The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	MoD query holds up artillery gun purchase Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 8 A crucial artillery gun that was supposed to provide much-needed firepower in the mountains has been held up. It could take months before the Ministry of Defence officially conveys its decision on buying the gun or stalling the project. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has raised serious objections on the purchase of the 145 ultra light howitzer (ULH) from the US under an inter-governmental agreement. The guns, costing nearly Rs 3,000 crore, are supposed to equip the upcoming mountain strike corps that the Cabinet Committee on Security recently cleared. Besides this, the gun will be stationed at other locations in the Himalayas. A probe is on to look into an alleged irregularity in conduct of trials of the gun. A clean chit does not look possible in the immediate future, meaning leaving the decision on purchase to the next government that will take over sometime in 2014, sources said. Defence Minister AK Antony had ordered a probe. Sources said it may be difficult to clear the project under the existing circumstances. The MoD has raised its questions on the trial reports. A Technical Oversight Committee has been tasked with examining all the complaints relating to this procurement. The main issues raised in these complaints relate to technical parameters, cost effectiveness and economic viability of the gun. The committee has also sought comments of the Army headquarters on this issue. Earlier, details had emerged about how the trial reports of the guns were leaked. The Director General Military Intelligence is probing the leak which is also being seen as trade rivalry triggered by a retired Army officer. The leaked report had suggested that the guns had underperformed during the trials. The ministry had then formed a committee under then DRDO chief VK Saraswat to submit a report whether the procurement should be realised or not. The deal was given a go ahead only after Saraswat gave it clearance. The guns are serving in the US Army and were used in Afghanistan. It can be airlifted and be used for quick deployment of assets in mountainous regions. Since the Bofors controversy in late 1980s, no new gun has been procured by the Army for its artillery. Objections raised The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has raised objections to the purchase of 145 ultra-light howitzer (ULH) from the US The guns, costing nearly `3,000 crore, will equip the upcoming mountain strike corps The MoD has raised questions on the trial reports that suggested the guns had underperformed It has also questioned technical parameters, cost effectiveness and economic viability of the gun
	Big announcement on Modi likely in 10 days Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 8 The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) favours Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s candidature as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, but has left the timing of the big announcement on the party. The BJP has always maintained that the decision on naming its PM candidate will be taken by the party's parliamentary board and now that the RSS has asked Rajnath Singh to decide the date for the same, a formal announcement can be expected soon. Sources maintain Modi’s name could be announced over the next 10 days-possibly on September 17, his birthday, or on September 19, just before the “pitra paksha” begins. Though officially the party and its mentor maintained that the issue of PM candidate was not on agenda at the two-day high-level BJP-RSS “Samanvay Baithak” (coordination committee meeting), hectic efforts to arrive at a consensus on Modi’s name belied the claims. Today’s meeting also discussed strategies on key issues ahead of five state assembly elections and the General Election. Sources say the RSS will actively take part in the election process and has asked BJP leaders to concentrate on Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and South India to build the party’s base. The party was also asked to concentrate on tribal belts and its student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), has been asked to galvanise youngsters for the campaign. Sangh outfits will conduct drives to reach out to minorities, the SCs, the OBCs, tribals, women, the youth and new voters. The meeting was attended by party chief Rajnath Singh and other members of the BJP’s parliamentary board, including Modi and senior leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Murli Manohar Joshi. The RSS side was represented by general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi and joint general secretaries Suresh Soni and Dattatreya Hosbole. The VHP was represented by Praveen Togadia. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is likely to attend the coordination meeting on Monday, when the final date on the big announcement is expected to be finalised. The issue will also be discussed tomorrow in the presence of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Modi may not attend the meeting on Monday due to prior engagements in Gujarat. Chouhan had raised the red herring, saying that 30 seats in MP could be affected due to polarisation of votes if Modi’s name was announced before the Assembly elections. The contention has apparently been shot down citing the success story of Uma Bharati, who won despite her hardliner Hindutva image. However, the vertical divide in the party on the issue continues to be there. Advani, who is leading the camp that believes Modi’s name would polarise minority votes in favour of other parties, skipped the first half of the meeting though he joined it in the afternoon. Bhagwat had held a meeting with Advani and Sushma Swaraj-who are opposed to Modi being made PM candidate-to reach a consensus on his name. Considering that the meeting was being held against the backdrop of intense discussions on Modi, a lot was read in Advani’s absence from the crucial meeting during the first half. Sources say Modi’s detractors also pointed Muzzafarnagar clashes as an example of polarisation in UP. Prime ministerial candidate The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh favours Narendra Modi's (pic) candidature as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate The sangh has, however, left the timing of the big announcement on the party The announcement may come on September 17, Modi's birthday, or on September 19, just before the "pitra paksha" begins
	BSF mulls procuring UAVs Shaurya Karanbir Gurung/TNS New Delhi, September 8 The sensitive borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh will now have better surveillance capabilities. The Border Security Force (BSF) which mans both these borders is now aiming to acquire Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Director General (DG) of the BSF, Subhash Joshi, on Friday confirmed that a proposal for procuring the UAVs has been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs. “Before we start using the UAVs, we need to get an approval from the Indian Air Force. They are creating standard operating procedures for us on how to use the UAVs,” said Joshi on the sidelines of flagging off a 135-member BSF contingent on a United Nations mission to Congo. The DG first said that the UAVs would be used for surveillance operations along the Indo-Pak border. When asked if it would also be used for the India-Bangladesh border, he replied: “They would be used wherever we are deployed.” India shares a 3,323-km-long border, including the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir, with Pakistan. The border runs along the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The BSF guards the International Boundary (IB) and the Army mans the LOC. The Indo-Pak border has recently witnessed ceasefire violations that have led to casualties on both sides. The border is also notorious for infiltration attempts by militants from the Pakistan side of the border. India also shares a 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh, which consists of riverine and jungle terrain. The border is notorious for smuggling of cattle, drugs and fake Indian currency. From April to September every year, when the BSF is unable to use their speed boats and floating Border Outposts in Sir Creek due to the turbulent weather, they take the help of the IAF’s UAVs. The BSF is also deployed in counter-Maoist operations in India. “We will use the UAVs in anti-Maoist areas and the Sir Creek, if there is an operational requirement,” said Joshi. He said the training for the BSF personnel to use the UAVs will be imparted by the company, which is providing the UAVs.
	M’rashtra Govt, Oppn lock horns over madrasa upgrade Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, September 8 A proposal by the Maharashtra Government to disburse Rs 2.5 lakh each to 200 selected madrasas across the state in order to modernise their educational infrastructure has raised the hackles of the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Under this measure, the selected institutions will have to spend the funds to upgrade their basic infrastructure such as toilets, laboratories and libraries. In addition to the one-time funding the government has also decided to provide salaries of teachers hired to teach subjects like English, Hindi, Marathi, science and mathematics. "We will gradually extend this scheme to all the 1889 madrasas in the state," says Minority Development Minister Naseem Khan. The proposal has predictably drawn the ire of the BJP and the Shiv Sena. "This government uses every opportunity to abuse Hindus. Now they are giving money to madrasas," said a Shiv Sena spokesperson. Not to be left behind, Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis accused the government of playing vote-bank politics. "The government has been reducing funds to Marathi-medium schools because of lack of funds. But they have arranged for money for appeasing the Muslims," Fadnavis said. Modernisation plan The state government is planning to give Rs 2.5 lakh each to 200 selected madrasas in order to modernise their educational infrastructure Under this measure, the selected institutions will have to spend the funds to upgrade their basic infrastructure like toilets, laboratories and libraries. The proposal has predictably drawn the ire of the BJP and the Shiv Sena
	AIR gets Rs 2.16-cr grant to combat Maoist terror New Delhi, September 8 National broadcaster All India Radio will now play jingles in Maoist-hit areas urging villagers and tribesmen to distance themselves from extremist groups and join the mainstream. The Union Home Ministry, a key department engaged in implementing welfare schemes in Maoist-affected areas along with other Central and state government agencies, has sanctioned Rs 2.16 crore to the largest and state-owned radio service to air jingles and audio clips promoting welfare schemes and rejecting Maoist ideology. The sanction has been made to Prasar Bharti under the national media plan. Under the plan, jingles will be played for a period of two months in various Maoist-hit states. — PTI
