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Kalam for empowering young
scientists
Try my case outside TN, says Kanchi
seer
Resolve Prasar Bharati issue in six weeks:
SC
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SGPC chief for screening of detained Sikh youths
SC reserves verdict on Rathore’s
plea
Thousands bid adieu to O.V. Vijayan
Good governance key to population stabilisation: LS Speaker
‘Bhapa’ Pritam Singh dead
Paswan dissolves LJP’s Bihar unit
Army to provide complete security
to bus service
IBM to tie up with 300 institutes
3-day jail term, fine for LF
Chairman
VAT: Asoke Mitra’s plea
rejected
India, UK sign agreement on film
production
Duggal is Union Home Secretary
Seabird set to become operational
27 bar girls held in Mumbai
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Kalam for empowering young
scientists
New Delhi, March 31 The President called upon the policy makers and experienced scientist to recognise the talents available in the oragnisation irrespective of the position and empower the young scientists to create state-of-the-art laboratories. Addressing a seminar on 'Attracting Young People to Careers in Science', organised by the Indian Physics Association, IIT, Delhi, on the occasion of International Year of Physics, Dr Kalam said, "As the WTO starts to play a crucial role in economic development, it is important for India to put her acts together to become a continuous innovator and creator of science and technology-intensive products". Chalking out the roadmap for turning India into a scientific community, Dr Kalam suggested intake of about 300 MSc and 100 PhD scientists with proper emoluments and assured career growth in organisations such as ISRO, the DRDO, the CSIR and the DST and various universities. "The private and government-funded universities must be encouraged to appoint MSc and PhD who have been selected through a nationally coordinated competitive selection process.... This will be a great motivator for the science students and also their parents for pursuing advanced courses in science," he said. Dr Kalam also called upon the scientists to spend at least sometime visiting schools to ignite young minds by recounting their own experiences. "The youths must be made to understand the beauty of doing science, the pleasure of doing science and the ultimate bliss when the results of science make you understand the nature, master it, control it, and finally make things that improve the quality of life of the human kind," he said. He said universities and research and development institutions must encourage and facilitate the young scientists to write quality research papers in frontier areas and in prestigious journals. He said the world was on the lookout for an alternative to silicon such as molecular transistors, quantum computing and nano electronics. "India has the good science base needed for being a pioneer in making this breakthrough a reality," he said. The challenges facing Indian scientists will be the development of anti-vaccine for HIV/AIDS and development of seeds for agricultural products that require minimum water and can provide high yield per hectare. |
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Try my case outside TN, says Kanchi
seer
New Delhi, March 31 The pontiff, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court on January 10, after his petitions were repeatedly rejected by the trial court and the Madras High Court, accused the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa of vitiating the atmosphere in the state against him. The petition moved by his counsel Krishna Kumar said the atmosphere in the state was not “conducive for fair trial” as the police and the prosecution were acting under the direct “influence” of the government and the Chief Minister. In such a situation it has become doubtful whether he would get “justice” or not, the seer said, adding that the investigating officers in the case were handpicked by the Chief Minister. The interference of the government in the matter was evident from the fact that even the mandatory requirement of providing him the copy of the chargesheet, soon after its submission to the trial court on January 21, was not fulfilled by the prosecution as it was supplied to his counsel only recently after three months, the petition said. He said the atmosphere in the state was so much “surcharged” against him with the Chief Minister making public statements about the case that would “prejudice” his trial. |
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Resolve Prasar Bharati issue in six weeks:
SC
New Delhi, March 31 Though the Prasar Bharati Act has come into force on September 15, 1997 and the corporation came into existence on November 21 that year, “the uncertainty in-so-far as the employees of the Central Government who were working in Akashvani and Doordarshan continued despite the lapse of nearly eight years,” a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice Tarun Chatterjee in its order said. The court in an interim order told Solicitor-General Goolam E Vahanvati to take up the matter with the concerned officers of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Corporation so that the Prasar Bharati Act is implemented in letter and in spirit, while listing further hearing on the matter in second week of May. The interim direction was issued on a petition by Amarjit Singh, a producer with Delhi Doordarshan and several other employees. Nearly 3,000 employees were facing uncertainty whether they were Union Government employees or the workers of the Prasar Bharati due to government’s “failure” to implement the Act and resolve the issue. |
