Guwahati, June 16
Although the Nagaland-based Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) lifted the blockade of NH-39 on Tuesday evening after being persuaded by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, there seems to be no end to Manipur crisis. Reason: The agitating Naga groups in Manipur are continuing with the blockade on their side of the highway.

The Centre is now left with no option but to go for heavy deployment of paramilitary forces along the NH-39 that connects Assam to Manipur to facilitate movement of vehicles to Manipur. The All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) has maintained that it would continue with the blockade till Manipur state government responds to its demands that include dissolution of ‘imposed’ hill autonomous district councils where elections were held on May 26 and June 2 last despite opposition from the ANSAM and United Naga Council (UNC).

The ANSAM further decried the government’s decision to declare ANSAM and UNC presidents as ‘wanted men’ with cash award of Rs one lakh each on them. The ANSAM had resorted to the highway blockade since April 12 last in protest against the Manipur Government’s decision to hold elections to hill autonomous district councils.

The ANSAM also reiterated their demand for withdrawal of Manipur police commandos and IRB from Liyai Khunou, Jessami, Mao Gate and all Naga areas immediately.

Meanwhile, Manipur Cabinet has in principle decided to take over the responsibility of maintenance of dilapidated NH 53, that connects Imphal to Silchar in South Assam and can serve as an alternative to NH 39, from the Border Road Task Force (BRTF)

Sources in Imphal said the decision was taken after thorough discussion on reports submitted by Works Minister K Ranjit who inspected the NH-53 along with top officials of the state PWD. The Cabinet was on the view that condition of the NH-53 would be better if the PWD takes responsibility of its maintenance. The Cabinet decision has been forwarded to the Union Government for approval.

New Delhi, June 16
India today conveyed to Pakistan the names of its two arbitrators for the legal battle between the two countries in an international court of arbitration over the Kishenganga power project being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir.

India has nominated a sitting judge of the International Court of Justice at Geneva and a Swiss international law expert to represent it in the dispute. They are: Peter Tomka, a Slovak diplomat who is the Vice-President of the International Court of Justice, and Lucius Caflisch, a professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

“Further, the Government of India has also invited the Government of Pakistan for consultations regarding the appointment of three umpires, including a chairman of the court of arbitration by mutual agreement,’’ MEA spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

Pakistan has already named Bruno Simma, also of the International Court of Justice, and Jan Paulsson, Norwegian head of an international law firm, as its arbitrators in the Court of Arbitration that will be set up to resolve its differences with India under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

India is constructing the 330-MW hydroelectric project on the Kishanganga, a tributary of the Jhelum in Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi maintains that it is within its rights, under the treaty, to divert Kishanganga waters to the Bonar Madmati Nallah, another tributary of the Jhelum, which falls into the Wullar Lake before joining the Jhelum again.

Pakistan has objected to this, saying India's plan to divert waters causes obstruction to the flow of the Kishanganga. It has also raised objection to the depletion of dead storage in the run of the Kishanganga project.

As far as India is concerned, the issue was settled by the neutral expert on the Baglihar project. Islamabad had invoked the provisions of the treaty to resolve design differences in the Baglihar project by approaching the neutral expert. Under the treaty, a request for arbitration must contain a statement explaining the dispute, the nature of relief sought and the names of the arbitrators appointed.

Pakistan is learnt to have sought legal interpretation on two major parameters concerning the diversion of Kishenganga water for the power project in Jammu and Kashmir. First, it has sought the legal interpretation of India’s obligations under the provisions of the Treaty that mandates India to let the water of the Western-flowing Indus Basin Rivers (Chenab, Jhelum and Indus) go to Pakistan and whether or not the Kishenganga project meets those obligations. 

New Delhi, June 16
A keen fight is on the cards in Rajasthan and Karnataka amid reports of division among BJP MLAs over the candidature of legal luminary Ram Jethmalani and liquor baron Vijay Mallya as the stage is set for election to 18 Rajya Sabha seats in five states tomorrow.

Union Minister Anand Sharma, LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan, senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes and former BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu are among the candidates whose fate will be decided in tomorrow’s biennial poll.

The BJP is getting jitters in Rajasthan where a section of its 79 MLAs are unhappy over the candidature of Jethmalani for his having defended Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and the party has herded its legislators in a hotel to avert poaching.

The decision of the CPM to abstain from voting in Rajasthan seems to have improved the chances of two BJP candidates, including VP Singh, as an aspirant would now require 40 votes instead of earlier 41 to sail through.

Under these circumstances, the BJP, with its 79 members and one JD(U) MLA, would not require vote from outside if all of them vote for Jethmalani and Singh. Besides, keeping its MLAs in the hotel, BJP has also issued a whip.

The ruling Congress, with its strength of 102 MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly, has already ensured victory of Anand Sharma, Commerce and Industry Minister, and Ashq Ali Tak and the party is keen to see industrialist-cum-politician Santosh Bagrodia sail through. Bagrodia, however, needs the support of Independents and cross-voting by BJP MLAs.

In Karnataka, the BJP is divided on whether to support Mallya, who is bidding for a second term as an Independent supported by 27-member JD-S legislature group and also an Independent Varthur Prakash and is banking on the backing of the ruling party’s surplus votes.

Mallya needs 45 first-preference votes for victory.

It remains to be seen if the BJP legislature party opts for transferring second-preference votes to Mallya in the wake of opposition by a section to allot him surplus first-preference votes.

