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Tuesday,
October 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Amendment to SEBI Act okayed India not to make bio-arms: Kalam Army headquarters to go hi-tech soon Congress in no hurry on UP |
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SP hums different tune on Hardwar LS byelections along with Gujarat poll George inaugurates tallest stupa Hindujas allowed Divali abroad Probe ordered into bomb hoax call Suspected ultra held at airport
14 killed as crackers explode India for consensus on DDCC Hearing on PIL against Togadia on Nov 1 HC notice on conversions Jet gets Asia’s best airline award
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Amendment to SEBI Act okayed New Delhi, October 28 The Union Cabinet at its meeting here chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee gave its approval for the two ordinances to be brought in. Briefing newsmen after the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said repealing the UTI Act would enable the government to split the troubled organisation into two, a decision which was taken earlier by the Government. As a result of the splitting of the country’s largest mutual fund, the UTI-I would remain as the old protected organisation comprising only of the US-64 for which assured repurchase prices had been announced and the return scheme assured. The new UTI (UTI-II) would comprise all other net asset value (NAV)-based schemes. It would also have a professional chairman and would be run as a private mutual fund. The Board of Trustees would also, in the due course of time, be privatised. The government would meet its obligation annually to cover any deficit in UTI-I and it would be managed by a government-appointed administrator and a team of advisers nominated by the government. Amendment to the SEBI Act would provide to the market regulator limited search and seizure powers for offences like market manipulation by companies. The government had also decided to expand the SEBI board to nine members from the existing six as part of measures to strengthen the market regulator. “The recent experiences of SEBI have shown the Limitation of the SEBI Act. Therefore, the Union Cabinet has decided to expand the board from six to nine members. This will include three whole-time members other than the Chairman,” Finance Secretary S. Narayan said. He said all the sums realised through penalties and fines by SEBI would go to the Consolidated Fund of India. Besides, the Securities Appellate Tribunal would have three members drawn from serving or retired judges of the Supreme Court or high courts for empowering the tribunal to compound offences. The ordinance in this regard would be sent to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for his assent, he said. |
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India not to make bio-arms: Kalam
Bangalore, October 28 “We will not make biological weapons. It is cruel to human beings,” Dr Kalam, the “missile man”, said in response to a question during an interaction with students at the Al-Ameen Educational Society here. Defending India’s missile, nuclear and other defence programmes, Dr Kalam said: “Peace will come if the country is strong. Strength respects strength.” Asked if he believed that war and peace could co-exist, he observed “Strength comes from economy and defence.” History had proved that India was invaded by foreign powers because it was weak in defence, he said.
PTI |
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Army headquarters to go hi-tech soon New Delhi, October 28 The project code-named ‘Samhavak’, developed by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), for the Indian Army, is aimed at integrating operations, intelligence, logistics and terrain, under a single fold and making it available to various battalion HQs through WAN/LAN network. CAIR is believed to be in an advanced stage of negotiation with a Bangalore-based CDC Linux software firm for developing a prototype model, financed by the Ministry of Defence. Once the negotiations are over, development of the model is likely to be completed within eight months, they said. “A team of CAIR officials will have talks with the software firm somewhere in the last week of this month for finalising the deal,” they said. As per rough estimates, the cost of the prototype model could be anywhere around half-a-billion rupees. The move is aimed at automation of the functioning of Corps Zone of the Infantry arm of the Indian Army, especially in view of the large-scale deployment and redeployment of troops and materials owing to a “fluid” situation across the Indo-Pak border. Through this system, a commander could access details on the stock of “specific” resources at a particular location, the time needed for trans-shipment of resources and the adequacy of the contingent plan, they said. Sources said the four functional areas — Operations, Intelligence, Logistics and Topography — are under different stages of integration under the project. It is understood from the sources that CAIR is having talks with CDC Linux for developing the core model linking other areas and make it operational in LAN/WAN (Large Area/Wide Area Network) system. The system is expected to be designed in such a way that it will be able to integrate Corps Zone with the Battalion HQs by multiple LAN/WAN connectivity.
