The Mumbai Grapevine
Connecting Mumbaikars with Mumbai
(Published by Mumbai-Central.com)
Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and co-workers
who might be interested in it. The instructions to join the Mumbai
Grapevine are at the end of the message.
Vajpayee wants to quit active politics: RSS organ
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who addressed an election rally in Uttar Pradesh as late as in the fourth phase of the assembly polls, has expressed his desire to quit active politics, RSS mouthpiece "Panchjanya" has said.
"Relieve me of active politics. It's enough, let me go," the editorial in the latest issue of the weekly journal has quoted him as saying before joining the BJP's campaign in UP.
He gave his consent to campaign in Uttar Pradesh after a lot of effort, Panchjanya said, describing him a rare "pragya purush (man of high intellect)" in India's political tradition.
Almost two years after RSS chief K S Sudarshan's comments that both Vajpayee and senior BJP leader L K Advani were too old to lead the party, the Sangh organ has written now that mere presence of the former Prime Minister in electoral scene triggers massive confidence and hope.
"At last, his presence (in Uttar Pradesh) remained a compelling necessity," it said. PTI
Fresh PIL against OBC quota filed in SC
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) A fresh petition was today moved in the Supreme Court challenging the controversial law enabling 27 per cent quota for OBCs in the elite educational institutions.
A Bench headed by Justice B N Agrawal tagged it with a bunch of petitions which have already been listed for hearing on May 8 before a Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat which on March 29 stayed the implementation of the Act from the coming academic year.
The PIL filed by Citizens for Equality, a charitable trust having eminent professors from Jawharlal Nehru University as its trustees, have challenged the Consitutional validity of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act.
It has also sought quashing of the 93rd amendment Act by which Article 15 (5) was inserted in the Constitution for enabling the states to make special provisions for providing reservations to educationally and socially backward classes.
The petitioner contended that the amendment was violative of the basic structure of the Constitution.
The trust has alleged the policy of reservation suffers from serious Constitutional and legal infirmities and needs to be replaced by rational policy of affirmative action for uplifting the weaker sections, particularly the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC.
The PIL contended that in the quota policy there was no attempt to remove the educational disparities among the Backward Classes including the SCs and STs.
"It allows only the more advanced and educated sections among them to avail the benefit of reservations leaving the hindmost uncared for," the petitioner said. PTI
Arjun tanks undergo baptism in desert wargames
David Lalmalsawma and Yash Goel
Pallu (Thar desert, Rajasthan), May 2 (PTI) Almost 24 years after its first prototype rolled out, the country's indigenous main battle tank (MBT) Arjun today underwent baptism by fire as it took part for the first time in the biggest Indian army exercises in last two years.
14 Arjun tanks crossed swords with hundreds of Russian-supplied T-90 and T-72 tanks in the final phase of month-long exercises 'Ashwamedha' and the Army Chief Gen JJ Singh, who witnessed the wargames close to Pakistan border, said "performance of the tanks would be analysed".
Notwithstanding the indigenous tanks taking part for the first time in the exercises in which live ammunition was used, Singh said Arjun would still have to go through comparative trials with Russian tanks later this year.
"The comparative trials would clear the induction of the first batch of Arjuns," senior officers told PTI. DRDO's Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi has rolled out and handed over 15 tanks to the Army for evaluation.
DRDO officials said that only after certification by the Army, a go ahead would be given for full commercial production of 124 Arjun tanks.
"Arjun tanks were fielded in the exercise to test their capability and to see how best to deploy them" Army Chief told reporters. PTI
Kapur, Ashok Kumar lead rich field at Crompton Greaves Open
Mumbai, May 2 (PTI) European tour regular Shiv Kapur and Indian pro golf tour leader Ashok Kumar lead an array of top players in the Rs 70-lakh prize money Crompton Greaves Golf Open to be held at the BPGC course here from tomorrow.
