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PM to host dinner for allies today
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Army called out as two more killed in Assam
Lacklustre 2G auction raises vital questions
Govt, Cong attack CAG over 2G loss figure
Free hand on 2G would have done the trick: Sibal
Testing of new set of short-range missiles reaches final stage
KC Pant passes away
PGI PAPER LEAK
Dentist’s death: Parents blame archaic Irish laws
Arun Jaitley meets Modi, discusses BJP strategy
26/11 attacks
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PM to host dinner for allies today
New Delhi, November 15 With PM having postponed his official trip to Japan that was to start today, Congress parliamentary managers decided it is time for the government to host a dinner tomorrow to discuss strategy to face the onslaught from the Opposition during the winter session of Parliament starting on November 22. After hosting exclusive luncheon meeting for BSP chief Mayawati and dinner for Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, the government is now working on a plan to ensure that coalition partners are on the same side even as the DMK kept up the suspense over its approach towards the Opposition-sponsored motion against FDI in retail. With 18 MPs, DMK support becomes critical to the UPA after the Trinamool Congress with 19 MPs went out of the alliance. Adding to the Congress woes, the TMC has now threatened to bring a no-confidence motion against the Manmohan Singh government. The BJP today said it would finalise its strategy on the issue when its parliamentary board would meet on November 20 under the chairmanship of LK Advani. Senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told correspondents in Patna that the BJP would also consult its NDA allies and political parties who are not in favour of FDI in retail. Naidu parried a direct response to the BJP stand on the notice served by Left parties demanding a discussion in both Houses of Parliament under a rule that entailed voting. He said while the BJP shared similar views, it would take a decision at an appropriate time. NDA convener and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav said the party was not in favour of stalling parliamentary proceedings on the FDI issue rather it wanted a discussion on it. The Left parties also wanted a debate on the move and disputed the government stand that it fell in the domain of executive decision. The argument is also that the government had informed Parliament earlier that any decision on the issue would be taken after consultations. Majority of Opposition parties are against opening up the multi-brand retail sector on the plea that it would severely affect the local neighbourhood stores. Even farmers would not benefit from the move in the long run considering the practices adopted by the mega-retailers, they maintain. numbers matter
With 18 MPs, DMK support becomes critical to the UPA after the Trinamool Congress with 19 MPs went out
of the alliance
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Rahul to head Cong panel for 2014 poll New Delhi, November 15 The other members of the committee include AICC general secretaries Janardan Dwivedi, Digvijaya Singh and Madhusudan Mistry, Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. While Digvijaya Singh had worked closely with Rahul Gandhi during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Jairam Ramesh is also known for his proximity to Rahul. Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke about the constitution of such a coordination panel and three sub-groups during here address at the "samvad baithak" (dialogue session) held at Surajkund recently. She had underlined the urgent need to begin preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections. There has been considerable speculation in the Congress in recent months about Rahul Gandhi playing a larger role in party affairs and being entrusted with additional responsibilities. It was being said that he could be re-designated as working president or secretary general or given charge of the party organisation that would enable him to oversee work in all states. Party cadres had been pressing the leadership that Rahul Gandhi be given a more defined role in the party instead of confining him to oversee activities of the Youth Congress and the NSUI. Although it is not clear whether he will be given a new designation, his role has been clearly spelt out. There was a delay in bringing Rahul Gandhi into the party mainstream as it would entail displacement of several present incumbents in the organisation who would have to make way for Rahul Gandhi's GenNext team. Since the party cannot afford any major upheavals so close to the next Lok Sabha poll, the Nehru-Gandhi scion has been given a position and a specific responsibility that does not impinge directly on the current party setup. Sonia Gandhi's pre-eminent position remains intact. The