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Left parties to submit note on nuke deal to committee tomorrow
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Left parties will submit a detailed note on their objections to the Indo-US nuclear deal to the UPA-Left committee tomorrow.
The contents of the note were finalised at a meeting of the four Left parties here today.
The note will spell out their opposition to the deal in the context of the Hyde Act and its implications for the country's foreign policy.
Left leaders said they were expecting a reply from the government side on Monday, ahead of the second meeting of the UPA-Left committee on Wednesday.
"We discussed the points on which we will prepare our note," CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan told reporters after the meeting.
Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said the note would be sent to the committee tomorrow. "The reply from the government should come to us by 17th. Then the committee will meet on the 19th," he added.
He said "the committee itself has noted our concern and we will elaborating on some of the issues. PTI
Govt to withdraw objectionable parts of Ram Setu affidavit
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Facing a saffron onslaught, government today decided to withdraw the "objectionable" paragraphs of the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court questioning the existence of Lord Rama or other characters in the epic Ramayana.
After a quick intervention by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a damage-control exercise, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj announced at a hurriedly-called press conference that the averments in the objectionable paragraphs will be withdrawn.
"We are filing a supplementary affidavit tomorrow in the Supreme Court," he said, a day after the Archaeological Survey of India told the apex court that there was no historical and scientific evidence to establish the existence of Lord Rama or the other characters in Ramayana.
The affidavit came under immediate attack from the Sangh Parivar, including the BJP which called it "blasphemous". Senior BJP leader L K Advani met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also Bhardwaj at a dinner meeting last night and had told them "the highly objectionable affidavit be withdrawn." Highly placed sources said Gandhi directed the government to take "immediate remedial steps" to set right the situation.
Lord Rama is an integral part of Indian culture and ethos and cannot be a matter of debate, Bhardwaj said.
Asked what clarification did the government planned to make, the minister said "this is in regard to our averment in the affidavit that there is no evidence that these characters of our scriptures did exist."
"This is a wrong impression," Bhardwaj said referring to the media reports on the affidavit. PTI
Sonia directed govt to take immediate steps on Ram Setu issue
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi today made some quick intervention to make some damage control in the wake of the controversy over the Centre's affidavit in the Supreme Court doubting the existence of Lord Ram.
Highly-placed sources said Gandhi directed the government to take immediate remedial steps which made the government to act on a warfooting.
Gandhi's direction came against the backdrop of the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits raring to make the Ramsetu issue one of its major planks to consolidate its Hindutva votebank and attack the Congress for playing politics of minority appeasement.
Incidentally, Law and Justice Minister H R Bhardwaj had a meeting with Leader of the Opposition L K Advani last night where the Minister said in no uncertain terms that Lord Ram is a matter of faith.
Her intervention led to the Government's decision to withdraw the controversial parts of the affidavit filed in the apex court yesterday questioning the existence of Lord Ram. PTI
BJP seeks apology from PM, Sonia over Ram affidavit
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on the Ram affidavit row, senior BJP leader L K Advani today demanded their apology for "hurting" religious sentiments of Hindus and ministerial accountability in the matter.
The former Deputy prime minister also wanted the government to withdraw its affidavit before the Supreme Court describing it as "blasphemous and arrogant" after disapproving of its decision to file a supplementary document in connection with the Sethusamudram project.
"It(affidavit) is pouring contempt on crores of Hindus in the country and on Hindus abroad," Advani told a news conference as he announced that his party's youth wing and state units would hold demonstration tomorrow and burn copies of the Centre's affidavit that said there is no evidence to establish existence of Lord Ram.
The BJP leader said the affidavit issue would be part of its election campaign.
"Surely, it will be mentioned," he said when asked whether his party would flag the matter in its election campaign. Advani was of the view that mid-term polls would be held next year.
"Your are giving me a suggestion. I will certainly consider it," he said when asked whether he planned a Rath Yatra over the issue. Advani also had a meeting of party office-bearers and MPs on the Ram affidavit issue.
He said the government must ensure protection of the Ram Setu, an undersea bridge believed to be built by Lord Ram, by redesigning the Setusamudram waterway project.
"An inquiry panel should be set up to fix the ministerial responsiblity for this blunder (affidavit)," he said.
