Govt changes criteria for Bharat Ratna
Amid clamour for Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar, Government has modified rules to pave way for eligibility of sportspersons for the highest civilian award of the country. The new rules, providing for eligibility of persons excelling in fields other than art, literature, science and public service for Bharat Ratna, were notified on 16th November, Sports Minister Ajay Maken told reporters in New Delhi. "I wrote a letter to Home Minister on April 15. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have very kindly agreed now to change the norm. "Instead of the fields of art, literature, science and public services, now on November 16, Government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded," Maken said outside Parliament House. He said the decision has paved the way for any sportsperson to get Bharat Ratna award.
The move comes amid clamour for conferring of Bharat Ratna on Tendulkar for his outstanding contribution to cricket. "For me as a sports minister this is one of the biggest days of Indian sport and next biggest day I think will be the day when any sportsperson is named as an awardee of Bharat Ratna," Maken said.
The move comes amid clamour for conferring of Bharat Ratna on Tendulkar for his outstanding contribution to cricket. "For me as a sports minister this is one of the biggest days of Indian sport and next biggest day I think will be the day when any sportsperson is named as an awardee of Bharat Ratna," Maken said.
Reacting to a question on conferring of the highest civilian order on Tendulkar and legendary Hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, the Minister said the two names from the sports category that struck in his mind is "the wizard of hockey Major Dhyan Chand and our run machine Sachin Tendulkar." "Both of them I think should be the top contender but there are many other contenders for Bharat Ratna award if it is given to a sportsperson. Ultimately, the decision has to be taken by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister takes the decision and recommend it to the President," he said. Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954. Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for these awards. The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. No formal recommendations for this are necessary.
Hooch Tragedies in West Bengal
Currently more than 167 people were killed in a West Bengal village Sangrampur after consuming illicit liquor on December 13, 2011 night. Following are major hooch tragedies in India in the past few years. This is one of the worst liquor tragedies in India. Earlier in 1992, over 200 people had died in Odissa after consuming spurious liquor. In 2009, a similar incident in Gujarat left 136 dead. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a Criminal Investigation Department probe into the liquor deaths in Sangrampur, barely 50 km from capital Kolkata.
Others Hooch tragedies like tragedies occur in India in the last few years, the details are given below:
- December 2011 - 121 people, mostly rickshaw-pullers, labourers and hawkers, were killed in Sangrampur village in South 24 Parganas district. Over 100 victims are still in hospitals.
- October 2010 - At least 12 people were killed and nearly 15 fell ill after consuming spurious country liquor in Kaalwan village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district.
- March 2010 - At least 35 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr districts of Uttar Pradesh in pre- and post-Holi celebrations.
- September 2010 - The toll in hooch tragedy in Kerala's Malappuram district was 23.
- February 2010 - At least 13 people died after drinking moonshine in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district. taking the toll to 13.
- January 2010 - 14 people died in East Godavari district of coastal Andhra Pradesh.
- March 2009 - 12 people died due to hooch at Brahmpuri Colony in Sagarpur of South West Delhi.
- July 2009 - Major hooch tragedy in Ahmedabad in Gujarat claimed 136 lives.
- January 2009 - 27 people died in Kolkata after consuming poisonous country-made liquor at Khidirpore port area in south-west Kolkata.
- September 2009 - The death toll from hooch was 29 in Uttar Pradesh.
- May 2008 - The death toll in hooch tragedy in Karnataka was 180.
- March 2006 - The death toll in Orissa liquor tragedy stood at 22. The deaths and illnesses were reported mainly from the five hamlets of Badahuma, Khajuria Pali, Sana Ramachandrapur, Madshurchuan and Baunsiapada in Ganjam district, about 130 km from Bhubaneswar.
- October 2001 - Illicit liquor killed 18 people in Nithari village in Uttar Pradesh's Noida.
Congress Suspend Mahipal Maderna
Cracking the whip, the Congress has suspended sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna, a suspect in Bhanwari disappearance case from the primary membership of the party. Maderna, who was grilled by CBI for two consecutive days but skipped questioning in connection with the case on Saturday citing ill-health, was suspended by Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) President Dr Chandrabahn. Action against Maderna was on the cards with the RPCC contemplating action after a CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with Bhanwari, an auxilliary nurse, came into public domain.
Maderna's suspension in an apparent clean up act by Congress came hours after another minister Ramlal Jat resigned in the wake of a media report in which allegations were levelled against him.
The report alleged that Jat, minister of state for forest and environment, had tried to pressurise the Bhilwara district administration to conduct post-mortem on a woman in the middle of the night in September.
Paras Devi, wife of the Bhilwara Dairy chairman Ratanlal Jat, died in mysterious circumstances in a hospital, according to the report in a vernacular dialy.
CBI continued questioning Congress MLA Malkhan Singh and Maderna's wife Lila for the second consecutive day on Saturday in Jodhpur in connection with the Bhanwari case.
Lila defended her husband claiming he is innocent and that the CD in question "was fabricated". Maderna, who was asked to come today for the third consecutive day for questioning, failed to turn up and sent a medical certificate to the concerned CBI officials, agency sources said.
Maderna's suspension in an apparent clean up act by Congress came hours after another minister Ramlal Jat resigned in the wake of a media report in which allegations were levelled against him.
The report alleged that Jat, minister of state for forest and environment, had tried to pressurise the Bhilwara district administration to conduct post-mortem on a woman in the middle of the night in September.
Paras Devi, wife of the Bhilwara Dairy chairman Ratanlal Jat, died in mysterious circumstances in a hospital, according to the report in a vernacular dialy.
CBI continued questioning Congress MLA Malkhan Singh and Maderna's wife Lila for the second consecutive day on Saturday in Jodhpur in connection with the Bhanwari case.
Lila defended her husband claiming he is innocent and that the CD in question "was fabricated". Maderna, who was asked to come today for the third consecutive day for questioning, failed to turn up and sent a medical certificate to the concerned CBI officials, agency sources said.
Bhanwari case: Maderna skips CBI questioning, wife defends him
After being grilled by CBI for two days, Sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna on Saturday skipped questioning in the Bhanwari Devi disappearance case, citing ill-health.
The investigating agency however continued questioning of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh and Maderna's wife Lila for the second consecutive day in connection with the case.
After being grilled by CBI for two days, Sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna on Saturday skipped questioning in the Bhanwari Devi disappearance case, citing ill-health.
The investigating agency however continued questioning of Congress MLA Malkhan Singh and Maderna's wife Lila for the second consecutive day in connection with the case.
Lila defended her husband claiming he is innocent and that the CD purportedly showing Maderna in a compromising position with Bhanwari "was fabricated".
Maderna, who was asked to come today for the third consecutive day for questioning, failed to turn up and sent a medical certificate to the concerned CBI officials in Jodhpur, agency sources said today.
Maderna, who was asked to come today for the third consecutive day for questioning, failed to turn up and sent a medical certificate to the concerned CBI officials in Jodhpur, agency sources said today.
After getting the certificate, CBI exempted Maderna from questioning on health grounds.
Malkhan, who represents Luni constituency in Rajasthan Assembly, was grilled along with Lila at the circuit house in the city for nearly six hours, officials said.
Emerging out of the circuit house, Lila, who had yesterday accused the media of trying to target her husband, told reporters the CD in question was aimed at "maligning the legacy of her family by their rivals".
Malkhan, who represents Luni constituency in Rajasthan Assembly, was grilled along with Lila at the circuit house in the city for nearly six hours, officials said.
Emerging out of the circuit house, Lila, who had yesterday accused the media of trying to target her husband, told reporters the CD in question was aimed at "maligning the legacy of her family by their rivals".
Lila claimed she does not have any clue of any relationship between Bhanwari and her husband. "I am saying my husband is innocent. It is a political conspiracy," However, she said, even if they were in a relationship "it was not an offence and an act of mutual consent".
A CD purportedly showing Maderna and Malkhan in compromising position with 36-year-old Bhanwari, an auxiliary nurse midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village - around 120 km from here, had come to light after she went missing from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1. Her husband Amarchand had alleged she was abducted at the behest of Maderna. It is believed that Bhanwari was introduced to Maderna some years back by Malkhan, who had already admitted to CBI that he knew her.
CBI had yesterday questioned Mahipal, Lila, Malkan and his sister Indira, who had earlier told media that Bhanwari wanted a "settlement of the deal" with former Water Resources Minister Maderna and she had approached even the Pali MP Badri Ram Jakhar. Maderna was sacked from the state cabinet on October 16 after his name cropped up in the case.
Govt approves Public Procurement Policy
The Cabinet today approved the public procurement policy to boost micro, small and medium enterprises. The policy aims at purchasing 20 percent of their products by Government agencies. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Mrs. Ambika Soni said that all Central Ministries, departments and Public Sector undertakings to use the products prepared by these industries will be notified. Giving the salient features of the policy, the Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Mr. Veerbhadra Singh said four percent of the goods purchased will come from the enterprises owned by scheduled castes and scheduled tribe entrepreneurs. He, however, made it clear that the products have to compete on the price front and quality.
The Cabinet gave its nod to the proposal for seeking directions to achieve convergence and synergy under the centrally sponsored scheme National Mission on Education. It will be brought about through information and communication technology and national knowledge network.
Briefing reporters the Information and Broadcasting Minister Mrs. Ambika Soni said that the proposal paves the way for providing to 572 university level institutions including private universities besides providing connectivity to over 25 thousand colleges and two thousand polytechnics. She said that NIC has been entrusted to conduct a feasibility study for connecting the colleges and polytechnics on optical fiber. The Minister added that the target is to provide connectivity and high quality e-content to the students at college and university level across the country.
In yet another decision, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for pursuing the Prasar Bharati Amendment Bill, 2010 pending in the Rajya Sabha for its enactment. It also approved the action taken on the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Information Technology in the 18th Report on Prasar Bharati Amendment Bill, 2010. The official Amendments to the Bill will be moved in the Rajya Sabha. It makes the status of employees recruited between 23rd of November, 1997 till 5th May, 2007 on deemed deputation to the Corporation till their retirement.
