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Govt says evolving consensus on N-deal, Left issues warning
New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) As the US continues to press India to conclude the nuclear deal at the earliest, Government today said efforts were on to evolve a broad political consensus here on the issue.
The Left parties, however, insisted that there was no consensus on the deal and warned the government of serious consequences if steps were taken to operationalise it.
Making a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee defended the initiative, saying it was essential to ensure end to an "unfair technology denial" regime and sanctions faced by India for over three decades.
"We will continue to seek broad political consensus within the country to take forward our engagement on this issue with other countries," Mukherjee said.
He did not elaborate but was clearly referring to efforts to overcome the stiff opposition by the Left allies to operationalisation of the deal with the US.
Seeking to allay the apprehensions of Left and other parties over the Hyde Act, Mukherjee said the legislation was an enabling provision between the Executive and Legislative organs of the US and India will have civil nuclear cooperation with the US under the 123 Agreement only.
"India's rights and obligations regarding the civil nuclear cooperation with the US arise only from the bilateral 123 agreement agreed upon with the US," he said. PTI
75 per cent turnout in Meghalaya poll
New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) An estimated 75 per cent of the over 12 lakh electorate today cast their franchise in Meghalaya assembly polls which passed off peacefully.
There were no reports of any incident or complaints of irregularity during the polling held for 59 of the total of 60 seats, Deputy Election Commissioner R Bhattacharya told reporters here.
Election to Baghmara assembly constituency has been postponed to March 22 after the death of Congress contestant S Sangma.
Like Tripura, the special feature in Meghalaya was that the polling was conducted with one hundred per cent photo electoral rolls and voters carried Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), he said.
The polling percentage could go up marginally in the state as there were some people still awaiting to exercise their franchise, Bhattacharya said.
A 15,000-strong force of polling personnel had been assigned election duties in 1,599 polling stations across the state. Thirty-nine poll observers and 117 magistrates monitored the smooth conduct of polling. PTI
Black Monday revisits markets, Sensex plunges by 901 pts
Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) It was black Monday once again for stock markets as benchmark Sensex melted to record its second biggest fall of over 900 points in BSE history and closed below 17k level as the already dim global situation gave further signs of worst feared recession in US.
The markets had similarly plummeted on January 21 and 22 as well as on February 11 this year on fears of a possible recession in US, the world's largest economy, owing to the credit crisis in US which is still lingering on.
The sub-prime crisis in US had shaved off more than 2,000 points from the BSE barometer on two days on January 21 and 22, leading to a massive erosion of over Rs 6 trillion in investors' wealth.
The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share Sensex today settled the day at a two-week low of 16,677.88, a fall of 900.84 points, or 5.12 per cent, from its last close.
Stocks melted in the first trading day after the presentation of Union Budget, which has proposed to hike the rate of short-term capital gain tax and massive Rs 60,000- crore relief package for farmers.
The fall incidentally coincides with Finance Minister P Chidambaram's defence for Rs 60,000-crore farm bonanza while showing concerns over rising food prices, which he said, has become an inflation threat.
Brokers said a hike in in the short-term capital gains tax and a proposal to waive farm loans were the bone of contention among the market fraternity.
Marketmen said the bourses took a cue from global slide, largely due to increasingly weak US economic data that fuelled fears of the US recession. PTI
Change in BSE, NSE trading timings from tomorrow
Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) Trading timings of the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange will be revised from tomorrow till March 18, as the sun's position may disrupt connectivity, causing difficulties in receiving data via satellites.
There would be sun outage from March 4 to 18 between 11.45 am to 12.25 pm, during which traders and investors may face loss of connectivity.
Trading on the bourses would start at 9.55 am and close at 4.15 pm local time owing to the sun outage, the exchanges said. The two exchanges would stop trading between 11.45 am and 12.25 pm and resume trading from 12.30 pm, a stock exchange circular said.
A sun outage is a distortion of geostationary satellite signals caused by interference from solar radiation. Generally, sun outages occur during February, March, September and October. The effects of a sun outage can include partial degradation, an increase in the error rate, or total destruction of the signal.
