre presided over coal, oil allocation though states approve leases
ernment to create jobs or self-employment for its youth. "The UPA Government has a clear vision of creating jobs for its youth. But there are hurdles. If the branch of a bank is opened, then a question is being raised...," he said. "A friend of mine commented saying by opening bank branches, people have been made debtors. There is nothing wrong in taking loan for creating business and self- employment. Only taking bribe is wrong and not a loan...," he said. He said it was "genuine" demand of the people seeking loan for various purposes like education, housing and agricultural activities. The Finance Minister, who extended loan for youths who had started a Self-Help group (SHG), said youths should form more SHGs. The countries where people were self employed had the prospects of being strong country. "I have strong faith in that," he said. The youths should choose a path and continue in that without any fear, having strong faith in their path of self development and self employment, he added. Noting that his Ministry had begun the process of converting REPCO Bank which has over 85 branches into a full-fledged bank in line with Indian Bank and Indian Overseas Bank, Chidambaram said he would take up the issue with Reserve Bank. NEWDELHI: With allocation of natural resources being at the centre of major disputes, the entire legal framework governing minerals and even crude oil has come in for a review. Questions are being raised on the very power of the Union government to allot rights for coal and oil despite several years of the Centre exercising these powers A government official familiar with the legal framework said the Union government tried to harmonize the provisions of the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. While the first one restricts persons eligible to get coal mines to certain categories and the Centre has the power to notify these categories, Section 10 of MMDR Act says that application for all the three stages of mining--reconnaissance, prospecting, and mining lease will be made to the state government and on receipt of an application under this section, states may, grant or refuse to grant the permit, license or lease. He said instead of keeping the discretion of allotting coal mines at the central level through the screening committee, the Centre should have framed rules and guidelines under MMDR Act in respect of coal separately, in sync with the Coal Mines Nationalization Act. "There is already a provision for safeguarding that requires the Centre to give its prior approval before issue of lease," he said. While the Supreme Court had last week questioned the Centre's power under MMDR Act, 1957, to allocate coal blocks, in the case of oil, Nagaland wants to have its own bidding round. The basis of Nagaland's claim is that the Constitution gives state government the right over land and its resources and, therefore, it can go ahead and allot oil and gas blocks. The Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, however, rests the power of regulation and development of oilfields and mineral oil resources, mines and mineral with the Centre under entry 53 and 54. Mines and mineral development are part of the State List as well but here they are subject to the powers conferred on the Centre. The Rules also specify that the Centre, if it deems fit, may from time to time notify in the official Gazette particulars regarding the basis on which the Central Government may be prepared to consider proposals for prospecting or mining operations in any specified areas. Though MMDR Act is being overhauled with the new Bill being discussed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, a simultaneous reform in coal was not possible because the ministry did not want to give up its discretionary power, said the person who did not want to be quoted. "Administration will be easier if coal and other major minerals are dealt the similar way in the Bill."

and Puducherry. Noting that freebies and subsidies can be provided in the beginning, he said, it was the responsibility of the gov-

India, Gibraltar sign Tax Information Exchange Agreement

LONDON: India and Gibraltar have signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) that among other things calls for transparent sharing of information. The Agreement was signed yesterday by Jaimini Bhagwati, High Commissioner of India to the UK from Indian side and Gilbert Licudi QC, Minister with the responsibility of Financial Services, Gibraltar on behalf of Gibraltar. This is the 13th TIEA being signed by India. So far India has signed TIEAs with Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Isle of Man, Cayman Islands, Jersey, Macau, Liberia, Argentina, Guernsey, Bahrain and Monaco. As per the agreement, based on international standard of transparency and exchange of information, information must be foresee ably relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic laws of the Contracting Parties concerning taxes covered by the agreement. It also provides for tax examination abroad and has specific provisions for providing banking and ownership information. The salient features of the agreement also say that the requesting state has to provide some minimum details about the information requested in order to justify the foresee ably relevance criteria. Information is to be treated as secret and can be disclosed to only specified person or authorities, which are tax authorities or the authorities concerned with the determination of tax appeal, it says. It also provides for use of information for non tax purposes with the written consent of the Competent Authority of the requested Party. There is a specific provision that the requested Party shall provide upon request the information even though that Party may not need such information for its own tax purposes. The agreement also provides for exchange of past information in criminal matters.

