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BJP suspends two MPs, issues show cause notice to Keshubhai
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) Cracking its whip against the rebels in Gujarat, the BJP today issued show cause notices to veteran leaders Keshubhai Patel and Kashiram Rana, and suspended two of its Lok Sabha members for "hurting" party's interests during the assembly polls.
Patel, who was the rallying point for the detractors of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and Rana were accused of "sabotaging" the party's poll prospects through their public statements which "helped" the ruling BJP's political rivals in the state.
Both of them were asked to explain within a week as to why they made such statements "which damaged the party's poll efforts".
Along with Patel and Rana, who is an MP from Surat, BJP chief Rajnath Singh also acted against two other MPs -- Vallabhai Kathiria and Somabhai Patel -- suspending them from the party's primary membership for "indiscipline".
Patel, a former Chief Minister, was hauled up for making public statements, criticising the party leadership and issuing those in the form of an advertisement.
The action against Rana was taken for his controversial remark that a "wave of change" was sweeping Gujarat, which the party said meant that the BJP would lose in the elections. PTI
France wants N-coop with India, but will await IAEA talks
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) France today expressed interest in forging civil nuclear cooperation with India but said it would await the outcome of talks between New Delhi and IAEA on a safeguards agreement.
The European country, which generates 90 per cent of electricity using atomic energy, said India needed to be brought into the international nuclear mainstream.
"We are in favour of initialing a sort of strategic agreement but we have to wait for the (International Atomic Energy) Agency," visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told journalists here soon after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Kouchner, who held wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday, said France is in "favour of India getting back to the international nuclear power agency. We have to create situation in terms of international law. We are waiting for that." Civil nuclear cooperation figured in the discussions between Mukherjee and Kouchner, with the Indian side apprising the French leader about the ongoing talks with IAEA for the proposed safeguards agreement as a follow up to the atomic deal with the US.
Paris has maintained that India needed to be brought into the nuclear mainstream as it would benefit the NPT system.
Kouchner, whose visit takes place about a month ahead of President Nicholas Sarkozy's maiden tour here, said the two countries were working on a number of agreements.
"We have a lot of projects and we are eager to see their results during the visit of the President," he said. PTI
Sino-Indian joint military exercise begins in China
Raghavendra
Kunming(China), Dec 21 (PTI) In a groundbreaking confidence building measure, India and China today launched their first-ever joint military exercise marked by a spirit of camaderie in this southwestern province, upgrading the ties between the two armies to a new high.
After the five-day exercise focused on anti-terrorism operations kickstarted at the Kunming Military Academy here, ground forces of People's Liberation Army and India demonstrated their tactics and skills, displayed weapons and equipment and test fired from each other's weapons in a high point of the day's drills.
The ball for the exercise codenamed "Hand in Hand 2007" reflecting the warmer relations between the two armies, was set rolling after the opening ceremony which saw the national flags of both nations being raised to the national anthems played by the PLA band in the presence of senior military officials from both sides.
Chinese and Indian soldiers were hawk-eyed as they closely watched the skills displayed by each other and responded with repeated rounds of applause admiring each other's combat fitness. A highlight of the day was the standing ovation given by the Red Army men to Indian soldiers for the "Malkambh" exercise performed on a pole.
The day got off to the start with Chinese soldiers displaying their skills in "Hard Qigong", a martial arts form, that put their robustness to the severest test, as the Indian troops watched it in awe and clapped in appreciation.
This was followed by Chinese troops clearing their way through explosions from bombs and hand grenades firing at short intervals and rocket launcher in an anti-terrorist drill. PTI
Taslima under "house arrest" because of pressure from Left:BJP
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) Taking strong exception to the travel curbs imposed on Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, the BJP today alleged that the UPA Government has kept her under "house arrest" under pressure from its Left allies.
The saffron party demanded that the controversial writer, a "victim of religious persecution in Bangladesh", be allowed to go wherever she wishes and given political asylum and security.
"The UPA government has placed her under house arrest under pressure from its Left allies to cling on to power and succumbed to Islamic fundementalists to win vote banks," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar alleged.
