Bangalore, May 27
About 24 MLAs of the BJP in Karnataka (which is all set to form the government in the state) are facing various criminal charges. The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a voluntary organisation, the objective of which is spelled out in its name itself, has brought this fact to light.

According to the ADR, three BJP legislators are facing serious charges, including attempt to murder. They are Anand Singh from Vijayanagara, B. Sreeramulu from Bellary and B. Nagendra from Kuldligi. Anand Singh, whose assets have been listed as over Rs 50 crore is also accused of rioting with weapons and criminal intimidation. Sreeramulu and Nagendra, both worth crores in assets, have the charges of dacoity figuring among the various other charges listed against their names.

The charges against Krishnaiah, BJP legislator from Malur, include bribery, cheating and forgery of valuable security. This legislator has over Rs 12 crores in assets. B S Satagouda, BJP legislator from Indi, is also accused of cheating and forgery as well as “causing disappearance of evidence”.

Arvind Limbavali, BJP MLA from Mahadevapura, is guilty of violating the Karnataka Sales Tax Act. CV Chandrashekharayya from Bagalkot is accused of dacoity and rioting with deadly weapons.

Hemachandra Sagar, BJP representative from Chickpet, is facing charges for violating the Karnataka Forest Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. K S Eshvarappa from Shimoga, K Raghupathy Bhat from Udupi, C T Ravi from Chikmagalur, K G Bopaiah from Virajpet, Lalaji R Mendin from Kapu and B R Balappa from Sindgi are among those facing charges of rioting as well as various other charges.

New Delhi, May 27
India is looking toward the UK for assistance in teachers’ training. Starved of quality teachers in higher education - an area of absolute thrust in the 11th Five Year Plan - the ministry of human resource development yesterday sought Britain’s help in providing experts for training and faculty development.

The aspiration was voiced by none other than secretary, higher education, R.P. Aggarwal, who proposed the issue to a high-level UK delegation that called on D. Purandeshwari, minister of state (higher education).

Headed by Bill Rammell, minister of state at the department for education and skill, government of UK, the delegation sought to identify likely areas of collaboration between India and the UK. A sequel to the joint declaration of the Prime Minister Summit, the meeting today resulted in both sides agreeing to strike partnership in the area of higher education.

For her part, the minister emphasised that India was keen to have mutual collaboration in the field of higher education for upgrading its institutes of excellence like the IITs, ISERs and world class universities. Purandeshwari frankly suggested that India needed help in the shape of skill development, faculty support and requisite training.

Aggrawal backed the minister’s view adding that India had allowed 100 per cent FDI in the education sector to improve quality and enhance competitive edge. The secretary was, however, quick to point out that whereas monetary support in the higher education area was welcome, the ministry would also appreciate “help in the form of experts for training and faculty development.”

Referring to the mounting requirement of quality teachers in the wake of new academic session (laced with OBC quota), Aggarwal stressed that training facilities would be needed as soon as possible.

The visitors told the ministry that they were in the process of restructuring their skills development programme by associating with industries and employers. 

New Delhi, May 27
Reminding the need to have a secure communication network in place, the Chief of Army Staff Gen Deepak Kapoor today said, “Terrestrial and wireless networks in particular face substantial threats, which could degrade these networks in critical times”. He was speaking at the opening of the two-day seminar on defence communication organised by the Indian Army and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here.

General Kapoor said the threats and their countermeasures in particular should be known. It was of paramount importance that the military community in general, and communication network planners in particular, were aware of the possible threats and vulnerabilities, which could affect communication networks.

Focused measures were needed to protect such information systems and communication networks, General Kapoor added. Technology today was advancing at such a rapid pace that it required the users and equipment providers to constantly and continuously upgrade, the General added.

