The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Cyclone Nilofar may weaken before reaching Gujarat: IMD
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

A NASA satellite photo shows Nilofar in the Arabian Sea. AFP

New Delhi, October 28
Nilofar, the “very severe cyclonic storm” currently brewing over the Arabian Sea, “may weaken” by the time it reaches the Gujarat coast. IMD Director General Lakshman Singh Rathore said that Nilofar was currently raging at the same intensity as Hudhud, which ravaged the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast earlier this month. However, it "may weaken" by the time it approaches the Gujarat coast.

"Hopefully, Nilofar will weaken and make the landfall as a cyclonic storm. The final prediction will be made close to the landfall date. We are keeping a close watch. Tracking Nilofar has been a big challenge for us. There has been no consistency in different prediction models regarding its intensity and landfall. A lot can happen till then," Rathore said. Nilofar is expected to cross north Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast around Naliya by forenoon of November 1.

Havoc was caused by Hudhud earlier this month after Phailin hit the east coast last year. If Nilofar loses energy en route, it would come as a big relief for the Gujarat government and the Centre.

Experts agree that the Arabian Sea is becoming “more active”, perhaps due to rise in sea temperatures. Apart from India’s west coast, developments in the Arabian Sea affect Oman, Iran, Pakistan and at times Somalia.

“The Arabian Sea is becoming more active. Cyclones generated in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea normally follow the 4:1 ratio. The trend is continuing. Because of favourable conditions (temperatures and wind shaft etc), some cyclones that may have generated in the Bay of Bengal also get revived after they cross over the Peninsula and move into the Arabian Sea,” says IMD former Director General Ajit Tyagi.

Though ocean warming may be one reason why cyclones are suddenly becoming frequent and intense (Hudhud and Nilofar have occurred in the same month), Tyagi says cyclones at this time of the year are quite normal in these parts of the world.

Besides the sudden increase in number and intensity could also be part of the decadal variability. “Along with warming, the numbers could be related to multi-decadal variability. The occurrence of Nilofar just after Hudhud is not exceptional. It confers to the principal of 4:1 ratio followed by cyclones on the west and the east side of the country. However, increase in the intensity may be a cause of concern,” he says.

Meanwhile, the IMD’s evening bulletin said the “very severe cyclonic storm Nilofar over west-central Arabian sea moved northnorthwestwards in past hours, intensified further and lay centered about 1,080 km southwest of Naliya (Gujarat), 1,110 km southsouthwest of Karachi (Pakistan) and 800 km eastsoutheast of Salalah (Oman). “It would move northnorthwestwards during the next 12 hours and then gradually recurve northeastwards and cross north Gujarat and adjoining Pakistan coast around Naliya by forenoon of November 1.

Relief and rescue teams on stand-by

Ahmedabad: Relief and rescue teams have been kept stand-by to deal with any situation arising out of Nilofar hitting Kutch or Saurashtra. The state government is not taking any chances. Besides keeping the BSF, Coast Guard, Navy and all para-military forces on high alert, it has kept seven teams of the NDRF in readiness. It was in the process of installing five centres of Ham radio in case the communication system snapped. The fishermen, who had gone out on the high seas, have been called back. (Manas Dasgupta)

Sena bends backwards, heaps praise on Modi
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, October 28
In a last-ditch effort to join the new government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena turned sugary sweet towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis who was elected Chief Minister this afternoon.

An editorial published in party mouthpiece Saamna heaped praise on the Prime Minister. “Modi is changing the cultural face of this country because of which Diwali milan are taking place in Delhi....Earlier only iftar parties were allowed in the national capital,” Saamna said.

Later in the day, party spokesman and Saamna editor Sanjay Raut praised Fadnavis.”Fadnavisji has done good work in the state. Under him Maharashtra will rise to greater heights,” Raut said. He pointed out that the Shiv Sena was the natural ally of the BJP. “Both of us have the same blood group,” Raut has been quoted as saying.