He said Taslima's "house arrest" was a "matter of shame" for the entire country, which takes pride in the philosophy of "Atithi Devo Bhava" and asserted that the Centre's decision reminds of emergency days.
"Neither has she the freedom to move around in Delhi, nor has the permission to return to Kolkata. What kind of secular democracy is this?" he asked and drew parallel between the Taslima affair and the Shahbano case.
The central government yesterday barred 46-year-old Taslima, who had been living in an undisclosed location here for the last one month, from coming out in public or freely meeting people. PTI
France dissatisfied, but not complaining over Eurocopter deal
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) France today expressed dissatisfaction with the Indian decision to scrap the deal with European defence company Eurocopter for purchase of 197 Fennec helicopters but it is not complaining and will participate in the fresh bidding.
A fortnight after Indian government scrapped the Rs 17,000 crore deal alleging that Eurocopter had "deviated" from procedures, visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the France-based company will participate in the second bidding process as it is confident of winning it.
"I am not satisfied," he told journalists here referring to the Indian government's argument that the deal was scrapped because of "procedural questions".
He said the matter came up for discussion during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday when he was told about the Indian position.
To a question, the French Minister said the Indian decision can be protested against but there was no use.
"Yes, we can complain but it is useless to complain," Kouchner remarked in reply to a query.
"So we have to participate in the new bidding process," he said, adding "we will certainly win." Eurocopter is a France-based defence unit of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), a consortium of several European countries.
Government on December six scrapped the deal with Eurocopter, accusing it of "deviating from approved parameters" of the choppers urgently required for the army.
Under the deal, Eurocopter was to supply 60 helicopters off the shelf and the rest 137 were to be manufactured in India under technology transfer. PTI
LTTE trying to smuggle out injured Prabhakaran: report
Colombo, Dec 21 (PTI) The LTTE is trying to sneak its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran out of Sri Lanka for treatment abroad following severe injuries he is said to have sustained in an air raid last month, a government-owned newspaper claimed today.
The "Daily News" also claimed 116 of the 200 guards protecting the LTTE Supremo had died in the recent attack by the Sri Lankan Air Force, in which Prabhakaran was said to have been injured.
The LTTE, which has denied reports of injury to Prabhakaran, could not be contacted for its comments on the latest "Daily News" claim.
A senior Defence Ministry official said since intelligence reports have "confirmed" that Prabhakaran sustained injuries on November 26, there could be an attempt by the Tiger leader to go to India for treatment if the medical facilities in Killinocchi or Mullaithivu were not sufficient to treat him.
"But India will not provide any facility for Prabhakaran and we will not allow him to leave the country and will maintain strict vigilance on the LTTE movement," the official felt.
The newspaper said the condition of Prabhakaran, a diabetic, has worsened and the LTTE is looking at prospects of taking him out of the country for treatment.
"Intelligence reports indicate that the top Tiger has sustained injuries or fractures in his arm and a leg. Since the Tiger leader is already suffering from diabetes, the situation has got worse and the LTTE is making attempts to evacuate him to a foreign country for further treatment," the newspaper said. PTI
54 killed in suicide attack targeting former Pak minister
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Dec 21 (PTI) At least 54 people were killed and over 100 injured today when a suicide bomber blew himself up during Eid prayers in a packed mosque in northwestern Pakistan in a bid to target former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who escaped unhurt.
About 1,000 people were present in the Jama Masjid at Sherpao village in Charsadda district when the attacker detonated his bomb killing 54 people, police said adding the toll could rise.
They said the bomber managed to enter the mosque with almost five to six kilograms of explosives even though a metal detector had been installed at the entrance.
"I was attending the Eid-ul-Azha prayers with my sons and nephews when the blast took place," said Sherpao, who in April also survived a suicide attack in the same area in North West Frontier Province.
Sherpao and his son Sikander escaped without injuries but his another son Mustafa and a nephew were among those wounded.
Charsadda district police chief Feroz Shah told reporters that at least 54 people had died. Three security personnel were among the dead.
President Pervez Musharraf strongly condemned the attack and said "no Muslim could even think of committing such a heinous crime that takes the lives of a large number of innocent faithful who had gathered for Eid prayers".
Musharraf said a handful of extremists were bent on forcing their "distorted thinking" on the majority of moderate and practicing Muslims, and this was "totally unacceptable".
