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France eases visa norms for Indian students
Land acquisition: Pay Rs 9 lakh/acre more to Manesar landowners, SC tells Haryana
BJP plans ‘aggressive’ drive against UPA
Modi’s worries far from over |
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Ex-Maoist leader
shot at, injured Hyderabad, July 4 Former Maoist leader Ganti Prasada Rao alias Prasadam, who was released in 2011 in exchange for the kidnapped collector of Odisha's Malkangiri, was critically injured in an assassination attempt in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore town on Thursday, the police said.
Industry questions feasibility of food security programme
Prez honours 27 youth for social service
Dalit boy, whose marriage set off riots in TN, found dead
Bookie wanted to rope in Shane Watson
Govt mulls ban on sale of TB drugs in open market
Humiliated Beni threatens to quit Cong
Dec 16 rape: Lawyer alleges Maoist threat
Three killed in Maharashtra building collapse
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France eases visa norms for Indian students
New Delhi, July 4 “There is no competition between the UK and us. We have our own visa policy, they (the UK) have their own,” French Ambassador to India Francois Richier said here. France, he said, had introduced a number of measures to enable Indian students to study in the country. “It is about opening our arms and hearts to Indian students by facilitating their stay, not only in their visa area but other things such as training, taking care of jobs when they are back in India. It is a package thing,” Richier said. The French envoy said since France shared a genuine partnership with India, it had chosen to open its frontiers even wider to Indian students. He said following French President Francois Hollande’s visit in February, a number of measures had been taken to facilitate the issuance of visas to Indian students, the creation of a “France-India” network as well as an increased number of scholarships offered by the French Embassy and its corporate partners. Richier said from July 14, all Indian citizens who had graduated from a French higher education institution and subsequently applied for a tourist or business visa for a trip to France would be given a visa with longer validity - up to five years - if the studies were at the master’s or PhD level. On if it was a general policy applicable to all foreign students, he said the new visa measures had been taken at the embassy level and was applicable to only Indian students. Also, visa applications by Indian faculties and officials would be examined as a matter of priority. The French Embassy and corporate partners would award scholarships totalling Rs 7.1 crore to 235 meritorious Indian students who wish to pursue higher education in France. Last year, around 2,600 Indian students opted for higher education in France, a jump of 50 per cent over the past five years. “In 1998, there were only 100 Indian students in France. We have had a steady progress and that trend growing,” the Ambassador said. — PTI
What's on offer
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Land acquisition: Pay Rs 9 lakh/acre more to Manesar landowners, SC tells Haryana
New Delhi, July 4 A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya asked the state government and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) to pay the hiked compensation with all statutory benefits within four months from July 2. The ruling came on a bunch of appeals filed by the HSIIDC and the landowners challenging a judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhancing the compensation from Rs 28.15 lakh per acre to Rs 37.4 per acre. Besides directing the state government and the HSIIDC to pay the enhanced amount decided by a Single-Judge Bench of the HC, the SC remitted the matter back to the HC for a “fresh disposal of the appeals filed by the parties”. The SC noted that the HSIIDC had allotted land to Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (Private) Limited at the rate of Rs 1,254.18 per square yard. Although this document was produced before the Reference Court, it was not taken into consideration while determining the amount of compensation. The same error was repeated in the HC verdict. “If this document is taken into consideration, the market value of the acquired land would come to Rs 60,69,360 per acre. By making a deduction of 50 per cent towards development cost and granting an annual increase of 12/15 per cent (cumulative), the market value of the land will be much higher than Rs 37.4 lakh,” the SC explained while giving the reason for sending back the case to the HC. Of the 771 acres of the acquired land, the HSIIDC had allotted 600 acres to the Maruti Udyog Limited at Rs 19 lakh per acre in 2008. The company’s counsel had contended that the HSIIDC had already demanded on October 10, 2012, an additional Rs 500 crore in lieu of the enhanced compensation to landowners.
