The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	India, US to fight terrorism together Ashish Kumar Sen in Washington DC Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama have agreed to collaborate on dismantling the safe havens and disrupting financial networks of terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Haqqani Network, D-Company and al-Qaida. This new collaboration, however, will not include joint military operations against these groups, which are mostly based in Pakistan. Modi and Obama agreed to set a new agenda in the India-US relationship. This included a wide range of initiatives in diverse areas, including infrastructure, economics, trade, energy, security, nuclear cooperation, education, health, environment and space. The two sides agreed to take steps to speed up the deployment of US nuclear reactors in India and build three smart cities in India. It was the collaboration against terrorist networks that stood out. "Modi and Obama stressed the need for joint and concerted efforts, including the dismantling of safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks, to disrupt all financial and tactical support for networks such as al Qaeda, LeT, JeM, the D Company and the Haqqani Network," Vikram Doraiswami, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters. The Obama administration has been focusing on the threat posed by another militant group - the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. While the IS came up in the two leaders' conversation, India has not joined the international coalition currently fighting the group. Earlier, Obama and Modi declared their intention to set a new agenda in the bilateral relationship in an editorial for The Washington Post, which some analysts say has run out of steam. At the White House, Modi said he and Obama had spoken about common economic priorities. He also acknowledged the President's support for continued openness and ease of access for Indian services companies in the US market. "We are serious about resolution of issues on both sides to enable civil nuclear energy cooperation to take off. It is important for India's energy security," Modi said. He said the two sides also had a candid discussion on the Bali ministerial of the WTO and was confident that a solution could be reached at to address India's concern on food security. Obama said the two leaders had agreed that one of their primary goals was to improve education and job training so that young people in their countries could compete in the global marketplace. Obama said he was impressed with Modi's interest in not only addressing poverty in India and revitalising the economy there, but his determination that India help bring about peace and security in the world. The agreements reached on Tuesday include Infrastructure, economics and trade: US firms to be lead partners in developing 3 smart cities: Allahabad, Ajmer and Vishakapatnam; a platform for US business and civil society to help bring water, sanitation and health solutions to 500 Indian cities Strategic cooperation: US says India meets requirements of Missile Technology Control Regime and is ready for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group; an inter-agency working group to speed up civilian nuclear partnership; renewal of a defence framework agreement by 10 years; defence trade & technology initiative to identify unique and transformative technologies and products. US will also be a tech partner for Indian Navy. Multilateral: The US reaffirms its support for a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council, and to enhance India's "voice and vote" in international financial bodies. Expansion of trilateral partnerships in Afghanistan and Africa in areas such as food security, women's empowerment, health and disaster preparedness. Security: Both sides agree to enhance cooperation against counterfeit currency, on cyberspace, will exchange terrorist suspect watchlists and details of fighters returning from conflict zones. Education: Partnership to bring global standards in skills development to India through a nationwide certification system. Establishment of a new Indian Institute of Technology and a Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN) to create greater flow of academics. Health: Agreed to cooperate in the fight against Ebola. New program to develop affordable vaccines, including for dengue, malaria and TB. Space and technology: Both to set up a new joint group on Mars exploration with the intention of partnering on a Mars mission within the next decade. Environment: Expansion of solar energy projects in India, partnership to upgrade Indian national parks to world standards. Digital: Partnership to bring U.S. companies to help roll out digital infrastructure for e-governance and e-services.