composition of the coordination committee as well as the three sub-groups is an exercise in continuity and change as its members include both senior leaders and younger faces. The membership also reflects the pecking order in the party. Defence Minister AK Antony continues to enjoy Sonia Gandhi's confidence was evident as he has charge of two sub-groups, on pre-poll alliances and on manifesto and government programmes. Digvijaya Singh also remains a favourite. He heads the communication and publicity sub-group despite his poor handling of the UP elections and his tendency to shoot his mouth off. Former ministers Ambika Soni and Mukul Wasnik, who resigned from the government to take up party positions, have been included in the publicity and pre-poll alliances sub-groups, respectively. Rahul Gandhi's appointees on these panels include Jitendra Singh, Sandeep Dikshit, Manish Tewari, Deependra Hooda and Jyotiraditya Scindia. NEW PARTY PANELS
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Myanmar a natural ally, Meira tells Suu Kyi
New Delhi, November 15 Welcoming the visiting pro democracy leader from Myanmar, Kumar said India and Myanmar enjoyed a warm relationship since time immemorial and Myanmar was a cherished neighbour of India and its natural ally. Lauding Suu Kyi’s abiding commitment to the people of her country and peace around the world, Meira Kumar observed that Indians viewed Kyi’s heroic struggle for democracy with a great deal of respect. On a personal note, Kumar recalled occasional interactions with Aung San Suu Kyi during their school days in Jaipur. Kumar also congratulated her on her party’s spectacular victory in the elections held in Myanmar in April this year. During the meeting, the Lok Sabha Speaker referred to specialised capacity building programmes organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of the Lok Sabha Secretariat for MPs and parliamentary officers of Myanmar in the recent past. She said this year 30 parliamentarians and 30 parliamentary officials of Myanmar Parliament had benefited from such programmes. She assured Suu Kyi that the Indian Parliament would continue to share its experience in parliamentary practices and procedures with the Myanmarese Parliament. Reciprocating the sentiments expressed by the Speaker, Aung San Suu Kyi said the foundations of relationship between India and Myanmar were laid in history and culture. She observed that the friendship between the leaders of the two countries, both personal and political, would never fade away. Suu Kyi said her country was moving on the path of democracy in a slow and steady manner and Myanmar would require cooperation of its valued neighbours, especially India, in this endeavour. She hoped the spirit of democracy and rule of law would be further deepened and the engagement between the two Parliaments taken to greater heights. Dwelling on the imperative of parliamentary democracy, she said she preferred a turbulent Parliament over a quiet one,
as it showcased the power of the people. Later, Daw Suu Kyi planted a sapling of Magnolia Grandlora (commonly known as Champa) in the Parliament House complex in the presence of Kumar.
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Army called out as two more killed in Assam
Guwahati, November 15 Inspector General of Police (BTC area), G P Singh informed that an unidentified miscreant shot dead one Nelson Basumatary, a petty businessman at Telepara under Gossaingaon police station of Gossaingaon sub-division of Kokrajhar district at around 7.30 am. It was flowed by another killing when one trader Abul Kalam was stabbed to death at Kokrajhar Weekly market at Kokrajhar town at around 8.45 am creating panic among traders and market goers. As both the incidents trigger rumour mongering and tension in the area the administration imposed indefinite curfew in the entire Kokrajhar district to prevent escalation of violence. The Army has been called to stage flag march and assist the administration in maintaining law and order in the district that was still recovering from the spell of communal riot that swept past the BTC area in July this year rendering over 4.70 lakh people homeless while over 100 were killed. The death toll due to fresh incidents of violence in Kokrajhar district since November 10 last has gone up to six while the toll for the entire BTC has mounted to eight following the two deaths today. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi has rushed the parliamentary secretaries for home department, Rana Goswami and Bhupen Bora to monitor the action taken by the administration in the BTC to contain spread of violence in the area while Additional DGP (Law and Order) A P Raut has been deputed to the area to supervise the police operation. Meanwhile, DGP of Assam J N Chaudhury has pointed accusing finger to the anti-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by Ranjan Daimary for trying to create fresh disturbance in the area.
