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Left has not softened its stand on nuclear issue:Basu
Kolkata, Sept 7 (PTI) Veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu today rubbished a suggestion that Left parties have softened their stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"It is out of question," Basu, a CPI(M) Politburo member said when a reporter asked him whether the Left had softened its stand on the nuke deal.
The CPI(M) Poltiburo meeting on September 28 would be followed by a three-day meeting of the party's central committee from September 29 which would discuss the nuclear issue, he said.
Responding to another query, Basu said he could not predict the outcome of the UPA-Left committee on the deal to address the concerns of Left parties. "How can I say? Am I an expert?" he said.
The Left parties have already given a stern warning to the government not to go ahead with operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal till the committee came out with its findings. PTI
Govt spent Rs 9,000 cr on farmers in suicide prone areas:Pawar
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The government has spent over Rs 9,000 crore till July 2007, against the approved Rs 17,000 crore to provide rehabilitation packages to farmers in 31 suicide prone districts of four states.
"Against the approved allocation of Rs 16,978.69 crore, expenditure amounting to Rs 9,209.34 crore has been incurred up to July 27, 2007 for implementation of the rehabilitation package for the farmers in 31 identified suicide prone districts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh Maharashtra, and Kerala," Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar told Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.
He also informed that the report submitted to the government by the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness, headed by Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research director R Radhakrishna, has recommended continuation of 'non-credit component of the package for two more years.PTI
Par okays bill for OBC quota in apprenticeship training
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) A bill seeking to provide reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in apprenticeship training was adopted by Parliament today, with Lok Sabha approving it amid pandemonium over nuclear deal.
The Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2006 was passed by the Rajya Sabha last week.
The bill was necessitated as the original Act of 1961 provided reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes only and there was no provision for OBCs.
The bill seeks to provide flexibility up to 50 per cent in engagement of apprentices in a trade provided that overall quota fixed for the establishment remains the same.
The bill was moved by Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes amid an uproar created by opposition NDA over the Indo-US nuclear deal. The NDA was demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the nuclear agreement.
Amid the din, the House passed the bill with voice vote.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill says the employer shall bear the cost of imparting instruction instead of the government.
The government has said the purpose of amending the Apprentices Act was to make it more responsive and relevant to growing needs of the industry and also to meet the requirement of skilled and semi-skilled workers. PTI
Demand for JPC stalls proceedings of both Houses
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The demand for a JPC to go into the Indo-US nuclear deal stalled proceedings in Parliament for the third day today with opposition NDA and Third Front remaining unrelenting.
It was trouble from the word go in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha which were adjourned for an hour, minutes after assembling for the day.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the two Houses reassembled at noon but Speaker Somnath Chatterjee in the Lok Sabha and Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan in the Rajya Sabha rushed through laying of papers and passage of important Bills in the din.
In the uproar, Parliament put its seal of approval on a bill to amend the Apprentices Act 1961 with the Lok Sabha passing it without discussion. The bill piloted by Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes had already been passed by the Rajya Sabha.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Carriage by Road Bill 2005, aimed at regulation of common carriers was approved without any discussion.
A bill to declare the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology as an institution of national importance was also introduced by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora. PTI
Start planning for 2014 World Cup now, Pereira tells India
Ludhiana, Sep 7 (PTI) Mohun Bagan's Brazilian coach Carlos Roberto Pereira da Silva says India would do well to aim at qualifying for the 2014 World Cup instead of focus 2010 edition of the quadrennial mega event.
"The Federation and everybody else connected with football should look at the bigger picture and have a macro vision, not a micro one," Pereira, who coached the famous Vasco da Gama club to national title in the 1970s, said.
"It is very important to spot talented youngsters now so that they will be prepared when the next cycle of World Cup qualification comes around," he said.
India take on Lebanon on October 8 and 28 in the first round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa, but Pereira said it was imperative that India planned ahead for the 2014.
"Players such as Bhaichung (Bhutia) and S Venkatesh won't be around by that time, so there is need to look for their replacements," Pereira, who has had coaching stints as far afield as Europe, Middle East and South-east Asia, said.
Talent has to be spotted at a young age and groomed properly for the desired end, he said.
"There should be a pool of Under-19 players who should undergo intensive training for five to eight years under qualified coaches," the 61-year-old said.
