This is the first revamping exercise of his ministry undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he assumed power in May. Parrikar is all set to be given Defence portfolio, which was held as additional charge by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The strength of the Union Council of Ministers goes up from 45 to 66. Of this, 27 including the Prime Minister are of Cabinet rank, 13 Ministers of State with Independent Charge and 26 Ministers of State.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended among others by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P.J. Kurien, Modi and his Cabinet colleagues, BJP patriarch L.K. Advani and the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states Vasundhara Raje, Raman Singh, Manohar Lal Khattar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of TDP. None from Congress was present in the ceremony.

Ahead of the swearing-in, the new ministers had a breakfast meeting with Modi at his Race Course residence.

An IIT graduate, 58-year-old Parrikar shares an excellent rapport with Modi and has a reputation for probity and administrative skills.

Prabhu also earned his reputation as a skillful operator and reformer as Power minister in Vajpayee government but was suddenly pulled out of the ministry by Shiv Sena. Ever since has has not been seen as an active Sainik.

Dattatreya's inclusion gives representation to the new Telangana state in the Union ministry while Rudy makes a comeback into the government. First-time MP Mahesh Sharma seems to be a surprise choice as a Minister of State with Independent Charge given the fact that Naqvi, a former minister, has been given just a Minister of State berth.

All the other Ministers of State are newcomers and first-time MPs except Yadav, who had been a Member of Parliament either of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha having come from RJD in Bihar. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Former Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu on Sunday formally joined the BJP before being sworn in as Cabinet Minister in the first expansion of the Narendra Modi government.

Prabhu received the party’s primary membership in the morning and was welcomed by senior party leaders.

Prabhu has been appointed as Modi’s ‘sherpa’ to assist the Prime Minister at the upcoming G20 Summit in Brisbane.

Later in the day, Congress leader Karan Singh’s younger son Ajatshatru Singh joined the BJP in the presence of party chief Amit Shah. — PTI

BHUBANESWAR: India on Sunday test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-II strategic ballistic missile from a military base in Odisha, a defence official said.

The test was conducted from Wheeler's Island in Bhadrak district, around 200 km from here, by army personnel as part of routine user-trials, MVKV Prasad, director of the Integrated Test Range, told IANS.

"The test was successful," he said.

The medium-range missile with a range of over 2,000 km has already been inducted into the army, and is part of the Strategic Forces arsenal for nuclear deterrence. 

The Agni-II is part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
The two-stage surface-to-surface missile, equipped with an advanced high-accuracy navigation system and guided by a novel state-of-the-art command and control system, is powered by a solid rocket propellant system.

The missile weighs 17 tonnes and its range can be increased to 3,000 km by reducing the payload. It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers. It takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied for firing. -IANS

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday expressed hope that the long-pending Insurance Laws Amendment Bill, which seeks to raise the FDI cap in the sector to 49 per cent, will get the Parliament approval in the upcoming Winter Session.

"We have opened up investments in various sectors. I do hope this (Winter) session I will be able to pass the Insurance Bill," he said at the India Global Forum meeting here.

The month-long Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to commence from November 24.

FDI in the sector is capped at 26 per cent at present.

The much-delayed Insurance Bill has been referred to the Select Committee of Parliament. The Bill, which comes with a rider that the management control would rest in the hands of Indian promoter, has been pending since 2008 in the Rajya Sabha.

The Minister said India is pursuing the policy of allowing foreign investment with sectoral cap keeping in mind the requirements of the economy and the appetite of the Indian political system.

"When we were in the government last time we opened up the sector. At that time, the political system had an appetite for a limited opening. We are now opening up the sector a little more," he added.

Bowing to opposition pressure, the government had in August agreed to refer the Insurance Bill to the 15-member Select Committee. The committee is expected to submit its report by the third week of November.

The reform, according to experts, could increase the flow of foreign investment to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore into the private insurance companies. The move would help insurance firms to get the much-needed capital from overseas partners.

There are about two dozen private sector insurance firms, both in life and non-life segment in the country. -PTI

NEW DELHI: In a stern warning to Pakistan, India on Sunday said there cannot be a dialogue with Islamabad if ceasefire violations are repeated.

“... if repeated ceasefire violations take place, then environment for dialogue itself suffers,” Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also holding the portfolio of the Finance Ministry, said at the India Global Forum meeting.

“Yes, there should be a dialogue. We will welcome it but then the environment for dialogue has to be created by both countries. One of them cannot upset the environment and then say why dialogue is not taking place,” Jaitley said.

The dialogue process was derailed after Pakistan envoy met Kashmiri separatists just a day before the foreign secretary level talks in August.