The fight against extremism and terrorism would not be deterred by such incidents and the perpetrators of such crimes will be "pursued relentlessly and eliminated", he said. PTI
Sino-Indian joint military exercise begins in China
Raghavendra
Kunming (China), Dec 21 (PTI) Troops of India and China today kick-started their first-ever joint military exercise with focus on anti-terrorism drill in southwest China, taking the ties between the world's two largest armies to a new high.
The hoisting of national flags of both the countries to the national anthems played by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) band and march past marked the opening ceremony of the five-day drill began at the Kunming Military Academy in Yunnan province in an air of expectancy from both sides.
The exercise, titled "Hand-in-Hand 2007" reflecting warmer military ties, got off to the start with Chinese soldiers demonstrating skills in "Hard Qigong" martial arts, including self-defence actions.
This was followed by manoeuvres showing the capabilities of PLA soldiers to strike at the enemy overcoming obstacles including exploding bombs and grenades hitting at the target shooting at short intervals.
Seated on stage, the Indian troops drawn from the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry watched with keen interest every action of the Chinese soldiers and clapped in appreciation after the end of each manoeuvre.
At the opening ceremony, Brig. D S Dadwal, head of the Directing Staff, said the joint Sino-Indian military exercise was "another step" to deepen the understanding and cooperation between the two armies.
He said development of military-to-military relations was an integral part of the overall improvement of bilateral relations as he noted "lot of positive developments" including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation which had led to the exercise as its "logical outcome". PTI
Haneef can go back to Oz as court reinstates work visa
Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Dec 21 (PTI) After a five-month ordeal, Indian doctor Mohd Haneef, who was wrongly accused of links with the failed UK bombings, can go back to Australia as the Federal Court here reinstated his work visa today.
Haneef is free to work in Australia, Immigration Minister Chris Evans said.
"I formed the judgement that there was no basis for me to seek to move to cancel Haneef's visa... Haneef is entitled to return to this country and take up employment in accordance with his visa," he said.
The full bench of the Federal Court, in a "unanimous" decision here, dismissed a government petition challenging Justice Jeffery Spender's ruling in August in favour of the 27-year-old medico from Bangalore.
The then Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews had cancelled Haneef's work visa on character grounds citing his alleged links with UK terror suspects Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed.
Haneef, who had returned to India on July 29 and is currently on pilgrimage to Mecca, has insisted that his legal battle was aimed at clearing his name.
"It is a double Id for us today," an emotional Ashfaq Ahmed, father-in-law of Mohammed Haneef said in Bangalore.
"Today's Bakrid is special for us. Early morning we got the good news about Haneef's work visa. Our family is very happy," he told PTI. PTI
Pakistan unlikely to allow Commonwealth poll observers
Islamabad, Dec 21 (PTI) Pakistan is unlikely to allow Commonwealth election observers to monitor the crucial January polls for the National and provincial assemblies as a protest against the groups "hasty decision" to suspend the country's membership.
"The Commonwealth took a hasty decision by ignoring the ground realities and pleas by Pakistan to wait for a few weeks before making any formal response to emergency rule," sources in the Foreign Office said.
They said Pakistan is unlikely to allow Commonwealth observers to monitor the January 8 elections as a protest against the groups November 22 decision to suspend Pakistans membership. The Pakistani leadership was greatly upset by the decision.
The sources said that last week the Commonwealth had sent a request for permission for observers to monitor the elections, but Islamabad was in no mood to show eagerness.
Pakistan has also not decided on relations with the 53-member grouping after it suspended Pakistan's membership for the second time since Musharraf took over in 1999.
"A decision on the issue will be taken by the new government after elections, sources were quoted as saying by the Daily Times newspaper on condition of anonymity.
The Foreign Office sources said that the Commonwealth had failed to realise that Pakistan was its second largest member nation after India, and that the suspension would cause some sort of "moral pain" to Islamabad.
Pakistan termed as "unreasonable and unjustified" its suspension from the Commonwealth and said efforts to restore normalcy in the country would not be determined by "unrealistic demands from outside".
