Ranchi/New Delhi, September 10
Several senior BJP leaders will be conspicuous by their absence when Arjun Munda(42) is sworn in at Ranchi tomorrow as the eighth Chief Minister of the 10-year-old state. The most conspicuous of them all will be Lal Krishna Advani, who had seldom missed the Jharkhand foundation day in November every year.

While the BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad glossed over the issue in New Delhi and pointed out that Saturday coincided with two major festivals, Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi, within the party people spoke of the growing rift between the BJP national president Nitin Gadkari and the troika of Advani, Arun Jaitley and Sushama Swaraj over the alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

These leaders believe that the alliance with JMM will turn out to be a ‘kiss of death’. The JMM and the BJP came together after the assembly election in Jharkhand produced a fractured mandate. But the coalition government lasted barely four months before the BJP pulled the plug and withdrew from the government, alleging betrayal by JMM chief Shibu Soren, who voted against the party’s cut motions in the Lok Sabha.

While Advani and others frowned upon brazen attempts by the JMM to foist Soren’s younger son, Hemant, as the Deputy Chief Minister, leaders like Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu are believed to have supported the move to accomodate the senior Soren’s wish. Hemant Soren, claimed party insiders, is likely to be one of the few ministers, possibly three, who will be sworn in with Munda on Saturday. The other ministerial probability is the leader of the All Jharkhand Students’ Union ( AJSU), Sudesh Mahto. The ministry will be expanded after Munda proves majority support on the floor of the House next week.

While AJSU has 5 MLAs in the Jharkhand Assembly, both BJP and JMM have 18 MLAs each in the House of 81 members. The Congress and its ally Jharkhand Party ( Prajatantrik) have a strength of 25 members in the House and could have formed the government with the JMM. But strong opposition by the JP (P) leader Babulal Marandi, who refused to bargain, put paid to the plan.

Guwahati, September 10
Holding a public consultation on mega river dams in Northeast India, Union Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh today it was of strategic importance for India to dam international rivers flowing down the Himalayas, including those in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

“As a country if we have to strengthen our position vis-à-vis China on use of river waters, we have to have dams on international rivers like Siang and Brahmaputra. However, all projects will be implemented following stipulated environmental norms, after doing cumulative downstream impact studies to safeguard interests of indigenous people and fragile bio-diversity,” Ramesh said while addressing concerns raised over proposed and under-construction mega dams in the region.

He said the Centre looked at dam projects in Himalayan rivers not only from economic, but also from strategic point of view because in case of rivers of international nature use of water has strategic value.

In respect of the under-construction of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydro-electric projects (SLHEP) of the NHPC, he assured that he would convey to the Prime Minister and the Union Power Minister the strong public demand for halt in construction activities in the project site till the technical negotiation between the NHPC and the expert committee was completed.The expert committee formed by the Assam government and the NHPC in its report categorically stated that mega dam should not be constructed at SLHEP site which is tectonically and seismologically fragile. The committee recommended against construction of mega dams in entire Northeast for the same reasons.

Bangalore/New Delhi, September 10
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and United Aircraft Corporation & Rosoboronexport of Russia have formed a joint venture to co-develop and produce multi-role transport aircraft (MTA).

Under the deal, each party will pay $300.35 million to the joint venture’s charter capital.

The pact was expected to be announced during Russian PM Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi but New Delhi failed to complete the paperwork, delaying the deal. The proposed aircraft which will meet the requirement of both the Indian Air Force and its Russian counterpart.— TNS

New Delhi, September 10
Students will have to wait before multiple exams for entry to various technical institutions in the country can be replaced with a less stressful process.

Six months after the Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal set up a panel under Director, IIT Kharagpur Damodar Acharya to propose a system of replacing multiple engineering entrance tests, including JEE, with a simpler format, the IIT Council today junked the Acharya report and constituted a fresh panel under Secretary, Science and Technology T. Ramasami to suggest more acceptable mechanisms to discourage coaching and reduce financial and psychological burden on students.

The Acharya panel set up on March 8 this year was to submit its report in three months but eventually tabled the interim report today. It suggested entry of students to technical institutions on the basis of their combined score of Class XII (70 per cent weightage) and the National Aptitude Test. For entry to IITs, the Acharya panel, despite stiff resistance from HRD Ministry, suggested an add-on subjective test.

Sibal, who chairs the IIT Council, said at the end of the three-hour meeting, “The most important subject we discussed was IIT-JEE reforms. Although there was unanimity on the need to crush the coaching centres and de-stress students by ending a slew of entrance exams, there was no unanimity on how to achieve the desired objectives. We have set up a new committee under Ramasami to look at ways to ensure exam reforms.” At present, there are 150 different exams in the country for entry to various technical institutions (including JEE, AIEEE, NITs, state engineering institutions, deemed to be technical institutions etc). A major objection to the Acharya panel report pertained to normalisation of Class XII marks across different state boards which have their own exams and evaluation. Several state boards objected to the idea of 70 per cent weightage to Class XII exams saying students from state boards that inflate their marks would stand to gain.