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Lacklustre 2G auction raises vital questions
New Delhi, November 15 Clarity over the future policy of the government will only emerge after the Department of Telecom (DoT) takes stock of the situation which has hit the government hard leaving it with just about 25 per cent of the revenue it had hoped to garner from the sale of the airwaves and actually without any money in its pocket. Industry watchers point out that the government sold just 42.37 per cent of the total airwaves that were put up for sale, leaving it with just over Rs 9,407 crore. There were no bids for Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan - four zones that contribute 50 per cent of the reserve price. This leaves the government with the question of the methodology to determine the price to charge the one-time fee for excess Spectrum held by the telcos in circles like Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka. The plan was to use the market discovered price from the 2G auctions to charge incumbent telcos for excess Spectrum they hold. Now with no market discovered price, not only does it leave the government in a quandary, but also leaves the telcos with the option of using the legal system to get their woes addressed. One word emerging from the sector is that the government would approach the sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for lowering the base price in these circles and hold another bid. Experts said that after the auction, the government was faced with some serious policy defects in the sector. They also point out that TRAI had fixed the reserve price for this auction on the base of the third generation 3G Spectrum auction of 2010 - when the market conditions were very different from now. With the telcos still adjusting the 3G auction amount that they paid to the government in their account books even now, TRAI took a major gamble in extrapolating 2010 prices to 2012 market conditions, when most of the operators are under heavy debt. Incidentally, the total amount raised by the government is almost the same that telecom companies had paid in 2008 to bag licences that were cancelled earlier this year by the Supreme Court leading to this auction. What will hurt the government further is that since it has said that it would refund the licence fees paid in 2008, the net gain to the exchequer could be flat or even in the negative once the exercise is concluded. Profitless exercise
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Govt, Cong attack CAG over 2G loss figure
New Delhi, November 15 Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari led the government attack by asking CAG Vinod Rai as to why the Spectrum auction had not yielded anything close to the loss it had estimated. "Mr CAG, where is the 1.76 lakh crore? I think it is time for some serious introspection. It is time the CAG introspects on his processes and it is high time that the BJP and some of the other Opposition parties, which had made this their holy grail and swan song of politics over the last two years, should publicly apologise," Tewari said while speaking to reporters. Congress leader Digvijay Singh also took a dig at the national auditor's estimate of loss in the 2G Spectrum allocation in 2001. "The CAG should reconsider how far its estimate was right with regard to the report, which it had earlier given, and the losses that it had computed (in Spectrum allocation two years ago),” Singh said. The BJP hit back at the government. “The government keeps looking for ways to attack constitutional institutions like the CAG which are acting in a fair and independent manner," party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. Digvijay Singh sought to dismiss the suggestion that the auction yielding less revenue this time is a reflection of disenchantment of telecom companies with the government. The government was targeting a minimum of Rs 28,000 crore from the sale of 2G Spectrum in the GSM band. The tepid response may upset its efforts to meet the revised fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent of GDP. Overall, the government had budgeted Rs 40,000 crore as revenue from Spectrum sale this fiscal. The CAG had in 2010 said the then Telecom Minister A Raja's decision to give away Spectrum at rates fixed in 2001 had caused a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to
the exchequer. CPM's Nilotpal Basu also lashed out at the government gunning for the CAG. “If the government argues like that, it will only be the devil's advocate. Because you will always have to remind yourself of the fact that the then Telecom Minister A Raja gave out 122 licences for Rs 9,200 crore. "Thus, the 22 licences which were out on auction this time have already fetched more than what they had got for all the 122 licences then,” he said. Former CAG TN Chaturvedi came out in support of Rai. “He (Rai) examined the situation at that particular point of time. He is not a crystal gazer. He couldn't have anticipated, as some papers have said, that the banks are reluctant to give loans because the market has slowed down," he said.
— PTI
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Free hand on 2G would have done the trick: Sibal
New Delhi, November 15 Talking to mediapersons here, Sibal said: “We are not here to score points. Our point always was that market dynamics should be allowed to play out. The moment you start dealing with market directly or indirectly, it will be bad. The government’s wisdom should only intervene when required. The purpose of the government is to ensure development and prosperity. We are not here to feel vindicated.” The government had put on auction more than half of the 2G spectrum that got vacated following the Supreme Court order of cancelling 122 licences given out in 2008 on a first-come-first-serve basis by the then Telecom Minister A Raja, but managed to sell only over 42 per cent of it. Sibal said: “We have done exactly what the courts asked us to do. In fact, the court asked us to sell at Rs 18,000 crore. We brought the price down because we wanted to sell, we wanted companies to buy.” He added that if the government had fixed the TRAI recommended base price of Rs 18,000 crore it would not have achieved even the Rs 9,407 crore that it got in the auction.
