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Boston Globe

PoK attacker identified as Baitullah Mehsud's man

Zee News - ‎5 hours ago‎

Islamabad, June 27: The suicide bomber, who carried out the first-ever suicide bombing in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir, was on Saturday identified as a Taliban militant from Waziristan, with media reports saying the incident could trigger an ...

Two killed in suicide attack in PoK Hindu

After Swat, PoK left singed by Taliban fire Times of India

BBC News - AFP - Daily Times - Rising Kashmir

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Indian Express

Pre-monsoon showers in Delhi by June-end: Official

Times of India - ‎6 hours ago‎

NEW DELHI: Delhi and its neighbouring states can expect some respite from the sweltering heat with a Met official on Saturday predicting pre-monsoon showers in the region by month-end.

Monsoon may advance towards MP: MET Indian Express

Monsoon advances to central region Reuters India

Press Information Bureau (press release) - Daily News & Analysis - Chennai Online - Indopia

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Nandan Nilekani: the face of India tech‎ - 21 hours ago

By John Boudreau Portrait of Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys Technologies, one of the iconic Indian outsourcing companies. He has just written a book ...

San Jose Mercury News - 271 related articles »

The National ID Card Challenge for Nandan Nilekani.. Part I‎ - Blogger News Network - 4 related articles »

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Nandan Nilekani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nandan M. Nilekani was born in Bangalore, Karnataka on June 2, 1955 as the younger son of Durga and Mohan Rao Nilekani. Both Nandan and his brother, Vijay, ...
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Infosys - About Infosys | Management Profiles | Nandan M. Nilekani

Nandan M. Nilekani - Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Nandan M. Nilekani is the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Infosys Technologies Limited. ...
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Nilekani to have Cabinet minister rank as Identification project ...

26 Jun 2009 ... Nilekani, who will quit his job as co-chairman of the Rs 22000 crore Infosys ... Nilekani's is the most significant appointment since 1987, ...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Nilekani-to.../4701148.cms - Similar -

Nilekani: IT icon or rock star?- Software-Infotech-The Economic Times

25 Jun 2009 ... Nandan M Nilekani has clearly emerged as the most famous of those who created India's widely idolised IT company - Infosys. ...
economictimes.indiatimes.com/.../Nilekani-IT.../4701627.cms - Cached - Similar -

Nilekani to step down as Infosys board member, co-chairman ...

25 Jun 2009 ... BANGALORE: Nandan Nilekani is all set to step down as co-chairman and board member of Infosys Technologies after he takes over as the ...
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Nilekani made govt programme chief, gets Cabinet rank

25 Jun 2009 ... Nandan Nilekani resigned as Co-Chairman of Infosys Technologies and its board on Thursday, following his appointment as Chairman of an ...
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Nandan Nilekani Profile - Nandan Nilekani Biography - Information ...

Here is a brief profile and biography of Nandan Nilekani. Read about information on Nandan Nilekani of Infosys.
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Imagining India » Blog Archive » For a million Slumdog Millionaires

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and head of Infosys, India's largest IT ... Nilekani draws a comparison between Indian movies of the 1970s and ...
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Nandan Nilekani may get charge of national ID card project

22 Jun 2009 ... Latest news, breaking news - Nandan Nilekani may get charge of national ID card project.
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Nandan Nilekani's ideas for India's future | Video on TED.com

TED Talks Nandan Nilekani, visionary CEO of outsourcing pioneer Infosys, explains four brands of ideas that will determine whether India can continue its ...
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Eunuchs

In India, nearly half a million people live as eunuchs, not man or woman, but considered an entirely separate gender. See All National Geographic Videos http://video.nationalgeogra...

Eunuch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A eunuch (pronounced /ˈjuːnək/) is a castrated man, in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences; the term usually refers to those castrated in order to perform a specific social function, as was common in many societies of the past. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the twenty first century BC.^{[citation needed]} Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures such as: courtiers or equivalent domestics, treble singers, religious specialists, government officials, military commanders, and guardians of women or harem servants. In some translations of ancient texts, individuals identified as eunuchs seem to include men who were impotent with women, and those who were celibate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Nilekani quits Infosys to join PM's citizens project

New Delhi: Nandan Nilekani resigned as Co-Chairman of Infosys Technologies and its board following his appointment as Chairman of an IT-driven government program for providing unique identification numbers to citizens of the country.

"The Board of Directors at Infosys has already accepted Nilekani's resignation. The resignation would be effective from July 9, 2009," the company said in a statement here.

Nilekani will take charge as Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India with the rank of Cabinet Minister.

As co-founder of India's second-largest software exporting firm, Nilekani served as director on the Infosys board since its inception in 1981.

Between March 2002 and June 2007, he served as the company's chief executive officer and managing director.

He was later re-designated as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Cabinet status for Nandan Nilekani

The Union Cabinet has appointed the Infosys Chief Nandan Nilekani as the Chairman of National Authority for Unique Identity.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni said the new authority will function under the planning commission, and Nilekani will be enjoying cabinet status.

Ms Soni said the authority will have the responsibility to lay down plans and policies to implement the Unique Identification Scheme and will operate the unique identification number database for the citizen's of the country.

In January the Government of India has notified the creation of the National Authority of Unique Identity.

The ambitious plan of unique identification has been allocated Rs 100 crore in the interim budget of 2009-10.

The unique identification number aims at eliminating the need for multiple identification mechanism prevalent across various government departments, and it will ensure that each Indian citizen will carry a permanent identifier from birth to death.

The permanent identifier which will also cover children, will help in at establishing citizenship, reducing identity related frauds, addresses security issues and prevent leakages in different government schemes.

In the beginning the Unique Identity number will be given to all voters who are on current electoral rolls, and gradually, the other persons including those below 18 years of age will be added to the database. Photographs and biometric data will be added to make the identification perfect.

Agencies

I read the story of an EUNUCH told by himself in RIVER GOD written by WILBUR SMITH. The man was made an EUNUCH to help the Pharaoh of Egypt. Fully Qualified, equipped with the skill of DEFENCE and warfare, Internal security and state afairs and even the knowledge of Medical Science, the Man was made a TOOL to protect the Hegemony and the HAREM! I was AMUSED to note the Striking SIMILARITY with our so called Represenatatives in Indian Polity and the Public servants who do serve in the interest of the Hegemony only IRRELVANT to their social roots, Political Ideology, Promises, Liabilities and Commitment.

I remembered the work during my Telephonic talk with GIRRAJ Kishore famous for his epic work GIRMITIA!

I am afraid to say that the CIRCUMSTANCES in India is no beteer than the ANCIENT Egypt ruled by PHARAOH!Kapil Sibal said the unique identification system will use biometrics and the proposed national unique identity authority will be made a statutory body.

For Tanus, the fair-haired young lion of a warrior, the gods have decreed that he will lead Egypt's army in a bold attempt to reunite the Kingdom's shared halves. But Tanus will have to defy the same gods to attain the reward they have forbidden him, an object more prized than battle's glory: possession of the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty with skin the color of oiled ceder--destined for the adoration of a nation, and the love of one extraordinary man.

International bestselling author Wilbur Smith, creator of two dozen highly acclaimed novels, draws readers into a magnificent, richly imagined saga. Exploding with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time, River God is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.

Dismiss Kapil SIBAL, the Union Minister of Manusmriti Affairs immediately !

Sack the Cabinet Ranked Extra Constitutional Chairman of Deportation Drive Authority, the Former INFOSYS Man Nilekani!

Deport Montek Singh Ahluwali to his native place, UNITED STATES of America!

Provided that we still run the Democratic Parliamentary system!

It is not. It had NEVER Been. Right from the beginning it had been BRHAMIN BANIA Raj! Thanks to MK Gandhi and his Pune Pact rejecting Communal Award.

The EUNUCH Role is determining the Repressive Character of our Political Economic System committed to ETHNIC Cleansing and MASS Destruction.

SO Hyped JP Movement practically proved to be the launching pad for HINDUTVA Resurrection Fascist as well as AMERICANISATION of India under LPG Raj.

We may not understand the Political Process in India unless we know the most important ROLE of the EUNUCH in Illuminati Order ! That is why Rajiv Gandhi introduced the first EXTRA CONSTITUTIONAL Element in Governance named SAM PETRODA, the father of Information revolution in India, the DOTT man!

Since LPG Raj in Full BLOOM took over, the PETRODA, MONTEK and NILEKANY Phenomenon gets momentum with bypassing Parliament as well as Constitution! Whom we VOTE, they turn to be EUNUCH as he or she has been selected by this or that party of the Hegemony led by BRAHAMINS only to sustain Manusmriti Rule with whatsoever Ideology or promises. Our Representatives have Naked AMBITIONS and ASPIRATIONS to adjust themselves in the CO OPTION Procession of Power Sharing Bastardised!

Hence CORPORATE Political System and the GOVERNMENT of India do never represent the majority aboriginal indigenous minority communities ENSLAVED and the underclasses and outcasts!

Thus, the STATE often indulge itself in KILLING and ETHNIC Cleansing to capture Human and Natural resources for India Incs and Global Illuminati. Now the Illuminati as well as India INCS have taken over GOVERNANCE sidelining the BUNCH of EUNUCH IRRELEVANT!

Thus, Zero Tolerance, Hate Campaign,Military Option, Regional Dis-balance, Mis Information, Brain control and Wash Out, SELL OFF, FDI,FII, Retail chain, Disinvestment, Divestment, Nuclear Parks, PCPIR, Genetically Modified SEED package and POLLUTION full Chemical promotion, Junk high Technology and defence deals with KicK backs, Bottom to Head CORRUPTION, Unethical Copulation, SEZ and Deportation and displacement drive, Indiscriminate Land Acquisition, Waivers, bail out and Tax exemption for the Capitalists, Food Insecurity and Starvation, JOB LOSS and death Processions, Closures and Lock Outs, outsourcing become the best of TAGS to define our so called DEMOCRACY turned into ABSOLUTE AUTOCRACY under Periphery Colonial economy!

Thus, Nationalities and Identifies are NEVER addressed and they remain ISOLATED from the so called MAINSTREAM! No initiative to INCLUDE them into this so called DEMOCRACY unless the STATE Declares WAR in case of any Insurrection or Insurgency!

I had a busy day with my land line and Mobile Phone amidst Heat, Humidity and a little bit of Rain.

Professor Vijoy Kumar, the BSP man from Kerala awoke me in the Morning and asked the follow up of from LALGARH.

What DID BSP or Bamcef factions for the Tribals?

Like the mainstream politics the AMBEDKARITES never do recognise the nationalities and Identies nor they care for the STARVING Deprived Persecuted People!

What about the AMBEDKAR Ideology?

They got only the CASTEOLOGY and the concept for sharing in Power!

The Complete ECONOMICS, Social Movement, Labour and Trade Union rights, INCLUSION of Social and Political forces, Internal democracy, women`s empowerment, Awakening, Organisation, education in AMBEDKAR ideology emphasise on the ABOLISHMENT of Caste system as well as Brahaminical hegemony under Manusmriti Rule.

But so called social Engineering or casteology end to strengthen Brahamnical system as well as Caste DIVIDE !

Rabi Bhushan from Ranchi and the Gyanpeeth Award winning Eminent writer from Kanpur, GIRRAJ Kishore also rang me today. I told them that being a complete SUB ALTERN Ideology AMBEDKAR Ideology has no contradiction with the Marxist Theory ideologically as far as the DICTATORSHIP of Proletariat, Revolution, Caste less and Classless Society, Decentralisation of Power, sharing and Participation in Democratic and Political Process are concerned!

From Mumabi major Siddharth Burves also called me among others.

The question is all about leadership. Masses may be mobilised despite the LEFT Betrayal or Inactivity. But who will control the Masses? Masses were on ROADS in SEVENTIES! What happened? Repression, Massacres, ethnic Cleansing, Communal rights, alienation all led to AMERICANISATION of our Mother land!

Hence, the role of INTELLIGENTSIA and Think tank remains deciding! But the INTELLIGENTSIA itself has aligned with the ILLUMINATI and along with the CIVIL Society and NGOs , the INTELLIGENTSIA playing the SUBVERSION game for OPEN space to continue ECONOMIC Reforms! They Contributed most to MANIPULATE Caste Hindu Polarisation to create so called MANDATE for UPA and its AGENDA for Ultimate MASS destruction!

Toilet Media accomplishes the HOME WORK for field reports and feed backs for any CIVIL WAR, WAR, Repression and ETHNIC Cleansing tended for sustained HATE CAMPAIGN named BLIND Nationalism!

It is INSTRUMENTAL in Brain washing, Mind control and DAY to Day Sustained MIS Information campaign.

Times Group has launched a CORPORATE Initiative to DECIDE the Priorities of Budget.

CNBC does involve the CORPORATE and INDIA Incs to DICTATE the Ministers individually! FDI advocate KAPIL SIBAL is one among them!

Anand bazaar Group and Star Anand which launched Marxist Capitalism projecting BRAND BUDDHA and always opposed CPIM as well as Jyoti Basu do EVERYTHING to ENSURE that the Communist Movement and Ideology in Indian Geopolitics should be wiped out as the aboriginal and indigenous communities are thrown out of Bengali History and Geography! The GROUP pleads for DEREGULATION, CIVIL SOCIETY in spite of Government to Rule and SOVEREIGN Market!

NDTV engages itself to project GLOBAL HINDUTVA and CNN IBN works round the clock for UPA NDA Coordination.

The MEDIA as a whole is overjoyed as the THIRD Front Experiment failed, Mayawati DEFLATED and the LEFT is LEFT BEHIND!

The BARRIERS of SHINING AMERICANISED India have been CLEARED, no doubt, as LALGARH has been CAPTURE by the INDIAN SECURITY Forces as if it was a FOREIGN Territory and the MASSES being declared ENEMY to be wiped out!

What should we do?

Where from to begin with?

Would the EUNUCH Politics and toilet Media allow any real Political and democratic Process as CONSTITUTION is being KILLED every day. CIVIL and HUMAN rights NON EXISTING!

That is the Big Question!

Central government's massive exercise of providing unique multi-purpose national identity cards to coastal villagers in the wake of 26/11

terror attack in Mumbai has been initiated in Gujarat. The Central government has asked collectors of seven districts to provide the details of coastal villages falling under their jurisdiction by February 1, 2010.

At the one-day all India conference on National Population Registration (NPR) held at New Delhi on June 3, the collectors of Bharuch, Surat, Valsad, Navsari, Kutch, Jamnagar and Junagadh have been asked to complete the exercise of collecting the database of the coastal villagers in four months starting from October 2009.

In tune with its alliance partner Trinamool Congress, the West Bengal unit of the Congress asked the central government to launch a joint security operation to hunt for 'a huge arms stockpiles'

The security forces Saturday reclaimed the Maoist stronghold of Ramgarh near here, with the rebels torching an office of the communist Party of India (CPI) before fleeing.

Marching through dense forests, defusing landmines, firing mortars and engaging in gunbattles with the Maoists, the joint force of the state police and paramilitary troopers reached West Midnapore district's Ramgarh police outpost, 22 km from here, in a two-day surge from the Goaltore police station on the border of West Midanpore and Bankura districts.

"The forces have reached (Ramgarh). The Maoists have fled the area. None of them are there now," Inspector General of Police (Law and order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.

