Report Card of Ministry of Home Affairs for April, 2011

Union Home Minister Shri P. Chidambaram presented the Report Card of Ministry of Home Affairs for April, 2011 in New Delhi today. Following is the text of his statement:“I present the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the month of April, 2011. The highlight of the month of April was the peaceful conduct of elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The elections in West Bengal are underway. Barring a few isolated incidents, full security was provided to the voters as well as election officials. A total of 758 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were deployed for purposes of the elections.On April 15, 2011, a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs was held to review the progress made in CCTNS (Crime & Criminal Tracking and Network System) project.On April 20, 2011, I chaired the 32nd meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language and discussions were held on the draft of the ninth part of the report of the Committee.I am happy to report that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was held between February 19, 2011 and April 2, 2011 and concluded peacefully and without any untoward incident. I compliment the State Police Forces and the Central Armed Police Forces that did a splendid job in providing security during the period of the tournament.
Internal Security: On March 31, 2011, an amount of ` 16.10 crore was released to Indian Air Force for the airlifts provided for anti-naxal operations during 2010-11.CRPF has initiated the process of employment of 434 retired JCOs and 1736 retired NCOs on contractual basis to form counter-IED Teams in 62 CRPF Bns deployed for anti-naxal operations. A scheme for construction/strengthening of 400 fortified police stations at the rate of ` 2 crore in 83 districts of LWE affected States at the total cost of ` 800 crore has been approved. An initial amount of ` 10 crore has been released to the State Governments for implementation of the scheme. In 2010-11, a sum of ` 626.34 crore was released to LWE affected States under various schemes. This compares well with the amount of 162.00 crore released in 2009-10 and ` 244.00 crore released in 2008-09. Sanctions amounting to ` 30 crore were issued to the following State Governments under SIS scheme for the year 2010-11:
Andhra Pradesh:
` 9.30 crore
Bihar
9.50 crore

Jharkhand
3.70 crore

Maharashtra
1.80 crore

Madhya Pradesh
1.80 crore

Uttar Pradesh
3.90 crore

Total
30.0 crore
A sum of ` 42 lakh was sanctioned as assistance to 14 beneficiaries at the rate of ` 3 lakh each under the Central scheme of assistance to the victims of terrorist/communal/naxal violence.352 licences for PB weapons issued by the Government of Nagaland between September 24, 1987 and January 9, 2007 were revoked on April 7, 2011 by the Central Government.

Jammu and Kashmir:
The three interlocutors visited J&K for the seventh time during April 18 to April 24, 2011. They visited Srinagar, Sopore, Doda, Kishtwar and Jammu and interacted with a cross-section of the people. They also organized an Intellectuals’ Conference in Srinagar and met a delegation of lawyers at Jammu.On April 21, 2011, approvals worth ` 4.99 crore were given for the execution of improvement works at CRPF locations in J&K.
On April 25, 2011, an amount of ` 38.07 crore was reimbursed to the Government of J&K under SRE scheme.
CAPFs (Central Armed Police Force)Sanctions worth ` 288.25 crore were issued for the purchase of arms and ammunition and equipment for the CAPFs and SPOs:

405 nos. SIG-551 and 180 nos. SIG-553 Assault Rifles 20.84 crore
2220 nos. SIG-556 Assault Rifles, 700 nos. SIG-Pistols and 611 nos. UBGLs: 24.94 crore
17220 nos. Glock-17, 10895 nos. Glock-19 and 3641 nos. Glock-26 pistols
: ` 59.51 crore
12756 nos. MP5 series of SMG and 3315 nos. of Tactical Lights
: ` 182.96 crore

Total
: ` 288.25 crore
On April 27, 2011, ` 19.91 crore were released to 17 States for setting up Regional Forensic Science Laboratories and District Mobile Forensic Units under the Plan Scheme of Directorate of Forensic Science Services.Sanctions amounting to ` 1.65 crore were issued for acquisition of land and construction of office/residential/other infrastructure buildings for the following CAPFs:

ITBP : ` 0.63 crore

BSF : ` 1.02 crore



Total : ` 1.65 crore
On March 31, 2011, sanction amounting to ` 9.35 crore was issued for setting up stand-alone Solar Power Plants for 69 BOPs of ITBP.

On April 4, 2011, sanctions amounting to ` 46.86 crore were issued and ` 3.20 crore released for the various infrastructure development works at NEPA, Shillong.

On April 27, 2011 sanction amounting to ` 200.67 crore was issued for augmentation of infrastructure at National Police Academy, Hyderabad.

On April 11, 2011, orders were issued for the creation of 138 posts in IB for RTC Dwarka and RTC Jodhpur.
On April 11, 2011, orders were issued for the creation of 65 posts in CISF for augmentation of its strength at Tehri Hydro Development Corporation, Tehri, Uttarakhand.
On April 19, 2011, orders were issued for creation of 360 posts under the restructuring plan of SSB.

On April 13, 2011, sanction was issued for grant of House Rent Allowance to the personnel of Central Armed Police Forces (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP & SSB), Assam Rifles and National Security Guard deployed/posted in LWE affected areas.

On April 21, 2011, an order was issued for payment of lump sum compensation to the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel who are boarded out of service on account of disability attributable to or aggravated in service.

Border Management:India-Bangladesh Border: 5 kms of fencing and 11 kms of road works were completed in April, 2011 under phase II of the project. 4 kms of fencing were replaced in April, 2011 under phase III of the project. Poles for floodlighting were erected on a length of 20 kms and cables were laid on 7 kms stretch in April, 2011.
Coastal Security: Against the target of 204 boats, 200 boats have been supplied so far. The remaining 4 boats are ready for delivery and will be dispatched as soon as the State Governments concerned are prepared to take delivery.
Immigration:45 Pakistani prisoners were repatriated to Pakistan on completion of their sentences.Over one million foreigners have made use of the on-line visa application system since its implementation by MHA in Indian Missions at Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the U.K. This accounts for approximately 20% of the total foreign visitors to India.
IPS Cadre:39 senior police officers participated in the Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar at Los Angeles, California, USA during April 18 - 22, 2011.
Disaster Relief:
In the month of April 2011, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 228 personnel and 29 boats were deployed for emergency response and rescue in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi and Kerala.
On April 1, 2011, crime no. 85/2007 of Ajmer Dargah Shariff Police Station, District Ajmer, Rajasthan relating to Ajmer Dargah Shariff bomb blast of 2007 was entrusted to the NIA for investigation.
On April 1, 2011, crime no. 18/2008 of ATS Mumbai pertaining to Malegaon-II bomb blast case was entrusted to NIA for investigation.
On April 26, 2011, sanction for prosecution was accorded for prosecuting Harshad Solanki and Mukesh Vasani in case no. 04/2011 of NIA concerning the Ajmer Dargah Shariff bomb blast of 2007.
On April 26, 2011, notifications were issued to designate the Special Court for CBI cases, Jaipur and 3rd Senior most Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Lucknow as Special Courts for NIA cases.
Census 2011 and National Population Register (NPR)
Capture of biometrics for NPR started in the NDMC area of NCT Delhi. The exercise is progressing in Manipur and Nagaland.On completion of the Annual Health Survey in nine States, the Third Party Audit (TPA) has been completed in six of the nine States and is nearing completion in the remaining three States.
Other matters:
The drive to implement the judgments of Courts in relation to pension to freedom fighters continued. Seven judgments were implemented in
April, 2011 and 94 judgments are pending for implementation.33,106 records of claims and compensation paid to displaced persons were computerized in April, 2011. The database now has 526,049 records.”

The Czech Republic, opening a gate for the Indian film industry

Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc: Mumbai-New Delhi India :
First official presentation of the Czech Republic for the Indian film industry has been organized by Czech Tourism and the Czech Film Commission, to open the dialogue and welcome more Indian filming projects to the country. The Czech Republic, a central European country often referred to as “the heart of Europe”, entered on Indian market in 2010 to share a glance of the country and its various products from heritage, spa, shopping to MICE, with Indian travelers.

Indian film industry is a significant gateway to showcase the Czech Republic to wider public and to catch the attention of potential clients and visitors to the country. To present the most attractive filming spots in the country, CzechTourism together with the Czech Film Commission has conducted a presentation of the Czech Republic as a filming location for the prominent Indian film productions on 27th of April in Mumbai in JW Marriott. The presentation is the first official action that Czech Authorities undertakes in India in order to open a space for longer collaboration with Indian film industry and to welcome more film projects to the Czech Republic.

“Apart of the cultural and natural heritage, shopping both for leisure and MICE segments, we want to promote the Czech Republic also as an attractive option for film shooting“ said Radka Neumannova, Director of the CzechTourism in Delhi. “I am excited to have the support and cooperation of CzechTourism,” Claussova said. “It shows that the Czech authorities recognize the positive effects that film can have on the country.”

Last year the Czech Republic has already hosted the shooting of the new Bollywood film “Rockstar” and Indian TV commercials such as Airtel, Micromax and many others. Together with the scenic beauties the Czech Republic has very good film infrastructures and services with experienced people on the spot. Prague and surroundings attracts filmmakers from USA and Europe and many famous movies has been already produced there.

CzechTourism in India will be executing an integrated program of promotional activities to present the Czech Republic as an ideal destination for visitors to Europe. The main objective is to raise awareness about the destination, and to facilitate business relations between Czech and Indian travel trade. CzechTourism office, located in New Delhi, will be coordinating the activities pan-India.

Congress, DMK demand resignation of PAC chairman

Congress and DMK members of the panel on Wednesday accused MM Joshi of having "malafide intention" of destabilising the government and demanded his resignation.Soon after the draft report leaked, members of Congress and DMK went into a huddle and made it clear that they would not allow the adoption of the report in tomorrow's meeting.

They said that they had got no time to study thoroughly the voluminous report of 280-odd pages and would like to study it properly besides calling more key witnesses like former Telecom Minister A Raja before the committee.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Congress members KS Rao, Saifuddin Soz and Navin Jindal and DMK member T Siva attacked PAC chief for "hurriedly" pushing the report for "political mileage".

Alleging that Joshi had wanted to "destabilise" and "defame the cabinet and government", Rao said the draft report seems to have been prepared in a "pre-determined manner with biased mind and malafide intention."