Nabam Tuki to be next Arunachal Chief Minister
Dissident leader Nabam Tuki was on Tuesday chosen as the new Congress Legislature Party leader in Arunachal Pradesh, signalling the end of the weeks-long political drama that culminated in the resignation of Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin. The decision to choose Tuki was taken by the Congress high command. The swearing-in of Tuki, who led the revolt against Gamlin's leadership for his alleged 'authoritarian rule', as the new chief minister is likely to take place later in the day, according to Raj Bhavan sources. Gamlin had in his resignation letter recommended the names of Power (Electrical) Minister Setong Sena and Finance Minister Kalikho Pul for the high post, according to official sources.
Gamlin was sworn in as chief minister on May five after the death of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter crash on April 30 this year. Besides the Congress, the Trinamool Congress has 5 members, NCP-5, People's Party of Arunachal 4, the BJP-3 besides a lone Independent in the 60-member Assembly. The Trinamool Congress and the NCP provide outside support to the Congress government.
Government launches e-payment system
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched the e-payment system on Oct 31, 2011, it is a part of govt's anti corruption initiative and it will be implemented in all paid account offices of the Ministries. The system will cover eight banks and at the end of this financial year, all the ministries will come under its ambit. The Minister added once the system is fully operational, it will be responsible for payment of six lakh crore rupees.
Mukherjee gave the background of the e-payment evolution in the country and maintained that it will ensure greater efficiency, cost effectiveness and better delivery of money. He said that the task force set up by the government headed by Nandan Nilkeni will work out modalities of direct transfer of cash subsidy of kerosene and fertilizers.
The e-payment system has been developed by Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance in collaboration with National Informatics Centre. Minister of State for Finance Namonarain Meena and Secretary Department of Expenditure also spoke on the occasion. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today expressed the hope that introduction of e-payment system by the government will help in increasing transparency and in reducing corruption.
"A transparent payment trail would ensure the entire payment processes trackable ... this would be major initiative for good governance and would be an important tool in reducing corruption," he said after inaugurating the government's electronic payment system in New Delhi.
Under e-payment system, all payments by the government will be made electronically from now onwards which will help avoid transactions through cheques. Once the system is fully in place, several lakh individuals and entities would get credit into their bank accounts rather than having to collect cheques from the departments concerned. "The system covering all central government departments and ministries is expected to eliminate almost two crore cheques. When it becomes fully operational in civil ministries, defence and railways, it is expected to cover a total payment of over Rs 6 lakh crore," he said.
The minister further said that in view of growing expectations about greater efficiencies in service delivery, "It is an imperative for the government departments to modernise the system and make them client centric, secure, efficient and transparent," he said. Paperless transaction, according to the minister, will not only improve management of operations but will also provide clear audit trails.
President visit to Korea & Mangolia
The President's visit to Republic of Korea
Presidents of both these important countries visited India in the last two years, and my visit is a part of the process of high level engagement with these friendly countries. It takes place in a year that is being celebrated as the Year of India in Korea and the Year of Korea in India. Also, this year, Mongolia is observing many important anniversaries of its history.
Presidents of both these important countries visited India in the last two years, and my visit is a part of the process of high level engagement with these friendly countries. It takes place in a year that is being celebrated as the Year of India in Korea and the Year of Korea in India. Also, this year, Mongolia is observing many important anniversaries of its history.
My first stop will be in Seoul. It would be recalled that President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea, was the Chief Guest for our Republic Day celebrations in January 2010. During his visit, India and the Republic of Korea elevated bilateral ties to the level of a Strategic Partnership. My objective will be to accelerate the momentum of our relations. Indian and Republic of Korea Sign Three Agreements During the President's Visit to Seoul
India and the Republic of Korea signed three agreements on July 25, 2011 during the State Visit of the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. The agreements were as follows:-
1. Agreement for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
2. MoU on Media Exchanges, and
3. Administrative Arrangements for Social Security Agreement.
The President's visit to Mongolia India on July 28, 2011 signed a defence cooperation agreement with the northeast Asian country and announced that it would extend a USD 20 million Line of Credit for a joint IT, education and outsourcing centre to be set up in Ulaanbaatar. India and Mongolia also inked two pacts on media exchanges and cooperation between their planning commissions in the presence of President Pratibha Patil, who is in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on a three-day visit. Patil is the first Indian President to visit Mongolia in 23 years.
The two countries also discussed ways to further cooperation in the peaceful use of radioactive minerals and nuclear energy. "We also agreed to explore the possibilities of improving air connectivity between our two countries so as to enhance contacts between our peoples, including through tourism," Patil said. With an MoU on media exchanges signed between the two governments, "we can now hope to see more media persons from Mongolia in India. We will also send more Indian journalists here," she said. The agreements were signed in a grand hall at the National Assembly. Mongolia is celebrating the "Year of Anniversaries", including the 805th anniversary of the establishment of the Great Mongolian State under the leadership of the legendary Genghis Khan and 90th anniversary of the Mongolian Independence and Sovereignty. India will also upgrade and modernise the Rajiv Gandhi Art and Production School as well as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre of Excellence in Information and Communication Technology inUlaanbaatar. Mongolia is spread in an area of 1.565 million square km and has a population of about 2.7 million. About 92 per cent of its population follows Buddhism and the country shares its border with China and Russia. India and Mongolia are good trading partners.
India exports pharma products, veterinary medicines, automobiles and their parts to this country and the bilateral trade has touched USD 16.9 million. India has also decided to increase the number of slots available to Mongolia under the Indian Technical Education Cooperation (ITEC) Programme to 150. The number of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships available to Mongolia will be increased to 50. India will assist in human resource development and capacity building efforts of Mongolia.
MPLADS' annual allocation raised from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore
The decision to increase the annual allocation for the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) from Rs two crore to Rs five crore for each MP from 2011-12, was taken at the meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters in New Delhi. The hike has been made effective from April one this year.
The Cabinet also approved annual administrative expenses of two per cent of the annual MPLAD outlay to be given to districts or states for proper implementation and monitoring of the scheme. An additional annual allocation of Rs five crore would be made to the Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry towards monitoring of projects through independent agencies. As on 31st March, 13.87 lakh works have been recommended by MPs. Of this, 12.30 lakh works have been sanctioned by the district authorities and 11.24 lakhs works completed since the inception of the scheme in 1993-94. Over Rs 22,490 crore have been released since then and an expenditure of Rs 20,454 crore has been incurred.
PM visit to Tanzania
Tanzania is Prime Minister's second leg of his six-day visit to Africa. He left for Dar es Salam after co-chairing the second Africa-India Forum Summit. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival in the Tanzanian capital for talks with the country's top leadership to upgrade bilateral ties. Manmohan Singh who is the first Indian head of government to visit Tanzania after 1997 was welcomed by President Jakaya Kikwete at the airport. The Prime Minister inspected a guard of honour was welcomed by children waving Indian national tricolour.PM Manmohan Singh is accompanied by a high level delegation, including External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and National Security Adviser, Shivshankar Menon. Manmohan Singh's visit is the first by any Indian head of government after September 1997. It is also the first head of government visit from a non-African country after President Kikwete assumed the second term following the general elections last year. For India, Tanzania is an important partner in Africa.
The bilateral trade was over USD 1.1 billion in 2010 and the imports covered a number of agricultural commodities. India has become the second largest investor in Tanzania with total cumulative investments of USD 1.3 billion till 2009. There will also be focus on the two countries' partnership in the development process of Tanzania through education, capacity building and infrastructure development.
India made a strong pitch to the UN to take the lead in evolving a comprehensive response to the threat of international piracy in the Red Sea and off the coast of Somalia to ensure unhindered maritime trade. Simultaneously, the international community should continue with efforts to restore stability in Somalia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday while addressing the joint session of Ethiopian Parliament in Addis Ababa.
"The Horn of Africa is today faced with threats from piracy and terrorism. International piracy in the Red sea and off the coat of Somalia has become a well-organised industry. It is important that the United Nations take the lead in developing a comprehensive and effective response to this threat,
On the financial relations between the two countries, Manmohan Singh said India has offered USD 5 billion for the next three years under the line of credit to help achieve the development goals of Africa. "We will offer an additional USD 700 million to establish new institutions and training programmes in consultation with the African Union and its institutions."
The Prime Minister said. ”we attach high importance to our relations with Ethiopia. Our development and economic partnership is progressing well," He said, the international community should continue with its effort to restore stability in Somalia.
On climate change, Prime Minister said it is essential for rich countries to share financial burden of combating climate change, participate in research and development and promote the transfer of technology to ensure green growth. Pointing out that wind of change is blowing in West Asia and North Africa, he said India believes it is the right of all people to determine their own destiny and choose their own part of development.
Conclusion
African nations have come out in support support of India becoming a permanent member of UN Security Council and appreciated India's unstinted assistance towards their all round developmental programmes. India supports Africa's claims for permanent membership of Security Council. On its part Africa backs India's claim to a permanent seat with full rights in an expanded security council. Both sides also unequivocally condemned terrorism and piracy in all its forms and manifestation and called for active prosecution of authors of such crimes.
Addis Ababa Declaration
The summit was co-chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and and Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema Mdasogo. 1. We, the Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegation representing the Continent of Africa, the African Union (AU) and its Institutions, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, have met in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, from 24 to 25 May 2011, to continue our dialogue, deepen our friendship and enhance our cooperation, under the theme: Enhancing Partnership: Shared Vision.
2. We recall the Delhi Declaration adopted during our First Summit in New Delhi in April 2008 and the Framework of Cooperation and the associated Plan agreed upon thereafter as providing a concrete foundation for the consolidation of our strategic partnership and also reviewed the progress made in this regard since the First Summit. We also recall that Africa and India have been fraternal partners and allies in the struggle for independence and achievement of self-determination. We reaffirm that our partnership remains based on the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and the historical understanding amongst our peoples.