In Agartala, BJP president Rajnath Singh demanded that the Culture Minister be dismissed if found involved in approving the government affidavit. PTI
Pak lawyers to go on strike if Musharraf seeks re-election
Islamabad, Sept 13 (PTI) Lawyers organisations in Pakistan have threatened to go on strike if President Pervez Musharraf went ahead with his plans to seek re-election.
The lawyers, who successfully launched an agitation for reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, will observe a strike and surround the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) building when it scrutinises Musharraf's nomination papers.
This was decided at a lawyers' convention at the Punjab Bar Council in Lahore yesterday, 'Dawn' reported today, adding that the lawyers' representatives from across Punjab province attended the meet.
The meeting gave a call to lawyers from all over the country to boycott courts and observe a Black Day when Musharraf submits his nomination papers to the ECP, according to a declaration issued at the convention.
"The house resolves that lawyers will remain on the frontline in their campaign against Musharraf and will not miss any chance to participate in any anti-Musharraf drive," it said.
The meeting came a day after the Election Commission said it would shortly announce the schedule for Presidential polls.
The Cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz yesterday endorsed Musharraf's plan to get re-elected in uniform.
An apex court bench headed by Chaudhry has already admitted a petition of Jamat-e Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed challenging Musharraf's plans to seek re-election from the present assemblies. PTI
Pak govt bars Sharif from participating in elections
K J M Varma
Islamabad, Sept 13 (PTI) After going on an overdrive to scuttle his attempts to end his exile, Pakistan government has barred former Premier Nawaz Sharif from contesting elections saying he has already been convicted and sentenced in a case, but put the corruption cases against him in the cold storage.
The deposed Prime Minister was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of preventing the plane of General Pervez Musharraf from landing in October 1999, Advocate General Mallik Qayyum said.
Therefore, Sharif, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is not eligible to participate in the general elections scheduled to take place towards the end of this year, he was quoted in the local media as saying.
Qayyum's comments came three days after the deportation of Sharif to Jeddah on Monday following his arrival here from London to end his seven-year exile. His return was reduced to a stopover only as within hours he was packed off to Jeddah, where he is expected to remain for another three years amid claims by the government that he had agreed to stay out of the country for a decade.
The government has also put the corruption cases against Sharif in the cold storage as authorities informed an anti-corruption court in Rawalpindi that the cases, which it tried to reopen before Sharif's arrival here, need not be pursued because he was no longer in the country.
In another development, the Supreme Court has not yet given a date for hearing the two petitions filed by Sharif's family questioning his deportation. One of the petitions also seeks his recall from Jeddah. PTI
China asks Iran to cooperate with IAEA
Anil K Joseph
Beijing, Sept 13 (PTI) China today asked Iran to strengthen its cooperation with the UN atomic watchdog IAEA so that the international community could trust Tehran's contention that its nuclear programme was only for peaceful purposes.
"We hope Iran can strengthen cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and seriously implement the action plan which will be conducive for the international community to resume its confidence of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear plan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said while replying to a question on the Iranian nuclear issue.
"It will also be conducive for the proper solution of the issue," she said at a ministry briefing, hours after Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi arrived here today.
He will meet with officials of the Chinese Foreign Ministry during his two-day stay here.
"The two sides will exchange views on China-Iran relations as well as on issues of common interest," she said without giving specific details of Pour-Mohammadi's meetings. PTI
30 militants killed in fresh clash in Pakistan
Islamabad, Sept 13 (PTI) At least 30 militants were killed and 10 paramilitary personnel injured in a major attack by insurgents on a check-post in Pakistan's troubled region of North Waziristan.
The fighting in the region comes hours after the army's gunship helicopters bombed positions of the militants at the border of North and South Waziristan yesterday, killing 40 militants.
Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said that only 10 soldiers were injured in the attack, even as the local TV channels claimed that 10 paramilitary soldiers and 30 militants were killed in the clashes.
The fighting which erupted in Makeen last night continued till today morning, he said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the militants denied yesterday's army version.
"The ISPR's (Inter Services Public Relations) claim is totally baseless and Mujahideen are safe," Ahmadullah Ahmadi, was quoted as saying by "The Dawn", who identified himself as a spokesman for militant commander Hafiz Gul Buhadur based in Miramshah.
The newspaper quoted officials as saying that a group of militants launched an offensive against security forces in Shawal region.
Ahmadi said that militants had kidnapped 11 FC men from the Bannu Frontier Region.