Saamna’s praise for Modi is seen as a major turnaround by the Shiv Sena. In the run up to the Maharashtra Assembly elections, both Modi and BJP president were likened to historical villain Afzal Khan who had attempted to kill local hero Shivaji Maharaj.

The Shiv Sena bending backwards to please the BJP comes at a time when a large number of its own party workers are uncomfortable with the move. In several places, boards have come up asking the party leaders to sit in the opposition instead of kowtowing before the national party.

Raut told reporters that party chief Uddhav Thackeray is holding negotiations with the BJP leadership. However, sources in the BJP say they are only going through the motions of negotiating and most give a few minor portfolios to the Shiv Sena.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar’s announcement that his MLAs would abstain from the trust vote against the BJP has allowed the latter to breathe easy. The Shiv Sena on Monday said it was prepared to accept anyone as Chief Minister from the BJP.

Anxious BJP awaits formal invite
Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28
Even as President Pranab Mukherjee has given consent to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s proposal for the government formation in Delhi, the BJP is not disclosing its future plan saying a decision to form the government will be taken only after a formal invitation is received from the LG.

Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay gave this statement after the Centre today told the Supreme Court that the President has given his consent to Lt Governor’s proposal to invite the BJP to form the government in the national capital. Jung last month had sent a report to the President seeking permission to invite the BJP to form the government in Delhi.

In the report, Jung underlined the need to have an elected government in the city which is under the President’s Rule since February 17 following resignation of the Aam Aadmi Party government which was in power for 49 days. The Election Commission on Saturday had announced bypolls to three assembly constituencies on November 25 but if the Lt Governor dissolves the Assembly, the bypolls will not take place

“We will take a decision at an appropriate time once LG invites us to form the government,” Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said. The state unit chief refused to divulge much on the issue and merely said their stand had not changed and remained what it had been for the last three months.

Naidu for fresh elections

Sources said though party chief Amit Shah, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders were in favour of forming the government, M Venkaiah Naidu wanted a re-election

With 29 MLAs, including its ally SAD's, the BJP is short of five MLAs to form the government. Despite the support from Independent MLA Rambir Shaukeen and expelled AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny, it is difficult for the BJP to manage remaining three

Rahul asks leaders to enroll genuine workers
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28
Jolted by a string of electoral reverses, including Lok Sabha and now Haryana and Maharashtra, the Congress today acknowledged gaps in its organisational structure with top leaders calling for enrollment of “genuine members” and strengthening of Congress at booth level.

The acknowledgment came from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at a meeting of the party’s Central Election Authority to discuss the membership drive ahead of Congress’ internal elections due next year. Party elections are held every five years.

In his short intervention at the meeting, Rahul told state Congress presidents to forget targets when enrolling members and look for “genuine people instead”. The statement is an admission of recent trends which show how opportunistic paratroopers eager to share power harmed Congress’ interests at the hustings often by crossing over to other parties on the poll eve.

Rahul also asked leaders to strengthen the Congress at booths indicating a willingness in the Congress to move from being a mass base party to a cadre based party like the BJP.

There were clear signs of acknowledgment today that we need to build the party upward from the booth. Rahul gave the call by asking us to focus on booths and enroll committed, genuine members. He urged us to look ahead, reinvent and reinvigorate the party by using membership drive as an occasion to reconnect with our lost base like the youth,” said a leader who attended the meeting.

The focus on booths comes after the Congress faced problems finding booth level managers during recent elections.

Rahul’s stress on booths is also reminiscent of the stress PM Narendra Modi lays on micro management for poll victory. When addressing BJP cadres on LS poll eve, Modi famous described booths as “Garbha Daan” (uterus) of victory. The Congress is learning the lesson the hard way. Another leader who heard Rahul today said, “We have been a mass base party but the time has come to rebuild ourselves as a cadre based party. That message came from the leadership today. The Central Election Authority later asked all state presidents to enroll members along these lines.” The last date for enrollment of Congress members for next year’s organizational polls is December 31.

