MONSOON Nautankee Reality Show Live Once Again as the Millionaire Parliamentarians Sustain Manusmriti Rule and Have Nothing to do with the Problems Created by the Corporate Zionist Hegemony!

MONSOON Nautankee Reality Show Live Once Again as the Millionaire Parliamentarians Sustain Manusmriti Rule and Have Nothing to do with the Problems Created by the Corporate Zionist Hegemony!

Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - Four Hundred THIRTY THREE

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow!

MONSOON Nautankee Reality Show Live Once Again as the Millionaire Parliamentarians Sustain Manusmriti Rule and Have Nothing to do with the Problems Created by the Corporate Zionist Hegemony!Not unexpectedly, parliament was held up today as the opposition united in demanding an immediate discussion on the rise in prices followed by a vote, leading to adjournment of both houses.
The government has ruled out a vote.

Ninety eight out of 183 Rajya Sabha MPs (54 per cent) whose assets could be assessed are millionaires. An NGO National Election Watch has released its findings on the MPs claiming that this is the first time that an analysis like this is available on Rajya Sabha members as their affidavits and the asset declarations had to be collected from "multiple sources."It adds that 37 MPs in the Rajya Sabha (out of 219, i.e. 17 per cent) declared criminal cases pending against them according to self-sworn affidavits filed at time of their election to Rajya Sabha.Out of these 12 MPs declared serious criminal cases pending against them according to these affidavits.

The Parliament is unlikely to function on Tuesday for the third day in a row with the opposition NDA and some other parties demanding an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and suspension of Question Hour in the Upper House to discuss the issue of price rise.

"Tomorrow also we will bring an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and will not agree to a discussion under any other provision as we want voting on the issue. Only when there is voting, will we know who is in favour and who is not," Deputy Leader of BJP in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde said.

In the Rajya Sabha, a notice for suspension of Question Hour under Rule 168 to discuss and vote on price rise will again be moved tomorrow by the BJP and other opposition parties.

"Government wants to postpone discussions under an adjournment motion on price rise. We will ask the Chair to decide what should be done. Till now the government has not formally rejected our demand for an adjournment motion and the Speaker's ruling is pending," Mr. Munde said.

The main opposition claimed it had discussed the strategy on "floor level coordination" with other political parties, who want discussion and voting on the issue.

"We are fully confident that almost the entire opposition will be united on price rise. Samajwadi Party and RJD also want voting on this issue," Mr. Munde said.

BJP has moved its adjournment motion for discussion and voting on increase in prices of kerosene and LPG cylinders to prevent any government attempt to reject it on grounds of the issue not being of "recent occurrence," a condition required for such a motion to be accepted.

The Editor at Times of India seems to harbor similar opinions like many Indians on this topic. [Emphasis mine]

Our MPs clearly don't deserve a salary hike. Any pay raise must be linked to performance. But the track record of Indian MPs in the recent past has been poor, to say the least.

They have neglected one of their basic duties crafting and debating legislation. The figures for business conducted by Parliament speak for themselves. The number of sittings of the Lok Sabha has come down from a yearly average of 124 in the first decade of 1952-61 to 81 between 1992-2001, a decline of 34 per cent. This has had a direct impact on the number of Bills passed by Parliament. The annual average of the number of Bills passed has come down from 68 in the first decade to 50 between 1992-2001…And even when Bills are passed, they are done without debate since MPs are busy shouting slogans or creating mayhem in the House.

Meanwhile,Targeting to check the double digit inflation, RBI today hiked its short-term lending and borrowing rates by 0.25 per cent and 0.50 per cent respectively, a move that could put pressure on banks to make auto, home and commercial loans expensive. Although Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the steps announced by the Reserve Bank will check inflation without hurting growth, bankers and the industry fear that the initiatives will put pressure on interest rates.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day, the Lok Sabha saw repeated disruptions and was adjourned till noon. The unruly scenes continued when it reconvened, and the house was again adjourned at 2 pm.Left parties today made a fresh demand for discussion on the price situation in Parliament tomorrow under rules which entail voting, after both Houses were adjourned following opposition ruckus over the issue. "We have submitted fresh notices in both Houses for discussion on the matter tomorrow under rules which entail voting. The notices have been submitted as an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha and under Rule 168 in Rajya Sabha," CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia said here. "There have been several debates on price rise in both the Houses, but there has been no action by the government. Unless you have the pressure of voting, they will not act. Our move is intended to put pressure on the government," Yechury said. The Left parties had served similar notices for debate on the issue today also. Maintaining that stocks of rice and wheat in government godowns were more than double the required quantity, he said "the grain is rotting as they are lying in the open at many places like Punjab. Why is the government holding on to them? Why can't it release them to the state governments for distribution through the PDS". Reiterating the Left demand for banning of futures and forward trading in essential commodities and universalising PDS, Yechury said the government was not willing to accept these demands. "People continue to suffer as government says 'good monsoons will lead to good harvest'". Pointing out that debate on price rise under an adjournment motion was allowed in April 2000 in the Lok Sabha, Acharia said there was no ground for the government to suggest that a discussion under a rule which entails voting cannot be allowed. "If they are sure of their numbers, why are they afraid of allowing a debate under an adjournment motion? Rules do not prevent it," Acharia maintained. Acharia and Yechury said the Left parties have met leaders of TDP, BJD and AIADMK to firm up floor coordination on the issue in the two Houses and would talk to Samajwadi Party and RJD tomorrow. Besides the price rise issue, the CPI(M) would raise issues concerning the Bhopal gas disaster. "Dow Chemicals must be held responsible for clearing toxic waste lying in Bhopal for the past 26 years", Yechury said. He said the government should learn from the US, with which it has a strategic relationship, as to how it was handling the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and asked British Petroleum to spend USD two billion for compensation. "But here we are completely exonerating Dow," he said. The CPI(M) would also seek a discussion on illegal mining and demand nationalisation of mineral resources which were being "exported freely".

As soon as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members assembled for the first working day of the monsoon session at 11 am, opposition MPs began shouting slogans, stalling proceedings as they gave vent to vociferous protests. Even parties allied to the government like the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal joined in the opposition demand.

Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj asked Speaker Meira Kumar to "set aside all the business and allow a discussion over rising prices, followed by a vote".

She said the increase in prices of kerosene and cooking gas (LPG) had upset the budget of the common man.

She said a number of opposition members have submitted adjournment motions on the issue.

In its first quarterly review of the monetary policy, RBI today increased the short-term lending rate (repo) to 5.75 per cent and short-term borrowing rate (reverse repo) to 4.50 per cent with immediate effect. It, however, kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR), the cash which banks are required to keep with RBI, and bank rate unchanged as liquidity is tight in the system following over Rs one lakh crore outgo due to payments by telecom companies for acquiring spectrum.

The central bank has also raised the inflation target from 5.5 per cent to six per cent and said that economy will grow by 8.5 per cent, up from earlier projection of 8 per cent, this fiscal. "I expect this policy will lead to further easing of inflation which already is going down.

It should also keep us fully on track in terms of growth. The monetary policy .

is another calibrated step in the right direction," Mukherjee said while talking to reporters in Delhi. However, according to Central Bank of India executive director Arun Kaul, "the monetary action by RBI is aimed at attacking inflation.

It has made funds costlier for banks. It is a signal for upward movement of interest rates".

Describing the RBI''s policy measures "a bit worrisome", Ficci president Rajan Mittal said, "the reverse repo (rate) increase will incentivise parking of funds by banks with RBI..

reducing lending opportunities to industry.

there is always underlying fear of the rate hike eventually leading to increase in lending rate.

" Assocham President Swati Piramal expressed fear that "the lending rates may move north by 25 to 50 basis points making bank borrowings a little dearer.

Mulayam non-committal, if voting held

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was non-committal Tuesday when asked whether his party would vote against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government if Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar agrees for an adjournment motion on price rise and the fuel price hike.
Asked if he is still with the Congress led government, Mulayam said 'I'm with you,' and refused to answer whether he would vote against the government if there was a discussion on an adjournment motion, which entails voting.
The Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) provide outside support to the Manmohan Singh government. MPs belonging to the two parties, led by the two Yadav's, Tuesday trooped to the speaker's podium in the Lok Sabha, raising slogans against the government over the price rise.
'This arrogant government must bring down prices,' Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters after the house was adjourned for the day due to the repeated disruptions on the price rise issue.
The two Yadavs, who pressed for cut motion a demanding a roll-back of the fuel price hike during the budget session of parliament, had staged a walk out when the speaker put it to vote.
The government says it is ready for a discussion on the issue but not as an adjournment motion.
The BJP and the Left have said the adjournment motions will be moved under rule 56 in the Lok Sabha and under rule 168 in the Rajya Sabha that require voting. While the government has adequate numbers in the Lok Sabha to defeat the motion, the situation in the Rajya Sabha is tricky.
The government and its allies can count on 89 members and the opposition on 104 in the upper house. However, the swing votes of 51 members belonging to parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party, as also smaller parties and independent and nominated members, could make a difference.
The three parties have, in the past, sided with the government but given the general anger over the issue within and outside parliament, they could well decide to vote with the opposition to ensure the adjournment motion passes.
Since the voting is not on a money bill, the government would not have to resign if the adjournment motion passes. It would, however, be a huge embarassment for the government.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, a key ally of the Congress, said it wanted a discussion on the price rise and the fuel price hike.
However, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's party oppsed the demand for a discussion under a rule that entails voting.
'We are in favour of a discussion on the issue of price rise,' said Trinamool Congress Chief Whip Sudip Bandhyopadhyay.
He said the opposition could not force the government to accept any demand that entails voting as it would be tantamount to a no-confidence motion.