	Panel pulls up govt for ‘outdated’ malnutrition data New Delhi, September 8 Expressing surprise on the absence of latest official data on malnutrition, a Parliamentary panel has asked the government to come up with a time-bound action plan to reduce under-nutrition and ensure real time flow of information for proper monitoring. "We are surprised to note that in this modern era of information technology, there is no recent official data on malnutrition. What is available is seven years old and outdated...National Family Health Survey III data of 2005-2006," the panel said. The Committee on Estimates tabled its report titled 'Malnutrition and Infants in Mothers' in Parliament this week, in which it highlighted the absence of latest data on child health. "Malnutrition has been recognised as a major threat to social and economic development and casts an adverse impact on children, adults, women and the entire workforce of the country," the panel has said. It said the Ministry of Health should have reduced periodicity of NFHS, which earlier on used to be held at a gap of six years. "It is only now that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed to conduct NFHS IV and also decided to slash the periodicity of NFHS to three years," the panel said. It also pulled up the government for not computerising anganwadi centres in villages and habitations connected by broadband and internet and ensure real time data flow for nutrition monitoring across India. The panel said it was disappointed to note that the aim of the UPA's flagship National Rural Health Mission to bring down infant mortality rate to less than 30 per 1000 live births by 2011-12 has not yet been achieved. The IMR remains high at 44 per 1000 live births as of October 2012, it said. Based on the available data, the committee has expressed concern that 59 per cent children under the age of five years are stunted and 3.3 per cent face severe wasting in the 100 focus districts which ranked the lowest on childhood development index in six states. These states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during a speech in January last year, had described malnutrition as a "national shame". "...the problem of malnutrition is a matter of national shame. Despite impressive growth in our GDP, the level of under-nutrition in the country is unacceptably high," he had said. Quoting Secretary, Women and Child Development, which also addresses malnutrition under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the committee said two in every five children in India roughly are still underweight and every second child is stunted. "India is still faced with the daunting task of reducing under nutrition among children. Although there are indications of improvement in recent years from results of independent and state level surveys, ensuring better nutritional status for women and children remains an unfinished agenda," Secretary, WCD Ministry had told the Committee on October 22, 2012. — PTI Hungry stomachs The Committee on Estimates tabled its report titled 'Malnutrition and Infants in Mothers' in Parliament this week, in which it highlighted the absence of the latest data on child health Malnutrition has been recognised as a major threat to social and economic development and casts an adverse impact on children, adults, women and the entire workforce of the country, the panel said It said the Ministry of Health should have reduced periodicity of the National Family Health Survey, which earlier on used to be held at a gap of six years, much earlier
	UP former Governor Bhandari passes away New Delhi, September 8 Former UP Governor and an ex-foreign secretary Romesh Bhandari died here last night after a prolonged illness. He was 85. Bhandari is survived by his wife and a daughter. Family sources said he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon for the last three weeks. Condoling his death, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described him as an “able administrator”. Bhandari had served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi apart from serving as the Governor of Tripura and Goa. He was appointed Governor of UP in July 1996 when the state was under the President’s rule. He served as foreign secretary between 1985-86. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had appointed him chairman of the Congress party foreign cell in the AICC after his retirement. Born on March 29, 1928, in Lahore, he had joined the IFS in 1950 as Vice-Consul at the consulate in New York. A Medanta Hospital spokesperson said, “Bhandari was admitted to the hospital on August 31. He had been ailing for some time. He was shifted to the ICU and he died at 9.50 pm last night due to multi-organ failure”. — PTI