3. We further agree that this partnership will continue to be guided by the principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States; commitment to deepen the process of African integration, dialogue among our civilizations to promote a culture of peace, tolerance and respect for religious, cultural and human rights, as well as gender equality, with a view to strengthening the trust and understanding between our peoples; recognition of diversity and levels of development between and within regions; collective action and cooperation for the common good of our States and peoples and our desire to nurture harmonious development in our plural, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic societies through the consolidation and development of our plural democracy.
4. We welcome the continuing transformation of the political, economic and social environment in Africa. Economic growth in Africa has revived to levels that existed before the financial crisis and many African counties are progressing rapidly, opening greater avenues for economic cooperation. Similarly, India's economy continues to develop into one of the world's growth nodes and has withstood the impact of the global recession well. Both Africa and India have young, dynamic populations with great expectations, dive and initiative. We recognize that their aspirations and vigour provide a concrete basis for expanding the frontiers of this partnership as an agenda for development, Africa and India therefore, have today a good platform to expand our partnership for development on the basis of these fundamentals.
5. We have thus decided to enhance our partnership with new initiatives for the mutual benefit of Africa and India, In recent years, this has included substantial financial flows from India to Africa in terms of grants, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and concessional loans that continue to contribute to capacity building in the socio-economic sectors, particularly in the human resource development, the development of the private sector, increasing support to infrastructure, agriculture and SMEs, leading to a substantial expansion of Indian investment in Africa and of trade between Africa and India. We agree, to build upon this by assisting each other to achieve inclusive growth, socio-economic development and self-reliance. Areas for such cooperation will include sharing strategies for sustainable development, poverty alleviation, healthcare and universal education, and sharing appropriate technologies. These new avenues for cooperation will enable us to add strategic depth to our partnership.
6. Our partnership enhances our ability to work together and address the global challenges of our times. In addressing these challenges, Africa and India continue to reiterate their intention to ensure that the interests of developing counties are safeguarded and that socio-economic development requirements of our various counties are guaranteed.
7. We urge the developed counties to take ambitious actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and also provide adequate financing and transfer of technology to support developing counties efforts to effectively address the impact of climate change. We reaffirm the importance of reaching an agreement on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol as an indispensable step to preserve the integrity of the international climate change regime. We stress the importance of the Bali Action Plan of 2007 worked out under the aegis of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in this regard. We notice the positive aspects of the Cancun Conference Climate Change negotiations in December 2010 and appeal to the developed counties to operationalise all the institutional arrangements included in the Cancun decisions. We express our firm commitment to a balanced outcome from the climate change negotiations which are commensurate with the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities on the basis of respective capabilities, in the process of COP17 which will be held in Durban, South Africa.
8. We take note of the African common position on Climate Change and support efforts towards combating drought and desertification in Africa, as well as support for Africa's Great Green Wall Project.
9. We affirm the critical importance of South-South cooperation as an instrument that can effectively supplement existing international efforts and lead to tangible and real benefits for developing countries. We stress that South-South Cooperation should be a supplement to North-South Cooperation and not a substitute for it. We recognize that significant diversity prevails among individual countries in Africa, about thirty three (33) of which are listed among the Least Developed Countries. Collectively, these counties confront some of the most persistent, pervasive and complex development challenges. Accordingly, we will explore new and innovative ways to supplement the mainstream effort to assist these developing counties and look for out-of-the-box solutions.
10. We remain concerned with the recurrent trend of increasing global crisis that are of economic nature, such as the global food, energy and financial crisis. While recognizing the current economic recovery, we are still concerned with its sustainability. We underline the importance of supporting stable, long-term capital flows to developing counties to simulate investment, especially in infrastructure. This will help enhance global demand, thus securing the long-term sustainability of the recovery and address developmental imbalances.
11. We urge major economies to work together and enhance macro-economic policy coordination. In this context, we acknowledge the G20 process as an important forum for international economic cooperation, and request fair representation of Africa in the evolving architecture of decision-making process in the global economic system.
12. We reiterate the importance of the UN Millennium Declaration and the need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We reaffirm our commitment to achieving the MDGs by 2015, including through technical cooperation and financial support. Sustainable development models and unique paths of development in developing counties should be respected, including by guaranteeing the policy space of developing countries. We urge that aid commitments for developing counties must be fulfilled and that development assistance should not be reduced. We urge the developed counties to fulfill their obligations of achieving the target of 0.7% GNI as official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries. We also support African economic programmes within the context of Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
13. We underscore the need for a comprehensive and balanced outcome of the Doha Round, in a manner that gives weight to its mandate as a "development round", based on progress already made. We reiterate the need for continuing solidarity between developing countries in this regard. We affirm the importance of ensuring that an acceptable agreement adequately protects the concerns of developing countries with regard to livelihood, food security and rural development. Equally, concerns need to be addressed on Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) services and rules. We urge all parties to oppose all forms of protectionism and trade distorting domestic support. We remain concerned that no significant progress has been achieved in key issues of interest to developing countries including India and those of Africa and therefore call, once more, on key players in the Doha Round to give priority to resolving all issues of critical concern to developing counties, especially regarding negotiation on agriculture.
14. We affirm our commitment to multilateralism and to strengthening the democratic structure of the United Nations (UN) to increase the participation of developing counties in decision-making processes. We emphasize the need for enhanced Africa-India cooperation at the UN, the G-77 and other multilateral fora, to foster common purpose in addressing areas of mutual concern. In the context of issues relating to international peace and security, we commend efforts made by the African Union Peace and Security Council in maintaining peace in Africa. Africa recalls, with appreciation, India's principled support to and continuing involvement with UN peacekeeping operations, especially in the African continent, India appreciates the role of African counties in maintaining peace and security in the Continent and their participation in peace keeping missions in other parts of the world- It also commends Africa on its development of the African Standby Force, which will enhance the continent's capacity to maintain peace and security.
15. We take note of UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 on Libya and stress that efforts to implement them should be within the spirit and letter of those resolutions. In this regard, we call for an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Libya and urge the parties in the conflict to strive towards a political solution through peaceful means and dialogue- We express support for the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee initiative and the African Union roadmap for the peaceful and consensual resolution of the conflict.
16. Based on the strong partnership between Africa and India on international issues relating to peace and security, Africa welcomes India's election to a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the years 2011-2012. India expresses its appreciation for the support of African States in this election in October 2010. The African members of the UN Security Council and India affirm their commitment to coordinate closely during India's tenure in the Council.
17. In this context, we underscore the imperative of urgent and comprehensive reform of the UN system. We share the view that the UN should function in a transparent, efficient and effective manner and that the composition of its central organs must reflect contemporary realities. The expansion of the UN Security Council, in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, with increased participation of developing counties in both categories, is central to the process of reform and for enhancing the credibility of the United Nations,
18. India notes the common African position and the aspirations of the African counties to get their rightful place in an expanded UN Security Council as new permanent members with full rights as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus. Africa takes note of India's position and its aspirations to become a permanent member with full rights in an expanded UN Security Council. We emphasize the need for Member States to exert utmost effort on the United Nations Security Council reform during the current session of the United Nations General Assembly.
19. We recognize that the security of all nations would be enhanced by a global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. We reaffirm our commitment to the consensus in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on Disarmament, which accorded priority to nuclear disarmament. We also express support for an International Convention Prohibiting the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Nuclear Weapons, leading to their destruction. We call for negotiating specific steps to reduce and finally eliminate nuclear weapons, leading to a world free from all weapons of mass destruction as envisaged in the Rajiv Gandhi Action Plan of 1988. We also look forward to the commencement of negotiations on the Treaty Banning the Production of Fissile Material for Nuclear Weapons and Other Nuclear Explosive Devices in the Conference on Disarmament.
20. We welcome the entry into force in July 2009, of the Africa Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (the Pelindaba Treaty) of 1995 and the efforts towards the operationalisation of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (ACNE) in November 2010, which, among others, will promote the peaceful application of nuclear energy and technology within Member States.
21. We stress the importance of addressing the threat posed by illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons through full implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALWs and welcome the African Union's efforts towards that end.
22. We unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. An act of terrorism anywhere is a threat to the entire international community. We recognize the need to further strengthen international cooperation to combat global terrorism and for compliance of all member states with all international terrorism conventions and related protocols and UN Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism. We call on all States to cooperate with each other in prosecuting, extraditing and rendering legal assistance with regard to acts of international terrorism. In this connection, we deplore the tragic losses arising from terrorist attacks and call for the active prosecution of the authors of such crimes and their accomplices, and urge that they be brought to justice expeditiously. We further call on all counties to ensure that acts of cross-border terrorism do not occur, and that their territories are not made a base for terrorists. We strongly condemn kidnapping and hostage taking as well as the demands for ransom and political concessions by terrorist groups. We express serious concern at the increase in such incidents. Taking note of the African position on the condemnation of the payment of ransom to terrorist groups, we call for the urgent need to address this issue. We also agree to work to expeditiously finalize and adopt, a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the UN. We underscore the need to strengthen the implementation of AU mechanisms to prevent and combat terrorism.
23. We further stress the importance of addressing the threat posed by piracy off the Coast of Somalia and suffering caused by taking of hostages, and call on all States to cooperate in combating and eradicating the menace of piracy. In this context, Africa welcomes India's support to efforts to safeguard shipping in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean from piracy.
24. We also pledge to work to eradicate drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, organized crime and money laundering. In this regard, we call on all States to ratify and implement all relevant International Instruments relating to these crimes.
25. We have reviewed, with satisfaction, the progress made in the implementation of the Africa-India Framework of Cooperation and note in this regard, the four-year Plan of Action adopted in March 2010. Work is moving apace on the various elements of this Plan of Action, including the establishment of 21 capacity-building institutions in various countries of Africa. India is committed to substantially contribute to building African capacities through supporting education and capacity building institutions and in enhancing value addition and processing of raw materials in Africa. Africa appreciates the Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme offered by India and believes it has the potential to increase African exports to India.