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SGPC chief for screening of detained Sikh youths
New Delhi, March 31 After the meeting, she said,” A number of Sikh youths detained under various militancy-related laws are yet to walk to freedom though they have completed their prison terms. Some of them are even being kept in confinement without trial.” “We have urged the Home Minister to order proper screening of all cases so that innocents and those with minor offences are let off to join the mainstream,” she said. Bibi Jagir Kaur also gave a memorandum to the Home Minister relating to handing over the belongings of Sikh Reference Library to the SGPC, which was taken by the Army during Operation Blue Star. The memorandum referred to the issue of the SGPC quota for pilgrims visiting Pakistan and extending the term of office-bearers of the SGPC from one to two-and-a-half years. She welcomed the decision of the government to start a bus service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib |
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SC reserves verdict on Rathore’s
plea
New Delhi, March 31 Reserving the verdict, a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice Tarun Chatterjee said it would examine the issue whether high court was right in taking suo motu cognizance of the matter after almost nine years in 2001 after the reports of the alleged harassment of Ruchika’s brother Ashu Gherotra had appeared in media. Rathore, who is already facing trial under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code for the alleged assault, use of criminal force against Ruchika with the intent to outrage her modesty, had filed a petition in the apex court, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order of 2002 asking the District Judge of Patiala to inquire into Ashu Gherotra’s allegations against him. Ashu’s counsel Yatish Mohan said though Ruchika had committed suicide in 1993 after she was allegedly forced to leave her school under pressure from Rathore when the issue of her “molestation” became public and the police had consequently registered several cases against her brother and arrested him. He said the harassment of Ashu continued for nearly four years during which he was tortured by the police on more than one occasion in the police station under alleged “supervision” of Rathore before he was discharged of all “false” cases by the court in1997. The high court, which had taken suo motu notice of the matter in December 2001 when the media reports about the alleged harassment of Ashu appeared after about three years of his being cleared in the case, had also directed the District Judge to find out if any case for award of compensation to him could be made out for the purported violation of his fundamental rights by a high functionary of the state. Rathore’s counsel Uday Lalit assailed the high court order on the ground that there was no occasion for it to take suo motu notice of the matter following the media reports as there was no mention of the former DGP in those. Neither had Ashu Gherotra, filed any complaint to this effect since 1993 till he submitted an affidavit in the high court in May 2002 making the allegations of harassment against the former DGP. When the Bench asked Ashu’s counsel as what was the source of high court taking suo motu notice of the matter when Rathore’s name did not figure in the media report, neither was there any material on record against him, nor any complaint was filed by the former throughout the eight-year period against the DGP, the lawyer referred to the affidavit of Gherotra before the high court in which a series of allegations were levelled against the police officer. Ashu in his affidavit had alleged that Ruchika was thrown out of the school at the behest of Rathore after she made public her alleged molestation. She committed suicide after the arrest of her brother by the police, which had registered six FIRs against him and was beaten by the police in the CISF premises in the presence of Rathore, who threatened their family with dire consequences and even death, Mohan reading out from the high court order said. |
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Thousands bid adieu to O.V. Vijayan