The Commonwealth would review its decision of suspension after Pakistans elections. PTI
Defence import may touch USD 30 billion by 2012
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) India's military hardware and software imports are expected to touch USD 30 billion by 2012 as armed forces are likely to ink defence deals for multi role fighter jets, 1.55 mm howitzers, helicopters and long range maritime spy aircraft.
In the past three years, India have spent about USD 10.5 billion on military hardware and software, making it the largest arms importers in the developing world, the industry body Assocham said in a paper on 'Avenues for Private Sector Participation in Defence'.
The paper said with ever increasing demand for allocation to defence budgets and limited capacity of the government to meet this demand, the defence sector requires a re-look to procure its goods and services from existing allocations in a more efficient manner.
"Indian military budget was about USD 20 billion in last fiscal and is expected to grow 7 per cent annually over next 5 years. The country's military spend is about 2 per cent of GDP without accounting spend on defence pensions, para military forces and defence ministry as part of budgeted defence expenditure, Assocham President Venugopal Dhoot said in a statement.
The paper said without more private sector participation in all defence related deals and imports, it would be difficult for the defence ministry to achieve its target of 70 per cent self reliance in manufacturing defence equipments.
Some of key non-PSU industry participants supplying defence equipment and services include Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Group, Kirloskar Bros, Larsen & Toubro, Ashok Leyland, Jindal, Max Aerospace & Aviation and Ramoss India.
The corporate houses could make equipments to meet domestic defence requirement provided supplies are sought from them by involving their role through bidding process. PTI
Idea, Spice dare govt to allocate spectrum to later applicants
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) Birla group firm Idea Cellular Ltd and Modis-owned Spice Telecom today dared the government to allocate spectrum to those mobile operators who submitted applications after them.
"We caution the Department of Telecom (DoT) that no GSM initial spectrum allocation pertaining to application subsequent to ours of 26th June, 2006, for nine service areas can be entertained, until our application along with associated initial spectrum, are first disposed," Idea Cellular said in a letter to Telecom Secretary D S Mathur.
In a similar letter, Spice Telecom also warned the DoT and asked it to consider their applications filed in August 2006 for 20 circles.
Idea and Spice's letters follow DoT's decision to allow dual technology for mobile services, under which Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications became eligible for start-up spectrum in the GSM segment. In fact, RCom deposited the licence fee within a day of DoT changing the policy. The government is also considering issuing Letters of Intent to other applicants who applied before September 25 this year.
Both GSM companies also reminded the government a clause in the Unified Access Service License that "the application shall be decided, so far as practicable, within 30 days of submission of the application and the applicant company shall be informed accordingly".
"As such, the DoT was required to issue LoI by 25th July, 2006. In any event, it is now over 500 days from the date of application. Meanwhile, we have sent eight letters of reminders, apart from seven personal meetings," Rajat Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Idea, said in the letter. PTI
BHEL to invest Rs 220 cr for expansion of Haridwar facility
New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) Country's largest power equipment supplier BHEL today said it will invest an additional Rs 220 crore to upgrade production at its blade shop in Haridwar to 2.25 lakh blades by 2009.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has already invested Rs 180 crore on the blade shop, set up in 2003 to produce 40,000 lakh blades.
"With this, BHEL will become fully capable of manufacturing advanced design blades for thermal sets up to 1,000 MW capacity," the company said in a statement.
Shares of the company yesterday closed at Rs 2,368.85 each, down 1.31 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Advanced design blades are used in thermal sets for better efficiency and lower heat rate.
BHEL has embarked on an expansion plant to augment its manufacturing capacity to 15,000 MW per annum by 2009. The capacity augmentation at Haridwar blade shop is a part of the overall plan.
The company is also setting up a new fabrication plant and a central stamping unit at Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh at an investment of Rs 306 crore. PTI
Moderate price hike in January: Oil Secretary
Coimbatore, Dec 21 (PTI) The Union Government is expected to raise petrol and diesel prices moderately by the middle of January to help state-run oil firms reduce the loss they are incurring on selling fuel below cost.
"Be prepared for a modest or moderate hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, after a meeting of the Group of Ministers in the first week of January," Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan told reporters here.
"We are definitely not ruling out the hike. There will be a hike," he said.