At today’s Council meet, a suggestion was made to look at Class XII percentiles of respective state boards (instead of national equivalence) along with the result of a national aptitude test. 

Mumbai, September 10
Germany Bakery blast accused Sheikh Lalbaba Md Hussain, alias Bilal, received advanced terror training from the Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan’s Muzaffarabad and Lahore, the Maharashtra ATS has said today.

“Bilal had been to Pakistan in between January 2008 and January 2010. During this period, he received terror training organised by the LeT in Muzaffarabad and Lahore,” an ATS official said. Bilal had undergone advanced training, including handling of sophisticated weapons and bomb-making techniques.

During these two years, he had even sneaked into the country through Bangladesh and Nepal borders thrice, the official said.

However, the official refused to comment when asked if the accused was trained by any of those accused of carrying out the Mumbai attacks.

Bilal, heading a sleeper cell in Nashik and alleged to have conducted recce of several important locations in Maharashtra, was nabbed from Subash Chandra Bose Marg in Nashik on Tuesday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

He was recruited in the LeT by Mirza Himayat Baig (29), who allegedly heads the terror group's operations in Maharashtra and arrested for his alleged role in German Bakery blast that killed 17, including foreigners and injured 56 on February 13.

Bilal 27) hails from Solapur district of Maharashtra and once dreamt of becoming a doctor. He had flown to Dubai before being recruited into the LeT by Baig, the official said. He had not been in touch with his family for over seven years and his father Mohammed Shaikh is a retired constable of railway security force. — PTI

New Delhi, September 10
US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer today met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, hours before an American Pastor gave up his plan to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chidambaram had yesterday hoped the American authorities would take action to prevent Pastor Terry Jones from carrying out his threat. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Roemer said he had conveyed to Chidambaram that Washington strongly condemned any 
act by any individual or organisation which was “disrespectful, intolerant, divisive and unrepresentative of American values”.

In a statement to the media, Roemer said that as the world remembers the thousands of lives lost in the 9/11 incidents, it must strive to make this day a time to reflect on the power of tolerance to triumph over terrorism. “It is more important than ever before that we speak clearly and consistently about our commitment to religious tolerance.”He called upon the people of India to resist those who seek to undermine the very values that both India and the US were built upon.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has written to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, extending her wishes to the people of India on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

New Delhi, September 10
The mineral-rich fields of Afghanistan are set to become another battleground for rivalry between India and China when the Karzai government starts the bidding process for exploitation of the country’s untapped mineral wealth sometime after the September 18 parliamentary polls.

Afghanistan is keen on India’s participation in exploiting the mineral deposits, said to be to the tune of more than one trillion US dollars. Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul and National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta, who were here last month, are believed to have conveyed to the Indian side that the first bids for iron ore and copper mines could be invited after the parliamentary polls.

Asked how Kabul proposed to use the country’s mineral wealth, Spanta told the media that his government would first understand the positive and negative aspects of resource exploitation in African countries. “We want to make this mineral wealth the foundation for implementation of sustainable development, to make the future of the people secure. There will be transparent and open bidding as per international norms.”

It was in June that the US discovered that the battle-scarred nation was sitting on the world’s largest mineral reserves. The country had mineral deposits far beyond the previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the ongoing war itself.

The previously unknown deposits, including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals, are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centres in the world.

Immediately several countries, particularly those in the neighbourhood like India and China swung into action, establishing contacts with the Afghan authorities. Of course, both India and China are engaged in massive development projects in Afghanistan and are quite keen to increase their influence in the region.

Not only the Karzai government but the people of Afghanistan have been quite appreciative of the work done by India by pumping in money in development projects to help stabilise the situation in the country. Successive opinion polls in Afghanistan have suggested that India enjoys tremendous goodwill among the ordinary people. New Delhi hopes this goodwill could be translated into economic rewards when the time comes for exploiting the mineral assets in Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Mining Ministry has already held at least one round of talks with officials of the Mining Ministry in India, seeking New Delhi’s assistance to develop mines in Afghanistan primarily through iron ore, copper, gold and coal exploration and extraction. Afghanistan has also indicated that it would welcome Indian companies, especially the steel makers, to extract iron ore and set up steel units to help provide badly needed employment opportunities to the Afghans.

An Indian official said the mining industry in Afghanistan was in a nascent stage and New Delhi desired to develop it. There was tremendous potential in Afghanistan and India was definitely keen to tap the opportunity. India was a natural partner for Afghanistan, he added.

For its part, China has also made deep inroads into Afghanistan. It certainly has a major advantage over India, having been the first to become a stakeholder in the existing mines in Afghanistan.

The state-owned China Metallurgical Group (CMG) scored the biggest win for China when it won rights to Aynak copper mine in the Logar province with a 4 billion dollars bid in 2008.