	Modi, Obama spell out joint vision By Ashish Kumar Sen Even before they first met face to face over dinner at the White House on Monday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama were connected online, busily coordinating a joint editorial. In the editorial, posted on The Washington Post’s website on Tuesday morning, the two leaders reaffirmed the commonalities and mutual interests shared by India and the U.S. that first prompted Atal Bihari Vajpayee to declare the two nations natural allies. A separate vision statement released by the White House, “Chalein Saath Saath: Forward Together We Go,” said the US and India “share a vision for a partnership in which the US and India work together, not just for the benefit of both our nations, but for the benefit of the world.” These positive signals come at a time analysts and officials say the ties, once buoyed by the lofty expectations of a US-India nuclear deal, has stagnated in recent years. In their editorial, Modi and Obama appear to address such opinions by describing the US-India partnership as “robust, reliable and enduring, and it is expanding.” “Our relationship involves more bilateral collaboration than ever before — not just at the federal level but also at the state and local levels, between our two militaries, private sectors and civil society,” they write. US and Indian students work together on research projects, scientists from both countries develop cutting-edge technology, senior officials consult closely on global issues, the militaries conduct joint exercises, and the two space programs engage in “unprecedented areas of cooperation” from Earth to Mars, they add. The editorial also gives a nod to the contributions of the Indian-American community, which the two leaders describe as a “vibrant, living bridge between us.” However, Modi and Obama acknowledge that the “true potential of our relationship has yet to be fully realised.” Modi’s election and the large mandate he received from the Indian electorate is seen in Washington as a unique opportunity to broaden and deepen the bilateral relationship. Obama alluded to this sentiment over dinner with Modi on Monday night. “It is time to set a new agenda, one that realises concrete benefits for our citizens,” they write. This agenda will be one that “enables us to find mutually rewarding ways to expand our collaboration in trade, investment and technology that harmonise with India’s ambitious development agenda, while sustaining the US as the global engine of growth,” they said. The leaders also acknowledge the historic bonds between the US and India: Swami Vivekananda presented Hinduism as a world religion at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.
	Govt gathers details on ‘purification’ of Bihar temple after CM’s visit Jamshedpur, September 30 Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sudarshan Bhagat today said his ministry was gathering details about the alleged purification of a temple in Bihar’s Madhubani district soon after Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi paid obeisance there. “I came to know about the incident through media,” Bhagat, who was in the steel city to launch the minimum pension scheme awareness programme, said. If it had really happened, it was wrong and condemnable, Bhagat said while talking to mediapersons. The Union Minister of State said his ministry was gathering detailed information about the incident as such a thing should not have happened. Yesterday, the Bihar Chief Minister had ordered a probe into the incident. The Darbhanga Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police, Darbhanga zone, will jointly investigate whether idols and premises of Parmeshwari Devi temple located in Anradhari village were washed and purified soon after Manhji’s visit there for paying obeisance a few months ago. — PTI
	Uddhav volte-face on leaving NDA Mumbai, September 30 A day after asking Anant Geete, the lone Shiv Sena minister at the Centre, to resign, party chief Uddhav Thackeray has put the decision at abeyance. He said a final decision on quitting the NDA would be taken after taking to the PM once he returned from the US. “Joining the NDA and then pulling out of it is not that easy. All MPs who have been elected and those who could not win have bagged votes of both parties. A decision will be taken after talking to the PM and considering what our supporters feel,” he said. — TNS
	Coalgate CBI lacks basics of probe: court New Delhi, September 30 Irked with the way the CBI handled probe in a coal blocks allocation scam, a Delhi court today said the agency’s officers lacked “basic skills of investigation”. It ordered CBI chief Ranjit Sinha and DIGs concerned to look into the matter. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar issued notices to CBI inspector Rajbir Singh, IO in a case in which a closure report was filed against Vikash Metals and Power Ltd, and its SP Nirbhay Kumar to explain the lacunae in their probe. — PTI