RBI may cut key debt ratio for lenders in next fiscal year
COLOMBO: The Reserve Bank of India is considering cutting the held-tomaturity ( HTM) ratio for lenders starting in April, while also looking into bond purchases via open market operations in the next two months to improve liquidity, a top official said on Saturday. A cut in HTM - which is a type of debt that banks must be hold till maturity is aimed at spurring banks to lend more and boost a sluggish economy poised to grow at its slowest pace in a decade. The limit is currently set at 25 percent but traditionally has been aligned with the banks' statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), or the mandated portion of deposits which banks must invest in government bonds and other approved securities, which is currently at 23 percent. "Maybe we can do it in a phased manner, quarterly basis, half yearly basis till the time it is phased out," RBI deputy governor H.R. Khan said. "Implementation could be from early The RBI uses several tools to manage the country's persistent cash deficit, including requiring banks to hold onto different categories of debt via the HTM and SLR ratios or buying bonds from investors. The HTM can be reshuffled after obtaining the central bank's permission. The RBI had said in October it was looking into a recommendation from a central bank committee to cut the HTM ceiling, bringing it in line with the SLR. Traders have said a reduction in the HTM limit could hit bond prices, given debt supply would increase as banks would be allowed to sell some of their tied-up securities. Concerns about India's liquidity deficit have been exacerbated in recent days as the government has been cutting spending to meet its fiscal deficit target of 5.3 percent for the fiscal year ending in March. As a result, India's bond yields rose to a near one-month high on Friday. The RBI on January 29 cut the cash reserve ratio (CRR), yet another liquidity tool through which the central bank sets the amount of cash deposits that lenders must hold. Khan said the RBI could still resort to OMOs in February and March, the last two months of the current fiscal year, and was watching government spending."There could be OMOs in the next 2 months," he added.

next year," he added, referring to the fiscal year that starts in April.

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captain. Delhi Daredevils, who have a Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals are two teams who would be MUMBAI: For the first time since the BCCI launched the Indian Premier League (IPL), and other countries followed suit, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has found it imperative to accommodate the fast-sprouting Twenty20 leagues in the international calendar by allowing it a separate window. If the move is taken forward and implemented, it has the potential to severely affect the number of bilateral commitments of each member board country as the ICC will have to ensure a window for every T20 league across the world. At an ICC board meeting in Dubai this week, the need to integrate 'domestic' T20 leagues into the regular international cricket calendar was discussed. It was agreed that such an inclusive calendar was required so that the sanctity of the governing body's schedule, in the form of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), can be preserved. The IPL, for instance, is generally played in the months of April and May; that's precisely when Australia, England and South Africa travel for international tours or play in home matches, leading to unavailability of players and even forcing them to choose between club or country. Similarly, when Australia hosted the Big Bash in December and January, India were busy hosting England and Pakistan at home, New Zealand were gearing up to take on South Africa and West Indies had just about finished with their Bangladesh tour. In between the IPL and the Big Bash, there is the English domestic season and the T20 Champions League too. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Premier League, involving seven teams, that started on January 18 will end on February 19, even as Australia are playing the West Indies and South Africa are hosting Pakistan. The ICC appears to be looking at this clash of tourna-

8 ICC considers separate window for T20 leagues

ments that has led to a lot of heartburn. However, the discussion raised a very important question: how will the windows for T20 leagues affect the international calendar, and bilateral series? "This will mean a step in the reverse direction, especially as expensive television deals have already been signed (by member boards) for their respective multi-format cricket seasons," says an administrator. "It's like ICC looking to mess with its own structure and revenue stream," he adds. The bigger question though is: Will the BCCI agree? If BCCI agrees to ICC's idea of having a window for IPL, it will mean allowing the governing body to dictate when exactly the tournament should be played. It will also mean allowing the Big Bash a similar window, and the Indian board having to deal with the likely obligation of sending its players Down Under just like Cricket Australia does.

