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Obama to address MPs, not joint session of Parliament
Security blanket in Capital
First indigenously developed helicopter cabin unveiled
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Deals with US not to hit Indo-Russia ties
Bhopal victims pose ‘dead’ to draw attention
Cyclone kills 5 in AP
A fishing boat is moved from the shore to the side of a road during heavy rain in Chennai on Sunday. — Reuters Son joins his martyr father’s regiment today
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Obama to address MPs, not joint session of Parliament
New Delhi, November 7
In fact, there’s no such term as a “joint session” under the Indian Constitution. All that Constitution talks about is a joint sitting of the two Houses - the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha - which is convened under Article 108 whenever there’s a deadlock on any Bill is in question. Such a sitting took place in March 2002, when there were differences of opinion on the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Bill. Earlier, such sittings were held to debate the Banking Regulation Bill and the Dowry Prohibition Amendment Bill. The only other instance when Members of both Houses come together is when the President of India, under Articles 86 and 87 of the Constitution, delivers customary address to the MPs. This address is also technically called “President’s address to the members assembled together” though loosely such a gathering has come to be described as a joint session. The presidential address to MPs happens before the first session every year and in the election year it happens twice as the President also addresses the first session of the newly constituted Lok Sabha. So far as the heads of states go, as per parliamentary convention worldwide, they address legislators of the Houses and not the Parliaments per se. “Terming such an address as a joint session or a joint sitting is wrong. Tomorrow we will see the US President addressing the parliamentarians. In any case, the Parliament is not in session tomorrow. The winter session begins only day after,” Lok Sabha Secretariat officials said. The last US President to address Indian MPs was Bill Clinton in 2000. Most recently, in 2007, the then-Japanese Premiere also delivered such an address. LS officials are expecting a huge gathering tomorrow and are prepared to handle the same. During Bill Clinton’s visit, MPs had created ugly scenes in the Central Hall of Parliament in a mad scramble to shake hands with the visiting dignitary. This time around, the Lok Sabha Speaker has issued an advisory of sorts asking the MPs to maintain dignity and decorum.
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Security blanket in Capital
New Delhi, November 7 While a strong security cover involving land and air was thrown around the airport hours before the arrival of President
Obama, the movement of men and vehicles stood standstill in 1 km radius around the airport when the Air Force One landed around 3.45 pm. While US security officials stood
surrou-nding the official aeroplane, personnel from Indian Army, CRPF,
CISF, NSG snipers stood guard in and around the airport. The cavalcade of about 23 vehicles, including President, his officials, US security officials, Delhi police, fire
and ambulance left the airport for US Embassy in Chanakyapuri under air surveillance and thousands of Delhi police and traffic officials keeping guard every l00 metres of the entire stretch.
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First indigenously developed helicopter cabin unveiled
Hyderabad, November 7 Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Chairman of United Technologies Louis Chenevert were present on the occasion. Ratan Tata handed over the documents pertaining to Sikrosky-92 helicopter cabin to Chenevert, marking a new era in the indigenous precision engineering industry. Incidentally, the aerospace SEZ at Adibhatla near Hyderabad international airport, spread over 250 acres, is the first such SEZ in the country. Sikorsky and Tata had signed an agreement in June 2009 for Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture cabins for Sikorsky S-92 helicopters. “The delivery of the Sikorsky S-92 cabin is on schedule and an important milestone for Tatas’ plans for the aerospace industry,” Ratan Tata said on the occasion. In future, all aerospace and defence related projects of the company would be located in Hyderabad, he said. “We look forward to a long, successful collaboration as we work together to meet the growing needs of India and the overall helicopter market in the coming years,” Chenevert said. The cabins for S-92 are currently made in Japan but it would now be done by TASL at its Hyderabad facility here. The Rs 1,000-crore project is expected to generate 1,000 jobs directly and another 4,000 indirectly. There are currently 120 S-92 operating worldwide, with 75 of these in offshore oil and gas companies. “There is a great future for this aircraft,” Chenevert said. The unveiling of chopper fuselage manufacturing unit coincided with US President Barack Obama’s visit to India. “Our collaboration with Tata Group will prove mutually beneficial. The TASL facility is export oriented and the cabins manufactured will form the overall helicopter structure that Sikorsky will integrate and complete for its global S-92 aircraft customers,” Chenevrt said. TASL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, is focused on providing integrated solutions for aerospace, defence, homeland security and disaster management. Two more cabins are scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year. Sikorsky S-92 project is the first in a series of Tata group’s aerospace initiatives at the SEZ here.