Both the BSE and NSE use VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminal) for members to connect to their trading systems. Both the bourses get affected by sun outage as VSATs depend upon satellites for connectivity between the terminals or systems. PTI
Rupee hits over five-month low at 40.37.38 vs dollar
Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) The Indian rupee lost 36 paise to hit over five-month low of 40.37/38 against the greenback today, despite softening of dollar to record low levels against its major rivals, as Asian stock markets plunged raising fears of capital outflows.
Forex dealers said rupee was moving down for the last three days as if responding to the concerns expressed by the government over its appreciation in the Economic Survey.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram has made budgetary provisions for market stabilisation bonds to counter a likely portfolio inflows into Asia's fastest growing economy.
Boosted by unprecedented capital inflows into equity markets last year, the rupee had seen unprecedented appreciation. The local unit had strengthened by 9.8 per cent between April 3, 2007 and January 16, 2008 against the US currency, according to the Economic Survey 2007-08.
The Indian unit traded in a wide range of 40.12 and 40.41 during the day after resuming sharply lower 40.14/16 a dollar against Friday's close of 40.01/02 a dollar.
Foreign Exchange dealers said the Indian unit failed to draw any support from weakness in dollar, which hit a record low against a basket of major currencies and also touched a three-year low vis-a-vis the yen in overseas markets.
Meanwhile, the benchmark Sensex on the Bombay Stock Exchange tumbled by 901 points, or 5.0 per cent, on heavy FII pullout amid fears of a world-wide slowdown.
Dealers said capital outflows following fall in stock markets could further weigh down on rupee sentiments. PTI
ADAG forays into microfinance market
Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) Anil Ambani group's financial services arm Reliance Capital today launched its microfinance initiative here with tie-ups for two states, which it said would be followed by a national rollout soon.
Reliance Capital said it is joining hands with two Gujarat-based microfinance institutions -- MAS Financial Services Ltd and Vardan Trust -- as part of its initiative to enhance penetration of microfinance in the country.
The initiative was launched by group chairman Anil Ambani's wife Tina Ambani, who handed over the first disbursement cheques.
Reliance Capital said it plans to fund MFIs in Gujarat and Maharashtra in the first phase, and subsequently have a national presence.
"Our vision is to provide access to finance at the grassroot level by partnering with MFIs serving the rural and semi-urban areas. This initiative is in line with the groups commitment to play a serious role in bringing value to the lives of the underprivileged and the aged in India," Tina Ambani told reporters.
"The initiative envisages lending to MFIs, which would then be on-lending finances to Self Help Groups, Individuals and Joint Liability Groups as per their norms," Reliance Consumer Finance' Deputy CEO K V Srinivasan said. PTI
India looks to new government in Pak to implement SAFTA
New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) India today exuded confidence that the new government in Islamabad will take immediate steps to implement the South Asian Free Trade Agreement with New Delhi and take necessary measures, including duty changes, to facilitate trade.
"We are looking toward the new government in Pakistan to take more positive steps in fulfilling the agreement in SAFTA, which it has acceded to but not implemented. We are looking at the new administration in Pakistan to look at this positively because it is an advantageous situation for them," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told reporters here after the third meeting of the SAFTA Ministerial Council.
Pakistan, a signatory of SAFTA, has maintained that with India it will implement the agreement only in line with its existing bilateral trade policy. Currently Pakistan's trade with India is restricted to about 1076 items. India wants the neighbouring country to implement SAFTA in 'true letter and spirit'.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan's Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah said his country has been looking at ways of expanding trade within SAARC and SAFTA member countries, including with India.
"We believe in consistency and continuity of policies in Pakistan and as and when the new government comes in, which would be very soon, they will get their briefings and position papers and then move on from there," Shah said. Pakistan's perspective on SAFTA has always been positive, he added.
"We are extremely happy with the way SAFTA is progressing and are looking at technical and institutional hiccups if any in order to move it forward. There are no mental blocks any more, no theoretical blocks," he said adding that issues of connectivity and infrastructure needs to be addressed. PTI
Aussies fear Harbhajan Singh, try to target him: Mother
Chandigarh, Mar 3 (PTI) As off-spinner Harbhajan Singh found himself embrolied in yet another race row, his mother Avtar Kaur today said came to his defence, saying the off-spinner was being targetted by the Australians as he has been performing well Down Under.
"The Aussies fear him as a bowler. He has been bowling well against them. They want to keep him down somehow, which is why some controversy or the other is raked up," Kaur told PTI over phone from her Jalandhar residence.
