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Security tightened at key installations
FM for new strategy to tackle terror attacks
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Red alert in Tamil Nadu
Students mourn Prof Puri’s death
Sonia
rules out mid-term poll
Govt seeks Left nod to disinvest
Vajpayee bids farewell to poll politics
EC: follow rules on spending on planes
UGC releases Rs 5 cr for HP varsity
Mathura refinery fire claims life
Prof Parimala to get TWAS award
Visit of Rajiv assassins’ daughter cleared
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Security tightened at key installations
New Delhi, December 29 “Security around important institutions and installations like Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Information Technology parks in Bangalore and Hyderabad, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and sensitive government buildings in the national capital and other parts of the country has been tightened,” Union Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal told newspersons here today. Oil refineries in the country, Bombay Stock Exchange and other economically sensitive installations have also been put under heavy security. Security around Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, considered a “soft military target”, has also been strengthened, he said. On last night’s firing at the IISc, Mr Duggal refused to hazard a guess about the culprits behind the dastardly act. “Prima facie, it seems to be a handiwork of more than one person but at this stage, it is difficult to say whether it was a terrorist attack, though its possibility cannot be ruled out,” he said, adding investigations were on and the facts would be known soon. Replying to a question, Mr Duggal said “any terrorist organisation will like to hurt where it hurts more...and thus economic, political and educational institutions of repute could be a target.” Meanwhile, another senior Home Ministry official said the recoveries made at the spot include one AK-56 rifle and not AK-47, three grenades, a few empty cartridges and magzines, including some loaded ones. He said following the incident State governments have been asked to review security of vital installations and institutions and, if any, institution wanted more protection it could seek the help of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He also ruled out the possibility of the attackers targetting a particular person in the seminar. “There was indiscriminate firing at the spot, so it is clear that the attackers were not targetting any particular person,” he said. |
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Narrow escape for Dr Sonia
at IISc
Lucknow, December 29 While confirming that Dr Sonia had a splinter injury in her eye and was out of danger, Dean Academic Affairs at IIML, Prof Rajiv Kumar Srivastava, who had spoken to her on Thursday morning said that if doctors allowed her she may be discharged today and would return to Lucknow by Friday. Dr Sonia, who joined the faculty about eight months ago, had gone to Bangalore to present a paper jointly written with her guide Prof Puri, who succumbed to his injuries. Masters in Mathematics from IIT Roorkee, Dr Sonia had done her research from IIT Delhi under Professor Puri with interest in mathematical programming and combinatorial optimisation. She is currently teaching qualitative analysis and linear programming. |
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FM for new strategy to tackle terror attacks
New Delhi, December 29 “Investigating agencies are trying to ascertain whether it was a terrorist strike. If it turns out to be an organised terrorist strike, I think one needs to draw up a strategy to deal with it, especially in a metro city like Bangalore,” he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. He said Bangalore incident was not discussed at the meeting. He said if it turned out to be an isolated attack, the state government would have to take measures accordingly. |
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Red alert in Tamil Nadu
Chennai, December 29 Chennai Police
Commissioner R. Nataraj today said that security had been beefed all over the city. Sixteen police check posts will be manned with more personnel and patrolling has been intensified. All vehicles coming into the city are being searched. The atomic power plant is guarded by the Central Industrial security Force (CISF) but Central intelligence agencies have also deployed their sleuths in and around the area. |
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Students mourn Prof Puri’s death
New Delhi, December 29 Hundreds of staff and students who assembled in the Seminar Hall of IIT, Delhi for a condolence meeting said the death was a “great loss” to the scientific community. “He was a very conscious, hardworking and devoted faculty member,” said a resolution passed at the meeting attended by IIT Acting Director Prof D P Kothari, and other senior teachers. “He was greatly respected, loved and liked by all faculty, staff and students,” it said about Prof Puri who was considered a “maths wizard”. Prof Puri, who joined the Mathematics Department of the IIT, is survived by his wife Raksha, daughter Shaily and son Saurav. The body of Prof Puri, who died in the shootout at the Indian Institute of Science last night, will be brought here in the evening, his family said. The last rites will be performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium tomorrow. Meanwhile, former colleagues, university dons and well wishers continued to visit his house. |
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New Delhi, December 29 “I don’t think so (mid-term poll). I don’t see this happening. I think we went into this coalition very consciously. We worked together with common minimum programme, and later on with legislations,” Gandhi told Barkha on NDTV. She said the UPA government would complete its five-year term “definitely”. Asked whether she felt the UPA government dragged its feet on important issues like corruption, Volcker, Jharkhand and Bihar, Ms Gandhi said, “when there are certain incidents or happenings, you cannot take instant decisions. “We are a party, we are a coalition and, therefore, we have to consult within ourselves, with the government, within the party and even with others .... our coalitions partners,” she said. Admitting that on some occasions it did take some time, she said “but eventually we did take the right decision.” Asked if in retrospection she felt things could have been done in a different manner, She said, “there are always areas where one feels I could have perhaps done it in a different way or could have done more. But on the whole, I think I am fairly satisfied”. “There is no regret,” she said adding that the image of the party or the government was not damaged. “In taking time to take decisions, I think perhaps people may feel impatient but eventually the right decision was taken,” she said. — PTI
