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India, US to cooperate in fighting terror
Big-time Indo-US energy cooperation on anvil
Majority of Indian N-plants to be under IAEA
We have gender bias: Laura
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Visit to focus on farm sector
Religious harmony bowls over Bush
Cong’s allies protest
against visit
Reddy to ‘showcase’ AP mangoes to Bush
Indian mango on way to US
PM was not frisked: PMO
SP parades 29 rebel MLAs
RS poll for 58 seats announced
HC rejects plea of Veerappan’s widow
India’s first embryo transplant foal
Heavy security cover for Rabri
Babbar for CBI probe into Amar Singh tapes
India’s first embryo transplant foal
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India, US to cooperate in fighting terror
New Delhi, March 2 This and many other announcements were made today in a Joint Statement after talks between US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here. Both sides are working to finalise a Logistics Support Agreement at the earliest. The two sides stressed the need for enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries and stressed that terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and rooted out in every part of the world. The statement Welcomed the increased cooperation between the US and India in the defence area, since the New Framework for the U.S.-India Defence Relationship was signed on June 28, 2005, as evidenced by successful joint exercises, expanded defence cooperation and information sharing, and greater opportunities to jointly develop technologies and address security and humanitarian issues. The Joint Statement also noted the following areas of agreement between India and the US:
Welcomed the inclusion of two US instruments in the Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1. They noted that memoranda of understanding to be signed by ISRO and NASA would be significant steps forward in this area. |
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Big-time Indo-US energy cooperation on anvil
New Delhi, March 2 India has sought membership in the Integrated Ocean Development Programme (IODP), an international drilling programme for scientific deep-sea research led by Japan and the US, which aims to study, inter alia, the unknown deep biosphere by studying core samples and monitoring borehols, an important first step towards harnessing gas hydrates as a source of energy. This and other energy security related steps were discussed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W. Bush today. The National Gas Hydrate Programme (NGHP) had identified specific areas in Indian deep-sea waters for conducting further geo-scientific surveys and studies. It was believed that commercial exploitation of gas hydrates might start sometime in the period 2015-2020. It was decided to hold a Natural Gas Conference, with focus on coal-bed methane, here in April or early May this year, with focus on gas infrastructure development and operations, LNG and non-conventional gas, including coal-bed methane and gas sector regulation. India accepted the US invitation to participate in the Future Gen project, an initiative to build the world’s first integrated sequestration and hydrogen production research power plant. Future Gen, a billion-dollar project to which India was contributing $10 million and the US Government and industry were responsible for funding the balance, would create the world’s first zero-emission fossil fuel plant, drawing upon the best scientific talent to pursue an innovative showcase project focused on the design, construction and operation of a technically cutting-edge power plant, with Indian companies also expected to participate in the private sector segment. The other segments to be included were MoUs on offshore drilling for gas hydrates and safety, standards, codes of practice and procedures. Dialogue would continue on a proposed MoU between the IOC and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory on hydrogen. Possible cooperation would be discussed in treatment of residues from refineries and production and storage, safety and regulation of hydrocarbons. The USTDA was funding an Oil and Gas Refinery Orientation Visit for nine representatives from the Indian public and private sector to visit the US in the late summer of 2006 to provide an introduction to US expertise and equipment in downstream oil and gas manufacturing and introduce small and medium size US companies to opportunities in India. |
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Majority of Indian N-plant to be under IAEA
New Delhi, March 2 Moreover, India has given its commitment to the US that its future reactors, including fast breeder reactors, that are classified as civilian, will be put under permanent IAEA safeguards. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chose not to give any details about the Indo-US nuclear deal till he tells Parliament about it (which he is likely to do on March 6), US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns gave these details in an exhaustive briefing to American correspondents accompanying President Bush in Hotel Maurya Sheraton this afternoon. “I can tell you that a majority of India’s nuclear power plants will be put under international safeguards, and that they will be permanent safeguards — what we call safeguards in perpetuity. That’s very important. That is a signal both to the US and to the rest of the international community that this move by the Indian government is permanent,” Mr Burns said. Asked whether future reactors, those fast breeder reactors, will be permanently placed under safeguards, Mr Burns replied: “Yes. One of the Indian commitments is that those future thermal power reactors, as well as breeder reactors that are classified as civilian will be put under permanent IAEA safeguards.” However, Mr Burns also stated that today’s agreement will cover the majority of Indian civil nuclear industry, but India will continue with its strategic programme and the agreement does not have an impact on that strategic programme. He said the Indian government made three pledges to the Americans. One, India will put a majority of their civil nuclear power reactors under safeguards, and that will be phased in between 2006 and 2014. Second, as India constructs nuclear power plants, all the civil thermal and breeder reactors will be put under safeguards. Third, India would enter into permanent safeguard arrangements with the International Atomic Energy Agency. |
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We have gender bias: Laura
New Delhi, March 2 Tabassum asked the US First Lady whether women in the USA were discriminated against as they were in India. “A little bit,” was the candid reply. She clarified that since voting rights were given to US women almost 95 years back, the situation was not the same as in India. She pointed out that there were many more women in colleges and getting education in her country. Questions on issues affecting their lives, trafficking of women and children, child abuse and domestic violence were raised. They also asked the US First Lady whether there were children in the USA who could not afford education. She said there were public schools for children who could not afford to pay for their education. She pointed out that as per US law, education was compulsory for all. The US President’s wife was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the traditional Rajasthani way. She reciprocated the love by asking children to pose with her in photographs and was liberal in her compliments. The children presented Ms Bush handmade mementoes from the institute as she inspected some classrooms. Earlier the US President and his wife paid their respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s samadhi. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to honour Mahatma Gandhi at his sacred site,” he wrote in the visitors’ book. The President and his wife offered floral tributes at the Rajghat, which they found a simple place. Mr Bush and his wife were presented several gifts, including a set of books written by Mahatma Gandhi, among them his autobiography ‘My Experiments With Truth’. The gifts also included a mini-charkha and a khadi silk scroll with the seven social sins shunned by Mahatma Gandhi written on it. Ms Bush also visited a studio at Film City in Noida, where she met characters of the Indian version of the US cartoon serial ‘Sesame Street’ and participated in shooting. Describing how her daughters had grown up enjoying the serial, she hoped that the Indian version would have the same impact on children here. After sharing the official lunch hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with her husband, Ms Bush made a stopover at Jeevan Jyoti, home for disabled and spastic children run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. She interacted with the children and left messages of love in their notebooks. |
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Visit to focus on farm sector
Hyderabad, March 2 The President’s first stop in the city is at Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University, where he will actually witness cutting furrows with a draft of oxen in the traditional Indian way of preparation for sowing. Mr Bush will also have a look at various crops such as cotton and sunflower developed under the Seed Development Project of the university. He will then have an interaction with farmers from across the state who will narrate their success stories in adopting new technologies and hybrid seeds to improve productivity. Later, the President will have tête-à-tête with a dozen young entrepreneurs at the International School of Business, which is affiliated to Wharton and Kellogg Business Schools in the USA. Mr Bush, however, is not making the “mandatory” visit to any IT establishment such as Hitec City. The high point of Mr Clinton’s visit to Hyderabad was his visit to Hitec City, where he showered praises on the Indian IT strengths. The IT czars of the city such as Satyam Chairman Ramalinga Raju had a chance to rub shoulders with the US President then. This time around, however, IT does not figure during Bush’s nearly five-hour visit to the city. Another point of departure about this visit is the complete lack of hype that characterised Clinton trip. The then Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who left no stone unturned to ensure Hyderabad was on Mr Clinton’s Indian itinerary, saw to it that the US President was rolled out a royal red carpet. Mr Naidu spared no effort to get mileage from the first ever visit of an American President to the city by showcasing the IT industry. In contrast, the present Congress government, led by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has kept the visit of the most powerful man on earth very low profile. The state government’s reluctance to paint the town red for the visit is born mainly out of the apprehension about the anti-Bush sentiments of the Muslim minorities, whom the local Congress leaders have been cultivating assiduously. |
