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USA backs India on thermonuclear project
Police fails to get much out of Monica
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Further judicial
custody for Salem
Kalam okays HC judges’ appointment
Pranab for hike in relief to killed soldiers
Pranab weakening anti-CPM alliance: BJP leader
Crime Against Men — story of the “bitter half”
Resentment in Cong leaders over new Coop Minister
We achieved our goal, says Paswan
Settle disputes at tribunal,
SC to HP power board
India, Oman sign defence MoU
Congress seeks apology from Advani
Probe ordered into
caning of followers
15 US varsities sign MoU
Govt mulling repeal of armed forces Act
Govt to bring Bill on quota in unaided bodies
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USA backs India on thermonuclear project
New Delhi, December 7 The development’s political significance can not be lost as it comes at a time when the Manmohan Singh government is under attack from its Leftist allies and rightist BJP on deepening Indo-US relations. The USA and its ITER partners, the European Union, Russia, Japan, South Korea and China, agreed at the ITER negotiations meeting in Jeju (South Korea) to invite India as a full partner. The American support was instrumental in ensuring the final agreement, the US Embassy here said. The invitation represents the first tangible and concrete step towards greater cooperation between the USA and India in the nuclear field as envisioned by US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in their July 18 joint statement. This is the second concrete deliverable from the USA in a period of five days. During the November 30-October 1, fourth meeting of the US-India High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) here, the USA gave a strong signal to its industry that it had de-licensed and de-controlled hundreds of high-technology trade items in many categories for exporting to India and now it was up to the industrial houses to seize the opportunity and open a new era of Indo-US high technology trade. It also marked that the USA had started delivering on high-technology in a big way. Moreover, the US Government is now issuing licenses for Indian companies dealing in high technology trade much faster and the quantum of such trade was increasing significantly by the day. This is reflected by the fact that the Indo-US high-technology trade has leap-frogged from zero in 2002 to $ 1.3 billion this year. Of this figure, $1 billion comprises “munitions” (having defence and space-related items) and $300 million for dual use items. President Bush had pledged to consult other ITER (pronounced “eater”) members about India’s accession in the key project. The main ITER facility will be built in Cadarache (France) and all the ITER partners will participate in its construction, development and research. The ITER project is the next big step toward making fusion energy a reality, ITER’s official website explains. Fusion energy is particularly attractive as a future energy source because it is environmentally benign (it produces no air pollution and no carbon dioxide, and it does not create long-lived radioactive waste); its fuels are easily extracted from ordinary water and from lithium, an abundant element; and it can be generated on demand and in sufficient capacity to power large cities and industries. The ITER will also serve as a test-bed for additional fusion powerplant technologies. ITER is an international collaboration to build the first fusion science experiment capable of producing a self-sustaining fusion reaction, called a “burning plasma.” It is the next essential and critical step on the way toward demonstrating the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. Fusion is the power source of the sun and the stars. It occurs when the lightest atom, hydrogen, is heated to very high temperatures forming a special gas called “plasma.” In this plasma, hydrogen atoms combine, or “fuse,” to form a heavier atom, helium. In the process of fusing, some matter is converted directly into large amounts of energy. The ability to contain this reaction, and harness the energy from it, are among the important goals of the fusion research. |
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Our stand vindicated: MEA
New Delhi, December 7 “It also recognises that India can significantly contribute to such endeavours. As a full partner, Indian contribution to the ITER project shall be on the same basis as that of other partners,” the MEA said in a brief statement. Negotiations on finalising the ITER agreement were at an advanced stage and it was likely to be finalised shortly. India had expressed interest in participating in the project as a full partner on the basis of its advanced scientific and technological base, its established record of R&D in fusion research and from the perspective of a country with enormous energy needs, the MEA said.