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Govt seeks Left nod to disinvest
New Delhi, December 29 The leaders of the Left parties are expected to meet Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram next week with their response, party sources said. “We are discussing with the Left parties…there is ongoing discussion on the matter. They have said (we should) keep out navratnas from disinvestment…as and when decision is taken we shall announce it,” said Mr Chidambaram to reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Sources said the Finance Minister had sought the Left’s reaction for the disinvestment of Power Finance Corporation, HUDCO, Neyvili Lignite and NMDC through the IPO route. While the government has 100 per cent stake in PFC and HUDCO, it has 98 per cent shares in Neyvili Lignite and NMDC. The government has informed the Left leaders that the money collected by disinvestment would go to the National Investment Fund to be used for the social sector projects. |
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Vajpayee bids farewell to poll politics Mumbai, December 29 Addressing a rally at Shivaji Park here as part of the party’s silver jubilee celebrations, he termed his colleague and Deputy Prime Minister in the last NDA government L.K. Advani as his successor. “Main ab satta ki rajniti nahi karunga lekin party ke liye kaam karunga aur sangarsh karunga,” he said. Vajpayee’s backing for Advani comes at a time when commentators are writing his political epitaph following his resignation as the BJP president from December 31. He said the party hierarchy would be undergoing a change with Advani and Pramod Mahajan taking the role of Ram and Lakshman. So far Vajpayee and Advani were called so by their admirers. Vajpayee had announced his retirement from electoral politics before the 1999 elections, but was persuaded by the party to contest 2003 poll.
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EC: follow rules on spending on planes
New Delhi, December 29 In a fresh communication to the parties, it cited the provisions under the Representation of the Peoples Act under which the expenditure incurred by leaders of political parties on account of travel by air or any other means of transport for campaigning was not deemed to be expenditure incurred by the candidate. However, the benefit would be available only if the names of the leaders, 40 for a recognised party and 20 for an unrecognised party, were given to the EC within seven days of the poll notification, EC sources said. “In the event of any political party failing to comply with the requirements, the benefit will not be available and the travel expenses of all leaders will necessarily be required to be included in the account of election expenses of candidates concerned,” it warned. |
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UGC releases Rs 5 cr for HP varsity
New Delhi, December 29 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Himachal Pradesh in May had made the announcement of providing grants through the UGC for the infrastructure development of the university, said Prof L.R. Verma, Vice-Chancellor of the university. He said this is the first instalment of total sanctioned amount of Rs 10 crore and rest of the amount would be released soon. He said utilisation certification would be furnished to the UGC as earliest as possible after the close of the current financial year. He said the university would allocate special additional grant for the construction of Regional Centre building at Dharamsala, construction of an examination block and construction of a multi-faculty.
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Mathura refinery fire claims life
Mathura December 29 The fire erupted from the spark caused while cutting a pipe with welding machine, the Refinery spokesman said adding, the flames were doused by fire-tenders within 15 minutes. The labourer, Mahmood Khan (32), a resident of Mathura district, was rushed to the Refinery Hospital where doctors declared him dead. The affected AV unit has been closed due to security reasons while the production in other units of the Refinery remained unaffected, he said. A high-powered committee would asses the cause of fire and actual loss, the spokesman said. As per the norms, the Refinery would pay Rs 45,000 to the next of kin of the deceased contract labourer.
— PTI |
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Prof Parimala to get TWAS award
Mumbai, December 29 She has been conferred this award for her outstanding work on the quadratic analogue of serre’s conjecture, the triviality of principal homogeneous spaces of classical groups over CD-2 and the u-invasriant of p-adic function. The prize carries a cash award of $ 10,000 and a plaque, which will be presented to her on the occasion of the Academy’s 10th General Conference in Brazil next year. Ms Parimala, who did her post-graduation in science from Madras University in 1970, joined TIFR as a research scholar and obtained her PhD in 1975, and teaches mathematics there since then. TWAS, originally named as the Third World Academy of Sciences, was founded in Italy in 1983 under the leadership of late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. — UNI |
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Visit of Rajiv assassins’ daughter cleared
Chennai, December 29 The ministry has sent a clearance letter informing the Indian High Commission in Colombo about the Centre’s decision, official and police sources said here today. While Nalini’s death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment, Murugan’s mercy petition is pending with the President. Their request for allowing their daughter to visit them had been pending with the Union Government for some time, but the clearance was given last week, sources said.
— PTI |
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