ISLAMABAD: A BSF jawan, who was swept away into Pakistan by strong currents of tyhe Chenab river and picked up by Pakistan Rangers, on Friday said he was treated "better" than his expectation and was looking forward to meeting his family.

Satyasheel Yadav was released today and handed over to Indian authorities at the RS Pura sector in Jammu & Kashmir.

Yadav told reporters in Pakistan before he was to be handed over to BSF authorities that his boat accidentally strayed into Pakistan after it went out of control in strong river currents.

"My colleagues swam out but I did not know swimming. The boat took me into Pakistani territory. I jumped into water near a Pakistan post and was rescued by jawans of Pakistan Rangers," he said in his narration of the events leading to his capture.

Yadav, flanked by Rangers' officials, said he was made "comfortable" by them.

"They took my introduction. They helped me to the extent they could. They kept me better than what I had thought. I have no complaints. I am happy," the 30-year-old jawan said.

Yadav was out on a patrol with three other personnel in the Paragwal-Khour sub-sector of general area Akhnoor when the boat they were travelling in developed a problem.

Indian officials have said when the patrol squad was negotiating a narrow bend in the river in this sector, the engine of the motorboat failed.

A rescue boat later sent to fetch the BSF men was taken by three personnel but Yadav got drifted in the strong current as the rope holding him snapped and he subsequently landed 400 metres away in the Sialkot sector of Pakistan where he was picked up by the villagers initially and then handed over to the Rangers, they said. — PTI

Jaswant Singh suffers head injury, very critical

NEW DELHI: Former BJP leader Jaswant Singh is in a critical condition after being operated upon for a head injury at the Army Research and Referral Hospital here following a fall at his residence.

The 76-year-old former Defence Minister was admitted to the hospital at around 11 PM yesterday after he fell down, sources said.

A senior doctor at the hospital said today that Singh has been operated upon for head injury and he is in a critical condition in the ICU.

Singh, who had also served as External Affairs and Finance Minister, was expelled from the BJP early this year after he decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Barmer in Rajasthan as an Independent when the party decided to field someone else.

He had lost the election. — PTI

Ebola outbreak an International Health Emergency: WHO

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa as an International Health Emergency.

"A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola," the WHO said in a statement issued after a two-day meeting here of its emergency committee.

"It was the unanimous view of the committee that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) have been met," it added.

It noted that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constituted an "extraordinary event" and a public health risk to other countries.

"The possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries," the WHO statement said. 

The current Ebola outbreak started in Guinea in December 2013. 

It has now manifested itself in Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone besides Guinea. 

As of Aug 4, the countries have reported 1,711 cases (1,070 confirmed, 436 probable, 205 suspect), including 932 deaths. 

The virus is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected.

"This is currently the largest EVD outbreak ever recorded," the UN body said. 

It also issued a series of guidelines to countries that have reported transmission of the virus. 

"The head of state should declare a national emergency; personally address the nation to provide information on the situation, the steps being taken to address the outbreak and the critical role of the community in ensuring its rapid control; provide immediate access to emergency financing to initiate and sustain response operations; and ensure all necessary measures are taken to mobilize and remunerate the necessary health care workforce," the statement read. 

"Health ministers and other health leaders should assume a prominent leadership role in coordinating and implementing emergency Ebola response measures, a fundamental aspect of which should be to meet regularly with affected communities and to make site visits to treatment centres." 

It also advised such countries to activate their national disaster and emergency management mechanisms and establish an emergency operation centre, under the authority of the head of state.

"These measures must include infection prevention and control (IPC), community awareness, surveillance, accurate laboratory diagnostic testing, contact tracing and monitoring, case management, and communication of timely and accurate information among countries," the WHO said. 

It also called for exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings of such countries "for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection". 

"The exit screening should consist of, at a minimum, a questionnaire, a temperature measurement and, if there is a fever, an assessment of the risk that the fever is caused by EVD," it said. 

"Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation. There should be no international travel of Ebola contacts or cases, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation." 

As for unaffected countries, it said those countries with land borders adjoining countries with Ebola transmission "should urgently establish surveillance for clusters of unexplained fever or deaths due to febrile illness; establish access to a qualified diagnostic laboratory for EVD; ensure that health workers are aware of and trained in appropriate IPC procedures; and establish rapid response teams with the capacity to investigate and manage EVD cases and their contacts". 

Any country newly detecting a suspect or confirmed Ebola case or contact, or clusters of unexplained deaths due to febrile illness, should treat this as a health emergency, it said.

Immediate steps should be taken in the first 24 hours to investigate and stop a potential Ebola outbreak by instituting case management, establishing a definitive diagnosis, and undertaking contact tracing and monitoring, the statement added. 

It, however, said that there "should be no general ban on international travel or trade", adding that restrictions outlined in these recommendations regarding the travel of Ebola cases and contacts should be implemented. 