He said that members had no idea that tomorrow's meeting was to discuss the report and were "shocked" to learn about it through the media."We did not know Joshi was in hurry to present report by April 30," Rao said.Apprehending that Joshi might table the report in Parliament without views of members of ruling party, he demanded resignation of Joshi as head of PAC.Contending that Joshi would throughout the meetings force the witnesses to toe a particular line and even "put words" in their mouth, Rao said, "We all are for unanimous report.

But why is he in a hurry? What is the intention? Do we have to say everything that the chairman says? Jindal alleged several things mentioned in report are wrong and they would raise these issues one by one in tomorrow's meeting.

The meeting on April 16 did not take place and so the evidence of Principal Secretary to Prime Minister TKA Nair and Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekar could not appear but the report states that they had appeared, Jindal said adding that it suggests that the report has been prepared before April 15.

The Congress and DMK members said they had wanted Raja to appear before the committee as per the principle of natural justice as he was the main accused but the chairman rejected it.

Allahabad Bank celebrates 147 th Foundation Day

Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc:New Delhi India :
Allahabad Bank, a Premier Nationalized Bank of the country, in celebration of its 147th Foundation Day, launched Mobile Banking Service, 100 ATMs and a Mobile Van fitted with ATM on 25th April, 2011 at Ashok Hotel in New Delhi:
Shri Namo Narain Meena, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance, Govt. of India announced launching of 100 ATMs throughout the country from New Delhi. Launching of Mobile Banking Service was announced by Shri Shashi Kant Sharma, IAS, Secretary, Deptt. Of Financial Services, Govt. of India. Mobile Van with ATM was also launched by Shri Namo Narain Meena, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance, Govt. of India. Shri J.P.Dua, Chairman & Managing Director of the Bank delivered the inaugural address. Shri D. Sarkar and Shri M.R.Nayak, Executive Directors, Shri D. Narang, Field General Manager, New Delhi, Shri Vipul Singla, Deputy General Manager and Zonal Head New Delhi Zone and many other Executives of the Bank, distinguished dignitaries and Guests also graced the occasion.

Shri Namo Narain Meena, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance, Govt. of India in his address said that the nationalized Banks are performing exceedingly well in fulfilling the expectations of the Central Government and RBI to implement various poverty alleviation programmes as also for the overall upliftment of the economy through technological advancement. Shri Meena also said that Allahabad Bank, in particular, has a glorious tradition of being the country’s oldest Joint Stock Bank with a modern outlook, which grew up with the times taking a leading role in socio-economic development of the country. The Bank has progressed well in successfully implementing its Financial Inclusion Plan across the country. The Bank is also an accredited front-runner amongst the Banks in showing excellent performance in MSE Lending and has been awarded the National Award of First Prize in MSE Lending for 2009-10.by the Govt. of India. Shri Meena also said that like the Private and Foreign counter-parts, most Public Sector Banks have shown marked improvement in the area of technological advancement and Allahabad Bank is one of them. The Bank has been offering all e-banking facilities like SMS Banking, Internet Banking, International ATM –cum- Debit Cards, e-payment of taxes and Bills and many more from 2415 Branches pan India- Shri Meena added.

Shri Shashi Kant Sharma, Hon’ble Secretary, Deptt. of Financial Services, Govt. of India, with the introduction of Mobile Banking, 100 ATMs and Mobile Van, Allahabad Bank will be more equipped to serve the people of the country in a much better way. He expressed hope that in the days to come, the Bank will continue such positive efforts for the economic upliftment of the people of the country.

Shri J.P. Dua, Chairman & Managing Director, in his keynote address said that Allahabad Bank has a long tradition of over 146 glorious years of dedicated service to the nation. The Bank has been showing excellent performance in all important business parameters during the last few years Shri Dua also informed that at the last financial year ending on 31st March,2011, the Bank has also registered commendable performance with its Total Business crossing over Rs. 2,27,000 crore. The Bank has been successful in meeting all the social objectives set by the Government and RBI and paying immense importance on extending financial assistance to the Priority Sector, Agriculture and MSME Sector-Shri Dua added. The Chairman & Managing Director also informed that the Bank has achieved 100% Financial Inclusion in all of its 17 Lead Districts in UP and Jharkhand and covered 1054 villages in the last financial year. The Bank is committed to successfully implement its Financial Inclusion Plan within the set timelines.Shri Dua also said that the Bank is fast upgrading its technology based services and products and is offering e-products like Internet Banking, SMS Banking, International ATM –cum Debit Card, e-payment of taxes and Bills and many more for the customers from any of its 2415 Branches all India. Bank has planned to reach 3000 network of branches and 2000 ATMs within next three years.

Shri Dua also informed that the Bank has tied up with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to allot Unique Identification Number to each of its customer pan India. With the launching of Mobile Banking, 100 ATMs and Mobile Van with ATM in New Delhi today, Bank’s initiatives towards excellence in Modern Banking and Financial Inclusion have registered a giant step forward for the Institution.

Shri D.Sarkar, Executive Director of the Bank moved the Vote of Thanks.

Lok Pal bill at glance

Lok Pal bill is the replica of the office of, An Ombudsman, {is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests}appointed to inquire into complaints made by citizens against public officials.Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Burkina Faso and the United Kingdom are some of the countries which have the office of an Ombudsman.

Lok Pal is a Public forum where the citizen can send a complaint against a public official, which would then be inquired into and the citizen would be provided appropriate Action .An ombudsman is an official, usually appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens.

Usually appointed by the organization, but sometimes elected by the constituency, the ombudsman may, for example, investigate constituent complaints relating to the organization and attempt to resolve them, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. Ombudsmen sometimes identify organizational roadblocks running counter to constituent interests.

Strong Lok Pal bill wants the office of the Prime Minister, Ministers and Members of Parliament, inclusion of judges, and powers of the Lok Pal. Most experts contend that all public officials should be accountable while some are in the opinion that the autonomy and privilege of Parliament require the Prime Minister, Ministers, and Members of Parliament to be accountable only to Parliament.

The office of the Lok Pal, must possess its composition, powers and functions, clearly spell with its executive power and not of advisory role and its jurisdiction well defined. The commissions, dealt with the Lok Pal include the First Administrative Reforms Commission of 1966, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution of 2002 and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission of 2007. The Lok Pal Bills that were introduced were referred to various Parliamentary committees (the last three Bills were referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs).Lok Pal include the First Administrative Reforms Commission of 1966, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution of 2002 and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission of 2007. The Lok Pal Bills that were introduced were referred to various Parliamentary committees (the last three Bills were referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs).

Another laws that deal with corruption of public officials in India Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Code of Criminal Procedure and the 1988 Act require the investigating agency (such as the CBI) to get prior sanction of the central or state government before it can initiate the prosecution process in a court.

There are eighteen state governments have enacted legislation to set up the office of Lokayukta and Uplokayukta (deputy Lokayukta).Those States enacted namely are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

Further Public officials,government employees, judges, armed forces, and Members of Parliament are to be prosecuted for corruption under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Yonex Sunrise India Open badminton Super Series,

First Super Series badminton tournament in India is being organized in New Delhi; The Yonex Sunrise India Open Super Series, International badminton tournament starting 26th April to 1st May will have nearly 220 players coming from 16 countries participating. The $200,000 event will have the top 32 players in both men’s and women’s single and doubles which will be telecast live in India and about 20 countries abroad.

The Super Series is a series of 12 tournaments with high standard of organization and presentation held throughout Europe and Asia in one calendar year. At the end of the year, a Super Series Final is held at one fix venue which comprises only the top 8 players of the world according to their Super Series ranking. So players accumulate points in these Super Series to make it to the Super Series Final.

The BWF introduced the BWF World Super Series format to showcase badminton at a higher level of presentation and competitiveness, to increase television coverage for the sport and to increase the star quality and popularity of the top players in the world through increased television coverage.

The Yonex Sunrise India Open Super Series 2011 is the fourth stop in the OSIM BWF World Super Series. With Indian Badminton players doing well at the world stage in recent years and the commitment and organizational skills shown in hosting some major events has help India Open achieved the status of Super Series. India has been granted the right to host a super series for a period of three years beginning 2011 to 2013.

Yonex-Sunrise, which sponsored India Open since 2008, will continue to carry its role forward of being the title and official equipment sponsors’ for this event also. For the 2011-2013 Super Series season, OSIM, a global leader in branded well being and healthy lifestyle products, is the global Series Title Sponsor.

Players from various countries have already started arriving to participate and vie for glory in this tournament which promises to deliver another grand sporting entertainment to the sports loving people of the country.

India’s challenge in this tournament will be spearheaded by the World No. 4 Saina Nehwal along with Commonwealth Games Gold medalists Jwala Gutta, and Ashwini Ponnappa. P Kashyap another Commonwealth Games medalist will spearhead the men’s challenge.World’s top participating players in this Super Series:
Men’s Singles: Lee Chong Wei (MAS) World No. 1, Taufik Hidayat (INA) World No.3 and former World Champion/Olympic Champion 2004, Peter Gade (DEN) World No.5 and former World champion and many others in men’s singles.
Women’s Singles: Top seed in this event Saina Nehwal World No 4 and title winner of Commonwealth Games, Tine Baun (DEN) world no 5, Youn Joo Bae (KOR) world no 10.
Mens Doubles: Kien Keat Koo/ Boon Heong (MAS) world no 3 and Septano Bona/ Ahsan Mohammad (INA) and Hendra Aprida Gunawan/ Yulianto Chandra (INA)
Womens Doubles: Suetsuna Satoko/ Maeda Miyuki (JPN) world no3, Fujii Mizuki/ Kakiiwa Reika (JPN) world no.4, Voravichitchaikul Kunchala / Aroonkesorn Duanganong (THA) world no 5, Polii Gresia/ZMelieana Jauhari(INA) world no8, Yao Lei/ Sari Shinta Mulia (SIN) world no 9.