On the issue of bogus voters making it to Congress lists, party general secretary in charge of organization Janardan Dwivedi had a different view. He said the question of bogus memberships wasn’t relevant anymore as the “current membership pattern eliminated the possibility of the so called bogus enrollment.”

Another takeaway from today’s meeting was rather strange. It was the stress leaders placed on consensus for election to various levels of Congress organisation. The move appears misplaced in times when Rahul is stressing genuine internal democracy. It also mirrors the fact that the Congress is not prepared for a non Gandhi president.

Dwivedi defended consensus as the “best form of elections” explaining, “We have had nine elections. Even Sonia Gandhi once had a challenger so did Sitaram Kesri. But if there’s no second nomination in an election, would you say that election is invalid? No. Consensus is the best form of election.”

The statement is a hint that in the next organisational elections, Sonia and Rahul would likely be elected unopposed.

India uncovers ‘plot’ to kill Bangladesh PM

New Delhi, October 28
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s top counter-terrorism agency, has uncovered a suspected plot by a banned militant group to assassinate the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and carry out a coup, three senior Indian security officials have said.

India will hand over a dossier to Bangladesh with details of the plan by members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which has carried out a series of attacks in India’s eastern neighbour, government and police officials said.

Bangladesh did not comment directly on the assertions that PM Sheikh Hasina had been the target of a plot, but said it had tightened security along the border with India.

The alleged conspiracy was discovered after two members of the group were killed in an explosion while building homemade bombs at a house in West Bengal’s Burdwan earlier this month.

The Indian police say the militants were Bangladeshis and were using India as a safe haven to plan the attacks.

“The strategy was to hit the political leaders of the country and demolish the democratic infrastructure of Bangladesh,” said a senior Home Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This was all being planned on Indian soil and we could have been blamed if there was an attack.”

India will hand over the dossier to the Bangladesh Government for necessary action by Dhaka to counter the threat posed by the JMB.

The Centre had deputed National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to visit Burdwan for first-hand knowledge of the conspiracy to target the Bangladesh Government from Indian soil, sources said.

The NIA has been asked to complete the investigation into the October 2 blast at the earliest so that all contours of the terror conspiracy are exposed, sources said.

Doval, who met Mamata Banerjee, explained to her the conspiracy being hatched from her state to target installations in Bangladesh. — Agencies

Dossier to Dhaka soon

India will hand over a dossier to Bangladesh with details of the alleged plot being hatched by the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh to kill Sheikh Hasina

The ‘conspiracy’ was discovered after two members of the group were killed in an explosion in Burdwan this month

Sources say the terror organisation was using Indian soil to target Bangladesh’s establishment

Tax evasion not criminal in Switzerland: Official

Washington, October 28
Noting that tax evasion is not a criminal offense in Switzerland, a senior Swiss official has acknowledged differences with India on what can be made public about Indians having unaccounted money parked in Swiss banks.

However, the Swiss Foreign Ministry official hoped that with the advent of the new government in India, which has made taking action against black money a priority, the differences would be resolved much quickly.

Valentin Zellweger, Director and Legal Adviser, Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs, at the same time asserted that there is no banking secrecy in case of illegal acts.

“There’s no banking secrecy if we talk about illegal acts. So if we get a request from a prosecutor in another country, there’s no banking secrecy. We have very stringent know your customer rules. So we are quick in being able to give the information,” he said.

Responding to a question on the first list of names, allegedly having accounts in Swiss banks on unaccounted wealth, Zellweger said the talks with the Indian Government so far has been on tax evasion and not any other illegal acts.

“We have had long discussions with the Indian government. But that is for tax evasion. Tax evasion used not to be a criminal offense under the Swiss law. That is changing. We are now adapting to international standards,” he told a Washington audience, acknowledging that this is a issue of dispute. — PTI

Ban proposed on drugs having side effects

Hyderabad, October 28
A society, which looks after the detection, assessment and prevention of adverse effects of drugs on humans, has proposed a ban on codeine — used to relieve cough and treat pain — claiming that it has serious side effects.