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Religious harmony bowls over Bush
New Delhi, March 2 In a first for any visiting Head of State of having an interface with religious leaders, he stressed that he firmly believed in God and prayed to seek resolution of problems. Religious leaders of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs drew pointed attention to India’s unity in diversity. They were categoric that they had no fear or any quarrel, were living peacefully and abhorred terrorism. They underlined the need for humanity to live in peace and suggested creation of a global religious body akin to the United Nations for resolving disputes through dialogue. Rajya Sabha member and former Chairperson of the National Commission of Minorities Tarlochan Singh took up the cause Sikhs in the US. — TNS |
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Cong’s allies protest
against visit
New Delhi, March 2 The demonstrators took out a peaceful march in the heart of the Capital, which proved a nightmare for motorists and students appearing in Class X examinations. The Communists and the SP, as part of their protest, issued a veiled threat to the Congress-led coalition not to succumb to US pressure on the nuclear issue. SP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav accused the Congress-led Centre of conspiring to bring down his government. Activists of the CPI(M), the CPI, the CPI(ML), the RSP, the Forward Bloc, the SP, the JD(S) and others converged on the Ram Lila Ground in protest against the US President’s visit to India. — TNS |
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Reddy to ‘showcase’ AP mangoes to Bush
Hyderabad, March 2 Talking to reporters here, Dr Reddy said he would make Mr Bush, himself a Ranch owner savour, the sweetness of the mangoes grown in the state, during their meeting at Acharya N.G. Ranga Agriculture University. India, which is the world’s largest exporter of the ‘king of fruits’, had tremendous potential to export horticultural products in the era of globalisation to Europe and US.
— UNI |
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Indian mango on way to US
New Delhi, March 2 “The USA is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes,” said the US President at the joint press statement as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nodded in approval. The joint statement also endorsed an agreed workplan to promote bilateral trade in agriculture. This would be through agreements that lay out a path to open the US market to Indian mangoes.
— TNS |
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PM was not frisked: PMO
New Delhi, March 2 |
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SP parades 29 rebel MLAs
Lucknow, March 2 In a petition submitted to the Governor, Ms Mayawati declared that the government had no moral or legal right to continue in office “even for a minute and requires to be dismissed forthwith”. She urged the Governor to take the help of the Central government if needed to implement the order or else dismiss the government. The cause of Ms Mayawati’s immediate wrath was what she described as Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey’s “biased and prejudiced and completely distorted” interpretation of the Allahabad High Court judgment before the media. Speaking to the press, Mr Pandey on Wednesday night had indicated that if any member amongst the 40 MLAs does not follow the whip of the leader, he would be liable to be disqualified under 10th Schedule. According to her, the Speaker, reportedly “under pressure from Mulayam Singh Yadav”, had mislead the press by giving the impression that the judgment had recognised the 40 MLAs as a separate group. In view of this he had passed interim orders for their sitting in the treasury benches till their case was heard Summoning a press conference before meeting the Governor Ms Mayawati criticised the Speaker for precipitating a constitutional crisis by misusing his office. She said that it was time to bring in measures to check the unbridled power of the Speaker in view of the strictures against the present and former speakers in the judgment. She declared that her party would take action if the Governor did not take any “concrete step” within four-five days to address the constitutional crisis arising out of this. “We would again move the High Court to take action against the Speaker’s distorted interpretation of the 28 February High Court judgment” . In an hour-long meeting with the Governor, Ms Mayawati accompanied by National general secretary Satish Mishra, party leader in the House Swami Prasad Maurya gave him a copy of the high court judgment and urged him to consult legal experts to immediately ensure its implementation. Clarifying the judgment, senior counsel and BSP National general secretary SC Mishra said that it had in no way given the Speaker a free hand to decide as he wishes. He was expected to reconsider the disqualification of 13 petitions “ in accordance with law” keeping in mind the legal position explained in the judgment. The day began with one more BSP MLA, Ram Krishna, president of Updesco Corporation, submitting his resignation to the