Mixed Double: Prapakamol Sudket/ Thoungthongkam Saralee (THA) world no 2, Anugritayawon Songphon/
Voravichitchaikul Kunchala (THA) world no 11 and Jwala Gutta/ V Diju (IND)

2G scam CBI to name Kanimozhi in 2nd charge sheet

The CBI, in its second charge sheet likely to be filed on Monday, may name Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, wife Dayalu Ammal and several others for allegedly getting benefits out of the allocation of 2G spectrum to certain telecom firms.
The charge sheet to be filed in the court of Special CBI Judge O P Saini may give details as to how over Rs 200 crore was illegally routed by jailed former Telecom Minister A Raja, his slain aide Sadiq Batcha and Shahid Usman Balwa, the former Managing Director of DB Realty to DMK-owned Kalaignar TV, jointly owned by Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Sharad Kumar.Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Kumar, Managing Director of the TV, have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively.
The CBI had earlier told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Balwa to Kalaignar TV.
The agency had said the money travelled through a "circuitous route" through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd.
"Investigations have also revealed that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Dynamix Realty, a partnership firm of DB Realty Ltd and other DB group companies, paid Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd during December 2008 to August 2009, following a circuitous route through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd (DB group holds 49 per cent equity in it)," CBI said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.
Besides, the second charge sheet may also throw some light on the role of Batcha who died in mysterious circumstances last month.Names of Asif Balwa, cousin of Shahid Balwa, and Rajeev Agarwal, Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, who are presently in judicial custody, are also expected in the supplementary charge sheet.

Raja and eight others, including former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and three telecom companies were on April 2 indicted in the 2G spectrum allocation scam by CBI, which pegged the loss to the exchequer at Rs 30,984 crore.

The first chargesheet has named Behura, Raja's former PS R K Chandolia, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Reliance ADA group's Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, Reliance Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom.

The CBI has informed the Supreme Court that the supplementary chargesheet will be filed before April 25 in the special court of Justice O P Saini and the probe in the case will be completed by 31st May

Santosh Hegde to continue in Lokpal Committee

Santosh Hegde continuing in Lokpal Committe relives many minds for his experience to give nation a competent draft of Lok pal bill his professionalism along with Bhushan's can draw safe passage for preparation of historic bill to curb corruption in high places.Members of civil society Draft committee has not been able to hold any praiseworthy deliberation with others professionals and thinkers of the society and their spokesperson always ducked the question on listening to public at large with profound outcry.Many NGO and think tanks held their press conferences on the subject and exhibiting their envious raised many questions but many believes that indeed an opportunity for the masses participation in the governance must have a chance. Many experts has the opinions and feels that the civil society team is unable to show their zeal and effectiveness to meet masses around the country and to hold meeting with Intelligentsia but in their press conferences their utterances,words are louder than their action. PTI Justice Santosh Hegde's threat to quit the Lokpal drafting committee over the alleged smear campaign against civil society activists blew over today with their representatives deciding that he will continue in the panel.A meeting of the activists led by Anna Hazare also decided to write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia offering themselves to any high-level inquiry into any allegations against them."The Committee recognised that the prime national duty of India Against Corruption has been to provide the country an independent and accountable Lokpal."The Committee resolved that Hegde will continue as a member.

Sewa Trade Facilitation centre Launch 'Summer Collection"

Today SEWA Trade facilitation Centre announced the formal launch of the summer-Collection at Hansiba Store by Bollywood actress Ms Ratna pathak Shah {wife of Mr Naseerudin Shah.On this occasions SEWA's Artisans said ,Women of Gujarat unparallel lineage of skills and the nature of the craft made avilable at Hansiba makes it a unique brand with an exclusive range of offerings.Their artisans have worked with exclusive threads and fabrics to come up with a vibrant collection of apparels,accessories,saris and a collection for the kids using traditional embroidery techniques like Ahir,Pakko,Rabari in its design.

The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has been promoting an integrated approach to livelihood security of women in the informal sector for the past three decades. It has been actively working towards women’s empowerment. SEWA comprises of over 11,000 grassroots’ producer groups, 200 cooperatives and 11 federations in seven states of India. SEWA’s model of self-reliance is based on organizing women to gain full employment and self reliance.In response to the demand for creating sustainable livelihood strategies for the poorest of the poor women producers, The SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC) was established in May 2003 as the commercial arm of SEWA by more than 15000 women artisans in the textiles and handicrafts sector. The vision of STFC was to ensure that craftswomen in the informal sector have socio-economic security and full employment, by building a grassroots’ business enterprise of the artisans. STFC achieves this by sustained, profitable, and efficient coordination of the design, production, and marketing of their products and services in mainstream national and global markets.
STFC has transformed the grassroots craft activity into a full fledge commercial enterprise. Erstwhile the artisan women though skilled in hand embroidery had to forcibly migrate in search of work, or undertake earth digging work. The trade of their old valuable embroidered trouso would typically occur during distressed time. This would occur with traders and middlemen since the artisans had access to a very limited market. Moreover they only had their traditional skills but still required products which they could sell in the market. Lack of market information hindered artisans from building a strong relationship with the buyers. With the inception of STFC, integrated supply chain mechanism was created and the production became organized.Currently STFC has 3500 artisan shareholders in 80 villages across 3 Districts in Gujarat.
The product range produced by shareholders of STFC and marketed by STFC includes
• Apparels,Home furnishings Accessories,Stationary & Gifts

Meenakshi record writing 118 symbol of period table

Nksagar- Sagar Media Inc: New Delhi:
Today in Press conference Meenakshi Agrawal of Hyderabad created record by writing the 118 symbols of Mendeleev Periodic Table of Chemistry in 91.6 seconds:
Press Conference was organized by Meenakshi Agrawal held in Press club of India ,New Delhi wherein she created record by writing the 118 symbols of Mendeleev Periodic Table of Chemistry in 91.6 seconds and she further recited all the elements in one go without any pause for which she too has a record.

Meenakshi Agrawal, mother of two made gallant effort to create a Unique and Motivating World Record In Chemistry by writing all the 118 symbols of the elements of the Periodic Table of Chemistry in an amazingly record time of approx 91.65 seconds at 3.30 PM at Press Club of India , Raisina Road. New Delhi was attended by various media personalities ,academician and her friends.

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and UNESCO declaring 2011 the year to celebrate the achievements of Chemistry, and its contribution of well being of human kind. Meenakshi Agrawal has strong desire to do something unique not only simple, but to motivate youngsters to rope them in science for further innovations in field of chemistry.

The year 2011, being celebrated as the International Year of Chemistry, also provides the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science on the one-hundredth anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Maria Sklodowska-Curie.

At its 63rd session in December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 the International Year of Chemistry, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the leading UN Agency together with its partner, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

Press Meet "Men will be Men"

Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc: 21 April 2011_
Cast and crew of movie 'Men will be Men' were present at the Press conference at PVR Plaza New Delhi.A film of 80 minutes is comic caper with story of four young men who are best friends since college days,working together in the same company.With their differnt lifestyles they have one common aspect which is monotony and to get over it they plan a spontaneous vacation to Pattaya and that's where their chase for girl follows to win her as in the case of men are always men to win women.The film is set to release on 29th April 2011 Casting the film star popular TV actors are Rajesh Kumar,Gaurav Chopra,Rohit Khurana,Rahil tandon,Zeenal Kamdar and Rajech Khattar directed by Gorky:

Hegde thinking of resigning

(PTI)Unfazed by controversies surrounding the Bhushans, civil society activists today rejected demands for their resignation from the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill but one of its members Justice Santosh Hegde said he is thinking of resigning from it.The demand for the resignation of lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant grew today following a CFSL report that a CD allegedly involving the senior Bhushan was not not tampered with.While the Bhushans kept mum, activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi ruled out their resignation because of the "malicious campaign" against them.

They told a press conference in Delhi that the civil society members were together and the "entire malicious" campaign launched by some "corrupt elements in and out of government" was aimed at derailing the drafting of a strong Lokpal Bill."There is no question of anybody resigning from the joint committee.

Sonia strongly committed to the institution of Lokpal.

Responding to Anna Hazare's complaint against her "colleagues", Congress President Sonia Gandhi today assured him that she does not support "politics of smear campaign" and she was strongly committed to the institution of Lokpal.Writing to Hazare, the Chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC) said she believes there is "urgent necessity" to combat graft and corruption and he should not "doubt my commitment in the fight for probity in public life".She pointed out that the Lokpal bill is very much part of the agenda of the NAC and a Working Group has been formed to evolve broad principles for discussion and approval in the next meeting of the Council on 28th April."As for the statements appearing in the media, let me assure you that I do not support nor encourage the politics of smear campaigns," Gandhi said in her letter to Hazare.

She was replying to Hazare's letter sent on Monday in which the social activist said a "smear" campaign had been launched against civil society members of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill and asked her to advise her "colleagues" not to try to derail the process of drafting of law.He particularly complained against an unnamed minister, who is part of the 10-member joint drafting committee and a party General Secretary, believed to be Digvijay Singh who has been attacking his campaign.

"Let me reiterate what I wrote to you earlier, that I believe there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption," Gandhi told Hazare."You should have no doubt of my commitment in the fight for probity in public life. I strongly support the institution of a Lokpal that is consistent with the practices and conventions of our Parliamentary democracy," she wrote.

Adarsh scam lawyer and official skip proceedings

Apr 19 (PTI) A day after rapping several Maharashtra government departments for failing to submit documents in connection with the Adarsh Housing Society scam, the Commission probing the matter today pulled up the Union Law Ministry after its senior lawyer and official skipped the panel's proceedings here.The two-member Judicial Commission, set up by the Maharashtra Government to probe the multi-crore scam, had asked Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Defence, State Environment Department and local civic transport body BEST to submit all relevant documents today.Both the senior counsel and Joint Secretary of the Law and Justice Department were absent and only a junior lawyer was present.

Leela on expansion spree

Leela on expansion spree

India and Kazakhstan text of Joint Statement

JOINT STATEMENT: Consolidating the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of India and the Republic of Kazakhstan and Following is the text of Joint Statement signed between the Republic of India and the Republic of Kazakhstan at Astana, Kazakhstan:

"1. His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, paid an Official Visit to Kazakhstan on 15-16 April, 2011 on the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

2. During the visit Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of the Republic of India held discussions with Mr. N. Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and met with Prime Minister Mr. K. Massimov. The leaders noted with satisfaction the high level of relation between India and Kazakhstan and expressed their firm commitment to further consolidate the strategic partnership, the foundation for which was laid during the State Visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev to the Republic of India in January, 2009.