IPL 6: Franchises to bid for players today

CHENNAI: Australian captain Michael Clarke and former skipper Ricky Ponting are likely to attract most attention when the nine franchises sit for the players' auction of the Indian Premier League 6 on Sunday. While 101 players will go under the hammer during the auction, which will be only for the next edition, Clarke and Ponting, who are in the highest base price bracket of USD 400,000 (approx Rs 2.1 crore) will be the sought after players. In Clarke, some of the franchises like Mumbai Indians see a potential leader after Harbhajan Singh relinquished the post. According to IPL sources, Mumbai Indians are likely to loosen their purse strings for the current Aussie captain, who played six matches for the Sahara Pune Warriors during the last edition. Clarke could also be a good choice for the Pune Warriors in case their marquee player Yuvraj Singh decides to only concentrate on his batting. Warriors have a purse of over USD 3 million and can indulge into

a bidding war for Clarke but according to one of their officials, "It is not necessary that if you have money, you need to spend it." Ponting, who played four matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in first edition of IPL can be an interesting pick considering his performance for Hobart Hurricanes in the recently concluded Big Bash League. He has couple of 60 plus scores to show for his effort against Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunders. An official, who has closely been associated with the auctions, felt that Hyderabad Sun Risers might look at Ponting as a potential mentor-cum-

team loaded with quality pacers might look at roping in Ajantha Mendis, who is available at a base price of USD 50,000. Chennai Super Kings is one team, which has a settled look, barring a new ball bowler. Among the crop of bowlers available, West Indies' Ravi Rampaul can prove to be a handy customer at a base price of USD 50,000 as no one has any idea about Jerome Taylor's current form. India and CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's close friend Rudra Pratap Singh, who has been released by Mumbai Indians, is available at a base price of USD 100,000.

going into the auction with highest purses (around USD 6 million) and would have the luxury of bidding for some of the players of their choice. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders also has a tea, that looked settled and may not be very active at the auction which is expected to be a low-key affair. "We are not going into the auction aiming at a particular player but we will definitely track the proceedings. Let's see how it pans out and may be if we find a player interesting enough to put our money on, we might go for it," a senior support staff of the franchise said.

BCCI keen on taking Test matches to small towns

NEW DELHI: With attendance dwindling at major Test match venues across the country, some BCCI working committee members are batting in favour of staging Tests in smaller centres, a formula which seems to have worked with One-day Internationals. According to sources, a proposal to this effect is already with the BCCI, with Rajkot and Cuttack being proposed as additional Test venues. Some BCCI members strongly feel two more venues should also be added to the proposed list, while others in the working committee want the number of Test venues to be increased from 10 to at least 15. "The attendance in Test matches at bigger venues hasn't been great in recent days and so it's important to take Test cricket to smaller centres in future," a top BCCI official said. Currently, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mohali, Kanpur, Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad host Test matches on a rotation Women's World Cup, saying, "The opening match of the tournament between India and the West Indies had around 100 to 200 spectators at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai. But on Friday, the match between Pakistan and Australia was witnessed by 4,000 spectators in Cuttack. This is not men's cricket but one can still see the enthusiasm." However, some members in the BCCI feel Test match attendances at smaller venues will dwindle once the novelty factor wears off. There are concerns over pitch preparation, proper hotels and flight services too.There is also the issue of some venues not owning their own stadium, with the grounds being on lease from the state government. This is been a hindrance during the IPL. All these factors will have to be taken into consideration before hosting Test matches in smaller centers.