For that to happen, there needs to be academies and regular tournaments in the U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-20 tournaments and the coach was disappointed that such a structure was absent in India. PTI
Tough back nine for Indian trio at European Masters
Crans Montana, (Switzerland), Sep 7 (PTI) The tough back nine at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club was agonising for the Indian trio as all three went over-par in the first round of the Omega European Masters golf tournament here.
While Shiv Kapur (72) was lying 41st, Jeev Milkha Singh was 68th with a 74 and Jyoti Randhawa (75) was tied 90th.
Welshman Bradley Dredge began with a fine round in his attempt to defend the Omega European Masters when he soared into the lead by holing his second shot on the par four sixth.
He ended the day at five-under 66 and opened an early two stroke advantage over second placed Mikko Ilonen and three others, Marcus Fraser, Eduardo Romero and Oliver Wilson.
Wilson still had four holes to play, when play stopped because of darkness. Two hours were lost first thing in the morning due to frost but once underway.
Kapur was lying 41st after his first day effort of one-over 72. He went four-over for three holes between the 16th and 18th including a double on the latter but made up with an eagle on first and another birdie on sixth and ended the day at one-over 72.
He had a total of three birdies, including back to back efforts on 14th and 15th, an eagle on first and four bogeys and one double bogey on eventful day.
Jeev had two birdies and two bogeys on front nine, and then went under par with a third birdie on 11th. But he bogeyed four times between the 13th and 17th and finished at three-over 74, which placed him 68th and close to the cut line. PTI
Gold surge to over 4-month high level on global cues
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) A firming global trend sparked buying on the bullion market today, pushing up gold prices to over four-month high level by surging Rs 100 at Rs 9300 per ten gram.
A constant rise in the precious metals since last three days pushed up the gold to reach a level last seen on April 25. Trading sentiment turned bullish after reports the precious metal in the US markets zoomed to record levels on weakening dollar and rising crude oil, thus raising demand for gold as safe haven for investment.
Fund buying enabled gold futures to reclaim the long-anticipated 700 dollar an ounce level last night.
Traders said constructive fundamentals, including good physical demand mainly pushed up gold in the US markets which further sent its ripples in the Asian region, also to domestic markets here.
They pointed to a soft dollar and stronger crude oil as catalysts, which kicked up the precious metal by 13.90 dollar to 704.60 dollar an ounce on the New York Exchange.
A similar trend was noticed in silver which in global markets rose 6.25 cents to 12.4575 dollar an ounce.
Standard gold and ornaments maintained its upward trend for the third consecutive day and shot up by Rs.100 each at Rs.9,300 and Rs.9,150 per ten grams respectively. Sovereign followed suit and gained Rs.25 at Rs.7725 per piece of 8 gram.
In similar fashion, silver ready jumped up by Rs.300 at Rs.17,200 a kilo on persistent buying by stockists while silver weekly-based delivery rallied by Rs.740 at Rs.17,440 a kilo on huge buying support from speculators.
In line with general trend, silver coins quoted higher by Rs.100 at Rs.23,600 for buying and Rs.23,700 for selling of 100 coins. PTI
Essential food items less affordable for common man: Assocham
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Common man in the country has been facing a tough time as prices of food has rising in the last one year and per capita income declining, Industry chamber Assocham said today.
In the last one year till August 2007, retail prices of six essential commodities had risen by 23-25 per cent, while per capita income fell by 1.09 per cent.
According to an analysis by the chamber, wheat, milk, tea, vegetables, spices, fish and meat are the six essential items retail prices of which have fluctuated most during this period.
However, minor adjustments were noticed in the prices of pulses, which moved in the range of Rs 42 to Rs 52 per kg during August 2007, where as in the previous month the same was hovering around Rs 45-67 per kg.
Sugar was being sold at Rs 18 per kg in the month of July, 2007, witnessed a marginal fall by Rs two per kg and was sold at Rs 16 per kg in August this year, the analysis showed.
Barring pulses and sugar, prices of all other essential items registered a substantial hike with wheat and rice prices going up by 30-32 per cent during the period, Assocham President V N Dhoot said.
He said government's efforts to tame inflation did not have much bearings as prices of only manufactured goods have came down.