Rally for women's quota bill Thursday

Women's groups across the country Tuesday announced that they would hold a rally in the capital Thursday, which would be attended by Communist leader Brinda Karat and actress Sharmila Tagore, to pressurise the government to pass the women's reservation bill.
'Thousands of women from all corners of the country would participate in the rally which will commence at 11 a.m. from Jantar Mantar and proceed towards the Parliament House,' said Annie Raja, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
'Javed Akhtar, Sharmila Tagore, and Brinda Karat, among others, would be joining us. There will be a public meeting followed by speeches and a cultural programme,' she added.
Said Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research: 'This is a do or die battle for us. We are not going to give up and this is the message that we want to give to the government. Moreover, women are suffering the most from the back-breaking price-rise... the reservation can be a gift for them.'
The women's reservation bill seeks to reserve 33 percent of seats in parliament and the state assemblies for women. The government hopes to introduce the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session of parliament.
The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha during parliament's budget session earlier this year amidst protests by the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United.
These parties are demanding a quota within a quota for dalits, backwards and minorities.

Better monsoon may act dampener for inflation: RBI

A better monsoon than last year augurs well for the farm production, which might act as a major dampener for food inflation, RBI said today. "The cumulative rainfall has been 14 per cent below its long period average (LPA) during the current monsoon season so far (as on July 21, 2010).
Even so, monsoon performance has been much better than it was last year, which augurs well for agricultural production," the RBI said in its monetary review. Data on crop-wise area indicate a significant increase over the relatively low levels of last year, the country''s apex bank said.
"A good kharif harvest will act as a major dampener on short-term food price inflation," RBI Governor D Subbarao said. Food inflation is 12.47 per cent for the week ended July 10.
Despite deficient monsoon so far, RBI noted that it has been enough to induce a significant increase in sown area across a range of crops, the high prices of which have been a source of great worry. Food inflation has remained at an elevated level for over a year now reflecting structural bottlenecks in certain food items such as pulses, milk and vegetables, RBI said.
The country had faced the worst-ever drought in three decades last year as a result of which foodgrain production fell by over 16 million tonnes from a record of over 234.47 million tonnes in 2008-09.

Pawar to meet sugar industry bodies on decontrol on July 29

Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has called a meeting on July 29 with the sugar industry bodies ISMA and NFCSF to discuss about decontrolling the sector. The sugar sector is under the government''s control.
The Food Ministry allocates the monthly quota that mills sell in the open market, as well as through ration shops. Besides that, mills are required to sell 20 per cent of their output to the government for distribution under the PDS. The minister had recently said the time is ripe for freeing the sugar sector from all the government controls and a proposal in this regard will be ready soon.
"We are preparing a proposal which will be ready in 10 days. Then, we will seek views of different ministries.
It would take another two-three months for the proposal to be placed before Cabinet, as by then, availability of cane and the likely production will be known," Pawar had said.
Early this month, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and the National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), the apex bodies, had submitted a four-point proposal on decontrol of the sugar sector. In the wish-list, the industry sought the government to do away with monthly release mechanism, PDS sugar to be procured from the market, removal of sugar from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act and cane price to be fixed on the basis of realisation from sugar and its by-products.
The Food Ministry has started initial rounds of discussion with various stakeholders to take a firm view on some of the issues.
   

   

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Anger as Indian MPs vote themselves a pay increase

                
Anuj Chopra, Foreign Correspondent
           

• Last Updated: June 30. 2010 10:16PM UAE / June 30. 2010 6:16PM GMT

                                                                             
               
Critics are upset by a drift away from Ghandi's principles of service in the Indian parliament. Gurinder Osan / AP
on the issue of price rise from opposition parties and even some of those supporting the government.

In the Lok Sabha, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora made a suo motu statement on the hike in fuel prices in which he said that the increase in price of domestic LPG by Rs 35 per cylinder is likely to increase the daily expenditure by less than Rs one.

Similarly, the increase in price of kerosene by Rs 3 per litre is expected to increase the daily expenditure on Kerosene for an average rural household only by less than 50 paise.

In the Rajya Sabha, soon after new members took oath or affirmation, the entire Opposition was up on its feet raising the issue of price rise.

The BJP-led NDA was joined by Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and AIADMK in vociferously raising the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities particularly domestic cooking gas LPG and PDS kerosene.

Keywords: Parliament, monsoon session, price rise

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Govt. confident of sailing through impasse in Parliament Gill, Dikshit inaugurate Jawaharlal Nehru stadium Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow Quraishi appointed new Chief Election Commissioner Vanzara, 7 other officers object to Amin turning approver Day in pictures - July 27, 2010 Land acquisition by govt. for Posco illegal, says Central team 114 terrorists killed in J&K this year: Government CBI calls farm owner for questioning in Sohrabuddin case India, Bangladesh sign landmark power deal

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article536512.ece

Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow The Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎ PTI The Parliament is unlikely to function on Tuesday for the third day in a row with the opposition NDA and some other parties demanding an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and suspension of Question Hour in the Upper House to discuss the issue of ... Govt. confident of sailing through impasse in Parliament The Hindu - ‎18 minutes ago‎ PTI Aware of internal contradictions in the Opposition camp, the government appears confident to sail through the impasse in Parliament over the issue of adjournment motion on price rise. "Even if there is a voting, it will see the Opposition again ... BJP press for adjournment motion on price rise Sify - ‎1 hour ago‎ The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said it will again give notice Wednesday in both houses of parliament for an adjournment motion on the price rise under rules that entail voting. 'We will bring adjournment motion tomorrow. ... Speaking to reporters separately, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, "We are prepared for discussion on any of the 62 items that the Opposition has listed under the relevant rules". more by Pawan Kumar Bansal - 18 minutes ago - The Hindu (2 occurrences) Price rise debate in Lok Sabha on Wed, no adjournment motion NDTV.com - ‎1 hour ago‎ New Delhi: In both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition was on its feet with a fusillade targeting the government for its inability to reign in prices intertwined with its unwillingness to allow a vote on the issue. That meant by lunch, ... Congress slams opposition for disrupting Parliament Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎ PTI New Delhi: The Congress today lashed out at the opposition for disrupting the Parliament and pressing for an adjournment motion saying that in a democracy, problems are solved through debate and discussion and not through disruption. ... Rising prices derail Parliament domain-B - ‎2 hours ago‎ Not unexpectedly, parliament was held up today as the opposition united in demanding an immediate discussion on the rise in prices followed by a vote, leading to adjournment of both houses. The government has ruled out a vote. While the Rajya Sabha was ... Opposition stalls Parliament over price rise issue The Hindu - ‎6 hours ago‎ PTI PTI Opposition members disrupt proceedings in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday. The issue of price rise paralysed Parliament with an agitated Opposition forcing adjournment of Rajya Sabha for ... Uproar over price rise, Parliament adjourned IBNLive.com - ‎7 hours ago‎ New Delhi: Parliament was held up on Tuesday as a united Opposition demanded an immediate discussion on price rise followed by a vote, leading to adjournment of both houses. The government has ruled out a vote. While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for ... Parliament adjourned till noon after uproar over price issue Times of India - ‎7 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon today amid vociferous demands from the opposition parties and even some of those supporting the government for a discussion on the issue of price rise. Soon after Speaker Meira Kumar read ... All 56 related articles »

Related Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha Monsoon Amit Shah New Delhi Rajya Sabha Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow ‎1 hour ago‎ - The Hindu Price rise issue rocks Parliament, both Houses adjourn ‎3 hours ago‎ - Hindustan Times No accord on adjournment motion ‎17 hours ago‎ - The Hindu BJP adjournment motion on hike in kerosene, LPG prices ‎Jul 26, 2010‎ - Hindustan Times United Opposition pushes for adjournment motion ‎Jul 25, 2010‎ - Economic Times Images The Hindu Oneindia NDTV.com NDTV.com Calcutta Telegr... Indian Express India Today Reuters India Moneycontrol.co... All relat

Sohrabuddin case: CBI detains farm owner for questioning

Hindustan Times - ‎3 hours ago‎
The CBI on Tuesday made another arrest in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. The owner of the farmhouse where Sohrabuddin Sheikh's wife Kausar Bi was kept before being killed, has been arrested. The Arham Farms belongs to Jirawala, ...

CBI arrests Farmhouse Owner in Sohrabuddin Encounter Case

BreakingNewsOnline. - ‎2 hours ago‎
Ahmedabad: Breaking News! The CBI has now gone on an offensive to nail former Gujarat MoS for Home, Amit Shah in Sohrabuddin Shikh fake encounter case. The CBI arrested the owner of the farmhouse where Sohrabuddin's wife Kausar Bi was kept. ...

Fake encounter: Farmhouse owner arrested

indiablooms - ‎1 hour ago‎
Ahmedabad, July 27 (IBNS) The owner of a farmhouse where Gujarat's alleged fake encounter victim Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi were confined before they were killed was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday. ...

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"Well, there is no truth in that. The Opposition knows it jolly well. This Sohrabuddin case is a Supreme Court directed investigation. The Centre has no hand in it," he said. more by Manmohan Singh - 17 hours ago - Times of India (34 occurrences)

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CBI not Congress Bureau of Investigation: PM

Times of India - ‎17 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dismissed BJP's charge that Centre was influencing the CBI investigation into the Sohrabuddin case even as a confrontation was brewing between the government and Opposition over how price rise was to be ...

CBI being used for vendetta: Gadkari

The Hindu - ‎17 hours ago‎
MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that the Congress had declared war on the party by using the CBI. Reading from a prepared five-page statement at a press conference, Mr. Gadkari said, "By fabricating false and ...

Manmohan denies misuse of CBI

The Hindu - ‎19 hours ago‎
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held out an olive branch to a fractious Opposition on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament, saying his government was ready "for every piece of discussion" that it "may want," even as he ...

Sohrabuddin case: Another arrest made

samaylive - ‎3 hours ago‎
In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday arrested the owner of Arham farm, where Kausar Bi, the wife of Sohrabuddin Sheikh was killed. Raju Jirawala , who has been arrested is the brother of BJP contractor Surendra ...

Amit Shah case: What about Andhra police, asks Gadkari

Economic Times - ‎15 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: IN an attempt to drive home its point that the case against Amit Shah was politically-motivated, BJP on Monday cited the exclusion of Andhra Pradesh cops from the chargesheet. BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who led BJP's charge against the ...

