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DADA, THE MAN FOR ALL
SEASONS
Kolkata celebrates with sandesh, rallies
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Prez poll looked like General Election Sangma: Nation has lost chance to express solidarity with tribals Factionalism in K’taka BJP worked for Dada Unlucky No. 13 lucky for Pranab
Babus may not be able to fight polls just after quitting jobs
CVC to review vigilance set-up in all ministries
Indian wines come of age West Bengal legalising corporal punishment: Child rights panel tribune special
Student alleges he was made to drink urine
high-powered committee on pay in armed forces
Security hassles could delay Patil’s moving into new Pune home
India eyes Russia to get tank ammunition
Language pioneer Bronson remembered
Toll in rain-related incidents in Andhra rises to 11
Mumbai Police to take Jundal’s voice samples
Jantar Mantar
8 Maoists held in 2 Bihar dists
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DADA, THE MAN FOR ALL
SEASONS
New Delhi, July 22 His election to the President's office today comes as a fitting finale for the 77-year-old Congressman from West Bengal, till recently the troubleshooter of UPA, a task he has handled for last eight years. Not a lawyer by training but considered an expert in the working of the Constitution and governance, he was ever seen as the perennial 'No. 2' in government. Mukherjee was a utility man from the days of Indira Gandhi, when he was the powerful Minister of State for Revenue during the Emergency, and later as Finance Minister in the 80s. His rise had been steady and such valuable was his contribution to government that his nomination as a Presidential candidate came after a huge dilemma for Congress party, which heads the UPA coalition that has moved from crisis to crisis in the last eight years. The veteran leader, known for his photographic memory, had become a Rajya Sabha member for the first time in 1969. Mukherjee was for a long time member of the Upper House before his first direct election to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from Jangipur in West Bengal. He repeated his victory in the 2009 elections but had expressed a desire not to contest elections again in view of his advancing age. Mukherjee was a top-ranking minister and presided over the Union Cabinet meetings in the absence of the Prime Minister during 1980-1985. Of course, Mukherjee had his own bad days in the Congress which he had to quit in the mid-80s after he had evinced interest in becoming the Prime Minister after the death of Indira Gandhi in 1984. It took some time before he came back into the party but once he was in, there was no stopping his rise once again. Mukherjee became Finance Minister again in 2008 after P Chidambaram was shifted to the Home Ministry in the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Again his importance was seen when P V Narasimha Rao made him Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission as well as Minister of External Affairs. In between he had to quit because he ceased to be a member of Parliament and came back to the Cabinet after re-election. Mukherjee started his public life in the 60s in Bangla Congress during the time of late Chief Minister Ajoy Mukherjee of the United Front government when Jyoti Basu was Deputy Chief Minister in West Bengal. He was general secretary of Bangla Congress. A post-graduate in political science and history, he can recollect any event of historical importance or mundane political and other events, a matter of envy to many of his colleagues. Son of a senior Congress leader Kinkar Mukherjee from West Bengal, Pranab had a brief stint as lawyer, teacher and journalist before he was embedded to his destiny of politics in 1969, when he became a member of the Rajya Sabha. Mukherjee was Leader of the Rajya Sabha from 1980-85 and later he became Leader of the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is Leader of the Rajya Sabha. When Mukherjee was Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh was appointed RBI Governor in 1982. In what could be described a case of chasing each other's shadow, Singh became Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission from 1985 to 1987, a post Mukherjee later held from 1991 to 1996, when Singh became Finance Minister in P V Narasimha Rao government. Mukherjee also had a brief stint as Chairman of the Economic Advisory Cell of AICC between 1987 and 1989. Interestingly, Manmohan Singh also held this post, when Congress was out of power between 1999 and 2004. Mukherjee, who started his career as a college teacher, always carried the traits of a teacher, never hestitating to give a reprimand or two to juniors whether in his party or the Opposition. He was also jocularly called 'GoM Mukherjee' in political circles as he headed 33 Groups of Ministers on various key issues including the recent one on setting up of Lokpal. Mukherjee has five books published to his credit on political and economic issues and under his editorial guidance, the history of Congress was published in which there was a candid admission of excesses during the Emergency. He got the best Parliamentarian Award in 1997. Ten years later, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour. In Congress Party, Mukherjee became AICC treasurer in 1978. Journalists and AICC media department officials still recall Mukherjee's tenure as the Media Department Chairman of the party. Mukherjee was AICC General Secretary in 1998-99. In 1984-1991, 1996 and 1998, Mukherjee was Chairman of the Campaign Committee of AICC, besides being a member of the Congress Working Committee and Congress Election Committee. Mukherjee held all the key portfolios, including Defence from May 2004 to October 2006 and External Affairs from October 2006 to May 2009 besides the Finance portfolio, which he held again in 2009 after a gap of 27 years. In the past, he also held portfolios like Commerce and Steel and Mines, Revenue and Banking (Independent Charge), Shipping and Transport, Industrial Development, Commerce and Supply besides presiding over a number of Parliamentary Committees. Mukherjee got married to Suvra on July 13, 1957 and has two sons — Abhijit and Indrajit — and daughter Sharmistha. Abhijit is a Congress MLA in West Bengal.