THE TUSSLE
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BJP plans ‘aggressive’ drive against UPA
New Delhi, July 4 The meeting of the parliamentary board of the party was held in the presence of newly anointed poll campaign committee chief Narendra Modi and his chief adversary LK Advani. The leaders felt there was a possibility of the Congress planning for early General Election so as to coincide with the Assembly elections in five states. The party decided to oppose the ordinance with the help of UPA’s outside supporters, like the Samajwadi Party, which is also opposed to the concept in this form. “A plan is being drawn to counter the political challenge presented by the ordinance with the help of dissenting UPA supporters like the SP,” they say. Besides, the party has also decided to make the most of the growing distance between RLD leader Ajit Singh and the PMO in the wake of the Jet-Etihad deal. The main contenders for the Prime Minister’s post, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and party patriarch Advani sat next to each other as the group discussed the crucial issues facing the party. These included possible return of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa into the party fold. Apparently, Modi favours re-induction of Yeddyurappa, but Advani, who favours corruption and price rise as the main poll strategy for the next General Election, opposes Yeddyurappa’s return. Party leaders also discussed possible allies. Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy has already offered to merge his party with the
BJP.
Brain storming
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Modi’s worries far from over Ahmedabad, July 4 With the investigations still in progress in the Ishrat Jahan, Sohrabuddin, Tulsiram Prajapati and the Sadiq Jamal Mehtar fake encounter cases, as well as the court hearing continuing on the Zakia Jafri petition, the CM and his deputy are keeping a close watch on the developments if any shred of evidence implicated them in any of these "murder" cases. Amit Shah is currently on bail after spending over three months in the Sabarmati central jail on being arrested in connection with the Sohrabuddin encounter and murder of his wife Kausarbi. All the cases are almost identical executed on “intelligence inputs” that Pakistan-based “Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives” were on their way to Gujarat to assassinate Modi and some other Hindu leaders. Barring the Tulsiram Prajapati encounter, who reportedly was eliminated only because he was a witness to Sohrabuddin fake encounter, all the other fake encounters were staged when the intelligence officer Rajinder Kumar was heading the IB state bureau in Ahmedabad between 2001 and 2005, and executed by the crime branch police under the arrested former DIG DG Vanzara. The CBI while filling its first chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter yesterday had informed the special court that the investigation was still in progress on the “larger conspiracy” angle and it was expected to submit a supplementary chargesheet naming the “alleged conspirators” in the case. Legal experts believe that the crime branch police under Vanzara might not have run the risk of staging the fake encounters without the approving nod of their political bosses. The alleged reference by Vanzara to the “white beard” and “black beard” having “cleared” Ishrat’s elimination is believed to be hinting at Modi and Shah while the latter had already been implicated as a “master mind” in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter and killing of
Kausarbi. in a tight spot z Investigations are still in progress in the Ishrat Jahan, Sohrabuddin, Tulsiram Prajapati and the Sadiq Jamal Mehtar fake encounter cases z The court hearing is continuing on Zakia Jafri’s petition z Modi and his deputy Amit Shah are keeping a close watch on the developments,
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Ex-Maoist leader
shot at, injured
Hyderabad, July 4 Prasadam, a poet and convenor of the Martyr's Committee of Friends and Relatives (a group representing kin of Maoists killed in shoot-outs with police), was attacked by three unidentified people near government-run hospital in Nellore. The assailants fired at him and also attacked him with a knife. Prasadam was shifted to hospital, where his condition is stated to be critical. The assailants escaped after the attack. Police said they have formed several teams to arrest them. — PTI