The first attack was carried out in Pesh Ziarat area and security forces called in Cobra helicopters from Miramshah. PTI
Musharraf orders release of opposition workers
Islamabad, Sep 13 (PTI) President Pervez Musharraf has directed the authorities to release hundreds of opposition activists who were rounded up to prevent a reception for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his failed attempt to return from exile on Monday.
The presidential directive wanted the provincial governments to release all political workers who were detained earlier this week "for maintenance of law and order in the country," a spokeperson said.
He said the directive was issued by the president in view of the advent of Ramazan.
The president "wished every Pakistani to observe Ramazan with due solemnity and in true spirit of tolerance and forbearance," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan quoted the spokeperson as saying yesterday.
Thousands of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers were detained to prevent them from giving Sharif a rousing welcome at Islamabad airport.
The former premier, who landed from London on Monday after seven years in exile, was quickly deported to Saudi Arabia.
The Opposition parties have geared up for a long-drawn out battle with the military man as he prepares to get himself elected in uniform.
PML-N has challenged Sharif's expulsion before the Supreme Court, which last month ruled that he had an "inalienable" right to return to his homeland. PTI
UB group makes an open offer for 20 pc stake in Air Deccan
Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) Vijay Mallya's United Breweries Holdings has made an open offer for an additional 20 per cent stake in Air Deccan in which it has already acquired 26 per cent for Rs 550 crore.
The offer for additional 20 per cent stake in the low cost airline opened yesterday and would close on October 1, United Breweries said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The UB-group company proposes to acquire over 2.71 crore fully paid up equity shares of the face value of Rs 10 each representing 20 per cent of the equity share capital of Air Deccan, pursuant Securities and Exchange Board of India Regulations.
"The size of the offer has been revised in light of certain changes in the paid-up equity share capital of Air Deccan," the company said.
Around 1,61,680 shares of Air Deccan were allotted pursuant to the exercise of Employees Stock Options Plans (ESOPs) on August 20 and August 27.
Accordingly the paid-up equity share capital of Air Deccan increased to 13.56 crore shares from 13.54 crore shares of Rs 10 each.
Consequently, in compliance with SEBI regulations, United Breweries has revised the size of the open offer to 20 per cent of the increased share capital, which amounted to 27,126,360 fully paid equity shares of Rs 10 each.
As per the original schedule, the offer was scheduled to open on July 25 and was supposed to close on August 13.
Kingfisher Radio Ltd along with United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd and UB Overseas Ltd has made this open offer to Air Deccan. Edelweiss Capital Ltd is the manager to the offer. PTI
Markets cut short losing string; Sensex ends 109 pts up
Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today ended 109 points higher over the previous close, cutting short a two-day losing streak on sustained FII inflows and likely rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week.
The BSE barometer opened firm at 15,547.66 and later rallied to the intra-day high of 15,650.14 before ending the day at 15,614.44, a net rise of 109.08 points or 0.70 per cent over yesterday's close of 15,505.36.
Similarly, the broad-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) gained 32.10 points or 0.71 per cent to close at 4,528.95 from previous level of 4,496.85.
SBI gained 3.18 per cent on reports that the country's largest bank plans a follow-on share sale by the year end to raise Rs 10,000 crore.
Another heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) hit yet another trading peak of Rs 2,034.40 following the government's approval of its price formula for natural gas from the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin.
Bank, realty and auto shares were prominent gainers on fresh buying support from institutional investors.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been net buyers to the tune of Rs 3,155 crore so far in the month.
Meanwhile, Asian markets ended mixed. Shanghai Composite, Hang Seng and Nikkei closed with handsome gains while Taiwan and Singapore Straight Times finished in the red.
Realty shares like Akruti Nirman, DLF Ltd, Mahindra Gesco, Omaxe Ltd and Unitech registered sharp gains, while HDFC Bank, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, BoB and PNB also captured substantial ground in the green. PTI
Infrastructure growth slips in July; Govt disappointed
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Indian infrastructure sectors' gallop reduced to a trot in July, compounding the government's disappointment with a slowdown in industrial production that signals a moderation in the country's overall economic growth.
The growth of six core infrastructure sectors, which contribute slightly more than a quarter to industrial output, fell sharply to 6.3 per cent in July from 10.9 per cent in the year-ago month. Cumulative performance during April-July also dipped to 6.1 per cent from 8.7 per cent in the same period of the last fiscal, according to official data released today.