— PTI Pranab’s pluses
Know the man
Other Roles
Greetings
— Omar Abdullah, J&K Chief Minister
— P Chidambaram, Union Home Minister
— Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC chief
— Nitin Gadkari, BJP president I think he has done justice to whatever offices that he held. So, I'm sure that he will give a new dimension to the office of the President. — Sharmistha, Pranab’s daughter
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Kolkata celebrates with sandesh, rallies
Kolkata, July 22 In reply, Mukherjee thanked her and invited her to the oath-taking ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 25. There has been an offer to send a special aircraft to take Mamata to Delhi. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, "I feel proud that Mukherjee had been a resident of my Lok Sabha constituency at Bolpur and with whom I worked in Parliament for four decades," Chatterjee said. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, CPM state secretary Biman Bose and several other leaders have also congratulated Mukherjee for his victory. The state Congress unit workers took out processions and exchanged greetings among themselves and distributed sweets among the people. Similar scenes were witnessed at Mukherjee's birthplace Mirati village, Kinnahar, Birbhum. People exchanged greeting with flowers and colour. Mukherjee's family members also did not conceal joy. His eldest sister Annapurna Devi had forecast that his brother would one day become the President. ‘He always tried to skip school’ Kirnahar: As a child, President-elect Pranab Mukherjee did not like to go to school but liked to play a priest, his elder sister Annapurna Devi said here on Sunday. "Oh! He was always reluctant to go to the primary school in our village Mirati. It was difficult to take him to school. He got beaten black and blue. Once my mother thrashed him so severely that he fell unconscious. But still he won't go. I don't know why,' Annapurna, 83, said, sitting in her home in Kirnahar town in West Bengal's Birbhum district. — IANS
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Prez poll looked like General Election New Delhi, July 22 The run-up to this election was no different. Since the Congress-led UPA government and the BJP-led NDA did not have the numbers to get their presidential nominee elected on their own, they had to hunt around for allies. With regional parties playing an important role in this election, it was a tussle between the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA as to which political formation would be able to get more supporters which, in turn, could set the stage for fresh political realignments for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Given the line-up in Parliament and state assemblies, it was clear that three regional satraps - Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati - held the key to this election in view of their substantial share of votes in the electoral college. The UPA could hope to get its nominee elected if it was able to garner the support of at least two of these three leaders. The BJP, on the other hand, wanted to utilise the presidential election to expand the NDA with an eye on the 2014 elections. Not only was it hoping to get the support of non-UPA parties like the AIADMK, the Biju Janata Dal and the Telugu Desam Party, but it also attempted to wean away Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav from the UPA camp. As it happened, the Congress eventually managed to upstage the BJP. It was able to persuade bitter arch rivals - Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati - to back the UPA nominee. Mamata Banerjee also gave in eventually, though she was bitterly opposed to Pranab Mukherjee's candidature. It also succceeded in creating divisions within the NDA as two key allies - the Shiv Sena and the Janata Dal (U) broke ranks with the BJP to vote for the UPA candidate. Two of the Left Front constituents also backed Mukherjee. Left stranded after being deserted by all key regional players, the BJP was left with little choice but to back PA Sangma whose candidature was first endorsed by AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and BJD president Naveen Patnaik. It is now to be seen if the political churning witnessed during the presidential election was a passing phase or will lead to fresh political alignments when the next Lok Sabha elections draw closer.
