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PM promises full support for SPG upgrade
SC notice to Centre, Bihar on unsafe women sterilisations
Dalits celebrate Ravan’s life on Ramnavmi
Girl lies abandoned as couples fight over boy |
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Tatra deal: CBI questions Vectra chief Arunachal wants road through Bhutan
Krishna: Court will decide on Italian marines
Youth killed in fake encounter, alleges ULFA
In AP, politicians, astrologers scratch each other’s backs
Class VI girl flummoxes Centre with her RTI query
3 devotees killed in police firing
Bank holidays on Apr 5, 6
Telecom tower radiation compliance date now Sept 1
Tirumala gets richer by Rs 5.73 cr in a day
Jaya govt slams Lankan media report, says no LTTE training camps in TN
Madhya Pradesh bans tobacco in gutkha
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PM promises full support for SPG upgrade
New Delhi, April 2
“While security forces are seen and known and their actions are mostly predictable, the new-age terrorists are invisible and possess far greater capability to create networks for sharing knowledge, skills and resources,” he said. Noting that terrorists use latest technology as a force multiplier, the PM said the security environment in the country had also been impacted by a large number of external factors. “It is, therefore, of critical importance that the SPG should continue upgrading itself, both in terms of technology and training,” he said. The PM said the SPG must induct highly motivated personnel in adequate numbers, provide them an environment that encourages good performance and equip them with the latest technology and skills to meet the ever-emerging new challenges. “I assure our government’s full support to the organisation in its endeavours in that direction,” the Prime Minister said. He also appreciated the elite force for its “remarkable” work in ensuring security of SPG protectees during the recent elections to five state assemblies. “It was indeed a challenge to provide security to the protectees during the extensive tours that they undertook for the elections and the SPG met this challenge with very hard work and meticulous planning,” he said. The SPG provides security cover to the Prime Minister, his immediate family, former Prime Ministers and their immediate families. In case of former Prime Ministers, the decision on providing SPG cover is taken based on the level of threat to them, as decided by the Central Government. On a personal note, the Prime Minister said he had been a direct witness to the work of the SPG for about eight years. He lauded the SPG for adopting innovative methods in training its personnel and acquiring security preparedness capabilities in line with international best practices. “The force must ensure the safety of political leaders who in reaching out to the masses sometimes tend to bypass the security chain,” he said. — PTI
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SC notice to Centre, Bihar on unsafe women sterilisations
New Delhi, April 2 In the PIL filed by Devika Biswas, senior counsel Colin Gonsalves of the Human Rights Law Network argued against unsafe and forced sterilisations prevalent in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. The petition highlighted specific cases. In the instant case, Biswas detailed a January 2012 sterilisation camp held at Kaparfora Government Middle School in Araria district of Bihar and showed that with explicit permission of the state health society, an NGO and a private doctor used the local government middle school as an operating theatre for about 53 sterilisation surgeries on poor, Dalit and SC women. “In violation of government guidelines, the doctor performed the surgeries at night, under torchlight. During the two hours he was operating, he did not wash his hands, change gloves, or wear a surgical gown and cap,” the petition states. It records shocking details of how after the surgeries, untrained NGO workers placed women on straw paddy provided by the families. The petitioner said, “The doctor operated on a pregnant woman, Jitni Devi, who miscarried days after her surgery. The doctor and NGO staff left three women profusely bleeding, including Saraswati Devi, who spent eight days recovering at the hospital. Most women from the camp have had to seek costly medical care. None of the women were counselled. The petitioner called for an independent probe into the status of nationwide compliance with national sterilisation guidelines. National guidelines of the Health Ministry mandate doctors to obtain prior consent of women opting for sterilisation. The case mirrors the deep rot that pervades rural India where due to lack of medical facilities for proper surgical procedures, sterilisations are being increasingly offered to poor women in camp settings as in Araria. The first casualty of such operations is hygiene. The National Rural Health Mission data shows that nationally, tubectomy makes up 96 pc of all sterilisations while male sterilisation (vasectomy) is less preferred at 4 pc. This despite the fact that in a bid to promote family planning, the government offers Rs 1,400 per vasectomy as against Rs 500 per tubectomy to a woman. Even cash incentives have failed to draw males to sterilisation even though vasectomies are much simpler procedures performed under local anaesthetic conditions, requiring much less recovery time. Sterilisation of women on the other hand is a much more serious surgery performed under general
anaesthetic.