Among other leading golfers in the fray at the 72-hole strokeplay event, the richest on the PGTI domestic circuit, are seven-time Indian Order of Merit winner Mukesh Kumar, 2002 Indian open champion Vijay Kumar and Digvijay Singh.
Also in action would be Kentaro Ishihara, Shinji Fukushima, both of Japan, former winner on the Japanese tour, Richard Backwell, and a few players from Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The winner of the event would take home Rs 11,34,000 while the runner-up would be richer by Rs 7,84,000, the organisers said at a media conference today.
The 25-year-old Ashok Kumar, the current PGTI leader with earnings of Rs 2.71 lakh and winner of three successive crowns this season, expects tough opposition from 2005 Volvo Masters of Asia winner and 2002 Busan Asian Games gold medallist Kapur.
"My main goal this week is to cement my order of merit position by winning the Crompton Greaves Open. I shall face tough opposition from players like Shiv, Mukesh and Digvijay," said the Delhi-based caddie-turned pro Ashok Kumar.
Kapur, who set a new course record of ten-under 62 in the AIS Golf Open in Delhi recently, said he was looking forward to four rounds of competitive golf at suburban Chembur.
The cut will be applied after 36 hopes with the top fifty going through to the last two rounds. PTI
Indian team start tune-up for Bangla trip
Kolkata, May 2 (PTI) India's Bangladesh tour preparations for the coming cricket tour of Bangladesh got off the ground with a light fielding and fitness regime at the Eden Gardens here today.
Under the watchful eyes of physical trainer Gregory Allen King, the Indian team members went through their paces for one and a half hours under the morning sky, in the presence of hordes of mediapersons.
However, some of the innovative drills introduced during former coach Greg Chappell's tenure using tyres, ladders and nets, were not seen during the session, the first under the new think-tank headed by cricket manager Ravi Shastri.
The players began with a double lap of the park and were then split up into three groups for fielding practice with bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh conducting the show alongside King.
Promising medium pacer V Yo Mahesh, who had been asked by the Board to join the camp, looked a bit indisposed initially but recovered soon enough to take part in the session.
Meanwhile, team sourcs said V V S Laxman had not turned up in the city yet, but could be expected any time.
Wicket keeper batsman Dinesh Kaarthick, who is slated to tie the nuptial knot today, is expected to join the camp on the concluding day on May 6. The Indians are scheduled to leave for the 23-day tour of Bangladesh the next day. PTI
Denying Katich a contract prompts NSW outrage
Melbourne, May 2 (PTI) Simon Katich's surprise omission from the Cricket Australia's list of 25 contracted players has prompted outrage from his state with a senior New South Wales official questioning the credibility of the selection process.
"Simon Katich continues to be one of the best performed batsmen in Australian first-class and one-day cricket and his sacking beggars belief," New South Wales chief executive Dave Gilbert said in a statement from the West Indies.
"With the retirements of Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, his sacking is even more bewildering and seriously questions the credibility of the selection process" Gilbert was quoted as saying by 'The Australian' newspaper.
With Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath also retiring, only Katich and veteran Queensland paceman Michael Kasprowicz had their contracts discontinued. Young South Australian leg-spinner Cullen Bailey was one of six new names on the list.
The others were West Australian batsmen Chris Rogers and Adam Voges, exciting Tasmanian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and all-rounders James Hopes from Queensland and Cameron White from Victoria.
Jason Gillespie, 32, was retained as one of seven pace bowlers, despite playing little international cricket since fading on the Ashes tour almost two years ago.
With the retirement of McGrath, the experience of his former Test new-ball partner is clearly considered an asset.
Bailey and young off-spinner Dan Cullen, who was lucky to retain his contract after a poor season, are among four spinners in the squad. PTI
IT, ITeS revenues to cross Rs 4.58 lakh cr in five years: IDC
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Indian IT and ITES sector is projected to grow 18 per cent in the next five years to become an industry worth over Rs 4.58 lakh crore by 2011, an infotech analyst said today.