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Bal Thackeray’s condition better, says Uddhav
Mumbai, November 15 Doctors attending to Thackeray have said he was being administered oxygen as his condition was still serious. With crowds of Shiv Sena workers assembling outside Matoshree, the residence of the Thackerays, since last night, Uddhav Thackeray came out to calm tempers shortly after 2 am today. “I have not lost hope. Doctors are doing their best. So please do not lose hope. We have seen a miracle today... I am confident that my God will pull through this time,” Uddhav said. He went on to ask his party workers to remain peaceful. “I do not want any complaints.... Please do not indulge in violence,” he said. Thackeray’s words had a calming effect on the party faithful as a majority of those assembled dispersed. Police personnel, including Rapid Action Force and riot police, were deployed in large numbers outside the Thackeray residence. Mumbai virtually came to a standstill earlier today, as residents, apprehending violence, stayed indoors. Most offices and private business establishments remained shut and commuter traffic in Mumbai’s local trains saw thin occupancy. Taxis and autorickshaws were off roads and those who ventured out had to wait for BEST buses. A BEST official said its bus fleet was out on full strength today. The vehicles would be pulled out in case of stone-throwing, he added. In many parts of the city, groups of Shiv Sena workers were seen forcing shopkeepers to close their shutters in the morning. Bhaubeej celebrations across different parts of Mumbai were held in a subdued manner as wary residents decided not to usher in the festival by bursting firecrackers. Workers of the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who dispersed from their “shakhas” in Mumbai to go home for the festival were back by afternoon to discuss the health of their leader. Shooting of films and television serials in Mumbai came to a standstill as associations of cine artistes and technicians called for a bandh to express solidarity with the Thackeray family. Senior Bollywood personalities arrived at Matoshree to enquire about the leader’s health. Among those who were spotted outside the Thackeray residence were Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek, Salman Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Nana Patekar and others. The authorities were taking no chances over the law and order situation in the state. The state government has declared a high alert all over the state and police and para-military personnel have been kept on standby. mumbai on the edge
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UP CM inaugurates women helpline
Lucknow, November 15 The ‘1090’ helpline called Women's Power will deal with crank calls, obscene calls, SMSes and MMSes in the first phase, while all internet-related harassment, including posting of fake profiles on social networks will be addressed, in the second phase. In the final and the third phase, the helpline will deal with cases of harassment in public places. Making a break from the past, this is yet another technology based solution to a societal problem initiated by the tech-savvy Chief Minister. Speaking at a function to inaugurate the helpline at his official 5 Kalidas Road residence, Akhilesh Yadav directed police officials to ensure that the purpose behind the helpline was met and technical snags should not hamper its functioning. According to Lucknow DIG Navneet Sikera, the brain behind the project, the women police officers selected for running the helpline were themselves victims of sexual harassment at some stage of their life and did not need any motivation to fully understand their duties. Combating sexual harassment
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Testing of new set of short-range missiles reaches final stage
New Delhi, November 15 This will prove crucial in protecting military bases, frontline airbases, tank regiments, warships and also strategic assets. The last set of trials is slated for February 2013, sources confirmed. India aims to spend $5.4 billion (approx Rs 29,000 crore) to buy some 1,000 missile launchers and 6,000 missiles for its Very Short-Range Air-Defence System (VSHORADS). This is the initial order. Once the missile is approved for purchase, licence production in India will commence making it the key weapon of choice, sources said. Public sector giant Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) will be the Indian production arm. It was in March that the then Army Chief General VK Singh wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying 97 per cent of the air defence systems were obsolete. India, at present, operates the Russian origin Igla-SA-18 weapon for very short range targets - between 6 to 8 km. The new set of missiles will form the last ring of air defence and have to be very accurate and reliable in hitting targets. The prime aim is to tackle UAVs, helicopters and even low-flying fighter jets within immediate range. The three contenders are the French missile maker MBDA with its weapon ‘Mistral’, Sweden’s Saab with its ‘RBS 70 NG’ and Russia’s new generation ‘Igla-SA-24’. Sources said the evaluation was done in extensive trials carried out during summer in Rajasthan in May. A coastal environment trial was done near Visakhapatnam to check for firing capabilities in humid conditions. High-altitude trails have been conducted at Ladakh. The winter testing of the weapon will be done in early February in the northern part of the country. Sources pointed out that India is looking at a system that can be deployed in multiple configurations and can be used by the Army, Air Force and Navy. One among the many configurations that the missile should have is that it should be man-portable that can easily lifted by troops in rugged mountain areas and carried to newer locations. In the plains, the requirement is to fit it with a twin-launcher and base it on a high-mobility vehicle so that it can accompany the tank regiments to battle or be at airbases and other high-value targets like nuclear plants and large dams like the
Bhakra.
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KC Pant passes away
The son of Govind Ballabh Pant, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister under late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Krishan Chandra Pant is survived by his wife and former MP Ila Pant and two sons. Pant, who had held the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Energy and Steel among others, was ailing for some time and breathed his last at 8.30 am. He was cremated shortly later without any state honours, a privilege normally given to former Union Ministers, apparently because the family wanted it to be a private affair. Soon after hearing about Pant's death, Defence Minister AK Antony rushed to his residence to pay homage but after reaching there he was told that the body has been taken for cremation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "deeply saddened" at the death of Pant who served the country and people with great distinction in his long political career. "The country has lost an eminent public figure and an able administrator.... In his passing away, the country has lost an eminent public figure and an able administrator," Singh said. Pant played the role of negotiator during the separate Telangana agitation in the 1970s and was instrumental in reaching of an agreement.