Founder and patron of Pharmacovigilance India (SOPI) Prof KC Singhal said nearly a dozen drugs in India need deregulation but codeine sulfate (used in cough syrups and pain killers), which gets “converted into morphine”, needs to be immediately removed from the market.

“There are variations in each individual in conversions of codeine to morphine and each individual reacts differently. However, there is no facility in India to measure the enzyme which converts codeine to morphine. Excessive morphine in some individuals can be disastrous leading to several side effects including abnormal heart rhythms,” he said speaking on the sidelines of a conference on pharmovigilancce.

“Pain killers and cough syrups containing codeine are unsafe, addictive, ineffective and should not be used by children,” he warned adding that a Canadian Journal of Medicine in an editorial had even sought a ban on this drug.

Stressing on the need for imposing Pharmacovigilance stringently, Singhal said that unfortunately in India, there is no significance or importance attached for monitoring drugs that causes adverse reaction.

Hence the Society for Pharmacovigilance was formed in 1980s with little support from Indian Council of Medical research. Eventually, the Indian government launched a national program for monitoring drugs.

Now based on the recommendation of SOPI, other systems of medicine have also been brought under monitoring.Initially it was thought that Ayurveda, Unani Siddhi and Homoeopathy drugs were safe and not harmful, but the Society convinced the authorities that there is a need for monitoring and now there is Pharmacovigilance of Ayurveda Siddhi and Unani (ASU) drugs too.

The World Health Organisation has provided Rs 30 lakh for establishment of monitoring centres, he noted. — PTI

Seeding of mobile SIMs with Aadhaar likely

New Delhi, October 28
The government is likely to make it mandatory to link mobile SIM connections with Aadhhar number to weed out ghost users and curb the misuse of mobile phones for any terrorist act, extortion or other offences.

“Government has planned to make it compulsory seeding of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar to keep a tab on use of mobile phone connection for anti-social act including terrorism and extortion,” a source said.

In a recent review of the Aadhaar project, government top brass felt it is appropriate to make the seeding of Aadhaar compulsory for new as well as old mobile phone connection, the sources added.

Earlier, the Home Ministry had raised concerns over the use of Aadhaar number as a single source of identity verification.

However, recently the ministry has supported Aadhaar scheme saying it will facilitate “anytime, anywhere, anyhow” authentication to its beneficiaries.

In a letter to state governments, the Home Ministry said that since one Aadhaar number is allotted only to one person, it allows universal verification of one’s identity.

Besides, Aadhaar card also enables the deprived and needy people to access services like banking facilities. According to the source, the government may go slow on linking SIM cards with Aadhaar numbers as the entire population of the country does not have the unique identification number.

Earlier during the UPA regime, the government’s plan to make Aadhaar linked bank account mandatory for getting cooking gas subsidy hit a road block. The implementation of the project was suspended after the apex court’s interim order.

The Supreme Court had observed that the government cannot deny any benefit to citizen simply because somebody does not have Aadhaar. As per experts, the Court’s view was appropriate at that time as coverage under the Aadhaar project was low.

At present, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued Aadhaar numbers to over 70 crore residents in the country. It has been mandated to generate Aadhaar numbers of 100 crore residents by December.

The government has set the deadline of June next year for covering the entire population under the Aadhaar project. Experts feel that once the entire population is covered under the project, it would not be difficult for government to use Aadhaar database for rolling out various social welfare scheme and making country’s internal security apparatus more robust. — PTI

Govt may go slow

The government may go slow on linking SIM cards with Aadhaar numbers as the entire population of the country does not have the unique identification number.

Arunachal will see repeat of Kargil, warns minister

New Delhi, October 28
An Arunachal Pradesh minister today warned of a “Kargil-like” situation in the border state as he spoke of a lack of development forcing locals to migrate away from far-flung areas and giving China an opportunity to venture deeper inside Indian territory.