	90% condom dispensers for public ‘missing’ CAG raps AIDS control organisation for ‘shoddy and unprofessional’ job Aditi Tandon/TNS New Delhi, September 8 Strange though it may sound but the fact is a whopping 90 per cent condom vending machines installed by the government in public places across India are nowhere to be found! The revelation was made by the Comptroller and Auditor General in its report submitted to Parliament yesterday on the functioning of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), which the auditor described as “shoddy and unprofessional”. “Can the country be saved from HIV/AIDS when the top agency dedicated to the task of preventing the disease is acting in such a shoddy manner?” the CAG said. In its review of NACO’s condom vending machine project for public places, the CAG found that out of 10,990 machines installed in the first phase of the project, only 11 per cent (1,130) were traceable on ground. “The rest - 89 per cent (9,869) - of the machines are either lost or untraceable and because there is no insurance against theft and damage of these machines, the entire money pumped into their installation has been lost. That’s not all. Despite its poor performance in phase I, NACO went ahead to pump more money in phase II to install 10,000 machines. Out of these 1,569 machines were found damaged, 161 reported stolen and missing and 1,791 were never installed,” the CAG said. The review of the scheme has further found that the sale of condoms through dispensers has hardly picked up. During 2008 and 2011, the average off-take of condoms was as low as 0.42 per machine per day. In August 2011, the project was wrapped up after an investment of Rs 21.54 crore with negligible achievement of targets. The scheme was from its inception marred by poor planning and delays and lack of maintenance. Hindustan Latex was given the work of installing machines by September 30, 2005 for phase I and July 2008 for phase II. The scheme did not take off nor did NACO’s promise of promoting safe sexual behaviour through distribution of free condoms. HIV prevalence in India is 0.28 per cent. The country has 2.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Unproductive move In phase I, 10,990 condom vending machines were installed but only 11% (1,130) are traceable; the rest 9,869 are either lost or untraceable In phase II, 10,000 machines were proposed to be installed but later 1,569 were found damaged and 161 stolen or missing; 1,791 machines were never installed Hindustan Latex was given the task of installing machines by September 30, 2005 for phase I and July 2008 for phase II The project was wrapped up in August 2011 after an investment of Rs 21.54 crore
	Indian Ocean safety may get formal framework Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 8 The Indian Ocean and the safety of vital trade routes that run through it will be the focus of specialists at the multi-country Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Experts from 35 member countries located along the Indian Ocean will brainstorm over related issues in Mumbai from September 11 to September 13. They could suggest a formal framework on maritime security. Member countries will discuss the “role and expectations of emerging navies in cooperative engagement for peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region”. For India, these trade routes are very crucial as pirates target merchant vessels in the Arabian sea, while China is closing in to the east and challenging its dominance. From its west, India ships in crude oil from Iran, Iraq, Saudia Arabia and elsewhere. To its east lies the crucial Strait of Malacca, through which trade is conducted with countries eastwards. India has set a target of $100 billion trade by 2015 with the groups of ASEAN countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines and others. More than 40 per cent of the global trade takes place through the Malacca route and around 55,000 ships cross this area annually. At its narrowest point, the water body is no more than 2.7 km wide. The US Energy Information Administration lists the Malacca Strait as one of six global “shipping chokepoints” or narrow shipping channels. India has assumed the role of net security provider in the Indian Ocean and has to take the lead and ensure that trade routes are safe, Naval officials maintain. Since 2009, India has deployed its warships to counter piracy, but has refused to join any US-led or European Union-led flotilla. Rather, the Navies of India, China and Japan coordinate their patrolling in the Gulf of Aden. Brainstorming session Experts from 35 member countries located along the Indian Ocean will brainstorm over related issues in Mumbai from September 11 to September 13 They will discuss the “role and expectations of emerging navies in cooperative engagement for peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region”
	Bihar flood toll mounts to 201 Patna, September 8 Over 200 people have died and 6.9 million displaced as the flood situation remained grim in Bihar with most rivers in spate. As many as 201 persons have died since June 15 and 6.9 million others have been displaced as over 20 districts in the state were hit by flood, a Disaster Management Department (DMD) report said. The Ganga and other rivers which were flowing above the danger mark till recently has started ebbing and all embankments are safe, it said. The MET department has forecast cloudy sky over the next 24 hours. However, the fear of rain havoc and cloudburst has dissipated in North Bihar districts as the low atmospheric pressure has diverted towards China, it said. The government has asked the district magistrates of the flood-affected areas to remain on alert. — PTI