Palakkad (Kerala), March 31 The last rites were performed by two of his nephews, eminent cartoonist Ravi Sankar and Sooraj, at the cremation ground at the Sri Krishna temple here overlooking the Bharatapuzha river. Thousands of admirers and well-known people attended the funeral. Several legislators, among them minister A.P. Anilkumar, were also present. The body of the 75-year-old Malayalam and English writer was brought to his birthplace here soon after his death at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Wednesday following prolonged illness. Till Thursday morning the body was kept in Vijayan’s sister’s home and people were allowed to pay their last respects. He is survived by his wife Theresa and his US-based son Madhu, who is now in India. Madhu, who arrived a day before his father passed away, stayed back in Hyderabad and did not take part in the funeral. Cartoonist, novelist, columnist and short-story writer, Vijayan has to his credit five novels, including his maiden effort “Khasakkinte Itihasam”. He also wrote several short stories and articles. He was the first Malayali author to highlight the issue of environmental degradation through prose. The creative mind in him very much feared a nuclear holocaust, as is evident from his writings. Oottupulackal Velukkutty Vijayan was born at Vilayanchaathanoor village in Palakkad on July 2, 1930. He graduated in arts from Government Victoria College, Palakkad, and took a master’s degree in English literature from Presidency College, Chennai. Vijayan’s career began with a short stint at teaching, but he soon opted for full-time journalism and left Kerala in 1958 to pursue his active interest in the world of cartoons in New Delhi. He joined Shanker’s Weekly, New Delhi, in 1958 as a cartoonist and writer of political satire. He met and married Theresa Gabriel, a philosophy teacher, in New Delhi. Vijayan, who was bitterly critical of socialists, later moved towards spiritualism, developing an affinity for religion and its gurus that was evident in “Gurusagaram”. He won several awards. He bagged the State and Central Academy awards in 1990, the Vayalar Rama Varma award in 1991, the Muttathu Varkey award in 1992 and the Ezhuthachan Puruskaram in 2003. —
IANS |
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Good governance key to population stabilisation: LS Speaker
New Delhi, March 31 Delivering the Ninth J. R. D. Tata Memorial Oration “Towards Population Stabilisation: Role of Good Governance” Mr Chatterjee said, “Currently our population of about 109 crore, 16.7 per cent of the global population, is the second largest in the world and occupies 2.4 per cent of the earth’s surface area. “It is estimated that the growth rate at present is 1.7 per cent which implies that this huge burgeoning population has to be catered to, no mean task even for the most booming of economies. “Although we were the first in the world to put in place a national family planning programme, we need a good measure of both good governance and population stability to ensure sustainable growth and development,” he said. Highlighting the work of the Population Foundation of India, a brainchild of visionary late J. R. D. Tata, Mr Chatterjee said, “ It is highly gratifying to see that the PFI has been doing outstanding work towards population stabilisation and establishing a balance among our resources, environment and population and in different areas relating to population policy, namely, universal primary health care, including reproductive and child health services, empowering women and involving communities.” He said the issue today is how to transform our population into an asset, converting human potential into high value added workforce resource for contributing towards raising the standards of living of the entire population. In the light of the increasing bigger proportion of aged population and of the under-15 category in another 20 years he said, “The most vital thing for us is to advance on the economic and social fronts. If in our eagerness for family planning we ignore this major aspect of economic advance or educational advance, we will be building on wholly insecure foundations. For economic and educational progress is the foundation on which we can have any effective progress in regard to family “The increasing pressure on the limited resources of the country has brought to the forefront the urgency of the problem of population control.... It is therefore apparent that this can be achieved only by the reduction of the birth rate to the extent necessary to stabilise the population at a level consistent with the requirements of the national economy,” he said. In conclusion, he said, “We should not take an alarmist view of our population growth but rather try to transform our human potential into an asset. If we recognise the importance of participatory process as the key element of good governance, our policies and programmes for population stabilisation will find much wider acceptance and lead to better results,” he added. |
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‘Bhapa’ Pritam Singh dead
New Delhi, March 31 “Bhapa” Pritam Singh founded Navyug Publishers in 1945 and moved to Delhi from Preet Nagar, near Lahore, in 1948. He was regarded as a pillar of the Punjabi literary world, who took the language to the international standards. Most known Punjabi novelists, poets and short-story writers owe their reputation and career to Pritam Singh. Talking to The Tribune, his daughter, Prof Renuka Singh, called him a fortunate and blessed person who led a meaningful life and helped several people. “His contributions to Punjabi writing are unparalleled. Name any Punjabi writer, Gurbaksh Singh, Nanak Singh, Mohan Singh, K. S. Duggal, Amrita Pritam, Ajit Cour, they all wanted to be published by him,” she said. “Bhapa” Pritam Singh also published a Punjabi translation of two volumes of Khushwant Singh’s “Sikh Religion and History”. He is survived by two daughters.