26. We stress that cooperation between Africa and India, as emerging from the First Africa-India Forum Summit, has been a true manifestation of South-South Cooperation. Our Endeavour to find new ways of energizing our partnership by taking into account the emerging capabilities in Africa and India has found sustenance in the implementation of the Action Plan of our Framework of Cooperation. We deeply appreciate the implementation of the initiatives that Africa and India took since the first India - Africa Forum Summit in April 2008, in New Delhi. We also laud the further initiatives that have been announced by the Prime Minister of India at the Second Africa-India Forum Summit in Addis Ababa in May 2011. India, on the other hand, welcomes the new spirit of association that has facilitated these initiatives.
27. Our Agreement that Africa and India will go beyond bilateral linkages to strengthen partnerships with the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities of Africa, have borne fruit. The level of interaction between India and the African Union has increased manifold, particularly with the implementation of new AIFS initiatives after the success of the Pan- African e-Network Project- The relationships with the Regional Economic Communities have also been strengthened and India's initiative to invite Africa’s Regional Economic Communities for a meeting in November 2010 was appreciated. The multi-tiered functional engagement which India has with Africa is a model for multilateral engagements around the world.
28. We also welcome the positive results of efforts to promote trade and investment, human resource development and infrastructure development in Africa. We commit ourselves to involving the private sector and civil society in Africa and India to widen the scope of our partnership.
29. We note with satisfaction that Trade Ministers from African counties and India met on 21 May, 2011 in Addis Ababa and take note of the Joint Statement issued by the Trade Ministers and lend our support to the ideas enunciated therein as indicators of our future cooperation. We appreciate that the Ministers had an in-depth discussion on the economic engagement between Africa and India, including the Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme of India, cluster development initiatives and the identification of priority sectors of partnership. We also note with satisfaction the initiatives taken by the Trade Ministers in the establishment of Trade and Investment linkages between India and Africa and welcome the constitution of the India-Africa Business Council as well as the constitution of the annual India-Africa Trade Ministers' Dialogue. We acknowledge the common platform shared by India and Africa in the WTO Doha Round and reiterate the core principles of Special and Differential (S&D) Treatment and obtaining more preferential treatment for all LDCs.
30. We recognize that this Second Africa-India Forum Summit will help to realize our common vision of a self-reliant and economically vibrant Africa and India. We are committed to work together towards a peaceful and more egalitarian international order, where the voices of Africa and India can be heard to pursue their desire for inclusive development, both internationally and domestically. Africa is determined to partner in India's economic resurgence as India is committed to be a close partner in Africa's renaissance.
31. We agree to add further substance to our Framework of Cooperation and to broaden exchanges to cover all facets of our relationship. We adopt, in this context, the Africa-India Framework for Enhanced Cooperation to supplement the existing Framework. We agree to institutionalize this Summit process. Accordingly, we agree that the next India - Africa Forum Summit will be held in 2014 in India.
32. The Prime Minister of India expresses his appreciation to the African Union Commission for hosting the Summit and to the Government and people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the hospitality extended to his delegation and to all participating leaders. The African leaders also express their appreciation to the Prime Minister of India for his participation.
IT returns and political parties in India
Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi had observed that almost 75 to 80 per cent of the registered political parties have not participated in any elections for the last several years. The EC asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to ascertain the financial status of these small parties for alleged violation of tax laws and money laundering. The CBDT conducted a probe on this issue and has submitted a report to the election panel. A number of political parties also do not possess permanent account number (PAN). A country-wide probe conducted by the Income Tax Department has found that 300 registered political parties have never filed their income tax returns. The Election Commission has now directed the Income Tax Department to issue notices to them. It was alleged that people are floating such political parties in large numbers to evade taxes as the donations to them are exempted from payment of income tax. The EC has asked the Income Tax Department to intensify the probe and to serve show-cause notices to these small parties under the relevant provisions of Income Tax Act and ascertain the source and utility of the funds they received through donations.
The report has tracked the I-T returns of these small parties in 13 states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and North East. All the national and other major political parties had regularly filing their I-T returns.
Maqbool Fida Hussain dies in London
Maqbool Fida Hussain, India's most famous modern painter, has died in London on June 9, 2011. He was 95. Hussain had lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai since 2005 after coming under attack from Hindu hard-liners in India for a nude painting of a woman shaped like India's map. Hussain was a former movie billboard artist who rose to become India's most sought-after painter, whose work commanded price tags running into millions of dollars. His paintings and even his simple pencil sketches became status symbols for India's wealthy elite. Husain first became well-known as an artist in the late 1940s. In 1947, he joined the Progressive Artists' Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza. This was a clique of young artists who wished to break with the nationalist traditions established by the Bengal school of art and to encourage an Indian avant-garde, engaged at an international level. In 1952, his first solo exhibition was held at Zürich and over the next few years, his work was widely seen in Europe and the U.S. In 1955, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree prize by the Government of India. In 1967, he made his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter. It was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear.
M. F. Husain was a special invitee along with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushanin 1973 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1991. Husain went on to become the highest paid painter in India. His single canvases have fetched up to $2 million at a recent Christie's auction.
He has also produced & directed on few movies, including Gaja Gamini (with his muse Madhuri Dixit who was the subject of a series of his paintings which he signed Fida). The film was intended as a tribute to Ms. Dixit herself. In this film she can be seen portraying various forms and manifestations of womanhood including the muse of Kalidasa, the Mona Lisa, a rebel, and musical euphoria. He went on to make Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (with Tabu). His autobiography is being made into a movie tentatively titled The Making of the Painter, starring Shreyas Talpade as the young Husain.
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) (USA, Massachusetts) showed a solo exhibition from 4 November 2006 to 3 June 2007. It exhibited Husain's paintings inspired by the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.
At the age of 92 Husain was to be given the prestigious Raja Ravi Varma award by the government of Kerala. The announcement led to controversy in Kerala and some cultural organisations campaigned against the granting of the award and petitioned the Kerala courts.Sabarimala spokesperson, Rahul Easwar, went to Kerala High Court and it granted an interim order to stay the granting of the award until the petition had been disposed of.
In early 2008, Husain's Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12, a large diptych, from the Hindu epic, fetched $1.6 million, setting a world record at Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale. His name has also been included in the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World, issued by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Amman, Jordan.
Of late sale is showing a decline. In may artists MF Husain went unsold at the Sotheby's auction, many feel that they may have run their course. Artist Pranava Prakash said, "Artists such as Husain and Raza sell because of their PR machinery, not because of their artistic merit."
In the 1990s some of Husain's works became controversial because of their portrayal of Hindu deities in the nude or in an allegedly sexual manner. The paintings in question were created in 1970, but did not become an issue until 1996, when they were printed in Vichar Mimansa, a Hindi monthly magazine, which published them in an article headlined "M.F. Husain: A Painter or Butcher". In response, eight criminal complaints were filed against Husain. In 2004, Delhi High Court dismissed these complaints of "promoting enmity between different groups ... by painting Hindu goddesses — Durga and Sarswati, that was later compromised by Hindu's."
In 1998 Husain's house was attacked by Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal and art works were vandalised. The leadership of Shiv Sena endorsed the attack. Twenty-six Bajrang Dal activists were arrested by the police. Protests against Husain also led to the closure of an exhibition in London, England.
In February 2006, Husain was charged with hurting sentiments of people because of his nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses.
A series of cases were brought against him and a court case related to the alleged obscene depiction of Hindu goddesses in his paintings resulted in issuing a non-bailable warrant against Husain after he failed to respond to summons. There were also reportedly death threats. The artist left the country stating that "matters are so legally complicated that I have been advised not to return home". Now living in Dubai and London, he continues to stay away from India, but has expressed a strong desire to return, despite fears that he may be arrested in connection with these cases. A recent Supreme Court order has suspended an arrest warrant for Husain. The law ministry has examined half-a-dozen works by Husain and told the government that prosecutors would have a strong case against him if they sued him for deliberately hurting religious feelings.
PM Visit to Ethiopia
PM Manmohan Singh will embark on a six-day visit to Africa. He will travel to Ethiopia first to attend the second Africa-India Forum Summit and then pay a bilateral visit to Tanzania. Ahead of his visit to Africa, PM Manmohan Singh described the India-Africa partnership as a living embodiment of South-South cooperation. He said this partnership rested on three pillars of capacity building and skill transfer, trade and infrastructure development. PM's address at the Joint Session of the two houses of the Parliament of Ethiopia
I am deeply honoured to be given this opportunity to address the Joint Session of both Houses of the Parliament of Ethiopia. I feel privileged to be the first Prime Minister of India to visit this great country.
UPSC aspirants can now choose Indian languages for interview
The UPSC has decided that candidates who opt for an Indian language medium other than Hindi for the written Civil Services exam can now give the interview in the same Indian language, English or Hindi. As per the recommendations of an expert committee, even those candidates who give the main exam in English can now choose for the interview English, Hindi or any other Indian language, opted by them for the compulsory Indian language paper in the written part of the test, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said in an affidavit submitted in the Bombay High Court.The affidavit was submitted in response to a PIL filed by IAS aspirant Chittaranjan Kumar, challenging the existing rule that requires a candidate to give the interview in English if he had appeared for the main examination in that language. Kumar, who appeared for the written part of the 2008 civil services examination in English, wanted to give the interview in Hindi. The affidavit said these were the recommendations submitted by an expert committee formed specially to look into the issue. The recommendations had been accepted by the UPSC and forwarded to the Government with a request to send comments or observations.
After hearing from the government, the UPSC would incorporate the necessary changes and implement them, the court was told. As per the present policy, the candidates who are exempted from the compulsory Indian language paper have to appear for the interview in English or Hindi only. Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice G S Godbole disposed off the petition.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court had approved the committee of experts appointed by the UPSC to review the impugned rule and file a report by 23rd June. The PIL argued that if the existing rule is changed, the candidates appearing for Civil Services Examination shall get an opportunity to speak in their own language in which they feel comfortable at the time of interview and thus score more marks in the oral test. This way, students from the grassroot level will grab more seats by securing higher rank and break the tradition of elites getting into the civil service, the PIL argued.