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Dalits celebrate Ravan’s life on Ramnavmi
Hyderabad, April 2 Questioning the established cultural practices, Dalit students of University of Hyderabad and Osmania University organised special functions to drive home their point and spoke about how centuries of “cultural oppression” had shaped the matters of faith. They had recently demanded inclusion of beef in the menu in the hostel mess. “Beef is part of our food culture. But a section of the upper caste students has been ridiculing and insulting our culture. We want to end this hegemony,” claimed a representative of the Dalit Association. While the rest of Andhra Pradesh celebrated Ram Navami festival with traditional fervour and gaiety, the Bahujan students at the campuses of the two universities struck a discordant chord. The Dalit intellectuals, writers and student representatives argued that attempts were made throughout the history to denigrate the lower castes and their leaders. “In Ramayana, the problem is that one identity dominates the other. As per the myth, Ram has been portrayed as the Aryan leader of higher-caste upbringing. Ram is also said to have killed Shambuka, the untouchable scholar," said noted Kancha Ilaiah, the noted Dalit writer and director of the Centre for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at Moulana Azad National Urdu University. He said Ram represented an Aryan entity. He was sought to be projected as a paragon of virtues while Ravan was seen as the Dravidian prototype and a Dalit king and portrayed as the embodiment of evil. The Dalit scholars, a section of faculty members and students on both the campuses contended that celebrating Ravan was necessary as myths and legends had for centuries done injustice to the history of culturally and socially marginalised sections. "We need to question certain cultural practices as they also define history," said G Chandraiah, convener of University of Hyderabad 's Bahujan Students' Front.
cultural oppression * Dalit student groups celebrate the life and message of Ravan instead of Ram on Ramnavmi *
Varsity students say that "cultural oppression" had shaped the matters of faith *
Dalit writers argue that attempts were made throughout the history to denigrate lower castes *
Dalit students are now planning to organise a "beef
festival" on the campus
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Girl lies abandoned as couples fight over boy
Jodhpur, April 2 The hospital administration is not ready to allow one of the mothers to breast-feed without taking an undertaking from them that the girl belongs to them and they would take responsibility. "We have sent samples to Delhi for a DNA test to identify biological parents of the girl. After the report, it will be clear who the parents of the girl are," Dr Narendra Changani, superintendent of the hospital, said today. After delivery, the hospital staff gave the boy to Poonam Kanwar wife of Chain Singh but after around two hours, they said that the boy was mistakenly handed over to her and took him back. The staffers then gave her the girl saying she was born to her. The boy was handed over the Reshmi Devi wife of Sagar Ram after which Chain Singh and his family members created a ruckus and claimed that the boy belongs to them and rejected the girl. Another official said matching of blood samples made it clear that the girl belonged to Poonam. However, they were not satisfied so the hospital administration decided to go in for a DNA test. Swap trouble * The eight-day old girl lies abandoned in a Rajasthan hospital as two couples fight over their claims for a boy who was born on the same night * None of the couples is ready to accept the girl who was mistakenly exchanged with the boy by negligent hospital staff on March 25
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Tatra deal: CBI questions Vectra chief New Delhi, April 2 The 57-year-old British national Rishi, named as an accused in CBI's FIR in alleged irregularities in purchase of the Tatra trucks, was questioned for the second time at the CBI headquarters. They said Rishi, chairman of Vectra group, was asked about the ownership pattern of Tatra-Sipox UK and Vectra group and reasons for changing the payment currency from US dollar to euro for supplying the trucks to the Army through the BEML. The CBI had registered a case naming Rishi and unnamed officials of Defence Ministry, Army and BEML on March 30 for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI is probing alleged irregularities in assigning of supply from Czechoslovakia-based Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra-Sipox UK owned by Rishi in 1997 showing it as Original Equipment Manufacturer and the fully-owned subsidiary of Czech company, they said. A CBI spokesperson had said this was against the provisions of Defence Procurement Procedure for supplying vehicles to the Indian Army on the basis of orders placed by the Ministry of Defence. “It is further alleged that in this manner, vehicles worth thousands of crores have been supplied to the Army," the CBI spokesperson had said. — PTI
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Arunachal wants road through Bhutan