The industry clocked over Rs 1.98 lakh crore revenue last year, a jump of 31 per cent over the preceding year. While domestic IT/ITeS revenue stood at Rs 68,411 crore, exports was Rs 1.30 lakh crore in 2006.
The industry is projected to grow at 18 per cent compounded annual growth rate for the next five years to cross an estimated 100 billion dollars (over Rs 4.58 lakh crore) revenue in 2011, International Date Corporation said in a release.
By 2011, exports of IT/ITeS is likely to yield a revenue of Rs 2.89 lakh crore while domestic revenue would be 1.68 lakh crore.
This will be a significant milestone for the industry and will surely mean a lot in terms of contribution to the country's GDP, employment generation and a whole host of gains, which ICT usage brings alongwith it, said Kapil Dev Singh, Country Manager, IDC (India) Limited.
On the domestic front, IT/ITeS spend has been estimated at Rs 68,411 crore in 2006, a gain of 26 per cent over 2005.
The growth in domestic IT/ITes spend has been primarily driven by companies' investment in IT infrastructure and increased consumer spendings on mobile and digital products, IDC said. PTI
Oberoi Group among top 10 global hotel chains: survey
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) India's incredible hospitality and heritage has attracted global attention with the country's leading hotel chain, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts grabbing a position among the world's top 10, according to a latest survey.
As per the study conducted by by Zagat Survey, leading provider of consumer survey-based leisure content, the Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, which manages luxury hotels and cruisers in India, Egypt, Indonesia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia has been ranked one of the world's top hotels, resorts and spas.
The domestic hotel chain has booked its place in the top 10 list along with global high profile hotel chains like Amanresorts, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Raffles, St Regis and Shangri-La.
Oberoi was ranked ninth among the top 10 leading chains, hotels, resorts and spas across the world, according to the 2007/2008 World's Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas survey report released by Zagat Surveys.
In the small hotels, resorts and inns segment with less than 100 rooms the Oberoi Udaivilas was ranked the sixth and in terms of rooms (based on rooms score) and service it was ranked fifth and enjoyed a tie with Inn/Little Washington DC.
While, taking into consideration the dining and facilities the Oberoi Udaivilas was ranked third again a tie with Inn/Little Washington DC.
The Oberoi Group, owns and manages 32 hotels and luxury cruisers across five countries under the Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Trident Hilton brands. The group is also engaged in flight catering, airport restaurants, travel and tour service, car rentals, project management and corporate air charters. MORE
RIL to hire drilling rig for KG basin block at USD 600 mn
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Reliance Industries, the country's most valuable company, will pay over 600 million dollars for hiring deep-sea drilling rigs for developing the gas fields in the prolofic KG-D6 block off the east coast.
Reliance has hired US firm Tranocean's Deepwater Frontier rig at a day rate of 3,20,000 dollars for two years beginning August 2006. Deepwater Frontier is currently drilling in Bay of Bengal, industry sources said.
The company will again bring Transocean's Discoverer 534, the rig that made the discovery in KG-D6 block, to India in August 2007 on a 30-month contract at a day rate of 2,50,000 dollars while a third rig, Deepwater Expedition, has been hired at 3,75,000 dollars a day for two years from March 2008.
Reliance is paying 2-3 times the rates it had originally paid for Transocean rigs in 2002.
The company will spend 5.2 billion dollars in bringing to production Dhirubhai-1 and Dhirubhai-3 fields in block KG-D6 in Krishna Godavari basin by June 2008. It will invest another 4 billion dollars in laying a 1,386-km pipeline from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh to Bharuch in Gujarat to transport the fuel.
Sources said it will begin producing about 40 million standard cubic meters of gas per day in June 2008 and raise it to peak output of 80 mmscmd in next five months.
KG-D6, the world's second largest deepwater find last decade, is being brought to production in less than six years of discovery at a cost of 2.8 dollars per barrel of oil equivalent (boe), they said.