The PIL contended that the impugned rule was pro-rich and anti-poor. It said the interviewers should judge a candidate on the basis of his or her personality and not on the basis of whether he or she can speak English. The existing rule violates fundamental rights under the Constitution and is also against public policy of the nation, the PIL argued.
IIFA awards
Salman Khan starrer 'Dabangg' bagged major gongs at the Indian International Film Academy awards in Toronto including the Best Film, and special honours were conferred on veteran actor Dharmendra and singer Asha Bhosle. Shah Rukh Khan won the best actor award for his performance in 'My Name Is Khan', while Karan Johar won the best director award for the same film. Anushka Sharma won the best performance in a leading role female for 'Band Baaja Baraat'.
'Band Baja Baraat' star Ranveer Singh won the Best debut male award. Sonakshi Sinha won the Best debut female award for her performance in 'Dabangg', while Sonu Sood grabbed the best negative role trophy.
Sajid-Wajid alongwith Lalit Pandit bagged the best music direction award for their chartbusting numbers in the film, while Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla bagged the best screenplay award.
'Band Baja Baraat' star Ranveer Singh won the Best debut male award. Sonakshi Sinha won the Best debut female award for her performance in 'Dabangg', while Sonu Sood grabbed the best negative role trophy.
Sajid-Wajid alongwith Lalit Pandit bagged the best music direction award for their chartbusting numbers in the film, while Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla bagged the best screenplay award.
Best supporting role male was won by Arjun Rampal for 'Raajneeti' while Prachi Desai won the award in the female category for 'One Upon A Time In Mumbai'.
Asha Bhosle was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, while Dharmendra, who performed some of his hit songs at the glitzy ceremony, was honoured by Shah Rukh Khan and Ramesh Sippy for his contribution to the film industry.
Actress Sharmila Tagore was handed the Outstanding Achievement award by Shabana Azmi for forty years of her cinematic journey.
Asha Bhosle was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, while Dharmendra, who performed some of his hit songs at the glitzy ceremony, was honoured by Shah Rukh Khan and Ramesh Sippy for his contribution to the film industry.
Actress Sharmila Tagore was handed the Outstanding Achievement award by Shabana Azmi for forty years of her cinematic journey.
Ritesh Deshmukh won the Best actor in a comic role for 'Housefull', while actor Irrfan Khan was honoured for his Outstanding Achievement in International cinema.
Best story award went to Shivani Makhija for 'My Name Is Khan'.
Vishal Bhardwaj won the best dialogue for 'Ishqiya'.
Best lyrics was bagged by Iyengar for 'My Name Is Khan'.
Star Plus hottest pair award went to Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh for 'Band Baaja Baraat'.
GJM signs bipartite agreement for ending Darjeeling issue
The West Bengal Government has reached an agreement with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to settle Darjeeling crisis giving more autonomy to hill people. Announcing this in Kolkata on Tuesday, the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that an agreement was signed between the West Bengal Government and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha after two day's Secretary level talks. Describing the day as a historic one, Ms.Banerjee said that she would urge the Center to convene tri-partite level meeting within a week to endorse the Secretary level agreement. The State Chief Secretary Mr. Samar Ghosh said that a new autonomous body will be set up in Darjeeling. A Bill to this effect will be placed in the next session of the state Assembly. The body will be formed through election in the hills.
The GJM put aside its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland and agreed to a new hill council with more autonomy in a bipartite agreement signed with the Bengal govt, signaling an end of the 15-year-old movement in Darjeeling. "Today is a historic day. The Darjeeling issue which has been lingering for a long period has been settled. I have informed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram," Banerjee told reporters at the Writers' Buildings after the conclusion of the two-day official-level talks with the GJM.
Asked about the 'magic formula' that clinched the agreement, Banerjee, who had earlier stated that she would solve the Darjeeling problem within three months, said, "It is our heart and good intention. The magic formula for reaching this agreement is development." She said she had asked Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh to talk to the Centre so that the agreement can be formalised at Darjeeling "where I will be present". Asked if a financial package will be given to Darjeeling, she retorted, "Shall I attend a wedding without a gift? We love the people of Darjeeling."
Ghosh told reporters that the bipartite agreement was signed by GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and Home Secretary G D Gautama. He said that consensus was reached on formation of a new hill council replacing the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council which would have full administrative, financial and executive powers and be given more autonomy.
Ghosh told reporters that the bipartite agreement was signed by GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and Home Secretary G D Gautama. He said that consensus was reached on formation of a new hill council replacing the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council which would have full administrative, financial and executive powers and be given more autonomy.
Ghosh, however, declined to elaborate on the autonomy. "A consensus has been reached for forming a new hill council. This will be through election. It requires new enactment of law and work in this regard will start shortly. Necessary amendment is required in the next session of the Assembly," he said. The chief secretary said that the board of administrators would include two to three members besides the Darjeeling district magistrate. On the GJM's demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in Dooars and Terai region in the proposed council, the Ghosh said that a 9-member, high-power committee would be constituted in two weeks with four members each from the GJM from the state government besides a chairman which would submit its report within six months.
The committee would look into the geographical location and the present status on the disputed territories.
About the temporary employees of the DGHC who had completed 10 years of service, he said they would be allowed to work till they attain 60 years. "They will be given retirement benefits and those who have not completed 10 years will be entitled to the benefits after completing the full term," he said. DGHC's regular and casual employees total 6,000.
About 'tauji', which deals with tea garden and is now under the control of the collectorate, Ghosh said a decision was reached for formation of a committee with members from the Tea Board, Ministry of Commerce and GJM representatives. It was also agreed that there would be scope for the new council to make rules for different departments to be transferred to it.
About the temporary employees of the DGHC who had completed 10 years of service, he said they would be allowed to work till they attain 60 years. "They will be given retirement benefits and those who have not completed 10 years will be entitled to the benefits after completing the full term," he said. DGHC's regular and casual employees total 6,000.
About 'tauji', which deals with tea garden and is now under the control of the collectorate, Ghosh said a decision was reached for formation of a committee with members from the Tea Board, Ministry of Commerce and GJM representatives. It was also agreed that there would be scope for the new council to make rules for different departments to be transferred to it.
To a question, Ghosh said that the GJM asked for control over reserved forests by the new hill council. "But it is not possible without the Centre's concurrence as the Forest Act is a central act." Later GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told reporters that transfer of 'tauji' or the right over tea gardens and resolution of the problem of casual employees of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council were reached at the meeting. Asked about the GJM's original demand for Gorkhaland, Giri declined to comment.
The second day of the official-level talks in which Giri, four GJM MLAs, the chief secretary and Home Secretary G D Gautama, were present.
GJM candidates won three Darjeeling hill seats in the West Bengal state assembly election, 2011 held on 18 April 2011. Trilok Dewan won from Darjeeling constituency, Harka Bahadur Chhetri from Kalimpong constituency, and Rohit Sharma from Kurseong constituency. Wilson Champramari, an independent candidate supported by GJM, also won from Kalchini constituency in the Dooars.
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM or GJMM) is a registered political party which campaigns for the creation of a separate state (Gorkhaland) within India, out of districts in the north of West Bengal. The party was launched on 7 October 2007.
Bimal Gurung, a former GNLF councillor of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, fell out with Subhash Ghisingh for "opposing the Sixth Schedule status for the hills and for his speeches against Subhash Ghisingh, the party president". Gurung who was considered one of the most powerful leaders of the hills, stated to oppose the Sixth Schedule bill even though it had received Cabinet approval in the Indian Parliament. He founded GJM on 7 October 2007. The aims and the objectives of the new party was to "fight for the democratic right of the Indian Gorkhas living in India and (to) work unitedly for the creation of separate state for the people residing in the three Hill Sub-Division of Darjeeling, Siliguri Terai and Dooars areas.
Bimal Gurung, a former GNLF councillor of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, fell out with Subhash Ghisingh for "opposing the Sixth Schedule status for the hills and for his speeches against Subhash Ghisingh, the party president". Gurung who was considered one of the most powerful leaders of the hills, stated to oppose the Sixth Schedule bill even though it had received Cabinet approval in the Indian Parliament. He founded GJM on 7 October 2007. The aims and the objectives of the new party was to "fight for the democratic right of the Indian Gorkhas living in India and (to) work unitedly for the creation of separate state for the people residing in the three Hill Sub-Division of Darjeeling, Siliguri Terai and Dooars areas.
The demand for a separate state for the Gorkhas within India is more than 100 years old. "The name "Gorkhaland" is claimed to have been coined by Subhash Ghisingh on 5 April 1980, cf., his speech of 7 September 1989 at Darjeeling". After a violent agitation in 1980's which claimed more than 1200 lives in the hills, Subhash Ghisingh settled for the DGHC.
After a lull of Ghisingh's 20 years rule, the demand for Gorkhaland was again revived by GJM under the leadership of Bimal Gurung. The total area of the proposed state is 6246 km2 and comprises Banarhat, Bhaktinagar, Birpara, Chalsa, Darjeeling, Jaigaon, Kalchini, Kalimpong, Kumargram, Kurseong, Madarihat, Malbazar, Mirik and Nagarkatta. Unlike the 1980s, GJM has maintained that the struggle for Gorkhaland would be through non-violence and non-cooperation.
GJM initially resorted to bandhs, hunger strikes and non-payment of utility bills to further their demand. It was quite enough to get the attention of the State Government, who invited them to Kolkata for bipartite talks. GJM refused to attends the talks as the state Government had set preconditions that they would discuss developmental issues but not Gorkhaland. The Chief Minister extended the invitation again and denied having set any preconditions for the talks.
The first tripartite talks between Government of India, Government of West Bengal and leaders of the Hill Parties headed by GJM was held on 8 September 2008. The hill delegation also submitted a 51-page memorandum to the Union Home Secretary, Government of India.
GJM initially resorted to bandhs, hunger strikes and non-payment of utility bills to further their demand. It was quite enough to get the attention of the State Government, who invited them to Kolkata for bipartite talks. GJM refused to attends the talks as the state Government had set preconditions that they would discuss developmental issues but not Gorkhaland. The Chief Minister extended the invitation again and denied having set any preconditions for the talks.