Rising prices sees BJP, Left, et al get together

Daily News & Analysis - Harish Gupta - ‎Jul 25, 2010‎
New Delhi: The Manmohan Singh government's plan to split the opposition seems to have come apart with the BJP deciding not to debate the misuse of the CBI in the Amit Shah case. Instead, the BJP has decided to confront the government on price rise and ...

Manmohan Singh blunts BJP's 'CBI misuse' slur

Daily News & Analysis - Harish Gupta - ‎18 hours ago‎
New Delhi: Faced with the charge that the government is misusing the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) in the Sohrabuddin case, prime minister Manmohan Singh went on the offensive on Monday, making it clear to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that ...
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India Raises Benchmark Rate More Than Forecast as Inflation Sparks Strike Bloomberg - Kartik Goyal - ‎5 minutes ago‎ July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Indranil Pan, chief economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., talks with Bloomberg's Mark Barton about the outlook for Reserve Bank of India monetary policy. ... POLL - Majority see another RBI rate hike by Sept Reuters India - Anurag Joshi, Tony Munroe - ‎31 minutes ago‎ A man drinks next to the logo of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), outside its head office in Mumbai April 20, 2010. By Anurag Joshi MUMBAI (Reuters) – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to raise interest rates more aggressively in the rest of ... Interest rates to remain unchanged till Oct: Bankers Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎ PTI Leading bankers today ruled out any rise in the interest rate regime in the second quarter despite the increased pressure on the rates following the Reserve Bank policy action. Admitting that the Reserve Bank decision to raise the short-term ... 'RBI rate hike won't hit property sector' Indian Express - ‎48 minutes ago‎ Realty consultants and developers say that the hike in key policy rates by the Reserve Bank will not have a significant impact on the property sector. "The rate hike is on expected lines. Policy rates have been raised primarily to control inflation. ... RBI surprises with 0.5% hike in Reverse Repo: Manjunath Gaddi India Infoline.com - ‎1 hour ago‎ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been very cautious in its approach to the monetary policy so that the applecart of growth is not affected much. The policy statement is in line with the market expectations, ie, RBI announced no hike in CRR and a 25 ... Nifty ends flat rate sensitives gain post Credit Policy Moneycontrol.com - ‎3 hours ago‎ The benchmark Nifty ended flat with a positive bias, led by rate sensitives post hike in key rates by RBI, which was in-line with estimates. Cement, select technology and telecom companies' shares also helped indices. Even global cues were quite ... BANKERS' VIEW-India cbank raises key rates Reuters - Ketan Bondre, Ramya Venugopal - ‎3 hours ago‎ MUMBAI July 27 (Reuters) - India's central bank on Tuesday raised interest rates more forcefully than expected in the face of inflation that has held stubbornly above 10 percent for the past five months. The RBI lifted the repo rate, at which it lends ... India's central bank acts on price rise, upbeat on growth Sify - ‎1 hour ago‎ India's central bank stepped up its attack on rising prices a tad more than expected by hiking two key short-term rates, predicted an eventual increase in interest rates on loans and deposits and raised its forecast on inflation and growth. ... Rate hike will hurt: Industry Hindustan Times - ‎2 hours ago‎ India Inc on Tuesday said the Reserve Bank of India's decision to raise the reverse repo rates by 50 basis points (bps) would hurt the manufacturing sector. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) termed the hike a "huge ... Will combat inflation but growth focus to stay Subbarao Moneycontrol.com - ‎3 hours ago‎ The Reserve Bank has maintained a hawkish undertone and continued its crack down on inflation. Earlier today, it raised the reverse repo by a half a percentage point and repo by 25 bps, but kept the cash reserve ratio unchanged. ... All 218 related articles »

Related Federal Reserve Inflation Repurchase agreement Reserve Bank of India Central bank Monetary policy Timeline of articles Number of sources covering this story POLL - Majority see another RBI rate hike by Sept ‎31 minutes ago‎ - Reuters India Auto, home loans may get dearer as RBI hikes rates ‎6 hours ago‎ - Times of India RBI hikes rates: Check out reactions to RBI monetary polcy review ‎7 hours ago‎ - Economic Times RBI hikes short-term rates; CRR unchanged ‎8 hours ago‎ - Economic Times Monetary review: Gradualist approach to continue ‎19 hours ago‎ - Hindu Business Line Credit policy: What will RBI do tomorrow? ‎Jul 26, 2010‎ - Moneycontrol.com RBI may stay on course with 25 bps rise in key rates ‎Jul 25, 2010‎ - Business Standard Images Reuters India Moneycontrol.co... Reuters India Oneindia MarketWatch Reuters India Reuters India The Hindu Moneycontrol.co... All related images »

Will be happy if Commonwealth Games are spoilt: Aiyar

As the Congress-led governments in Delhi and the centre pray for a successful Commonwealth Games, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar Tuesday said he would be 'unhappy' if the Games were a success.
'Personally, I will be unhappy if the Commonwealth Games are successful,' Aiyar, a nominated Rajya Sabha member, told reporters outside parliament.
'I am very happy with the rains, firstly because it will ensure a good agriculture for the country and secondly because it will ensure that the Commonwealth Games are spoilt,' Aiyar said.
'If the Commonwealth Games are successful, they will further organise Asian Games and other events... I will be happy if the Games are spoilt,' he said.
Aiyar said the funds spent for the Oct 3-14 Games could have been utilised for ensuring a better sporting future for Indian children by providing them sports training.
'Just imagine if we would have spent the Rs.35,000 crore in providing training to the children, we would have won medals in every international sporting event,' Aiyar added.

Govt. favours cyber monitoring to track terror network

The Government on Tuesday informed as per
ailable inputs, it looks that terrorists are using several means for communication inter-alia, including use of internet and e-mail.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha stated: "The Department of Information Technology (DIT) has initiated a major programme on cyber forensics specifically focused towards development of cyber forensic tools, setting up of infrastructure for investigation and training of law enforcement and judicial offices in use of cyber forensic tools, to collect and analyse the digital evidence."
"Further, DIT has set up cyber forensic training labs at CBI and Kerala Police for skill upgradation in the area of cyber crime investigations and have also sponsored projects in the North Eastern States to establish cyber forensic training facilities at the state police organizations. Besides, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT -In) under DIT has been set up for creating awareness about cyber security. It performs both pro-active and reactive roles," he further stated. (ANI)

VVIP treatment for Shah in VVIP prison

Ahmedabad, July 26 -- Former Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, who also held the jails portfolio, is being well looked after at Sabarmati Central Jail, where he is being held along with 13 police officials chargesheeted for the murders of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in November 2005. Shah has been allotted a spacious special room with an attached bathroom and TV. He is also allowed food from his residence, mineral water and his own clothes. He is supplied with newspapers in his room and does not have to walk to the library to catch up with news. "I cannot say he is not being treated as a special prisoner. After all, he was our boss just two days ago," a senior official at the central jail told HT. However, he pointed out that the magistrate's order allows him food and clothes from his home. Shah has also been allowed to use a mattress, bed sheet, shawl, towel and napkins from his residence, the official said. He however denied that the minister was using his mobile phone in the jail. Shah's first day in prison proved to be hectic for jail authorities. He refused to stay in the Sardar Barrack of Sabarmati Central Prison as other accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case were lodged there. Shah told the authorities that other accused in the case have lots of differences amongst them and hence it would not be safe for him to stay there. The authorities then kept him in the Tilak Barrack. Prison sources said Shah had homemade khichri for dinner. "Being diabetic, he had a brisk walk inside the room for some time," a jail official said.
Shah, who was to meet his battery of lawyers on Monday, could not do so. He has scheduled the meeting for Tuesday.

UPA trying to corporatise agriculture: Manik Sarkar

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Tuesday accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi of trying to 'corporatise' the agricultural sector in order to hand it over to a few people.
'Without land reforms India's agricultural development is not possible. In the National Development Council (NDC) meeting, this vital issue was not raised by any chief minister, central minister or the prime minister except by Tripura,' the Left leader said.
Sarkar was speaking after inaugurating northeast India's first private sector bio-fertilizer plant in west Tripura's Radha Kishore Nagar, 15 km north of Agartala.
The plant, with over 600 metric tonnes initial production capacity, was set up at a cost of Rs.20 million without government support.
Sarkar said: 'As land is a most productive resource, it should be utilised properly. Land reforms, as a tool for equitable distribution and productive use of an economic asset, should be given the highest priority with an aim of providing land to the actual tillers instead of confining it in fewer hands in the name of corporatisation of agriculture.'
Referring to the bio-fertiliser plant, the chief minister said: 'In many parts of the world, bio fertilizer-based food products are most valued and in real terms it has ten times higher value than products grown through chemical fertilizers.'
The plant managing director Ratan Debnath said that such fertilizer has huge demand not only in India but in neighbouring countries too, specially Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
The bio-fertilizer plant has a separate unit of vermicompost, which is a valued organic fertilizer.
Rice husk is used as one of the raw materials in the plant, which would produce four types of bio-fertilizers. It has started supplying the fertiliser to the other northeastern states.
Renowned agricultural scientist and Tripura agriculture department Director Shiv Narayan Sen said: 'For sustainable use of soil, its protection and for steady increase of production, there is no alternative to bio-fertilizer.'
'The Tripura government has been cultivating rice in large areas through system of rice intensification (SRI) method.'
'The bio-fertilizer would be helpful in the SRI cultivation method,' he said.
The SRI method, developed in the 1980s in Madagascar, is currently practised in 28 countries.