Djokovic wins, takes Serbia closer to Davis Cup quarters

LONDON:Top seeds Spain moved to the brink of a shock Davis Cup exit on Friday when their weakened team slumped to a 2-0 deficit at the hands of Canada in a world group, first round tie played on lightning quick Vancouver hardcourts. Novak Djokovic was in no mood for upsets, however, and earlier got right back in the groove after his Australian Open triumph with a crushing defeat of Olivier Rochus as Serbia surged into a 2-0 lead in Belgium. Holders Czech Republic were locked at 1-1 after the first day against a Switzerland side minus world number two Roger Federer - Tomas Berdych levelling the tie after Lukas Rosol had been outplayed by Stanislas Wawrinka. Germany's hopes of beating Argentina in Buenos Aires suffered a cruel blow, however, as Philipp Kohlschreiber was forced to retire with a hamstring injury when serving for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set against Carlos Berlocq. A later win for Juan Monaco over Florian Mayer meant Argentina ended the day 2-0 ahead as did France and Kazakhstan in their ties against Israel and Austria respectively. Croatia and Italy were locked at 1-1 in Turin while the United States took a commanding 2 0 lead over Brazil in Jacksonville after Sam Querrey dispatched Thomaz Bellucci in straight sets and John Isner thumped Thiago Alves.

Davis Cup: India go down 0-2 to Korea on day one

NEW DELHI: The inexperienced Indian side lost both their singles matches in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie against South Korea after debutants V M Ranjeet and Vijayant Malik suffered contrasting defeats here on Saturday. Debutant Ranjeet lost tamely 1-6 0-6 1-6 in an hour and 23 minutes against South Korean opponent Cho Min-Hyeok in the first singles of the first-round tie at the R K Khanna Tennis stadium, however 22-year-old Malik fought his heart out but conIndia tennis player Virali-Murugesan Ranjeet plays a shot ceded the second singles against against South Korean opponent Cho Min-Hyeok during the Korean No 1 Suk-Young Jeong due first singles match of the Davis Cup. to cramps in his left leg. Malik was trailing 4-6 5-7 0-3 against Jeong, ranked 216 must-win doubles rubber . India missed the services of top players, places above him. Leander Paes, the only top player in the including India's No. 1 Somdev Devvarman, hosts line-up, and Purav Raja will now take who had made themselves unavailable due to on Yong-Kyu Lim and Ji Sung Nam in the their differences with the AITA.

basis. In recent times, centres like Rajkot, Ranchi, Indore, Cuttack, Jaipur, Kochi, Pune and even Dharamshala have successfully hosted ODIs and attracted large crowds. "There is no reason to believe that these venues can't stage Test matches too. Enthusiasm is high among fans in smaller centres and they still love their cricket," a BCCI official said. Some also cited the example of the ongoing ICC

Jeev climbs into top-5 at Dubai Classic

DUBAI: Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh had a brilliant par-birdie-eagle start as he went on to compile a second successive five-under 67 that catapulted him to tied fourth with one more round to go in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday. Jeev is now 14-under for three rounds, but Scotland's Stephen Gallacher simply ran away with an amazing 10under 62 that included a 40yard bunker shot for eagle at the last The 38-year-old, Gallacher, had a magical 62 and he goes into the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic three strokes ahead of South African Richard Sterne. The other Indian in the field, SSP Chowrasia did not have a very good day as he slipped down 23 places with a 74 that now sees him at three-under 213 and in tied 63rd place. Jeev was three-under through and for a brief period he was in tied lead. He added another birdie on eighth and then another on the 13th, but on many other holes, he missed chances. It was raining and a bit cloudy in the morning, but there was no stoppage. Gallacher, nephew of former Ryder Cup Captain Bernard, has won only once in more than 400 European Tour events and that was nine years ago on home soil at St Andrews. Gallacher was joint runner-up with Lee Westwood in this event last February and might never have a better chance to lift another trophy. Dane Thorbjrn Olesen is three shots back in third and then comes a further two shot gap to England's Tommy Fleetwood, Jeev Milkha Singh and Chile's Felipe Aguilar. Gallacher's round contained two eagles and the first of those at the long 13th was nearly an albatross. It is only four years since the former Scottish and European Amateur Champion had to return to The European Tour Qualifying School during a battle with the viral infection sarcoidosis that affected his lungs and joints. But he came through that and is now poised for a victory that would lift him from 111th on the Official World Golf Ranking into the top 60 for the first time.