“BHAPA Pritam Singh represented the golden era of Punjabi literature and published famous writers of the century like Nanak Singh, Gurbax Singh Preetlari, Amrita Pritam, Kartar Singh Duggal, Devendra Satyarthi, Balwant Gargi and many others. His was an immense contribution to Punjabi literature,” said city-based writer Gulzar Singh Sandhu while paying tributes to the grand old Bhapa Pritam Singh, who passed away at New Delhi in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
Founder of the famous Navyug Publishing house in 1951, Pritam Singh passed away at the ripe old age of 91. His was one of the success stories of Punjabi entrepreneurs making it big in the national capital of Independent India. The difference was that he devoted all his energy to publishing the best of Punjabi literature. Born in Talwandi Bhindran village near Narowal in Sialkot district of West Punjab. He began his career humbly as press compositor in Punjabi and later headed the Preetlari press at Preetnagar near Amritsar. In 1951, he established the Navyug press and publishing house in Delhi. Dr M.S. Randhawa, who was deputy commissioner of Delhi post-Partition and went out of his way to rehabilitate writers who had migrated from West Punjab, allotted him a plot in Hauz Khas. Interestingly, he and Amrita Pritam shared the back wall of their houses. Known for not giving writers much by way of royalty, he compensated by publishing the books beautifully. Punjabi scholar Surjit Singh Hans said of him, “He imparted beauty to Punjabi literature.” However, beauty is not always helpful and some parted ways with him like Amrita Pritam who set up her own Nagmani publishing house. Of all the Punjabi women writers whom he published lovingly with their pretty pictures on the cover, Ajeet Cour was his favourite. Cour, who had written a fond biographical sketch of his called Takiye Wala Pir said, “He caught me by my finger and set me off on the road to literature.” Many writers played Boswel to him by penning sketches to their publisher and Gulzar Sandhu wrote a complete book on him called Navyug Taksal. Recounting his contribution to Punjabi publishing, Raghubir Singh, editor Sirjana, said, “He remained at the heart of literary activities even though he was not a creative writer. His is an immense contribution to Punjabi literature.” From 1958 to 2000, he published a literary magazine called Arsee, which was a leading journal along with Amrita Pritam’s Nagmani. Punjabi poet Manjit Tiwana said, “He published my anthologies of poetry so beautifully. He never took any money from me and I did not take any royalty from him.” However, many writers, including those living abroad, paid for publication of their books and he always did a good job. Once in an interview he told me: “Very few Punjabi writers sell. From among those whom I have published only Gurbax Singh, Nanak Singh, Gargi and Shiv Kumar Batalvi sell. But there are hundreds who just want their books to be published for the love of it.” As a businessman he exploited this love to make a pretty packet. But in his later years he spent much money on literary activities and he was the founder of the Punjabi Sahit Sabha in Delhi and chairman of the Nanak Singh-Gurbax Singh Trust, Preetnagar. In the past few years he suffered several brain strokes and the last one some five days ago proved fatal. Survived by his daughters Renuka, who lived with him and wrote several books on Dalai Lama, and Jyotsna, who lives in the US, the grand old Bhapa in his spotless white clothes, flowing white beard and congenial smile will remain etched in the memories of Punjabi litterateurs for long. |
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Paswan dissolves LJP’s Bihar unit
New Delhi, March 31 Though the LJP had contested the Assembly elections in February this year on the anti-Laloo Yadav platform but Mr Paswan had been resisting to be a part of any coalition government in which the Bharatiya Janata Party had any role in it. In the caste ridden politics of Bihar, majority of the LJP MLAs, belonging to higher castes like Bhumihars and Rajputs, have been asking Mr Paswan to join hands with the JDU to form a coalition government in Patna. These MLAs are obviously not as averse to the BJP as Mr Paswan is. Mr Paswan knows fully well that if he was seen or even perceived to have any association with the BJP then his objective of consolidating the sizable Muslim votes would come to a naught, observers here said. Mr Paswan decided to move swiftly as the JDU convention, which ended today in Rajgir, announced that all efforts would be made to form a government. The president of the LJP’s dissolved state unit Normative Sines was reportedly in touch with many JDU leaders, including Mr Natasha Kumar. Mr Normative Sines, a veteran of the JP movement, is senior in terms of political age to Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and the JDU leaders like Nitesh Kumar. Apprehending that Mr Singh might give a letter of support to a JDU-led coalition government, Mr Paswan decided to dissolve the state unit, sources said. Mr Paswan is likely to appoint his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras as the next chief of the LJP state unit so that the LJP does not meet the same fate as happened in Jharkhand. Mr Paswan has also been under pressure from some of Bhumihar leaders, who have been demanding a fair share in the party for supporting the LJP in the recently held Assembly elections. The LJP supremo had therefore appointed a Bhumihar MLA Ramashrey Prasad Singh as the leader of the LJP legislature party. Mr Paswan opted for a senior leader like Ramashrey Prasad Singh because of his experience in various Congress governments. Mr Singh was a Cabinet minister in the Chief Ministership of Bindeshwari Dube and Jagganath Mishra. Mr Paswan would like to keep the reins of the party in his hands and would hate to lose initiative, a senior leader of his party said. |