No plans to hike FDI cap in defence sector - Antony

Th government has no plans to raise the foreign direct investment ceiling in the defence equipment sector, Defence Minister A.K. Antony told parliament in a written reply on Tuesday.
In May the trade ministry had suggested the cap in the sector be raised to 74 percent from the present 26 percent, a change which would crowd out many local companies from the lucrative defence equipment market.
India has the world's tenth largest defence budget but imports 70 percent of its needs.
(Reporting by C.J. Kuncheria; editing by Surojit Gupta)
(For more news on Reuters India, click http://in.reuters.com)

Pakistan's 'double game' prompts call for US policy review

Washington, July 27 (IANS) Revelations about what the US media called 'Pakistan's Double Game' of providing Afghan militants 'A Sanctuary for Terror' while taking billions in aid from the US has prompted calls on Capitol Hill for a rethink of Washington's policy.
'However illegally these documents came to light, they raise serious questions about the reality of America's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan,' Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry said after leaks of secret US military documents.
'Those policies are at a critical stage and these documents may very well underscore the stakes and make the calibrations needed to get the policy right more urgent,' said Kerry, a key architect of legislation last year that provides $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over the next five years.
Senator Russ Feingold, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said documents leaked by whistleblower WikiLeaks highlight a 'fundamental strategic problem,' namely 'that elements of the Pakistani security services have been complicit in the insurgency'.
'The Obama administration has understood the nature of Pakistan's connections to the Taliban from its first days in office,' said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer who led a presidential review of US policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan.
'Like India, the US administration understands there is no alternative to engagement with Pakistan,' Riedel, currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Saban Centre for Middle East Policy, told the Washington Times.
Riedel noted that a former Afghan intelligence chief had confirmed that the ISI's connections to the Taliban are still in place, that the Taliban leadership is based in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, and that the ISI has tremendous influence in the Taliban.
The influential New York Times, which was one of the three publications given early access to the leaks, in an editorial titled 'Pakistan's Double Game', said though most of the documents could not be verified, they 'confirm a picture of Pakistani double-dealing that has been building for years.'
'Why would Pakistan play this dangerous game?' the Times asked and suggested Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) 'has long seen the Afghan Taliban as a proxy force, a way to ensure its influence on the other side of the border and keep India's influence at bay'.
In a similar vein, The Wall Street Journal branded Pakistan 'A Sanctuary for Terror' noting 'the militants wage war in Afghanistan while using Pakistan as a place for rest, recuperation and recruitment.'
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

Security up in Orissa ahead of Maoist martyrs week

Bhubaneswar, July 27 (IANS) Security has been beefed up in insurgency-hit areas of Orissa ahead of the 'martyrs' week' the Maoists are observing from July 28, a police official said Tuesday.
The rebels have put up posters and distributed leaflets in interior pockets of at least three districts such as Malkangiri, Rayagada and Gajapati asking people to join hands with them in the so-called war they have launched against the government and the system.
'We have strengthened police presence in interior areas. Police, security forces and the local administration have been told to remain alert,' the police officer told IANS.
The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist has given the call asking people and its cadres to observe the week in memory of rebel leaders who were killed in battles with security forces.
Charu Majumdar, founder of India's Maoist movement, had died in police custody July 28 in 1972. 'Martyr's week' is being observed by the guerrillas since then.
Maoist leaflets and posters protesting the killing of one of their top leaders Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad in an alleged shootout July 2 in Andhra Pradesh were found by police a few days ago.
The rebels claim that police killed Azad in a staged gunfight after arresting him in Nagpur in Maharashtra.
Maoists have presence in more then half of the state's 30 districts. The districts of Malkangiri, Rayagada and Gajapati are considered as their strongholds.

Indian, British subs to test mettle in naval wargame

An Indian and a British submarine will test each other''s capabilities at a three-day wargame in the Arabian Sea, even as the two sides try out a new tabletop naval exercise in Mumbai, both as part of the annual Konkan series this month-end. The Royal Navy submarine ''HMS Talent'', a Trafalgar class vessel, will match its warfare skills with Indian Navy''s ''Shishumar'' class submarine from July 28 to 30 off the west coast, a Navy press release said here today.
At the same time, the British and Indian navies will conduct their annual ''Konkan 2010'' bilateral exercise in the form of a tabletop wargame in Mumbai from July 26, it said. This will be the seventh edition of the ''Konkan'' series of exercises and the tabletop wargame will be held on a tactical simulator located at Maritime Warfare Centre of the Western Naval Command.
The tabletop exercise will be a wargame without actual participation of ships, but with Planning Staff of both countries attending it. The aim of the tabletop exercise is to exchange operational planning concepts, Maritime Domain Awareness procedures, and to test these plans through simulations of a maritime scenario at sea.
Experiences from this tabletop game would be utilised to refine concepts for future ''Konkan'' series of exercises involving ships, submarines and aircraft. The nine-member British team will be headed by Commodore James Morse, the Commander of United Kingdom Task Group, and the 11-member Indian side by Captain M A Hampiholi, Commanding Officer of INS Talwar.
The first Konkan exercise was conducted in April 2004 at Chennai, followed by exercises in 2006, 2008 and 2009 in India. Two tabletop wargames were also held.
Konkan 2007 was a tabletop exercise conducted at the Royal Navy''s Maritime Warfare Centre at Portsmouth in United Kingdom. In 2009, Konkan was conducted off the southern coast of the UK during the deployment of Indian warships to the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean.
The Konkan series of exercises are a part of continuing and growing constructive engagement process between the two navies, the release said.

Opinions and Editorials

       

   

Raising the bar

IE - 05:25 AM
When Atul Setalvad passed away last week, the legal fraternity, particularly the Bombay high court bar, lost a giant whose contribution to the law was immense.
       
        View:         Headlines Only |         Include Summaries |         Include Photos        
            
       

•             'There have been 600 encounters in UP and just 19 in Gujarat and you make an issue of it ' IE - 05:25 AM
• My guest this week is the youngest president of a major political party in our history. Nitin Gadkari, new to the job but never out of news. What keeps you in the news?
•        
•             Freedoms to question IE - 05:25 AM
• I am happy to be present at this event to confer the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards.
•        
•             Calling Mr Patel IE - 05:25 AM
• Praful Patel, minister for civil aviation, has been an active and energetic asset to this government.
•        
•             Yes, no, minister IE - 05:25 AM
• As the government's handling of the Pakistan policy draws political flak, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna must accept much of the blame.
•        
•             On an older track IE - 05:25 AM
• With Myanmar's military ruler General Than Shwe in India this week, it is an apt moment to infuse coherence into our engagement with this key eastern neighbour.
•        
•             FE Editorial : Can Air India take off? FE - 01:54 AM
• When the government approved the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines in 2007, it was on the basis of the civil aviation ministry's argument that the merger would yield economies of scale and the ensuing leverage would help turn the ailing flag carrier around.
•        
•             Column : Why power is short of targets FE - 01:54 AM
• India planned to add 78,700 mw capacity under the Eleventh Plan. Against that, only 22,000 mw was added in the first three years of the Plan. Meanwhile, the Planning Commission has reduced the capacity addition target for the plan to 62,000 mw. But there are indications that the government might fail to achieve even the revised target.
•        
•             FE Editorial : In the interest of financial stability FE - 01:54 AM
• What began as a turf war between Sebi and Irda over the regulation of Unit linked Insurance plans (Ulips) has now engulfed the entire regulatory apparatus of India's financial sector.
•        
•             Column : Commerce and compliance FE - 01:54 AM
• Indenting agents in the pharma industry play an important role as they mediate between manufacturers in India and importers from countries like China.
•        
•             India, sunny side up FE - 01:54 AM
• At the height of the global recession of 2008-09, which also swept large swathes of the Indian economy, help came from unexpected quarters.
•        
•             Why foreign legal firms should set up shop in India FE - 01:54 AM
• The never-ending debate about the entry of foreign law firms into India is again in the news. The buzz is that British PM David Cameron is visiting India this week with an agenda to explore the possibilities of partnering deals, including opening up the legal sector.
•        
•             Jimmy Sheirgill, Sameera follow regional lure IE - Mon, Jul 26
• Till a fortnight ago, few had heard of this Punjabi film called Mel Karade Rabba. Even though Jimmy Sheirgill - the lead hero of the film - sounded mighty excited during informal chats, no one had a clue about the euphoria round the corner.
•        
•             Visa issues IE - Mon, Jul 26
• After news first emerged that David Headley had made multiple visits to India to recon possible targets for Pakistan-based terrorists, India's security mechanism clicked into overdrive.
•        
•             You're going to regret it IE - Mon, Jul 26
• When I first heard on Thursday that Democrats in the US Senate were abandoning the effort to pass an energy/climate bill that would begin to cap greenhouse gases that cause global warming and promote renewable energy that could diminish our addiction to oil, I remembered something that Joe Romm, the climateprogress.org blogger, once said.
•        
•             Crossing legal lines IE - Mon, Jul 26
• The prime minister of India has described legal education in India as a "sea of institutionalised mediocrity with a few islands of excellence." The first generation of legal reforms saw the birth of 14 national law schools.
•        
•             A questionable apology IE - Mon, Jul 26
• Most political pundits, in hindsight, called Mulayam Singh Yadav's tie-up with Kalyan Singh in the 2009 Lok Sabha battle a "kiss of death".
•        
•             Transmission lines IE - Mon, Jul 26
• The next credit policy announcement will be made on July 27. The Reserve Bank of India is expected to raise interest rates again as inflation did not come down as expected.
•        
•             Shielding Shah IE - Mon, Jul 26
• Sohrabuddin, from whose possession a large cache of AK 47 rifles were found, same Sohrabuddin whom police of four states were looking for, Sohrabuddin who attacks police, Sohrabuddin who maintains connections with Pakistan, who raises eyes on Gujarat, then what will my police do?" So thundered Narendra Modi in his campaign speech, as he twisted the facts of an encounter killing that the CBI n
•        
•             Raining legislation IE - Mon, Jul 26
• As the monsoon session of Parliament commences today, it is an understatement to say that the UPA government has its basket not full, but overflowing.
•        

       
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National News

       

   

Delink employment package from return to Valley: Kashmiri Pandits

IE - 03:55 PM
Expressing concern over the Kashmir situation, Panun Kashmir (PK), an organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to remove from the employment package for the displaced community the clause of returning to the Valley.
       