All six sectors -- cement, steel, coal, power, crude oil and petroleum refining -- recorded a slower growth during the month as higher interest rates curbed demand for manufactured goods like automobiles and consumer durables, besides housing and commercial real estate. The performance of infrastructure sectors merely mirrors the huge fall in industrial output - from 13.2 per cent in July 2006 to 7.1 per cent in July 2007.
"The IIP (Index of Industrial Production) figures for July are disappointing," Finance Minister P Chidambaran told reporters here, but hoped demand will pick up once the festival season kicks off later this month.
Crude petroleum showed a negative growth of 0.9 per cent in July as against 4.10 per cent. Coal put up a dismal show, dropping to 1.1 per cent from 9.1 per cent. Finished steel's growth was almost halved to 7.9 per cent from 15 per cent. The six sectors carry a 26.7 per cent weightage on the IIP.
"Contraction in credit has achieved the purpose of controlling inflation but now we should ensure that growth is not impacted," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said.
He said the Reserve Bank should revise the monetary policy and ensure that credit contraction does not lead to decline in industrial growth. PTI
Slowdown in industrial production disappointing: FM
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the slowdown in industrial production during July this year was disappointing but hoped demand will pick up in the upcoming festive season.
"The slowdown (in industrial output) is dissappointing," he told reporters here.
Chidambaram, however, expressed hope that industrial production would gain momentum on rising consumer demand during the forthcoming festival season.
According to government's latest estimate, industrial output slowed down to 7.1 per cent in July this year from 13.2 per cent in the same month a year ago as higher interest rates forced consumers to cut spending on household items and automobiles, adversely affecting the manufacturing sector. PTI
Growth of six infrastructure sectors declines in July
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) A substantial slowdown in coal, steel and petroleum refining output dragged overall growth in six core infrastructure sectors to 6.3 per cent in July 2007 compared to 10.9 per cent in the same month of last year.
Core infrastructure industries of crude petroleum, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel all registered a decline in growth.
During April-July 2007-08, growth rate of the six sectors declined to 6.1 per cent as compared to 8.7 per cent during the corresponding period of 2006-07.
While crude petroleum production registered a negative growth of 0.9 per cent in July 2007 from 4.1 per cent, petroleum refinery production dipped to 4.6 per cent from a growth of 12.6 per cent in July 2006.
Coal production registered a growth of 1.1 per cent, a significant decline from the 9.1 per cent growth in July 2006. Electricity generation, cement and finished carbon steel also posted a dip in growth rate.
The slowdown in core sector could have a direct bearing on economic growth, as well as indirect adverse effect on other sectors which use inputs from these industries.
Infrastructure sectors constitute 26.7 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production, which also registered a fall in growth rate to 7.1 per cent during July this year compared to 13.2 per cent in the same month a year ago. PTI
High-voltage India-Pak clash tomorrow
A V Nayudu
Durban, Sep 13 (PTI) Traditional rivals India and Pakistan will resume their cricketing hostilities when they square up against each other here tomorrow in a Group D clash of the Twenty20 World Cup at Kingsmead.
The two Asian giants could not keep their date in second round clash at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies following their shocking first-round exits, but this time around their high-profile clash is expected to provide thrills galore.
It will be for the first time in over a decade and half that India will play Pakistan without stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, with the trio not being present to lend a dash and verve to the top order.
Similarly, Pakistan will be without their celebrated stars like Inzamam-ul Haq, Mohammed Yusuf, Abdul Razzak and Shoaib Akhtar, who was a late casualty having being sent back on disciplinary grounds.
However, despite the fact that both teams will have some new faces, that will definitely not dilute any of the heat that an India-Pakistan match usually generates.
Both teams may have new captains but the importance of this high-voltage clash is definitely not lost on any of them.
"For us, any game against India is very special. My team is working hard and they are keen to go out and give their best against India," said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni too was confident that young Indian guns were capable of handling the high pressure match. PTI
BCCI launches multi-million dollar leagues to counter ICL
New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Cricket landscape in India will undergo a major transformation with the announcement today of two new and innovative Twenty20 Leagues with a total prize money of about Rs 35 crores, the highest ever in the game's history.
Challenged by the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL) which has weaned away 70 Indian cricketers for a Twenty20 tournament, the BCCI responded by disclosing that it will organise a Champions Twenty20 League with a prize money of USD 5 million (approx Rs 22 crores) and Indian Premier League (IPL) which will carry a prize money of USD 3 million (approx Rs 13 crores).