Forums such as DEFCOM 2008 went a long way in fulfilling these requirements. The nature of modern warfare - both conventional and sub conventional - was undergoing a paradigm shift towards ‘sensor to shooter integration’ and net centricity’. These aspects required shorter response times and quick reactions at all hierarchical levels. Information bearing networks, in turn, had to be fast, robust and reliable to facilitate commanders at all levels to view the battle space.

The seminar, called “ DEFCOM 2008” aims to deliberate upon issues related to enhancement of technology to provide working in an anti-technological environment, duly considering issues of electro magnetic interference. The theme of DEFCOM 2008 has accordingly been chosen as ‘technology and anti-technology challenges for Defence forces’.

Minister of state for defence Pallam Raju said the nation was one of the fastest growing economies in the world and it was poised only to grow stronger from here.

Raju, who is a qualified engineer in the field of communications and electronics, was of the opinion that information communication technology was the DNA of the modern age warfare. They were the key enablers for network centric warfare.

Communication and data networks were vital for enhancing india’s war fighting capabilities and it was here that ‘technology’ would ensure guaranteed information assurance and information dominance over the adversaries. Technology offered a number of solutions but tweaking them to suit military requirements was the real challenge, he added.

He also inaugurated an exhibition of latest electronic equipment, displayed by some of the world’s best-known manufacturers, being used in modern day warfare. Senior officers from all three-defence services visited the exhibition. 

New Delhi, May 27
The Supreme Court has ruled that courts can intervene not only when an individual’s right is violated, but even when he is unjustly punished by his employer.

A Bench of Justices S.B. Sinha and L.S. Panta said the concept of equality as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution embraces the entire realm of state action, irrespective of the fact whether it is legislative or executive.

“It would extend to an individual as well, not only when he is discriminated against in the matter of exercise of right, but also in the matter of imposing liability upon him,” the apex court said, while quashing the punishment imposed by the Haryana government on a sub-inspector.

The aggrieved SI had approached the apex court challenging the penalty, of denial of two increments, imposed on him by the state after a departmental inquiry held him guilty of “slackness in discharge of his duties”.

Man Singh, serving as a sub-inspector at Rohtak, was deputed as in charge of the police party, comprising ASI Sucha Singh and head constables Suresh Bhan and Vijay Pal, formed to take two government vehicles for repairs to Hyderabad from Chandigarh.

Vijay Pal allegedly concealed 12 liquor bottles in the vehicles’ dicky, without informing Man Singh, and these were seized by Excise Department officials of Andhra Pradesh.

After the departmental inquiry, the officials chose to exonerate Vijay Pal for the incident on the ground that the criminal court had acquitted him of the charge, but chose to impose the punishment of denial of two increments on Man Singh. — PTI

New Delhi, May 27
Hundreds of former soldiers led by retired senior officers today sat on hunger strike at the India Gate lawns, a stone’s throw away from the seat of power at the South Block, here today.

Today’s protest was a part of the protests held in 300 cities across the country. The protesters demanded the setting up of a review board to remove anomalies in the commission report, besides other demands. Even as the protest was on, the minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam Raju flayed the protesters saying it was unbecoming of them to resort to such protests.

“I don’t think they should do this,” Raju told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here. This even as serving Army men defended the action of their retired brethren saying when the government was not listening what other option did these protesters have.

Across the country, soldiers sat on hunger fast, staged dharnas and organised marches across the country in protest against the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with regard to defence forces.

Probably some saving grace for the government was that a few of the retired chiefs of services stayed away from the protest. They would be directly briefing the Prime Minister as and when a delegation was called in to meet, said informed sources.

The ex-servicemen, under the aegis of the All India Military Veterans Movement (AIMVM) held the protests. The organisation has a seven-point charter of demands like the constitution of a board to review the commission recommendations with members from defence fraternity and one rank one pension.

Taking exception to the minister’s statement, AIMVM senior vice-president Major-Gen Satbir Singh (retd) told reporters that they resorted to protests only after the defence ministry refused to pay heed to their demands.