— PTI
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PGI PAPER LEAK While pleading in court for the extension of the 10-day custody of all the 15 accused, CBI special public prosecutor Pawan Kumar Dogra said that efforts were being made to identify the dealer from which the SIM cards were purchased by Afroz at the behest of prime accused Gurivi Reddy. CBI sources said the SIM cards were exclusively used to communicate among members of the gang, including helpers and beneficiary candidates, while making arrangements for the PGI paper leak. Besides SIM cards, four tablets were used for the commission of the crime. Gurivi Reddy had given fictitious name and mobile number while purchasing the tablet, said the CBI. The court has extended the custody of all the accused by two days. A senior CBI official said the accused made every use of modern day technology to facilitate cheating during the exam. “While taking images of the question papers with the help of mobile phones during the exam, an application called ‘Snapsync’ used for uploading photos on the Internet was already configured on the phones. “When the image of the question paper is taken, it is automatically uploaded on the site. The other members of the gang - stationed at Patna and Hyderabad - open the site using the password provided by Gurivi Reddy. They would get the question papers solved and then email back the answers. Thereafter, the perpetrators would communicate it to the candidates who had given hefty amounts to them,” said the official. Prime accused Gurivi Reddy had booked rooms in three hotels of the city where the other gang members, including helpers and candidates, were accommodated. The CBI had also seized five specially made inner jackets, which had electronic instruments attached to them, from a hotel room in Sector 22 here where the decoy girl candidates were staying. On November 11, the CBI had busted the paper leak scam with the arrest of 15 accused, including seven girls, who were caught with bluetooth devices while appearing for the exam. The girls facilitated cheating in the entrance test by emailing a copy of the paper through electronic gadgets to eight other gang members staying at a hotel in Sector 35. Gurivi Reddy led the gang and answers to the question papers were provided by another accused Dr Gangadhar Reddy from Patna who has also been arrested. Exam rescheduled for Dec 2nd week The PGI today declared that the MD/MS entrance exam would be rescheduled in the second week of December as the exam held on November 10 stands cancelled in view of the scam unearthed by the CBI during the exam. Dr Amod Gupta, Dean, PGI, said that the 7,000 candidates who had appeared in the exam on November 10 would not have to apply afresh for the exam and the admit cards issued earlier would be considered valid for the rescheduled exam. The format of the paper would remain the same.
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Dentist’s death: Parents blame archaic Irish laws Bangalore, November 15 “The authorities should have been sensitive to the situation and should have considered saving her life above everything else. They should have considered the fact that we follow a different faith and they should have taken a decision after taking everything into perspective,” Mahadevi told reporters at her home at Belgaum in Karnataka. Savita Halappanavar, 31, who was admitted to University Hospital Galway in western Ireland last month, died of septicaemia a week after miscarrying 17 weeks into her pregnancy. Her repeated requests for termination were rejected because of the presence of a foetal heartbeat, her husband told the Irish state broadcaster. Halappanavar was reportedly told that as Ireland was a Catholic country, her request for an abortion would not be entertained. Savita’s father Andalappa Yalagi also blamed the archaic laws of Ireland and the rigidity of the medical practitioners in that country for his daughter's death. “There are two reasons: one, the ban on abortion under Ireland's law, and secondly, the negligence of the doctors. I can say these two factors have taken place,” Yalagi said. Abortion remains an extremely controversial issue in Ireland, an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country which has some of the world's most restrictive laws on medical termination of pregnancy. — TNS
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Arun Jaitley meets Modi, discusses BJP strategy Ahmedabad, November 15 "Jaitley is here to discuss the strategy ahead for the next phase of campaigning," BJP sources said. Jaitley held a meeting with Modi in Gandhinagar after he arrived in the evening and then visited the party headquarters. — PTI
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26/11 attacks New Delhi, November 15 It also expressed hope that the normalised visa regime between Pakistan and India will become operational soon. "As far as the Government of Pakistan is concerned, as far as prosecution is concerned, they are doing their best to ensure that justice is done and no stone would be left unturned," Salman Bashir, Pakistan High Commissioner to India, told reporters after inaugurating his country's pavilion at the 32nd India International Trade Fair here. He was replying to a question about Pakistani probe agencies saying in the court there that the conspiracy of 26/11 Mumbai attack was planned on the country's soil.
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New Delhi, November 15
Chandigarh, November 15