Meanwhile, responding to a query on an earlier study conducted by Assocham, Minister of state for Finance P K Bansal said in the Lok Sabha that year-on-year wholesale prices-based inflation in case of vegetables stood at 25.3 per cent and 12.3 per cent in case of edible oils as on August 18. PTI
Nasscom to rollout NAC programe in Bengal by 2008
Kolkata, Sep 7 (PTI) National IT industry body Nasscom today said it had signed an MoU with the West Bengal University of Technical Education through which it would rollout Nasscom Assessment of Competence (NAC) in the state in early 2008.
The NAC programme allowed a job seeker to be certified as competent for the industry by fine tuning them in line with industry demand.
The programme was mainly targetted at ITeS and BPO sector and it would also be extended to engineering students.
"In the east beside Bengal, we have signed MoU with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region with an objective of administering NAC to 20,000 students across eight states between January 2007 to January 2008," Nasscom President Kiran Karnik said today.
NAC has been rolled out in Rajasthan and this would be done in the current fiscal in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
IT minister Debesh Das said there were already two finishing schools in the state and more were on the anvil to develop the IT talent pool.
The first finishing school was launched in Burdwan University. Next month, it would be launched in Siliguri in association with the private sector.
The state government also said it would develop new centres for investment for IT. In the first phase software technology parks were targetted at Durgapur, Kalyani and Siliguri followed by Kharagpur and Haldia. PTI
TDSAT asks TRAI to intervene in recent tariff hike by telcos
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal today pulled up the regulator TRAI for not intervening till now in the matter of recent tariff hike by three major telecom players -- Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea.
Replying to a petition by NGO, Telecom Watchdog, on last month's hike in charges by the operators, TRAI said: "We are constantly watching in this issue... And still the charges are within the ceiling limits".
"What are you watching. This is not a simple bird watching. You have to intervene," a TDSAT bench headed by Justice Arun Kumar told TRAI.
Telecom Watchdog sought an the regulator's intervention on the price hike by Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea and alleged that the three telcos have formed a cartel and increased local call charges by 20 per cent along with 20-32 per cent increase on ISD calls.
The tribunal also said it wanted a positive response from the regulator on this issue.
On this, TRAI counsel said that he would take instructions from the regulator on what they could do in this matter.
TRAI has put the tariffs under forbearance policy, through which it monitors the level of charges, after a persistent downward trend due to competition in the past.
The NGO further alleged that the trio was even violating the "principle of economics of sale" as they were charging higher tariff in Delhi in comparison to Chennai.
In Chennai, Airtel charges Rs 0.99 for local call but in Delhi it is Rs 1.20. For an SMS it was charging Rs 0.05 only in Chennai but is collecting Rs 1.20 in Delhi. PTI
Boucher in Islamabad on an unannounced visit
Islamabad, Sept 7 (PTI) US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Richard Boucher arrived here today on an unannounced visit to Pakistan, three days ahead of the expected return of the exiled former Premier Nawaz Sharif to challenge the rule of President Pervez Musharraf.
The US embassy said Boucher is visiting Pakistan for the bilateral Strategic Dialogue, which was in cold storage for some time.
He came here ahead of the visit of Deputy Secretary John Negroponte, who is scheduled to arrive on September 12 to discuss a host of issues, including the political crisis faced by Musharraf and his plans to get re-elected in the coming weeks.
During their visits here two months ago, Nagroponte and Boucher had said US had no objection to Musharraf continuing as the Army Chief even after his re-election as President.
Significantly, Boucher's visit this time came three days ahead of the expected return of Sharif and his brother Shabaz from their exile. The Sharif brothers have fixed September 10 as the date for their arrival in Islamabad, following a landmark Supreme Court verdict allowing them to return home.
The Musharraf government plans to either send them back to Saudi Arabia where they were exiled to in 2000 or arrest them over the corruption and criminal cases against them, which were being reopened.
The government claims that the Sharifs had been sent to exile on the promise that they would not return before 10 years. The Saudi government, which provided the asylum to the Sharifs, was reportedly upset over their decision to return. PTI
Pak govt seeks details of all cases against Sharif brothers
Islamabad, Sept 7 (PTI) The Pakistani government has sought details of all pending cases against Nawaz Sharif and his brother from the country's four provinces, giving clear indications that the deposed Premier and Shahbaz Sharif would be arrested on their arrival from "forced" exile.