PTI |
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Congress in no hurry on UP New Delhi, October 28 A day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPM leader Harkrishan Singh Surjeet met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress leaders said they would have to weigh long-term interest of the party before deciding the issue. Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the party had not taken any decision on its future course of action in Uttar Pradesh. The parleys were held in a cordial atmosphere yesterday, but a decision is yet to be taken in this regard, he said. AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, said the UP Governor had stated that the BJP-BSP coalition enjoyed a majority but if the state government fell the party would do what was in its best interest. The Congress today welcomed as “thumping and resounding vindication’’ of the party’s stand the
judgement of the Supreme Court on the presidential reference on Gujarat as also the poll schedule announced by the Chief Election Commissioner. Mr Singhvi said the party was ready for Gujarat elections. Mr Singhvi said the Congress was against the continuance of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as there was apprehension of government machinery misused. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said an NDA minister, who had stated that there would be a constitutional crisis if the elections in Gujarat were not held on October 6 and that the EC order about election in Gujarat was unconstitutional, had been proved wrong. He said Mr Modi wanted the Assembly elections to be held in October to take
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SP hums different tune on Hardwar Hardwar, October 28 However, after facing a rout in the last Assembly elections, the party’s enthusiasm on the issue seems to have vanished. The changed attitude of the party was clearly reflected in what the state chief of the party, Mr Ram Singh Saini, told mediapersons at Roorkee last evening. The issue of separating Hardwar from Uttaranchal depends on the wishes of the people and the party can take up the issue, if the majority of the people of the district are interested in excluding it from the hill-state, he said. This ambiguous attitude of the party is in complete contrast to the aggressive posture adopted by the party before the Assembly elections. The same ambivalence was reflected in what Mr Ambrish Kumar, national General Secretary of the party, said here a few days ago. However, party leaders flay the “discriminatory” policies pursued by the state government against the hill-districts, including Hardwar. Whether it is recruitment of Sub-Inspectors or constituting the Press Accreditation Committees or appointments in the Secretariat, the state government is giving “step-motherly” treatment to Hardwar district, said the state party chief. He said the party would hold a demonstration in the state capital against this “discrimination”. |
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LS byelections along with Gujarat poll
New Delhi, October 28 Chief Election Commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh said in consistent and clear policy of the Commission, the byelections were being held at the earliest to ensure that no segment of the population was left unrepresented. The byelections will be held in the Mehasana constituency of Gujarat following the death of Congress member Atmarambhai Patel, resignation of Mr N. D. Tiwari, (Congress) from Nainital and Mr Babulal Marandi of the BJP from Godda on becoming the Chief Ministers of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, respectively. The five assembly constituencies where the bypoll will be held are Daporiji in Arunachal Pradesh, Khumtai in Assam and Bansur, Sagwara and Bali of Rajasthan, Mr Lyngdoh said. The notification for the byelections will be issued on November 18 and the last date for filing nominations will be November 25.
UNI |
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Review POTA decision: Bitta
Hyderabad, October 28 |
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George inaugurates tallest stupa Dehra Dun, October 28 The Defence Minister had laid the foundation of the stupa two years ago. Unveiling the stupa, which stands 185 feet tall, he stressed the urgent need to restore peace and goodwill. “We live in a world infested with violence and not even a day goes by when one does not hear of innocent people being killed’’. He said the “voice of the Dalai Lama is the lone voice in the world appealing for peace calling for the need to strengthen the voices of compassion’’. The tallest stupa in the Doon valley dedicated to world peace would stand as a peace monument when the Tibetan people have returned to their home land, he said at Mindrolling Monastery in Clement Town here. Referring to the glaciers crumbling and the rivers drying up in the Himalayas, he said a trans-Himalayan authority had been set up for the protection and development of the region. His holiness Dalai Lama is currently touring the Doon valley and will be leaving tomorrow. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, the monastery is spread in 100 acres and houses several schools, a college for Buddhist studies and a monastery. Built in 1964, it was inaugurated by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she was Information and Broadcasting Minister. The new stupa unveiled today on its outer facade depicts the legend of Buddha’s descent from heaven to earth. Today’s ceremony was attended by thousands of Tibetans, including people from Bhutan, Laddakh and
Arunachal.
UNI |
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Hindujas allowed Divali abroad New Delhi, October 28 A Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari allowed G.P. Hinduja, who at present is in India to satisfy the bail condition that one of the brothers must stay in the country, to travel to London from November 2 to December 2. Since the surrender of the three Hinduja brothers in a city court in January last in connection with the Bofors trial, all of them had not been allowed to be out of the country together. The Supreme Court, while granting them bail on the furnishing of bail bonds worth Rs 15 crore each, had directed that at any point of time one of the brothers had to be present in India. Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said there was no apprehension that they would abscond as they had huge business interest in India apart from family links. Meanwhile Gopichand Hinduja, one of the brothers, has moved the Delhi High Court challenging an order of a Special Judge here dismissing his application.