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Police fails to get much out of Monica
Bhopal, December 7 There was a craze among them to see her, be around her and talk to her. The police officer responsible for getting her food did not try to hide his excitement before his colleagues and mediapersons. Monica was brought here in connection with a fake passport case. She was reported to have repeatedly denied during interrogation that she had ever visited Bhopal, leave aside applying for or getting a passport here. She spoke mostly in monosyllables, maintaining long silences in between. Occasionally, she was said to have thrown tantrums at her questioners and had tears in her eyes a few times. There was a lack of preparation on the part of Monica’s questioners. They had little knowledge of the underworld. The police officers who had investigated the case when first came to light over four years ago are posted out of Bhopal. When the investigation started, it was found that the case diary of the fake passport case was not available with the police. A copy of the case diary was then hurriedly obtained from the records of the court. Monica was put up at the Mahila police station, which was turned into a fortress in
as much as even genuine complainants were not allowed. |
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Further judicial
custody for Salem
Mumbai, December 7 He was produced in the designated TADA court. Special Judge
P.D. Kode said the court would amend the charges on December 9 as the CBI’s earlier chargesheet had shown him absconding. As Salem had been extradited to India to face trial, he was no more an absconder and charges would have to be changed accordingly, the judge noted. Salem is charged with supplying arms and ammunition to the conspirators accused of carrying out serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. |
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Kalam okays HC judges’ appointment New Delhi, December 7 The appointments had landed into a controversy with the filing of writ petitions in the apex court by some Bar associations from Tamil Nadu alleging that the government was sitting over the appointments due to “political” reasons. Sources said the President had cleared the appointments of all 17 judges whose names were recommended by the collegium and notification in that regard was likely to be issued tomorrow. The collegium had sent the recommendations on August 25 to the Law Ministry. The apex court, on November 25, while hearing the petitions had taken strong view of the government delaying the appointments when the Madras High Court was functioning with only with 21 judges, which was not even half of its sanctioned strength. The high court has a sanctioned strength of 49 judges, including seven in its Madurai Bench. With the clearance of these appointments, it would go up to 38, still short by 11. |
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Pranab for hike in relief to killed soldiers
New Delhi, December 7 Responding to a supplementary question raised during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Defence Minister, while agreeing that there was a difference in the compensation paid to soldiers laying down their lives during a war and those being killed in anti-terrorist activities, said he was of the view that the amount should be increased. While quoting from the epitaph in the Kohima War Cemetery, the minister, however, said for bringing about a change, he would have to work with the Ministry of Finance. He also said the overall counter-infiltration strategy of the Army had resulted in a substantial drop in infiltration from across the border and the number of soldiers who laid down their lives had gone down from 254 in 2002 to 132 till November this year. He said a number of measures had been taken to counteract terrorist activities “aided and abetted from the other side of the border” and other parts of the country. These included better surveillance, setting up of physical fence, improved intelligence, deployment of security forces at appropriate places in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, he said. The Defence Minister said the current multi-pronged counter-proxy war strategy adopted by the Army incorporated an integrated dynamic counter-infiltration posture, relentless operations in the hinterland and winning the hearts and minds of the local populace. He said efforts were being made to isolate terrorists from local people through “Sadbhavna” programme and to enable misguided youth to come back to normal life. “There is no lack of watch,” he said and added that even after the earthquake, attempts had been made by terrorists to infiltrate, but these were countered. On reduction of troops from the border, the minister said it would depend on the situation. |
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Pranab weakening anti-CPM alliance: BJP leader
Kolkata, December 7 Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has, however, once again made an appeal to Mr Mukherjee to come forward and join hands with the anti-CPM parties keeping in view the forthcoming Assembly elections. She said the situation was now much favourable for all anti-CPM parties to contest elections jointly and defeat them in the wake of the categorical assurances by Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandan for conducting the Bengal elections by applying the Bihar model. She said if the Congress could jointly contest the Kerala Assembly poll with the BJP and defeat the CPM candidate, why should the party be untouchable to the Congress in Bengal. Union Information Minister Priya Das Munshi, however, felt all anti-CPM forces would come on a common platform and contest elections against the Left Front this time. He said he would impress upon Ms Sonia Gandhi and the AICC general secretary in charge of Bengal, Ms Ambika Sonia, the urgency of the Congress’ joining the anti-Left forces in Bengal. He said he would also arrange a face-to-face talk between Mr Mukherjee and Ms Banerjee for sorting out differences and fighting against the CPM jointly. He claimed the people of Bengal now wanted a change and the opportunity would be utilised. Mr Subrata Mukherjee, former Kolkata Mayor, said they would jointly ask the AICC leadership in Delhi to allow the state Congress to join the anti-CPM forces led by Ms Banerjee. He said the present opportunities should not be wasted on the BJP issue since the BJP was now a renovated party like the CPM and the party should not be treated as communal in the true sense of term. Mr Ajit Kumar Panja, TMC leader, who had been the Union Minister both in the Congress and the Vajpayee government, however, was not much hopeful about the proposal. He alleged so long Mr Pranab Mukherjee was at the helm of power, he would not let anti-Left parties to get united for his own interest and that of the CPM.