The first tripartite talks between Government of India, Government of West Bengal and leaders of the Hill Parties headed by GJM was held on 8 September 2008. The hill delegation also submitted a 51-page memorandum to the Union Home Secretary, Government of India.
Himachal Pradesh Gov. sign carbon credit agreement with World Bank
World Bank signed an agreement on May 22, 2011 with Himachal Pradesh government for what is to be the world's largest and India's first clean development mechanism (CDM) project.. With this, the state has made a new beginning in emission reduction under the internationally accepted Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) concept to implement the Bio-Carbon Sub-Project, which is a part of the Mid- Himalayan Watershed Development Project. While the agreement was signed by Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) Sudripto Roy on behalf of the state, Hubert Nove Josserand, Deputy Country Director of World Bank, signed for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank-Bio Carbon Fund). Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was present on the occasion, alongwith top government officials like Chief secretary Rajwant Sandhu and team World Bank leader Ranjan Samantaray. The agreement will be operative till December 2018.Speaking on the occasion, Dhumal said the agreement is a new beginning for the state, which has been making serious efforts to become carbon neutral, beside engaging the people in preservation of forests and also earning their livelihood.
The bio carbon Mid-Himalayan project will be implemented in 11 watershed divisions in the state’s 10 districts. The project aims at reforestation to protect watersheds, improve livelihood and generate carbon revenue.
Bringing nearly 4,000 hectares of land under the project — the highest in the world — the state plans to sequester green house gases by expanding forest plantations on mostly degraded lands, apart from creating a carbon sink.
It would develop innovative cost effective ways to minimise climate change risks and provide multiple benefits to poor farmers through meeting their needs of timber, pulpwood, firewood, minor forest produces alongwith carbon credits, in cash incentive. Further, the state government will consider synchronising various administrative units on completion of the ongoing Census operation, so that each of such project could benefit the entire unit.
Detailing the components of the agreement, Hubert Nove Josserand said that the World Bank had entered into agreements for similar projects in 17 other countries, but in Himachal Pradesh, the largest area is to be covered under the project.
Dadasaheb phalke award
Shri K Balachander, veteran film maker, has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2010. The Award is given by Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The award consists of Swarna Kamal, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs, a shawl and a citation. The Award has been given on the recommendations of a Committee of eminent persons.Mamata Banerjee sworn as first women West Bengal CM
Mamata Banerjee, who ended the uninterrupted 34-year reign of the Left in WBengal, made history when she was sworn in as the first woman Chief Minister of the state at the head of a 38-member Trinamool Congress-Congress coalition govt. The 56-year-old leader was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of the state at an impressive ceremony in Kolkata on Friday by Governor M K Narayanan, who also administered the oath of office and secrecy to her.Along with her, 37 MLAs--35 from Trinamool Congress and 2 from ally Congress--took oath as ministers of the two-tier ministry. Four of the Trinamool Congress MLAs were sworn in as Ministers of State. Clad in a simple white sari and wearing a tricolor 'uttariya' (long scarf) that has by now become her trade mark, Banerjee took the oath in Bengali in the name of God.
Partha Chatterjee, Deputy Leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislature party, former FICCI Secretary General Amit Mitra, elected on a Trinamool ticket and tipped to get Fiance portfolio, and WBPCC chief Manas Bhunia and CLP leader Abu Hena were among those who were inducted into the Cabinet.
Banerjee, who left the Congress in 1997 to form her own party to take on the Left, took the oath exactly at 1.01 pm, a time chosen by her in the presence of over 3,000 guests including the defeated Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Left Front convene Biman Bose. Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Union Home minister P Chidambaram, former Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta and Assembly speaker H A Halim were among those who attended the ceremony that lasted for one hour and 35 minutes. Former Governor Viren J Shah was also present.
Film actors Prasenjit, June Malia and singer Sandhya Mukherjee were among the other invitees to the ceremony throughout which the Trinamool Congress leaders kept shouting slogans hailing Banerjee. Captains of industry including Sanjiv Goenka, Harsh Neotia, S K Roy, Sanjay Budhia, Sandipan Chakraborty were present. Also present were sports administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, sports personalities Chuni Goswami and P K Banerjee.
Subrata Bakshi, state party president, Subrata Mukherjee, party vice-president, Sadhan Pandey, senior leader, Rabindranath Bhattacharjee, MLA from Singur, Manish Gupta, former chief secretary, and Upen Biswas, a former CBI Additional Director, took the oath.
Two former IPS officers, Rachpal Singh and Hyder Aziz Sawfi and playwright Bratya Basu were also sworn in. Besides Banerjee, Sabitri Mitra of the Trinamool Congress will be the other woman in the Cabinet. The portfolios of the ministers will be allocated by chief minister later. She sat on the dais all through the swearing-in. After the ceremony, she had a meeting with the governor. Most of the cabinet ministers took the oath in Bengali, except Firhad Hakim and Javed Ahmed Khan who took it in English, Abdul Karim Chowdhury in Urdu and Sukumar Hansda in Santhali. Karim Chowdhury, H A Sawfi, Firhad Hakim and Abu Henna took the oath in the name of Allah. Upen Biswas took the oath in the name of Buddha.
Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, the chief minister joined the governor for tea. Earlier, huge crowds gathered on both sides of the road from Kalighat to Raj Bhavan and waved and blew conchess as Banerjee's convoy drove by. The police erected barricades along the Council House Street to Writers' Buildings and before the Eden Gardens.
Jayalalithaa elected CM of TN for third term
AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalithaa will take over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu today for a third term. She will be sworn-in along with 33 others in her Cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony of the 63-year-old leader will take place at the historic Madras University's centenary auditorium at 12.15 PM. The decision of the swearing-in ceremony and the ministers to be inducted was taken at a meeting Jayalalithaa had with Governor S S Barnala yesterday. The meeting came after the 146 newly-elected AIADMK MLAs elected her the leader of the AIADMK legislature party. While 25 of the 34 members to be sworn in today will be youngsters and new faces, it will also include veterans like O Pannerselvam who will hold Finance portfolio. The other old-timers include K A Sengottaiyan who will take over as Agriculture Minister.
In keeping with Tamil Nadu's political practice, it will be a single-party government despite AIADMK winning the elections in alliance with some other parties. Jayalalithaa steered the AIADMK alliance to a spectacular victory in the elections by winning 200 of the total 234 seats.
After meeting the Governor, the AIADMK chief said her immediate priorities as Chief Minister will be to restore law and order, control prices and put the economy of the state back on track. Jayalalilthaa had earlier ruled the state in 1991-96 and 2001-06.
Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu's died in chopper crash
Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu Now found dead after 96 hours of missing. The Chopper of CM Carrying 4 others including Dorjee Khandu and the Yeshi Choddak (security officer), Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup and pilots Captain J. S. Babbar and Captain T S Mamik. In the Chopper there were 5 people on board the Pawan Hans helicopter which disappeared on 30th April. CM Dorjee Khandu Planed to go Itanagar from Tawang and during this time helicopter lost contact as it approached Sela Pass 13,000 feet above sea level. India launched one of its biggest search operations, involving thousands of security forces, for the missing helicopter. Reports said more than 10,000 people, including 3,000 security forces from India and neighbouring Bhutan, fighter jets and army helicopters were engaged in the five-day search in a mountainous, snow-clad region.
Mr Khandu's son, Tashi Tsering Khandu, had also joined the search operations by foot along with a team of 100 men. The other passengers on the helicopter were Mr Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and a relative of a state lawmaker, Yeshi Lamu, and two crew members JS Babbar and KS Malick.
Dorjee Khandu (3 March 1955 - 30 April 2011) was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He was the Sixth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He was reelected in 2009 general elections for the second term as the chief minister. He passed away in a helicopter crash. Dorjee Khandu was born in Gyangkhar village, North East Frontier Agency, India to Leki Dorjee. He belongs to the Monpa tribe. He was a secondary school dropout, later he attained several degrees.
Indian politician killed in helicopter crash
Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has died in an air crash on 2 September 2009, a helicopter carrying Reddy went missing in the Nallamala forest area in a mysterious way.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has died in an air crash on 2 September 2009, a helicopter carrying Reddy went missing in the Nallamala forest area in a mysterious way.
G.M.C. Balayogi
On March 3, 2002, G.M.C. Balayogi died in crash of a Bell 206 helicopter in Kaikalur, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.
On March 3, 2002, G.M.C. Balayogi died in crash of a Bell 206 helicopter in Kaikalur, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.
Madhavrao Scindia
Madhavrao Scindia, a senior Congress leader and a former union cabinet ... minister Natung was killed in a helicopter crash in May 2001
Madhavrao Scindia, a senior Congress leader and a former union cabinet ... minister Natung was killed in a helicopter crash in May 2001
Rajesh Pilot
Senior Congress politician and former Union minister Rajeshwar Prasad alias Rajesh Pilot died in a road accident near Bhandana in Dausa district of Rajasthan on 11 Jun 2000. Born on February 10, 1945, in Baidpura village, Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, he used to sell milk as a young boy. After graduating in Arts, he joined the Indian Air Force, where he rose to become a squadron leader. He resigned from the Air Force following a call by Indira Gandhi.
Senior Congress politician and former Union minister Rajeshwar Prasad alias Rajesh Pilot died in a road accident near Bhandana in Dausa district of Rajasthan on 11 Jun 2000. Born on February 10, 1945, in Baidpura village, Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, he used to sell milk as a young boy. After graduating in Arts, he joined the Indian Air Force, where he rose to become a squadron leader. He resigned from the Air Force following a call by Indira Gandhi.
Indian spiritual guru Sai Baba dies
Indian spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba was buried as hundreds of thousands of devotees flocked to pay their last respects at his temple in south India to a man revered as a living God. Tibetan monks, Muslim clerics, top politicians and military officers sat with hundreds of family members to commemorate the charismatic guru who drew millions of followers around the world with his diverse teachings that blended Hindu and Muslim beliefs. Revered as the reincarnation of Hindu and Muslim saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, Sai Baba was a cultural icon in a rapidly modernizing Indian economy, where religion and spirituality still remain an integral part of daily life.