He said the security forces did not suffer any losses during the nine-km trek from Goaltore.

The Maoists, who had torched the outpost and driven out the civil administration earlier this month from Ramgarh, set afire the CPI office before retreating five kilometres to another of their dens, Kantapahari village.

"Around 70 of us were watching television. The Maoists asked us to come out and then set the office on fire," a CPI leader told the visiting media.

He alleged that the people are forced to go without food and water over the last few days. "Most of us work as labourers. But there is no work now."

The security forces marched into the Ramgarh outpost, under Lalgarh police station, and set up a base camp there on the 10th day of the massive security operation launched by the West Bengal government to flush out Maoists from areas in and around Lalgarh, 200 km from state capital Kolkata.

"We have reached Ramgarh. We will set up a camp and restore normalcy. The operations will be on. We hope the public will help us," said Deputy Inspector General (Operations) of Criminal Investigations Department S.N. Gupta, who led the forces.

However, district superintendent of police Manoj Verma declined to spell out whether the forces have suffered any losses. "We will not give any such details. The operations will go on till the situation becomes completely normal".

Lalgarh is the headquarters of Binpur-1 block in Jhargram sub-division. Ramgarh is a village under the same block.

Lalgarh has been on the boil since November when a landmine exploded on the route of the convoy of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then central ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada.

Complaining of police atrocities after the blast, angry tribals backed by Maoists launched an agitation, virtually cutting off the area from the rest of West Midnapore district.

Maoists are active in areas under 21 police stations in the state's three western districts - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday appointed outsourcing guru Nandan Nilekani to head a new agency tasked with creating a national identification database for the country's 1.2 billion citizens, an effort designed to document Indians so they can participate more fully in the country's economic growth.

In a rare leap from India's business circles to its political halls, Mr. Nilekani, who grew to fame after co-founding Infosys Technologies Ltd., India's second-largest technology company by sales, will become head of the Unique Identification Authority of India. He will join the government at cabinet level after leaving his post as co-chairman of Infosys on July 9.

A major promise of the Congress-led coalition that won election last month, a single national ID would aim to ensure the efficient delivery of public services, allow each Indian to receive much-needed identification for services such as bank accounts, and let the government filter out illegal immigrants more easily. The government created the national ID agency in February, allocating it an initial $20 million.

The appointment of the 54-year-old Mr. Nilekani is a rare instance of an Indian government reaching beyond its political ranks to fill a top post. If he is successful, it could pave the way for further involvement of performance-oriented businessmen in politics, upending a long tradition where business and political figures frequently have mingled but rarely jumped sides.

River God

River God follows the fate of the Egyptian Kingdom through the eyes of Taita, a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave. Taita is owned by Lord Intef and primarily looks after his daughter, Lostris, but also plays a large role in the day to day running of Lord Intef's estate.

The Pharaoh of Egypt is without a male heir, and Taita inadvertently causes Pharaoh to take an interest in Lostris. Lostris meanwhile is in love with the soldier Tanus, who unbeknownst to her is hated by her father. Eventually Pharaoh marries Lostris and Intef reluctantly gives Taita to her as a wedding gift.

Meanwhile, Tanus has angered Pharaoh by speaking bluntly about the troubles Egypt is in - most prominently the growing bandit threat which terrorizes all who travel outside of the major cities. Pharaoh condemns him to death for his actions, but is convinced to allow Tanus to redeem himself by attempting to eliminate all the bandits from Egypt within two years. Since his sentence is revealed on the last day of the festival of Osiris, he is to return on that day of the next festival with his task complete or face death by strangulation.

Tanus, with the help of Taita, hunts down and captures the leaders of the Shrike bandits. On presenting them to Pharaoh, it is revealed that their leader is Lord Intef. Tanus has his death sentence lifted, but Intef manages to escape before he can be punished for his crimes. After the sentence is announced a storm sweeps through allowing Lostris and Tanus time to be secretly alone together. During this time Lostris conceives Tanus' first born, and before the secret can be discovered Taita arranges for her to resume her wifely duties to Pharaoh. When the child is born he is named Memnon and claimed by the Pharaoh as his own, and his true paternity is known only to Lostris, Taita, and Tanus.

A new threat to the kingdom emerges - the warlike Hyksos. Equipped with the horse and chariot, as well as a superior recurved bow, their technological superiority is far greater than the Egyptian army's. The Pharaoh is killed, forcing a majority of the Egyptian nobility (including Lostris, Tanus, and Taita) to flee Egypt by heading up the Nile with the remaining army.

During their exile Lostris gives birth to two more of Tanus' children, both daughters, but as their relationship has been a secret Taita creates a cover story where the ghost of Pharaoh sires the child. During their period in exile, they regain their technical superiority - Taita replicates and improves both the chariots and bows he has seen used to such great effect on the battlefield.

While searching for a suitable burying place for Pharaoh's body, Taita is taken captive by one of the Ethiopian chieftains of the area - the brutal Arkoun. While in captivity, Taita becomes close friends with Masara, a fellow captive and the daughter of one of the rival chieftains. Taita eventually escapes captivity due to a freak flooding, finds the father of Masara, and strikes a deal with him to rescue Masara. With the help of Tanus, Memnon, and the Egyptian army, Arkoun is defeated. Tanus is mortally wounded during the battle and dies. Masara and Memnon fall in love and become married, with a wedding gift of several thousand horses which further boost the Egyptian army. Led by their new Pharaoh Tamose (formerly Prince Memnon), they return to Egypt. With their new-found weaponry and tactics, they defeat the Hyksos invaders and regain the upper kingdom of Egypt from Elephantine to Thebes.

The novel contains a two-page afterword in which Smith claims the novel is based on a set of scrolls discovered in an Egyptian tomb which dates back to approximately 1780 BCE. The scrolls were discovered by an Egyptologist, Dr. Duraid al-Simma, who passed the translations onto Smith to transcribe into a novel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Smith

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Taliban is resurgent, Al-Qaeda increasing attacks: Obama

Washington: US President Barack Obama has said that Taliban is "resurgent" and Al-Qaeda has intensified its attacks from the Afghan-Pak border, which has become a safe haven for them.

"We face a security situation abroad that demands urgent attention," Obama said upon signing the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009.

"The Taliban is resurgent and Al-Qaeda is increasing its attacks from its safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.

"The funding provided in this Act will ensure that the full force of the US is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and uproot this safe haven," he said yesterday.

Obama said the funding contained in this Act would provide resources to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas.

"These funds will assist Afghans and Iraqis in protecting and sustaining their infrastructure and building their capacity for more responsive and transparent governance," he said.

The Act also provides critical support for continued US diplomatic and development activity in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Obama said.

Source: PTI

President calls for making judiciary transparent, people-oriented

Mumbai: President Pratibha Patil Saturday emphasised the need for reforms to make the judiciary transparent, effective and people-oriented.

"Judicial reforms could include revising many of our legal codes and laws which are outdated and old as well as strengthening the institutional aspects of the judiciary," the president said.

The exercise would require the government, the legislature and the judiciary to work together to make justice dispensing "people-oriented", Patil said, inaugurating the Maharashtra Judicial Academy (MJA) at Uttan on the outskirts of the city this afternoon.

The president said the present era of information and communication technology brings with it a "higher level of scrutiny" of all institutions and their performance.

"The people are constantly judging the conduct and deliverability of the services of institutions.

They respect and repose great hope in the judiciary. Hence, it is important for the judiciary to remain in the high esteem of the people, to be seen as being capable of maintaining high standards of probity and good functioning," the president urged.

Expressing concern over the huge backlog of cases afflicting the Indian judicial system (there are an estimated 20 million cases pending in courts across the country), she called for devising innovative approaches - like Alternative Dispute Settlement Mechanism - to tackle the issue.

"This mechanism is not new to us and similar to the panchayat justice system prevalent in Indian villages. The modern-day mediation also strives for a solution acceptable to all parties, it's a voluntary process, rarely reopened, reduces the possibility of corruption and is cost-effective," she pointed out.

Towards this end, she expressed her happiness that the MJA would have a Mediation Centre and Training Institute that would impart relevant tools for effective mediation of national and international disputes.

She called upon the MJA to give lot of focus on cyber laws, environmental laws and intellectual property rights while stressing the need for gender sensitivity.

The MJA, set up by the Bombay High Court, will provide training to higher and the lower judicial services, aim to upgrade their skills and broaden their knowledge base.

President Patil, on a three-day visit of Mumbai, inaugurated the MJA and the training centre in the presence of Governor S.C. Jamir, Bombay High Court Cheif Justice Swantater Kumar, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and other dignitaries.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Indian consumers pessimistic about rate cut: Survey

Mumbai: Despite inflation hovering in the negative territory, Indian consumers feel that banks are unlikely to slash lending rates over the next one year, according to a survey.

As inflation has declined somewhat over the last two quarters, providing greater room for interest rate cuts, the emphasis of policy-makers has gradually shifted from combating inflation to propelling economic growth.

"Acknowledging the role that lower interest rates can play in economic recovery, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) believes that there is room for banks to reduce their lending rates further and expand their credit," Boston Analytics said in its monthly Consumer Confidence Survey.

"While consumers feel as though interest rates have definitely come down, they have expressed pessimism that they will continue to fall further over the next 12 months," it said.

The combination of declining optimism about future interest rates, job insecurity, uncertainty about borrowing, and pessimism about the state of the economy has lead to weaker purchase sentiment, it said.

"Overall the last few months, there has been a drop in respondents reporting likeliness of committing to big ticket purchases in sectors like durables or white goods, automobiles and home purchase," Boston Analytics said.

It derived the data from a monthly survey targeting 10,000 respondents across fifteen Indian cities.

A stratified sampling process was adopted for this survey, with the strata based on the socio-economic conditions of the respondents in order to ensure a proper representation of the population.

Boston Analytics is a provider of actionable research and analysis to its corporate, consulting and financial clients.

Source: Business Standard

"By 2011, we should be able to develop a system through which anyone wanting a unique identity number could get it. This will help authorities in easily identifying the citizens of the country," Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said at the launch of global credit card by Punjab National Bank recently.

The authority would work in close cooperation with the home ministry, which would provide the population data via Registrar General of the Census concurrent to 2011 census. The similar model would be followed at state level.

The proposal to set up the authority was approved by the empowered group of ministers, headed by the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, in November 2008. For long, national identity cards have been advocated to enhance national security, prevent potential terrorist attacks and stop illegal immigration.

The authority will be responsible for maintaining the core database and laying down the procedure of issuance of smart cards, carrying the unique identification number (UID). It would also specify the usage of the card. Initially, the UID number will be assigned to all voters by building on current electoral roll data.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Unique-ID-number-for-every-Indian-citizen-by-2011/420169/

Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

Government approves issue of unique identity (UID) number to all residents SINGLE UNIVERSAL IDENTIFICATION TO BE READY FOR USERS BY EARLY 2010 UID Number to all Voters to start with ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIQUE IDENTITY AUTHORITY FOR INDIA Approved
	16:56 IST

· Will obviate need for multiple documentary proof

· Facilitate easy verification

· Facilitate easy availing of government or private services

· Help welfare programmes reach intended beneficiaries

· Serve as basis for e-governance services

PRESS NOTE

Department of Information Technology has issued a Press Note as follows:

An Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) headed by the External Affairs Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherji, approved the establishment of a Unique Identity Authority for all residents of the country. The UID Authority will be set up under the Planning Commission. The approval was accorded at a meeting of the EGOM held on Tuesday, 4^th November, 2008. Union Home Minister and Ministers for IT and Communications, Law and Panchayati Raj are members of the EGOM while the Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission is a standing invitee.

Creation of a person identity system in a country of over a billion people poses monumental challenges. The approval by the EGOM lays the foundation for the implementation of a Unique Identity system for all residents in the country based on a proposal formulated by the Department of Information Technology at the request of the Planning Commission. The proposed system envisages collaboration among several government agencies backed by intensive use of information technology.

There has been a long felt need in the country for a system of unique identification of every individual for a variety of purposes such as better targeting of government's development schemes, regulatory purposes (including taxation and licensing), security purposes, banking and financial sector activities, etc. In the absence of such a nationwide system, each sector of the economy or department/ agency of the government adopts its own system of identification such as PAN card, ration card, Electoral Photo Identity Card, credit cards, etc. Such specific purpose identities were often found to have inherent limitations in accuracy and currency levels on account of low frequency of usage. Moreover, the multiplicity of such systems renders it impossible to correlate information across sectors and even across institutions within the same sector for providing better services to people. Similarly, different agencies of government are unable to correlate their data relating to any particular individual.

The Unique Identity Project seeks to assign a unique identity (UID) number to each individual in the country that would remain a permanent identifier right from birth to death of the individual. From the point of view of any person in the country, the UID offers many benefits. First and foremost, it would obviate the need for a person to produce multiple documentary proofs of his identity for availing of any government service, or private services like opening of a bank account, etc. This would end needless harassment that people face for availing of basic government services like issuance of passports, driving licences, Electoral Identity Cards, etc. Backed by intensive use of technology, it would greatly facilitate easy verification of a person's identity and enable a single communication to trigger address changes in all relevant agencies records. It would also serve as the basis for many e-governance services incorporating online verification of a person's identity. UID would enable government to ensure that benefits under various welfare programmes reach the intended beneficiaries, prevent cornering of benefits by a few people and minimize frauds. It would enable financial institutions to exchange information regarding defaulters and encourage responsible borrower behaviour.

The scheme envisages that at the inception, the UID number will be assigned to all voters by building on current electoral roll data and progressively adding other persons including persons below 18 years of age who are not a part of the voters list in the country. Over a period of time, through failsafe procedures backed by intensive use of technology and with the help of multiple government agencies, the currency and comprehensiveness of the database will be perfected. The scheme is designed to leverage intensive usage of the UID for multiple purposes to provide an efficient and convenient mechanism to update information. Photographs and biometric data will be added progressively to make the identification foolproof. Easy registration and information change procedures are envisaged for the benefit of the people.

The EGOM also approved the modalities of collation of the UID scheme with the National Population Register proposed to be created by the Home Ministry through the Registrar General of the Census of India concurrently with the census 2011 in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Citizenship Act.

The UID Authority approved by the EGOM will be responsible for creating and maintaining the core database and to lay down all necessary procedures for issuance and usage of UID including arrangements for collection, validation and authentication of information, proper security of data, rules for sharing and access to information, safeguards to ensure adequate protection of privacy and all aspects related to all of these issues. Any agency, public or private, which deals with individuals and incorporates the UID number of each such individual in its databases, will be able to share information with other agencies which do likewise.

While according its approval to the establishment of the UID Authority, the EGOM also approved the core staff required to immediately commence the groundwork of the UID Authority at the Centre and States. The UID Authority will formulate a detailed proposal covering the full cost of implementation and for the full contingent of staff needed and place it before the Cabinet for its approval by the end of December, 2008. The UID is expected to become available to an initial set of users one year thereafter, by early 2010.

It is further expected that usage of UID will be progressively extended to various government programmes and regulatory agencies, as well as private sector agencies in the banking, financial services, mobile telephony and other such areas. Over a period of time, the UID is expected to become the single universal identification mechanism across all institutions of the government and the private sector in the country.

Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & IT

PIB, New Delhi: November 10, 2008 (Kartika 19, 1930)

Akshay Rout/vk

National ID card to create useful IT infra: NASSCOM

Published on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 16:14 , Updated at Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 17:34
Source : CNBC-TV18

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Co- Chairman of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani has stepped down from the company following his appointment as the head of the National ID Card Project Authority, a massive project that would provide a unique identification number to every citizen of India.

Speaking on the project, Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM, said this project was far-reaching and would ensure that the leakages were less. "More importantly, it will create an IT infrastructure for the country, which will be extremely useful."

Here is a verbatim transcript of the exclusive interview with Som Mittal on CNBC-TV18. Also watch the accompanying video.

Q: What is the kind of business you envisage for the IT industry from this? How much of hardware business and software business could there possibly be?

A: I think it goes beyond business and numbers here because I think we have been discussing for a long time and Nandan himself has been talking about an IT infrastructure and a fabric to be created. So, if we look at this particular project it is far-reaching. I think it ensures that the leakages are less, single identity would help. But more importantly, I think it will create an IT infrastructure for the country, which will be extremely useful.

Q: But merely to relate it to the world of business and the world that you preside over, what kind of businesses do you envisage? How big can this project be in terms of billions of dollars? What are the likely areas of business in terms of hardware and software?

A: If you look at the e-governance projects, which this is a part of, the total outlay there is close to USD 10 billion. Surely, while this project is maybe a couple of billion dollars in total, but more importantly I think it paves the way for the other USD 8 billion or USD 10 billion to be spent. Even after that is done, it will open up a whole inclusive growth and hence technology will be leveraged for education, for healthcare and a whole lot of other things that will come along with this.

Q: Would you be able to shed some light? Would it require any amendment of laws because a lot of these get into state issues? These are not really central government issues here once you start issuing a single identity all over the place?

A: With any project of this nature, a whole change management is required because as Montek Singh Ahluwalia was mentioning we have so many multiplicity of cards. But I suppose these will all be done in parallel and enacting those law changes if at all required shouldn't be a problem because as it is there are existing laws. We only have to say that instead of a PAN card or a driving licence or many other identifications that we have in numbers and so on, that there will be one single card that is there.

But as I said before, I think it is beyond just the card. I think this is really establishing talking about databases that will start talking to each other and I think that is the excitement in this project.

Q: But for shareholders or the markets the total value is important and I wanted to ask you, a project of this scale does it involve massive databases, massive server capacity? What does it really involve? Who does it benefit – software providers, hardware providers or just purely service or ITES providers?

A: I guess it will be all of that. That would be required. But I think it will be more like you had mentioned, it is about business transformation. As it is today, there are all these servers and so on that are available and the hardware costs et cetera is not terribly high given that this is a national project. As I mentioned before, the total outlay for several other government projects goes into Rs 40,000 crore today. So, this could be a big prime mover project here.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/economy/national-id-card-to-create-useful-it-infra-nasscom/403229

Sensex lifeline: high beeps and pratfalls

CNBC-TV18 meets the top gainers and losers and finds out what the players feel about Thursday's markets

CNBC-TV18

India initiates 'unique identification' process

Thu. June 25, 2009; Posted: 09:03 PM

NEW DELHI, Jun 26, 2009 (Arab News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- INFY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The Cabinet yesterday gave its approval to the creation of a position -- chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The chairperson would have the rank and status of a Cabinet minister, according to an official press release. The new position would serve "multiple objectives," with "responsibilities to lay down plan and policies to implement the unique identification scheme." The move to set up UIDAI, under Planning Commission, aims to provide unique identity to targeted population of flagship schemes to ensure that benefits reach them, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The authority "shall own and operate the Unique Identification Number database and be responsible for its update and maintenance on an ongoing basis." Nandan Nilekani, 54, invited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will take charge as its chairperson. Nilekani has quit the office he held, co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, to take over the new responsibility.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all), National Rural Health Mission and Bharat Nirman (India's development) are several flagship schemes listed in agenda of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The UIDAI scheme would ensure that lacuna in these schemes is removed and benefits reach the sections they are meant for.

Unique identification cards, under UIDAI program, would be provided to citizens by 2011. Initially, the cards will be given to all voters listed in the electoral roll data. "It will work in coordination with the National Population Register of the home ministry through the Registrar General of the census, in accordance with the Indian Citizenship Act," the government said in a statement. "This would not only address security related issues but is also aimed at establishing citizenship, reducing identity related frauds and also prevent leakages in different government schemes," it said.

Through this card, the citizens will be able to avail basic government services like driving licenses, passports and voter identity cards. Describing it as a "very superior card," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said: "This would really help all of us. We would start testing these on a pilot basis in a year."

To see more of the Arab News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.arabnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

For full details on Infosys Technologies Limited ADS (INFY) click here. Infosys Technologies Limited ADS (INFY) has Short Term PowerRatings of 4. Details on Infosys Technologies Limited ADS (INFY) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2391345/

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Montek Singh Ahluwalia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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CPI follows WPI with a lag, will fall: Montek

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6.7% growth will be maintained : Montek

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Punjab annual plan pegged at Rs.8625 crore

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Eunuch

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For other uses, see Eunuch (disambiguation).

European illustration of a eunuch (1749)

[hide]

[edit] Origins

Chief Eunuch of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II at the Imperial Palace, 1912.

The English word eunuch is from the Greek eune ("bed") and ekhein ("to keep"), effectively "bed keeper." Servants or slaves were usually castrated in order to make them safer servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence. Seemingly lowly domestic functions such as making the ruler's bed, bathing him, cutting his hair, carrying him in his litter or even relaying messages could in theory give a eunuch "the ruler's ear" and impart de facto power on the formally humble but trusted servant. Similar instances are reflected in the humble origins and etymology of many high offices (e.g., chancellor began as a servant guarding the entrance to an official's study). Eunuchs supposedly did not generally have loyalties to the military, the aristocracy, or to a family of their own (having neither offspring nor in-laws, at the very least), and were thus seen as more trustworthy and less interested in establishing a private 'dynasty'. Because their condition usually lowered their social status, they could also be easily replaced or killed without repercussion. In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants (compare the female odalisque) or seraglio guards.

[edit] Ancient Middle East

Eunuchs were familiar figures in the Assyrian Empire (ca. 850 till 622 B.C.), in the court of the Egyptian Pharaohs (down to the Lagid dynasty known as Ptolemies, ending with Cleopatra). Political eunuchism became a fully established institution among the Achamenide Persians^[1]

[edit] China

In ancient China castration was both a traditional punishment (until the Sui Dynasty) and a means of gaining employment in the Imperial service. At the end of the Ming Dynasty there were about 70,000 eunuchs (宦官 huànguān, or 太監 tàijiàn) employed by the emperor, with some serving inside the Imperial palace. Certain eunuchs gained immense power that occasionally superseded that of prime ministers. Self-castration was commonplace and half-hearted attempts were sometimes made to make it illegal. The number of eunuchs in Imperial employ had fallen to 470 in 1912, when the practice of using them ceased.

It is said that the justification of the employment of eunuchs as high-ranking civil servants was that, since they were incapable of having children, they would not be tempted to seize power and start a dynasty. In many cases, eunuchs were considered more reliable than the scholar officials. A similar system existed in Vietnam.^[2]

The tension between eunuchs in the service of the emperor and virtuous Confucian officials is a familiar theme in Chinese history. In his History of Government, Samuel Finer points out that reality was not always that clear-cut. There were instances of very capable eunuchs, who were valuable advisors to their emperor, and the resistance of the "virtuous" officials often stemmed from jealousy on their part. Ray Huang argues that in reality, eunuchs represented the personal will of the Emperor, while the officials represented the alternate political will of the bureaucracy. The clash between them would thus have been a clash of ideologies or political agenda.^[3]

European Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci was the first European to reach China with a musical instrument, who presented a Harpsichord to the Ming imperial court in 1601. He trained four eunuchs to play it.^[4]

[edit] Greco-Roman practice

The practice was also well established in Europe among the Greeks and Romans, although more rarely as court functionaries than in Asia. The third sex Galli of Cybele were considered by some to be eunuchs. In late Rome, emperors such as Constantine were surrounded by eunuchs for such functions as bathing, hair cutting, dressing, and bureaucratic functions, in effect acting as a shield between the emperor and his administrators from physical contact. Eunuchs were believed loyal and dispensable.

At the Byzantine imperial court, there were a great number of eunuchs employed in domestic and administrative functions, actually organized as a separate hierarchy, following a parallel career of their own. Archieunuchs—each in charge of a group of eunuchs—were among the principal officers in Constantinople, under the emperors.^[5] Under Justinian in the fifth century, the eunuch Narses functioned as a successful general in a number of campaigns.

It was only after the Muslim Arabs conquered parts of the Roman Empire that they acquired eunuchs from the Romans, and not knowing what else to do with them, made them into harem guards. For the Eunuchs in the Ottoman Great Sultan's harem and wider palace service, see the (Topkapi) Seraglio.^[6]

[edit] India

[edit] Eunuchs in Indian Royalty

Eunuchs were frequently employed in Imperial Indian palaces as servants for female royalty, and often attained high-status positions in Indian society. Eunuchs in Imperial palaces were organized in a hierarchy, often with a senior or chief eunuch ("Khwaja Saras") directing Junior eunuchs below him. Eunuchs were highly valued for their strength, to provide protection for the ladies palaces, and their trustworthiness, allowing eunuchs to live amongst women with fewer worries. This enabled eunuchs to serve as messengers, watchmen, attendants, and guards for palaces. Often, eunuchs also doubled as part of the King's court of advisers.^[7]^[8]

As a result of the number of high-status job openings available for eunuchs, poor families often converted one of their sons into a eunuch and had him work in the imperial palaces to create a steady source of revenue for the family and ensure a comfortable lifestyle for the son. This practice of castration was banned throughout the Empire in 1668 by Aurangzeb, but continued covertly.

[edit] The hijra of India

Main article: Hijra (South Asia)

The Ancient Indian Kama Sutra refers to people of a "third sex" (triteeyaprakrti), who can be dressed either in men's or in women's clothes and perform fellatio on men. The term has been translated as "eunuchs" (as in Sir Richard Burton's translation of the book), but these persons have also been considered to be the equivalent of the modern hijra of India.

Hijra, a Hindi term traditionally translated into English as "eunuch", actually refers to what modern Westerners would call male-to-female transgender people and effeminate homosexuals (although some of them reportedly identify as belonging to a third sex). Some of them undergo ritual castration, but the majority do not. They usually dress in saris (traditional Indian garb worn by women) and wear heavy make-up. They typically live in the margins of society, face discrimination^[9] and earn their living in various ways, e.g., by coming uninvited at weddings, births, new shop openings and other major family events and singing until they are paid or given gifts to go away.^[10] The ceremony is supposed to bring good luck and fertility, while the curse of an unappeased hijra is feared by many. Other sources of income for the hijra are begging and prostitution. The begging is accompanied by singing and dancing and the hijras usually get the money easily. Some Indian provincial officials have used the assistance of hijras to collect taxes in the same fashion; they knock on the doors of shopkeepers, while dancing and singing, and embarrass them into paying.^[11] Recently, hijras have started to found organizations to improve their social condition and fight discrimination. There has even been a wave of hijra entering politics and being elected to high political positions. The American transsexual activist and computer expert Anne Ogborn is an initiated member of the hijra community. She travelled to India and was accepted into the community.

In the epic Mahabaratha of India, Arjuna, one of the 5 heroes who is originally a handsome man, warrior and great archer becomes Brihannala, a eunuch when they spend their last year of exile in the kingdom of Virata. Brihannala/Arjuna lived among the palace women as a teacher of song and dance.

[edit] Religious castration

This article may contain inappropriate or misinterpreted citations that do not verify the text. Please help improve this article by checking for inaccuracies. (help, talk, get involved!) (July 2008)

This article contains weasel words, vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (February 2009)

Among the earliest records of human religion are accounts of castration as an act of devotion, and sacred eunuchs are found in spiritual roles. Archaeological finds at Çatalhöyük, a large Neolithic town of southern Anatolia, suggest that such practises were common in the worship as far back as 7500 BC of a goddess similar perhaps to the Cybele of historical records.^{[citation needed]} The Galli, later Roman followers of Cybele, also practiced ritual self-castration, known as sanguinaria. The practice is said to have continued throughout Christian times, with many of the early church castrating themselves as an act of devotion, although the extent and even the existence of this practice among Christians is controversial.^[12]^{[unreliable source?]}

An example is the early theologian Origen, who found scriptural justification in the Matthew 19:12^[13]. In this passage, Jesus stated: "For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (King James Version)

Tertullian, a second century Church Father, described Jesus himself and Paul of Tarsus as spadones, which is translated as "eunuchs" in some contexts.^[14]^{[unreliable source?]} However, these statements can be interpreted as a metaphor for celibacy, especially given the broad meaning of the term spado in Late Antiquity (see Non-castrated eunuchs below).

Eunuch priests have served various goddesses from India for many centuries. Similar phenomena are exemplified by some modern Indian communities of the hijra type, which are associated with a deity and with certain rituals and festivals - notably the devotees of Yellammadevi, or jogappas, who are not castrated^[15] and the Ali of southern India, of whom at least some are.^[16]

The eighteenth-century Russian Skoptzy (скопцы) sect was an example of a castration cult, where its members regarded castration as a way of renouncing the sins of the flesh. Several members of the twentieth century Heaven's Gate cult were found to have been castrated, apparently voluntarily and for the same reasons.

[edit] Castrato singers

Main article: Castrato

Eunuchs castrated before puberty were also valued and trained in several cultures for their exceptional voices, which retained a childlike and other-worldly flexibility and treble pitch. Such eunuchs were known as castrati. Unfortunately the choice had to be made at an age when the boy would not yet be able to consciously choose whether to sacrifice his sexual potency, and there was no guarantee that the voice would remain of musical excellence after the operation.

As women were sometimes forbidden to sing in Church, their place was taken by castrati. The practice, known as castratism, remained popular until the eighteenth century and was known into the nineteenth century. The last famous Italian castrato, Giovanni Velluti, died 1861. The sole existing recording of a castrato singer documents the voice of Alessandro Moreschi, the last eunuch in the Sistine Chapel choir, who died in 1922. Unfortunately, the early twentieth century recording is of poor quality.

[edit] Non-castrated eunuchs

According to Byzantine historian Kathryn Ringrose,^[17] while the pagans of Classical Antiquity based their notions of gender in general and eunuchs in particular on physiology (the genitalia), the Byzantine Christians based them on behaviour and more specifically procreation. Hence, by Late Antiquity the term "eunuch" had come to be applied not only to castrated men, but also to a wide range of men with comparable behavior, who had "chosen to withdraw from worldly activities and thus refused to procreate".^[18] The broad sense of the term "eunuch" is reflected in the compendium of Roman law created by Justinian I in the sixth century known as the Digest or Pandects. That text distinguishes between two types of eunuchs - spadones (a general term denoting "one who has no generative power, an impotent person, whether by nature or by castration",^[19] D 50.16.128) and castrati (castrated males, physically incapable of procreation). Spadones are eligible to marry women (D 23.3.39.1), institute posthumous heirs (D 28.2.6), and adopt children (Institutions of Justinian 1.11.9), unless they are castrati.

[edit] Notable eunuchs

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

See also: Category: Eunuchs

In chronological order.