	PM to wield broom for clean India campaign Govt trying to rope in Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 30 Powered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is all set to become a flagship programme of the BJP-led NDA government. To make the concept of cleanliness a mass movement, Modi will sweep a road when he visits the Valmiki Sadan in central Delhi on October 2 — Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary — to inaugurate a modern toilet block there. Gandhi had stayed in a room adjacent to the temple in the Sadan, teaching children of the Valmiki community there. On the same day, the PM is also expected to administer a pledge of cleanliness at another function, urging all Indians to make India clean. Sources said the government was trying to rope in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in the programme, besides making cleanliness part of the CSR (corporate social responsibility) of companies. Modi’s programme on public broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) ‘Man Ki Baat’, which goes on air from October 3, is expected to revolve around his pet project which he aims to turn into a mass mission. The programme, expected to be a regular feature on AIR, is the new effort to reach out to Indians, especially in rural areas. Sources said the PM would touch upon a new topic in every programme apart from raising issues voiced by people on his website. Besides, sources said the Ministry of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation was trying to rope in Zuckerberg and Gates to add on to Modi’s dream project. In any case, the programme is being publicised through conventional and social media for better reach and impact. All states have been asked to send in their programmes for October 2 and also what they have achieved on this particular aspect so far. Government officials said except for Karanataka, West Bengal and Mizoram all other states (around 25) have sent in their responses. Modi’s radio show The Prime Minister's programme on AIR 'Man Ki Baat', which goes on air from October 3, is expected to revolve around the cleanliness project, which he aims to turn into a mass mission
	Swachh Bharat aims at better health system, says Jitendra Ritika Jha Palial Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 30 Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today said the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' formed the basis for strengthening the immune system of Indians. "The country has not been able to keep pace with sustaining basics of immunology and onset of diseases… we face a dual challenge of fighting both communicable and non-communicable diseases,” Dr Jitendra Singh said, who along with former President Dr Abdul Kalam addressed scientists and students at the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) here. They also held a discussion on infectious diseases and immunology. Dr Kalam also said instead of targeting the diseased cells, scientists in India needed to develop vaccines that strengthen the human body to fight against the disease. He said researches were going on in different institutions of the country to develop vaccines that fought cancer by providing immunity to the body, unlike in present system of chemotherapy where experts target cancer cells and also HIV. IMTECH develops vaccine for TB The vaccine has been patented and the institution is in the process of handing ti over to pharmaceutical companies for further course of action before the vaccine passes all safety measures and trials ahead of being laucned in the market.
	Don’t tinker with Gandhi Jayanti: Justice Sachar Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 30 Taking exception to the decision of the Centre to direct all government employees to attend the ‘Swachh Bharat’ divas event on October 2, former president of the People Union for Civil Liberties Chief Justice (Retd) Rajindar Sachar demanded that the day be observed in the “same, sobe and respectful manner as before”. In a statement, he said three holidays in the country– 15th August (Independence Day), 26th January (Republic Day) and 2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti) – were not religious oriented and “any tinkering with grandeur and sobriety of these is sacrilege.” The Modi government, he said, was doing so by emphasising that the day be observed as one marked for cleanliness. “That Mahatma Gandhi believed in cleanliness is no reason for the mischievous act to lessen the sobriety of Gandhi’s birthday. The programmes associated with the birthday must not be diluted by the so-called cleanliness day. Cleanliness has to be actually maintained and not by unnecessarily calling to duty all government servants and make them go through the hypocrisy of arranged photo opportunity item.” Justice Sachar, who is also former chairperson of PM’s High-Level Committee on Status of Muslim said since government employees and ministers had been called, let them repeat what was Gandhiji’s main philosophy which he expressed in 1921 and again repeated in 1947. “I would say that Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of mother India. Just as the trouble in one eye affects the other too, similarly, the whole of India suffer when either Hindu or Muslim suffer,” he said, This sober reiteration would alone symbolise the real significance of Gandhiji’s philosophy – a proper tribute to his memory.