“When we further the discussions (after swearing-in invitation) it was through foreign secretary dialogue, this was responded to by an immediate invite to the separatists particularly keeping in mind elections in J&K at the doorsteps. Now this we found completely unacceptable...,” he said.

Noting that there are issues in Kashmir, Jaitley said but the valley has been by and large peaceful. “We are expecting a peaceful elections in the valley notwithstanding efforts to disturb the environment.”

He also praised the armed forces for showing exemplary courage in rescue and relief operations during the recent floods in the state.

With regard to the border issue in the eastern region, Jaitley said India is keen for expediting the process to resolve the matter.

“As far as China is concerned, our economic relationship continues to grow, there are a lot of mutual investments in both countries and there are huge trade between two countries,” he said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to deploy over 51,000 personnel of central paramilitary forces for ensuring free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand.

According to an order issued by the Union Home Ministry, a total of 381 companies of various central forces like Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), BSF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and state police reserve units have been asked to move to Jammu and Kashmir for poll-related duties.

Similarly, a total of 136 companies of forces have been asked to report to Election Commission authorities in Jharkhand.

A single company of these forces' comprise about 100 personnel. With the addition of the two numbers in the poll- bound states, the fresh troop strength stand approximately at 51,700.

"These units are in addition to the central forces which are already deployed in these two states for counter- insurgency (JK) and anti-Naxal (Jharkhand) operations. They have been given marching orders recently," a senior officer said.

According to latest data, the CRPF has close to 65 battalions deployed in the interiors of Jammu and Kashmir as part of its routine duties apart from a dozen others of forces like BSF and SSB which will also be used for peripheral duties during Assembly polls in the state.

In Jharkhand, there are close to 25 battalions of CRPF which in already undertaking operations against Left-wing Extremists, along with some units of other paramilitary forces.

These new units, the officer said, will be deployed according to EC guidelines in the two states and they will maintain a close liasion with their existing units for exchange of intelligence and operational information in these areas.

"These units earmarked in the latest will escort polling parties and will man polling booths. They will be talking to the regular units deployed in the area as both the states have unique security challenges which are best understood by those present there," the officer said.

Both the states will undergo a five-phase polling between November 25 and December 20 while the counting will take place on December 23. PTI

PRINI: Residents of this picturesque village are missing a gentleman politician who built a cottage here hoping to spend time amid apple and walnut trees before illness gripped him: Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The tastefully built house in typical hill architecture is located on the banks of the Beas river, on the Manali-Naggar road. Prini is located on the outskirts of the Manali resort. Vajpayee last visited the house, currently out of bounds for people due to security reasons, for a quiet sojourn in June 2006. That was two years after his government was voted out in the national elections.

Since then, the house has been wearing a deserted look. Neighbours fondly recall the days when Vajpayee as prime minister came here every summer and mingled with the villagers.

"For us he's a god. He had a soft corner for his neighbours and was particular about the development of the village," resident Tule Ram told IANS.

Remembering one of his visits in May 2001, Ram, 55, said that on the request of the locals, Vajpayee directed the immediate construction of a bridge and strengthening of a road connecting the village to Manali.

Kundan Lal, a former village head', described Vajpayee as "a true statesman".
"He's emotionally attached with this place. He penned some of his poems during his stay here. In fact, he wanted to develop this cottage as a poet's retreat," Lal added.

During his 2001 visit, Vajpayee told reporters that he composed his poem "Unchai" at Prini. He also recited some couplets.

Solang, popular among skiers for snow and steep pistes just 13 km uphill from Manali, still bears a foundation stone laid by Vajpayee May 26, 2002.

The stone reads: "Commissioning of works for access road to south portal of proposed Rohtang Tunnel by Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee." Septuagenarian Mehar Thakur, who is settled here, recalled that it was Vajpayee's old friend Tashi Dawa who persuaded him to construct the Rohtang tunnel beneath the majestic Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) to ensure round-the-year accessibility to the remote areas in Lahaul valley.

Dawa alias Arjun Gopal, a resident of Lahaul, died in December 2007.
"They (Vajpayee and Dawa) were good friends. Whenever Vajpayee used to visit Prini, he called on Dawa. They used to share their nostalgic moments for hours," Thakur said.

"When Vajpayee became prime minister for the first time in 1998, Dawa met him in Delhi along with a delegation of people from the Lahaul Valley," added Thakur, who was a part of the delegation.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, in public addresses, makes it a point to express his gratitude to Vajpayee who, as prime minister, provided all the support-- allocating central funds and projects -- to speed up development of the state.

"The people of the state are indebted to Vajpayee. At no point of time did he turn down any request made by the state and was liberal in granting financial packages," Dhumal told IANS. -IANS