Aspamistres or Mithridates (5th century BC) Bodyguard of Xerxes I of Persia, and (with Artabanus) his murderer.
Artoxares: An envoy of Artaxerxes I and Darius II of Persia.
Bagoas (4th century BC) Prime minister of king Artaxerxes III of Persia, and his murderer. (Bagoas is an old Persian/Farsai word meaning Eunuch.)
Bagoas (4th century BC) A favorite of Alexander the Great. Influential in changing Alexander's attitude toward Persians and therefore in the king's policy decision to try to integrate the conquered peoples fully into his Empire as loyal subjects. He thereby paved the way for the relative success of Alexander's Seleucid successors and greatly enhanced the penetration of Greek culture to the East.
Philetaerus (4th/3rd century BC): founder of the Attalid dynasty of Pergamum
Sima Qian - old romanization: Ssu-ma Chi'en (2nd/1st century BC) 　Was the first person to have practiced modern historiography - gathering and analyzing both primary and secondary sources in order to write his monumental history of the Chinese empire.
Ganymedes (1st century BC) Highly capable adviser and general of Cleopatra VII's sister & rival, Princess Arsinoe. Unsuccessfully attacked Julius Caesar three times at Alexandria.
Pothinus (1st century BC) Regent for pharaoh Ptolemy XII.
Unidentified eunuch of the Ethiopian court (1st century BC), described in The Acts of the Apostles (chapter 8). Philip the Evangelist, one of the original seven deacons, is directed by the Holy Spirit to catch up to the eunuch's chariot and hears him reading from the Book of Isaiah (chapter 53). It's a section, which prophesies Jesus' crucifixion, and Philip witnesses to the eunuch about the fulfillment of the prophecy. The eunuch is baptized shortly thereafter. It's the first recorded case of the conversion of someone who had possibly been marginalized for gender reasons.
Cai Lun - Ts'ai Lun in the old romanization (1st/2nd century AD) Reasonable evidence exists to suggest that he was truly the inventor of paper. At the very least, he established the importance of paper and standardized its manufacture in the Chinese empire.
Origen - early Christian theologian, allegedly castrated himself based on his reading of the Gospel of Matthew 19:12 (For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it.). Despite the fact that the early Christian theologian Tertullian wrote that Jesus was a eunuch, there is no corroboration in any other early source. (The Skoptsy did, however, believe it to be true.) Tertullian also wrote that he knew, personally, the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and that he was a eunuch. Again, this is not attested elsewhere, nor is the account of Origen's self-castration.
Eutropius (5th century AD) Only eunuch known to have attained the highly distinguished and very influential position of Roman Consul.
Chrysaphius - chief minister of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II, architect of imperial policy towards the Huns.
Narses (478-573) General of Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I, responsible for destroying the Ostrogoths in 552 at the Battle of Taginae in Italy and saving Rome for the empire.
Ignatius of Constantinople (799-877). Twice Patriarch of Constantinople during troubled political times [847-858 and 867-877]. First absolutely unquestioned eunuch saint, recognized by both the Orthodox and Roman Churches. (There are a great many early saints who were probably eunuchs, though few either as influential nor unquestioned as to their castration.)
Ly Thuong Kiet (1019-1105), general during the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam. Penned what is considered the first Vietnamese declaration of independence. Regarded as a Vietnamese national hero.
Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), French scholastic philosopher and theologian. Forcibly castrated while in bed by his lover's uncle.
Zheng He (1371-1433), famous admiral who led huge Chinese fleets of exploration around the Indian Ocean.
Judar Pasha (late sixteenth century) A Spanish eunuch who became the head of the Moroccan invasion force into the Songhai Empire.
Carlo Broschi, called Farinelli (1705-82), the most famous Italian castrato.
Kim Cheo Son, one of the most famous eunuchs in Korean dynasty, ably served kings in the Joseon dynasty. His life is now the subject of a popular historical drama currently airing in South Korea.
Mohammad Khan Qajar, was the chief of the Qajar tribe. He became the King/Shah of Persia in 1794 and established the Qajar dynasty.

Shu Diao Intrigant eunuch who was responsible of a successor civil war in the feudal state of Qi
Zhao Gao Favourite of Qin Shihuangdi, who plotted against Li Si (died 210 BC)
Zhang Rang Head of the infamous "10 Changshi" (Ten attendants) of Eastern Han Dynasty
Huang Hao Eunuch in the state of Shu; also appears in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Cen Hun Eunuch in the state of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period
Gao Lishi A loyal and trusted friend of Tang emperor Xuanzong
Le Van Duyet Famous eighteenth century Vietnamese eunuch, military strategist and government official (not a true eunuch, he was born a hermaphrodite)
Li Fuguo The Tang eunuch who began another era of eunuch rule
Yu Chao'en Tang eunuch who began his "career" as army supervisor
Wang Zhen First Ming eunuch with much power, see Tumu Crisis
Gang Bing Patron Saint of Eunuchs in China who castrated himself to demonstrate his loyalty to emperor Yongle
Yishiha Admiral in charge of expeditions down the Amur River under the Yongle and Xuande Emperors
Liu Jin Another "famous" eunuch despot
Wei Zhongxian Most infamous eunuch in Chinese history
An Dehai Corrupt eunuch of Qing Dynasty - Favorite of Empress Dowager Cixi
Li Lianying Another despotic eunuch of the Qing Dynasty
Sun Yaoting (1902–1996) last surviving imperial eunuch of Chinese history
Boston Corbett, who killed John Wilkes Booth, castrated himself to avoid temptation from prostitutes
Zheng He , was a Hui Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" or "Zheng He to the Western Ocean", from 1405 to 1433

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

^ Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death, 511 pp., Harvard University Press, 1982 ISBN 067481083X, 9780674810839 (see p.315)
^ For an extended discussion see Mitamura Taisuke,Chinese Eunuchs: The Structure of Intimate Politics tr.Charles A.Pomeroy,Tokyo 1970, a short, condensed version of Mitamura's original book =三田村泰助, 宦官, Chuko Shinsho, Tokyo 1963
^ Huang, Ray (1981). 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-02518-1. .
^ Jones. Andrew F. [2001] (2001). Yellow Music — CL: Media Culture and Colonial Modernity in the Chinese Jazz Age. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822326949.
^ This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain. [1]
^ Lad, Jateen. "Panoptic Bodies. Black Eunuchs in the Topkapi Palace", Scroope: Cambridge Architecture Journal, No.15, 2003, pp.16-20.
^ "Akbar-Birbal Anecdotes". http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/txt_akbar_birbal.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
^ "Ghilmans and Eunuchs". http://www.bharatvani.org/books/mssmi/ch9.htm. Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
^ Ravaging the Vulnerable: Abuses Against Persons at High Risk of HIV Infection in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch, August 2003. Report online.
See also: Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (Karnataka) Report on Human Rights Violations Against the Transgender Community, released in September 2003. Reported in Being a Eunuch, By Siddarth Narrain, for Frontline, 14 October 2003.
^ [2] Eunuchs 'cut off man's penis'. By Baldev Chauhan BBC correspondent in Himachal Pradesh. BBC News. Thursday, 24 July 2003.
^ Dancing eunuchs taxing red-faced shopkeepers. Reuters. November 10 2006.
^ Hester, J. David (2005), Eunuchs and the Postgender Jesus: Matthew 19:12 and Transgressive Sexualities. Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 28, No. 1, 13-40 (2005)
^ Frend, W. H. C., The Rise of Christianity, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1984, p. 374, which in footnote 45 cites Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica VI.8.2
^ Tertullian, On Monogamy, 3: "...He stands before you, if you are willing to copy him, as a voluntary spado (eunuch) in the flesh." And elsewhere: "The Lord Himself opened the kingdom of heaven to eunuchs and He Himself lived as a eunuch. The apostle [Paul] also, following His example, made himself a eunuch..." Tertullian also declared: "The kingdom of heaven is thrown open to eunuchs."
^ Yellamma cult of India
^ The Mystery of the Threshold: "Ali" of Southern India
^ "Wells, Collin. Review of The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium, 2003 by Kathryn M. Ringrose". http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/mailing_lists/BMCR-L/2004/0046.php. Retrieved on 2006-10-21. .
^ "Review of Herdt, Gilbert (ed.) (1994) Third Sex, Third Gender: Beyond Sexual Dimorphism in Culture and History". http://www.galva108.org/thirdgender.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
^ "Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary". http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2344853. Retrieved on 2006-10-21. .

[edit] Sources and references

English translation of Rudople Guilland's essay on Byzantine eunuchs "Les Eunuques dans l'Empire Byzantin: Étude de titulature et de prosopographie byzantines", in 'Études Byzantines', Vol. I (1943), pp. 197-238 with many examples

[edit] External links

The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium
Eunuchs in Pharaonic Egypt
Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China
"Born Eunuchs" Home Page and Library
The Eunuchs of Ming dynasty china
Article by Frans Jonckheere, "L'Eunuque dans l'Égypte pharaonique," in: Revue d'Histoire des Sciences, vol. 7, No. 2 (April-June 1954), pp. 139-155.

Eunuchs in Pharaonic Egypt
by Frans Jonckheere
In a preliminary report entitled "Quelque données paléoégyptiennes sur la castration" ["Some Ancient Egyptian Data on Castration"]1, we demonstrated that this form of sexual mutilation had been mentioned in a number of Pharaonic texts, providing confirmation that the Egyptians were familiar with the three surgical modes of performing this operation: amputation of the penis alone, removal of the testicular apparatus, and total emasculation. For the sake of truth, we are bound to admit that all the references that we made to support this thesis came either from the religious tradition, from the domain of fable, or from the subject of mutilation of cadavers for military or funerary purposes.
The aim of the present work is to research whether those living along the Nile practised any of the above-mentioned forms of castration in actuality, that is to say in vivo. If so, this will resolve the issue of "eunuchs in Pharaonic Egypt"2, which remains controversial to this day.
Among the documents arguing in favor of the custom of emasculation practised in anima vili, we must cite Horapollon first of all. This person, who lived in Egypt in the 5th century of our era3, is the author of the Hieroglyphica, one of the most curious works in Greco-Egyptian literature, arising out of the Hellenized atmosphere of Egypt at the end of antiquity. In this post-pharaonic work, Horapollon collects a series of hieroglyphic signs -- which by that time had become unintelligible even to educated Egyptians -- and attempts to establish for each of them the relationship between the image and its symbolic meaning. No matter how fantastical these attempts were in some cases, they are nonetheless of interest to Egyptologists, who do not fail to make use of them on occasion. Let us proceed like these specialists. Book 2 § 65 of the Hieroglyphica contains an allusion to emasculation practiced on a living individual4: "[How they portray a male who commits the crime of mutilating himself"]: "If they want to portray a male who commits the crime of mutilating himself, they draw a beaver: because the latter, when chased (by hunters), tears off its own testicles and leaves them behind as prey"5. Which leads us to think of sexual mutilation as a rite of self-castration.
Diodorus of Sicily also alluded, twice, to the existence in Egypt of castration practised on living beings.

In describing the Theban monument which he called the tomb of Osymandias -- which we know to be the Ramesseum6 -- the contemporary of Augustus confirms that "on the second wall prisoners defeated by the king were represented deprived of their hands and sexual parts, as if to say that they were not shown to be men by their courage, and that they remained inactive in the midst of dangers"7. We can confirm that Diodorus never actually viewed a relief of that kind and that the description that he gives us -- no doubt based on second-hand information -- is based on an inaccurate interpretation of the well-known depiction of the calculation of the number of enemy cadavers by counting the phalluses and the hands8. The composition in the Ramesseum is in ruins today9, but fortunately one can find identical scenes elsewhere, notably at the temple of Ramses III in Medinet-Habu10. Here one can see scribes taking the inventory of the cut hands and sectioned phalluses, piled up in heaps in front of the pharaoh11. That these bloody trophies were in fact remains of cadavers and not amputations performed on living prisoners can be read even in the legends that comment on the reliefs, and even better in the following, more elaborate text of Meneptah, found at Karnak and not accompanied by any depiction12. This inscription states, on line 50, that they are: "... killed persons from whom the phallus and prepuce has been removed ..." Later, line 51, we find: "Killed Libyans from whom the phallus-and-prepuce have been removed ..." We have no choice but to abandon this first reference from Diodorus.
Let us see if his second reference is more worthy of interest. This one cites castration as a corporal punishment provided by Egyptian legislators. His own words13: "The laws concerning women were very severe. Anyone who was convicted of raping a free woman had to have his genitals cut off14; because they considered that this crime included in itself three very great evils: insult, corruption of morals, and confusion of offspring." This is a special case of that policy of repression which, by attacking the part of the body with which the crime was committed, ensured that the guilty party "would carry unto death an indelible mark that must have prevented others from breaking the law, by warning of this punishment"15.
Let us state from the outset that we have never found an express mention of the punishment of castration in the court documents that have come down to us. Nonetheless, it would be premature to reject the assertion of our historian for that reason; because other sanctions cited by him have been discovered in pharaonic documents. Let us note in particular the removal of the nose, of which Diodorus speaks in two places16 and which was in fact a standard punishment17; let us also note the cutting off of the tongue to which, he tells us, "the spy who had revealed secret plans to the enemy"18 was condemned. This punishment was discovered, thanks to Cerny19, in a papyrus of the 19th dynasty. Therefore, why not have confidence in Diodorus who has not deceived us so far in speaking "of the very extraordinary and unique laws"20 of Egypt? Let us therefore affirm the probability that castration was applied as a punishment, in hopes of finding confirmation of the reality of this punishment one of these days thanks to an original document as yet unedited.
It is known that castration can profoundly alter the external morphology of individuals -- anatomical alterations that differ depending on whether the operation took place before or after puberty. One can imagine that, if Egyptians suffered emasculation, the physical transformation incurred by these surgical subjects did not escape the critical eye of artists. Did Egyptian art supply us with any figurative documents marking the essential traits of these two types of castrati?

Let us examine the issue for the individual castrated before puberty, who is considered the "conventional" eunuch. Let us recall that this type of eunuchism is characterized above all by an exaggerated growth of the lower limbs of the individual, in both their leg and crural segments. These castrati are macroskeles [long-legged people]21. But although this macroskelia is generally accompanied by an overall elongation of the body, it is also observed even if the height of the subject is close to normal. Another trait: the cranio-encephalic mass almost never attains its full development and due to this fact it transforms the respective individual into a microcephal [small-headed person]. In addition, the face appears smooth, since the secondary sexual characteristics do not have the opportunity to develop by reason of the precocity of the intervention suffered. As for the thorax, it generally remains narrow, but the breasts protrude fully, the hips fill out, the limbs become round; and if obesity manages to take root, it is only an incidental phenomenon.
Egyptian art offers us perfect representations of such a eunuch. Let us take as an example the servant on one of the bas-reliefs of the sarcophagus of the Lady Kaouit22, who pours a drink for his mistress while a servant girl arranges the deceased's hair. [See picture below.] The personnage is astonishing from the outset due to his stature, which appears to be obviously larger than average. But that is only an optical illusion, for this man is of exactly the same height as the female servant engraved on the same tableau. In fact, the extension of his silhouette is due to an elongation of the lower limbs, in this case masked by the clothing, but which becomes apparent as soon as one compares the distance from the navel to the floor in the male versus the female servant. Furthermore, we note the reduction in volume of the head of the subject, his infantile thorax -- which however is weighed down by an indubitably feminine breast -- and the few fat folds rippling the epigastrium. All [of these are] pictorial elements that agree with our first clinical description and that allow us to confirm that the servant admitted to the dressing chamber of Lady Kaouit can be nothing other than a eunuch, formed in this case by pre-pubertal emasculation.