        View:         Headlines Only |         Include Summaries |         Include Photos        
            
       

•             Fire at Rajiv Chowk metro station IE - 03:55 PM
• A small fire broke out at the busy Rajiv Chowk metro station in the Capital on Tuesday's afternoon but no one was injured, fire officials said.
•        
•             Edu institutions should imbibe culture in students: Bhagwat IE - 03:55 PM
• Educational institutions should strive to imbibe culture in students and fulfil their social responsibilities apart from their primary role of imparting knowledge, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday.
•        
•             Kerala against foreign varsities functioning in India IE - 03:55 PM
• The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala has decided to oppose the Centre's proposal to allow foreign universities in the country, saying it will not improve the quality of education in any way.
•        
•             Parliament adjourned over price rise issue IE - 11:58 AM
• The BJP said it would settle for nothing less than an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha to discuss the price rise issue and warned that Government's refusal would lead to a "confrontation".
•        
•             Girl injured in landmine blast on LoC IE - 11:26 AM
• A girl was injured in a landmine blast along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote belt of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, police officials said here on Tuesday.
•        
•             Showers bring down temperature in Delhi IE - 11:26 AM
• Delhiites woke up to a pleasant morning with light showers bringing down the mercury to a comfortable level on Tuesday.
•        
•             CBI files appeal in Dinakaran newspaper office attack case IE - 11:26 AM
• After a delay of 118 days, the CBI has filed an appeal before the Madras High Court Bench here against a lower court verdict acquitting 17 persons, including a DSP, in the 2007 Dinakaran newspaper office attack case.
•        
•             Giving life a more 'personal' touch IE - 11:26 AM
• Stationery is being increasingly customised and names are now embossed on fancy envelopes and gift tags instead of being handwritten.
•        
•             'Amit Shah had taken bribe from Ketan Parekh' IE - 11:04 AM
• Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia alleged that former minister of state for home Amit Shah had allegedly received a bribe of Rs 2.5 crore from stock market scamster Ketan Parekh to help him in a bank fraud case.
•        
•             Cong hopes Rahul's 'medicine' will revive party in Bihar IE - 11:04 AM
• After its revival in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is hoping that Rahul Gandhi's "right medicine" will help resuscitate the party in poll-bound Bihar, where it has been out of power for the last two decades.
•        
•             SSP, Samba shunted out over graft charges after protests IE - 11:04 AM
• The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Samba was on Tuesday shunted out over "serious" charges of corruption, a day after the district witnessed violent protests over alleged collusion of police officials and a gang of cattle lifters.
•        
•             Another top cop under scanner for 'erasing' Amit Shah reference in CD IE - 05:25 AM
• The role of retired IPS officer O P Mathur, who was in-charge of the Gujarat CID when it was probing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, is under the scanner because CBI officials said all references to then Minister Amit Shah had been deleted from a compact disc the CID handed to the agency after the case was transferred.
•        
•             Sidhu led dreaded Maoist squad IE - 05:25 AM
• The elimination of Sidhu Soren, the area commander of one of the most fierce underground Maoist squads operating in Goaltore belt of West Midnapore district, is bound to be a blow to the outfit's fighting edge.
•        
•             Shwe in Delhi, citizenship concession on table IE - 05:25 AM
• In a significant move, Myanmar is all set to give citizenship cards to people of Indian origin even if they have no documentation.
•        
•             From star Dalit student to controversial cop IE - 05:25 AM
• A Dalit boy from Mansa town in Gandhinagar district, Narendra Kumar Amin cleared his MBBS at B J Medical College as a gold-medallist, on the top of his batch.
•        
•             Somnath book: CPM defends itself, Karat to fend for himself IE - 05:25 AM
• While the CPM on Monday left it to Prakash Karat to rebut charges levelled against him by Somnath Chatterjee, the party's West Bengal secretary Biman Bose came down heavily on the former Lok Sabha Speaker.
•        
•             Write back IE - 05:25 AM
• I refer to a news report ('Judges' Bill: Questions over V-P's role as panel chief', IE, July 25) regarding the proposed "Judges' Bill" and reported views in the matter of the Vice President of India.
•        
•             The new Connaught Place: Lower parking, no hoardings IE - 05:25 AM
• Dust, constant construction activity and piled up concrete has made it difficult for commuters and shoppers to tread their way through Connaught Place.
•        
•             City roads deathtrap at night IE - 05:25 AM
• In the early hours of Monday, a speeding car mowed down four labourers engaged in road repairs on the Safdarjung Airport flyover.
•        

       
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National News

       

   

Quick View

FE - 01:54 AM
'No new recession, let tax cuts die' The economy is not likely to slip back into recession but letting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire is necessary to show commitment to cutting budget deficits, treasury secretary Timothy Geithner said on Sunday.
       
        View:         Headlines Only |         Include Summaries |         Include Photos        
            
       

•             Probe 'misplaced' file mystery with Koda case: BJP leader FE - 01:54 AM
• Had the Jharkhand government not "misplaced" a file wherein the state's principal chief conservator of forests had urged the Jharkhand secretary, forest & environment as early as in February 2006 to notify in the gazette the details of the inviolate compartments which had been carved out by the forest department for protecting the invaluable flora and fauna of the Saranda, Ko
•        
•             NGOs to check credibility of data on social indicators FE - 01:54 AM
• In an attempt to improve the quality of data available on social indicators, ministry of statistics will rope in non-gazatted organizations (NGOs) to check the credibility of data collected on various indicators like employment, health and education, county's top statistician told FE.
•        
•             Bits & bytes FE - 01:54 AM
• RC Venkateish appointed Dish TV CEO Direct-to-home (DTH) operator DishTV has appointed RC Venkateish as its chief executive officer.
•        
•             Third Front holds the key for N-Bill FE - 01:54 AM
• The fate of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 may lie in the hands of five undecided Members of Parliament—largely from the Third Front—as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, which is currently looking into the Bill, enters the final phases.
•        
•             Report card FE - 01:54 AM
• The focus of this paper* is on how central banks implement monetary policy on a day-to-day basis:
• The empirical evidence for today's three large central banks provided in this chapter largely supports this interpretation of the modern implementation of monetary policy.
•        
•             Letters to the editor FE - 01:54 AM
• The core inflation in double digit continues to be a cause for concern and there have been both direct and indirect measures initiated by RBI and the government to tame it.
•        
•             Now, e-ticketing to be off IRCTC menu FE - Mon, Jul 26
• After taking over catering services in trains from its subsidiary Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Indian Railways is planning to directly undetake e-ticketing operations also.
•        
•             Elusive Gujarat minister surrenders, is arrested FE - Mon, Jul 26
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former Gujarat minister of state for home Amit Shah on Sunday, after he surrendered at its office in Gandhinagar.
•        
•             Telecom companies have their task cut out FE - Mon, Jul 26
• India's telecom companies forked over $14.6 billion to the Union government for the coveted 3G mobile spectrum.
•        
•             Upcoming Events FE - Mon, Jul 26
• Open House Parliament reopens today, July 26. While several important Bills will jostle for attention in the House, the political issues that are likely to keep our MPs occupied are likely to be, not necessarily in that order, Hindu terror, price rise, Naxals, and in the context of the arrest of Gujarat minister Amit Shah, the government's 'misuse of CBI'.
•        
•             Campus Roundup FE - Mon, Jul 26
• IIM Kozhikode stages youth leadership summit IIM Kozhikode recently hosted an event to nurture young talent in organisational leadership.
•        
•             Pick of The week FE - Mon, Jul 26
• Didi's train of thought
• The railway accident in West Bengal is yet to be explained fully. But no one, it seems, is waiting for the facts. Union railways minister Mamata Banerjee has suggested a CPM hand in the collision of trains at Sainthia and the derailment of the Jnaneshwari Express. And she wasn't yet done.
•        
•             The auction was a win-win for everyone FE - Mon, Jul 26
• The telecom market in India is the most competitive; it's the second fastest growing sector in the world, adding 7 million customers every month.
•        
•             Changing course, for the better FE - Mon, Jul 26
• VALUES" are all the rage at business schools nowadays. This week, around 300 graduating MBAs at Harvard Business School will take an oath, pledging to play a positive role in society once they graduate.
•        
•             Companies cut down on raw material spend FE - Mon, Jul 26
• Raw material costs of public sector undertakings came down by 9.8% last year against a rise of 24.4% in the year before.
•        
•             Solutions@work FE - Mon, Jul 26
• I am a HR manager working for a large media group. It's one of the best known and respected names in India. I work for some of its verticals and look after sourcing or recruitment. I don't feel happy with the repetitive nature of my job and the fact that there is no growth. Now, I have another opportunity as a HR generalist in a smaller services firm that is well known.
•        
•             International scholarships FE - Mon, Jul 26
• Inlaks Scholarships The Inlaks scholarships are of two types: university courses and specific programmes.
•        
•             Navjyoti initiative by Kiran Bedi for MBAs takes off FE - Mon, Jul 26
• Kiran Bedi, India's first and highest ranked woman IPS officer would be visiting Aryans campus next week to interview the candidates for the selection of needy and deserving in MBA and BBA course (11 seats each).
•        
•             Headley Effect: A major visa overhaul is in the works FE - Mon, Jul 26
• A mammoth exercise, involving different arms of the government's security establishment, is underway to transform the way India regulates the entry and exit of foreign nationals.
•        

       
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MCD gets Rs 1,500 crore

HT - 01:00 PM
New Delhi, July 26 -- The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday got a financial assistance of around Rs 1,500 crore from the Delhi Government to pay salaries to employees and other expenses.
       