Guwahati, April 2 The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to urge the government of India to initiate talks with the Himalayan country of Bhutan for construction of a road from Alipurduar, West Bengal to the state through the neighbouring country. According to an official source, the proposed road from Alipurduar in West Bengal through the foothills of Bhutan to Nechipu in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh would help in bringing construction material for various power projects in the state through a shorter route and by avoiding the resistance put up by anti-dam agitators in Assam. On date, Arunachal Pradesh is connected to the Indian mainland only through land routes in Assam. The Arunachal Pradesh Government is aspiring to give its economy a major boost after construction of these power projects by various public and private sector companies. Once these projects are completed, the frontier state will become the power house of the country with a capacity to generate over 65,000 MW of hydro-electricity.
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Krishna: Court will decide on Italian marines
Kochi, April 2
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said the Centre would not go beyond the Kerala Government’s stand on detention of the two Italians. His comments came after a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and senior officials. Union minister E Ahamed, IGP K Padmakumar and Joint Secretary, MEA Europe and West, Ruchi Ganshyam and state DGP Jacob Punnonose took part in the meeting. “We had detailed discussions. Two innocent fishermen died for no fault of theirs...First the marines were in police custody, then in judicial custody. The court will ultimately decide how this impasse can be resolved,” he said. Assuring that the Centre was not inclined to go beyond Kerala’s stand, he said, “The state government should be satisfied (on the issue).” Ruling out any adverse impact of the case on India-Italy relationship, Krishna said, “This issue does not in any manner affect cordial relations we have with Italy and we will continue to strengthen them.” — PTI
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Youth killed in fake encounter, alleges ULFA
Guwahati, April 2 In reaction to Assam police’s claim that they had killed an ULFA militant at Dirak Sonajan area in Tinsukia district bordering Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, the ULFA faction stated that the youth killed by the police was not a member of the outfit and warned Assam police personnel to desist from resorting to shooting down of innocent Assamese youth in the name of counter-insurgency operation.
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In AP, politicians, astrologers scratch each other’s backs
Hyderabad, April 2 With clouds of political uncertainty hovering over the state, this year’s “Panchang Shravanam” turned out to be a “tailor-made” exercise played out in offices of various political parties. It was virtually “all things to all people” as the in-house astrologers drafted by the parties dished out forecasts that their clients wanted to hear. While a pundit hired by the ruling Congress for the main official function organised here predicted good tidings for the present political dispensation, both at the Centre and in the state, the parallel almanac rendered at the opposition Telugu Desam Party’s office projected a gloomy picture of the state. Expectedly, the pundits engaged by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) foresaw creation of Telangana state later this year, while those who rendered the almanac at the BJP office spoke about a bright future for the saffron party both at the national and state levels. Politicisation of almanac reading assumed significance in the wake of the recent byelections to seven Assembly seats in which both the Congress and the TDP drew a blank as voters in Telangana region gave an unambiguous verdict in favour of the statehood sentiment while the fledgling YSR Congress Party, headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, won the Kovvur seat in coastal Andhra with a thumping majority. Notwithstanding the growing infighting in the ruling Congress, the head of the astrology department at the Telugu University Dr CVV Subrahmanyam, hired by the government, assured the gathering at the main function that all was well with the state. He also predicted that the state would remain united. However, this assertion was in sharp contrast to what V Damodara Sarma, another pundit drafted by TRS, had to say about the immediate future. He told a gathering at TRS headquarters that the Telangana sentiment would grow further in the days to come and that a favourable announcement on creation of a new state could come after May this year. It was a feel-good picture all the way at the official function, with Subrahmanyam predicting copious rains, surplus foodgrain production and improved living standards for the poor during the year. However, K Padmanabha Sarma, who read out the almanac at the TDP office, voiced the Opposition’s perspective on what could be in store for the people in the days ahead. “There will be severe drought and farmers will suffer. The prices will skyrocket and there will be a financial crunch for the welfare schemes,” he said.