Lady Kaouit's dressing room

Individuals who have suffered post-pubertal castration are presented under a totally different aspect. The curious figures serving to personify the genies known by the generic name of "Niles"23 are, in our opinion, characteristic examples of them. In fact, in their unusual typical uniform, we note first of all the absence of external genital organs, which can be observed thanks to the dress of these "Niles", consisting of a simple cord with three flying straps. This fact is even more striking because, on other personnages wearing the same type of clothing -- boatmen, fishermen -- the sexual organs are clearly visible. How else to explain this anomaly, except by the intention of the sculptor to signify in an express manner the emasculation of his model? Next the eye is drawn to the alterations in the anatomical silhouette of these Genies, such as the generalized hypertrophy of the adipose panicle [excessive growth of abdominal fat] and a peculiar development of the breasts. The supplementary fat localizations recall those of the female body, and also cause a cascade of fatty folds at the level of the abdominal wall. As for the volume of the mammary glands, it does not correspond to an adipose weight gain of the organs -- sometimes characterized as "oriental" -- but to real gynecomastia [female breasts on a man]; the breasts of the man have become breasts of a woman24. Also testifying to this are representations in which the breasts of the river genies are in full secretory action. Let us consider especially the two tableaux25 in the sanctuary of Osiris at Philae, in which the "Niles" use this unusual technique to make a libation of milk before the god: while in one hand the genie is holding a frog spitting water, in the other hand -- in a gesture which is copied exactly from that which Isis and the nurses make when they nurse an infant -- he touches one of his breasts, from which a jet of fluid flows26.The ensemble of these adipose-mammary modifications makes it so that, even if bearded, the Nile genies have lost their virile accent and have taken on the appearance which is generally characterized as intersexed. Now, these are the very somatic transformations undergone by individuals castrated after puberty. Is it too bold, under these conditions, to consider the "Nile" as the artistic expression of this type of eunuch27?
Do we have other examples of this type of castratus? In the inexhaustible catalogue of Egyptian art, the eye discovers time and time again such masculine silhouettes with superfluous shapes, with generous breasts and folded bellies. It is conventional to say28 that these are simply obese men, who, under the influence of age, become padded with a creeping layer of fat, in the Orient perhaps more than elsewhere. This does not prevent us from tending to see them as possible portraits of eunuchs, especially in some of these figures who show no signs of age29. We are thinking, among others, of that individual on a stele of Leiden30, engraved before a table of offerings in the position of prayer. But here the clothing of the personnage prevents our verifying his emasculation.
When morphologically suspicious subjects are taken from a painted tomb, there is a criterion that can aid us in basing a diagnosis of castration, even if the subject is dressed: namely, the color of the skin. We know, in fact, that it is a convention in Egyptian painting for the flesh of males to be uniformly painted in red ocre, while yellow ocre is reserved for women. Now, on the silhouettes in question, the "picture scribe" applied a yellowish-brown tone. Is it not possible to interpret the deliberate choice of this color -- intermediate between those belonging to each of the two sexes -- as a "pigmentary indication" reserved for intersexed individuals?31 This was the opinion of Rosellini32 who appears to have been the first to put forth this hypothesis. We are all the more inclined to support it, since the scenes featuring male individuals who are portrayed pictorially in this way often include a group of females. We are thinking, particularly in the tomb of Khnum-hotep33, of the "males" who accompany the group of women transported on the boat: or also, in the same tomb34, the presumed heads of the weaving studio, where only female weavers work. Now, do we not commonly say that in the Orient it is the eunuchs who are preferably entrusted to supervise women? We see what should be thought about this for ancient Egypt, where polygamy was permitted35, at least among the prominent, and harems were a traditional institution.

The Pharaonic documents unfortunately do not provide a huge amount of information about the women's quarters. The existence of such quarters is confirmed nonetheless by images and texts. Among these representations, one must cite those at Amarna, which enable us to be present at the entertainments of the women of the harem of Amenophis IV36. Even more significant are the reliefs of the chambers located on the floors of the entrance pavilion of Medinet-Habu, for they allow us to see the king himself, Ramses III, seated among his concubines37. As for texts, they exist in royal abundance, such as the one mentioning that Amenophis III, who married a daughter of the prince of Naharina, received besides his bride "317 of her attendants, chosen from among the most beautiful, as women of the harem"38. This royal harem will also be mentioned in private biographies: thus, a personnage of the Middle Kingdom, named Aha, boasts in his tomb of having been "the director of the royal gynecea", the one "who locks up the concubines", who has "presented the harem (to the king)" and was "present at the dances in the palace"39. Finally, individuals talk about their personal harems. One of them will say: "I had an excellent harem; but when I reached the age of 43, no male child had been born to me40." Finally, the harem milieu appeared more than once in judicial texts. The reason for that is that, in three instances during the course of Egyptian history, first under Pepi (Old Kingdom)41, later under Amenemhat (Middle Kingdom)42, and lastly under Ramses III (New Kingdom)43, plots arose within the walls of the palace, and conspirators were detected among the functionaries and inhabitants of the women's apartments. Which sometimes led to loud trials and severe punishments. Thanks to this documentation, we know the titles and even the names of the conspirators who were either attached to the administration or were placed in charge of the harem. But nothing permits a supposition that any of them -- the director of the harem apartments, the scribe of the harem apartments, the harem porter, the harem lieutenant, etc.44 -- could have been "obligatorily" emasculated. Which did not prevent Manetho, who must have heard talk of these conspiracies, from affirming that "Ammamenes -- that is to say, Amenemhat I -- was assassinated by his own eunuchs"45.These castrati, thus attested by the Greek historian, do not appear anywhere in our Pharaonic data on the organization of the harems. But the muteness of the texts will not necessarily force us to conclude that the eunuch-guardian of the serail did not exist. If we do not know more about it, is it not simply because the apartments of the women constituted a secret domain, virtually isolated from the outside world46?
Therefore, we need other arguments in order to locate the personnage of the castratus in Egyptian life. We shall seek them in vocabulary. And first of all, we shall attempt to find the Egyptian name of the eunuch. By discovering it, we will by the same token confirm the existence of the individual who bears it.
In this regard, it is useful to start by discussing the term which described the personnage of Putiphar in the Bible. This term, saris, translated as "eunuch", has caused Putiphar to pass as the very prototype of the castratus, even commonly in our day. Now, nothing is less proven than the sexual invalidity of Putiphar, the origin of which, by the way, is accounted for by several versions47. All of these tales are based on the two well-known passages of Genesis: "And the Medianites sold him to Putiphar, eunuch of Pharaoh48" (Genesis 37:36); "Putiphar, eunuch of Pharaoh ... bought him from the Ishmaelites" (Genesis 39:1). In truth, the suspicion cast on the virility of Putiphar is based on an error of interpretation, if not translation, of the word saris. In fact, saris, an Akkadian word adopted by all of the Semitic languages, means "he who is at the head". However, at the beginning, saris also designated the emasculated individual. It was the high positions49 that were sometimes entrusted to such personnages that secondarily gave the term saris the meaning of "chief". This is the opinion of Heyes50, and also of Posener51. But other authors, like Levy52, adopt the opposite of this opinion. For them, the meaning "noble" in the title was first in date and was later dethroned and lost. Which explains the fact that the Greek translators of the Bible did not suspect the existence of such a meaning53, and translated saris by eunuch.

Be that as it may, here is a supplementary proof refuting the notion that Putiphar was castrated, but furnished this time by the Egyptologists themselves. Brugsch54, who is the originator of this find, gets the credit for having recognized in the hieroglyphic word srs the equivalent title to saris in the Bible. But it is Posener55 who thereafter establishes that the word srs -- Egyptian transcription -- has nothing to do with the concept of "eunuch". In fact, studying seven inscriptions56 dating from the domination of Darius in Egypt57, he discovers here a name Atiyahway, regularly called srs or srs.t n prs "Persian srs". He proposes to translate this title by "Chief", because in a rock insciption of his successor Ariyawrata, who remained in his position under Artaxerxes, the title srs was renounced and that of r prs or hrj prs58 "Persian chief" was preferred, which can be nothing other than the Egyptian translation of the former, or a paraphrase.
Since the Egyptian term srs designates the "chief" and not the eunuch, it is appropriate for us to search elsewhere for the word for castratus. We found several of them.
Let us cite first of all shtj [net][praying man] (plural: sht. w [net][chicken][praying man][plural] or [net][reed][reed][chicken][praying man][plural]59), found in a mysterious passage of the Pyramid Texts60. The word is contained in § 1462c, juxtaposed with the term t3j, designating the male par excellence. By contrast with the latter, one can presume that shtj may well designate the castratus. So the phrase is translated as follows: "O that castratus there, O this male here, let whichever of you two who can run, run." This word shtj was found on ostraca bearing execrative texts from the Middle Kingdom. It figures in a passage which, after having mentioned in a general manner "all races" (rmt), "all of humanity" (p'.t), "all the people" (rhj.t), goes through all individuals classed according to sex. The following are listed in succession: t3j.w; males, the sht.w, and lastly women. Since the word shtj.w appears between the "males" and the "females", it is logical by reason of this intermediate position to think of the word "eunuchs", which is the solution proposed by Sethe61.
Texts of the Middle and New Kingdoms suggest to us for "eunuch" a word hm, which becomes hmtj in the Late Age and in the Greek age. The Berlin Dictionary62 sees this word only as an insulting name, used to characterize the poltroon, the coward. And in fact, it cannot be denied that the words hm and hmtj, which bear an obvious relationship to the word hm.t "woman", match up well with that Egyptian custom of equating cowardly and soft men with women. But Lefébure63 believes that hm or hmtj would also designate the eunuch, whose lack of virility, both moral and physical, makes him approximate a woman. An argument in favor of this suggestion appears to come from the various written forms of the words hm, hmtj: [female pelvis][owl][phallus], [female pelvis][owl][cake][praying man][phallus], [female pelvis][cake][phallus], [female pelvis][owl][cake][dual][phallus], which contain a consistent element: the phallus. We see that this determinative agrees poorly with the word "poltroon", if that is the primary meaning of hm, hmtj. The matters can be explained more easily if one assumes that the phallus determines the concept of "eunuch", where it can be explained as an allusion to the sexual mutilation suffered by the individual. Hm, hmtj could have arrived at the meaning of "poltroon" only secondarily, since the personnage of the eunuch was generally lacking in courage. Lefébure himself brings one more argument in support of the equation of hm, hmtj = castratus. He finds it in certain texts dealing with pederasty, of which we will cite only the most convincing. At Sebennytus, one must not "join with a hm, nor with a male"64. The distinction clearly established in this passage between the "regular" male and the personnage of the hm effectively leads us to consider the hm as a eunuch, to whom antiquity readily attributed the vice against nature.
The eunuch could also be covered by a third term, the word tkr [cudgel][bowl with ring][lion][phallus]65. A demotic text66 from the reign of Darius I appears to attest to this; it designates a personnage Harkhêbi, in the service of Khelkons, a friend of the Pharaoh. Griffith transcribes the passage: p tkr n hl-hns and translates "the eunuch (?) of Khelkons". The "point of interrogation" allows a doubt to subsist, due to the fact that the determinative of the expression can be taken for the sign of "fire" as well as for that of the "phallus"67.

So much for the identification of the personnage. Let us see, now, whether a special technical term exists to designate the surgical act, properly speaking. Three expressions have drawn our attention.
We know that the verb hms [female pelvis][side][bolt][knife], [female pelvis][side][chair back][knife], [female pelvis][bolt][knife]68 signifies generally: to remove by cutting69. But when one finds hms combined with the word hm, designating the eunuch, it is obvious that we are justified in giving this act the more specialized sense of "to castrate." Thus when it is said, speaking of the king who punished Seth by emasculation: "The one who hms the castratus"70 -- castratus being conceived here as a future participle: the one about to be castrated -- one has the right to translate: "The one who castrates the castratus." Likewise, when it is exclaimed in the course of combat: "We hms the castratus with our lances"71, or literally: "We cut the castratus with our lances", in this phrase the expression "we cut" is necessarily equivalent to "we castrate."
Along with hms "to cut", which by extension therefore includes the meaning of "to castrate", we know of another verb written [seal and cord][knife], using the sign of the seal followed by the knife, and which follows the same development. We found it at Denderah and at Edfou. In the festival calendar of the temple at Edfou72, we read: "On the first day of Épiphi, Seth is [seal and cord][knife] that day; his penis and testicles are placed..."; in the temple of Denderah, it states: "the unfortunate one (Seth) is [seal and cord][knife] by the knife73". These are two indisputable allusions to castration, rendered by [seal and cord][knife]. The precise reading of this complex has provided the only cause for debate. Alliot74 who sees in the image of the seal, which is normally read sd3, a graphical whim for sd, renders [seal and cord][knife] as "to break into pieces". But since the context specifies that the broken pieces are comprised of the penis and testicles, is it excessive to give to sd the value of "to emasculate" when used under such circumstances? The same reasoning applies in a case where we adopt the opinion of Brugsch75, who deems that [seal and cord][knife] must be read s'd, "to cut"76. Linked with the idea of a sexual mutilation, s'd, "to cut", can mean nothing other than "to castrate".
Hms, sd and s'd, which only by extension mean "to castrate", cannot be taken as professional terminology. Yet it is not appropriate, for all that, to conclude from the outset that there is no technical word defining the surgical act of emasculation. In fact, we know that castration has a designation of its own: it is the verb s'b. If we follow the Berlin Dictionary, it is only applicable to animals77. But is this opinion incontestable when we have already observed that s'b may not be so far removed from the verb sbj, meaning "to circumsize"78, which for its part can only be applicable to men. May not fate one day place under our eyes a text which will attest that the specialized verb s'b = to castrate can be applied just as well to the human being as to the animal?