Kalikho Pul, the state’s minister of health and tribal affairs, painted a grim picture of the state’s territory bordering China and claimed that the Centre’s population-based funding was to blame for the lack of development in the thinly -populated state. “What happened in Kargil will happen in Arunachal,” he said, referring to the intrusion by Pakistani forces into the Ladakh region in 1999.

“People living in border areas are migrating to urban places as they have no facilities. These places are getting empty, due to which China is coming inside,” Pul said here at a conference of tribal ministers from the various states and Union Territories. China disputes Indian sovereignty over large parts of the state. Finding fault with the Union government’s funding based on a state’s population, he said that the states are told by the Centre to control their birth rate, but funding is more for states with bigger population.

“It cannot go on like this. What we are supposed to do... You speak here about seven, eight-lane roads, metro trains and what not, but our people do not even have tracks for walking. There is no drinking water, nothing,” he told an audience comprising, among others, the Union minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram. — PTI

Coal block case
Issue summons against two officials: CBI

New Delhi, October 28
The CBI on Tuesday moved a special court for issuing summons against two government officials in the coal block allocation case against Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd under corruption charges.

Public Prosecutor VK Sharma moved a plea before Special Judge Bharat Parashar and sought the court’s direction against the coal ministry’s then joint secretary KS Kropha, and then director (coal allocation-1 section) KC Samaria as accused in the case under additional charges dealing with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court fixed October 30 for delivering order on the agency’s plea. The court had on October 13 issued summons against former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and the Madhya Pradesh-based company and its director Pavan Ahluwalia, senior official Amit Goyal. — IANS

Cong threatens stir if BJP invited

New Delhi, October 28
The Congress today threatened a stir in the capital if the LG invited the BJP to form the government. Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said: “If the BJP did not form the government when it had 32 MLAs after elections, how can it form the government now with 29 MLAs? We will not let that happen.”

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also dared the BJP to recommend dissolution of the Assembly and fight fresh elections. Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said the BJP was repeatedly changing its stand in the court.

The Centre conveyed to the SC through LG that the BJP as the single largest party can be invited for the government formation. — TNS

UP riots: Gang-rape charge slapped on 25

Muzaffarnagar, October 28
Twenty-five persons accused of gangrape during the Muzaffarnagar riots have been booked under one more section which includes charges of gang-rape during communal violence.

Investigation officer Mala Yadav has added section 376 (2) (g) (rape during communal or sectarian violence) of the IPC against 25 persons accused of six gang-rape cases during last year’s riots.

The section was added after the Special Investigation Team, probing the riot cases, sought permission from the court here on Monday. The case was not added earlier by the police, which had booked the accused only under section 376 (d) of the IPC, SIT officials said.

Seven gang-rape cases, one in Lank village and six in Phugana in the district, were registered by the police during riots.

One case of gang-rape in Phugana was closed due to lack of evidence. Eighteen out of the 25 accused have been arrested while remaining seven were absconding. — PTI

Seven cases; 18 in net

Seven gang-rape cases, one in Lank village and six in Phugana in Muzaffarnagar district, were registered by the police during riots

One case of gang-rape in Phugana was closed due to lack of evidence

Eighteen out of the 25 accused have been arrested while remaining seven were absconding

3 Nestle officials on notice for ‘promoting infant milk substitute’
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service

Rohtak, October 28
The court of Rohtak Chief Judicial Magistrate Lokesh Gupta today summoned three Nestle India officials and a distributor in a case pertaining to alleged violations of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act.

Those summoned were Indranil Ray, quality assurance manager, Nestle India Ltd, Patti Kalyan, Kiwana Road, Samalakha, Panipat; B Murli, company secretary, Nestle House, Jacaranda Marg, DLF City Phase-II, Gurgaon; Dharmendra Hansraj Kotak, sales manager, Nestle India Ltd, Connaught Circus, New Delhi; and Jai Prakash Gupta, Sat Narain and Co, New Grain Market, Rohtak.