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Class VI girl flummoxes Centre with her RTI query
Lucknow, April 2 Through an RTI application addressed to the Prime Minister’s office dated February 13, 2012, she had sought a photocopy of the order declaring Mahatma Gandhi as the “Father of the Nation”. She has received a letter dated March 26, 2012, (F.No 63 (2)-12/2012 R IV-RTI) from the National Archives signed by Assistant Director Archives & CPO Jayaprabha Ravindran. The letter says: “As per search among the public records in the National Archives of India, there are no specific documents on the information being sought by you. It may be, however, conveyed that the National Archives of India has a large number of public records related to Mahatma Gandhi. As per guidelines laid down by the DoPT, the duty of the CPIO is only to make available the records for consultation and not undertake any research on behalf of the applicant.” The letter further invites 12-year-old Aishwarya to “visit the department to undertake a detailed search among the public records and library material for the desired information.
The official assured Aishwarya of all facilities as per rules to facilitate her research work. According to Aishwarya, the question cropped up in her mind during her history period. However, neither her history teacher nor her parents could answer the query. Her search on the Internet also proved futile. It is then that her RTI activist mother inspired her to file an RTI query. Disappointed with the reply of the National Archives, she is now planning to write to the President and the Prime Minister to issue an order declaring Mahatma
Gandhi as the “Father of the Nation”.
the quest * Aishwarya (12) has sought a photocopy of the order declaring Mahatma Gandhi the “Father of the Nation” *
The National Archives has informed her that there are no specific documents on the information being sought by her *
The authorities have invited her to visit the department to undertake a detailed search among the public records and library material for the desired information
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3 devotees killed in police firing
Etawah, April 2 Three people killed in the police firing have been identified as Munna Lal Yadav, Deepak and Girind Yadav. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav made a late night announcement of an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each to the critically injured and Rs 20,000 each to the less seriously injured. Around nine people including the head of the local police station were critically injured in the clashes and firing. The incident occurred at a historic temple in Balrai village in Jaswant Nagar of CM Akhilesh Yadav’s ancestral district of Etawah on Ram Naumi when a large number of devotees had gathered at the temple. Besides a Crime Branch-CID and magisterial inquiry ordered yesterday, the state government is reportedly seeking "intelligence inputs on reasons that triggered the trouble" at a temple amid whispers of a larger political conspiracy behind the clash between the two groups of devotees clashing in Etawah. Two cross-FIRs under Section 302 of IPC and other sections have been lodged.