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Deals with US not to hit Indo-Russia ties
New Delhi, November 7 Notably, the US has recently entered the Indian military market via the government-to-government sales route and is at best “setting its foot on the soil”. Russia, however, is so well ensconced that frontline fighters the Sukhoi-30 and T-90 tanks are now being produced in India itself. And co-development projects include a cruise missile, next generation of fighter and transport planes, an official said. Among the recent acquisition from the US have been the six C-130-J medium haul transport planes -- the first batch arrives in February next. The Navy will also be soon getting the first batch of the eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the P-8I. India has already selected the General Electric’s GE 414 engine to power the next lot of light combat aircraft — the Tejas. Besides, the Army is in the final stages of trying out the ultra-light howitzer — the M777. The gun can be slung under a chopper and dropped at remote mountainous locations. The last on the list is the much talked about $5.8 billion deal for the purchase of 10 heavy lift transport aircraft, the C-17-A Globemaster. This could be finalised during the present visit of the US President. Ironically, even as all these deals were being discussed in the media, India’s own developed fighter aircraft engine, the Kaveri, was flight-tested in Russia on November 3. The engine programme had suffered following the imposition of sanctions post the 1998 Pokhran nuclear test. The US had placed DRDO -- the developer of the engine -- on the entities list banning US companies from dealing with it. Sources pointed out that the recent announcement regarding India and Russia co-developing the fifth generation fighter aircraft has indicated that the next generation of IAF fighters will again come from the Russian stable. “There cannot be two types of fifth generation fighters,” said a source in the Ministry of Defence. Since the early 1960s, IAF frontline fighters have been invariably of Soviet-Russian origin, be it the MiG series or the latest Sukhoi-30 MKI. The two countries have announced a $600 million joint venture to co-develop a multi-role transport aircraft. Sources said the US transport planes -- the C-130-J and the C-17-A -- are for tactical and strategic lift purposes. The fleet of 100 odd Soviet-origin AN 32 -- presently being upgraded -- and the IL 76 will form the backbone of transport operations for the next 10-15 years. On the Naval front, the upcoming Indian nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, also has a strong Russian element. The India Navy will soon get a nuclear submarine, the Nerpa, on a 10-year lease from Russia while Yantar dockyard is building three of the India’s stealth technology warships. Separately, the controversy-ridden aircraft carrier Gorshkov is finally back on track.
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Bhopal victims pose ‘dead’ to draw attention
Bhopal, November 7 The survivors staged a demonstration today at Neelam Park here, posing as “dead bodies”. The survivors have always been unhappy with the Indian government’s stand on not taking action against American companies and are now accusing the US President of adopting “double standards” on industrial disasters. They are demanding that Obama and the US administration act against the erstwhile Union Carbide.—
IANS
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Cyclone kills 5 in AP The cyclonic storm, Jal, heading towards Andhra Pradesh claimed five lives in different districts today, officials said. Of the five deaths, three were from Nellore district, officials in the Disaster Management Department said. However,the cyclonic storm, Jal, which was earlier declared as a "very severe cyclone" has, however, lost its intensity, they said. The cyclone lay centred about 282 Kms from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and was likely to hit the land Sunday night. The wind speed would be about 70-80 Kmph. Under the influence of the cyclone, heavy rains were likely to occur in the areas along the coast which could damage hutments and small trees, the officials said. The state government has evacuated about 6,000 people and was running 30 relief camps in seven coastal districts, they added. Earlier in the day, state Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao said evacuation of people to the relief camps had started and that people should not resist being evacuated. Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Rosaiah reviewed the situation after passing of the Jal cyclonic storm with officials, a press note issued tonight said. The Chief Minister has spoken to the District Collectors of Chittoor, Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari and issued instructions to them to keep a close vigil, it said. He told them to undertake rescue operations and take all precautionary measures to minimise the losses, the release said. Jal cyclone has affected 127 villages out of which 10 villages were inundated. 5,169 persons have been evacuated to safer places and 36 boats have been deployed. 82 National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed to take up rescue operations, according to the release. A bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department said storm surge of about one metre above the astronomical tide may inundate the low lying areas of Nellore and Prakasam districts and also Tiruvallur and Chennai districts of Tamil Nadu. The bulletin has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea.
— PTI
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Son joins his martyr father’s regiment today Jalandhar, November 7 Bakhtawar Singh (21), son of Kargil martyr Naib Subedar Ravail Singh, will join the prestigious 8 Sikh Regiment as a sepoy. His father served in this regiment when he died during Operation Vijay in Kargil. He was awarded the Sena Medal posthumously. Talking to TNS, Bakhtawar said November 8 would be one of the most memorable days of his life. “Nothing can be as honourable as joining armed forces. And for me, it is all the more special as I am joining the Sikh Regimental Centre where my father took his first lessons in the Army. It is a real tribute to him,” he added. The family celebrated their son’s recruitment in the Army as a grand affair along with the Divali celebrations in Jammu. Second among the three brothers, Bakhtawar nurtured the dream of joining the Army since he was a child. “I was studying in Class II at Pathankot when my father was killed during the Kargil war. The memories of that day still make me feel cry. But my father’s regiment stood with us in our thick and thin and ensured that we don’t face any difficulty ever”,
he added. Surinder Kaur, mother of Bakhtawar, said: “My joys knew no bounds when my son got selected in the Army. He will be a part of the same regiment where father spent his life as a soldier. We share a strange bond with this regiment and I am happy that the legacy has passed ahead”, she added. While many martyrs’ families prefer to stay away from joining the forces, this woman, however, said, “I faced the worst fear of my life when my husband died in the Kargil war. After that I developed a sense of belonging to the Army. Probably nothing can match the joy of see-ing a son as a ‘fauji’.” The Sikh Regimental Centre authorities have decided to impart free training and coaching to Bakhtawar to join the Army
as a commissioned officer.
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New Delhi, November 7
Hyderabad, November 7
New Delhi, November 7
The cyclonic storm,
Jal, heading towards Andhra Pradesh claimed five lives in different districts today, officials said. Of the five deaths, three were from Nellore district, officials in the Disaster Management Department said. However,the cyclonic storm,
Jal, which was earlier declared as a "very severe cyclone" has, however, lost its intensity, they said.