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Army to provide complete security
to bus service
New Delhi, March 31 Describing the threats as a desperate and anti-people act, the Chief of Army Staff pointed out that the militants had also held out such threats during elections. Incidentally, the militants have handed out threats to those travelling in the bus due to start its service from April 7 at their residence, which has pointed to leak in information at the state government-level. Terming the start of the bus service as a key confidence-building measure, General J.J. Singh said the state government and the security forces were determined to make it a success. “We will ensure that whatever is possible will be done to provide security,” he said on the sidelines of a function here where Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the trophies to the best marching contingents at this year’s Republic Day. The Chief of Army Staff was confident that the people would defy the ban and the threats, as it was an opportunity for the divided families to meet. Meanwhile on the sidelines of the same function, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi said the sale of F-16 fighter jets by the USA to Pakistan did not come as a surprise but the development would be “factored” into future plans of the force. |
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IBM to tie up with 300 institutes
New Delhi, March 31 The IBM academic initiative will make available more than 40 IBM software technologies at no charge for integration into the IT curricula of colleges. ‘’We will work with universities that support open standards and seek to use open source and IBM technologies, both directly and virtually,’’ IBM India managing director Shanker Annaswamy said at a press conference here. The IBM will assign a technical team to assess an institution’s IT curricula and provide technical training and skills transfer for faculty and staff. |
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3-day jail term, fine for LF
Chairman
Kolkata, March 31 A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Asoke Ganguly and Mr Justice S.P. Talukdar gave the judgement today after hearing the case against Mr Bose for 10 months. Mr Justice Lala in February last year gave an order banning processions, meetings and demonstrations on the main thoroughfares in the city after the judge and hundreds of others were held up on the streets near the High Court owing to a CPM-organised procession. Though all political parties strongly opposed the order, Mr Bose publicly bantered Mr Justice Lala for issuing such a judgement. He also allegedly threatened Mr Justice Lala with dire consequences. |
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VAT: Asoke Mitra’s plea
rejected
Kolkata, March 31 The state Finance Minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta, who is also the Chairman of the VAT implementation committee, expressed the government’s resolve to implement VAT from tomorrow (April 1). He was glad that the Calcutta High Court had rejected the petition filed on behalf of his predecessor, Dr Asoke Mitra, yesterday against the implementation of VAT. |
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India, UK sign agreement on film
production
New Delhi, March 31 The two sides have committed themselves to entering into the negotiations for establishing a bilateral agreement on film co-production, based on the mutual economic and cultural benefits. Speaking after her meeting with Mr Reddy, the British Media Minister described the Indian film industry as the most impressive and spectacular film industry in the world. “Like the UK, it has a rich heritage of producing entertaining, challenging and culturally relevant cinema. A treaty would enable us to continue to compete on the world stage, drawing on the wealth of talent that both possess, both in front of and behind the camera,” she said. A statement issued by the British High Commission said the treaty would encourage the Indian filmmakers to invest in British talent and UK locations. In return, Indian filmmakers would benefit from UK filmmaking and their films would be eligible for claims to the UK’s incentives, which were designed to encourage investment in the UK’s domestic industry. The Indian film industry is worth £ 0.7 billion and is expected to rise to £1.7 billion by 2007. Sources in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the agreement was expected to be formalised within five months. They said India would try to put in place a single window clearance system for such co-productions.