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Bank holidays on Apr 5, 6
New Delhi, April 2 The two-day holiday immediately follows today's closure for public on annual book checking. In effect, bank are closed for public dealing for three days this week. Banks will remain closed on April 5 on account of Mahavir Jayanti, while April 6 is Good Friday. According to a senior public sector bank official, lenders are taking adequate measures to ensure that cash withdrawals from ATMs are not hit during the holidays. — PTI
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Telecom tower radiation compliance date now Sept 1
New Delhi, April 2 "Earlier date was April 1 but Minister (Sibal) has asked to defer it (tower radiation compliance) to September 1. In the meantime, DoT has been asked to look in to issues raised by industry," a Telecom Ministry official told PTI. DoT in November 2011 accepted recommendation given by Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on elecromagnetic radiation being emitted from mobile phone towers. It decided to implement the same from April 1. There is no extension for radiation guideline implementation date by mobile handset companies under which all mobile handsets to be sold in India from September 1 have to lower their radiation emission from SAR 2 to SAR 1.6. This means the device should emit a maximum of 1.6 watt of energy over 1 gram of body tissue exposed to it. In a round-table discussion held by Sibal last month, the industry had raised various points. — PTI
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Tirumala gets richer by Rs 5.73 cr in a day
Hyderabad, April 2 The previous record was Rs 4.2 crore collected on January 1 this year. Over 70,000 pilgrims visited Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, yesterday. Besides cash, the “Hundi” collections include gold, silver and other items offered to the Lord. Nestled among the picturesque string of seven hills, Tirumala shrine attracts an average of 50,000 pilgrims per day and the number crosses one lakh mark on festivals and special occasions. Arguably, the abode of the “Lord of Seven Hills” is the richest temple in the country. The TTD’s 2012-13 budget has been pegged at Rs 2,010 crore, billed as the highest for any temple trust in the country. The “Hundi” offerings top the receipts table with a whopping estimated income of Rs 800 crore, followed by interests on investments at Rs 475 crore. The revised estimates for the financial year 2011-12 stood at Rs 1,949.26 crore.
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Jaya govt slams Lankan media report, says no LTTE training camps in TN
Chennai, April 2 "There are no such training camps in Tamil Nadu. Some time back a similar report surfaced in Sri Lanka and later it was retracted by seeking to put the blame falsely on the Indian media," DGP K Ramanujam said in a statement here. The report said that Lankan state intelligence services had received information that around 150 terrorists underwent special arms training at three secret camps in Tamil Nadu and had returned to Sri Lanka. They were hiding in the north and east to carry out a destabilisation campaign, the newspaper report said. It quoted authorities as saying that information had come to light on interrogation of three former members of the LTTE accused of hacking to death a member of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) last month in the eastern district of Trincomalee. DGP Ramanujam said the news item stated that over 150 LTTE cadres underwent special arms training in three secret camps in Tamil Nadu and then returned to Sri Lanka disguised as fishermen to carry out a destabilisation campaign. Ramanujam said militant and extremist organisations remained banned in the state, while a strict vigil is maintained to curb overt and covert activities. "Any activist identified is lodged in a special camp. There is, therefore, no question of any training camps functioning or being allowed to function in Tamil
Nadu," he added. — PTI
The Trigger * A report in a Lankan newspaper said there were three secret training camps for LTTE men in TN *
As many as 150 cadres had underwent special arms training in the camps *
They had now returned to Lanka disguised as fishermen to carry out a destabilisation campaign
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Madhya Pradesh bans tobacco in gutkha
New Delhi, April 2 The government banned tobacco content in gutkha by issuing a notification under the existing laws of the country. The ban will be effective from April 1, 2012. Sources say the move will go a long way in preventing a range of oral cancers. A Lancet study recently showed that 42 per cent of all cancers in India were attributable to tobacco products. Among tobacco-related cancers, the incidence of oral cancers was found to be the highest, indicating massive consequences of use of chewing tobacco products. Further in a move to curb the increasing number of mouth cancer cases in the state, the government has even revoked licences of seven major gutkha-manufacturing companies. The state government notification issued to all health authorities and food inspectors says, "If any person is found selling gutkha, the food and drug administration can impose a penalty of Rs 25,000 under the Food Security and Standard Assessment Act." Madhya Pradesh is the first state to ban gutkha under the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India Act while Goa was the first state to ban gutkha under the Public Health Act applicable in the state. The FSSAI Act is a central act.
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Tirumala, considered India’s richest temple, has just got richer! The popular hill shrine in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh recorded highest collection of Rs 5.73 crore on Sunday. “This is the highest single day “Hundi” (offering box) collection in the history of the temple,” said an official of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
(TTD), an autonomous body managing the affairs of the temple.
Chennai, April 2 
Addressing the 27th Raising Day of the SPG, the PM said terrorism had acquired new forms and shapes and was now often driven by a “bold and educated class of terrorists”.