Asked to quantify the hike, Srinivasan declined to directly specify it but indicated that the hike would be just the price of tea here (Rs two to Rs three).
To a question on the hike of LPG prices, Srinivasan said the government was providing domestic cooking gas for around Rs 290, nearly half that of the actual cost.
The Group of Ministers, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, was slated meet for the first time on December 14 but the meeting was postponed.
Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum are projected to lose Rs 69,753 crore on sale of petrol, diesel, LPG and PDS kerosene as the government has not allowed them to raise prices in line with the price of imported crude. The government had last increased petrol and diesel prices on June 6, 2006.
Petrol is being sold at a loss of Rs 8.74 a litre, diesel at Rs 9.92 per litre, kerosene Rs 20.53 a litre and LPG at a loss of Rs 256.35 per cylinder. PTI
Tata on top; but Ford wants other suitors around
London, Dec 21 (PTI) Not wanting to alienate other suitors including Mahindras, Ford may wait till the new year to announce the winner for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands, although Indian conglomerate Tatas have emerged as the top choice, media reports said here today.
"Tata Motors is set to be chosen by Ford as the preferred bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover as early as Friday," a report in Financial Times said quoting people close to the situation.
"For all intents and purposes, Tata is the preferred bidder," the report quoted a person close to one of the rival bidders, who added that Ford might select a preferred bidder without making an official announcement to avoid alienating other suitors, whom it needed to keep on side in case talks with the favoured candidate fell through.
When contacted, a Ford spokesperson told PTI, "No decision has been made at this time... We anticipate an agreement early next year at the latest." "These are complex commercial discussions and it is in the interests of all parties concerned if the process is conducted in a confidential manner," the official added.
The Financial Times report said that Tata Motors had pulled ahead of two rival bidders -- another Indian carmaker Mahindra and Mahindra and One Equity, a private equity firm led by former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser.
"Ford is likely to make an official announcement after the new year," Financial Times said, adding offers were in the range of 1.8-2.2 billion dollars.
It added that Tatas would be given an exclusivity period to finalise the detailed agreements and a final deal was expected to be signed early in 2008. PTI
Lee wants to challenge Tendulkar
Melbourne, Dec 21 (PTI) Australia's pace spearhead Brett Lee is keen to cross sword with Indian master Sachin Tendulkar in a bid to prove to the "world's greatest" that he is a vastly improved bowler now.
"I am actually looking forward to bowling against Sachin Tendulkar. It's going to be his last tour here in Australia. He's a pretty amazing player and I think any opportunity you get to play against the world's greatest is always a good chance to see where you are as a bowler," remarked Lee.
Lee feels he has come a long way from the previous tour by the Indians in 2003 when he played in the final three Tests and helped Australia win the Melbourne Test.
"I wasn't well when I played in MCG on that tour," said Lee who took eight wickets at 60 runs apiece in that series completely dominated by the Indian batsmen.
Lee fears the conditions here this time around might not be too different.
"If you think about bouncy wickets in Australia, it's probably only in Perth. The wickets that we have played on recently have been pretty low and slow, pretty much like a traditional Indian wicket I would think.
"I'm hoping and praying there is a bit more life in the wicket so we can use what we know to do out here in these conditions." Lee didn't want to be drawn into the controversy whether Shaun Tait or Mitchell Johnson should open bowling with him.
"It would be brilliant to open the bowling with Tait but Johnson has done an outstanding job. Success against Tendulkar might give him an edge over Tait." It was at the MCG eight years ago when Lee made his debut against India and impressed straightaway. PTI
Dravid may not open in Boxing Day Test
Ashish Shukla
Melbourne, Dec 21 (PTI) The choice of Rahul Dravid as opener for India's opening cricket Test against Australia on Boxing Day next week is not cast in iron yet.
Apparently, a rethink is on within the Indian ranks if it would be wise to put their trusted man in the middle order at the top of the ranks.
A few things have contributed to the rethink, the primary being the options at number three in Dravid's absence and whether he is in best shape to be given a role which nobody else in the middle order is keen to own.
Dravid, essentially a team-man, has gone on record that he wouldn't hesitate from owning up any responsibility that comes his way for the good of the team but he might not be faced with the difficult choice now.