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Sangma: Nation has lost chance to express solidarity with tribals New Delhi, July 22 Sangma also wanted a code of conduct for the presidential polls as is done in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. "The process in presidential poll has been partisan and political. Perception is that UPA did not build consensus ... We need election code of conduct for presidential poll too," he said. Sangma said his team had kept open the option to approach the Supreme Court against Mukherjee's election as the President. "We are meeting on Wednesday and this matter will also come up for discussion," Sangma said to queries about the petition to the apex court after the poll panel had rejected their plea against acceptance of Mukherjee's nomination. Sangma's team had alleged that Mukherjee was holding an office of profit as chairman of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) when he filed his nomination as the President. Mukherjee, however, produced his resignation letter dated June 20 with acceptance from the ISI. Subsequently, Sangma's request was rejected and Mukherjee's nomination accepted by the returning officer. BJP to probe cross-voting NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday congratulated Pranab Mukherjee on his victory but asserted that it would look into cross-voting in Karnataka where the UPA candidate got more votes than his rival PA Sangma from a party-ruled state. "We congratulate him. Pranab Mukherjee is a respected person. He will enhance the glory of Rashtrapati Bhavan," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said after the results were declared. On cross-voting in Karnataka, he said: "We will look in the issue." UPA candidate Mukherjee obtained more votes than rival Sangma, backed by the BJP and other opposition parties, from the BJP-ruled state. Naqvi, however, stated that it would be wrong to see the results in context of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
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Factionalism in K’taka BJP worked for Dada Bangalore, July 22 Mukherjee got a majority in the 224 member Assembly with 117 MLAs voting for him. Sangma could get only 103 votes. Three votes were invalid while one BJP MLA quit the Assembly one day before the polling. Shortly before the presidential elections, there was a revolt by BJP legislators backed by former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa against the then Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda. It was feared that Yeddyurappa and his loyalists might vote against Sangma. However, the BJP high command conceded to Yeddyurappa’s demand and replaced Gowda with Yeddyurappa’s nominee Jagadish Shettar. The day the presidential polls were held was also the inaugural day of the ongoing session of the Assembly. The meeting of legislators convened by the new Chief Minister on July 19 drew a poor response. All the 118 BJP MLAs, however, found time to cast their votes for the presidential polls. Ideally, Sangma should have secured at least 119 votes in Karnataka consisting of 118 votes from the BJP legislators and one vote from an Independent MLA supporting the government. Besides the Congress, the JD(S) had also announced its support for Mukherjee. These two parties have a total of 97 votes (71 of Congress and 26 of JD-S). There are six unattached Independent MLAs in the House.
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Unlucky No. 13 lucky for Pranab New Delhi, July 22 The 76-year-old leader got married on July 13, 1957. He has been living at the 13 Talkatora Road residence for several years despite being entitled to a bigger house. Incidentally, as Leader of the Lok Sabha for eight long years during which he played the chief troubleshooter for the UPA, his office in Parliament was in Room No. 13. Interestingly, '13' also figures in the vote value of 7,13,763 he polled. — PTI
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Babus may not be able to fight polls just after quitting jobs
New Delhi, July 22 Concerned over a number of "senior civil servants" jumping into the poll fray, the Election Commission had earlier this year asked the government to bring in a "cooling off period" clause between leaving the government job and joining a political party by these officials, which include those from the IAS, IPS and other Class 'A' services. The EC had asked the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to suggest a "suitable" cooling off period for these officials so that they remain impartial during their tenure and take decisions with integrity while they serve. "It is stated that once a person in government service demits office by virtue of any reason whatsoever, he becomes an ordinary man and therefore, we may not treat them unequally. "Also, by putting any provision in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (with regard to cooling off period) debarring the retired government servant from contesting elections and thereby curtailing their statutory right seems an arbitrary provision. Therefore, the Legislative Department is of the view that the remedy lies in making provision in the relevant service rules and not amendment in the election laws," the department said in a communication to the
DoPT. — PTI
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CVC to review vigilance set-up in all ministries
Chandigarh, July 22 A circular sent to all secretaries to the government of India by the CVC on July 17 states that it has been decided to assess the work load relating to the vigilance administration in various ministries and departments and determine the adequacy of the present vigilance set-up to handle such volume of work. This in turn will enable the CVC to lay down general guidelines for review of the existing vigilance setups in the ministries and departments with a view to strengthen them adequately to meet the challenges posed by the ever increasing volume of vigilance related work. The CVC has sought details about the strength of the present vigilance setup and volume of vigilance related work in various ministries and departments along with details of recent increase in staff strength for handling vigilance work from each ministry and department. The GoM, constituted on the directions of the Prime Minister in January 2011 to consider measures that could be taken by the government to tackle corruption, had submitted its recommendations in September 2011. Following this, all ministries and departments were advised to strengthen their vigilance administration with requisite manpower to ensure expeditious disposal of disciplinary cases.