One last word concerning the operating techique of castration. In this area, we are -- alas! -- reduced to conjecture. The technique consisting of crushing the testicles of the infant by hand79 does not appear to have been used along the banks of the Nile, where the actual removal of the genitalia appears to have been preferred. But the surgical method used for this purpose remains uncertain. Some, like Speleers80, have thought that castration could be done by strangulation, using a shoelace. The author bases this belief on a passage from the Pyramid Texts81, in which the verb "to cut" is followed by an unusual determinative; in place of a knife, one finds the sign [string] of the cord, which, according to him, may suggest a mutilation by the slip-knot procedure. Others, like Oefele82, support a method that consisted of the resection of the sexual organs using the teeth -- a practice still used by women, it seems, for castrating small domestic animals. His argumentation is based on a passage from the Ebers Papyrus83, in which the verb [sword][jar][man touching mouth] nd -- which he translates as "to grind" -- a verb which is followed by the generic of the man bringing his hand to his mouth, in which Oefele would see a supplementary reason for thinking of a castration done with the teeth. It is admitted nowadays that nd, followed by the determinative that so impressed the author, must be rendered as "to deliberate"84 and not as "to grind", which, for its part, is written -- in medical prescriptions especially -- [sword][jar][arm] with the determinative of the fortified arm. There remains amputation by knife, which seems to confirm the nature of the object serving as the determinative in the words hms, s'd, and s'b, which we earlier recognized as words expressing the surgical act. Did they use an ordinary knife for this purpose, or did they use a specially made "lancet"? Without pretending to resolve this question, we call attention to the hieroglyphic sign [chisel] -- read wd', but not identified as an object85 -- which could be an image of the castration tool. In fact, the sign [chisel] determines the verb wd' -- written [chicken][snake][arm] -- which means, among other things "to detach, separate" in the sense of "to remove by cutting"86. We find elsewhere, in the Greek era, a noun wd'.t [chisel][knife][illegible], which can be rendered as "knife". Although the object [chisel] is thus featured in the the verb "to cut", on the one hand, and in the word "knife", on the other hand, it impressed us as a tool for genital resection thanks to two other indications. First the word wd'w.t [chisel][arm][chicken][cake][body part] -- determined by the generic for parts of the body -- which is rendered as "the cut member", but used, to be sure, preferably in the dual87; and finally the sign [chisel] in isolation, which is commonly used in religious texts of the Middle Kingdom to designate the god Seth88. This pseudonym is conventionally translated as "the one brought before the tribunal"89, since the verb wd' likewise has the sense of judging. But since Seth was castrated by Horus, it appears to us that the sign [chisel] could allude just as well to the suffered mutilation, and could therefore be rendered as "the one from whom a part of the body has been separated", "the one who has been deprived of an organ", "the castratus". In this case, the hieroglyph [chisel] could be considered as a kind of planing chisel -- with a T-shaped hollowed-out cutting edge on the tip -- which, if handled like a guillotine, appears well adapted surgically, thanks to this cut-out shape, for the technical requirements of the various castrations which we recalled at the start of this paper.

*
* *

The existence of the eunuch in Egypt has been placed in doubt for a long time. Even quite recently, De Meulenaere90 wrote: "From the Egyptian standpoint, the mention of eunuchs is astonishing, because such a category of individuals appears to have never existed along the banks of the Nile." And to base himself on the authority of Wiedemann91, Erman92, and Kees93. [sic]
Will the indications that we have just assembled suffice to rattle such firmly established opinions?
Dr. Frans Jonckheere.

Footnotes

1 Report presented to the seventh Congrès International d'Histoire des Sciences, Jerusalem, August 1953. See: Actes, pp. 377-383.
2 Our research on the eunuchs whose impotentia virilis may be designated as "surgical" led us to take note of a series of documents relating to the impotentia virilis of individuals who have otherwise preserved the anatomical integrity of their genitalia. We will publish these data in the near future.
3 In fact, Fr. Sbordone, Hori Apollinis Hieroglyphica, Naples, 1940, suggests the identification of Horapollon with the philosopher and theologian of that name who lived in the time of Emperor Zeno (479-491).
4 We provide the translation according to B. van de Walle and J. Vergote, Traduction des Hieroglyphica d'Horapollon (IIe Partie), Chronique d'Egypte, No. 36, July 1943 (see pp. 222 and 223).
5 We note that Pliny, Natural History, Book 32, takes the opposite view of Horapollon: "Sextius, a very precise author in medical matters, affirms that these animals -- beavers -- when they are taken, do not cut off their testicles."
6 The name of Osymandias is only a corruption of Ouser-Maat-Ra, one of the names of Ramses II. See G. Goossens, Le tombeau d'Osymandias, Chronique d'Egypte, No. 34, July 1942, pp. 177-184.
7 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chap. 48 (translated by Hoefer).
8 Phallus removal was inflicted on the corpses of the Hittites and the Libyans, who were uncircumsized, and therefore impure; the amputation of the hand was reserved for foreign peoples who were circumsized, like the Egyptians.
9 It was engraved on one of the walls of the second court of the sanctuary, between the second pylon and the hypostyle hall.
10 J.H. Breasted, Medinet-Habu, vol. II, Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III. See in particular the relief of the 1st court, east side, surface behind the first pylon, to the left of the entrance. We note that at the temple of Ramses II, in Abydos and at Abu-Simbel, only the "counting of the hands" is featured.
11 Cf. I Samuel 18:25-27 where there is a report of the counting, before the king, of the prepuces of 200 Philistines killed by David.
12 See: W. Hölscher, Libyer und Aegypter, Aegypt. Forschung., No. 4, (1937), p. 44.
13 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chapter 78.
14 According to the same author, for adultery committed without violence the man would receive only 1,000 blows with a rod.

15 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chapter 78.
16 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chapter 60: "He (Actisanes -- who is unknown to us, but who is given as the successor of Amasis in the 26th dynasty --) had the nose cut off of the guilty, sent them to the furthest reaches of the desert, and set them up in a village which, in memory of this mutilation, took the name of Rhinocolure." The second passage is found in Book I, Chapter 78: "For adultery committed without violence... the woman (was condemned) ... to have her nose cut off; the legislator wanted her to be deprived of her attractions, which she would have used only for the purpose of seduction." According to pharaonic texts, the adulteror of the woman seems to have been punished with death; in the 8th maxim of the scribe Ani (F. Chabas, Les maximes du scribe Ani, 1876, p. 186), we read: "A woman whose husband is absent calls you... casting off her hairnet. And this may become a crime worthy of death when the rumor of it spreads, even if she did not actually accomplish her design."
17 Let us be content with an example drawn from Papyrus 10.2221 of the British Museum, called the Abbott Papyrus: "He swore by the punishment of the nose" (literally: "He swore to have his nose cut off." Cf. T.E. Peet, The Great Tomb-Robberies of the Twentieth Egyptian Dynasty, Oxford, 1931, p. 40 (V, 6-7).
18 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chapter 78.
19 J. Cerny, Le parchemin du Louvre no. A F 1577, Mélanges Maspero, vol. I, 1934, pp. 233-239. It is an oath which, if not preserved, would lead to the amputation of the perjuror's tongue. The declaring party states in effect: "If I speak (again) on the subject of this (work) day of Beki which I have given to Harpaywen, I shall have my tongue cut off. Thus he spoke before a very large number of witnesses."
20 Diodorus, Bibl. Hist., Book I, Chapter 94. Let us note that he even omitted to cite the removal of the ears, of which Herodotus speaks however. In II, 62, he tells us in fact that Patarbemis, who had failed in his mission to bring Amasis back to Apriès, was "shamefully mutilated"; for the king "ordered his ears and nose to be cut off." In fact, the penalty of the ears was often associated in Egypt with the cutting off of the nose (see the references above). The cutting off of the ears was sometimes a punishment on its own, to judge from the existence of the nickname "cut-ears" designating an "de-baptized" guilty party (regarding this curious measure, see G. Posener, Les criminels débaptisés et les morts sans nom, Revue d'Egyptol., vol. 5, 1946, pp. 51-56).
21 This growth of the members is particularly visible on a eunuch skeleton of the Negro race and of Egyptian origin, preserved at the Musée de Lyon and described by L. Lortet, Arch. d'Anthrop. crim., Lyon, 1896.
22 Sarcophagus from the 11th dynasty preserved at the Cairo Museum. See G. Bénédite, Objets de toilette, Cat. Gen. Ant. Eg. Mus. Caire, 1911, plate 1.
23 They are found, among other places, sculpted in bas-relief at the sides of the stone throne of the kings since the Middle Kingdom. They are presented in pairs, positioned face to face; sometimes they symbolically unite the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt (notably next to the seat of a statue in Tanis representing Sesostris I in the Berlin Museum); sometimes they perform the symbolic fertilization of the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt (as on the seat of a statue of Licht, likewise representing Sesostris I, in the Cairo Museum). The figures are found in J. Capart, Les arts graphiques, Brussels, 1942, plates 475 and 476. Besides the river itself, the "Nils" can also represent other symbolic entities, such as Grain, Water, Food, etc. See: L. Borchardt, Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Sahurê [The memorial of King Sahurê], Leipzig, 1910-1913, vol. 2, plate 29. On certain representations, they play the role of "lampadophores" [torch-bearers]. See: S. Schott, Das Löschen von Fackeln in Milch [Extinguishing Torches in Milk], Zeitschrift für Aeg. Spr., vol. 73, 1937, pp. 1-25. (See plates III and IV, the Niles carrying torches.)

24 This feminization of the nilotic silhouettes was sometimes pushed to the extreme by the artist who, in certain representations, substituted true figures of women for them.
25 See in the temple of Isis, the sanctuary of Osiris (vestibule: east wall, Relief No. 2 on the south, as well as west wall, southern part).
26 H. Junker, Das Götterdekret über das Abaton [The Divine Decree Regarding the Abaton], Vienna, 1913. See Figs. 21 and 22, p. 61.
27 F. Von Oefele, Studien über die altägyptische Parasitologie [Studies on Ancient Egyptian Parasitology], vol. II, 1902, considers the "nilotic type" to be the visual representation of persons afflicted with the parasite Schistosoma haematobium. In F. Jonckheere, Une maladie egyptienne, l'Hematurie parasitaire, Médécine égyptienne, No. 1, 1944, p. 41 and following, we argued against this conception, which postulated physio-pathological data that have been invalidated by the work of specialists in bilharziasis.
28 A. Wiedemann, Das Alte Ägypten [Ancient Egypt], Heidelberg, 1920 (see note 1, p. 143).
29 It is true that Egyptian art depicts the usual ravages of age -- at the level of the face -- only in exceptional cases. See: W. Spiegelberg, Die Darstellung des Alters im älteren ägyptischen Kunst vor dem Mittleren Reich [The Depiction of Old Age in Ancient Egyptian Art Prior to the Middle Kingdom], Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, vol. 64, 1918, pp. 67-71. And more recently: E. Riefstahl, An Egyptian Portrait of an Old Man, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. X, No. 2, April 1951, pp. 65-73.
30 P.A.A. Boeser, Beschrijving van de egyptische verzameling in het Rijksmuseum van oudheden te Leiden. (De Monumenten van den tijd tusschen het oude en het middelrijk en van het middelrijk. Eerste afdeeling, Steles) [Description of the Egyptian collection in the Rijksmuseum for Antiquities in Leiden. (The monuments from the period between the Old and Middle Kingdoms and from the Middle Kingdom. First part, Steles), The Hague, 1909. See the stele of Mhat, pl. VI, Fig. 7.
31 It even occurs sometimes that the shade differs very little from that reserved for females -- which appears even more significant. See: I. Rosellini, Monumenti dell'Egitto e della Nubia, Monumenti civili. For example: Plate 68, No. 2 (bottom left, silhouette of the "porter").
32 I. Rosellini, I Monumenti dell'Egitto e della Nubia, Parte Secunda, Monumenti civili. vol. III, p. 132: "And that they painted the flesh in a yellowish brown color, practically mixed from the two different colors dark-red and yellow with which they usually distinguished men from women." And further on: "It occurred to me that such images were meant to portray Eunuchs."
33 P.E. Newberry, Beni Hassan, vol. I, tomb No. 3. See plate XXIX, 3rd register, left.
34 P.E. Newberry, loc. cit. See 2nd register, left.

35 Diodorus himself, Bibl. Hist., I, 80 still attests to this: "Among the Egyptians the priests only marry one wife, but the other citizens can choose as many of them as they like."
36 In the tomb of Ay; see N. de G. Davies, The Rock Tombs of El Amarna, vol. V, London, 1908, pl. XXVIII.
37 U. Hölscher, The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, Part II, Chicago, 1951. See plate 23.
38 Commemorative inscription on a scarab. See J.H. Breasted, Anc. Rec., II, p. 347, § 866.
39 P.E. Newberry, El Bersheh, vol. II, tomb No. 8. Text plate 21; translation p. 41.
40 E. Prisse, Monuments Égyptiens, Paris, 1847, pl. XXVI. This is the stele of the high priest Pa-sheri-en-Ptah, of the Ptolemaic period (see line 12).
41 Compare the inscription of Ouni. See M. Stracmans, La carriere du governeur de la Haute Egypte Ouni, VIe dynastie, Mélanges Capart, pp. 509-544 (= Annuaire Inst. Philol. Hist. Orient., vol. III, Brussels, 1935).
42 A. Volten, Zwei altägyptische politische Schriften. Die Lehre für König Merikarê und die Lehre des Königs Amenemhet, Analecta Aegypt., vol. IV, Copenhagen, 1945.
43 A. de Buck, The Judicial Papyrus of Turin, Journ. Egypt. Archeol., vol. 23, 1937, pp. 152-164.
44 For these titles, consult A. de Buck, op. cit., where one finds them linked with the names of the individuals who bore them. Thus in the first list of the accused, one notices (p. 154) under No. 4: Penok who is "overseer of the royal harem in the suite"; under no. 5: Pendua who is "clerk of the royal harem in the suite"; under No. 6 "Ptewenteanum who is "Inspector of the harem in the suite". In column V, there is cited under No. 1 the porters "wives of men of the gate of the harem". And in the third list of the accused, one sees, under No. 9, one named Amenkhaou called "Deputy of the harem in the suite".
45 Manetho, The Loeb Classical Library, 1948, p. 67.
46 We know that the women who were cloistered here nonetheless received visits from their families (cited after Th. Deveria, Le papyrus judiciaire de Turin, 1897, p. 40). But generally speaking access to the apartments of women must have been strictly controled, because otherwise those who wanted to fraudulently cross the threshold of the serail would not have had to resort to sorcerous means. (The latter are cited in the Lee Papyrus No. 1, lines 2 and 5; as well as in the Lee Papyrus No. 2 and the Rollin Papyrus.) These documents are given in annexes by Th. Deveria, op. cit.
47 A. Wiedemann, Varia, XXVII; Sphinx, vol. XVIII, 1914-1915, p. 204, recalls two of them. According to Vincent de Beauvais (13th century), after Putiphar had bought Joseph for purposes reproached by morality, God, in order to punish him, rendered him impotent, as if he had been a eunuch. So therefore, the eunuchism of Putiphar was more of a functional impotentia virilis than an anatomical deficit. On the other hand, a passage taken from the "Mistére du vieil Testament" ["Mystery of the Old Testament"] (16th century) tells that after his wife's offense, Putiphar resolved never to touch her again. But to aid the eventual weakness of his flesh, he had had himself emasculated. This transformed him into a voluntary castratus.