Legendary spinner Shane Warne has already confirmed his participation for the Champions Twenty20 event which will feature two top teams from India, Australia, England and South Africa in its inaugural edition.
The announcement of the cash-rich ambitious leagues was made by BCCI Vice-President Lalit Modi at a crowded press conference where the top brass of the ICC and several Test playing nations were present.
Indian stars -- captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and former skipper Sourav Ganguly -- added a touch of glamour to the event by sharing the dias along with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and former Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath.
Giving details of the league, Modi said that the IPL will be held in April next year, while the Champions Twenty20 League will be played in the first week of October 2008. PTI
Top seed Bhupathi-Bopanna crash out of China Open
Beijing, Sept 13 (PTI) Top seeded Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna crashed out of China Open after conceding a straight set defeat in the first round of the men's doubles event today.
The Indian duo were outplayed 3-6 0-6 by Chris Haggard of South Africa and Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei in the match that lasted just 49 minutes.
The unseeded African-Taipei pair did not give the Indians any chance to come back as they blanked their fancied opponents in the second set by breaking them thrice.
The Indian challenge had ended in the singles event as well with Bopanna retiring midway through his first round match against seventh seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.
Bopanna, who entered the main draw after playing the qualifiers, was trailing 3-6, 0-1 when he called it quits from the ATP event. PTI
Uthappa promises plenty of fireworks
A V Nayudu
Durban, Sep 13 (PTI) Explosive Indian batsman Robin Uthappa says he is ready to light up the Twenty20 cricket World Championship with an array of shots, which he has specially innovated for the slam-bang version of the game.
The 22-year-old batsman, whose dazzling performance in England brought him into the spotlight, said the shots he played there were just a trailer and he would unveil a whole new range of hits in the Twenty20 World Cup.
"What you guys saw was just a few shots. There are another five or six that I haven't revealed as yet. There is a lot more to come," he said.
"It is a big opportunity for all of us. The fact that we haven't played a lot of domestic Twenty20 cricket means it's going to be a big challenge too," he added.
Uthappa said despite the hectic 80-day tour of UK, the Indians felt fresh for the World Twenty20 as the side had a lot of youngsters in its fold.
"We have a very young side, but it is very exciting to have a lot of fresh pairs of legs in the side. We have just finished a very long tour of England, but most of us, we are under 25-26, and are looking forward to this tournament," he explained.
Without the overwhelming presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, India's young guns will obviously come under the misroscope. Yet, instead of feeling the weight of expectations, Uthappa sees it as a challenge.
"We will at least get to see what life's going to be after they leave. It's fresh for all of us, this situation. This tournament, this whole set-up is mainly about the future of the country," he offered. PTI
Respect Twenty20 or it will bite you, Ponting warns teammates
Cape Town, Sep 13 (PTI) Rattled by the shocking loss to Zimbabwe in the Twenty20 World Cup, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has urged his teammates to respect the shortest form of cricket or risk being embarrassed again.
The four-time ODI world champions were handed a stunning five-wicket defeat by the minnows in their tournament opener at Newlands last night.
Ponting hardly minced words as he blamed his batsmen for letting the game slip away with their careless attitude.
"The top three batters didn't respect their own game enough. When you don't respect this game it gets up and bites you," Ponting said after the match.
"They (Zimbabwe) outplayed us. They did most things in the game better than us," he added, praising the Africans for their disciplined performance.
Ponting admitted that the Aussies paid the price for over-attacking in seaming conditions.
The tournament favourites were reeling at 19 for three after Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Ponting himself departed attempting extravagant shots.
"That was where the game was lost," Ponting said, referring to the soft dismissals. PTI
Newsletter: Polls in view, slugfest between Modi, rivals at peak
Parag Dave
Ahmedabad, Sep 12 (PTI) Political parties are going full blast to use all the conventional modes and also the new media for campaign like internet, television, short message services (sms) etc to woo the voters ahead of the polls likely to be held by December-end.
Internet is widely being used by pro and hate Modi campaigners. Modi's supporters have put up blogs and messages and even his detractors too are into the same technology.
Ahmedabad BJP Corporator Mayur Dave in his blog has praised Modi as a visionary leader, who according to him was a boon to the state.
The BJP maintains that it is yet to officially start its E-campaign and would do it when the election draws near.
Television is being widely used by both the main political parties--the BJP and opposition Congress-- to reach out to the electorate in the state.