“The minister did not listen to us. We sent him letters, we met him and his officers and they assured us they would look into their demands. But they did not. We resorted to protest only after we ran out of options,” he said.

“The government is looking into their grievances,”aid Pallam Raju.
The ex-servicemen are demanding one rank one pension and 30 per cent increase in their pension benefits. The government has formed an Ex-servicemen Welfare Department. “We are looking into all matters. We will see how to improve their facilities,” Raju said.

He said the empowered group of secretaries was looking into their grievances and defence minister A.K. Antony was seized of the matter.

Raju said he had addressed many sainik board meetings all over the country to tell ex-servicemen that the UPA government was doing everything possible for their welfare.

New Delhi, May 27
The ministry of human resource development seems to have finally realised that quality teachers will not come for peanuts alone. So they are busy cooking up a delicious meal to attract and retain good faculty for higher education.

The ministry’s out-of-the-box thinking seeks to strengthen faculty position at the proposed 16 central and 14 world-class universities in India.

Just one of the special measures being contemplated to add value to teaching is “offering membership of premium clubs like Delhi Golf Club and Delhi Gymkhana Club to prospective teachers.”

Another measure being proposed is assured admission to top-class schools for teachers’ wards.

“There could be the possibility of arrangement with schools like DPS and others to admit children of teachers, who would want some of their issues to be taken care of. States could also have MoUs with the schools in their areas so that those interested in teaching at higher education institutions are not deterred by irritants like where to send their children. Everyone wants good education for their wards. Proactive measures like these will make things easy for all,” said a ministry official.

A section within the ministry also feels that developing teachers’ stake in teaching would be a good idea for their retention. For this, they feel schools can be set up at the locations of proposed universities, and spouses of faculty can teach at these schools.

“Very often, spouses are academically as bright as teachers themselves. Special schools, if they come up, will allow for absorption of faculty’s spouses,” said an official, adding that such a situation - where teachers’ spouses are equally talented - arose frequently in case of IITs.

That apart, the government has many “new” plans for faculty development at the new central and world-class universities. These include hiring teachers on contract, inviting eminent academicians to join the faculty; portability of pension to enable movement of teachers from one institution where they may be drawing pension to others and the provision does not exist and joint appointments.

New Delhi, May 27
The Editors Guild of India today condemned the attack on the offices of a Telugu daily by the activists of an organisation representing the backward Madiga community, terming it as an assault on "freedom of press".

"This is an attack on the freedom of the press and there is use of intimidatory and inflammatory methods to silence the voice of the editors and journalists of Andhra Jyoti," Guild said in a statement.

Activists of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) yesterday stormed into the offices of Andhra Jyoti newspaper at Hyderabad, Warangal and Vishakapatnam. They broke the window panes and set the furniture on fire protesting against publication of a report in the daily which they perceived as insulting.

"The Guild expects the government of Andhra Pradesh to take action under the law against those who stormed into the newspaper offices, poured petrol on staff members and tried to set them on fire," it said, adding, these vile actions attract the provisions of the Penal Code, including attempt to murder.

Terming the action of MRPS activists as an affront to all democratic norms, the Guild said: "the samithi activists have become a law unto themselves while protesting against reporting of the samithi's activities by Andhra Jyoti." Expressing its solidarity with Andhra Jyoti, the Guild called on the civil society and journalistic fraternity to support the newspaper against such attack. — PTI

Mumbai, May 27
The American defence establishment is minutely probing the fine cracks developing in the defence ties between India and Russia in its quest for business opportunities.

In the latest instance, officials of Boeing have managed to win over a section of the Indian defence officials by offering the latest naval version of the F-18 Super Hornet for INS Vikramaditya which India is buying from Russia.

Sources here admit that Indian officials are evaluating the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet supersonic carrier-based fighter aircraft, which Boeing says will be modified for the Russian-made Admiral Gorshkov which will replace INS Viraat as the country's main aircraft carrier.