"States should provide travellers to Ebola-affected and at-risk areas with relevant information on risks, measures to minimise those risks, and advice for managing a potential exposure," the WHO guidelines said. -Agencies

NEW DELHI: Amid global concern over spread of deadly Ebola epidemic which has been declared an international health emergency by WHO, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said there is no reported case of the virus in the country and the government is taking all precautions.

"As of today, this moment, there is no Ebola case reported in India. There is no need to panic," he said.

The Minister said government was taking all precautions well in advance and keeping a close watch on the movement of people into India from countries affected by the virus.

In the light of the outbreak of Ebola virus in west African countries, government had earlier this week announced a slew of steps including screening and tracking of passengers originating or transiting from there, and asked Indians to defer non-essential travel to that region.

There are close to 45,000 Indians in affected countries.

If the situation worsens in these countries, there could be possibility of Indians staying there travelling back to India, Vardhan had recently said in Parliament.

Mandatory self reporting by the passengers coming from or transiting through the affected countries would be required at immigration check, Vardhan had said, adding in-flight announcements regarding this would also be made by the airlines.

The WHO today declared the killer Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of west Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid to help afflicted countries.

The WHO move comes as US health authorities yesterday admitted that Ebola's spread beyond west Africa was "inevitable", and after medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that the deadly virus was now "out of control" with more than 60 outbreak hotspots. –PTI

NEW DELHI: Amid opposition demands for an all- party meeting during the current session of Parliament to solve the UPSC exam row, government on Friday said it is serious on the issue and the meeting will be convened after the civil services examination scheduled on August 24.

"I assure the House, we will convene an all-party meeting after the examination, scheduled on the 24th," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkiah Naidu said in Rajya Sabha after Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded a meeting to solve the row during current session.

Naidu said the issue requires a "detailed study" and "deeper discussion" and nothing could be done at the eleventh hour as there are contradictory views on it inside the House and outside while children are preparing for the examination.

He said such a situation has not been created by this government and it existed since 2011 and the government had made it clear during the discussion in the House that certain suggestions had come which were contradictory in nature.

"We will apply our minds coolly" and the government will call a meeting of all important stakeholders.

Azad had earlier warned the government that if agitation reached the streets, the situation would be out of control.

"Take a decision on the issue before August 14 else if the row reaches streets after Parliament session, it would be not in the interest of the nation," he said.

Almost all opposition parties are unanimous in their demand for an all-party meet and "I request the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to not to divide the country on the basis of language as it would be dangerous." He said the government had earlier sought a week's time which was extended to a fortnight and later the matter was converted as a dispute between Hindi and English whereas nobody was opposing English. PTI

SRINAGAR: A day after a government official resigned from service alleging abuse by a Jammu and Kashmir Minister, hundreds of engineering employees went on a pen-down strike demanding intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The employees and engineering staff of the departments of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation and Flood Control closed their offices here and went on a strike in support of PHE Chief Engineer Muzaffar Lankar.

Lankar tendered his resignation yesterday as a protest against the alleged abuse by the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan during a meeting which was also attended by PHE minister Sham Lal Sharma.

The employees gave a three-day ultimatum seeking an apology from the minister. They threatened to disconnect drinking water and irrigation supply in the valley as a protest if the demand was not met.

"We have closed our offices and are on pen-down strike as a mark of protest. We have not yet gone on a tool-down strike.

We are giving the government three days' time to meet our demands failing which we will go on a tool-down strike and disconnect water and irrigation supply in the valley," Ghulam Ahmad Nath, chairman, All Kashmir PHE Employees Association, told reporters.

Nath demanded that the government should register an FIR and conduct an inquiry into the incident.

"We condemn this attitude of the minister. The government must register an FIR and conduct an inquiry. The minister should resign and the government should not accept the resignation of the official," he said Nath said the chief minister is aware of Lankar's credentials and should intervene in the matter.

"The chief minister himself is an honest man and treats the honest officers very well. Omar knows that Lankar is an honest man and he was the chief engineer only because of his honesty. The CM should intervene," he said.

The employees alleged the ministers had been indulging in such misbehavior with the officials time and again.

"The ministers have been doing this time and again against the employees. We are not the slaves of the politicians but the people. We will not tolerate this anymore," Hidayat-ullah, spokesman of the Kashmir Engineering Association, said.

Meanwhile, Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association also took out a protest rally against the minister at Press Colony here.

The association demanded the minister's resignation threatening of non-cooperation with the government. -PTI

MUMBAI: Indian rupee was trading at a five-month low Friday, dropping to 61.70 to a dollar, as foreign funds continued to sell their stocks and fresh concerns emerged over the situation in Iraq.

After plunging to its lowest level since March 5 with a drop of as much as 38 paise over the previous close, the rupee recovered a bit to 61.61 but the sentiments remained weak for the Indian currency, with traders hoping for some intervention by the central bank.