	Jaya’s bail plea hearing today Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Bangalore, September 30 The Karnataka High Court today constituted a special Bench to hear the criminal appeal filed against the trial court order by AIADMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa (66) and her three associates on Wednesday. Noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani is representing Jaya. Earlier today, a vacation Bench (the court is having Dasehra holidays) had adjourned till October 6 the petition by Jayalalithaa and her associates seeking bail and suspension of sentence handed out to them by the trial court on September 27. All four were sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and directed to pay hefty fines in an 18-year-old corruption case. The bail applications of the four came up before the vacation judge of the High Court, Mrs Justice Rathnakala. Bhavani Singh, the special public prosecutor, said he was yet to receive the official notification authorising him to act as the prosecution lawyer in the case. Ram Jethmalani, who arrived in Bangalore from London to represent Jayalalthaa, unsuccessfully tried to obtain a favourable verdict for his clients. The case was adjourned to October 6.
	Modi-baiter Gujarat IAS officer held on corruption charges Manas Dasgupta Ahmedabad, September 30 The anti-corruption bureau arrested Gujarat-cadre suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma, who took on Narendra Modi in the snoopgate case, over corruption charges early today. Official sources said Sharma had been arrested in connection with an old corruption case involving allocation of land for reconstruction of some industries in the 2001 earthquake-hit Kutch district. The complaint was filed against Sharma in 2004 when he was the district collector of Kutch and was responsible for the rehabilitation of people and industries affected by the January-26 earthquake that devastated the border district in 2001. The arrest follows attachment of Sharma’s property, claimed to be valued at over Rs 1 crore, allegedly acquired from the ill-gotten money, by the enforcement directorate yesterday. Sharma (59), who had earlier too been arrested in this connection, was suspended in 2010 before being granted bail after spending three years in jail. The snoopgate link n Pradeep Sharma had sought a CBI probe into alleged snooping on a woman architect allegedly at the insistence of Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat CM n Two news portals had released CDs of telephonic conversations between Modi's close aide Amit Shah, who was then the Minister of State for Home, and two top police officials
	Deeper India-China ties in interest of Asia: Prez New Delhi, September 30 President Pranab Mukherjee today described the recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “landmark development in the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between the two countries” underscoring that a deeper bilateral engagement is in the interest of the continent and international community. Extending greetings to the government and the people of China on the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, the President recalled the significance Xi’s visit. In his message to Xi, Mukherjee said their discussions further underlined the global and strategic dimensions of the Sino-Indian relations, highlighting the need for a constructive dialogue. —TNS
	India, China pull back troops from Chumar New Delhi, September 30 Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China have carried out ‘disengagement and redeployment’ of troops in Chumar and Demchok areas in Ladakh. Military commanders of the two sides met this afternoon at Spanggur Gap to confirm that the stand-off between the border troops of two sides in Chumar and Demchok areas was finally over, Ministry of External Affairs said. The Indian side was represented by Maj Gen AS Bedi, commander of Karu-based 3 Division. — TNS
	Two trains collide in Gorakhpur; 12 hurt Gorakhpur (UP), September 30 Twelve persons were injured when two speeding passenger trains collided near here late tonight, a railway official said. Krishak Express, travelling from Varanasi to Gorakhpur, hit Barauni Express, going from Lucknow to Barauni, from behind at a place seven km from here around 2300 hours, Chief Public Relations Officer Alok Singh said. He said that nobody died in the incident. The Chief Public Relations Officer said three coaches of Barauni Express were thrown off the track following the collision, leaving 12 persons injured. Rescue work was in full swing and the injured were admitted to the local hospital, he said. Movement of trains on the Gorakhpur-Varanasi section has been disrupted following the incident. — PTI
	ipl spot-fixing case Dawood, Shakeel declared POs New Delhi, September 30 A Delhi court today declared underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel besides a co-accused as proclaimed offenders in connection with the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case. Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna declared Dawood, Shakeel and Chandigarh-based Sandeep Sharma, who were charge-sheeted by the special cell of the Delhi Police along with suspended cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandela, Ankit Chavan and others in the case, as they were evading arrest in the matter. During the hearing, the special cell told the court that properties of Dawood and Shakeel in Mumbai had already been attached earlier in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case and upon inquiry it had been revealed that they had not visited India since 1993. The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against these accused who were chargesheeted in the case. The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on November 14. — PTI