Sai Baba, who last month was admitted to hospital in his hometown of Puttaparti, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, died of multiple organ failure on Sunday. He was 85. Hindu chants echoed around the temple during the funeral, conducted with full state honors, before the guru's body was hidden behind a curtain for a private family burial. Giant screens around the town broadcast the ceremony to crowds of devotees.
Top politicians such as opposition leader L.K. Advani attended the ceremony, a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi visited the temple in Puttaparthi. Hundreds of thousands of people have queued for hours in the stifling heat to file past the guru as his body lay in state since Sunday, dressed in his trademark orange robes. Local officials extended the viewing time to midnight on Tuesday to meet demand.
Queues stretched for kilometers through the town, which has shuttered its shops and businesses since Sunday. Authorities blocked traffic entering the town on fears of overcrowding, as devotees walked tens of kilometers to reach the temple.
His followers, estimated to number six million worldwide, included top Indian politicians, business tycoons and Bollywood stars. Indian cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar wept as he crouched by the glass casket on Monday.
Sai Baba, with his distinctive frizzy hair and credited with mystical powers including conjuring objects out of thin air, ran schools and hospitals through trusts in numerous countries.
Sai Baba, with his distinctive frizzy hair and credited with mystical powers including conjuring objects out of thin air, ran schools and hospitals through trusts in numerous countries.
Sathya Sai Baba born as Sathyanarayana Raju (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, philanthropist and educator. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as one of the 100 most spiritually influential people in the world.He was described by his devotees as an Incarnation or avatar of Shiridi Sai Baba, spiritual teacher and miracle worker. The apparent materialising of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Baba has been a source of both fame and controversy – skeptics consider these simple conjuring tricks while devotees consider them as signs of divinity. Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be the reincarnation of the spiritual guru, Sai Baba of Shirdi, whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs.
Sathya Sai Baba established schools and colleges, hospitals, and other charitable institutions in India and abroad. The number of active Sathya Sai Baba followers was estimated in 1999 to be around 6 million, though adherents' estimates are far higher. Since there are no formal ties of membership, the actual figure may never be known. The Sathya Sai Organisation reports that there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries worldwide. In India itself, Sai Baba drew followers from predominantly upper-middle-class, urban sections of society who have the "most wealth, education and exposure to Western ideas." He was a cultural icon in India and drew an audience with presidents and prime ministers from India and beyond who have become his devotees; in 2002, he claimed to have followers in 178 countries.
A. R. Rahman honoured at WEF Davos meet
Internationally renowned music composer A. R. Rahman was honoured with the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum at opening ceremony of its annual meet in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday being attended by 2500 global leaders from business, government, art, culture and religion. Rahman, 44, clad in embroidered black kurta, received the award which is given annually by the WEF to outstanding artists who use their talent not only for their own profession but also for social and charitable work. While the WEF recognised Rahman for his music in Slumdog Millionaire and Bombay Dream, it took note of his association and work in welfare of children. Accepting the award, the famous music composer, who has won several national and international awards, including the Gramy's, said he gets "motivation" from the social work. Jose Carreras, an opera artist from Barcelona, was also given the Crystal Award for his social work for the patients of leukemia. The award function was attended by several heads of governments, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, top CEOs, religious leaders and academicians. A strong 130-member delegation from India is attending the five-day annual WEF meet.
Justice Patil Committee submits report to Telecom Minister
Justice (retd) Shivraj Patil has submitted its report to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on the appropriateness of procedures adopted by the Department of telecommunications in the issuances of licenses from 2001 to 2009. The one-man panel has identified the officials responsible for lapses in implementation of the 2G licenses policy in a transparent and fair manner.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kapil Sibal said that his ministry will take appropriate action after going through the report. Meanwhile, the former Telecom Minister A Raja was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday in connection with 2G Spectrum allocation scam. Official sources said that Mr Raja was quizzed for nine hours and details were sought from him about his convesrations with corporate lobbiyst Nira Radia and the reasons of advancing the cut-off date of allocation of the spectrum in 2007.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kapil Sibal said that his ministry will take appropriate action after going through the report. Meanwhile, the former Telecom Minister A Raja was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday in connection with 2G Spectrum allocation scam. Official sources said that Mr Raja was quizzed for nine hours and details were sought from him about his convesrations with corporate lobbiyst Nira Radia and the reasons of advancing the cut-off date of allocation of the spectrum in 2007.
Green India Programme
Green India Programme Under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) announced by the Government of India, a “National Mission for a Green India” has been mooted as one of the eight missions. The mission document is under formulation. As on 30.09.2010, about 12.86 lakh hectare of land including 7.22 lakh hectare of degraded forest land and 5.64 lakh hectare of non-forest land has been identified for raising Compensatory Afforestation in lieu of diversion of 11.10 lakh hectare of forest land for non-forest purposes. So far, Compensatory Afforestation has been achieved over 4.22 lakh hectare area only.
During the period from January 2005 to December 2008, about 2.42 lakh hectare of forest land was identified for Compensatory Afforestation in lieu of diversion of 1.12 lakh hectare of forest land for non forest purpose. Only 1,177 hectare Compensatory Afforestation has been undertaken during this period and no Compensatory Afforestation could be carried out from April, 2007 to March, 2009 due to non-release of money earmarked for the purpose. To resume the Compensatory Afforestation in the States and Union Territories, comprehensive guidelines have been framed and communicated and funds for undertaking Compensatory Afforestation is being released with effect from 10th July,2009.
Saxena Committee
The Ministry of Rural Development, on 12th August, 2008, constituted an Expert Group, which could advise the Ministry on the methodology for conducting the BPL Census for identification of rural households. The Expert Group under the chairmanship of Dr. N.C. Saxena submitted its report on 21st August 2009. The Terms of References of the Expert Group are : (i) To recommend more suitable methodology to conduct the next BPL Census with simple, transparent and objectively measurable indicators for identification of BPL for providing assistance under the programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development.
(ii) To recommend institutional system for conducting survey, processing of data validation and approval of BPL List at various levels.
(iii) To recommend institutional mechanism to address grievances of public on exclusion/inclusion in the BPL List
(iv) To briefly look at the relationship between estimation and identification of poor and the issue of putting a limit on the total number of BPL families to be identified.
(v) Any other recommendation to make the exercise of BPL Census simple and acceptable.
(ii) To recommend institutional system for conducting survey, processing of data validation and approval of BPL List at various levels.
(iii) To recommend institutional mechanism to address grievances of public on exclusion/inclusion in the BPL List
(iv) To briefly look at the relationship between estimation and identification of poor and the issue of putting a limit on the total number of BPL families to be identified.
(v) Any other recommendation to make the exercise of BPL Census simple and acceptable.
The recommendations of the Expert Group include automatic exclusion of rural households from the BPL list, automatic inclusion in the BPL list and grading of remaining households. For automatic exclusion of rural households from the BPL list, the Expert Group recommended indicators such as ownership of land, ownership of motorized vehicles, ownership of mechanized farm equipment, regular employment and Income tax payers. The Expert Group recommended automatic inclusion of rural households from certain groups in the BPL list such as designated “Primitive Tribal Groups”, designated “Maha Dalit Groups”, single women headed households, households with disabled person as bread-earner, households headed by a minor, households dependent on alms for survival, homeless households and households with bonded labourers. The Expert Group recommended that remaining households may be ranked on a scale of ten based on caste, community, religion, occupation, educational status and age of head of Household.
The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) under the chairmanship Dr. Arjun Sengupta was constituted by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to examine the problems confronting enterprises in the Unorganized Sector and make appropriate recommendation to provide technical, marketing and credit support to the enterprises. According to the report on “Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganized Sector” submitted by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) at the end of 2004-05, about 836 million or 77 percent of the population were living below Rs. 20 per day.
Poverty is a multi-dimensional issue and various experts/committees and institutions estimate poverty based on different perceptions/definitions. However, Planning Commission is the nodal agency in the Government of India to estimate poverty in the country. The latest poverty estimates released by the Planning Commission for 2004-05, based on 61st Round of NSS consumer expenditure data as recommended by the Expert Group under the chairmanship of Prof. Suresh D. Tendulkar, percent of the population living below the poverty line in the country was 37.2% in 2004-05.
Jnanpith Award for O. N. V. Kurup
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday handed over the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2007 to Malayalam poet ONV Kurup in Thiruvananthapuram Presenting the award Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the State was obliged to play a facilitating role in developing and promoting the creative talents and diverse cultural expressions of the country. "Appreciating Indian culture should involve the understanding, acknowledgement and recognition of all the different strands and hues of our composite cultural fabric," the Prime Minister said. Dr. Singh said while educated Indians were quite familiar with the works of famous writers of the West, they were much less exposed to the works of outstanding litterateurs in Indian languages.India announced most wanted fugitives list
Saeed Hafijz the attacks in Mumbai on November 26 charged with conspiracy. Increasing pressure on Pakistan, India today released a list of 50 wanted fugitives, including Dawood Ibrahim and the LeT founder Saeed Hafijz name. This list has many names. Saeed Hafijz November 26 in Mumbai attack is considered the main conspirators and they live in Pakistan. It is believed that these same list that Pakistan had handed in a meeting on March 28. India now has this list public. However, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has ever appeared neither in Pakistan nor Pakistan ever David's presence in Pakistan is considered. Saeed's name tops the list. In addition to the list of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, is also named in the 2001 attack on Parliament is charged with masterminding the conspiracy. The same Masood Azhar, whom India during the Kandahar hijack in 1999 instead of the passengers were released. List of al Qaeda Ilyas Kashmiri, David's associate Tiger Memon, Chhota Shakeel, Ayub Memon, Abdul Razzak, Anish Ibrahim Kaskar, Anwar Ahmed Haji Jamal and Mohammed Ahmed Dosa's name. In addition to the Kashmiri people in 1993 Mumbai blasts make these charges. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin of the list, the founder of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Amanullah Khan, Punjab radical Lakhbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh alias Neeta Wadhwa Singh and include the name.