48 The precise identity of the pharaoh at the time of the journey of Joseph to Egypt is not known. But it is generaslly admitted that this event took place under the Hyksos. The name Hyksos was given by Manetho to Asiatics, who invaded Egypt after the Middle Kingdom and after the extinction of the 14th dynasty, and who occupied it for a century and a half (approximately from 1730 to 1580).
49 Strabo, Geography, reports several examples of eunuchs occupying elevated official posts. In Book 14, Chapter 1, § 23, we learn that the priests of the temple of Ephesus were "eunuchs who were given the name of Megabyzes... in order to have only subjects worthy of fulfilling a priestly office of that kind. In Book 13, Chapter 1, § 57, there is a mention of the tyrant Hermias, who is characterized as a eunuch. In Book 13, Chapter 4, § 1, he cites Philetaeros of Tiane, who, while still a child, was accidentally reduced to the state of a eunuch, and who, under Lysimachus, became the guardian of the fortress of Pergame and of its treasury. Let us also cite under Justinian (6th century) the case of the eunuch Narses, diplomat and captain (compare E. Jeanselme, L'eunuque Narses, diplomate averti et grand capitaine, Bull. Soc. Franc. Hist. Med. vol. 28, Nos. 3-4, 1934, p. 113. E. Benveniste, La légende de Kombalos, Mélanges Dussaud, vol. 1, Paris, 1939, p. 249, recalls the legend according to which, as Lucian tells it, Kombalos, who was supposed to watch over Stratonike, the wife of Seleukos I, (about 170 before J.C.) voluntarily emasculated himself in order to be above all suspicion.
50 H.J. Heyes, Bibel und Aegypten, Münster, 1904.
51 G. Posener, Le première domination perse en Égypte, Cairo, 1936, p. 118.
52 I. Levy, Platon et le faux Smerdis, Mélanges G. Radel = Revue Et. anc., vol. 42, Bordeaux, 1940, pp. 234-241.
53 It is the same mistake that Plato makes with Cambyses, whom he calls a eunuch in Laws III, 695b.
54 H. Brugsch, Geschichte Aegyptens, p. 757.
55 G. Posener, op. cit., p. 178.
56 Inscriptions No. 24 to No. 30.
57 This first Persian domination in Egypt is counted as the 27th dynasty (525-404 before J.C.).
58 G. Posener, op. cit. See inscription No. 33 (p. 126) and No. 34 (p. 129).
59 Berlin Dictionary, IV, 264.
60 K. Sethe, Die altägyptischen Pyramidentexte, vol. II, Leipzig, 1910, p. 299.
61 K. Sethe, Die Ächtung feindlicher Fürsten, Völker und Dinge auf altägyptischen Tongefäßscherben des mittleren Reiches. Abhandl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., 1926, p. 65, m. 4-6.

62 Berlin Dictionary, III, p. 80.
63 E. Lefébure, Le menat et le nom de l'eunuque, Biblioth. Égypt., vol. 35 (Oeuvres diverses de E. Lefébure, vol. II), Paris, 1912, pp. 175-195.
64 J. de Rouge, Edfou, II, 146 (cited from E. Lefébure, op. cit., p. 193).
65 F. Ll. Griffith, Glossary of Demotic, p. 406, in: Catalogue of the Demotic Papyri in the Rylands Library at Manchester, vol. III. We recall that the demotic was a cursive writing in use from 650 before J.C. to the 4th century after J.C.
66 Papyrus IX, 16-17, in F. Ll. Griffith, op. cit., p. 100.
67 Let us note that in J. Capart, Un roman vécu il y a vingt-cinq siècles, Brussels, 1941, the corresponding word is deliberately rendered by eunuch (see p. 65, line 1 on that page and line 1 of Chapter IV).
68 Berlin Dictionary, III, 96.
69 One finds in the Berlin Dictionary: "abschneiden" [to cut off].
70 H. Brugsch, Dictionnaire, p. 957.
71 H. Brugsch, Dictionnaire, Supplement, p. 820.
72 M. Alliot, Le culte d'Horus à Edfou au temps des Ptolémées, Cairo, 1949. (See Chapter II: "Calender of Festivals" of the temples of Edfou and of Denderah. Transcription, p. 217; translation, p. 233.)
73 E. Meyer, Geschichte des alten Aegypten, Berlin, 1887, p. 182.
74 M. Alliot, op. cit.
75 H. Brugsch, Drei Festkalender des Tempels von Apollinopolis Magna in Ober Aegypten, Leipzig, 1877, translated in fact by "wounding".
76 This is the term given in the Berlin Dictionary, IV, 422.
77 Berlin Dictionary, IV, 43: "(Stiere) verschneiden, kastrieren [to castrate (cattle)]."
78 Berlin Dictionary, IV, 81: "as caption for a circumcision scene." There is every reason to believe that the Dictionary is referring to the tomb of Ankh-ma-Hor where there is a circumcision scene. See: J. Capart, Une rue de tombeaux à Saqqarah, Brussels, 1907 (pl. 66). Here one reads sbt followed by a unique determinative.

79 The terms in which Paul d'Egine, Chirurgie, edited by R. Briau, Paris, 1855, describes this procedure for us are as follows: "The children, still at an early age, are placed on a basin of hot water; next, when the parts are relaxed, in the same bath they press the testicles with the fingers until they have been destroyed and, being dissolved, cannot be felt anymore with the fingers."
80 L. Speleers, Traduction, Index et Vocabulaire des Textes des Pyramides égyptiennes, Brussels, no date, p. 175, note 4.
81 Namely, § 1463e. See: K. Sethe, Die altaegyptischen Pyramidentexte, vol. II, Leipzig, 1910.
82 F. von Oefele, Geschichte der vorhippokratischen Medicin, p. 52.
83 Ebers Papyrus, II, 4: "Remember that Horus and Seth were led into the great houses of Heliopolis while they ground the testicles of Seth" (version of Oefele).
84 Berlin Dictionary, II, 370 = to deliberate. Berlin Dictionary, II, 369 = to grind.
85 A.H. Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, London, 1950. See the sign Aa 21 labeled "a carpenter's tool" (p. 542).
86 Berlin Dictionary, I, 404 "to separate, detach" (separate the head, etc.).
87 Berlin Dictionary, I, 407.
88 See P. Lacau, Textes religieux (No. 21 bis).
89 Berlin Dictionary, I, 407 "der über den Gericht gehalten wird".
90 H. de Meulenaere, Herodotos over de 26ste Dynastie, Bibliotheque du Muséon, vol. 27, Louvain, 1951 (see p. 129).
91 A. Wiedemann, Das alte Aegypten, Heidelberg, 1920 (see p. 143).
92 A. Erman, Aegypten, Tübingen, 1923 (see p. 87, note 10).
93 H. Kees, Aegypten, Munich, 1933 (see p. 77, note 4).
http://www.well.com/user/aquarius/pharaonique.htm

Uddhav Thackeray calls PM eunuch, Cong outraged

Press Trust Of India

Time Published on Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 01:14, Updated on Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 10:30 in Politics section

Tags Tags: Lok Sabha Elections 2009, General Elections 2009 , Mumbai

A PERVERSITY: Uddhav Thackeray had addressed a rally with Rajnath Singh in Mumbai to launch the saffron alliance's campaign.

A PERVERSITY: Uddhav Thackeray had addressed a rally with Rajnath Singh in Mumbai to launch the saffron alliance

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Mumbai: The Mumbai district collector on Monday submitted a detailed report on alleged objectionable remarks made by Shiv Sena executive President Uddhav Thackeray in a rally to Sewree police station.

"Police would decide whether to take action or not. We have sent them a video recording of the speech along with our report and a copy of model code of conduct," Mumbai district collector I Z Kundan said.

Asked if any objectionable remarks were found in the speech, Kundan refused to reply. She said "We cannot decide. Police will decide over it."

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) S Baviskar said the report by the Mumbai District Collector was received by the R A K Marg police station.

"It is too early to comment on what action we will take. We will have to study the report and examine legal aspects before deciding the future course of action," Baviskar said.

Uddhav Thackeray and BJP President Rajnath Singh had addressed a rally in Mumbai last week to jointly launch the saffron alliance's campaign for Lok Sabha polls in the state.

In the speech, Uddhav recalled the remarks made by people at his Pune rally in January terming Prime Minister as "a eunuch". The remarks have drawn a strong reaction from Congress.

The Congress said it was "perversity of the highest order".

"The remarks by Uddhav is perversity of the highest order. The PM has taken the prestige and honour of the country to a pinnacle," AICC media department chief M Veerappa Moily told reporters.

Moily said BJP is resorting to such remarks out of frustration as it knew that they are on the losing ground.

Condemning the remarks, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh said, "we condemn the abusive language used by the Shiv Sena-BJP in Maharashtra".

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena has lodged a complaint before the Election Commission against Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari for his alleged derogatory remarks against Uddhav, Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/uddhav-thackeray-calls-pm-eunuch-cong-outraged/88474-37.html

The perils of 'eunuch politics'

Dr Hsu Dar Ren | Apr 4, 08 4:42pm

Some time back, Stanley Koh of Malaysiakini wrote about the history and factional politics in MCA. I find the writings interesting and they give outsider a rare look into what is happening in this party.

There is one type of politics which is practiced by Umno, MCA and some of the other parties. This is called the politics of the eunuchs, or in Mandarin Huan Guan Zheng Zi. Going back to history, in the early 15th century, during the reign of Yong Le Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, China was at its zenith and was able to spent huge sums and resources to send seven sea expeditions, led by Admiral Zheng He over three decades, down to Indian Ocean.

Some historians even said that Zheng He was the one who 'discovered' America, instead of Columbus. However, such a rich and strong dynasty met its demise within a relatively short period of 200 years. Why? Most historians attributed this to what is now known as the 'eunuch politics'. In this type of politics, the emperor would send out his men, the eunuchs, into the courts to mix with the government ministers and officials. Playing into human psychology of fear, suspicion, and jealousy, these eunuchs initially fanned these emotions and by doing so, created factions within the officials and ministers.

Once there were factions, each faction would try to outmaneuvre each other and place people from their own factions into positions of influence. Factionalism also meaning frequent realignment of forces, with everyone and every faction trying hard to get into the good books of the eunuchs, so that their factions could gain power and influence over other factions. No one then cared anymore for the people. What they cared about was their own factional interest. It did not matter how good a person was, the most important criteria for promotion was how loyal that person was.

The whole political game became that of placing their own people in positions of importance, even though some of these people might be useless and corrupted. Meritocracy died a slow death and in its place, a whole lot of useless ministers were appointed, people who would only praise the emperor and the eunuchs and none would bother to criticise and speak frankly from their hearts. To speak from their hearts would be asking for sure death and destruction and who would want this type of ending when they could have luxurious and easy lives if they just played to the rules of the day and supported the eunuchs?

This way, of course, the emperor was able to consolidate his absolute power and control. But by doing so, the emperor was also sowing the seeds of destruction for the dynasty. No dynasty could last long without the practice of meritocracy and without good people daring to give frank advice to the emperor. Slowly, the country became weaker and the ordinary citizens became poorer and poorer. So much so some of them became rebellious and took up arms against the dynasty. To suppress these rebellions as well as to quell dissent, these eunuchs set up intelligence gathering organisations, the three most famous of which were the 'East Factory', the 'West Factory' and the Jin Yi Hui.

These organisations used unscrupulous ways to gather information and had torture chambers to extract forced confessions. Even prime ministers were sacked and removed if they expressed a little bit of independent thinking. The whole government court was then in a 'safe' mode. Everyone tried to play safe. Even walls had ears. So much fear was instilled into the officials that they were really incapacitated. They were interested only to make money, partly to pay to the eunuchs to get into the latter's good books, partly because there was a need to build up their coffers to play faction politics. Corruption became rampant.

Sounds familiar? This was probably the beginning of the so-called money politics. Eunuchs would only put in a good word to the emperor on those who had bribed them, on those who were obedient, and those who had a leash on their necks for the eunuchs to control. Anyone with an independent mind would meet with early demise, some times through creating false incriminatory evidence. And sometimes, certain private indiscretions were made known to the public. Sound familiar again? The Chua Soi Lek DVD sex scandals was along this line.

With this type of control, the dynasty had no real hope but to get weaker and weaker over time. Ultimately, it was embroiled in fighting the external threat from the Manchus and internal rebellions at the same time. The dynasty ended when one general opened the gate of the Great Wall and admitted the Manchus.

History serves as a guide for posterity. The lesson here is that once the 'eunuch culture' gets entrenched, it would be hard to get rid of it. In the modern context and Malaysian politics, some of the personal assistants of leaders have been acting like these eunuchs, even though they have not been castrated. Their role is to make sure that their boss can consolidate his or her powers, and by playing this type of politics, the top leaders are able to exercise divide and rule at practically all levels of the political party. Some would use the euphemism that this is 'check and balance'.

But anyone studying politics would agree that this is a classic case of divide and rule, and by playing one faction against another, the top leader's position became unassailable. Some would be able to sit on the throne for over 20 years. Eunuch politics made a leader strong and a strong leader can further extend the play for the eunuchs, leading to a vicious cycle. Potential threats from potentially capable leaders were nipped in the bud so no one would be strong enough to challenge them.

Some became so strong that they even started a dynasty, grooming kin like sons and brothers to take over positions of influence not immediately perhaps, but in the years to come. Many MCA members have told me about their worry of a dynasty forming. Some years back, they were talking about the father and son dynasty, but now they are talking about the brotherhood dynasty. The fear among MCA members is real, because if this culture becomes entrenched, it would deal the party an even greater blow than the recent election losses. It would affect the roots and aims of the party.

Some other parties are practicing eunuch politics to a lesser extent. Now, many BN component parties are talking about soul-searching and going back to their roots. It would be good for the leaders and the grassroots to remember the perils of the politics of the eunuchs, and try to shun this type of practice. There is no substitute for clean politics based on democratic principles, based on ideology and based on the respective party constitutions. There is no substitute for meritocracy, for going back to the people and speaking out on behalf of the people.

After all, politics is about people. The politician's first and last duty is to serve the interest of the people - not anything else.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/80902

Eunuchs in Indian Politics

Buzz up! ShareThisFeb 9 2001 | Views 931 | Comments (2)

Even as the Indian Parliament is yet to give its seal of approval to a bill seeking 33% quota of seats for women in parliament and state assemblies, the third sex consisting of eunuchs has made its forceful political debut, sending the male order in a tizzy.

In the recently concluded municipal polls in the country's largest state of Uttar Pradesh, a eunuch, Asha Yadav, defeated both the Congress and the BJP to become mayor of Gorakhpur. Some time ago, Shabnam Mausi had won assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh defeating two main opposition parties. The Madhya Pradesh BJP unit has now opened doors for eunuchs and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, Italian-born widow of former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, has also made it clear that she is willing to induct eunuchs into Congress, much to the disdain of her partymen.

Women activists and parliamentarians, battling for quota on gender lines, wonder under which category eunuchs would be placed. Both Shabnam Mausi and Asha Yadav have become extremely popular among masses with some good, constructive developmental work, preparing ground for their entry in Lok Sabha (House of Commons in India). Voters justify their preference for eunuchs, claiming that they tend to be less corrupt! But the political pundits are taking it as a warning signal for politicians; according to them, the masses are so disgusted with the political system that they are selecting eunuchs ahead of men and women.

Amid these developments the fate of women's reservation hangs in the balance. Inspite of declared support from main political parties -- Congress, BJP, left parties, Telegu Desam Party -- the bill got struck during the winter session of parliament on flimsy grounds that there was no consensus on the issue. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi attributed it to the pressure from the strong male order, in the entire political class, that prevented the bill from becoming a law. Now some women Members of Parliament are toying with the idea of an alternative bill that envisages all political parties voluntarily reserving one third quota on gender lines, while giving nominations for parliament and assemblies.

Krishna Bose, grand daughter of India's freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and lawmaker belonging to Trinamool Congress (headed by firebrand Railways Minister, Mamata Banerjee), has prepared a bill that seeks to make it mandatory for all political parties to give 33% tickets to women at all levels --- from grassroot Panchayats to the Lok Sabha. Else, they risk facing disqualification and de-recognition by India's Election Commission, the independent body that conducts elections.