The four have been told to appear in the court on January 6. The CJM issued the orders on hearing a criminal complaint filed by the Deputy Civil Surgeon (Health), Rohtak, under the Infant Milk Substitutes Act, 1992, as amended in 2003 (IMS Act).

The complainant had submitted that provisions contained in Sections 3 and 6 of the IMS Act had been violated by the company.

Complainant’s counsel HC Dhankhar pointed out that a health team raided Sat Narain and Co, New Grain Market, Rohtak, on July 13, 2012. Various infant milk substitutes found stocked on the company’s premises were examined and three products, which contravened the provisions of the IMS Act, were seized.

To appear in Rohtak court on January 6

The company has violated the law by allegedly promoting infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles as its products bear pictures that undermine breastfeeding

Three Nestle products that are in contravention of the provisions under Sections 3 and 6 of the Act are — Pre Nan, Nan Pro and Lactogen 1

Three Nestle India officials and a distributor have been told to appear in court on January 6

Bengal’s Makra killings: BJP for CBI probe
Subhrangshu Gupta
Tribune News Service

Kolkata, October 28
The BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the Makra massacre at Khagraghar, Birbhum, in which three people were gunned down allegedly by TMC leaders. State BJP president Rahul Sinha has sought the intervention of the Calcutta High Court. “The BJP tomorrow will be file a petition in the High Court, which today agreed to hear the petition in view of the urgency of the situation and the safety of people,” Sinha told reporters today.

The CPM and other leaders will visit Khagraghar, Makra and other places tomorrow to take stock of the situation there. The BJP will also attempt to visit the disturbed areas tomorrow. Earlier, the police had imposed Section 144of the CrPC in the affected areas and denied the parties permission to visit them.

Sinha alleged TMC workers in connivance with the police were jointly raiding villages after villages and terrorising people. He claimed many TMC supporters at Makra village and other areas in Birbhum district recently joined the BJP, which was worrying the TMC leadership.

Nithari case: SC rejects Koli’s plea
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 28
The Supreme Court today rejected the plea of Surendra Koli for reviewing the death penalty awarded to him in a case relating to the serial rapes and murders in Nithari village on the outskirts of Delhi during 2005-06.

On July 24, the SC had passed a similar order after a closed-door hearing, but Koli filed a review plea again in the light of a recent verdict by a Constitution Bench of the SC mandating open court hearing in such cases.

Appearing for Koli, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said the death penalty had been awarded in the case solely on the basis of the confessional statement in which the convict had also stated that he had been “tortured and tutored” by the police to confess to the crime, possibly to protect some doctors involved in illegal trade in human organs.

The doctor in his autopsy report said the bodies had possibly been cut by a surgeon, was not even examined by the trial court, he pleaded. Also, Koli had been given ineffective lawyers under the free legal aid scheme who did not argue his case properly, he said.

Gogoi to reshuffle Cabinet soon
Tribune News Service

Guwahati, October 28
The much-awaited reshuffle in the Assam Cabinet is likely to be effected within first week of November with approval from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in New Delhi today over the issue.

Gogoi submitted a list of new ministers to the Congress president for approval and the reshuffle in the ministry would be carried out once it is approved by the party high command. Sources close to Gogoi said the reshuffle was likely to be carried out within the first week of November.

There are four vacancies in the 18-member ministry led by Tarun Gogoi. Dissident Congress leader Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma had quit few months back demanding the removal of Gogoi as CM, two other dissident ministers, Dr Ardhendu Dey and Siddique Ahmed were dropped by Gogoi while another minister Chandan Brahma had quit after his party Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) snapped ties with ally Congress.

No Indira unity award this year
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28
The Congress today decided to reduce the frequency of presentation of the Indira Gandhi Award for National Unity, saying the hitherto annual award would now be a biennial feature. The party also doubled the prize money for the award from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

This means there will be no presentation of the award this year though the committee for selection of the awardees had earlier called for names.

In a press statement issued by Congress treasurer Motilal Vora today, the party said a decision had been taken to make the Indira Gandhi award presentation a biennial affair.