	India Inc to cut bonuses, festive budgets: Survey New Delhi, September 8 Majority of Indian companies are likely to lower employee bonuses and slash their festive budget by around 40 per cent this season due to lower earnings and sales, an industry survey has revealed. According to a survey conduced by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), companies would significantly cut or avoid paying bonuses in the backdrop of a severe slowdown, pressure on earnings, and spiralling inflation further confounded by a sharp depreciation of rupee. “Slowdown cast shadow over festivals of lights,” said DS Rawat, Assocham secretary-general, adding that due to steep fall in rupee, the budget on Diwali and other ensuing festivals like Dhanteras and Christmas may see a cut of around 40 percent this year. The survey included responses from 2,500 small, medium and large companies located in major cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The sectors covered included pharma, consumer durables, electronics, gems and jewellery, automobiles, FMCG, manufacturing and infrastructure. “The tough business environment marked by high inflation, drop in corporate earnings and decline in new business orders is taking a toll on this festive season,” Rawat. He said cut in corporate budget and curtailing in bonuses have wider ramifications in the sense that the consumers will be forced to spend far less during the festival season, affecting in turn the overall business further. “This is a vicious cycle which somehow needs to be broken,” Rawat said. The corporates worst affected by the slowdown are in consumer durables, gems and jewellery, FMCG, electronics, automobile and real estate. They will be spending far less and will keep a tight leash on their budgets, highlighted the survey. The survey points out that the sales of electronics goods, TV, laptop, washing machines, kitchen appliances, handsets, mobile accessories, personal computer games generally tend to rise during the festive seasons. However, the response is likely to be lukewarm this season. “Overall, the survey expected far less fireworks of enthusiasm in the coming Diwali and other festivals as there would be less money in the hands of consumers,” Assocham said in the survey report. “It is high prices of food articles which has also dampened the festive spirit. The increasing cost of transport in the wake of rising petrol prices is making it worse for the lower and middle class families,” it said. — IANS Hit by slowdown The corporates worst affected by the slowdown are in consumer durables, gems and jewellery, FMCG, electronics, automobile and real estate They will be spending far less and will keep a tight leash on their budgets due to lower earnings and sales The survey included responses from 2,500 small, medium and large companies located in major cities
	SASE to revamp weather observatories in U’khand Vijay Mohan/TNS Chandigarh, September 8 While the Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) has established seven high altitude automatic weather stations in Uttarakhand to study climatic conditions and forecast avalanches, it has initiated the process to revamp some of its observatories that were damaged in the flash floods that devastated parts of the state about two months ago. SASE, a Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory, has recently established seven surface observatories in high altitude regions of the Himalayas. One such observatory at Neelang in Uttarakhand, however, was closed by the state administration on the plea that the observatory was situated in the protected Gangotri National Park area. No amount of protracted correspondence could help in reinstating the observatory. “Mountainous regions need a denser network of observatories than in the plains, but the logistics and other issues do not permit for the same,” SASE director Ashwagosha Ganju said. “However, the existing network, if maintained properly, can also produce useful information,” he added. The Himalayas are experiencing hot weather situations, with winters shrinking considerably and the solid precipitation (snow) being increasingly replaced by liquid precipitation (rain) in winters. Snow cover has reduced considerably. Climatic changes have also led to unusual weather phenomenon like frequent cloudburst and heavy rain in areas which had never experienced them before. The director said the forecasting of area specific cloudburst has improved considerably and it is now possible to get a lead time of at least a couple of hours before the event strikes in any given area. “Doppler weather radars should be established at the earliest at a few locations to be able to use gainfully the information provided by this technology. The information thus inferred can be an important input for first level trigger,” he said. Stating that a multi-layered early warning system can provide reasonably advance prediction of sudden increase in snow-melt, heavy precipitation or cloudburst, and consequent rise in water levels in rivers and streams, Ganju said that if the forecast of rain or snow is above a certain threshold value, then “level one warning should be sounded by a central station. Real time monitoring of precipitation events with should be in place based on an interlinked observatory network and if the precipitation is beyond a certain value, then “level two” warning by the central station should be issued. At this stage evacuation plan should be brought forward and implemented at the most vulnerable places.