        View:         Headlines Only |         Include Summaries |         Include Photos        
            
       

•             Tight monetary policy to stay: RBI HT - 01:00 PM
• Mumbai, July 26 -- Setting the tone for a hike in key rates, the Reserve Bank of India on Monday said it would continue tightening monetary policy until inflation is tamed.
•        
•             After normal Sunday, Kashmir tense again on Monday HT - 01:00 PM
• Srinagar, July 26 -- After a normal day on Sunday, Kashmir valley again witnessed security restriction, curfew, barricades and protests on Monday in the wake of separatists' call for complete shutdown and demonstrations as part of their "Quit Kashmir Campaign".
•        
•             ISI paid Taliban to kill Indians in Kabul: Wikileaks HT - 01:00 PM
• New York, July 26 -- India has long believed Pakistan was the puppet-master behind the series of attacks on Indian assets in Afghanistan in recent years.
•        
•             Retain 26 percent FDI cap in defence manufacturing HT - 01:00 PM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- A leading industry lobby on Monday cautioned against raising the 26 percent cap in foreign direct investment, saying a decision on this "will require careful thinking and analysis".
•        
•             These kids live off the dead HT - 01:00 PM
• Mumbai, July 26 -- Manikarnika Ghat is the largest and busiest cremation ground in India - more than 100 corpses are brought here every day and the funeral pyre burns all day long.
•        
•             Mixing cocktails in the monsoon HT - 01:00 PM
• Mumbai, July 26 -- Rather than sipping spicy chai to banish away the rainy blues, why not try a monsoon cocktail? The Harbour Bar, at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, has introduced an unusual range dedicated to both, the monsoon and Mumbai's character, designed by their resident mixologist, Tim Etherington-Judge.
•        
•             8 Maoists killed in 2 operations HT - 01:00 PM
• Midnapore, July 26 -- Joint forces of the central and state governments killed eight Maoists in two separate operations in West Bengal and Jharkhand on Monday.
•        
•             Assam rebel ambush kills 4 SSB jawans HT - 01:00 PM
• Guwahati:, July 26 -- Four jawans of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were killed and two injured in an ambush by a suspected tribal militant group on Monday afternoon.
•        
•             IIT-Kharagpur kept aside illegal quota for staff HT - 12:30 PM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur was secretly - and illegally - keeping aside a discretionary admission quota for children of its teachers and staff for over four decades, admitting dozens of students to seats they failed to secure through the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination.
•        
•             VVIP treatment for Shah in VVIP prison HT - 12:30 PM
• Ahmedabad, July 26 -- Former Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, who also held the jails portfolio, is being well looked after at Sabarmati Central Jail, where he is being held along with 13 police officials chargesheeted for the murders of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in November 2005. Shah has been allotted a spacious special room with an attached bathroom and TV.
•        
•             'Shah took 2.5 crore bribe from scamster' HT - 12:30 PM
• Ahmedabad, July 26 -- It's not for the first time that former Gujarat minister Amit Shah has been accused of accepting a bribe.
•        
•             How Amin was won over HT - 12:30 PM
• Ahmedabad, July 26 -- The CBI exploited the rift among the accused persons and used a mole to gather incriminating evidence against former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah in the murder case of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife, Kausar Bi.
•        
•             All Reddy to work now HT - 12:30 PM
• India, July 26 -- Congress Member of Parliament T Subbirami Reddy, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests examining the controversial nuclear liability Bill, is keen on submitting the report during the ongoing monsoon session. To ensure that, Reddy has been calling regular meetings that have left many panel members "tired".
•        
•             BJP defence: Such inquiries will discourage policemen HT - 12:30 PM
• New Delhi , July 26 -- The BJP scaled up its support to Amit Shah, a close aide of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, as the noose tightens around the former minister now charged with extortion and murder.
•        
•             Why shopkeepers and small traders are nervous HT - 12:30 PM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- Finally, Rajendra Kumar, 42, closed his provision store in the bustling Ajmal Khan area of Delhi two years ago.
•        
•             Adjournment motion on prices today HT - 12:30 PM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- Opposition parties have decided to move an adjournment motion on price rise in Parliament on Tuesday, a demand the government is unwilling to accept.
•        
•             File affidavit on women in army: SC HT - 11:55 AM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Army to file an affidavit stating the instructions that debarred women officers from getting permanent commission in the armed forces was a notification under the Army Act.
•        
•             Boost to MCD's dengue fight HT - 11:55 AM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) fight against dengue got a boost with an order from the Delhi High Court on Monday, which will ensure it smooth supply of biolarvicide that is sprayed to prevent mosquito breeding.
•        
•             Zakir Hussain changes name HT - 11:55 AM
• New Delhi, July 26 -- Zakir Hussain College of Delhi University has got a new name. The college, located on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, will be known as Zakir Hussain Delhi College from now on. The decision to restore the word 'Delhi' in the name of North India's oldest educational institution was taken at a meeting of the Zakir Hussain College Memorial Trust on Monday evening.
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        Punish Mumbai attackers to convince India: US to Pakistan

Washington, July 27 (IANS) As leaks by a whistleblower site laid bare past links between the Pakistani spy agency ISI and terror outfits, the United States asked Islamabad to punish those behind 26/11 Mumbai attacks to convince India it has changed.
'Combating terrorism is an element of our relationship with India; likewise with Pakistan; likewise with Afghanistan,' State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley told reporters Monday.
'We believe strongly that the proof is in what people do, not what people say,' he said when asked to comment on India's charge that Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, still backed terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let), Taliban and Al Qaeda.
'And as we've highlighted here, the fact that Pakistan is taking aggressive action against insurgents within its own borders reflects their understanding that now insurgents threaten Pakistan as itself,' he said suggesting WikiLeaks revelations presented only snapshots of the past.
'Likewise, from the standpoint of India, India clearly wants to see that Pakistan is taking steps to bring to justice those people that threaten neighbouring states,' Crowley said.
'So clearly as we've said many, many times if Pakistan wants to convince India that it has made this kind of fundamental change bringing to justice those who are responsible for the Mumbai attack would be a very, very constructive and important step,' he said.
Asked if Pakistan had given the US any confirmation that it is taking any action against people who launched this Mumbai attack, Crowley said the US 'continue to have conversations with Pakistan on bringing to justice those responsible for the Mumbai attack.'
Even as official Washington took umbrage at the leaks branding them illegal and irresponsible, both the White House and the State Department acknowledged that they shared India's concerns about the links between ISI and the extremist elements reconfirmed by the leaks.
The US, Crowley said, had given a 'heads up' to India, besides Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the leak of more than 92,000 secret US military documents pertaining to the war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
Joining the White House and the defence department in condemning 'the disclosure of classified information', he said 'the fact that these are, in many cases, documents that are several years old does not change our concern that this action risks our national security.'
The US, Crowley said, 'continue to work in partnership with Afghanistan and Pakistan to deny Al Qaida any safe haven and to defeat terrorists and insurgents who threaten each of our countries, the region, and beyond.
After an intensive three-month review, he said the US had committed additional resources to help 'increase the capacity of both the Afghan and Pakistan Governments to confront violent extremism and gain the trust and confidence of their respective populations.'
'In doing so, we have worked hard to fundamentally change our relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan,' Crowley said. 'Both countries have made progress and both countries have acknowledged that more needs to be done.'
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

US-S.Korea defence drills 'serious provocations and "rude challenges': North Korea

New Delhi, July 27 (ANI): North Korea declared on Tuesday that it did not fear "military threats" and "warnings" by the United States and South Korea.
The country's official KCNA news agency quoted a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, as saying in North Korean capital Pyongyang that the planned US-South Korean maneuvers and new sanctions threats were "serious provocations" and "rude challenges" to the international community appealing for peace.
Japan's participation in the military drills in the name of an "observer" indicated the U.S., South Korea and Japan were forming a "Military Confederation Triangle," the spokesman said in a statement.
He warned the war flame ignited by the U.S. and South Korea would spread to the whole of Northeast Asia and develop into a new world war, adding the DPRK would counter the war plot with stronger and tougher measures.
The four-day war games launched on Sunday involve the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington, 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft, with about 8,000 troops on board. Japan sent four military officials to observe the drills. (ANI)

Document leak: Afghanistan questions US' 'contradictory' silence over Pak role

Kabul, July 27 (ANI): Afghanistan on Tuesday charged the United States with pursuing a contradictory policy with regard to the Afghan war.
Kabul said Washington has been ignoring Islamabad's role in the insurgency, following the leak of US military documents on the website WikiLeaks.org.
The classified documents show current and former members of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) actively collaborating with the Taliban in plotting attacks in Afghanistan.
According to the Dawn, Afghanistan's National Security Council said in a statement: "With regret ... our allies (read the US) did not show necessary attention about the external support for the international terrorists ... for the regional stability and global security."
The National Security Council, however, did not name Pakistan, but said the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy was a dangerous gamble and had to be stopped.
"Having a contradictory and vague policy against the forces who use terrorism as a tool for interference and sabotage against others, have had devastating results," it said.
The White House has condemned the disclosures, saying it could threaten national security.
Pakistan said leaking unprocessed reports from the battlefield was irresponsible.
The documents numbering about 91,000 also said that coalition troops had killed hundreds of Afghan civilians in unreported incidents. (ANI)

Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2010 tabled in Pak Senate

Islamabad, July 27 (ANI): Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday tabled the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2010 in the Senate.
The Senate Interior Committee will submit a report on the bill by Friday, the Dawn reports.
Addressing the Senate session, Malik vowed to ensure the government's writ remained unchallenged, and added that he would soon unveil the elements involved in the unrest in Balochistan.
"I am well aware of all the injustice meted out to Balochistan," Malik said, adding that the parliament should call for the banning of Baloch separatist groups.
This statement resulted in senators from Balochistan staging a walkout in protest. (ANI)