"The Interior Ministry has directed all the provincial Inspectors General of Police (IGPs), intelligence agencies and home departments to provide details of the cases against Nawaz and Shahbaz before September 10," the 'Daily Times' reported here today, quoting sources as saying.
The sources said the government might try to implicate the two top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in a house-collapse case currently being heard by the Supreme Court. Margalla Towers had collapsed in 2005, killing several people, due to "substandard construction" sanctioned by the Sharif government.
"Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah may appear in the Supreme Court on September 10 in the Margalla Towers case with the relevant record, showing Nawaz Sharif's involvement in the case," the unnamed sources said, stating that the government would try to implicate them in other cases too.
They said that the intelligence agencies were actively engaged in devising a strategy to deal with the situation when the Sharif brothers arrive to their home country on Monday as announced by the former Prime Minister, anticipating tough resistance from PML-N workers in case the Sharifs're arrested.
"The government is also reviewing the legal situation in the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgement allowing the Sharif brothers to return home from exile," the sources said. PTI
Gen. Petraeus for maintaining high troop levels in Iraq
New York, Sept 7 (PTI) While favouring a "small" withdrawal of troops from Iraq to assuage critics in Congress, the top American Commander in Iraq has told President George W Bush to maintain heightened troop levels in Iraq well into the next year to reduce the risk of military setbacks.
Beyond the gesture of pulling back one brigade of roughly 4,000 troops in the beginning of January 2008, General David H Petraeus was worried about signing on to a timetable that would commit them to steep withdrawal in the spring, a media report said today.
General Petraeus "is worried about risk, and all things being equal he'd like to keep as much as he could for as long as he could," a senior military officer told the New York Times.
But they said it reflected his concern that the security gains made so far in Baghdad, Anbar Province and other areas were fragile and easily reversed.
The paper said that Bush has indicated to aides that he will embrace the outlines of General Petraeus's recommendations, after declaring publicly that he will rely for advice on his ground commanders, rather than bowing to political pressure from those in Congress who are pushing for a speedier withdrawal.
However, White House officials has been quoted by the paper as saying that Bush is yet to make a decision.
According to officials involved in the preparation of General Petraeus's Congressional testimony, to be delivered next week, were quoted as saying that he will discuss the possibility of far deeper withdrawals after January that over a number of months could bring American force levels down to about 130,000 troops, where they stood at the start of 2007. PTI
Australia, Russia sign uranium deal
Melbourne, Sep 7 (PTI) Russia today signed an agreement with Australia allowing Moscow to buy uranium for its nuclear reactors for domestic civil use.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal after his talks with Prime Minister John Howard this morning at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
"Any uranium that is sold to Russia will be sold under very strict safeguards," Howard said at a joint press conference with Putin in Sydney.
He said the new agreement will allow the supply of Australian uranium for use in Russia's civil nuclear power industry and provide a framework for broader cooperation on peaceful nuclear-related activities.
Australia could be exporting its yellow cake to Russia as soon as next year, but Russia could not sell the fuel to any other nation or use it for military purposes.
"I simply don't understand what people are talking about," Putin said, pointing out that Russia already exports large quantities of enriched uranium for military use, including 30 tonnes a year to the United States.
"We are buying uranium from Australia for purely economic reasons," he said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has expressed confidence that Russia would not risk breaching those conditions.
"To suggest that Russia would breach a treaty of that importance with a country like Australia, is not just the real world," he said.
"I don't think for a minute Russia would do that. Russia is not some kind of a rogue state" he added. PTI
Toons in action
Soma Chakraborty
New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Animation film market in India is growing, making inroads into the commercial arena as well. After 'Hanuman', 'Shiva' and 'Krishna', the latest on the Indian animated feature front is 'Icy n Spicy'.
"Animation films in India can be successful. Take the examples of 'Hanuman' and 'Shiva', they have done a good business," says Anil Goyal, producer and director of the film Icy n Spicy.
'Icy n Spicy' is the first 3D mainstream animation film in the country. According to NASSCOM, Indian animation industry is forecast to reach USD 869 million by 2010. The number of professionals employed by the Indian animation industry in 2006 is estimated at 16,500. This figure is forecast to exceed 26,000 by 2010.