AITA felicitates legends, but most miss the ceremony

NEW DELHI: It was a ceremony meant to honour their commitment to India's Davis Cup campaign over the years but just two of the eight chosen were present when the All India Tennis Association felicitated them in a brief ceremony on Sunday. J a i d e e p Mukherjee and Leander Paes were the only ones present at the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium as AITA's chief guest Shatrughan Sinha gave away the 'inaugural Davis Cup Commitment Trophy' amid roaring applause from the crowd. The others who were chosen for the honour were Anand and Vijay Amritraj, Ramesh and Ramanthan Krishnan, the late Premjit Lal and the disgruntled Mahesh Bhupathi. While Bhupathi giving the ceremony a miss was understandable given his bitter relationship with the AITA, others, barring Lal, had already conveyed their inability to be there much in advance. For the record, Mukherjee, who made his Davis Cup debut in 1960 against Thailand, enjoyed a winloss ratio of 62-35 in the Davis Cup. Paes, on the other hand, is involved in his 49th Davis Cup tie -- the ongoing one against South Korea.This award was conceived as part of the ITF's 2013 Centenary celebrations for players who have shown long-standing dedication towards representing their country in this competition. To be eligible for it, a player should have competed in a minimum of 20-home-and-away ties or 50 ties at any level of the competition (including Zone Group events) over their career. A total of 299 players qualified to receive the award, of whom 252 are still alive.

Fiery Steyn destroys Pakistan for 49

WANDERERS: South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn took six for eight as Pakistan collapsed to their lowest Test total of 49 on the second day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Saturday. Pakistan's previous lowest innings total was 53 against Australia in Sharjah in 2002. Steyn, the world's leading paceman, recorded his best Test figures at home against a Pakistan batting lineup who were unable to cope with the pace and bounce of a lively Wanderers' pitch. South Africa were dismissed for 253 after winning the toss and electing to bat with Pakistan off-spinner Mohammed Hafeez capturing a career-best four for 16. Steyn dismissed Hafeez in his first over of the day when the opener got a faint edge which went straight through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers after failing to add to his overnight total of six. Debutant Nasir Jamshed survived a television referral from Vernon Philander when the bowler was convinced he had him lbw, only for the replay to confirm the ball was going over the top. Two balls later, Steyn swung the ball into Jamshed (2) and trapping him in front. The batsman challenged the South African onslaught. They managed to tentatively push the score on to 36 before Ali (13) received a evidence of a nick on the hot spot replay but third umpire Steve Davis from Australia chose to overturn the decision. The session got worse for Pakistan when Asad Shafiq (1) chased a wide delivery from Philander and succeeded only in edging to de Villiers for his fourth catch of the innings. Two balls later and a reckless Umar Gul (0) flayed at another wide delivery, the edge providing Graeme Smith with a comfortable catch in the slips. Saeed Ajma lasted just two balls after lunch before he became Steyn's fourth victim. The thick edge was flying to first slip but de Villiers produced a diving effort to take the catch. Steyn picked up his fifth wicket when he induced an edge from Sarfraz Ahmed that was much simpler for de Villiers, who equaled the South African record for most wicketkeeper dismissals in a Test innings held jointly by Mark Boucher and Dennis Lindsay. The innings was completed when Rahat Ali edged to Faf du Plessis in the slips and was out for a duck. Steyn was once again the wicket taker.

umpire Billy Bowden's decision, but this time Hawk-eye had the ball crashing into the leg stump. Veteran Younus Khan lasted just five balls before he pushed forward to a full Steyn delivery and edged to Graeme Smith at first slip without scoring. Forty-two dots ball in a row followed Younus's dismissal as Azhar Ali and captain Misbahul-Haq tried simply to survive

vicious bouncer from Kallis that was headed for his throat. He tried to get his bat in the way, but could only fend the ball to De Villiers behind the stumps. Misbah (12) became Kallis' second victim in controversial circumstances after Bowden gave a caught behind decision not out and South Africa reviewed. There appeared to be no

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