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Crime Against Men — story of the “bitter half”
New Delhi, December 7 Patni peedit is what members of this Crime Against Men or Patni Atyachar Virodhi Manch like to refer to themselves as. According to them, more than 50 per cent of married men in the country are sailing in the same boat, “tormented and tortured” by their wives. Quoting liberally from newspaper reports and personal experience, president of the manch R.P. Chugh, who is also a Supreme Court advocate, claims that 86.6 per cent of the women incarcerated in the Tihar Jail in Delhi are those convicted in anti-dowry cases. “Similar is the situation in most of the jails in the country,” says Chugh, adding that he himself has been a “victim of atrocities” heaped upon him by women in his life. “I am not referring to men who are the aberrations of society. I am talking about the common man who sincerely wants to live happily but more often than not is not permitted to do so by his wife. There have also been cases when mentally or physically ailing girls have been married to unsuspecting grooms without disclosing their condition. When truth gets established and the man tries to get out of the situation, the girl and her family unscrupulously use anti-dowry laws to get the entire family implicated in dowry harassment cases,” he says. The group has been protesting against the anti-dowry laws on the Human Rights Day every year on December 10 by holding a dharna in front of the apex court for the past several years now. This year they have chosen December 12. It cannot be denied that women have traditionally been victims of patriarchal interests and social inequities, which is why laws have also been framed keeping their protection in mind. “But the problem is that these very laws are now being used to torment men,” says Mr Chugh. Newspapers, he says are full of reports where women are allegedly harassed by their husbands and their respective families, but no one talks about incidents where ailing and aging parents of the accused have to fight the case to establish their innocence. “Nobody believes the man’s side of story. The police too treat the entire family like criminals even before they are proven guilty. And even after the man is proven innocent by the court, there is no provision in the legal system to take action against the woman and her family for filing a false case,” he adds. Interestingly, Mr Chug claims that his organisation has the support of several well-known women activists and organisations. “The truth is that women are also suffering because of this law. A study has shown that the maximum number of victims of this law is women from the family of the man against whom the dowry-harassment case has been registered. Dowry is not the only reason for marital discord as there are 1,001 reasons for a marriage to fall apart. Mr Chug says he is not against women who are harassed for dowry by their in-laws, his only contention is that “laws should be framed in such a way that rights of one woman should not conflict with the rights of the other woman”. |
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Resentment in Cong leaders over new Coop Minister
Bhopal, December 7 Most of the cooperative bodies in Madhya Pradesh are controlled by Congress leaders. These bodies have, over the years, become sources of massive corruption. Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Yadav has emerged as the most influential cooperative leader in the state. He controls the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sahakari Bank Maryadit (better known as Apex Bank). The Deputy Registrar of Cooperatives, had in 1999, investigated certain allegations against Mr Yadav and had observed that he (Yadav) had no moral right to continue in office (as chairman of the bank) as he was involved in corrupt practices and promoted favouritism and nepotism. A member of Digvijay Singh Cabinet, Mr Yadav was always at loggerheads with the Chief Minister. After he compromised with Mr Singh, the official agencies stopped looking into his activities as the cooperative leader and his stronghold over the cooperatives continued. When Ms Uma Bharati became the Chief Minister, she also gave the cooperative portfolio to Mr Gopal Bhargava, reportedly to weed out corruption. Mr Bhargava worked zealously and had collected evidence of massive corruption to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees. |
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We achieved our goal, says Paswan
New Delhi, December 7 “It will not be fair to start commenting on Nitish Kumar’s performance now. Let him have a year’s time to show he can deliver better than the RJD. And if he doesn’t, we, as an Opposition party, will surely take on him,” Mr Paswan told mediapersons on the margins of former Lok Sabha Speaker Ravi Rai’s birthday celebrations here. Mr Paswan, whose party came far behind Mr Kumar’s JD (U) in the Bihar elections, however, said he had successfully met his objective of ensuring the exit of Lalu Prasad’s RJD from the seat of power. “We achieved our goal to throw the RJD out of power in Bihar. Let’s see how Nitish Kumar performs now,” he observed. In his speech at Rai’s birthday function, Mr Paswan said he believed in accepting challenges. “A ship standing along the coast fears nothing. But being at sea means coming face-to-face with challenges. And I am the one who believes in sailing against the wind,” he said. JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav also spoke from the same platform as did Union Minister Shivraj Patil and the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader. |