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Indian wines come of age Competing against blue-chip world-famous wines, India’s wine exports are expected to cross the Rs 100 crore mark in the next couple of years, said the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority of India (APEDA). To achieve that in a world dominated by French, Italian Spanish and American wines is not easy, but APEDA chairman Asit Tripathy said that Indian wines were becoming popular in overseas markets and also beginning to make an appearance at international food shows. Presently, Indian wines are largely being imported by Malaysia, Japan, the UAE, Bhutan, Germany, the USA, the UK, Sri Lanka, Maldives and New Zealand. To mark the arrival of new-age Indian wine on the global map, APEDA is organising a promotional event “Wines of India” next week in the National Capital. While the domestic industry grew due to the affordability factor, exports are also picking up as a result of diversification and had touched Rs 25 crore during 2011-12. “The industry is expected to reach Rs 100 crore in a couple of years, given aggressive marketing,” said Tripathy. The Indian wine industry is a little over four decades old and is still in its nascent stage. There are approximately 90 wine industries, mostly located around the Pune-Nashik belt and Bangalore. Compared to world leaders like France, Italy, Spain, the US, Argentina, Australia, China, South Africa, Germany, Chile and the UK, Indian industry is very small and largely propelled by affordable domestic prices. Experts, however, see a huge growth potential in the sector for all stakeholders - from grape farmers to consumers. Beginning with French varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, Indian vineyards have now diversified to better and wider varieties. Growth triggers
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West Bengal legalising corporal punishment: Child rights panel New Delhi, July 22 A notification issued under the Right to Education (RTE) Act by the state Education Department says certain actions taken by teachers in order to maintain discipline among students in the school would not be treated as corporal punishment. “Every school will make every effort to enable all concerned to understand that discipline is an integral part of education,” states the notification which goes on to violate Section 17 of the RTE Act that prohibits actions with potential to cause physical harassment and mental agony to children. “But the Bengal notification says that fining children, removing them from class and barring them from sports in the name of maintenance of discipline will not constitute corporal punishment. We have long been telling the state government to recall this regressive notification that continues to legalise corporal punishment,” VK Tikoo, member, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) told The Tribune today. Last week, during his tour of the state, Tikoo met the new Education Secretary and directed the state to withdraw the said notification with immediate effect. Bengal has been keeping the notification intact saying its Law Department has vetted it. But NCPCR is clear that the notification is in gross violation of the RTE Act which seeks to provide stress-free environment to school students. West Bengal has been notorious for corporal punishment of children. In 2009, a minor boy Rouvanjit Rawla of Le Martiniere Boys School had committed suicide following harassment by teachers. Earlier this month, a class V student of Patha Bhavan, a Viswa Bharati School at Shantiniketan, was forced to drink urine as punishment for bedwetting. “The notification in existence exempts teachers from the anti-corporal punishment provision of the RTE Act by saying that teachers can punish and fine children in order to maintain discipline at school. That leads to instances of corporal punishment such as we have seen. It is like corporal punishment,” Tikoo said. The notification states the following actions teachers take to maintain discipline will not be termed as corporal punishment: “Imposition of fine and penalties not contrary to the spirit of free education; punitive requirement of extra academic work; removing a child temporarily from class when his presence is disrupting the class functioning; prohibiting a child from participating in sports and other co-curricular activities on disciplinary grounds; referring a disobedient child to a counsellor; intimating parents of the activities of children with respect to disciplinary matters and calling them for meetings to enable them to understand the emotional and academic needs of a child.” The state is also charging Rs 240 per student in the name of welfare fee at the time of admissions. The commission has asked the state to stop the practice as the RTE Act guarantees free and compulsory elementary education by the state. What the notification allows
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tribune special
Ambani’s Rs76-billion Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has formally incorporated a new firm to enter aerospace and defence ventures. The new company, Reliance Aerospace Technologies (P) Limited, has been registered with appropriate authorities, including the Registrar of Companies (RoC). As per the memorandum of articles, the objective is “to design, develop, manufacture, equipment and components, including airframe, engines, radars, avionics and accessories for military and civilian aircraft, helicopters, unmanned airborne vehicles and aerostats.” The company will also undertake research and produce new aerospace technologies, materials, components and equipment and test and carry out their certification.” The company will also partner with global majors to bring in sophisticated civil and military aerospace technologies into the country. Research and development is part of its charter. Sources said huge funds were being earmarked for R&D purposes. Dr Vivek Lall (43), possibly the country’s most respected aerospace expert today, is heading Mukesh Ambani’s new ventures. Lall was honoured by Cambridge as one of the 2,000 outstanding scientists. Lall earlier worked with the NASA and defence majors Raytheon and Boeing. Although the newly created company has not identified the hub for its activities, it already has a major job in hand - waiting for a final go-ahead. It relates to manufacturing of specific parts of the French Rafale fighter aircraft which was selected by the Defence Ministry six months