Governor at Raj Bhavan and rejoining the parent BSP party taking the number of home comers to five. The Samajwadi Party, however, gave a completely different version of the judgment, making it appear more like the proverbial elephant described by the blind men from their vantage positions. Lashing out at the BSP for creating confusion in the minds of the people and conspiring to impose President’s rule, party general secretary and PWD and Energy minister Shivpal Singh Yadav paraded 29 of the 38 MLAs at the CM’s official residence. He claimed that another four were also with them but could not be physically present due to personal reasons. He claimed to have support of 228 MLAs even without counting the 16 Congress MLAs in a House of 403 (one vacancy in a house of 404). Denying issuing any threats to Minister of Health and Medicine Jaiveer Singh who rejoined BSP yesterday, Mr Yadav said that he had only spoken to him on phone. He, however, admitted that controversial minister Raja Bhaiyya and mafia don-turned MLA Dhananjay Singh had gone to persuade Jaiveer Singh to reconsider his decision of resigning from the government. In a related development, Revenue Minister Ambika Chaudhury filed a petition with the Speaker to initiate anti-defection proceedings under Schedule 10 of the Constitution against the five MLAs who have since returned to the parent party. |
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RS poll for 58 seats announced
New Delhi, March 2 Prominent among those whose term expires include Union Ministers Arjun Singh and H. R. Bhardwaj, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj. The term of Faquir Chand (Haryana), Kripal Parmar (Himachal Pradesh) also expires next month. According to poll schedule, notifications would be issued on March 10. While the last date for filing nominations will be on March 17, scrutiny will take place the following day. Last date for withdrawal of nominations will be on March 20. The polling will take place on March 28 and the counting would take place the same evening. A maximum of 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, six each in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, five each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, four each in Gujarat and Karnataka, three each in Orissa and Rajasthan, two in Jharkhand and one each in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal will fall vacant next month. The Commission has also decided to hold biennial elections to 13 seats in UP and 10 seats in legislative councils in UP and Bihar, respectively. Meanwhile, in the assembly poll bound five states of West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, the Election Commission today directed the Centre and the poll-bound states not to release fresh funds under the MPLAD and
MLAs/MLCs Local Area Development Fund till the completion of the poll process. Observing that the Model Code of Conduct had already come into force, the EC said in a communication to the Cabinet Secretary and Chief Secretaries of the states that no fresh release of funds under the MPLAD should be made in any part of the country where the poll process was in progress. No work shall start in respect of which work orders have been issued. The works could start only after the completion of election process, it said adding if a work has actually started that could continue. |
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HC rejects plea of Veerappan’s widow
Chennai, March 2 In her petition, she alleged that her husband was captured alive, poisoned and killed by the Tamil Nadu police Special Task Force (STF) which later conducted a false encounter in which Veerappan was gunned down. A division Bench, comprising Justice P. Sadhasivam and Justice J. A. K. Sampathkumar, also rejected her plea for a fresh post-mortem on the skeletal remains of Veerappan and three of his associates, who were gunned down by the STF. The judges held that the petitioner had not made out a prima facie case for a CBI probe into the death of her husband since her allegations were devoid of merit and she failed to provide material in support of her contention. Following an appeal by the Tamil Nadu government the judges set aside a single judge’s order issued in February 2005, directing the revenue divisional officer, Dharmapuri, to conduct an inquiry into the death of Veerappan and register a case. The Bench also dismissed another petition by the outlaw’s widow, seeking a direction to the state government to initiate criminal and departmental proceedings against the STF personnel involved in the killing of her husband. She had also pleaded before the court to initiate action against the doctors who performed the post-mortem on Veerappan and his associates, for allegedly not disclosing that they were poisoned. The Bench also rejected her plea for a direction to the state government to take back the awards given to the STF personnel concerned and cancel the promotions given to them. Muthulakshmi’s request for a direction to the state government to pay compensation to the families who allegedly suffered at the hands of STF was also dismissed by the judges. |
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India’s first embryo transplant foal