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Settle disputes at tribunal,
SC to HP power board
New Delhi, December 7 The direction came on a special leave petition (SLP) of the ERC alleging that the HPSEB, instead of placing its grievances against its orders on various issues pertaining to alleged “bungling” by the board, including escalation of cost in the Larji hydro project and fixation of tariff before the tribunal, preferred to move the Himachal Pradesh High Court that had intervened in the matter and granted stay on the regulator’s proceedings. Setting aside the stay orders of the high court in all matters on which the ERC, the market regulator on power, had issued direction to the HPSEB, a Division Bench, headed by Mr Justice Ashok Bhan, in an order passed on Monday directed the board to approach the tribunal within six weeks. “If it does not file appeals within the stipulated time, these shall be taken as (automatically) filed,” the apex court clarified. When HPSEB counsel tried to raise certain issues on the style of functioning of the tribunal contending that every day senior officials of the board, including its Chairman, were summoned by it, the apex court refused to take note of it, saying once the tribunal was in place and functioning, all power-related disputes against the ERC’s orders have to be settled through it because it was a body constituted under a statute. The court pointed out that even the high court itself had said that it had only intervened in the matter because the tribunal had not been constituted by the state government when the cases were filed by the board before it. The apex court further clarified that any observation made by it in the order, would not have any bearing on the hearing of the tribunal in the cases listed by the ERC. Besides issuing direction on the cost escalation with regard to the Larji project in Kinnaur district, the ERC had issued direction to the HPSEB in at least five other cases on which the high court had granted stay. |
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India, Oman sign defence MoU
New Delhi, December 7 The MoU, signed by the visiting Omanese Defence Minister Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Hareb Al Busaidi, also envisages exchange of expertise in military training and information technology, utilization of military
educational courses and programme and sending of observers to each others military exercises, a release issued by the Ministry of Defence here said. The MoU also provides for working out technical specifications of military equipment in a bid to facilitate direct agreement with manufacturing companies of both the countries and maintaining quality assurance of defence supplies by ministry of defence for contracts signed within its framework. The release said that the agreement will further enhance constructive
military interaction between the two countries, including the supply of Indian equipment to Oman. The MoU comes in the wake of India and Oman recently conducting joint naval exercises and frequent
exchange of visits of naval chiefs. Prior to signing of the MoU, the Omanese Defence Minister held wide ranging talks with Mukherjee. Naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash, Defence Secretary Shekher Dutt and Secretary DRDO M. Natrajan called on him. |
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Congress seeks apology from Advani New Delhi, December 7 Party spokesman Anand Sharma said the language used by Mr Advani was “unacceptable” and “unbecoming” of the post of Leader of Opposition. “The kind of language used by him in the past two days has no place in the country’s democracy. By calling the Prime Minister ‘nikkama,’ Mr Advani is only reminding of his own tenure,” Mr Sharma said. He said the remarks of the Leader of Opposition, when the Prime Minister was abroad, were highly objectionable. The spokesman said the country was making rapid strides in all fields under the able direction of the Prime Minister. “While we do not expect that the Leader of Opposition and the BJP to appreciate the achievements of the UPA government, they are dragging political debate to the gutter level,” he said. Mr Sharma said Mr Advani’s “irritation was understandable” as he was going to give up as BJP chief in a few weeks. He accused Mr Advani of “trying to extract cheap publicity from a false case (of assassination plot).” On the BJP demanding resignation of Congress President Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the National Advisory Council over the Volcker Committee report, Mr Sharma said dragging Mrs Gandhi’s name was “mischievous and politically motivated.” “It is Mr Advani who is chargesheeted and should resign,” he said. Mr Sharma was hard put to defend questions on the Congress succumbing to Opposition pressure over the resignation of Mr Natwar Singh.