Australian media reports claimed that Harbhajan Singh had made monkey gestures towards the Sydney crowd during the first final of the tri-series against Australia yesterday.
"I can say for sure that Harbhajan can never do any such thing which hurts the sentiments of an individual or a group," she said.
She said the hype was being created about the alleged incident in the Australian media because India were on the winning side.
"Our side has challenged their dominance in the game and now they are finding ways to hit back at us," she said.
The International Cricket Council today ruled out taking any action against Harbhajan in the latest incident due to lack of evidence.
Kaur said she has spoken to Harbhajan, who was involved in a racism row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the Test series, and he told her that the whole thing had been blown out of proportion.
"Even then Harbhajan told me that the Aussie player used abusive language, but he restrained himself and did not reply in similar manner," she added. PTI
ICC rules out action against Harbhajan
Dubai, Mar 3 (PTI) In what would be music to the ears of Harbhajan Singh, ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe today ruled out taking any action against the Indian off spinner, who was alleged to have made monkey gestures towards crowd at the SCG.
Australian media reports had claimed that Harbhajan had made monkey gestures towards the Sydney crowd during the first final of the tri-series against Australia yesterday and even spat in anger while fielding at the boundary ropes.
"I have investigated the alleged incident with Cricket Australia's ground security officials after reading newspaper reports and viewing related photographs that have been published.
"After reviewing all available information, I conclude that there is no need to take any action against Harbhajan Singh," Crowe said in a statement, issued by the International Cricket Council. PTI
Aussies low on confidence before second final: Nielsen
Brisbane, March 3 (PTI) Australia's coach Tim Nielsen today admitted that his team's star-studded batting line-up is low on confidence before the second final of the cricket tri-series against India here tomorrow.
"You would be unhuman not to have a little bit of a hit with the confidence when you are not getting the results you are looking for," Nielsen said at a press conference on the eve of the match.
Nielsen said the main challenge before his side would be to get rid of the mental block against the Indian bowlers.
"That is the challenge of elite sport. You are not always going to get the result you want. We are playing against a bowling attack who are bowling very well. Our challenge at the moment is to keep these blokes up and get them in a state of mind which gives them every chance tomorrow.
"While we are not playing as well as we would have liked, we have 24 hours to sort it out," he said.
Nielsen said the recent reverses in hands of India had created self-doubts in the minds of the Australian players.
"It's one of those funny situations where they feel as if they are hitting the ball quite well and going about things pretty well,", he said. PTI
Clinton, Obama in make or break contest in Texas, Ohio
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Mar 3 (PTI) Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have launched an intensive campaign to fire-up supporters with an economic and populist agenda ahead of the make-or-break 'Super Tuesday II' primaries in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio.
Both Texas and Ohio vote in what are seen as must-win polls if Clinton, facing the biggest political challenge of her life, is to keep her campaign hopes alive. Rhode Island and Vermont will also go to the polls on Tuesday. A total of 370 nominating convention delegates are at stake.
Obama, aspiring to become the first African-American president, is now the race's frontrunner, having won 11 consecutive polls since February 5.
According to one tally, Obama has a total of 1,369 delegates -- 1,184 pledged and 185 super-delegates; and Clinton has 1,267 delegates-- 1,031 pledged and 236 as super delegates. A candidate requires a total of 2,025 to win the Democratic Party nomination.
In the Republican race, Senator John McCain -- who is far ahead of his remaining challengers Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul -- hopes to win enough delegates to secure his party's nomination.
Clinton and Obama are trying their best to convince Ohio voters they have what it takes to fix the economy. Both candidates have been focusing largely on the economy and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which many Ohioans blame for the loss of manufacturing jobs. PTI
Medvedev coasts to victory, to focus on eco ties with India
Vinay Shukla
Moscow, Mar 3 (PTI) Dmitry Medvedev, who has favoured an enduring economic partnership with India, was today elected the new Russian President with a landslide victory to replace his mentor Vladimir Putin, who is tipped to become the Prime Minister and continue to wield power in a revamped Kremlin.
Mededev, the soft-spoken 42-year-old former chief of world's largest gas monopoly Gazprom who has never held an elected office, won 70.23 per cent of the votes in yesterday's ballot, breaking Putin's record.