The Russians are, however, working overtime to ensure that the MiG-29 aircraft are the chosen aircraft for their aircraft carrier. As per the contract signed between India and Russia in 2004, 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs are to be part of the INS Vikramaditya.

However, defence ties between India and Russia have become stormy of late over huge cost overruns and delivery delays that have dogged the aircraft carrier deal. While Russia has jacked up price tags on defence equipment despite its age-old ties with India, the latter has begun to shop around in the international arms bazaar.

Dehra Dun, May 26
Depleting forest cover and shrinking agriculture land in Uttarakhand has alarmed the state government. But the ever-increasing demand of land for the development of infrastructure has put the state government in a fix.

State agriculture minister Trivendra Singh Rawat wants to introduce an Act on agriculture not only to protect meager agriculture land in the hill state but also to ensure that maximum agriculture land comes under the plough.

However, the state government has been cautious in taking such a step keeping in view the large-scale development projects in the state, including hydropower projects.

The proposed Act is a brainchild of Rawat. “We have lost an alarming 24,000 hectares of agriculture land since the formation of the state,” he said. Already, state Chief Minister Maj-Gen B.C. Khanduri (retd) had ruled out giving agricultural land for industry or for special economic zones (SEZs).

According to official figures, a total of 18,000 hectares of forestland has also been changed for other non-forest activities since the Forest Conservation Act, 1987 was enforced.

But Rawat wants to go a step forward to ensure that the small agriculture lands in the hills was not used for non-agricultural purposes but remain under cultivation. The state has only 12 per cent of the total landmass under agriculture in the hills.

“According to rough estimates, due to large-scale migration of men folk from the hills, more than 30 per cent of the agriculture lands in the hills remain uncultivated and was prone to erosion,” said Rawat.

“We need agriculture land for our food security and want to ensure that all agricultural land comes under the plough so that the precious land was not lost,” he said.

To ensure that most of the owners of the agriculture land in the hills till their land or give it to others on contract.

“Firstly we want to set up a commission to know about the situation of the hill agriculture and then to draft a legislation for discussion and debate for final approval,” said Rawat.

Already, a group of lawyers called Lawyers Initiative for Forests and Environment (LIFE) has given a draft agriculture bill to the state agriculture ministry. “We want to help in making a legislation that can maintain the fragile ecologically balance in the hills and ensure that agriculture land was not used for non- agriculture activity,” said Ritwick Dutta of LIFE.

Puducherry, May 27
This is a marriage-counselling bureau of a different kind - it is for persons who are HIV positive.

T.S. Raghuraman is HIV positive and president of the Pondicherry Network of Positive People Welfare Society.

He finds suitable partners for HIV positive persons and has arranged seven such marriages.

Encouraged by the success of such marriages, 10 more HIV positive persons are waiting for Raghuraman to arrange their marriages.

Raghuraman said, “They will not have to wait long. I will surely find good partners for them, including three women, who are below 35 years.”

Every month, 25 cases of HIV positive men and women approach the society for counselling and I will find perfect matches for all of them.”

“Four years ago, I formed a network with a prime objective of uniting HIV positive men and women so that they lead an independent life,” he said.

To set an example, Raghuraman married an HIV positive woman and the couple has two sons, who are HIV negative. This helped him to dispel the popular myth that children of HIV positive couples would also test positive.

“My sons were HIV negative because my wife regularly took the anti-AIDS drugs to ensure that the virus was not transmitted to the babies. Our children are healthy and normal like others,” he said.

Since then, he became a strong advocate for marriages among the HIV positive persons.

However, Raghuraman faces problems in organising such marriages.

“It is very difficult to convince widows, who contracted the disease unsuspectingly from their husbands. It requires a great deal of patience and counselling to overcome their traumatic experience,” he said.

He said his society had more than 12 HIV positive unmarried young men, waiting for 
suitable brides.