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Industry questions feasibility of food security programme
New Delhi, July 4 Industry body FICCI in a note has called the announcement “premature” and said the country is not ready for it. The industry worry also stems from the fact that the ordinance comes at a time when the government is trying to push fiscal consolidation. “While there is no denying the fact that right to food and attaining proper nutrition should be the basic provision for every citizen in the country, the recent announcement seems a little premature and that the country is yet not fully prepared to roll out such a programme,” says Didar Singh, secretary general, FICCI. Pointing to the execution difficulties and pressure on the fiscal situation, the chamber says the actual execution of the scheme will be marred by challenges. It says the fiscal cost of the scheme will rise substantially going forward. The Bill is expected to cost the exchequer around Rs 1.25 lakh crore. The budgeted amount for the food subsidy this fiscal is Rs 90,000 crore and an additional Rs 10,000 crore has been budgeted for the Bill this year. But going ahead, the fiscal cost is expected to rise substantially. The use of the Public Distribution System (PDS) system for the scheme has also come in for criticism. “One of the biggest issues that comes to the fore is the access and it is quite surprising that the government is willing to fall on the old PDS to allocate food grain under the Bill. The PDS has not been streamlined over the years and remains plagued with inefficiencies,” says Singh. There are also fears that this will set in motion a massive chain reaction of the government buying all the food grain in the country and the subsequent logistical nightmares and losses on account of it. As 75% of the rural population will be eligible for food grain under the National Food Security Bill, most farmers will conveniently sell their grain at the MSP (which is the most competitive) and again come to the government for their consumption. This may result in a substantial increase in government procurement and start of a chain reaction i.e. more procurement, more storage, more losses, etc. and lead to a situation where the government ends up buying all the foodgrain produced in the country. Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) research believes proper implementation of the food security Bill will lower spending on foodgrain by below poverty line households and free up resources for spending on other goods and services.
Major concerns
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Prez honours 27 youth for social service
New Delhi, July 4 Among the awardees, 11 are from the northern region. Kushmeet Kaur Bains from Ludhiana has been awarded for her contribution towards educating slum children. Gurnam Singh Sidhu from Ferozepur has been honoured for his village development camps, and relief and resettlement of flood victims and disaster-hit. Delhi's Pradeep Raj, who is physically challenged, received the award for educating children with disabilities. Chanchal Aggarwal, also from Delhi, has been awarded for services in the fields of health, food distribution and vocational training. Another Delhi youth, Girish Kumar, has been honoured for exemplary social service. Suman, who hails from Kaithal, Haryana, has been awarded for having organised self-employment programmes to train rural unemployed in "duree", bag, thread-making. Also on the awarded list is Ruchi Kaushik from Mahendragarh. She has worked towards uplifting women and poorer section of the society. Ashok Kumar, who hails from Bhiwani, has been awarded for raising awareness about swine flu and dengue and pulse polio programmes. Gurmeet Kaur, a social worker from Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, has been organising health awareness programmes through street plays and working for elderly persons. Besar Dass Harnot from Shimla district has been recognised for social development programmes, including formation of youth mentor clubs for awareness of HIV/AIDS and de-addiction programmes. Kiran Kumar Sharma from Akhnoor, J&K, has been awarded for imparting education to school dropouts.