3. Prime Minister of the Republic of India and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan met in a friendly atmosphere and exchanged views on India-Kazakhstan relations, as well as on international and regional issues. They noted the convergence of their views on most of these issues.

4. Prime Minister of the Republic of India appreciated the important role of the Republic of Kazakhstan promoting regional and international peace & security, successful chairmanship of Kazakhstan of the OSCE in 2010, and the stable political and economic development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which was reflected in the results of the Presidential Elections held on 3 April, 2011.

5. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan appreciated the growing role of the Republic of India in world affairs, which has been contributing to strengthening peace, stability and mutual understanding between peoples, as well as India’s ever-growing political, economic, and scientific stature and potential.

6. The sides stressed that the consistent growth in India-Kazakhstan relations has been promoted by recent meetings at the highest and senior levels, and appreciated increasing mutual understanding and trust, expansion of cooperation in the spheres of trade, economy, energy, socio-cultural activities as well as interaction on international and regional issues. The sides decided to reinvigorate mechanisms for regular meetings at the level of Ministers of the two countries.

7. The sides expressed satisfaction with the activity of India-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural Cooperation. The sides resolved to improve the mechanism of the Commission’s activity through increasing its coordinating role in different spheres of interaction.

8. The sides noted with satisfaction the progress in various fields of cooperation. They welcomed the signing of the “Joint Action Plan” on furthering the strategic partnership between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“Road Map”) for the period of 2011-2014.

9. The sides highly appreciated the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The sides noted the need for expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation in this area while adhering to their existing obligations under multilateral nuclear regimes.

10. The sides expressed satisfaction with signing of a Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil Matters between the Republic of India and the Republic of Kazakhstan which promotes interaction in legal issues.

11. The sides agreed on the importance of cooperation in food security and welcomed the signing of the Agreement on cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors.

12. The sides welcomed the signing of the Memorandum in the area of information security as also the Indian initiative to set up a Indian-Kazakhstan Center of Excellence in the Eurasian University in Astana.

13. The sides underlined the importance of cooperation in the energy sector to be developed on the basis of equal rights and mutual benefit. The sides expressed satisfaction at the signing of a package of documents between Indian company “ONGC Videsh Limited” and “NC “KazMunaiGaz” JSC on joint exploration of the “Satpayev” oil block.

14. The sides noted the need to enhance interaction in implementation of prospective projects in the area of exploration of new oil and gas deposits, oil refining and petrochemicals, as well as transportation of hydrocarbons, and establishment of science-based industries in the Republic of Kazakhstan with the application of Indian know-how and new technologies.

15. The sides noted with satisfaction the establishment of cooperation between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan (NSAC), and agreed to work towards fruitful cooperation in the field of space.

16. The sides noted their interest in continued interaction in healthcare and medicine, science and technology, including nano, bio and innovative technologies.

17. The Republic of Kazakhstan recognized India’s achievements in the pharmaceuticals sector and welcomed joint ventures in Kazakhstan for production of high quality pharmaceutical drugs.

18. The sides welcomed development of cultural and people-to-people contacts and reiterated their intention to strengthen cooperation in educational, scientific, technical, cultural, tourism and other spheres. They expressed readiness to exchange experts, hold days of culture, exhibitions, symposiums and other events.

19. The sides noted the importance of identifying secure and cost-effective transport connectivity between the two countries, including for transportation of cargo with the participation of transit countries.

20. The sides agreed to enhance collaboration in international economic and financial organizations and to use new opportunities arising as a result of integration processes in the global economy, for the benefit of both countries.

21. The sides expressed interest in strengthening contacts and coordination in international and regional organizations (UN, SCO, CICA and ACD). They emphasized that continuous strengthening of cooperation in the framework of these multilateral structures should contribute to stability and development in the region and in the world.

22. The sides expressed interest in the early settlement of the Afghanistan situation and positively assessed the contribution by both countries to the reconstruction in Afghanistan. They agreed that the global community had rightly noted in the Kabul Communiqué (July 2010) the importance of ensuring that terrorists were denied sanctuaries. They also underscored the importance of eliminating the narco-trafficking infrastructure that still existed in that country. The sides further assessed that for peace and stability to be restored, it was essential that renewed efforts were made to sufficiently build up the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces.

23. The sides reaffirmed their view that international terrorism was a serious threat to global peace and security and condemned those who supported terrorism. They strongly condemned the recent act of terrorism (11 April 2011) in the Minsk Metro station, which had led to the loss of several innocent lives and had left hundreds of people injured. They hoped that the perpetrators of this heinous crime would be speedily brought to justice.

24. The Republic of India highly appreciated the Chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and noted that the forthcoming Jubilee meeting of the Council of Heads of member-states of SCO dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Organization to be held in Astana on 15th June 2011 would become a milestone event in the further development of the SCO. The Republic of Kazakhstan welcomed India’s constructive participation in the SCO as an observer country and expressed support for India’s intention to play a larger role in the organization.

25. The Republic of India highly appreciated the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to convene a Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia – an important forum for the maintenance of peace, stability and security in Asian continent. The Republic of Kazakhstan noted that the Republic of India had been actively and constructively participating in the CICA.

26. The Republic of India welcomed the forthcoming Chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the 38th Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference. It expressed confidence that the Republic of Kazakhstan would play a balanced and constructive role in the functioning of the OIC.

27. The sides affirmed the need to strengthen the UN role in international affairs and consider the organization as a universal tool in the implementation of equitable relations among the members of international community as well as strengthening stability and security in the world. The Republic of Kazakhstan reaffirmed support of the candidature of the Republic of India for permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Noting the strong credentials of Kazakhstan, the Republic of India expressed support to the candidature of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018. The sides agreed to support each other within the framework of UN and other multilateral fora.

28. The Prime Minister of the Republic of India Dr Manmohan Singh expressed deep gratitude to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. N. Nazarbayev and to the Kazakhstan side for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to him and to the Indian delegation during his official visit to Kazakhstan."

None wants Anna Hazare's bill diluted

Concerned over judiciary's image coming under a cloud in the wake of corruption charges, Chief Justice S H Kapadia has said there was a need for "clean man in black robe" and asked the political class not to protect corrupt judges."We have to live by examples. We need a clean man in black robe to uphold the independence and integrity of the judiciary," the CJI said while cautioning the judges from inevitably ending up in the political arena. CJI said judges should maintain self restraint and avoid being in touch with lawyers, political parties, their leaders or ministers and high ranking judges should not interfere in the administrative work of court lower to it.
"Internal interference from a high ranking Judge which, if resisted, could lead the lower ranking Judge being transferred or being denied promotion also needs to be deprecated. Similarly, political protection should not be given to corrupt Judges," Kapadia said at the fifth M C Setalvad memorial lecture in New Delhi on Saturday.

"A Judge must inevitably choose to be a little aloof and isolated from the community at large. He should not be in contact with lawyers, individuals or political parties, their leaders or ministers unless it be on purely social occasions," he said.The CJI's remarks assume significance as the issue of corruption allegedly involving sitting judges P D Dinakaran and Soumitra Sen, who are facing impeachment proceedings in Parliament, were raised by other speakers.

Senior advocates Anil Divan and P P Rao voiced serious concerns over judges being involved in corruption.The CJI began his speech by saying that "I am an eternal optimist and I can see that in future things are going to improve as far as integrity and as far as credibility of the Supreme Court is concerned."

Kapadia said the judges should not accept any type of patronage and stick to judicial norms."The Judge should not accept patronage through which he acquires office, preferential treatment or pre-retirement assignment. These can give rise to corruption if and when quid pro quo makes a demand on such Judges", he said.
Kapadia stressed the need for protecting the integrity of judiciary saying "Judges must keep the part of impartial, objective, fearless and independent justice alive".

The CJI said he has avoided socialisation and even preferred not take the membership of any golf clubs as it would have left him mingling with advocates, politicians etc giving a negative impression to the people."Frequent socializing with particular members of the legal profession or with the litigants, including potential litigants, is certain to raise, in the minds of others, the suspicion that the Judge is susceptible to undue influence in the discharge of his duties," he said.

The CJI said there should be a fair criticism of judgements and irresponsible and illegitimate criticism should be avoided."Public and media criticism of judges and judgments is a common feature today throughout the common law world. Like other public institutions, the judiciary must be subject to a fair criticism."But, what I am concerned with is response to criticism, particularly, criticism, that is illegitimate and irresponsible. In the context of such illegitimate and irresponsible criticism, it must be borne in mind that love for justice is rare - what most people desire is justice which favours them."

Traditional politicians discuss about the advantages of democracy over dictatorship, their favourite argument is that the citizens can change the authorities if they prove to be inefficient or fraudulent.But, during five years of government, much is the harm that a lying politician can produce.... reports website of http://www.humanistparty.org/component/content/article/29-the-cms/74-lawofpoliticalaccountability.html

India is a signatory to the UN Convention against Corruption

Deliberating with media, Prashant Bhushan, one of the civil society representatives on the committee expressed satisfaction over the discussions and hoped that this will finally lead to an independent Lok Pal in the country to fight corruption at higher places. He said, all concerned organisations will be consulted as part of the public consultations through websites and regional consultations.He said that the actual modalities will be decided in the next meeting. Prashant Bhusan said India is a signatory to the UN Convention against Corruption which is in the process of being ratified. The Convention requires an independent Lok pal for which an adequate Bill will be made through discussions.
Sibal said, the entire meeting was audio-recorded and whenever decisions are taken they would be made public. He said, the next meeting scheduled for May 2 is expected to discuss the two drafts in detail and they will also decide on the modality of public consultations on the legislation. The two sides expressed the hope that the new bill would be ready by June 30, the deadline set in the notification constituting the committee.