PTI |
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Probe ordered into bomb hoax call Patna, October 28 The confusion only compounded with different versions about the incident. While some anticipated it to be a hoax call by a terrorist to divert attention from a target in the near future, the security agencies anticipated it to be a Civil Aviation “security drill”. Most others, however, felt it to be a mischief on the part of a mad man. A section of the media here felt that the hoax call was made from the Patna airport and that it was done by “a senior police official” here to help his relative. They said this was the third time that such a trick had been played to make it possible for a particular news channel to “break the news first”. The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Syed Shahnawaz Hussien, said, “a high-level probe had been ordered. Whether somebody from Patna made the call or it came from elsewhere would be established soon.” The airport officials admitted that the said “police official” was seen making long distance calls” for hours on Sunday morning and that the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) had got a message of the bomb being planted in the flight. The Special Branch officials of Bihar,
however, said, “It looked like a security drill by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the hoax call was made only to assess the ground reality with regard to the safety measures at the Patna Airport. This “security drill” is done by the BCAS at regular intervals at different airports. The DIG of CISF, Mr R.P. Thakur, said the bomb alert was sounded on the Sahara flight going to Mumbai after a call was received at the Lucknow office. |
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Suspected ultra held at airport New Delhi, October 28 The police said the ministry received a fax message stating that a passenger occupying seat 24-A in the Biman Airlines flight no. BG097 was a “terrorist”. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Dhaka to Delhi. The airport authorities were alerted and the passenger identified as Mohammad Ataur-Rehman was taken away from the airport. Rehman was to fly to Frankfurt and then to Lisbon, the police said. Meanwhile, Joint Commissioner of Police (operations) A. S. Khan said Rehman was holding a Bangladeshi passport which was issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in Britain. Senior police officers are interrogating the passenger. |
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Ultras haul bombs at rly station Allahabad, October 28 The bombs missed the target and exploded some distance away, the sources said. The culprits managed to escape, they
said. PTI |
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14 killed as crackers explode Kolkata, October 28 The police said the incident took place when some people had been preparing crackers for selling before the Divali. However, an unconfirmed source said the crackers were being manufactured for selling these to the local anti-social elements. |
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India for consensus on DDCC
New Delhi, October 28 Environment and Forest Minister T.R. Baalu circulated an informal proposal inviting suggestions, comments and inputs from the countries participating in the conference. The process of evolving a consensus on the DDCC also picked up momentum, with the circulation of a draft declaration to the participants of the ongoing conference. Major issues of contention include targets for reduction of emission of greenhouse gases and improvement in the communications mechanism in what is called “reporting progress of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects” in developing countries. Official sources here termed as “disappointing” Russia’s announcement that its Duma (Parliament) “is yet to study in detail the scientific, social and economic implications of the Kyoto Protocol and only the translation of the text has been done so far.”
PTI |
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Hearing on PIL against Togadia on Nov 1 New Delhi, October 28 A Bench comprising Mr Justice Anil Dev Singh and Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi deferred the hearing of the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Anel Sirohi after he requested that the matter be taken up in the afternoon. Besides seeking initiation of criminal and other proceedings under law against Mr Togadia, the petitioner sought a direction to the government to restrain him from indulging in such activities in future. Mr Togadia’s remarks were directed to outrage the religious feelings of minorities and promote animosity among different communities and religious groups, the PIL alleged. Accusing the VHP leader of spreading “politics of hate”, the PIL said his actions were without any regard to “decency, decorum, respect for law and has put the entire nation to shame”.
PTI |
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HC notice on conversions Chennai, October 28 Admitting the petition of 70-year-old Pastor Thangaraj seeking that the ordinance be declared null and void and unconstitutional, a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice B Subhashan Reddy and Justice C. Nagappan, issued notice to the state returnable in two weeks. The petitioner, residing in Thiruvalluvar district, contended that the impugned October 5 “Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion” ordinance was detrimental to the social fabric of the nation.
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Jet gets Asia’s best airline award New Delhi, October 28 Forming part of the TTG Travel Awards, 2002, this latest honour was conferred on Jet Airways, at a special ceremony in Bangkok, jointly organised by TTG Asia Media and Incentive Travel and Conventions Meetings Asia (IT and CMA). Over 700 delegates from over 30 countries attended the awards function. Jet Airways was chosen for this honour after being unanimously selected from an opinion poll conducted among the readers of TTG Asia and TTG-China that comprised travel agents and industry leaders of 14 countries in the region. |
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FORT COLLAPSE KILLS TWO MAN FOUND DEAD IN POLICE STATION GANG OF CHEATS BUSTED PESTICIDES KILL 2 PEACOCKS  |
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