Once the fields comes on production, almost all of the country's natural gas deficit will be wiped out. PTI
Markets closed for "Buddha Purnima"
Mumbai, May 2 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Foreign Exchange (Forex) and Money Markets will remain closed today on account of "Buddha Purnima". PTI
Canadian security agencies failed to act on Air India warning
Toronto, May 2 (PTI) Canadian security agencies had failed to act on Air India's warning that Sikh extremists could try to blow up a plane using a time-bomb, just three weeks before the attack on Kanishka airliner that killed 329 people, mostly of Indian origin, on June 23, 1985.
In a startling revelation, documents tabled before a public inquiry yesterday showed that Air India's head office in Mumbai advised the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on June one, 1985 that it feared Sikh extremists could try to blow up a plane using a time-bomb planted in checked baggage.
As a result, the RCMP asked the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) for an updated threat assessment but failed to pass on to the spy service the new warning just received from Air India.
The CSIS responded that although the general danger to all Indian government institutions was high, there was no evidence of a "specific threat" to the state airline.
The latest information comes in the backdrop of complaints that a turf war between the RCMP and CSIS has hindered anti-terrorist efforts through the 1980s. And this wasn't not the only example of a communications breakdown to surface at the inquiry.
The probe headed by former Supreme Court judge John Major that is examining the events surrounding the 1985 attack was told that Vancouver police had access to secretly taped conversations between members of Sikh militant group International Sikh Youth Federation 11 days before the bombing which indicated they were planning "serious" action but did not realise the usefulness of the information. PTI
Pak police clash with activists protesting judge suspension
K J M Varma Islamabad, May 2 (PTI) Pakistan police today used batons to quell stone-pelting opposition and religious party activists protesting the suspension of Chief Justice Ifitkhar Chaudhry, leaving an opposition lawmaker and several others injured.
Tension prevailed outside the Supreme Court as Chaudhry arrived for the hearing before the Supreme Judicial Council.
Police baton charged workers of some opposition parties and later the two sides pelted stones at each other for a while.
Both the moderate opposition parties and the Islamist Muthahida Majlis Amal, (MMA) mobilised workers in big way to express solidarity with Chaudhry, as they have been doing every time he appeared before the court ever since he was suspended on March 9.
Skirmishes between police and opposition parties workers took place on several occasions today. The first clash took place when police prevented Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) workers to take a water tanker along with their procession to provide water to the protestors to beat the summer heat. PTI
Britain to help in checking human trafficking
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) With concerns rising here over human trafficking and cheating of Indian girls by NRIs through marriage, Britain has promised to take steps to address these.
"We welcome people in the UK coming through proper process. But those coming illegally are not entitled to be there," visiting British Minister of State for Legal Affairs Baronness Ashton told a select group of journalists here.
Ashton, who met Law Minister H R Bhardwaj and a top official of the Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), said Britain was ready to work with India in prevention of illegal movement of people from here to her country.
Human trafficking has been a concern here and it got serious after recent detection of alleged involvement of MPs in the illegal activity.
BJP MP Babubhai Katara was arrested at the Delhi airport last month when he was allegedly trying to smuggle out a woman and a boy on the passports of his wife and son. Investigations that followed have indicated involvement of some other Parliamentarians in such illegal activity.
Ashton, who is here to work out a mechanism for cooperation between legal services of the two countries, also promised steps in the cases where Britain-based NRIs cheat Indian girls through marriage.
"We are keen to see if we can help in addressing that," when referred to concerns about NRIs indulging in dubious marriages. PTI
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Market_______
To get regularly updated NIFTY (NSE) quotes by email, join the NSEData
mailing list by sending an email to NSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To get regularly updated BSE quotes by email, join the BSEData mailing
list by sending an email to BSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sensex: 13872.37, -36.21
The sensex closed at 13872.37, down 36.21
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = INR
1 Japanese Yen = INR
1 British Pound = INR
1 Canadian $ = INR
1 Singapore $ = INR
1 UAE Dirham = INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = INR
1 Euro = INR
1 Qatar Rial = INR
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________