Till the start of the three-day game against Victoria yesterday, the thinking was to put Dravid at the top of the order and pitchfork VVS Laxman at number three. These two were the best bats against Australia in 2003 and the opinion was to again put them at the forefront.
But both are unused to this position and Dravid is fighting his own demons, inflicted on him after his ouster from one-dayers, a few technical cobwebs as well as the new task of opening the innings. PTI
Ponting at top with career best rating points
Dubai, Dec 21 (PTI) Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's two unbeaten centuries in the Chappell-Hadlee Series gave him his career best rating points of 832 even as he continued his domination at the top of the ICC rankings for the ODI batsmen, released today.
Ponting not only ensured his team's 2-0 victory against New Zealand, he further consolidated his position at the top of the table by increasing the gulf between him and other batsmen.
The second position is held by his teammate Andrew Symonds who has 778 points followed by Kevin Pietersen at 738.
Only five batsmen in the current decade have enjoyed a better rating than him which includes Michael Hussey (863 in 2007), Matthew Hayden (854 points in 2003), Sourav Ganguly (844 in 2000), Sanath Jayasuriya (838 points in 2003) and Kevin Pietersen (834 points in 2007).
Also moving up the ranking ladder was Adam Gilchrist, who scored a quickfire half-century in the first ODI against New Zealand to go up three places to 11th spot.
The lone Indian in the top-10 list is Sachin Tendulkar at seventh spot after gaining one spot.
In the ICC bowlers rankings, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has dropped out of the top five after going wicketless in the Chappell-Hadlee series. South African Shaun Pollock leads the table with no Indian figuring in top-20.
The series win has also strengthened Australia's position at the top of the table and are now six points clear of South Africa in second place. New Zealand has slipped one point but remains third followed by India at 110. PTI
Rain plays spoilsport, India denied valuable match practice
Ashish Shukla
Melbourne, Dec 21 (PTI) Fresh thunderstorms played spoilsport today to deny India valuable match practice here with the second day of their three-day warm-up match against Victoria producing just 10 overs.
After a delayed start owing to wet outfield caused by yesterday's downpour, the penultimate day's proceeding lasted about just 45 minutes, during which India lost Sourav Ganguly (59) and reached 133 for four before rain put paid to their hopes for a good practice ahead of the Test series against Australia.
At stumps, Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 38 and Yuvraj Singh, hoping to retain his place in the Test eleven, was giving him company on six.
Allan Wise scalped Ganguly for his fourth wicket of the match.
Resuming on overnight score of 110 for three, Ganguly decided to go after the hosts. He clipped Wise through the mid-wicket region and then cut him for a four before the bowler had his revenge in the same over. PTI
New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Tenga, Pitika, thupka and Rumba along with a host of other delicacies from the northeast are now making waves across the world.
Though a piece of the pan-Indian cuisine, food from the Northeast is only recently making its presence gradually felt both in the country as well as in the global market.
"The not-so-much-talked-about Northeastern food with its pristine flavours and pure taste of nature is slowly making inroads to global palates," Bakshish Dean, executive chef at a five star hotel in the capital, told PTI.
The eight Northeastern states has a very rich culinary heritage, says Dean who in joint collaboration with Institute for Environmental Management and Social Development (IEMSD), had organised a eight-day northeast food fest here recently.
To look at the diversity of NE cuisine is sometimes an unfathomable proposition. The cooking styles and flavours of each and every state in the region is unique and differs from each other with considerable influence of Bengali, Nepali, Thai, Bhutan, Tibetan, Myanmar and Chinese cuisine, he says.
According to foodie, traveller, social scientist and filmmaker Dr Ashish Chopra, Assamese and Tripurian cuisine have adopted various nuances from Bangladesh. "The Bengali influence is strong and the ingredients and recipes are more or less similar. The only difference is that Assamese cuisine is much less spicy and less oily. The staples are rice and fish." "Bamboo is used extensively in cuisine of Tripura," says Dr Chopra who has also authored a book called 'NE Belly'. The traditional cuisine 'Mui Borok' and a key ingredient in Tripura cuisine is 'Berma', dried and fermented 'puthi' fish.