Putin, 55, had bagged little over 50 per cent votes in 2000 and over 60 per cent in the 2004 re-election bid.
While Putin is expected to take over as Prime Minister in May, Medvedev, who will step down as vice prime minister, ruled out any redistribution of powers, saying their relationship was based on "companionship, partnership and trust".
"...The president has his powers, the prime minister - his own powers in accordance with the Constitution and legislation in effect. And nobody intends to change them," Medvedev told reporters early today.
There are clear indications that economic cooperation based on mutual long-term investments in infrastructure and energy will be the focus of Medvedev's India policy.
"India will remain Russia's privileged partner in South Asia, with which relations of strategic partnership will continue to develop with a focus on strengthening the economic cooperation," Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexander Maryasov told PTI.
Medvedev, who has never visited India, has in the past favoured an enduring economic partnership with the country based on "mutually beneficial pragmatism". PTI
No ceasing operations against LTTE: Rajapakse
Colombo, March 3 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has vowed to continue military action against the LTTE till "every inch of land" in the North is liberated.
Addressing a well-attended rally in a gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka, 101 kms South-east of Colombo, the President yesterday said the armed action against LTTE will not cease "until such time every inch of land is liberated (from the tigers) and the last terrorist destroyed".
Rajapakse also sought to dispel any misgivings on the human rights situation in the island country saying people's rights were being safeguarded.
He said even the embattled Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka did not witness any situation suggestive of gross violation of human rights. Speaking in Sinhala, the President pointed out that Sri Lanka, under his government, was a very strong and stable democracy.
He said the country "need not under any circumstances beg before the international community on bended knees," the state owned "Daily News" reported today.
"We are no longer a poor country thriving on aid and subsidies of the world. Our per capita income has risen to USD 1,625 now. We need not put our head down to anybody, but we are prepared to listen to constructive criticism and prudent advice of others," the President said.
Nevertheless, the President said certain groups were seeking to undermine the ongoing mega development programmes and those in the pipeline.
"Some groups including sections of the media indulge in a slanderous and misleading campaign to deprive the country of international aid and disrupt development", the daily quoted Rajapakse as saying. He said the LTTE too was using all means at its disposal to obtain benefits from these groups. PTI
New Russian President has an India link
Moscow, March 3 (PTI) Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev apparently shares an India link unknown to many. The 42-year-old successor of Vladimir Putin has a surname which can trace its origin to Sanskrit.
Medvedev is derived from 'medved' the Russian word for bear. For pre-Christian Russians, who were the worshippers of wooden idols of 'Balvan' (almighty god), the use of the word 'ber' was a taboo and so they preferred to call the animal "Medved'.
While in Russian, 'Medved' would have translated to 'someone having the knowledge of honey', in Sanskrit, the language of Aryans, the word 'Madhu Vedi' has the same meaning.
Experts believe that Arctic Russia was the home of Indo-European Aryans tribes before they migrated to the South due to advent of Ice Age.
Outstanding Indian scholar of Vedas and freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak in his book 'The Arctic Home in Vedas' has also mentioned about the common roots of the Russians and Indians.
Ever since the rise of Nazi Germany and the Hitler's crimes against the Jews during the Second World War anything Aryan had been a taboo in Communist Russia and for the first time President Vladimir Putin had made a timid attempt to mention the Aryan roots of Russia during his visit to India in January 2007.
Addressing eminent Indians at a private gathering in the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, Putin for the first time publicly acknowledged that the common roots of Indians and Russian date back to 'days of Zoroaster', as he did not want to evoke the wrath of the powerful Orthodox Church and Jewish lobby by mentioning the word 'Aryan'. PTI
HuJI was supplying grenades to Lashkar for attacks in India
Dhaka, March 3 (PTI) Banned Bangladeshi militant outfit Harkat-ul Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) used to supply grenades to Pakistan-based Laskar-e-Toiba to carry out attacks in India, a a top HuJI leader has told the police here.
HuJI leader Abu Zandal, who was recently arrested, said they had sent several consignments of grenades to the Laskar operating in India until 2004, an unnamed security official was quoted as saying by the popular daily Prothom Alo.