Guwahati, May 27
The Assam cabinet has endorsed the ruling Congress’ allegation of nexus between the Black Widow or Dima Halam Daogah (J) militants and the ruling BJP-Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) combine in North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council in the insurgency-hit hill district of the state.

The state cabinet decided to institute a judicial probe into allegations of diversion of development funds of North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council to the coffers of insurgents because of the nexus between militants and ASDC-BJP coalition in the hill council.

Official sources said the cabinet decided to entrust retired high court judge R.K. Manisana Singh to conduct the probe. It was the Governor of Assam, Lieut-Gen Ajai Kumar Singh (retd), who had initially advised the government to institute a probe into the allegation nexus between the ruling combine in the hill autonomous council and the Black Widow insurgents who have let loose a reign of terror in the area.

State government spokesman and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also alleged in that an amount of Rs 10 crore of development funds granted to the district council went to the coffers of the ultras belonging to the Black Widow group.

The chief minister had earlier stated that the Black Widow insurgents were receiving help from the NSCN-IM rebels of neighbouring Nagaland besides ‘enjoying patronage’ from the ruling ASDC-BJP coalition in the hill district autonomous council.

He alleged that a section of senior executive members in the hill district council used the service of Black Widow insurgents to win the council election last year. The Congress was routed in the election as party candidates were afraid to go out to campaign after killings of at least four senior Congress candidates by Black Widow insurgents in the run up to the district council election.

However, chief executive member of the hill district autonomous council D. Hojai and his adviser and former MP, Prakanta Warisa countered Gogoi saying that it was the Congress that engineered insurgency in the hill district in 1992. They dared the government to provide evidence in case any executive member of the hill council were harbouring or colluding with Black Widow militants who were ruling the roost despite heaving presence and the Army and paramilitary forces in the hill district. 

BRIEFLY

Samiti for law against Ganga’s pollution
Hardwar: Demanding a law against the pollution of the Ganga, the Rashtriya Ganga Sewa Abhiyan Samiti today submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B. C Khanduri through the District Magistrate. Samiti president Rishiwaranand Maharaj said in the memorandum that the Ganga was being continuously polluted. "So, there is need to constitute a law against the pollution of the holy river,". He also appealed to parties like the Samajwadi Party,the Bahujan Samaj Party , the Congress and the BJP to join hands to save the Ganga. — TNS

Maoists blow up rail tracks in Bihar
MUNGER (BIHAR): Activists of the banned CPI (Maoist) blew up railway tracks at Masudan station in Munger district,disrupting movement on the Jamalpur-Malda section.Superintendent of Railway Police (Jamalpur) Vimal Kumar said on Tuesday that over 100 ultras detonated dynamites to damage a stretch of track in both up and down lines near the outer signal on Monday night. — PTI

5 children drowned in UP
LUCKNOW: Five children were drowned in separate incidents in Muzaffarnagar and Unnav districts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Three children drowned when they were trying to cross the Krishna river in Dakauri Jalalpur village, the police said. In Unnav, two children drowned while bathing in a pond in Asivan area. — UNI

‘Russia and Me’ contest
NEW DELHI: As part of the 'Year of Russia in India', the Russian Information Centre is holding an essay competition for Indian students. Called 'Russia and Me', the contest gives the students freedom to write anything they know about Russia. The best three compositions will be published on the website of RIA Novosti, the Russian news and information agency. The three winners will receive several prizes, including a possible chance to visit Russia. — UNI

Rs 9.39 lakh looted from bank
BARIPADA (ORISSA): Armed dacoits looted over Rs 9.39 lakh from the Betanati branch of United Bank of India, 30 km from here, on Tuesday, the police said.Four motorcycle- borne dacoits entered the bank shortly after it opened on Tuesday morning and threatened the employees and customers with pistols. They forced the cashier to open the strong room and decamped with the money, the police said. 
— PTI