Indonesia sees security threat from some students

Some Indonesians who studied in Yemen and who have since returned home are being monitored because they may pose a security threat in the world's most populous Muslim country, a government official said on Tuesday.
Indonesia's security forces have had mixed success in containing the threat from militant Islamic groups which want to create an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia.
A violent splinter group of Jemaah Islamiah set off suicide bombs at two luxury hotels in Jakarta in July 2009, the first major terror attack in Indonesia since 2005.
Since then, security forces have killed or detained several militants who were involved in the hotel attacks, including one who had been trained in Yemen.
"The potential for radical figures coming from Yemen is significant because we have hundreds of students studying there," said Ansyaad Mbai, head of the government's anti-terror coordinating desk.
Mbai said Indonesia was worried about ongoing recruitment of Indonesians by militant groups in the Middle East, particularly as several groups of Indonesian students have gone to Yemen.
He said that two Indonesians were recently detained in Saudi Arabia after entering the country from Yemen.
A security source at Indonesia's political and security ministry who declined to be quoted by name said that two other Indonesians who had been captured by Saudi Arabia in recent months were suspected of having links to terror groups.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this month signed a regulation to set up a new counter-terror agency in order to improve co-ordination between the military, police, intelligence services and various ministries.
(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Sara Webb and Sugita Katyal)
(For more news on Reuters India, click http://in.reuters.com)

Banning burqa can radicalise UK Muslims, Imran warns Brit PM

Islamabad, Jul 27 (ANI): Former cricketer and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, has warned British Prime Minister David Cameron that any attempt to ban burqa can radicalise UK Muslims and undermine the British way of life.
Addressing a rally in Glasgow on Saturday night, Imran said that the controversy over women wearing the face-covering veil was "much ado about nothing."
A move towards the hard line stance of the French Government, which recently voted to ban the garment in public, would likely be deeply unpopular with the Scots Muslim women who wear it, the Sunday Herald reported.
Imran warned that an official clampdown would serve to radicalise the already disaffected Muslim youth, The Nation quoted the paper, as saying.
"People are allowed to take off their clothes and walk around virtually naked.
And yet people who cover themselves don't seem to have that freedom," he said.
"I think this will be taken wrong. The worry in Britain and Europe should be to stop the radicalisation of Muslims. You remember in the Chilcott Inquiry, the head of MI5 said that there was more radicalisation among young Britons due to the Iraq War," he said.
"Subsequently it's the same with the Afghanistan war, where so many innocent people have been killed. And so there's a lot of anger in the Muslim young and they're getting radicalised. Not everyone picks up arms, but there can be no doubt there is anger."
Imran said, "When you add this (burqa) on top of it, it seems very discriminatory. On one side, if you have freedom to take off your clothes, you should also have the freedom if people want to cover themselves."
Imran warned that Britain's streets have become less safe as a result of the war in Afghanistan. He said he was against the conflict in Afghanistan from the outset. (ANI)

BP launches image overhaul, ditches CEO

Tue, Jul 27 04:27 PM
Oil giant BP Plc launched a plan to repair its battered image in the United States on Tuesday, ditching its gaffe-prone chief executive Tony Hayward and promising to slim down by trebling an asset sale target to $30 billion.
However, the company, the target of public anger over its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, tempted further ire by denying it needed cultural change and offsetting the costs of the spill, including expected fines, against its taxes.
The tax move will cost the U.S. taxpayer almost $10 billion.
BP said Tony Hayward would stand down in October, to be replaced by American Bob Dudley, as it unveiled a $17 billion quarterly loss due to the costs of the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
"I believe that it is not possible for the company to move on in the United States with me remaining as the face to BP," Hayward told reporters on a conference call.
"So I think that for the good of BP, and particularly for the good of BP in the United States, it is right for me to... step down."
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said the company would take a "hard look" at itself in the aftermath of the spill: "BP... will be a different company going forward".
However, Dudley denied BP's culture contributed to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and said the company would continue to target the industry's harder projects.
Investors and analysts say BP's culture encourages greater risk-taking than some rivals, contributing to a more entrepreneurism and higher returns. But critics have also blamed this culture for the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon which killed 11 workers and led to the spill.
"A total change in the culture of this company is necessary," Democratic Congressman Ed Markey said on CBS's "The Early Show" on Monday.

TODAY - 27 July, 2010

Inception: Was it the end?

In the climax of the movie, Cobb's totem rolled but didn't topple over. Did Cobb die or was he dreaming when the movie ended? Some theories