Talking about the animation scenario in the country, Goyal says, "Animation is a universal language. But in India it is still a nascent industry. If big banners invest in animation films, it can emerge as one of the most successful money-spinning formula." The movie which is "for all age groups and especially for children", costs Rs 15 crore to make it. "This 15 crore budget is nothing if we compare it with that of Hollywood. There they invest about 100 crores in a single animated movie," he says.
Animation films may never equal live-action movies, but animation stories are getting into the genre of family entertainment in India.
Singer-actress Vasundhara Das, who rendered her voice in the movie 'Icy n Spicy' feels that animation industry in India is set to grow "with the production of more and more animated films". PTI
When Sanjay could only offer jail coupons to sisters on Rakhi
New Delhi, Sept 6 (PTI) Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, currently out on bail after having been sentenced for six years of RI had nothing but jail coupons to offer to his sisters when they visited him on Rakshabandhan in 1994, while he was in jail.
"I have nothing to give you both, but I have saved these coupons for you. This is all I have," Sanjay said. "He had saved those Rs 2 coupons for us and we still have them. It was an extremely emotional moment and it was the first time we saw Dad break down and cry," Congress MP and Sanjay's sister Priya Dutt recalls in a forthcoming book.
Jointly written by Priya, Namrata and some contribution by Sanjay also, the book, 'Mr and Mrs Dutt, Memories of our Parents' is scheduled to be released by Roli Books later this month.
Recalling the traumatic days after Sanjay's arrest in 1994 in connection with the 1993 bomb blasts, the book says while he was in prison, "We had some support at first, and then slowly people started drifting away. We were on our own till help came to us from an unlikely quarter. Balasaheb Thackeray made a public declaration saying he didn't believe any member of the Dutt family could be anti-national."
The sisters recall the days when on his return from Mauritius Sanjay was whisked away by the police from the airport and how a devastated Sunil Dutt ran from pillar to post worrying how the situation could be resolved. PTI
When reel life mother and son fell in love to become real life wife and husband
New Delhi, Sept 6 (PTI) She played his mother in the movie but it was during the shooting of 'Mother India' that Nargis and Sunil Dutt fell in love.
"While shooting a scene for Mother India, Mom was trapped in a circle of fire, and when the wind changed direction, she was unable to escape. Without a moment's hesitation, Dad ran into the raging fire and rescued her at great risk to his own life", say the Dutt sisters, Namrata and Priya in their forthcoming book 'Mr and Mrs Dutt, Memories of our Parents.' To be published by Roli Books, the book is scheduled for release later this month.
"His hands and face were badly burnt and Mom's hands too suffered serious injuries. They were then sent to recuperate in the nearby village of Bilimora in Gujarat. Mom spent day and night looking after Dad, as he was in acute pain. The fortnight they spent together was a turning point for them. It was during this time they fell in love," the sisters say in the book.
Nargis had told Sunil Dutt what kind of funeral she wanted. She reminded him how scared he was of fire and didn't want to be cremated. "He could have ignored her wishes, but he followed her instructions as he had deep regard for her beliefs and faith," the book says. PTI
Haryana joins global effort to save vultures
Anurag Sharma
New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Their population continues to shrink alarmingly as the killer drug - diclofenac - is still sold. As various measures have yielded little or no result in arresting the vulture's journey towards extinction, Haryana has taken steps to consolidate global efforts to save the bird.
Haryana has taken a leader's role by initiating vulture conservation programme in the country to prevent the extinction of the three Gyps vulture species, says Vibhu Prakash, Principal Scientist, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), an organisation working for wildlife conservation.
The state government in collaboration with BNHS initiated 'Vulture conservation programme' in 2001 and also set up at a vulture breeding centre at Pinjore in Panchkula district.
Recently the government invited interested organisations to contribute their expertise in making an audio-video film/material on the consolidated information gathered so far of the conservation programme to make it available for the scientific community, environmentalists and ecologists so that they can work on the effort of prevention of extinction of vultures.
"The main objectives of this programme includes the study of factors leading to sharp decline in vulture population, standardisation of the techniques of captive breeding of vultures, finding out the safe alternatives of commonly used veterinary drug 'Diclofenac', testing the safety of'Meloxicam' to vultures as a substitute of Diclofenac, rehabiliatation of the vulture population in the wild by releasing the birds bred in captivity and the study of the behaviour of the birds released from the captivity into the wild," says Prakash. PTI
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