The list released by the Indian government at a time when Osama bin Laden died in Pakistan after international pressure is on. In the case of the Mumbai attacks as anything other name Sajid Majid, Major Iqbal, Major Samir Ali, Syed Abdul Rehman alias Abu Hamza Pasha and include the name. Also linked to the blasts in Bangalore in 2008, also named some people who have been declared fugitives. LeT commander Azam Cheema them, leading to the name of Syed Zbuddin Zab. Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya murder case has been declared a fugitive accused the Mufti Sufiyon.
Ghazal king Jagjit Singh died
Ghazal King Jagjit Singh passed away at 8.10 AM after having a terrible hemorrhage," said Dr Sudhir Nandgaonkar, hospital spokesperson. The day he was admitted, he was supposed to perform at a concert at Shanmukhananda Hall, Matunga, in Mumbai but the programme was cancelled after he was taken ill. Despite a surgery, his condition did not improve and he remained on life support. Jagjit Singh, a Padma Bhushan recipient, was born in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, on 8th February, 1941. After graduation, he shifted base to Mumbai, to explore career in the world of music. In the next decade and half, he earned nationwide fame as ghazal singer and music composer. He sang in several languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Bhojpuri. His personal life, though, was marked by a tragedy: His only son, Vivek, died in a car accident in 1990 when he was just 18.
Jagjit Singh was first offered to sing in a Gujarati Film. "Dharati Na Chhoru" produced by Mr. Suresh Amin, famously known by Jagjit Singh as "Jholi Vaaley Baba" : known so, because he carried a Red Shoulder Bag wherever he went. Mr Suresh Amin was from Baroda-Gujarat and was associated with Scad Consultants Pvt Ltd. When, Mr Suresh Amin died in 1998 and Scad Consultants, Baroda, Organized a Live Concert by Jagjit singh in December 1998 - Jagjit Singh [Famously Called by friends as Maharaj] paid a special Tribute to Mr Suresh Amin and dedicated the Scad Consultants Concert to Mr Suresh Amin by Singing the song " Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh ", the perfect song to match his unawareness of Suresh Amin's Death.
During 1970s, the art of ghazal singing was dominated by well-established names like Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan. However, he was able to make his mark and carve out a niche for himself. In 1976, his album The Unforgetables (On HMV LP Records) hit music stores. Essentially a ghazal album, its emphasis on melody and Jagjit's fresh voice was a departure from the prevalent style of ghazal rendition, which was heavily based on classical and semi-classical Indian music. Skeptics had their own reservations, purists scorned it but it was widely successful among listeners and the album set new sales records. In 1967, Jagjit met Chitra, also a singer. After a two year courtship they got married (1969). They epitomize the first successful husband-wife singing team. Jagjit and Chitra Singh have made immense contributions to 'Ghazal' music and the Indian music industry in general. Successful releases of the duo include Ecstasies, A Sound Affair and Passions. While these albums were breezy, Beyond Time released in the opening years of 1990s was experimentation with sounds and conveyed a feeling that was beyond space and time.
Around this time the duo was struck by grief, when their only son, Vivek (21), met an untimely death in a road accident on 28 July 1990. Their subsequent album 'Someone Somewhere' was the last album with ghazals sung by both. The album is a tour of the soul, ethereal, conscientious and introspective. These ghazals have a moving quality to them since they embody a feeling of deep personal loss. After that Chitra Singh quit singing.
Jagjit Singh's later albums, including Hope, In Search, Insight, Mirage, Visions, Kahkashan (meaning "Galaxy"), Love Is Blind, Chirag (meaning "Lamp"/"Flame") also achieved success. Sajda (an Urdu word meaning "prostration"), which has ghazals sung by Jagjit and Lata Mangeshkar was another brilliant release and made its mark as a classic Ghazal album. The combined successes of his many albums made him the number one ghazal singer in India. The audience wanted more and Jagjit Singh obliged with his Punjabi albums. Ebullient, effervescent and bubbly, his Punjabi songs are pleasant as well as joyous. His enchanting ghazals use the choicest poetry by renowned poets including Mirza Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Qateel Shifai, Shahid Kabir, Ameer Meenai, Kafeel Aazer, Sudarshan Faakir and Nida Fazli, and contemporary writers like Zaka Siddiqi, Nazir Bakri, Faiz Ratlami and Rajesh Reddy.
Jagjit also sang (as playback singer) for various songs in Bollywood films including Arth, Saath Saath, and Premgeet (all from 1980s). These scores remain popular even today. In fact, all the songs of film Premgeet were composed by Jagjit. His compositions for the TV serial Mirza Ghalib (based on the life of the poet Mirza Ghalib), remain extremely popular among ghazal aficionados. The exclusive element of Ghalib's poetry was sensitively and wonderfully brought out in the soulful compositions of Ghalib's ghazals by Jagjit Singh. The album could veritably be called a magnum opus.
Compared to his earlier ghazals (sung during 70s and 80s) his later ghazals have acquired a more soulful and poignant demeanour, as in albums such as Marasim, Face To Face, Aaeena, Cry For Cry. But all through this, romance never took a backseat! The journey to the soul is punctuated by romantic pauses like Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin. A testimony to his popularity is his ghazals in recent Bollywood flicks like Dushman, Sarfarosh, Tum Bin and Tarkeeb.
Most of the earlier albums of Jagjit Singh had English titles. Later, these had Urdu names like Sahar (meaning "Dawn"/"Morning"), Muntazir (meaning "In waiting"), Marasim (meaning "Relation"/"Relationship"/"Affinity”), and "Soz" (meaning Pathos). The switchover may not be deliberate but marks a milestone in his singing. These new albums show a far better selection of lyrics and his singing has scaled new peaks.
Besides ghazals, Jagjit Singh has also sung Bhajans and Gurbani (Hindu and Sikh devotional hymns respectively). Albums such as Maa, Hare Krishna, Hey Ram...Hey Ram, Ichhabal and also Man Jeetai Jagjeet in Punjabi, put him in the league of Bhajan singers such as Mukesh, Hari Om Sharan, Yesudas, Anup Jalota and Purushottam Das Jalota. The soothing effect that Jagjit's voice has on frayed nerves has prompted psychiatrists in metros (as large cities in India are called) to prescribe them as stress relievers.
Compared to his earlier ghazals (sung during 70s and 80s) his later ghazals have acquired a more soulful and poignant demeanour, as in albums such as Marasim, Face To Face, Aaeena, Cry For Cry. But all through this, romance never took a backseat! The journey to the soul is punctuated by romantic pauses like Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin. A testimony to his popularity is his ghazals in recent Bollywood flicks like Dushman, Sarfarosh, Tum Bin and Tarkeeb.
Most of the earlier albums of Jagjit Singh had English titles. Later, these had Urdu names like Sahar (meaning "Dawn"/"Morning"), Muntazir (meaning "In waiting"), Marasim (meaning "Relation"/"Relationship"/"Affinity”), and "Soz" (meaning Pathos). The switchover may not be deliberate but marks a milestone in his singing. These new albums show a far better selection of lyrics and his singing has scaled new peaks.
Besides ghazals, Jagjit Singh has also sung Bhajans and Gurbani (Hindu and Sikh devotional hymns respectively). Albums such as Maa, Hare Krishna, Hey Ram...Hey Ram, Ichhabal and also Man Jeetai Jagjeet in Punjabi, put him in the league of Bhajan singers such as Mukesh, Hari Om Sharan, Yesudas, Anup Jalota and Purushottam Das Jalota. The soothing effect that Jagjit's voice has on frayed nerves has prompted psychiatrists in metros (as large cities in India are called) to prescribe them as stress relievers.
Bhutia to call time on international career
Former India captain Baichung Bhutia will announce his retirement from international football on Wednesday to bring to an end an illustrious 16-year career. The 34-year-old poster boy of Indian football will announce his decision to bid adieu at a press conference at the All India Football Federation headquarters here. In fact, speculation had been rife on the imminent retirement of the striker, who has been struggling with injury for the last one year. Earlier this year, he managed to play for just 15 minutes in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January, most prestigious event India has ever taken part in the last 27 years. He was also dropped from the Indian squad selected for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers because of his injury.TKA Nair Appointed Advisor to Prime Minister
Shri T.K.A. Nair, IAS(PB:63) (Retired), Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, as Adviser to Prime Minister with the rank and status of Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office with effect from the October 3, 2011 till further orders.
Pulok Chatterjee to be Principal Secretary
Shri Pulok Chatterji, IAS(UP:74), presently Executive Director, World Bank, as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister with effect from the October 3, 2011 on approved standard terms and conditions. His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or till further order whichever is earlier.
Rohinton Nariman to start as solicitor general
According to an official notification issued by the law ministry Senior Supreme Court lawyer Rohinton Nariman was appointed the Solicitor General of India on July 23, 2011, the second topmost government lawyer. Nariman assume charge on July 25, 2011 and represent the government in all important cases that were to be attended as Solicitor General. Nariman, the son of eminent jurist Fali S. Nariman, succeeds Gopal Subramanium who resigned in the wake of a controversy over Communications Minister Kapil Sibal opting for Nariman to represent him in the apex court in a case seeking probe against him for allegedly favouring a telecom operator. Centre launches Caste-Based Census
Caste based census has been formally launched in far flung village Shankhola in West Tripura on June 29, 2011. This process paves the way to identify the households living below the poverty line in rural and urban areas of the country. After launching the programme rural development secretary B.K. Sinha said that the entire process will be completed by the end of the current fiscal. He said that the results relating to the identification of poor household will be utilised in the 12th five year plan starting next financial year.The Census is being conducted with the cooperation of various state governments and entire process will help in making targets to be covered under various flagship programmes like MG NAREGA, Indira Awas Yojna and for their better implementation. The Census will cost around three thousand eight hundred crore rupees and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Registrar General of India are associated with this work.
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