The state government has in the meanwhile distributed some compact discs to almost all the cable operators and told them to air the CDs during prime time.
Through the CDs an attempt has been made to how Modi has put Gujarat on the path of progress in the last five years.
Flaying the BJP for using the government machinery for the propaganda, the Congress too set off a splurge of advertisements with anti-Modi slants, both in some national and local television channels. PTI
Hotels hiring foreign chefs to attract discerning clientele
Anurag Sharma
New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) How Chinese is the 'Chinese' cuisine? Many may have often wondered over the genuineness of 'foreign food' dishes that are on offer in restaurants.
To bring about a sense of culinary veracity to their menus, restaurateurs are hiring chefs from the country of origin of the food to titillate taste buds.
"Foreign chefs are finding India a hot destination for their profession as Indian hotel industry is at boom. Occupancy levels at most hotels today average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows beings hosted in the country. And the future only looks brighter," says Rajesh Mishra, Chairman, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
"Indian chefs are incomparable but hiring a foreign chef adds glamour to the restaurant in attracting guests. In fact, many of Indian chefs are doing a great job in US and Europe and are in great demand overseas. Still, hiring authentic chefs, usually from the land from where the food originates, helps in the certification of food," he adds.
Shobha Mishra, Deputy director, FICCI, says the globalosation and easy visa rules have helped the Indian hospitality industry to add diversity in the chef profession.
She adds that it is worth noticing the demand of the Indian chefs is increasing by the day and the number of foreign chef in the country is still very small.
"They are more skillfull and efficient professionally and add more authenticity to the dish. In spite of the language and cultural barrier they understand the psyche of the customer better and if you are a connoisseur of good food and want to eat Chinese or Italian food the way Chinese or Italian do, a authentic chef is a must," says Ajit Sharma, Senior General Manger, Jaypee Siddharth. PTI
Indian handlooms, making inroads in world markets
New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) Indian handlooms are going global in a big way and have found support in the designer community, with ace labels like Manish Arora, Rohit Bal and Rajesh Pratap Singh figuring among 14 designers from the country, who are set to showcase their clothes and accessories, at the upcoming London Fashion Week beginning September 15.
The initiative is spearheaded by the UK based Conran Shop, which has picked up the 14 designers, including five who specialize in textiles, to travel to Conran Shops in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.
"Handlooms represent not just an industry but the cultural heritage of India. It needs to chart out a road map for itself. Designers can play a major role in promoting handlooms. However, so far we have not been able to utilize our own resources to cope up with the changing lifestyles and aspirations. The handloom industry and the fashion designers should work in coordination to initiate yet another 'swadeshi' movement," Rathi Vinay Jha said at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week held in the capital recently.
Sunil Sethi, CEO Alliance Merchandising company says, "I see a lot of new designers following the trend of handlooms. Major international stores like UK -based Crate and Barrel, the Habitat all brand leaders abroad -are selling stuff by our designers.
"I have done atleast Rs 1,000 crore export in handlooms. This only goes on to prove that if we design our product right then the handloom industry has tremendous scope," he says. PTI
Rumours of my affair with Raj Kapoor were his creation: Vyjantimala
New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Gossip about her alleged romance with Raj Kapoor made her quite unhappy as, while the showman enjoyed the subsequent publicity, the media never sought her opinion, says the yesteryears actress Vyjantimala Bali.
"...During and after the release of Sangam, the fact of the matter was that RK was far too enamoured of getting publicity and grab the headlines. And the included the rumours that I was romantically involved with him.
"It was all the manipulative doing of RK banner's PR Drive and unnecessarily this nonsense spread like a wild fire...," she shares in her autobiography, 'Bonding...A Memoir'.
"No body from the media bothered to seek my point of view. This was absolutely baseless and made me angry," she writes.
"It hurt him and me in equal measures as like others even his family thought it to be true. But as far as my clean image and reputation was concerned, it remained untouched." Recalling another such instance she says, as far as publicity of a film was concerned RK was "very self centred". "He would go out of the way to hype it to the hilt, which was good for the film but not for me. The RK bandwagon even went to the extent of saying that I was somehow related to the Maharaja of Mysore. What nonsense!" Talking of RK's reputation of being a lady's man was an outcome his publicity stunt only. "I had observed during those four years of the making Sangam that RK was not obsessed about women, like he was made out to be. PTI
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