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Dalit boy, whose marriage set off riots in TN, found dead
Chennai, July 4 The Railway police said his body was found along a track behind the government arts college in Dharmapuri. The news of the boy's death led to a tense situation in Dalit areas in Naickenkottai, with many of them thronging the government medical college hospital, where his body was taken. Dharmapuri SP Asra Garg said the Raliway police are conducting an inquiry and that it was too early to say if there any foul play. Police pickets have been posted in sensitive areas in Naickenkottai. — PTI
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gameShame Shaurya Karanbir Gurung/TNS
New Delhi, July 4 The arrested bookie named as Jitender, alias Jittu, had allegedly asked arrested cricketer Ajit Chandila to contact Watson and rope him into spot-fixing. "Chandila told Jitender that it would be difficult to rein in Watson," said a senior Delhi Police officer investigating the case. The police came to know about it from a statement made by cricketer Harmeet Singh Badhan (20) in a Delhi court. Harmeet, a resident of Mumbai, had played one match for Rajasthan Royals against Pune Warriors in this season of the IPL. His name came up during the interrogation of Jitender. "Jitender said he wanted Harmeet to be involved in spot-fixing. But, the bookie felt Harmeet would not do it, because of his age," said the officer. Investigators claim that they called Harmeet for questioning to "clarify things", although he was not involved in spot-fixing. "We felt Harmeet spoke about everything he knew. We don't see any fault of his," said Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) SN Shrivastava. Harmeet in his statement to the court said he played cricket for Air India with Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, who was also arrested in the case. In February this year, Harmeet played in the Times Shield Tournament at Bandra in Mumbai. According to Harmeet's statement, Chandila had then called him to Hotel Baba in Bandra. There, Chandila took him to a room, where they met his friends. "He then took Harmeet to another room, where Manan (an arrested bookie), Jitender and a third unidentified person were present. We showed Harmeet photographs, out of which he recognised two of them-Manan and Jitender. Chandila had directed Harmeet to accept whatever the three persons told him. Jitender told Harmeet that since this was his first IPL season he should play well and he would be contacted by the three men," said another Delhi police officer. Jitender told Chandila that he "needed a batsman" and asked him to involve Watson into spot-fixing, Harmeet said.
the Link
In 2010, Harmeet signed to play for the Deccan Chargers, but he could not as he was taking Class 12 exams. In mid-January this year, he received an offer from Rajasthan Royals. He claims team captain Rahul Dravid contacted him. He also played in the under-19 cricket World Cup last year.
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Govt mulls ban on sale of TB drugs in open market
New Delhi, July 4
The Health Ministry is proposing changes in view of irregularity in administration of these drugs to patients and lack of proper monitoring that is hindering efforts to check the disease, sources say. A WHO estimate suggests India is home to the largest number of TB patients — 2.2 million of the world’s 8.7 million. — PTI
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Humiliated Beni threatens to quit Cong
New Delhi, July 4 He belied the claim of AICC in charge of Uttar Pradesh Madhusudan Mistry’s that he had expressed regret and promised not to speak against Yadav again as he attacked the SP supremo once more, alleging he had “connived” with BJP in the run-up to the Babri Masjid demolition. “My effigies were burnt yesterday. After the statements which have been published in newspapers today, I felt humiliated,” Verma told a group of reporters here. “I am not in politics for chair or to become a minister. I believe in values...I can quit the Congress any time or it can remove me...I can tender my resignation if the Congress becomes an obstacle in my fight with Yadav,” he added. His statement came a day after Mistry reprimanded him for his remarks that SP chief should “first try to get the job of a sweeper at the residence of the PM if he is nursing ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister”. — PTI
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Dec 16 rape: Lawyer alleges Maoist threat
New Delhi, July 4 Advocate A P Singh, who represents accused Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma, has also sought a high-level enquiry into the incident. He has annexed a letter, the contents of which were incoherent, purportedly giving the threat to him and the court among others. Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna directed the investigating officer (IO) of the case to look in to matter. — PTI
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Three killed in Maharashtra building collapse
Thane, July 4 Building No.14 at Arihant Complex in the Narpoli area came crashing down around 1.15 a.m. on Thursday, said investigating officer Ramesh Patil of Narpoli police station. Around two dozen people managed to escape, while 15 others were rescued and admitted to various hospitals for treatment, Patil added. The dead were identified as Virendra Pandey, Sheikh Sadamul Lal Mohammed and Munna Diwan, all working in garment factories in the powerloom town, situated around 35 km north of Mumbai in Thane district. The cause of the collapse is not yet clear and rescuers are working to save at least eight other people suspected to be trapped under the debris. The building is said to be around five years old and a portion of it was still under construction, Patil added. This is the latest in a string of building collapse tragedies in the Mumbai metropolitan region in the past three weeks. — IANS
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New Delhi, July 4
France will facilitate stay of Indian students, assist them in training & take care of jobs when they are back in India