Lokpal Bill:Mitigation Corruption in high places

Civil society five member team is not making an efforts to listen to other intellectuals on the issue of Lokpal Bill. Anybody when gives inputs ask the member to fill in suggestion in their website thus stopping the interaction to me it appears that entire team is ignorant of the subject what is interaction and transparency and thus behaving like babus class of knowing everything and elite
behaving busy. Then why another body which is not different from the powerful lobby and many of us wish to be part of it: There are many Think tanks in this country working on autonomous bodies and other democratic structure's but their papers languish with nobody taking notice:Lokpal bill with likely to decay of same fate that of RTI which has limited scope:People fail to talk on Transparency -Law Minister remarks at silver jublee celebration of Institute of Objective studies said the country badly needs transparency in all government structure and veil of secrecy must be lifted to being inclusive growth and assured the audience soon the bill on this subject of transparency and accountability is in pipeline: Government today said, it has an open mind on the Lokpal Bill. The 10-member Joint Committee will hold its first meeting tomorrow to draft the Lokpal Bill. Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily hoped that discussions will pave way for a convergence of ideas on the anti-corruption legislation. Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who is also on the panel told reporters in New Delhi that the government, civil society and common people - all have one target that there should be greater transparency and responsibilities should be clearly fixed in the bill.
The minister said that the focus of the committee is to find the best way in which corruption in high places can be effectively tackled.
The minister also disapproved of political parties raking up issues related to the proposed Bill, saying it would be better if comments are made only after an outline on the bill emerges.In this efforts an audio CD, containing phone conversation between former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and involving alleged talk of Bhushan's son Prashant Bhushan being able to “manage very well,” has kicked off a controversy ahead of the first meeting of the joint committee meeting to discuss the Lokpal Bill. Bhushans in the joint committee to draft the Bill repeatedly said the CD was “fabricated” and was “intended and manufactured to defame” them.

Anna Hazare said, in his view, the higher judiciary should not be brought under the Lokpal Bill.“When the Lokpal Bill comes into force, there has to be an authority to deliver verdicts on the cases that will come up and that authority cannot be subservient to the Bill. Thus I have suggested that the higher judiciary should not be covered under Lokpal,” Media agencies

Pak frees 89 Indian prisoners

Pakistan Thursday freed 89 Indian prisoners, including fishermen, from a jail in the port city of Karachi as part of a process initiated by the two countries to speed up the release of people held in each other's prisons for inadvertently crossing land and maritime boundaries.

After being released from Malir Jail, the Indian prisoners boarded buses that would take them to Lahore to be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah land border crossing Friday.The Indian prisoners were arrested between September 2009 and January last year.Their release was a follow-up to a meeting of the Interior and Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan in New Delhi last month.
Nasir Aslam Zahid, Chairman of the NGO Prisoners Welfare and Legal Aid Committee, told reporters that Pakistani authorities had granted consular access to another 33 Indian prisoners being held in Malir Jail.They too will be released in the near future after the completion of certain formalities, he said.

"It is our endeavour to remove hurdles and delays in the release of detained fishermen on both sides of the border," Zahid said.On 11th April, India released 39 Pakistani prisoners.Both countries exchanged lists of prisoners during the meeting of the Interior and Home Secretaries last month.The two countries are scheduled to exchange complete lists of prisoners on 1st July under an agreement on consular access signed in May 2008.The process of releasing prisoners, which suffered a setback in the wake of the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, has picked up pace after the two countries recently agreed to resume their stalled peace process.Media agencies

Pawar rubbishes links to DB Realty

A controversy brewed on Thursday after corporate lobbyist Niira Radia reportedly linked Union Minister Sharad Pawar to 2G scam-tainted DB Realty firm but the senior leader trashed her claim.Pawar reacting to media reports which had quoted Radia as telling the CBI that he may be controlling DB Realty and may have pursued the issue of spectrum and license for Swan Telecom with former Telecom Minister A Raja.Her statement was part of the CBI charge sheet but she herself made it clear that it was the perception in Mumbai that she was talking about and she had no documentary proof to back it.

Pawar said, "This is absolutely a lie and foolish statement. Her claim is absolutely irresponsible and a total lie and one should not give too much importance to her statement."I have no financial interest in this company. DB Realty and that telecom company I have no relations at all. I have no financial, not one 'naya paisa' interest in that company," the minister said.He said he knew DB Realty's Vinod Goenka's father K M Goenka for the last 35 years and he had set up a milk processing unit in Baramati about 20 years back."We, all farmers, are helping him in getting good quality milk. We have a relationship. There are no two opinions about that but we have no involvement or association with the telecom company," he said.Pointing out that Radia had herself stated that she had no proof to back the charge, Pawar said he had no talk with the corporate lobbyist or anyone else with regard to grant of licence for spectrum use."I am looking after agriculture of the country, not telecom," he said.

Chemtura Corporation announce expansion plan in India

US-based Chemtura Corporation based company's global Chairman and CEO Craig A Robertson visiting India for the first time while addressing the Press conference in Delhi he pinned great hopes on Indian market further informed the Chemtura Chemicals India is set to announce business expansion.Chemtura plans to introduce of new products in New Delhi on 13 th April the day of Baisakhi. US MNC has been delivering successful products to the agriculture sector world wide and plan plant protection novel chemicals with special attention on high value corps such as citrus,tea,grapes and cotton. Mr Craig A Rogerson,Global Chairman Chemtura Corporation said,"We are looking forward to expand Global distribution channels and extend world class seed treatment expertise to Indian agriculture sector,in agriculture,our main focus is for enhancing crop quality and increasing yield by providing suitable plant protection chemicals." Chemtura Chemicals India is leader in Seed Enhancement its leadership well established in India,Bangladesh and Nepal company is all set to revolutionize Indian agriculture the company is looking at acquisitions as it wants to expand its business in India fast.Chemtura Chemicals India (CCI),plans to double its annual sales from the current about USD three billion to USD six billion in 2015 CCI which currently has a business of USD 100 million, would focus providing agro-solutions to high value crops like cotton, tea, grapes among other crops. Chemtura subsidiary in Uttar Pradesh makes chemicals like chlorpyrifos.Robertson said that India is a big market for Chemtura and it plans to double its annual sales from the current about USD three billion to USD six billion in 2015.Chemtura manufacture and sell more than 3,500 products and formulations in more than 100 countries,their products include polymer additives,pool and spa products,petroleum additives,crop protection products and fluids,urethane pre - polymers and intermediates and household cleaners.

"Chemtura Director South Asia Bharat K Pandey told reporters, here that The company would look at expansion either by setting up a manufacturing unit or acquiring chemical manufacturing units, he said, adding that Chemtura has already started the
process.

Vice President Inaugurates India Water Forum-2011

Water management systems have traditionally reflected existing socio-economic structures and governance mechanisms. The key challenges to water management today stem from changing demographics, shifting geo-politics, wide-spread poverty and under-development, climate change phenomena and shifting weather patterns, and the elements of globalization and its attendant consequences. Delivering inaugural address at “India Water Forum-2011” and the “International Water Convention on Water Security and Climate Change : Challenges and Opportunities” here today, he has said that those formulating public policy regarding this vital resource must therefore cater to essential requirement and ensure sustainability of eco systems so that there is availability of adequate water for every one. Prevention of greed, of waste and of conspicuous consumption must remain high on their agenda.
Shri Ansari has said that Water stress and scarcity would have a significant impact on the prospects of Indian companies operating in various sectors including agriculture and agro-industry, irrigation, mining, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and power generation. Regulators, investors and citizens alike must demand corporate water disclosure, including plans and policies for water consumption, use and disposal and whether environmental concerns have been addressed.
Following is the text of the Vice President’s inaugural address :

“The Energy and Resources Institute has a formidable reputation and I am happy to participate in today’s function organized in association with the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India. It is very appropriate that the theme of this first international convention is the challenges and opportunities of dealing with the twin issues of water security and climate change.
Water is an essential building block of life. Existence would be unimaginable without it. An Urdu poet had summed up the human sentiment about it:

Yeh aab o baad o khak ka jahan bahut haseen hai
Agar koi bahisht hai to bus yehi zameen hai
Beautiful is this world of water, air and dust
If there is a paradise then this indeed it is.
In our world of today, water is a critical national asset with geo-political and geo-strategic import. Water resources often transcend national boundaries. Successful public policy therefore has to be premised on establishing cooperative partnerships between governments, business and industry, non governmental and civil society organizations and, above all, the individual users.
Water management systems have traditionally reflected existing socio-economic structures and governance mechanisms. The key challenges to water management today stem from changing demographics, shifting geo-politics, wide-spread poverty and under-development, climate change phenomena and shifting weather patterns, and the elements of globalization and its attendant consequences.
Those formulating public policy regarding this vital resource must therefore cater to essential requirement and ensure sustainability of eco systems so that there is availability of adequate water for every one. Prevention of greed, of waste and of conspicuous consumption must remain high on their agenda.
At the outset, it would be useful to look at some figures regarding our water resources.India has 2.4 per cent of the world’s area, 16 per cent of the world’s population but only 4 per cent of the total available fresh water. Our main water resources consist of annual precipitation of around four thousand cubic kilometers and a broad estimate of trans-boundary flows from upper riparian neighbours of around five hundred cubic kilometers. Out of the total precipitation, annual availability from surface and ground water is estimated at 1869 cubic kilometers.
However, only 60 per cent of this at 1123 cubic kilometers is estimated to be capable of being put to beneficial use, 690 cubic kilometers of which is surface water and 433 cubic kilometers being replenish-able ground water.
The twin indicators of water scarcity are per capita availability and storage. Our population has increased from 361 million in 1951 to 1.21 billion in 2011. Accordingly, the per capita availability of water for the country as a whole has decreased from 5177 cubic metres per annum in 1951 to 1544 cubic metres per annum in 2011, a drastic reduction of 70 per cent in sixty years. This meets the definition of a water-stressed condition which is per capita availability of less than 1700 cubic metres.The situation is even more serious when we look at individual river basins. Nine out of twenty river basins in the country, with a population of over 200 million, meet the definition of water scarcity of a per capita availability of less than 1000 cubic metres.
We fare no better regarding the other indicator of storage. According to the 11th Five Year Plan document, per capita water storage in the country is 213 cubic metres, as against over 6000 in Russia, 4700 in Australia, 1100 in China and 1960 in the United States.
It is estimated that by the year 2050, as per existing water use practices, overall demand for water resources would be 1447 cubic kilometers, around 30 per cent higher than assessed utilizable water of 1123 cubic kilometers. It is evident that only the adoption of better governance practices and enhanced efficiency would reduce this demand.
The annual extraction of groundwater in India at 210 cubic kilometers is the highest in the world. It provides for over 60 per cent of net irrigated area and has accounted for over 85 per cent of the addition to irrigated area in the last three decades.
The growing dependence on ground water has been at the cost of unsustainable over-extraction in at least a third of total area and population of the country, which has lowered the water table and adversely impacted rural drinking water. For example, in a six year period, ground water depletion in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi was 109 cubic kilometers, double the capacity of India’s largest surface water reservoir.
Finally, we must note that irrigation accounts for 85 per cent of water requirement, whereas drinking water accounts for 7 per cent with industrial, energy and other uses being of a smaller scale.This data makes disturbing reading. It suggests that analysis and policy regarding irrigation is central to sustainable water management.The picture of water security across the country is indeed one of major concern. Water availability and water quality issues plague the majority of citizens in both rural and urban areas. Gross irrigated area is not rising commensurate with our huge investments, with a big gap between potential created for irrigation and potential that is actually utilized. The problem of floods has been exacerbated due to degradation of catchment areas and loss of flood plains to urban development and agriculture. Water conflict has taken new forms with more menacing consequences.
Climate change issues have further complicated the water calculus. It is likely to alter precipitation received in our territory, the hydrology of catchments in upper riparian neighbouring countries, and the distribution and quality of water resources in the country.
The threats and challenges are significant and immediate. We have recognized and responded to the threat of water insecurity emanating from climate change. The National Water Mission has been established under the National Action Plan for Climate Change for ‘conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water resources development and management’. It has suggested specific action points and has sought policy modifications in view of climate change concerns. Five of these merit close attention:
First, it has sought comprehensive reform on regulation of water resources. Such public regulation must ensure that the right of citizens and residents to minimum essential water supplies for health and hygiene is ensured; available water is equitably distributed across regions and categories of users; monitoring is done to ensure compliance with allocation and water quality; that there is creation, review and modification of water rights for various categories of users; create water prices for different uses; and create a system of penalties for polluting surface and ground water resources.
Second, policy planning must consider water as a unified resource, with the quantified hydraulic cycle becoming the main tool for understanding the water situation. Management of rain water and evaporation should supplement current strategies of managing rivers and aquifers. Thus, water balances, water budgeting, water accounting and water audits should be based on the hydraulic cycle and the interaction between rain water, surface water, ground water and evaporation.
Third, there is a need to establish legally-empowered, stakeholder-managed Basin Authorities with wide powers for approving development and management plans and tackling emergencies and tasked with reducing conflicts and imposing penalties for misuse of water resources.
Fourth, improving water use efficiency in irrigation is critical for water management. For each large irrigation system, benchmarking and performance evaluation studies for each water year with complete water budget and efficiency related data should be put in the public domain for transparency and accountability. Subsidies should encourage irrigation efficiencies through piped and drip irrigation, and constructing storages for irrigation water at the user’s end. Participatory management of irrigation systems would increase equity and reliability and reduce losses due to over irrigation.
Fifth, we need to launch a coordinated and time bound programme to improve the analytical capabilities of our water resource personnel in the various public and private agencies at the national, state and local government levels.
I fear that in regard to water we are living in the past and too many of us take water for granted. Like climate change, the idea of water scarcity must seep into consciousness and through it to the institutions and mechanisms of global and national governance and business and industry. The need to address the complexities of water management in the context of climate change is imperative.
Water shortages affect the most unlikely of industries. For example, severe water shortages and high water temperatures in 2003 in France led to the shut down or scaling down of production at the 58 nuclear power stations responsible for supplying over 75 per cent of total electricity. If nations and peoples ration the use of water for industrial purposes or change the pricing for such use, there would be significant changes in the business environment.Water stress and scarcity would have a significant impact on the prospects of Indian companies operating in various sectors including agriculture and agro-industry, irrigation, mining, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and power generation. Regulators, investors and citizens alike must demand corporate water disclosure, including plans and policies for water consumption, use and disposal and whether environmental concerns have been addressed.

Lokpal bill draft by 30th June: Moily

The government appointed committee to draft the Lokpal Bill has set 30th June as the deadline to complete the task, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Sunday.
Moily, who is also the covener of the Committee, said the government was keen to introduce the bill in the monsoon session of Parliament."If all cooperate, the bill will be passed in the monsoon session itself," he told reporters in Mysore on Sunday.

Moily said Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has welcomed the Lokpal Bill and wants Chief Ministers of all states to extend support to it.The Union minister was later conferred with an honorary doctorate by the Mysore University in recognition of his services to the country.

Joint Drafting Committee of Jan Lokpal Bill

Hazare offered water to women, among the over 300 activists who had joined the fast saying it was a victory of people's power thereafter celebrations broke out instantaneously in the capital and cities across the country."This just the beginning of the fight against corruption. Our responsibility has now increased," the 73-year-old social activist said, setting 15th August as the deadline for the passage of the Lok Pal Bill.In a brief speech he made speech after he broke his fast, he said it was just the beginning of a long struggle ahead and would lead the fight for the "second struggle for independence".He declared he would not rest content with the anti-graft legislation but fight for reforms of the electoral system, including the provision for 'right to recall' of elected representatives from the gram panchayat level.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement saying the government intends to introduce the "historic legislation" in the Monsoon session of Parliament.Dr. Singh described the coming together of civil society and government on the Lok Pal Bill issue as a step that augurs well for democracy, saying it signifies the mutual resolve to combat corruption."I am pleased that Anna Hazare has agreed to give up his fast," he said after his ministers worked out a deal with Hazare's emissaries last night to bring to end the protest at Jantar Mantar.The notification by the Ministry of Law and Justice said the Joint Drafting Committee to prepare a draft of the Lok Pal Bill will have five Ministers from the government and five nominees of Hazare, including himself.
The five Ministers are Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Chairperson, Home Minister P Chidamabaram, Law Minister Veerappa Moily (Convenor), HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid.
The civil society will be represented by Hazare, former Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan (Co-Chairperson), lawyer Prashant Bhushan and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal.

Fujifilm India launch of dozen new digital camera

2011-04-08 02:42:33 - Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc:Fuji film India announced the launch of dozen new digital camera models in the Indian market including the FinePix X100 model with the hybrid view finder

FUJIFILM India Pvt. Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holding Corporation, Japan, today announced the launch and availability of 12 new exciting digital camera models into the Indian market.FUJIFILM, one of the world’s largest photographic solutions company, has come up with a delightful range of nouveau digital cameras packed with a number of exciting features and priced afford-ably keeping in mind the need of Indian customers. The company, on this spring, has introduced the following cameras: AV200 and AX300 (A series), JV200, JX300 (J series), FinePix X100, T200, F500 EXR, HS20, S2950, S3300, S4000 and Z900. Earlier this year FUJIFILM launched the revolutionary Real 3DW3 – a camera that can shoot high quality photographs and movies in 3D.

The company has a penchant for introducing new innovative products every year. This year, FinePix X100 model is introduced. This is a unique, high-grade digital compact camera, in being the camera with World’s First Hybrid View Finder. The latter has been developed to reintroduce users to the pleasurable experience of “seeing the world through a viewfinder".

According to Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Managing Director, FUJIFILM India, “At FUJIFILM, innovation is centric to our continuous R&D efforts. Time and again we have been introducing products with unique features. Earlier we introduced a camera with supreme capabilities of shooting photos and movies in 3D and now we have unveiled the world's first hybrid viewfinder enabled cameras FINEPIX X100. Our products are known for delivering the best results in all situations

Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager (DSC), FUJIFILM India, said, “We intend to bring the latest to the fore for our discerning customers. FUJIFILM sees India as an important market and is committed to bringing the latest of its offerings to the market here. Launch of 12 new digital camera models, this spring season, will not only fortify our portfolio of offerings but will also benefit our esteemed customers and strengthen our repute as well
All the models launched this season have High Definition (HD) capability to shoot movies. There are many exciting features that make these digital cameras a must-buy. These include Digital Image Stabilization, Motion Panorama mode, Face Detection technology, Picture Search, Scene Recognition Auto, Blink Detection, Smile & Shoot mode, New Facebook/You Tube easy web upload and many more. FinePix HS20
This is one of the more advanced cameras by FUJIFILM laced with a class-leading feature set that includes a brand new EXR CMOS sensor, high speed continuous shooting capability, improved user interface, versatile video functions, 30x zoom lens and a 16 megapixel resolution. Needless to say that HS20 sets a new standard in bridge camera functionality and performance.
FinePixF500EXR
The camera’s unique features include an all-new 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, 3.0 inch LCD with 460,000 pixel and new Rich-User Interface using vector fonts and graphics, advanced anti blur technologies and GPS functionality. Besides these the regular features - Full HD movie capture, Motion Panorama 360 mode and Photobook Assist function are also present. This compact camera also has the award winning EXR technology that enhances its capability to shoot excellent photographs at high sensitivity and high speed. So now you can keep up with the action with F500 EXR no matter how fast it’s happening!
S series (S2950, S3300 and S4000)
The new S2950, S3300 and S4000 cameras have impressive super zoom lenses which are 18x zoom,26x zoom and 30x zoom respectively. These cameras also have Playback functions, Face Detection, Auto red-eye removal; Multi-frame playback (with micro thumbnail) and Photobook assist features. The new S series cameras all boast high resolution 14 megapixel CCDs, award winning Fujinon optics, 24mm wide-angle lenses, which are easy to operate and are packed full of useful features and technologies. With bright 3.0” LCD screens (460K dot resolution on the S4000 and 230K dot resolution on the S3300); Fujifilm’s new S series camera range has a lot to offer.
FinePix T200
This 14 megapixel camera has a slim body and is available in black colors. It is laced with all the essential features that will make photo-shooting experience a pleasant one for first timers. Its face recognition and image search along with photobook assist are a boon for those new in the field of photography. An ISO of 3200 ensures maximum sensitivity. It has a 2.7 inch rear LCD with 230,000dots that enables the user to view the scene with maximum clarity.
J series (JV200 and JX300)
The J series come in slim metal bodied design with 2.7” LCD screen. These cameras are loaded with advanced features like razor sharp Fujinon zoom lenses, Scene Recognition Auto, Panorama Shooting Mode, Movie Mode with Sound, Picture Search etc. The Smile & Shoot Mode works with FUJIFILM’s highly-acclaimed Face Detection technology to detect smiles on faces. It will not take a picture until it detects a smile. Another new feature is Blink Detection which warns users if they have captured an image with people blinking, so that they can re-shoot if necessary. The J series is also enabled with Facebook/You Tube easy web upload.
A series (AV200 and AX300)
Both AV200 and AX300 are 14 megapixel cameras with 3x (AV200) and 5x (AX300) Fujinon zoom lens. These cameras are light-weight, easy-to-use, produce great results and are ideal for people who are investing in their first digital camera. Laced with features such as Digital Image Stabilization, Single and Tracking Auto Focus, Motion Panorama mode, Scene Recognition Auto, Face Detection technology and convenient Picture Search (by Face, by Scene and by Date) the A series is perfect for beginners. Like the other models FUJIFILM AV200 and AX300 also support full HD photos and 720p HD movie capture.
FinePix Z900
FinePix Z900 EXR is a 16 megapixel digital camera with slim and stylish body. The camera is available in six mind blowing colors. Laced with EXR-CMOS technology FinePix Z900 has an intelligent processor with high sensitivity for capturing full HD movies. It can capture movies up to 320fps in its High speed movie mode. What’s more? This camera can recognize 27 scenes including blue sky (sky), green leaves (greenery), sunsets and even backlit scenes. Also, it has a 360° Panorama mode and its full-flat 3.5 inch wide (16:9) LCD has 460,000 dots for high image quality. With its Multi Touch functionality, you can now use two fingers to expand and reduce image size or simply swipe from side-to-side to scroll through your shots, iPhone-style.
A Rajkumar, country general manager (DSC), Fuji film India, said, Fujifilm sees India as an important market and is committed to bringing the latest of its offerings to the market here'The new models launched include AV200 and AX300 (A series), JV200, JX300 (J series), FinePix X100, T200, F500 EXR, HS20, S2950, S3300, S4000 and Z900 models these models come with features like digital image stabilization, motion panorama mode, face detection technology, picture search, scene recognition auto, blink detection, smile and shoot mode, Facebook / You Tube easy web upload feature among others.Fuji film India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's Fuji-film Holding Corporation, today said it targets to double its market share in the camera segment by March 2012.