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• Review: Inception
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* Oneindia Price rise: Adjournment motion in LS by NDA, others tomorrow The Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎ PTI The Parliament is unlikely to function on Tuesday for the third day in a row with the opposition NDA and some other parties demanding an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and suspension of Question Hour in the Upper House to discuss the issue of ... BJP press for adjournment motion on price rise Sify Price rise debate in Lok Sabha on Wed, no adjournment motion NDTV.com Daily News & Analysis - IBNLive.com - Times of India - Economic Times all 211 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story Telegraph.co.uk Afghan situation, defence ties high on David Cameron's visit agenda Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎ PTI New Delhi: India and the UK will discuss issues ranging from the situation in Afghanistan to finding ways to bolster bilateral ties during British prime minister David Cameron's two-day visit from tomorrow. Can David Cameron win friends in India? BBC News British PM to visit India, sign MoU with K'taka Oneindia Economic Times - Hindustan Times - The Hindu - Times of India all 477 news articles »Email this story The Hindu Sohrabuddin case: CBI detains farm owner for questioning Hindustan Times - ‎4 hours ago‎ The CBI on Tuesday made another arrest in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. The owner of the farmhouse where Sohrabuddin Sheikh's wife Kausar Bi was kept before being killed, has been arrested. CBI arrests Farmhouse Owner in Sohrabuddin Encounter Case BreakingNewsOnline. Fake encounter: Farmhouse owner arrested indiablooms samaylive - Times of India - The Hindu - Economic Times all 206 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story Stock Market Today 55 percent polling in Telangana by-elections Sify - ‎32 minutes ago‎ An estimated 55 percent of 23.60 lakh voters cast their votes in by-elections to 12 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region Tuesday. Telangana bypolls: Srinivas confident of win from Nizamabad IBNLive.com Assembly by-polls in Telangana begins Oneindia NDTV.com - Daily News & Analysis - Hindustan Times - The Hindu all 142 news articles »Email this story Globe and Mail US investigating possible ISI role in Mumbai attack Times of India - ‎5 hours ago‎ WASHINGTON: In the wake of India's assertion that ISI was involved in the Mumbai attacks, the Obama Administration has said it was investigating the matter to find out whether Pakistan's spy agency played a role in the 26/11 terror strikes. WikiLeaks: India says Pak must stop 'sponsorship of terrorism' NDTV.com US continues probe over ISI role in Mumbai 26/11 Oneindia Globe and Mail - Hindustan Times - Washington Post - The Hindu all 323 news articles »Email this story Oneindia Bus falls into gorge in Himachal, 20 feared dead IBNLive.com - ‎30 minutes ago‎ Shimla: A Himachal State Roadways bus fell into a gorge in Kupvi, about 165 kms away from Shimla, leaving 30 people feared dead. Rescue operations were hit by heavy downpour in the region for last two days. Bus falls into rivulet in Himachal, two killed Sify 12 killed, 20 injured as Himachal bus falls into river NDTV.com myHimachal all 13 news articles »Email this story Rediff Auto-rickshaws to ply near Delhi IGI's terminal 3 Economic Times - ‎3 hours ago‎ NEW DELHI: Passengers can travel on auto-rickshaws up to a point near the new Terminal-3 (T3) of the Indira Gandhi International airport here, airport officials said Tuesday. Delhi's new T-3 terminal swings into business tomorrow NDTV.com Cost of runway-tunnel road to T3 shoots up, as new expenses emerge Times of India Sify - Hindustan Times - NetIndian - Al-Bawaba all 62 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story India Talkies Indian pilot kidnapped in Congo Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎ NEW DELHI: India is in touch with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is trying to ascertain details about an Indian pilot who was kidnapped by Congolese rebels recently. India seeks Congo help to rescue abducted pilot Sify Indian pilot kidnapped in Congo Sify Times Now.tv - Thaindian.com all 22 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story The Hindu Police gets TADA court's nod for custody of Salem attacker Daily News & Analysis - ‎3 hours ago‎ PTI Mumbai: The special TADA court today granted permission to the city police to take custody of Mustafa Dossa, an alleged member of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim gang, who is now lodged in the Thane jail, in connection with the attack on extradited ... Semi-nude pictures found in Salem's cell Times of India Five-star loo for Salem, stacks of fruit for Dossa The Hindu Hindustan Times - NDTV.com - Daily News & Analysis - Times of India all 182 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story The Hindu Maoists Dealt A Body Blow Times of India - Caesar Mandal - ‎15 hours ago‎ GOALTORE (WEST MIDNAPORE): How important was Sidhu Soren to the Maoists? Though not as high in the hierarchy as Kishanji or the likes of Sasadhar Mahato and Jagari Baskey, his role was extremely crucial in keeping supply lines and escape routes open as ... Maoist commander Sidhu Soren killed in encounter Economic Times Top Maoist among 6 killed in Lalgarh forest firefight Indian Express Express Buzz - Sify - BBC News - Hindustan Times all 126 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story The Hindu Naidu threatens to launch mass agitation on Babli The Hindu - ‎4 hours ago‎ PTI The Hindu TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu addresses the media on the Babli issue, in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: VV Krishnan Holding the Centre and the Congress responsible for Maharashtra government's attitude, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on ... PM to intervene in Babhli barrage dispute, say Andhra parties Times of India Rosaiah, Naidu meet PM over Babhali Indian Express Sify - Daily News & Analysis - Hindustan Times - Express Buzz all 77 news articles » हिंदी मेंEmail this story Kerala Cong nominee to get Cabinet berth The Hindu - ‎2 hours ago‎ PTI Ruling LDF in Kerala on Tuesday decided to induct Kerala Congress (Thomas) faction nominee V. Surendran Pillai into the Cabinet. V Surendran Pillai to join Kerala cabinet Times of India Will dame luck smile on KC(T), Surendran Pillai? Express Buzz all 15 news articles »Email this story Bangalore man sends threat email in colleague's name, arrested NDTV.com - ‎3 hours ago‎ Bangalore: A 29-year-old in Bangalore was probably assured that he would land his former colleague in serious trouble when he dispatched a bomb scare to the Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari from an email id he had created in his name. 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Maoist threat: Deploy the Babus, not army
Bharat Verma  | 2010-07-27 04:23:55
* Confronted with the Maoist menace, an incompetent civil administration is making a mountain out of a molehill by suggesting induction of the military. Maoist-controlled areas cannot be compared to the LoC in Kashmir or the Northeast. The security threat posed by the Maoists to the Union is relatively small when weighed against the externally supported insurgency and terrorism faced by the army in Kashmir and the Northeast. On the borders, there is direct support for terror both in terms of creeping invasion by Islamic fundamentalists that results in demographic changes, as well as infiltration of fundamentalists to equip and train the local sympathizers to subvert the civil administration. Couple this with the military threat posed by China and Pakistan directly. If the military dilutes its vigil on the volatile borders, the Union of India will soon lose major chunks of its territory. Protecting the country against this constitutes the primary role of the army. Now, the known external support to the Maoists is very little, possibly because their activity is centered in the interior of India. They are more of a ragtag bunch that largely fight with weapons looted from the police armoury, or are country-manufactured. Due to the civil administration's abdication of authority, they successfully manage to loot police stations for weapons, attack jails and free inmates, and run armament factories. These concessions, conceded by force, amount to dereliction of duty by the civil administration. In the military such negligence would invite immediate court martial. The clamour by many to bring in the Army and the Air Force to resolve the Maoist threat ignores the key question: Is the threat posed gigantic enough to warrant deployment of the army? Or has the civil administration taken to calling in the armed forces whenever its ineptitude is beyond redemption? Take the Commonwealth Games. The deadlines and the resources required to host the event were well-considered at the time of bidding for the Games. But with barely 60 days left, we are not prepared. There was no threat posed by the Maoists, the Northeast insurgents or the terrorists to disrupt the preparations. Yet the civil administration flounders despite a well-defined objective, and demands induction of 300 military personnel. The same civil administration that allowed millions of tonnes of wheat, procured at the taxpayers' expense for distribution to the poor, to rot in the rains. A state within the Union creates a 'counter insurgency' school for the police without basic facilities like a firing range and skilled officers to train personnel. Two batches pass out and are declared ready to take on the Maoists.   If the CRPF or the state police personnel remain unskilled, untrained and underequipped, and led by incompetent officers, casualties are bound to be high.   The Maoist threat is rated as 'biggest' to the Union not because the Maoists are better armed and financed than the Jihad Factory on our borders but due to the threat from within that disrupts the growth of the nation. A nation that lacks harmony within is incapable of handling external threats. In somewhat similar circumstances, the Chinese conquered Tibet and the Maoists are poised to capture Nepal. With the American-led Western Forces slated to withdraw from Afghanistan in July 2011, the defence of India's borders will demand extra military muscle. Nevertheless, India's potential to outmanoeuvre both its adversaries is immense, provided it is governed efficiently. In the first place, if the civil administration, which implies the Executive, had been moderately competent, delivered justice, been responsive, enforced the 'rule of law,' and not allowed territories to gradually slip into the hands of the miscreants, the problem would not have arisen.   But the state, true to the prevalent culture of 'logic of convenience', abdicated its responsibility by distributing arms to the locals to fend themselves in the garb of 'Salwa Judum'. The common man, out of fear, is forced to support the Maoists, in the absence of protection from the legitimate local administration. The Maoists are made to look very tall due to the ineptitude and callousness of the administration. Just as the poor decisions in 1962 by the military and the political leadership made the Chinese look very tall. The historical truth is that the Chinese have never won a war. The second key question: In the near future, will we ask the Indian Army to take over the running of the Municipality, Commonwealth Games, health services, policing, and Kerala (which is emerging as a terrorist hub), besides tackling the Maoists who control almost 40 percent of the Union's territory? Or will we take strong corrective measures to set right the civil administration, which is practically falling apart?   Editor's Pick Shrinking Influence Tackling Maoists: the Andhra paradigm Spreading Naxalism Napping Govt' The naked truth of Naxalism Our adversaries are aware that the Union of India is as strong or as weak as its army. They will be delighted to see the Indian Army diverted from its primary external role to resolve the internal strife. Such diversions will help the 42 terrorist training camps running in PoK to shift to Srinagar. In any case, the Army is already overstretched thanks to a huge shortage of officers. Two beefed-up army divisions with integral air element are adequate to dismantle the Maoist infrastructure within a year. The civil administration estimates this will be done in seven years. This sevenfold magnification is illustrative of the level of incompetence the Union has acquired since Independence. The third key question: "After the army brings the situation under control- what next?" Once the army manages to neutralise the threat, will the civil administration fulfil its responsibility and relieve the Army to go back to its primary role? The idea behind the induction of the Indian Army in the Northeast and J&K was to resolve the adverse situation and thereby create conducive environment for the political process to start. This was an enabler, but the civil administration spurned the gains. The Civil Administration in Kashmir, and not the army should carry out 'Sadbhavana' movement. The Indian Army initially met many reverses, but persevered, and finally got on 'top-of–the-situation'. However, the civil administration till date fails to take charge. The result is that the Indian Army finds itself in a quagmire. This is one of the many reasons why the army should not get deployed to resolve the Maoist problem. The civil administration will never ever gear up to make itself accountable for its primary task. The only scenario that would justify Army's deployment is if the Maoist threaten to territorially split India from inside. Otherwise, panic buttons are being pressed unnecessarily. The final question: How to resolve or minimize the internal security threat to avoid a divided house while confronting the two external threats along the border? The lopsided Indian pacifism may be good for an individual's soul but has proved to be suicidal for the nation's security. The wobbly Civil Administration has been in withdrawal mode for decades, with its influence shrinking on the external periphery as well as within. They leave their posts in the interiors and hide behind fortifications,  preferably in the state capitals or in New Delhi. The Maoists or similar forces occupy the vacuum. Military thinking To overcome the 'withdrawal' culture of the state, the need of the hour is to inject an offensive orientation into the civil administration and the political class. This requires an import of military thinking and skills to create the necessary administrative ability to positively influence and dominate the ground. Notwithstanding the bureaucracy's apathy towards the armed forces, because of the burden of pacifism, such skills can only come from the military. First, to reclaim the situation in favour of the state, the army should make the Maoist affected districts as the area of annual training at the division level. Two division level exercises, conducted for forty-five days each in turns, for a period of one year continuously, will make an enormous difference. The army by its sheer presence will facilitate restoring the Union of India's writ in the affected areas. In case the military is fired upon, it will fire back to defend its assets and carry on with the exercise, without getting involved in the nitty-gritty of local administration. It may be underscored that the military is the decisive instrument between 'existence of state' and anarchy. Military power, therefore, needs to be employed intelligently and must be given a free hand to do its job ruthlessly. The military, wherever deployed, keeps its eyes and ears glued to the ground to gather local intelligence for its own security. This intelligence can be shared with the civil administration to counter the Maoists. The army can easily dismantle the Maoist bases located inside the thick forests by its sheer presence while conducting military exercises. Large-scale army exercises are hugely beneficial to the local economy. Moreover, they instil confidence in the local people and authorities. Next, the paramilitary, police and administration (such as District Magistrates) can move in. The civil administration should expand outwards in the interior of the districts on the 'hub and spoke' principle. In the second phase, to leverage the impact of the army presence, the civil administration should simultaneously handpick a team of officers known for their integrity and ability, to be inducted in the affected areas. The truth is that the army can only create an environment conducive to civil governance. If the bureaucracy cannot supervise, insurgency will reappear. Third, the militarisation of the Indian mind, particularly in the civil administration, is essential to restore a balance between extreme form of pacifism and action. The BSF was raised by military officers initially and did well. The Assam Rifles (Paramilitary) officered by Army is effective in the Northeast. It is the operational wing of the NSG, on direct deputation and officered by the army, that delivered in Mumbai 26/11. Therefore, the need to propagate military skills in the civilian sector is essential. This will equip the civil administration to deal with the internal armed threats and govern with efficiency. Whenever the civil set up choose to be militarized, it succeeded in neutralizing the threat—KPS Gill during the insurgency in Punjab and the Greyhound Commandos of Andhra Police delivered. The lateral induction of military personnel into the civil administration will yield multiple benefits. First, it will keep the military young, which is an operational necessity. Second, it will bring military skills and ethos in the IAS, IFS and Police and Paramilitary. The turf wars to keep the military authorities at bay by the civil set-up must stop if they want to ensure that the writ of the Union runs throughout the nation. Putting a retired Major General in the advisory board of the Unified Command to tackle the Maoists is neither here nor there. The soldiers' colour service in the army should be reduced to ten years from seventeen and they should be inducted subsequently into the Paramilitary and the police. This would beef up the police force too. The police and the paramilitary should get at least a hundred new recruits from each state trained every year for the next five years at the nearest Army Regimental Training Centre along with the army recruits. Similarly, at least a hundred police, Paramilitary and IPS officers should be trained with the Officer Cadets in the Officers Training Academy every year. This manpower should form the nucleus of the Armed Police Constabulary, both in the states and the Centre in future. In the short term, a Lieutenant General, seconded to the Home Ministry from the Army, should head the CRPF. He must be allowed the freedom to induct retired military officers and soldiers on attractive terms of service to make the CRPF fighting fit on a 'war footing.' In pacifist India, unfortunately, decision-making on a 'war footing' translates into forming a committee - an endless endeavour - followed by a GoM! We need to learn the art of 'flat decision-making' to face the internal and the external challenges.  Decisions must be quick, bold, fair and accurate. The biggest threat to India today is from Indians, and not the Chinese or the Pakistanis. Just, efficient and firm administration is the foremost necessity. Otherwise, India may soon become a replica of the failed state, Pakistan. Bharat Verma, a former Cavalry Officer is Editor, Indian Defence Review, frequently appears on television as a commentator, and is the author of Fault Lines and The Indian Armed Forces. Also read:  Maoists feed off our corrupt state | Maloy Dhar on how not to fight the Maoists |How Andhra whipped the Maoists | Hamlet and the Naxals | Five steps to fix the Naxals | Complete coverage: the Maoist Menace Article Courtesy Indian Defence Review SEARCH