The rupee Thursday had registered one of the steepest gains in the past month.–IANS

PANCHKULA: Hit by infighting and criticism from within, Congress lashed out at those levelling allegations of discrimination in development by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Haryana government, and asked party workers to work unitedly for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Congress general secretary and in-charge of political affairs in Haryana, Shakeel Ahmed said those accusing the state government of "regional bias" never cited statistics.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh, state minister Ajay Yadav, former partymen Rao Inderjit Singh and Avtar Singh Bhadana among others had attacked Hooda for alleged lopsided development and "ignoring" certain regions at the cost of other areas.

"Such people (leveling accusations of regional bias) never made their complaints along with statistics," he said.

Addressing over 1,200 Congress workers who have applied for tickets to contest on 90 Assembly seats going to polls before October, he said every worker is important for the party, but those deprived of tickets should not feel they have been ignored.

He urged the party workers to set aside differences and work together to ensure victory of the Congress in the ensuing Assembly elections.

Commending Hooda for the "welfare measures" implemented during his consecutive stints as Chief Minister, Ahmed said programmes and policies for all sections and region of Haryana were made in the last over nine years.

Speaking on the occasion, Hooda said a state-level rally would be organised at Panipat on August 24 to present the "report card" of the "number of development works" undertaken by the state government during the last 10 years.

He urged the party high command to take a call on allocation of party tickets after the rally, and exuded confidence of Congress forming the government for the third consecutive term in the state.

Asking applicants to suggest the name of another party worker also, he said workers should support those the party gives tickets and also mentioned that all sitting MLAs may not get tickets.

Lashing out at his detractors, Hooda said they themselves indulged in regionalism and were trying to hide their own failures. –PTI

GAZA: A 72-hour humanitarian truce brokered by Egypt between Israel and Palestine ended on Friday after no deal was reached on finding a durable solution to the ongoing fighting.

Israel said its Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted a rocket over the Israeli town of Ashkelon just after the 72-hour truce ended at 8.00 am on Friday, Al Jazeera reported.

"Terrorists have violated the ceasefire," the Israeli army said on its official Twitter page.

Two senior Hamas officials, accusing Israel of rejecting their demand for a truce, said the Palestinian movement would not extend the ceasefire.

A leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, present at the Cairo-mediated truce talks, confirmed that the factions had decided not to extend the ceasefire.

The Palestinian side laid out a number of demands, starting with the lifting of Israel's eight-year-old blockade of Gaza. 

They also demanded the release of 125 prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Since the Israeli military assault started in Gaza July 8, a total of 1,890 Palestinians have been killed. 

According to the UN, 73 percent of the Palestinian victims were civilians of which at least 429 were children.

On the Israeli side, three civilians were killed by rockets fired from Gaza while at least 64 soldiers died in the fighting.-IANS

CHANDIGARH: A visit to the local fruit and vegetable market, local hospital or even a factory to understand how things work may not be an essential part of textbooks, but students in government schools across Haryana are becoming part of a quiet change in their classrooms as they are being exposed to practical knowledge in real time.

The Class Readiness Programme (CRP) initiated recently is ushering in the change to make the students learn different things in a more practical way.

Localising education is as important for the students as it is for them to understand the texts they read in the larger context. Hence, to bring around such a local understanding of theoretical knowledge, educational tours to local factories/industries, banks, post offices, local hospitals, parks, grain markets, vegetable markets, bus-stands, railway-stations, police stations and the like are organised for making students aware of the government and the social system around them, additional chief secretary for higher education Surina Rajan told IANS here.

Even simple things like going around the campus of the school itself and knowing the local geography, visiting a nearby canal or park, carrying out small activities to learn mathematics or going to nearby historical places is being made part of school activities.

The CRP is one of the initiatives taken by Haryana's education department to bring about a change in the image of government schools. The other steps taken include applied learning skills, teacher education
programmes, redressal of students' grievances through a toll free number and even giving awards for best practices followed under the CRP.

The CRP and other initiatives were introduced after studies and diagnostic programmes in recent years pointed out that low attendance in government schools had certain factors. These included the harvesting season (when children in rural areas used to assist their families in crop harvesting), indifference towards education of parents from lower strata of society in rural areas and even boredom in the classroom.

The students were not exposed to newer areas of learning. This led to boredom in the classroom. In some cases, there was even lack of attractive reasons to go to school, resulting in low attendance, Rajan
pointed out.

Haryana has over 15,000 government schools in which nearly 2.6 million students are enrolled. The state has over 100,000 teachers, thus making for a healthy 1:26 teacher: student ratio.

The CRP introduction has helped in attracting students towards government schools. It makes them feel special and inculcate the spirit of curiosity and creativity. This is having a good impact on student attendance. The private institutions have now started replicating this programme in their institutions, director-school education Vivek Atray told IANS.

Even though sections of the staff were initially reluctant to adopt the new practices, especially the evaluation of teachers' performance, the initiatives are beginning to show change.

The focus of these initiatives is to bring about a change in the mindset of teachers and students, Rajan concluded.-IANS