	Personal details can’t be disclosed under RTI: HC Mumbai, September 8 Under RTI, disclosure of personal information in respect of service record, income tax returns and assets of an individual is illegal unless it is necessary in larger public interest, the Bombay High Court has ruled. Accordingly, Justice Vasanti Naik quashed an order of Nashik State Information Commissioner asking the information officer to supply information about personal assets of petitioner Subhash Khemnar to respondent Dilip Thorat. "On hearing the petitioner and on perusal of the Act, it appears that the Chief Information Commissioner was not justified in directing Information Officer to supply personal information in respect of service record, income tax returns and assets of the petitioner unless he was satisfied that such disclosure was justified in larger public interest," said the judge in a recent order. In the impugned order there is no finding with regard to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the disclosure of the personal information in respect of the petitioner was justified in larger public interest, the judge noted. — PTI
	Navy to get Russia-built aircraft carrier in Nov Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 8 Russia-built sea-borne aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov’s sea trials are almost complete and the warship is in the last stages to check for on-deck landing of fighters. The warship has run on its top speed of some 30 knots, some 55 kmph, and final trials are on. After the trials, it will head back to the dock for a final ‘spit and polish’ before it is handed over to India. The warship is expected to be handed over to India in the middle of November. The warship had left the Sevmash shipyard in north-west Russia in July for final trials. So far, all reports are satisfactory. In August-September 2012, the boilers of the 44,550-tonne warship had malfunctioned during sea trials leading to a delay of by a year. The damaged parts have been replaced and the ship is now ready to sail for delivery acceptance trials. The warship, re-christened INS Vikramaditya, was scheduled to be handed over India in December 2012. Now the delivery deadline has been re-scheduled for the last quarter of 2013. The insulation system of all eight boilers on board the warship has been replaced with new ones. Three of the boilers had malfunctioned due to faulty insulation during sea trials in August-September last year. During the latest trails, the biggest test was the insulation system and that has been found to be okay. Before the last trials commenced, the warship has been given a final coat of anti-rust paint on the portion that will remain submerged under water. Starting from first week of October, the ship will be back in the dock for the final painting and last-minute touch-ups. India and Russia had signed a $2.3-billion (Rs 16,000 crore approx as per today’s valuation) contract for refitting the aircraft carrier of the erstwhile Soviet Navy. The first contract was signed in 2004 when no other country was ready to sell such a technology to India. The malfunction notwithstanding, the warship continued to sail and undergo other trials like the landing and take off of MiG-29K fighters from its deck. In the meantime, the MiG 29-Ks have been inducted at a land base at Goa on May 11. In October last year, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov visited India for the 12th annual meeting of the India-Russia inter-government commission on military technical cooperation where the matter concerning the delay in Gorshkov’s delivery was discussed. Serdyukov had told the media: “We have given a revised time table. Sea trials shall resume in April next year. We believe the transfer (of the ship) will take place in the fourth quarter of 2013.”