International students flock Delhi for school education
Ashwini Kumar Srivastava New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The capital, which has been a sought after destination with students for pursuing higher education, is now increasingly seen as an equal favourite with foreign students who are seen flocking to the city's schools, say experts.
"Every year as many as 200 students of foreign origin come to Delhi and surrounding areas to pursue school education," says Nalin S Kohli, former director ISOMES (International school of media & International studies).
The capital receives students mainly from South Korea, Thailand, Nepal and Canada, said Nalin, adding that good English education, security, cultural integrity, the city's cosmopolitan culture and bilateral relations with neighbouring countries are the main reasons behind their move.
"Public schools in our country are not so good. Also, we can't learn good English there. That is the reason why I chose to fly Delhi," said Jaemocho, who has come from Seoul, South Korea, studying at the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) I at Vidya Sanskar international school.
"I enjoy being in this school. The quality and teaching pedagogy here are of international standard. I feel I should have a secure career after completing my course," said Pop, from Bangkok, pursuing International General Certificate of Secondary Education - Commerce.
There are many like these students who are now seeking admission in international schools in Delhi. These schools have also to mould themselves to provide world-class education to the students along with providing career guidance. PTI
Blasts prompt police in Puducherry to gear up
Puducherry, Dec 17 (PTI) Two successive bomb blasts here recently have stirred the police to reengineer its strategies and action plan to ensure that Puducherry's reputation of being a peaceful territory does not become a thing of the past.
The slogan 'Peaceful Puducherry, 'Give Time a Break,' brought out by the Tourism Department of this former French colony signifies the crux of the sustained plea of most political parties who call for maintaining and guarding of peace and tranquility here.
However, the crude bomb blasts in Vanrapet block almost in quick succession in Uppalam constituency close to North Bouleward here on December 1, which claimed the life of two of the four boys had caused tremors in the territory's law enforcement machinery.
The first blast occurred when certain unidentified persons allegedly hurled the bomb at the residence of a local AIADMK activist in the wee hours of December 1.
Even though nobody was injured in the blast, police was virtually taken aback by this surprise development.
Some 10 hours after the first blast, a second one claimed the life of one boy and injured three others. The explosion took place when a group of boys playing near their house happened to open a bundle containing a bomb in the shape of a coconut.
Police swung into action and combed most areas and launched door to door search operations but failed to unearth lethal weapons or bombs anywhere in the area.
Cases were registered under different sections of the IPC and Explosive Substances Act 1907. In a phased manner, 13 of the 16 persons allegedly involved in the incident have so far been arrested. PTI
Laugh and work better: Book
New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Cracking jokes at work and laughing while indulging in lively banter filled with wit and humour leads to better health, improved communication and above all creates an atmosphere for increased productivity, says a new book.
Humour is not a substitute for any management technique or a cure-all for the failures of the enterprise, it is about mobilising the benefits of playfulness and pleasure to bring out the best in the employees, it says.
"Humour at the workplace is much more than the telling of side-splitting stories of the giving of light-hearted lectures. It is creating a work atmosphere which is constructive and creative, practical and pragmatic, enthusiastic and effective," writes Bangalore-based corporate trainer K Sathyanarayana in "The Power of Humour at the Workplace".
The writer says the benefits of humour can be reaped in every function of management of every type of business and the manager who is armed with a sense of humour enjoys an explicit edge over others at the workplace.
The corporate management should give due recognition to humour at the workplace, in the same way it treats quality, flexibility and timeliness as important.
In his foreword, Kirloskar Brothers Ltd. CMD Sanjay Kirloskar writes: "Humour helps everyone to go home from the workplace in a happy mood. This is a very important requirement (even though it gets neglected very often); otherwise one will be carrying the after-effects of events at the workplace to his home. As a corollary, no person will be successful if he brings domestic problems to his workplace, his mind acting as a godown of problems, worries and anxiety. PTI
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Sensex: 19162.57, +70.61
The sensex closed at 19162.57, up 70.61
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This is the Mumbai Grapevine
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 39.425 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3474 INR
1 British Pound = 78.298 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.571 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.089 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.731 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.513 INR
1 Euro = 56.642 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.838 INR
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This is the Mumbai Grapevine
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