Kolkata, September 10
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ruled out any possibilities of his resigning.“I will remain in the chair as long as I can and fight against the unruly activities of the Trinamool Congress and teach them the right lesson,” he declared while talking to the mediapersons at Writers Buildings. 

Bhattacharjee denied during his recent meeting with Home Minister P Chidambaram that he had expressed his helplessness and wished his desire for resigning as TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyya had publicly claimed.

“It is an utter lie, which only the TMC leaders can make,” the Chief Minister remarked while he expressed his annoyance and wrath. He said he would alert the Home Minister against the TMC, which was an uncivilised party.

Jaipur, September 10
Work in courts across the desert state has been in total disarray for the last couple of weeks due to the ongoing strike of lawyers who are protesting over alleged irregularities in the recruitment of additional district judges (ADJs).

The protesting lawyers, who are on the warpath since August end, have now threatened to intensify their stir if ADJ exams are not scrapped before Sunday.

The latest round of talks between Justice Ajay Rastogi and the lawyers’ delegation also failed to break the prevailing deadlock. The lawyers now intend to hit the streets.

Besides, there are also indications that they may stop judges from entering the courts. According to Jaipur Bar Association president Naresh Kumar, they will court arrests and oppose Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla.

Even as the lawyers are crying foul over ADJ exams, the HC administration claims that allegations being raised by the advocates, who failed to clear the exam, are baseless and there were no anomalies in the examination. In view of the ongoing protests, interview of the successful candidates, that were scheduled to be held in Jodhpur on September 6, were put off indefinitely. Meanwhile, apprehending violence, the police has deployed additional forces on the HC premises. Security has also been beefed up at the district and sessions court. 

New Delhi, September 10
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet here on Saturday amid indications that the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) could be partially withdrawn from Jammu & Kashmir.

The government, which is treading a cautious path over the issue of AFSPA, is expected to make some announcement to address the resentment in Kashmir, particularly with regard to the Act that gives sweeping powers to security forces, sources said. The CCS would also hold discussiosn on a special peace package to curtail violence in J&K

The Congress core committee, headed by party president Sonia Gandhi, today witnessed differences over the rollback issue. The core panel discussions today are learnt to have centered around the need for striking a fine balance between the security requirements of the state and dissipating the growing anger among the people.

While the overall mood was to adopt a cautious approach especially with regard to the state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's demand for a partial withdrawal of the AFSPA from four districts in the Valley.

The 90-minute meeting was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister AK Antony and Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel. Prithviraj Chavan, AICC in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, and senior party leaders from the state Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz were specially invited for the meeting for their inputs.

While Chidambaram is reported to be favourably inclined to Abdullah's proposal, Defence Minister AK Antony was not happy even with the partial withdrawal of the AFSPA. Articulating the concerns of the security forces, Antony is learnt to have pointed out that there is no army presence in the four districts where Omar Abdullah wants the AFSPA to be curtailed. Warning that the army should not be projected as a "demon", he advocated a more cautious approach and that no hurried decision be taken.

The defence forces have consistently opposed to any changes or dilution of the AFSPA on the plea that such a move would severely handicap them in handling the volatile situation in Kashmir. It has been suggested that the Army should be withdrawn from the state if its presence is not required or it could be deployed only along the border and called in whenever the need arises.

The Home Minister, however, underscored the need for a political package, stating that the the Centre should heed the state government's demands. The peace-package also includes the release of political prisoners and special compensation for families whose kin were killed in the recent violent incidents. Chavan and Azad, it is learnt, were not in favour of making concessions which, they said, would suggest that the Centre has wilted under pressure. Besides, there is no guarantee that the stone-pelting would cease after a peace-package is announced.

Mumbai, September 10
Germany Bakery blast accused Sheikh Lalbaba Md Hussain, alias Bilal, received advanced terror training from the Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan’s Muzaffarabad and Lahore, the Maharashtra ATS has said today. “Bilal had been to Pakistan in between January 2008 and January 2010. During this period, he received terror training organised by the LeT in Muzaffarabad and Lahore,” an ATS official said. Bilal had undergone advanced training, including handling of sophisticated weapons and bomb-making techniques.

During these two years, he had even sneaked into the country through Bangladesh and Nepal borders thrice, the official said. However, the official refused to comment when asked if the accused was trained by any of those accused of carrying out the Mumbai attacks.

Bilal, heading a sleeper cell in Nashik and alleged to have conducted recce of several important locations in Maharashtra, was nabbed from Subash Chandra Bose Marg in Nashik on Tuesday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

He was recruited in the LeT by Mirza Himayat Baig (29), who allegedly heads the terror group's operations in Maharashtra and arrested for his alleged role in German Bakery blast that killed 17, including foreigners and injured 56 on February 13.

Bilal 27) hails from Solapur district of Maharashtra and once dreamt of becoming a doctor. — PTI