	Now, ISRO may launch GSLV in Dec Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Bangalore, September 8 The Indian Space research Organisation (ISRO) is likely to launch its GSLV-D5, geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, in December this year, a statement issued here stated. The launch of the satellite was cancelled on August 19 last due to a leak observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage during the last lap of the countdown. “Based on the current availability of hardware and components, the GSLV vehicle assembly and checkout is expected to be completed at the vehicle assembly building by the first week of December 2013 and the launch could take place by December 2013,” the statement added. At the time of calling off the countdown, the GSLV was loaded with 210 ton of liquid and cryogenic propellants. About 750 kg of UH25 fuel had leaked, leading to the contamination of the area around the launch pad. It took six days to reduce the contamination to the safe levels to enable the movement of the rocket that was to put the 1982 kg communication satellite GSAT-14 in the orbit - back to the vehicle assembly building and de-stack, which means to remove the satellite from the vehicle, it. The ISRO chairman had constituted a high-level task team on August 20. The team was chaired by K Narayana, former director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, to identify the cause of the leak and to work out an action plan for quick restoration of the mission. The leak is suspected to be in the lower portion of the propellant tank or the fluid lines between the tank and the fuel filling system of the second stage. Detailed investigation of the leak is on. A new Liquid Second Stage (GS-2) is being assembled to replace the leaked-stage. All the four liquid strap-on stages are being replaced with new ones. The first stage (solid fuel) and core base shroud are being inspected thoroughly. The satellite assembly, avionics equipment bay and the cryogenic stage have been preserved.
	In Assam, women in distress to dial 181 Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS Guwahati, September 8 In view of the rising incidents of crime against women in the state, the Assam government has initiated steps to set up a 181 helpline exclusively for women in distress besides increasing number of women in the state police force and formation of armed women battalion in the police force. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed the state chief secretary PP Varma to operationalise the 181 helpline for women as soon as possible in consultation with the Assam Police, Health & Family Welfare, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and other line departments. There has been a steep rise in cases of crime against women in Assam during the last one decade that has raised concern in various quarters in the state that was once considered a safe place for women folk. As per the official records, 38,825 cases of atrocities on women were registered in the state since the year 2002 to January 31, 2013. This is in addition to occurrence of 1,229 cases of dowry deaths occurring in the state during the same period. The number of cases related to kidnapping of women registered during the same period was stated to be 22,050. The maximum number of cases of atrocities on women in a single calendar year occurred in the year 2012 and the figure was stated to be 6,673. Same year registered 144 cases of dowry deaths and 3,312 cases of kidnapping of women. The sharp rise in the crime graph becomes evident if compared to the corresponding figures of such recorded crime in the year 2002. There were 1694 cases of atrocities on women registered in the year 2002 while the number of recorded dowry deaths was 70. A total of 1,276 women were abducted during the same year. Since the year 2002, as many as 341 women who were trafficked from Assam, were rescued from various parts of the country. Spiralling Crime graph There has been a steep rise in cases of crime against women in Assam during the last one decade That has raised concern in various quarters in the state, once considered safe for women The maximum number of cases of atrocities against women in a single calendar year, 6,673, was recorded in 2012 In the same year, 144 cases of dowry deaths and 3,312 cases of kidnapping were registered
	Youth killed following dispute over use of toilet Mumbai, September 8 Three persons were arrested today for allegedly killing a 22-year-old youth following a scuffle over use of a public toilet. The police arrested Suresh Kamble, Rahul Shail and Naresh Bhoval for stabbing Arjun Thakur with a knife and beating him up fatally. "In the morning, when the victim was with his friend outside a public toilet, they had a spat with the accused as to who would use it first," said a police officer from Tilak Nagar police station in suburban Chembur. In the afternoon, the trio attacked Thakur, who suffered fatal wounds and was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead. — PTI
	NDDB Chairman Amrita Patel not to seek extension Manas Dasgupta Ahmedabad, September 8 Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board, Amrita Patel, has decided to step down from her post after she completes her present third five-year term in November this year. Patel, who succeeded the legendary ‘milkman of India’ Dr Verghese Kurien as the prestigious NDDB chairman, had written a letter to the Prime Minister and the Union Agriculture Minister to this effect in early August and later personally confirmed her decision when she met them in Delhi recently. NDDB spokesperson yesterday said both PM and the Agriculture Minister requested her to reconsider her decision but Patel conveyed to them she was firm on her decision and was unwilling to seek another term.