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Duggal is Union Home Secretary
New Delhi, March 31 Mr Duggal, who had been the Water Resources Secretary since November 4, 2003, succeeds Mr Dhirendra Singh, who retired from service today. |
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Seabird set to become operational
Karwar, March 31 "The commissioning of the depot ship in the first week of May would mark the operationalisation of the base," Rear Admiral K. Mohanrao, Director-General, Project Seabird said. "The depot ship would co-ordinate the logistics and administrative requirements of the base," he added. Seabird would be the Indian Navy's third major base after Mumbai and Vishakapatnam. It would also be the country's first exclusive naval base, the other naval bases being co-located with commercial and civilian ports. Naval operations in other ports are hampered due to the movement of merchant vessels, which are often accorded priority by port authorities. Admiral Mohanrao said the base's location at the centre of the western seaboard gives the navy a strategic depth. It is also meant to decongest Mumbai, which is a prime target because of the commercial establishments located away from Mumbai. Under the "truncated" phase-I of the project, the base will have the capacity for docking 11 ships. The phase-I, which would be complete in 2006, had earlier envisioned docking facilities for 22 ships and 21 aircraft along with the requisite infrastructure. The remaining past of the first phase has been converted into Phase-II, the government approval for which has been accorded. Subsequent phases will be executed as and when the government's approval is accorded and funds are made available. The total outlay for Project Seabird is Rs 35,000 crore. About Rs 2,500 crore was allocated for the "truncated" phase-I. The project was conceived in 1982 and the foundation stone was laid in 1986. The master plan was approved in 1989. Sanction for the "truncated" phase-I was accorded in 1995 and works commenced in 1998. The Seabird's master plan calls for berthing facilities for 45 ships and operational capability for 45 aircraft at an airfield which is to come up. Other facilities include expansive repair and docking facilities, armament depots and naval stores, operations and signal centers, a 114-bed hospital, schools, residential complexes and allied establishments. Accommodation is also planned to house the headquarters of a naval command. The most significant aspect of the first phase is a Rs 150-crore Shiplift and Ship Transfer System, where a ship is lifted out of the water and placed on the pier alongside for cleaning and repair of the underwater sections. The facility can be used for ships up to 10,000 tonnes and three ships of this size can be accommodated at the pier. This would be the first naval facility of its kind in Asia. Singapore has a commercial shiplifting facility. The first ship to berth at the base was INS Sutlej on December 4, 2004. This base would be the only naval base capable of accommodating the aircraft carrier Gorkshov when it joins the Navy a couple of years hence. A naval air station, complete with a 2000-meter airstrip and support facilities for maritime air operations will come up in phase-II. This phase, which will also include other facilities, is expected to take five years to complete, once sanction is
accorded. It would still be several years before the masterplan is complete as envisioned. Spread over 4,480 hectares, most of it forest land, the Seabird is also the first naval station in the country to comply with the International Maritime Pollution Control regulations, making it an eco-friendly station. The plan of the station also takes into account the emerging concept of network centric warfare and requisite infrastructure including optical fibre cable network, communication nodes and information technology related paraphernalia, including automated control consoles are being put in place. |
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27 bar girls held in Mumbai
Mumbai, March 31 A case of obscene activity and running the bar beyond the stipulated time has been registered against them. Meanwhile, BJP legislator Sudhir Mungantiwar today gave a breach of privilege notice against Bar Owners Association president Manjit Singh Sethi for his reported derogatory remarks against ministers, especially Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil. The member referred to a newspaper report which had carried Mr Sethi’s reaction to the government’s decision to shut down dance bars. —UNI |
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