5% Army officers still ‘come from Sainik Schools’
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 28
Even today Sainik Schools and Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) contribute five to six per cent of the officers to Indian army, says head of Doctrine branch at Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Shimla Major General Sukesh Rakshit.

While grooming of students at Sainik Schools, focus is on overall development of students, including academics, co-curricular activities, physical fitness and discipline, besides inculcating in them a spirit of staunch nationalism.

The curriculum is continuously upgraded to keep the students abreast of the latest trends and developments. The students not joining the army do well in other fields. The focus on physical fitness and sports makes the students bold, tough and capable of facing challenges. This helps them during examinations for entry into the Indian Army.

Not only a large number of pass-outs from Sainik Schools enter the Army, but they also hold high positions in the Air force and Navy. The number of Generals coming out of Sainik schools is in three digits, he added.

At present, there are 27 Sainik Schools in the country. These are managed by Sainik Schools Society.

The objective of the Sainik Schools is to prepare students to lead as officers in the defence services of the country. The schools select promising students through entrance examination. After that the focus is on moulding their overall personality with emphasis on extracurricular activities.

The Army, which was a leading career choice of youth, had been relegated to lower positions in recent years and brilliant students were not joining the Army. However, after the Sixth Pay Commission and improved service conditions in the Army, the trend has reversed and shortage of officers at middle level has been reduced drastically, says another General.

The concept of Sainik Schools came into being in 1961 to rectify regional and class imbalance among the officer cadre of the Indian military and to prepare students for entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla and Pune and Indian Naval Academy.

BJP’s UP ally Apna Dal falling apart
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 28
The Apna Dal, the BJP’s only ally in Uttar Pradesh, faces the threat of falling apart as the differences among the first family have taken over the party affairs.

The Apna Dal represents the Kurmi sub-caste and is largely a family affair. After the death of its founder Sone Lal Patel in a car accident, her wife Krishna Patel had became the president. On Monday, she removed her daughter and party’s national general secretary and Mirzapur MP Anupriya Patel from her post with immediate effect.

Kirshna said the party as well as the Patel family had fallen prey to high political ambitions of her daughter Anupriya and son-in-law Ashish Kumar Singh. Contesting the allegations, Anupriya said her mother was being misled by a certain section which wanted the BJP and the Apna Dal alliance to end. She also denied having received any communication regarding her removal so far.

Notification for J’khand 1st phase polling out

Ranchi, October 28
Notification for the first phase of polling in 13 of the 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats was issued today.

The seats where polling will be held on November 25 are Chatra (SC), Gumla (ST), Bishunpur (ST), Lohardaga (ST), Manika (ST), Latehar (SC), Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur (SC), Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur. The Election Commission had originally slated October 29 for issuance of notification for the first phase, but rescheduled it in view of Chhath festival tomorrow.

November 5 will be the last date for filing nominations for the first phase while November 7 is date for scrutiny and November 10 the last date for withdrawal.

Jharkhand will have a five-phase polling on November 25, December 2, 9, 14 and 20. Counting of votes will take place on December 23. — PTI

Airbus, Tata join hands for transport aircraft

New Delhi, October 28
European military aircraft maker Airbus Defence and Space has tied up with Indian company Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) for manufacturing the Airbus C295 – a medium transport aircraft.

This is the first major defence related announcement since the BJP-led NDA government allowed greater foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing.

The two companies have jointly submitted a bid to replace the Indian Air Force´s fleet of 56 Avro aircraft and have offered the twin-engine turbo-prop Airbus C295. The plane can accommodate up to 71 persons or 9 tonnes of load. It can land on short unprepared airstrips not accessible, airdrop of paratroops, it has integrated surveillance systems. — TNS

BRIEFLY

New Delhi
Cong welcomes SC order: The Congress today welcomed the SC order asking the government to submit names of all black money account holders. Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said the order vindicated Congress’ stand of the BJP government’s selective leaking of the list. — TNS