ago. On January 31, 2012, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale emerged winner in the “dogfight”, beating the European consortium’s Eurofighter Typhoon in over $11-billion Indian Air Force deal for the 4.5 generation 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The Tribune in an exclusive report on January 11, 2011, had reported that Eurofighter and Rafale had been shortlisted for the final decision “but a political decision was awaited”. As per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dassault Aviation, the RIL’s new aerospace company will assist in manufacturing major parts of Rafale in India. The MoU was signed a week after the government announced Rafale as the winner in the MMRCA fray. According to Dassault Aviation, the firm has entered into an MoU with the RIL “for pursuing strategic opportunities of collaboration in the area of complex manufacturing and support in India”. Dassault manufactures Rafale combat jets and Falcon business jets, and the proposed venture may be making a foray into both sectors. Sources said the two partners had informed the Defence Ministry. Any such venture has to be cleared by the government and several procedural and security clearances would be required in due course. As the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is the lead integrator for the MMRCA project, the two companies will have to involve it also. Industry experts feel the RIL may emerge as the biggest Indian player in various defence projects like combat aircraft, military systems and homeland security in near future. Mukesh Ambani’s new ventures of defence, aerospace solutions and homeland security may overtake his existing businesses in years to come. the firm
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Student alleges he was made to drink urine
Perambalur (TN), July 22 A departmental probe held after the teachers were suspended following the allegation by the boy's parents found that the student was not forced to drink urine, police said. A case was, however, registered against the teachers for beating up the boy, they said, as the alleged incident sparked a public outcry after the parents filed a complaint to the school authorities. According to the complaint, the boy was made to drink urine after he repeatedly sought permission to go to the toilet soon after the class began, irking the three teachers monitoring the students sitting under a tree.
— PTI
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high-powered committee on pay in armed forces
Chandigarh, July 22 The SCPC has introduced the concept of grade pay, which is the sole criteria for determining the status and seniority of an individual, both within his service as well as in respect to members of other government services or departments. The grievance of armed forces personnel is that the grade pay applicable to them after the SCPC has downgraded their status vis-à-vis central government employees. The fallout of the disparity brought about by the SCPC also has serious ramifications on the day-to-day operational command and control as well as administrative functioning where multiple agencies like the armed forces, paramilitary organisations and other defence departments are involved. The high-powered committee was set up earlier this month under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary and includes the defence secretary, principal secretary to the prime minister, secretary, ex-servicemen welfare, secretary, department of expenditure and secretary, department of personnel and training. It is mandated to submit its report by August 8. Though about 40 perceived anomalies have been brought up by armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen, the committee will look into nine issues, out of which four concern ex-servicemen. Besides the issue of grade pay, the committee’s terms of reference are common pay-scale for in-service JCOs/Ors, initial pay-fixation of Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel and Brigadier/equivalent, review and enhancement of grade pay, placing of all Lieutenant General in HAG+ scale and grant of non-functional upgradation (NFU) to armed
forces personnel. The issue of NFU is another major bone of contention. While all central services have been granted NFU, the armed forces have been left out. Interestingly, while the Navy and Air Force had agreed to it, the opposition had come from within the a section of the army’s higher leadership. NFU implies that whenever an IAS officer gets empanelled at a particular appointment at the Centre, all other Group-A service officers are also upgraded to the same level after a period of two years from the date of empanelment, on a “non-functional” basis irrespective of whether they are actually promoted or not. For example, if an IAS officer of 1985 batch is empanelled as an additional secretary, then all other Group-A officers of the 1983 batch shall also be placed in the additional secretary’s pay grade. the highlights
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Security hassles could delay Patil’s moving into new Pune home
Patil is expected to shift to Raigad, a bungalow owned by the police department, which is being taken over by the Central Public Works Department to house the outgoing president. The building located at Pashan in Pune is close to a school and a government law college with a hill called Betal Tekdi overlooking it. The local police, which filed a security report on the property when it was first chosen as the outgoing President’s abode, pointed out that the bungalow lies close to a busy road. “The hill has many trees which overlook the bungalow. There is a security threat,” an official of the Pune police department said. According to officials of the Central Public Works Department, which is yet to take possession of the bungalow, they would have to make a number of alterations before the former President moves in. Among the measures to be undertaken include raising the compound wall of the bungalow and regulating traffic on the road outside. “Some traffic restrictions will have to be imposed before the property is taken over by the Central Public Works Department,” said an official. Sources say the Pune police has also baulked at setting up permanent security facilities around the bungalow since it would be difficult to provide facilities like restrooms for its personnel. The bungalow measuring 2,500 square feet lies in a one-acre plot, according to information available from authorities in Pune.