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Probe ordered into
caning of followers
Mumbai, December 7 According to the city police here, the swami’s followers threw stones and trashed the airport premises to protest the frisking of Sri Narendra Maharaj before he boarded a flight to Mumbai at Lucknow airport. Police said the trouble began a little before midnight when word spread that the Lucknow airport authorities prevented the swami from carrying his mace into the aircraft. His angry followers blockaded the airport and tried to prevent arriving passengers from leaving the airport, police sources said. Shortly afterwards, the authorities ordered the security forces to cane the crowd. More than 30 persons, including policemen, passengers and mediapersons, were injured in the incident. Meanwhile, reacting to the caning of the swami’s followers in Mumbai, his disciples descended at the Aurangabad airport and damaged property, state police control room said.— TNS |
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15 US varsities sign MoU
New Delhi, December 7 These universities, which also include the universities of Massachusette, Washington, Texas, Illinois and of California will depute their faculty to teach and lead research programme that will be accessible to a wide cross-section of colleges and universities in India via AMRITA’s e-learning facility and ISRO’s Edusat. The programme will focus initially on engineering and computer science, information and communication technologies, but the courses will also include materials on science, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology, medical sciences and management sciences. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Prof V S Ramamurthy said the biggest challenge in the education sector was good quality education, which
would prepare scientists for tomorrow. He said producing good quality students and properly trained teachers was the need of the hour and should be made a part of the long term strategy.
— TNS |
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Govt mulling repeal of armed forces Act
New Delhi, December 7 In a written reply, he said the report of the former Supreme Court Judge set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the Act, 1958 as amended in 1972, was under examination. On detenues, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told the Rajya Sabha that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir ordered the release of 44 detenues, including seven women activists of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, on the recommendation of the Joint Screening Committee, which reviewed the cases of all detenues held under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. The review was conducted in pursuance of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Hurriyat delegation held in Delhi on September 5. Also, the number of foreigners who were found staying illegally in India as on December 31 in 2002, 2003 and 2004 were 46,818, 46,587 and 46,502, respectively, Mr Jaiswal said. In a written reply to a question, he said instructions were issued to states/Union Territories from time to time to launch special drives to “detect and deport” foreigners staying illegally in the country. He said the number of foreigners who were deported from India during the years were 6,394, 20,768 and 39,189, respectively. To a question on tackling terrorist violence in the country, Mr Jaiswal said government would pursue a multi-dimensional approach to deal with terrorist activities and extend support to the states in neutralising such activities. The multi-pronged strategy gave primacy to dialogue, democratic, political processes and the rule of law, he said adding that in order to deal with such violence, the government had taken measures that included galvanising intelligence agencies, strengthening border management, ensuring improved technology, weaponry and equipment for security forces, both at the Centre and in the states. On freedom fighters, Minister of State for Home Manikrao Hodlya Gavit said a total of 3,113 pensions had been suspended and 1,599 pensions had been cancelled till October 30 since the inception of the Central scheme in 1972. |
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Govt to bring Bill on quota in unaided bodies New Delhi, December 7 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here that plans were afoot to bring the Bill as early as possible after taking into consideration availability of members as it was a Constitution-amendment measure. Members cutting across party lines had demanded such a measure in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment, which declared as illegal the reservation in admissions to such institutions. Supplementary demands for grants for the Railways and general ones are expected to be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha next week as also the Disaster Management Bill. Mr Dasmunsi said the Chair would decide the language of motion on the issue of foreign funding in politics.
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Aviation Minister gets award
New Delhi, December 7 There was also an award for a private airline of the country the Kingfisher Airlines. It has won the New Airline of the Year award given by consultancy group of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) and supported by Malaysia Tourism. |
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Sonia not to celebrate birthday New Delhi, December 7 Mrs Gandhi will visit the earthquake-affected areas of Poonch, Baramula and Kupwara on December 9 and spend time with the affected families.
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