FinePix X100 :The 12.3 megapixel camera comes with the hybrid viewfinder that combines the optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras and the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in most compact or mirror less digital cameras.The camera is equipped with an APS-C CMOS sensor and EXR processor for high definition images and a reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5× magnification for low chromatic aberration and distortion.

Govt and activists talks deadlock

Government and anti-corruption activists were on Thursday deadlocked on the demand over the chairmanship of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill and its notification though government agreed to bring the legislation during Monsoon session of Parliament.As Gandhian Anna Hazare's fast-unto-death entered the third day, government opened a line of communication with the activists with Union Minister Kapil Sibal holding two rounds of talks with Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal."We had two rounds of discussions. We have agreed on almost all issues but there is no agreement on two issues, that is issuing an official notification to form the committee and making Hazare the chairman of the committee," Sibal told reporters on Thursday after the second round of talks at his residence.

"So we need more time and we will meet again tomorrow and see we can evolve a procedure with which we can move ahead," Sibal said on Thursday.He said the government has agreed to form the committee now and not after 13th May as it had suggested in the first round of talks and will definitely be introducing the Bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The proposed panel will have five members each from government and civil society."The government has agreed to our demands. But our two demands are yet to be met. We will convey this to Hazare," Agnivesh said.Hazare, who his admirers and followers have been demanding should head the committee, reacted saying he would not like to head the committee. "If you want I can be a member or adviser, but not the chairperson," Hazare said.Earlier Kejriwal Hazare was of the view that a retired judge should be the Chairman of the committee as the government suggested that Pranab Mukherjee head the panel.

However, he said, when this proposal was put forward to his supporters they unanimously demanded that Hazare be the chairperson of the joint committee.After the first round of talks between Sibal and Agnivesh and Kejriwal, Hazare told the gathering assembled at his fast site in Jantar Mantar that he would not call off his fast until the demands were not met.More people, including school children, have joined the protest in New Delhi even as support for the 71-year-old Gandhian across the country with people staging demonstrations in various capitals."In the first round of talks, Sibal had told us that the government was ready to constitute a joint committee with five members each from the civil society and the government. This we accepted," he said.

Opening of Consulate General of India in Perth, Australia

Union Cabinet today approved the opening of Consulate General of India in Perth, Australia and creation of six India-based posts (including 1 post of Consul General in the Level of Joint Secretary) and six local posts.There is a requirement for formal Indian diplomatic presence in Perth in view of the strategic importance of Western Australia from the political, economic and defence viewpoint and its important location with respect to sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean.

The establishment of a Consulate General of India in Perth will immensely benefit the growing Indian community in Western Australia, which numbers around 40,000-45,000. This will also provide easier consular access to the populace of Western Australia and Northern Territory.

Lahiri sets the pace at Panasonic Open

Anirban Lahiri spearheaded the Indian challenge on the opening day of the US$300,000 Panasonic Open at the Delhi Golf Club with a brilliant seven under 65 that placed him in pole position.Singapore’s Mardan Mamat is two shots back alongside Thailand’s Namchok Tantipokhakul in tied second place.

Anirban Lahiri, a seven-time winner on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), sizzled with two birdies on the front nine and five more on the back nine, including three on the trot from the 16th through the 18th.

“I’m feeling very comfortable on this course at the moment and have managed to make friends with the bushes. I hit it extremely close today especially on the 13th and the 17th. I also closed the round with a brilliant 20-footer for birdie on the 18th. It’s imperative to keep the ball on the fairway at this venue as the bushes are quite unforgiving.

“I feel I am on a roll at this juncture, having won an event on the PGTI last week. I also had a top-10 at the last Asian tour event played at the DGC two weeks back. That performance helped my confidence a great deal as well,” said Bangalorean Lahiri, who is yet to win his maiden title on the Asian Tour.

Meanwhile Mardan Mamat is hoping to rediscover his winning form at the same venue where he earned his career breakthrough in 2004. “The Delhi Golf Club brings good memories as this is where I won my first title on the Asian Tour and if things go in the right direction over the next three days, I think I can relive those memories again,” said the 43-year-old Singaporean. Namchok, who is seeking his maiden win on the Asian Tour, enjoyed a bogey-free round by marking his card with five birdies. “It’s only the first round and anything can happen on the next few
days. What I can do is to play my own game and the rest will take care of itself if I’m playing well,” said the 23-year-old Thai.

Maniram Sharma of Karnal and Vikrant Chopra of the Noida Golf Course
had the next best score among the Indians after Lahiri as they were
tied fourth at three under 69 along with four others.

Jyoti Randhawa and SSP Chowrasia, two of the pre-tournament favourites
from the host nation, are in tied 46th having shot matching scores of
one over 73.

The DGC’s Ashok Kumar posted a five over 77 to be tied 108th while
Gaganjeet Bhullar opened his campaign with a disappointing 78 that
placed him tied 121st.

State can't arm people to fight Naxals: SC

Supreme Court on Wednesday disapproved the idea of arming local people to counter the Maoists and sought an explanation from the Chhattisgarh Government for creating an anti-Naxal armed group of special police officers -Koya Commandos."What is this Koya Commandos? How are they appointed and how are they given training etc? It is very dangerous.., giving them arms to fight," a bench comprising justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar said.The bench directed the state government to file an affidavit on the raising of Koya Commandos and also state under what rule they were being supplied arms and ammunition.It posted the matter for further hearing on 15th April."The affidavit will tell under which rule the Koya Commandos are appointed and under which rule they are given arms and ammunition? We must know it," the bench said, while making it clear that the affidavit has to be filed by a senior officer.The special police officers have been given the name Koya Commandos after a tribe in the Dantewada region.

It was not for the first time that the apex court has expressed its concern over the creation of armed anti-Naxalite group.In February 2009 also it had questioned how the government could arm common people or those associated with Salwa Judum, a people's movement to combat the Maoists in Chhatisgarh.The court had said the state should not arm common people and encourage them to fight Naxalites as "it will create a dangerous situation".However, the Chhattisgarh Government has maintained that Salwa Judum was a dying movement and it was not giving any encouragement to it.
The court passed the order while hearing a petition against the existence of Salwa Judum in Naxal-infested regions of the state to fight the Maoists.The petition had been filed by sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramchandra Guha, former bureaucrat E A S Sarma and others seeking a direction to the state government to refrain from allegedly supporting Salwa Judum.

During the hearing, Swami Agnivesh informed the court about last month's incident when he was attacked by a group of people -allegedly consisting of SPOs and Salwa Judum volunteers when he was visiting a Naxal region near Dantewada with activists of the Art of Living of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

The Chhattisgarh government informed the bench that it has already ordered an inquiry by the district and sessions judge, Bastar, into the incident and the notification in this regard was issued yesterday.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the state government, however, sought liberty from the court to persuade Chief Minister Raman Singh to order an inquiry by a Chhattisgarh High Court judge.

Salve said this was necessary considering the sensitivity of the incident and because of the different versions about it."Notwithstanding any advice he (the Chief Minister) may be getting, I will ask him to consider appointing a High Court judge for holding inquiry into the incident," Salve along with advocate Atul Jha said, adding that it was required as the conflicting versions were coming out in media about the incident as the society was divided into pro and anti-Maoist groups.They alleged that the police has recorded the speech of Agnivesh which was "pro-Maoist." "We don't go by media reports," the bench said, asking the state government to file an affidavit.

Earlier, advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan placed an affidavit on behalf of Agnivesh and said Salwa Judum was still active and the Chief Minister was indulging in double speak as no FIR has been lodged against any of its members as per the recommendation of the NHRC.The advocate said the state government should also consider the report of Harsh Mander, who has been appointed as Commissioner on Food Security by the apex court to visit the villages of Tadmetla, Morapalli and Timapuram in Chhattisgarh where food scarcity and hunger deaths were reported.It was during the visit to these villages Agnivesh was allegedly attacked by some people whom he claimed were members of Salwa Judum and special police officers.