Babugarh (Uttar Pradesh), March 2 Born of a prized stallion, Passion, and an equally distinguished mare number 3671, Gaurav is the first ever foal bred through the embryo transfer technology (ETT) in the country at the Equine Breeding Stud, Babugarh. Christened by the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lieut-Gen S. Pattabhiraman, here today, little Gaurav born on February 10, 2006, is perhaps the perfect example of Plato’s suggestion of selective breeding for a perfect society, only this time it is in the animal kingdom. Gaurav was delivered by mare number 3698, which was chosen to be the recipient of the zygote that emerged from the mating of the sperm and the egg of Passion and mare number 3671, respectively. “The use of ETT is basically a part of a research project sanctioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology in December 2003. We have already managed to impregnate 11 mares through this technology, the second foal conceived through this technology was born on February 27, 2006,” said Lieut-Col Devendra Kumar, the Principal Scientist. Explaining the process of Gaurav’s birth, he said, “We took a superior quality horse and mare, which is pre-treated with hormones to produce multiple eggs with potential for several foals. The superior mare, in this case mare 3671, was first impregnated with the sperm and after it turned into a zygote it was flushed out and placed in the womb of mare 3698, which then carried it for a year till it was born”. A highly specialised technique, the ETT has to be carried out under a strictly controlled environment and protected against any possible infections. The project, which has been allocated Rs. 77.06 lakh, has been carried out in a specially built state-of-art laboratory. Buoyed by the success of Gaurav’s birth, Army personnel posted at Babugarh are in a celebration mode. Referring to the many merits of the ETT, Col S.C. Ghatt pointed out that the quality of animals being produced using the technology would spell a boon, particularly in the field of equestrian games. The personnel are already banking on Gaurav and his contemporaries to help the country win laurels at the Olympics level. |
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Heavy security cover for Rabri
Patna, March 2 According to Mr Nitish Kumar, an official bullet-proof car with two escort vehicles, a tail-cutter, PSO, state guards, 31-member team of outer security, besides 22 officials of the special branch have been deployed for the security of Ms Rabri Devi. Mr Nitish Kumar rebuffed the charges of discrimination on the security issue levelled against his government. |
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Babbar for CBI probe into Amar Singh tapes
Lucknow, March 2 Demanding a CBI inquiry into the Amar Singh tape controversy, Babbar said the tapes contained matters of grave national security. He hinted that it even mentioned creating civil strife in Uttar Pradesh if the state government faced any crisis. When Babbar came to meet Governor T.V. Rajeswar today he had brought with him an out-of-the ordinary present — a set of 24 audio CDs having approximately 20 hours of conversation reportedly between Mr Amar Singh and various influential people, including Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. |
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India’s first embryo transplant foal Babugarh (Uttar Pradesh), March 2 Born of a prized stallion, Passion, and an equally distinguished mare number 3671, Gaurav is the first ever foal bred through the embryo transfer technology (ETT) in the country at the Equine Breeding Stud, Babugarh. Christened by the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lieut-Gen S. Pattabhiraman, here today, little Gaurav born on February 10, 2006, is perhaps the perfect example of Plato’s suggestion of selective breeding for a perfect society, only this time it is in the animal kingdom. Gaurav was delivered by mare number 3698, which was chosen to be the recipient of the zygote that emerged from the mating of the sperm and the egg of Passion and mare number 3671, respectively. “The use of ETT is basically a part of a research project sanctioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology in December 2003. We have already managed to impregnate 11 mares through this technology, the second foal conceived through this technology was born on February 27, 2006,” said Lieut-Col Devendra Kumar, the Principal Scientist. Explaining the process of Gaurav’s birth, he said, “We took a superior quality horse and mare, which is pre-treated with hormones to produce multiple eggs with potential for several foals. The superior mare, in this case mare 3671, was first impregnated with the sperm and after it turned into a zygote it was flushed out and placed in the womb of mare 3698, which then carried it for a year till it was born”. A highly specialised technique, the ETT has to be carried out under a strictly controlled environment and protected against any possible infections. The project, which has been allocated Rs. 77.06 lakh, has been carried out in a specially built state-of-art laboratory. Buoyed by the success of Gaurav’s birth, Army personnel posted at Babugarh are in a celebration mode. Referring to the many merits of the ETT, Col S.C. Ghatt pointed out that the quality of animals being produced using the technology would spell a boon, particularly in the field of equestrian games. The personnel are already banking on Gaurav and his contemporaries to help the country win laurels at the Olympics level.
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