On the other hand, the 74-member Congress legislature party, which met under its leader Siddaramaiah, resolved to allot 45 first-preference votes to Oscar Fernandes and the remaining 29 to its other candidate TV Maruthi, who would also be getting second-preference votes of his party MLAs. The election will be a smooth affair for Naidu, re-nominated by the BJP for the third successive term from Karnataka, Ayanur Manjunath and Oscar Fernandes. — PTI

Hyderabad, June 16
Beating the recession blues, the students of Indian School of Business (ISB), ranked 12th globally, have bagged plum placement offers from domestic and international companies with over 11 per cent rise in salaries over the past year.

The 2010 batch of ISB graduates saw a 33 per cent increase in total number of placement offers from companies ranging from IT, consulting, finance, infrastructure to real estate, pharmaceuticals and media sectors.

As many as 346 leading domestic and international companies participated in the placements and a unique feature of this season was attractive job offers made by green energy sector with companies like Schneider Electric India and Wipro Eco-business being the first-time recruiters.

Announcing the placement results, the ISB Dean Ajit Rangnekar said the current year showed a significant improvement over last year and companies from a wide range of sectors reposed faith in ISB students to augment their talent pool.

The 2010 class, comprising 568 students, witnessed offers from top companies in technology, consulting and finance increase by 116 per cent, 40 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively, over last year, making them the largest recruiters on campus.

The average annual salary offered was Rs 16 lakh.

Citibank, DBS Bank, Accenture Services, Arthur D. Little Asia, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Amazon Development Centre India, United Health Group and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories were among the leading recruiters. Several students were also offered Global Leadership Programmes in countries such as Italy, Hong Kong, the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Singapore in the areas of Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Aviation, Information Technology, Agribusiness and Luxury Goods, the Dean said.

This year’s successful placement season is in sharp contrast to the gloomy scenario last year. “It was a traumatic year last year but we still matched compensation level of 2007,” Rangnekar said.

The 2010 batch students came from diverse backgrounds with work experience ranging from 2 to 20 years.

This is the ninth year that the ISB is using the rolling placements system. It is a lateral hiring process spread over several months, giving both recruiters and students time to find the best fit.

Mumbai, June 16
Maharashtra DGP D Sivanandan has admitted that investigators probing the Valentine’s Day eve bomb blast at Pune’s German Bakery may have goofed up.Speaking to reporters in Pune hours after a Mumbai court granted bail to the main suspect held for allegedly planting the bomb at the restaurant, Sivanandan called for proper investigation before arrests are made.

“The ATS (anti-terror squad) has to study the case scientifically and collect evidence to identify the group behind the attack,” Sivanandan told reporters.

“The first mistake was the blast and second, wrong investigation. What we need is the right investigation at the right time, which would take time,” he added.

Sivanandan, who was in Pune to inaugurate a course for police officers, said investigators should not be put under pressure to show results, as this could lead to mistakes.

Abdul Samad Bhatkal was arrested from Mangalore days after the blast on the suspicion that he may have planted the explosive device. He was, however, charged with carrying weapons in an earlier case. Bhatkal was released on bail by the sessions court on Tuesday.

New Delhi, June 16
With questions continuing to be raised over the exit of former Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson in the wake of Bhopal gas leak tragedy, Congress today blamed it on “systemic” failure and rejected any involvement of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In a damage-control mode on the issue, the Congress party came out with a new defence on a day when television channels played out the bytes of the then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Arjun Singh in the aftermath of the gas leak tragedy in December, 1984, that Anderson was given bail since he agreed to be present in court when charges are made.

Channels also showed the bytes of Anderson in Delhi 26 years ago before leaving for the US that “house arrest or no arrest or bail or no bail, I am free to go home.” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also ruled out any plans to meet officials of Dow Chemicals, which had bought the Union Carbide, during his visit to the US next week.

At the daily briefing in the AICC, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari was asked about these statements and whether there was no role for the Central and state governments in Anderson's easy flight back home.

“At the end of it there was a systemic failure and there is a need to address it...If we go into the game of finger-pointing, there can be no end. I can ask the BJP about Rs 1 lakh it received as donation from Dow as was reflected in the affidavit it filed before the Election Commission. “There was never ever any intention of Central Government to allow any culprit to go scot-free,” he said.

The spokesman said a Group of Ministers has been constituted and it would be looking into all aspects of the issue. — PTI

Ramanathapuram (TN), June 16
In a bizarre incident, a 15-year-old student delivered a baby in the toilet of a private school here and later abandoned it.The teenager, who gave birth to the baby girl early this week, was issued a transfer certificate by the management of the institution yesterday after the issue snowballed into a controversy. 

Chief Educational Officer Balasubramanian said, “Neither her parents nor teachers were aware that the Class X student was pregnant as she was very fat.”

The girl had sought permission to go to the toilet in between classes. — PTI

Karimnagar (AP), June 16
A local court today granted bail to Maoist leader Kobad Gandhy as the police failed to file a chargesheet against him even after six months of his arrest in a conspiracy case.

Karimnagar Additional Judicial Magistrate P Rajendra Reddy granted bail to Gandhy on the condition that he would report to the Karimnagar rural police once a month for a period of six month.

The court also directed him to furnish two sureties.

The Karimnagar police brought Gandhy from Delhi in November, 2009, on production warrant in connection with a case of conspiracy following confession by another Maoist leader, Malla Raji Reddy. — PTI