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India eyes Russia to get tank ammunition
New Delhi, July 22 Severe shortage of tank ammunition was first highlighted by then Army Chief Gen V K Singh in a top secret letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in March this year which later found its way to the media. After the blacklisting of supplier of the FSAPDS (Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) used by T-90 and T-72 tanks, Russia has now been approached for supplying these tank shells, Defence Ministry sources told PTI here. A contract negotiation team under a Joint Secretary-level official had also gone to Moscow recently to discuss the price of the FSAPDS ammunition but further parleys will have to be held to decide on the cost issue, they said. To avoid such shortages in future, the Defence Ministry is also seeking a transfer of technology from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to produce the ammunition indigenously. Gen Singh had pointed out in his letter that only three to four days of this particular ammunition was left in the inventory of the armoured regiments. Later on, the Army had also informed the Standing Committee on Defence about the shortage and how the situation had worsened by the recent blacklisting of its supplier Israeli Military Industry (IMI). Recently, the Army Headquarters had initiated the process to procure within 12 to 18 months around 75,000 to one lakh rounds of the FSAPDS ammunition from global sources but apparently not much progress has been made so far. After the issues were brought out by the then Army Chief, Defence Minister A K Antony had taken urgent steps to address them and has held several rounds of meetings with Army
and Defence Ministry officials to review preparedness and do away with the stumbling blocks in the modernisation process. Gen Singh's letter had highlighted the obsolescence of the air defence systems in the Army and to address the issue, the Defence Minister has cleared the procurement of quick reaction surface-to-air missile systems for eight new regiments that are to come up. Likewise, the procurement for 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) from the US has also been cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).
— PTI acute shortage
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Language pioneer Bronson remembered
Guwahati, July 22 Assam on Friday paid rich tributes to American Baptist missionary Rev Miles Bronson on the occasion of his 200th birth anniversary. Bronson compiled the first Assamese dictionary way back in 1867. He also brought out the first Assamese language newspaper ‘Orunodoi’ in 1845. Assam Sahitya Sabha (ASS), the apex literary body in the state, has drawn up a year-long programme to mark birth bi-centenary on Miles Bronson beginning Friday. It will also be observed as the “Year of the Dictionary.” Bronson commemoration programme includes publication of at least two new Assamese dictionaries, a series of seminars and awareness programmes on dictionaries, setting up three bronze busts of the pioneer and generating awareness about correct use of the language in times of television and other social media, according to Paramananda Rajbongshi, general secretary of the ASS. Bronson, along with his associates Nathan Brown and Oliver Cutter, undertook pioneering initiatives for the development of Assamese language. He wrote a number of books that have enriched several languages of the region. Bronson was born on July 20, 1812 in New York. He happened to be in Assam as part of the American Baptist Mission in 1836. He first established
a school at Namsang and brought out “A Spelling Book and Vocabulary in English, Assamese, Singpho and Naga” in 1839, and then shifted to Sivasagar to bring out the first Assamese newspaper ‘Orunodoi’ in 1845. Bronson also wrote two books in the Garo language in 1863 and then compiled the first Assamese dictionary containing 14,000 words in 1867. He played a
key role in restoring Assamese as official language and a medium of instruction in Assam in 1873 after it had been replaced by Bengali in 1836 by the British.