Bose's formula is the least controversial, but the male leaders opposed to reservation on gender lines are busy finding loopholes in it. According to them, such a measure would work to the advantage of India's regional parties. "They would give full quota in states where they are not relevant," said Ajit Jogi, Chief Minister of India's new state of Chattisgarh and a vocal opponent of women's reservation bill. But Margret Alva, a Congress Member of Parliament belonging to Jogi's party discounted such a possibility. Alva, who heads the parliamentary committee on empowerment of women, said, "It can be checked. In each state, a quota of 33% should be earmarked for women, so that regional parties do not get away with it easy."

There are more than two dozen regional parties in India and at present they are dominating the political scene. The main national parties like the BJP and the Congress are heavily dependent on their support, which can make or mar their prospects of ruling the country. India's Chief Election Commissioner, Mohinder Singh Gill, is also a strong advocate of reforms from within, in the sense that political parties should themselves take the lead in empowering women.

There are, however, a range of problems in the original bill that is pending before parliament. For instance, if 33% of the constituencies are reserved for women on a rotational basis, would it not affect the performance of MPs? If a particular seat is reserved on the grounds of gender, the existing male MP may neglect it, as he would not be contesting. This would be undesirable because in India, the MPs' role in development is important since they enjoy unlimited clout and access to funds to the tune of twenty million rupees. It is an issue worth thinking about.

© Rasheed Kidwai., all rights reserved

http://rasheed-kidwai.sulekha.com/blog/post/2001/02/eunuchs-in-indian-politics.htm

Unitech (5.19% up)

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Bartronics India Ltd shares were up 10% on hopes of a big order win from the national ID project. Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal said the unique identification system will use biometrics and the proposed national unique identity authority will be made a statutory body.

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Pfizer Ltd shares lost 3.85%, after its parent firm revised the open offer price to Rs830 from Rs675. Pfizer global had made an open offer for a 34.5% stake in the Indian arm, in which it already holds a 41% stake. Pfizer Global said it is not looking to delist the Indian arm for the next three years.

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Business Standard - ‎Jun 26, 2009‎

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is likely to sign a gas sales and purchase agreement (GSPA) with state-owned power major NTPC to supply gas at the government-mandated price of $4.2 per million metric British thermal unit (mmBtu).

Settlement to benefit both RNRL, RIL: SP Tulsian Moneycontrol.com

Reliance Inds stares at a flood of gas Daily News & Analysis

Hindu - Moneycontrol.com - Business Standard

all 143 news articles »

BOM:500325 - BOM:532709 - LON:RIGD

Mahindra Holidays IPO subscribed 9.74 times

India Infoline.com - ‎9 hours ago‎

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd's 9.27-mn-share initial public offer (IPO) has been subscribed 9.74 times the shares on sale, according to a report.

Mahindra Holidays' IPO subscribed 10 times Business Standard

IPO issue well worth the price, says Mahindra Holidays Moneycontrol.com

Reuters India - domain-B - Calcutta Telegraph

all 37 news articles »

BOM:500520 - LON:MHID

Unitech net profit down by 22 pct in Q4

SteelGuru - ‎16 hours ago‎

BS reported that Unitech Limited decline of 22% in its consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March 31st to INR 279.7 crore, compared with INR 360.2 crore for the corresponding period last year.

Unitech raises Rs 2800cr via private placements Times of India

Unitech private placement offer for Rs1,300 cr Livemint

Hindu - Daily News & Analysis - Moneycontrol.com

all 51 news articles »

NSE:UNITECH.BL - BOM:507878 - NSE:UNITECH.RL

PremjiInvest says it was misled on Subhiksha

Business Standard - ‎22 hours ago‎

PremjiInvest, the $1 billion private equity fund owned by Azim Premji, the billionaire chairman of Wipro Ltd, is saying it was taken for a ride on Subhiksha, the now-shuttered retailer in which it had invested Rs 230 crore in early 2008.

Subhiksha stakeholders agree on revival, debt restructuring Livemint

Lenders working to revive Subhiksha: MD Times of India

Wall Street Journal - Daily News & Analysis - Economic Times

all 20 news articles »

NSE:WIPRO - NSE:WIPRO.BL - NSE:WIPRO.RL

Centre's SMP on sugarcane disappointing for farmers

Times of India - ‎18 hours ago‎

LUCKNOW: The UPA government's decision to fix Rs 107 per quintal as statutory minimum price (SMP) for sugarcane has been disappointing for the farmers in the state.

India's UP to fix sugarcane advisory price in August Reuters India

Cane support price set at Rs 108/qtl, industry bitter Economic Times

Business Standard - Hindu Business Line - Moneycontrol.com

all 40 news articles »

NSE:RENUKA.BL - BOM:532670 - NSE:RENUKA

Morgan Stanley retains 'underweight' on Tata Steel

Economic Times - ‎19 hours ago‎

Morgan Stanley has retained its 'underweight' rating on Tata Steel, following the fourth quarter numbers, which the brokerage house termed as "disappointing".

Tata Steel to sell 20-25% more in FY10 Moneycontrol.com

Tata Steel sheds on 60% drop in FY09 net Business Standard

Reuters India - Reuters - Daily News & Analysis

all 73 news articles »

BOM:500470 - CVE:NML - MS

Fresh News

Airlines launch special offers to woo fliers

Indian Express - ‎3 hours ago‎

As the monsoons approach and air travel dips, all major airlines, including Air India and Jet Airways, have come up with special fares to attract passengers on the domestic sector.

It is raining special fares at Jet group Sify

SpiceJet lowers fares for the monsoon season NDTV.com

Indopia - domain-B

all 14 news articles »

BOM:532617 - BOM:500285

Unitech raises Rs28bn via fresh QIP: report

India Infoline.com - ‎6 hours ago‎

Unitech Ltd. has reportedly raised US$575mn (Rs28bn) by placing shares with overseas private equity (PE) funds at Rs81 apiece. The company will issue 342mn shares, which will expand its equity base by around 16.7%.

Unitech in top gear, raises USD 575mn via second QIP Moneycontrol.com

Unitech raises $575 million through PE placements domain-B

Myiris.com - Daily News & Analysis

all 5 news articles »

NSE:UNITECH.BL - BOM:507878 - NSE:UNITECH.RL

India Cements' profit dips; to raise funds from markets

Hindu - ‎3 hours ago‎

Chennai: Despite posting higher gross turnover of Rs.3954.53 crore (Rs 3595.48 crore) during 2008-09, The India Cements Ltd. (ICL) has reported a lower profit after tax of Rs.432.18 crore (Rs.

India Cements net drops 32% Economic Times

India Cements March quarter net dips 10% Hindu Business Line

Hindu Business Line

all 7 news articles »

NSE:INDIACEM.RL - BOM:530005 - NSE:INDIACEM.BL

India not threatened by deflation: Moody's

Economic Times - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

"The central bank is expected to maintain a neutral stance for now, amid signs that the Indian economy has already hit its trough and the need for further ...

Indian Rupee Extends Downtrend Against Dollar RTT News

all 68 news articles »

Lighter monsoon rains may hurt Indian economy

eTaiwan News - Ashok Sharma - ‎Jun 24, 2009‎

India's economy grew 6.7 percent for the fiscal year ending in March, down from 9 percent the prior year and its slowest since 2003. ...

Singh's 9% India Growth Target Harder as Rains Falter Bloomberg

Delayed Monsoon & Indian Economy PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

Poor rains may put spokes in growth wheel Economic Times

Business Standard - TIME

all 372 news articles »

Special Article

The Statesman - ‎21 hours ago‎

By Dhires Bhattacharyya EVER since the early warnings of a "recession" or long-drawn slump started appearing on the diverse indicators of the Indian economy ...

Indian economy returning to potential growth path: Goldman

Times of India - ‎Jun 21, 2009‎

21 Jun 2009, 1218 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: The Indian economy and the financial sector are returning to a "potential growth path" after adjusting to intense ...

The Money Times

India's Sharma Says Economy May Rebound to 9% Pace

Bloomberg - Svenja O'Donnell, Kartik Goyal - ‎Jun 22, 2009‎

"We in India have perhaps done better" than others in this crisis. India has "a sound regulatory framework." The Indian economy stabilized in the first ...

India keen on WTO talks revival, farm issues top concern Economic Times

USIBC Synergies Summit India Contributed $105 Billion to US ... India Journal

Why Barack Obama Can't Get Enough of India Sky News

Institute of International Trade - Huffington Post

all 103 news articles »

In India, Central Banker Played It Safe

New York Times - Vikas Bajaj - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

Most Indian banks are doing reasonably well even though real estate and stock prices have fallen. Analysts estimate the economy will grow 5 to 7 percent ...

Schools closed in India heat wave

BBC News - ‎Jun 26, 2009‎

Economists earlier this week warned that the delayed monsoon could have a dire impact on the Indian economy. The BBC's Rahul Tandon in Delhi says that ...

Delhi Power Crisis: Sheila Dixit Convenes Emergency Meet myPOPKORN

all 60 news articles »

Worst may be over for the Indian economy-official

Forbes - ‎Jun 23, 2009‎

MUMBAI, June 23 (Reuters) - The worst is over for the Indian economy and a higher-than-normal fiscal deficit should not be a concern for interest rates, ...

Late monsoon won't impact economy much - govt Reuters India

Indian Economy Will Pick Up By Third Quarter- Ahluwalia ForexTV.com

7% GDP growth feasible: Montek Singh Ahluwalia Moneycontrol.com

Indian Express - Reuters India

all 98 news articles »

guardian.co.uk

India's growth will be slowest in six years: World Bank

Economic Times - ‎Jun 22, 2009‎

The Indian economy had grown by 6.7 per cent in 2008-09 against the World Bank's estimate of 6.1 per cent, despite recession setting in most of the ...

Mixed blessings Daily News & Analysis

Trap of stagflation Deccan Herald

At 8%, India to grow fastest in '10: World Bank Economic Times

all 495 news articles »

Week ahead: Market may rise ahead of Budget

Sify - ‎8 hours ago‎

The Indian economy is not in a bad shape. In fact, compared to its peers, it is far well off. Still, a lot needs to be done to keep the economy moving ...

Opposition to Neyveli Lignite disinvestment hotting up

Economic Times - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

For, major political parties will be converging there to outbeat each other in stone walling the move by the UPA Government to revive the disinvestment ...

BOM:513683

RINL Chief favours share buyback from govt

Hindu Business Line - ‎8 hours ago‎

On the issue of sale of shares by the government, Mr Bishnoi said RINL was listed among the PSUs earmarked for 25 per cent disinvestment. ...

"Make clean disinvestments, lend reasonably" Rahul Bajaj: Chairman ...

Livemint - ‎Jun 26, 2009‎

Also, we should resort to disinvestment. 1. It is essential to increase domestic demand, contain fiscal deficit and keep inflation under control. ...

Moneycontrol.com

Govt still not sure of disinvestment policy?

Moneycontrol.com - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

The government is expected to enunciate the policy on disinvestment in the Finance Minister's Budget speech so that it does not become subject to the whims ...

PSUs doing well, no need for disinvestment: Trade unions

Times of India - Sachin Parashar - ‎Jun 22, 2009‎

With Left off its back, the government clearly wants to go full throttle on disinvestment and the PM himself has hinted that the process might be initiated ...

Moneycontrol.com

Disinvestment of public sector units in India: EY

Moneycontrol.com - ‎Jun 26, 2009‎

The disinvestment policy of 1991 aimed to focus public sector investment on strategic, high-tech and essential infrastructure. ...

Hindu Business Line

Coal Ministry considering disinvestment in CIL

Hindu - ‎Jun 16, 2009‎

NEW DELHI: Indicating the Government's will to go ahead with disinvestment, the Coal Ministry is working on a plan to disinvest 5-10 per cent stake in ...

Disinvestment of Coal India on cards Economic Times

CIL disinvestment unlikely before start of next fiscal Indian Express

Govt may sell 10% in CIL Business Standard

Times of India - Myiris.com

all 62 news articles »

NLC to go by Centre's decision on disinvestment

Economic Times - ‎Jun 20, 2009‎

Asked about the Centre's plan to revive the disinvestment programme for NLC, its CMD, AR Ansari told media persons in Chennai on Saturday, ...

Promote investments, stimulate demand, moderate corporate tax

Hindu - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

The imperativeness for disinvestment of government equity in leading public sector undertakings up to 49 per cent is suggested to tide over the growing ...

Budget Expectations from leading players from various industries TechWhack (press release)

Industry for steps to increase consumer demands Hindu

all 3 news articles »

Govt may restart disinvestment programme

Times of India - ‎Jun 10, 2009‎

NEW DELHI: The government is readying for a firm push to restart the frozen disinvestment programme as it feels it can negotiate with allies and counter the ...

DMK attacks govt in RS on PSU disinvestment Business Standard

Disinvestment again faces roadblock from DMK Press Trust of India

State politics behind DMK's anti-selloff stand Economic Times

Financial Express - Times of India

all 25 news articles »

Indian Express

Sibal's ideas aimed at privatisation of education: Left Front

Hindu - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

"Most of the measures the minister has spoken of will only lead to total privatisation of education. This will take education beyond the reach of students ...

State govt not on board: Sibal proposes, Bengal opposes Indian Express

School vouchers, please Govt monopoly is crime against children Economic Times

all 248 news articles »

Left Front governments to oppose UPA's educational reforms

Thaindian.com - ‎8 hours ago‎

... criticised the proposed educational reforms dubbing them as efforts aimed at "absolute centralisation and privatisation" of India's education system. ...

Thaindian.com

Indian PM should induct more professionals in government, says ...

SamayLive - ‎Jun 26, 2009‎

"Many people oppose privatisation saying that if government-owned enterprises are run like capitalist enterprises, who will help India's poor people. ...

Hindu Business Line

Pause before divesting

Hindu Business Line - ‎Jun 25, 2009‎

This is a topic that has been consistently ignored in India. If an increase in efficiency as a result of privatisation leads to higher price mark-ups over ...

SC summons record of 2453 sacked HBL employees

Daily Times - Masood Rehman, Iftikhar Gilani - ‎19 hours ago‎

Justice Iqbal observed that Pakistan was the only country in the world where thousands of people had been rendered jobless in the name of privatisation. ...

No privatisation, just some big selloffs

Economic Times - ‎Jun 4, 2009‎

The disinvestment season is expected to begin by September 15 with initial public offerings by Oil India (OIL) and National Hydroelectric Power Corp's ...

New push for foreign capital, divestment: Patil Smash Hits

President unveils government agenda Mangalorean.com

all 338 news articles »

Govt rules out bus fare cut, privatisation of transport corpns

Times of India - ‎Jun 24, 2009‎

However, the STUs would never be privatised, whatever the losses they incurred and they would continue to function as government undertakings, the minister ...

Govt rules out privatisation Express Buzz

Transport services will not be privatised: Govt Chennai Online

all 38 news articles »

Outlook

Degrees Of Heresy

Outlook - ‎11 hours ago‎

Third, surreptitious privatisation is a fact of our educational life. This should be brought to the open. Private colleges should be encouraged and allowed ...

Govt mulls Air India IPO

Times of India - ‎Jun 1, 2009‎

Patel ruled out any more privatisation of existing airports to modernise them, after Delhi and Mumbai. While the state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) ...

Air India will not be privatised, says Patel Deccan Herald

Air India IPO only in steady market Economic Times

Market hope for Air India Calcutta Telegraph

Reuters India - Hindu

all 99 news articles »