He had visited the villages after reports appeared that several houses were destroyed and some women were allegedly raped by the security forces.The apex court has been monitoring the steps taken by the state government to disband Salwa Judum and also the measures taken by it for the relief and rehabilitation of the tribals who are caught in the crossfire between the Maoists and the security forces.It has also asked the authorities to free schools and ashrams from the occupation of the security forces

CWG scam: CBI searches at 20 premises

CBI carried out searches at 20 premises of DDA and CPWD officers besides that of a private firm in connection with alleged irregularities in laying of synthetic turf for lawn bowl event during the Commonwealth Games.The teams of agency officials, after registering a fresh case under the section 120-B of criminal conspiracy of IPC and relevant provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, swooped down at the locations here and in the National Capital Region, official sources said.Official and residential premises of several DDA and CPWD officials besides that of private company Jubilee Sports Private Limited are being searched by the agency, they said.This is the ninth case in connection with the alleged irregularities in the conduct of Commonwealth Games in New Delhi which were held during October 3-14 last year.

Kapil Sibal Inaugurates Electronics & Information Technology Exposition “E-Governance:

Information Communication Technology can play big role in effective governance and impressive delivery of public services. A number of initiatives in this regard have been taken by the Government. National e- Governance Plan (NeGP) and UID Project (Adhar) have the potential to change the way we feel and interact with the government. This was stated by Shri Kapil Sibal, the Minister of Communications & Information Technology, here today while inaugurating the two day Electronics & Information Technology Exposition (ELITEX-2011).The Minister said that 90,000 Common Service Centers (CSCs) in 31 states have already been established under NeGP and another 150,000 Common Service Centers are planned to be set up in next 3 years. With this every Village Panchayat will have a Common Service Center to provide a host of services through internet, on other hand, Adhar will help Government in identifying the correct beneficiary of government’s developmental and social security schemes, he added.

The theme of the discussion sessions at ELITEX-2011 is “e-Governance: Public Services Closer Home”.This exposition includes sessions on Empowerment through M-Governance, Cyber Security – Evolving Threats and Counter Measures, Challenges of Multilingual Web Services, Convergence Communications & Broadband Technologies, Shared Platforms for e-Governance, Government Service Delivery using ICT, Indigenous Initiatives – A Glimpse, Nano-electronics Infrastructure, Capacity Building & Technology Development, ICT for Common Man and Technologies in e-Governance.

Exposition will among other things deliberate on leveraging of emerging technologies – M-Governance and Shared Platforms for enabling public services. Mobile platform can be used for delivery of a wide variety of electronic services such as filing/receipt of applications for government services, identification and authentication of applicants, payment of fees for government services, tracking of status of applications, etc. Rapidly expanding user base of mobile phones in India can also be exploited for fostering financial inclusion using mobile banking technologies, especially in rural areas. The session would focus on these and other relevant areas.

Shri Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology, Shri R Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Shri Shankar Aggarwal, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Dr. B K Gairola, DG , National Informatics Center and other senior officers from DIT were also present.

India win ICC World Cup 2011

Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI has announced cash reward worth one crore rupees for each player of the Indian team. Cricket coach Gary Kirsten and other support staff will get 50 lakh rupees each as reward for their contribution, while the selectors will be given 25 lakh rupees each.Media agenies
India win ICC World Cup 2011

2011-04-03 08:38:11 - Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc:With young blood showing their performance in tandem with star of Indian legendary players on their side India beat Sri Lanka with convincing gamesmanship on Saturday night regained the coveted World Cup after span of 28 years suppressed Sri Lanka with a six-wicket victory in a nerve-wrecking final to script a glorious new chapter in their cricketing annals.

Indians held their nerves as they rode on Gautam Gambhir's 97 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unbeaten 91 to overhaul the target with 10 balls to spare and send the cricket-crazy nation into a frenzy. The vociferous, jam-packed crowd at the Wankhede stadium erupted in wild celebrations as Dhoni hit the winning six runs to give India their biggest cricketing moment
and crown themselves the ODI world champions, in addition to being the number one Test team. The World Cup title triumph, coming as it did after more than two decades, was doubly special for Sachin Tendulkar since it was the only silverware missing from his collection. It was also a fitting farewell to coach Gary Kirsten, for whom it was the last day in office as the Indian coach.

It was a momentous Saturday night marked by high emotion and poignant scenes as India, for long the game's financial power, stamped their supremacy on the field as well, eight years after Sourav Ganguly's team had made an abortive attempt to scale the pinnacle. The players, many of them with tears in their eyes, rushed to the ground to hug each other as Dhoni finished it off in style by hitting a six, as fire crackers lit up the evening sky to mark the moment. The highlight of the Lankan innings was Mahela Jayawardene's rollicking 103 as Sri Lanka capitalised on the batting powerplay to post a decent 274 for six.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, Jayawardene used his vast experience to good effect and anchored the Lankan innings together. The islanders, desperate to regain the coveted cup after nearly 15 years, lost wickets at regular intervals against the Indians, who were spurred on by a vociferous jam-packed crowd. The Indian bowlers were disciplined in the first half of the innings but conceded as many as 63 runs in the batting powerplay to undo all the good work. Apart from Jayawardene's 88-ball knock, captain Kumar Sangakkara (48) Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) and Nuwan Kulasekara (32) were the other notable performers.

The Indian innings began on a disastrous note as the destructive Virender Sehwag was dismissed in the very second ball of the innings with paceman Lasith Malinga scalping the prized wicket. Sehwag was hit on the pads by an incoming delivery by Malinga as he went for a flick. Umpire Aleem Dar ruled him out before he asked for review but television replays showed that the ball would have hit the stumps. Tendulkar, playing in what probably is his last World Cup game, entertained his home crowd with a couple of delightful boundaries while Gambhir also looked for runs at the other end. The Indians suffered a huge jolt went Malinga struck again by dismissing the champion batsman as he snicked an away-going delivery and captain Sangakkara latched on to a low catch. A hushed silence descended on the Wankhede stadium as he started his walk back to the pavilion.

Gambhir drove Kulasekara for a boundary in the extra cover region to notch up 4000 ODI runs while Virat Kohli also pulled the bowler to the boundary in the same over. Gambhir was lucky to get a reprieve in spinner Suraj Randiv's first over when Kulasekara dropped him at the long off region. The third-wicket pair of Gambhir and Kohli put on 83 runs before Dilshan broke the partnership by taking a brilliant acrobatic return catch.

The out-of-form Dhoni came ahead of Yuvraj to keep the left-right combination going and was immediately given two 'lives' by the Lankans -- first Sangakkara messing up a stumping chance off Muralitharan and then Dilshan dropping a return catch as he collided with non-striker Gambhir.

Dhoni, however, made the most of the Sri Lankan lapses to rediscover his form which had deserted him in the mega event. Dhoni and Gambhir scored at a brisk pace to keep India in the hunt. The pair stitched 109 runs for the fourth wicket before Gambhir paid the price for a horrendous stroke, just three runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century.

Gambhir made room to cut the ball but missed it completely to see his stumps dislodged. Earlier, both the Indian new ball bowlers bowled a tidy line and length and did not allow the Sri Lankan openers to get off to a flying start while the fielding was also sharp. Pace spearhead Zaheer's first three overs were maidens and that put some pressure on the two Lankan openers who were not being able to capitalise on the powerplay overs.

Dilshan broke the stranglehold by hitting the first boundary of the innings in the 5th over by pulling Sreesanth to the square leg fence. In the same over, he produced a delightful cut to the point for his second boundary. Tharanga looked completely out of sorts at the other end as he found it difficult to find the gaps as Zaheer bowled a searching length right through his opening spell.

Zaheer drew first blood in his fourth over by evicting Tharanga with an outgoing delivery and Virender Sehwag holding on to diving catch at first slip much to the delight of a capacity crowd at the stadium. Tharanga scored just two runs off 20 balls. The Lankans could manage just 31 runs in the first ten overs, their lowest in the tournament. That was largely because of Zaheer's excellent first spell of 5-3-6-1.

Dilshan and Sangakkara put on 43 runs for the second wicket before Harbhajan Singh struck for his team by getting rid of Dilshan (33), who scored 500 runs in the tournament. Dilshan went for a sweep but the ball hit his gloves and lobbed onto his stumps to trigger off wild celebrations in the galleries. Sangakkara and Jayawardene then took upon themselves the task of rebuilding the innings and the duo scored at a decent pace to steer the team to a comfortable position.

Yuvraj Singh, who had a dream tournament with both the bat and the ball, was introduced into the attack in the 22nd over but the two experienced batsmen were not really troubled by his left arm spin. It was Yuvraj who finally broke the 62-run third wicket partnership which was assuming dangerous proportions by dismissing Sangakkara who tried to cut a wide ball outside the off stump but only succeeded in edging the ball to Dhoni behind the stump. His knock of 48 came off 67 balls and contained five boundaries.

It was left to the well-settled Jayawardene to hold the innings together and he found an able ally in Thilan Samaraweera to take the Sri Lankan total close to the 180 mark. Yuvraj was again instrumental in breaking the fourth- wicket partnership by accounting for Samaraweera. Umpire Simon Taufel turned down the leg before appeal but the Indians went for the referral and television replays showed that the ball would have hit the stumps.

New batsman Chamara Kapugedera did not survive long as he offered a simple catch to Suresh Raina at extra cover off a slower delivery from Zaheer, leaving the visitors in a spot of bother at 182 for five. Jayawardene and Nuwan Kulasekara then teamed up ensure that Sri Lanka had a competitive total on the board as they went about accumulating runs in the batting powerplay, which was taken in the last five overs.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been declared man of the match and Yuvraj Singh has been adjudged played of the tournament. Triumphant Indian captain Dhoni said that they had set their eyes on the coveted goal a couple of years ago and wanted to keep key players fit and in form.An emotional Sachin Tendulkar admitted that it was the proudest day of his life. Tendulkar who did a lap of honour on shoulder of his teammates said that there were tears in his eyes once Dhoni hit that six.After playing a major role in India's World Cup title triumph, Yuvraj Singh revealed that he wanted to win the title for Sachin
Tendulkar.An emotional Gautam Gambhir also said that the World Cup win is for Sachin Tendulkar.Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara said, India's batting strength is such that even a total of 300 would not have been enough to defend
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)