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Toll in rain-related incidents in Andhra rises to 11
Hyderabad, July 22 Their bodies were recovered around three kms from the bridge today, a police officer said. Heavy rains had claimed nine lives in Hyderabad city in two incidents of wall collapse yesterday. The Met department today forecast moderate to rather heavy rains or thundershowers at many places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions of the state and light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a few places over Rayalaseema till July 24.
— PTI
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Mumbai Police to take Jundal’s voice samples
“Forensic experts would be called soon to conduct Jundal’s voice measurement through audio spectrometer. Besides his interrogation, his voice sample collection is one of our top priorities during the custody period,” a Crime Branch official said. Jundal’s voice samples will be matched with the telephonic talks intercepted by intelligence agencies during the dastardly assault, in which, 166 persons, including some foreigners, were killed. When contacted, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said, “Security agencies in Delhi might have already taken Jundal’s voice samples, but we, as the 26/11 probe agency, will also take his voice samples very soon.” Jundal, alleged prime conspirator of the 26/11 carnage, was yesterday formally arrested. After being brought from Delhi, he was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till July 31. — PTI
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Jantar Mantar Sarsanghchalaks or heads of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have always shunned publicity while the organisation’s headquarters in Nagpur has an air of mystery around it. Outsiders are discouraged from visiting the place and its activities are a hush-hush affair. However, there has been a perceptible change in the attitude after the charge of the organisation passed on to GenNext. The RSS appointed Ram Madhav as its spokesperson some years ago and now its sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat has been far more forthcoming with the media than his predecessors. Bhagwat is now reaching out to the foreign media despite the fact that the organisation has so far been wary of Western cultural influences. He is said to have sent feelers to the Delhi-based foreign press that he would be interested in interacting with it to explain the RSS philosophy. The RSS outreach is probably triggered by the need to correct its negative image and to improve the acceptability of its political wing, the BJP, in the belief that it will be coming to power in 2014. Family face-off in House
A spy story This is the proverbial spy vs spy story. Amar Bhushan, special secretary in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) who headed the counter-intelligence unit and retired in 2005, has written a spy story titled “Escape to Nowhere” in which he presents a fictionalised account of the escape of former army major Rabinder Singh, who managed to get away after it was discovered that he was a CIA agent. Sceptics in intelligence circles have been quick to put down the book, alleging the writer was actually trying to absolve himself as the counter-intelligence unit he headed had failed to prevent Rabinder Singh from fleeing the country. Not just that, a CD providing a detailed account of the botched up operation, countering Bhushan’s version, has surfaced and is currently doing the rounds among present and retired intelligence officers.
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8 Maoists held in 2 Bihar dists
Gaya/Sasaram, July 22 A police team assisted by CRPF personnel raided a house at English village under Mou police outpost and arrested three Maoists including its 'commanders' Mangal Singh, Shravan Yadav and Shiv Prakesh Singh. — PTI
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Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a new journey transcending political affiliations in the high Constitutional job with an ease none of his predecessors may have enjoyed because of his experience spanning 45 years in government and politics.
We are sure he will be a great President and the nation will benefit from the vast experience that he has gathered over his long and illustrious career. 
He will be a great President. We wish him all the success
It was really a great privilege for the country to have a President like Pranab Mukherjee. Apart from being a seasoned statesman, he also a highly learned scholar 
I extend my hearty congratulations to Pranab Mukherjee on his election today as the new President of India.
New Delhi, July 22
New Delhi, July 22
Mumbai, July 22
Mumbai, July 22
The Rajya Sabha proceedings are set to become more lively after the BJP named chief spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad as the new deputy leader of Opposition in the Upper House. The post had fallen vacant after the previous deputy leader SS Ahluwalia’s term got over and the party was unable to get him re-elected. Ravishankar Prasad happens to be the brother-in-law of Rajiv Shukla, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, who has been entrusted with the charge of floor coordination in the Upper House. It will be interesting to see how the two face off on the floor of the House as Ravishankar Prasad is no pushover and can be as aggressive as Ahluwalia when it comes to taking on the government. Shukla may not be as loquacious as his brother-in-law is, but he is equally hard to be put down. As they say, interesting times ahead.