But the outit failed to send the last such consignment as the Lashkar representative who was supposed to recieve it was killed in an encounter with Border Security Force near Bangladesh's Kaliganj frontier.
The report said Zandal told the interrogators that the slain Lashkar leader Yazdani, who was killed in 2006 by Delhi police, used to maintain links with detained HuJI chief Mufty Abdul Hannan. Bangladesh's elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had arrested Zandal on February 14.
The Alo report said Zandal claimed that they used to get the supply of "Arges grenades" from a fugitive, Maulana Tazuddin, who is believed to be hiding in South Africa.
Police had in January arrested Tazuddin's brother Abdus Salam Pintu, a minister in the previous Khaleda Zia government, for his suspected involvement in August 21, 2004 grenade attack on former premier Sheikh Hasina.
HuJi chief Hannan had earlier confessed to have carried out the attack but Hasina's Awami League had been alleging that a section of the then premier Zia's BNP was behind it.
Hasina narrowly escaped the bombing but 24 others lost their lives and scores were injured.
HuJI is also believed to have carried out several other grenade attack including one on British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury on May 21, 2004 in northeastern Sylhet. PTI
Pampering pooches- makeovers for pets takes a new high
Wasfia Jalali
New Delhi, Mar 3(PTI) Treating your cocker spaniel with the choicest treats available in pet food is passe.
Elaborate grooming sessions with the latest oatmeal shampoo, a pedicure and perfumed sprays and a trendy haircut that can turn him from an average guard dog into a rock star in doggy parlance is what owners are increasingly getting into.
From sunscreens to oatmeal shampoos, paw balms and scented sprays, the range of grooming cosmetics, accessories and other pets care products is growing globally with more owners opting to give their pets an extra bit of pampering.
Along with pet food, the cosmetics and toiletries industry is also now joining in the dynamic 'personal care' market for pets. It is estimated that in the US consumers spent more than USD 21.4 billion on their pets with big business expected in Asia-Pacific and Western Europe markets also.
"We offer several grooming services for pets to cater to the people who want their pets to be clean, hygienic and fit. The services include providing baths, anti-ticks or dandruff treatment and special hair-cuts", says Geetika Nigam, who runs 'Pawprints', a Gurgaon-based company specialising in pet-grooming services.
"Clients might buy one-time services from us or regular grooming sessions depending upon their requirements and their budget", she adds.
While the company provides home-based service for pets, the cost is determined by the kind of sessions the client opts for, as also on the requirements of the breeds concerned.
"The cost for providing complete grooming can be anywhere from Rs 1,000 for a single session to Rs 20,000 for a six-month long regular arrangement," says Nigam who also offers fitness-related advice to pet-owners. PTI
Nathuram Godse was raised as a girl, had oracular powers: book
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Nathuram Godse, the man who killed Mahatma Gandhi, was raised by his parents as a girl in his childhood, wore a nose ring and was believed to have oracular powers, says a new book.
"As a child, his (Nathuram's) parents and brothers believed that he possessed oracular powers. He would sit before the family goddess, staring fixedly at a spot of soot smeared in the exact centre of a copper tray, and soon fall into a trance," writes Manohar Malgaonkar in "The Men Who Killed Gandhi".
"While in the trance, he would see some figures or writing in the black spot before him, much as a crystal-gazer is supposed to see in his glass ball. Then one or other member of the family would ask him questions, His answers were those believed to be those of the goddess, who spoke through his mouth," 94-year-old Malgaonkar, an ex-serviceman and a civil servant, writes.
The new edition of the book, first published in 1978, carries hitherto unpublished photographs and documents related to Gandhi's assassination.
The author says that psychologists may find some explanation for Nathuram's warped mental processes in the fact that he was brought up as a girl.
His left nostril was pierced to take a 'nath' or nose ring, Malgaonkar writes.
Nathuram was born into an orthodox Brahmin family which came from the nondescript village Uksan, 10 miles from the wayside railway station of Kamshet, on the Bombay-Poona line. His father, Vinayak Godse, was a minor official in the Postal Department. PTI
About the book -- Name: "The Men Who Killed Gandhi"; Author: Manohar Malgaonkar; Publishers: Roli Books; Price: Rs 395; Pages: 354) PTI
Orkut, the new agony aunt
New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) While millions continue to log into social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook to make friends and socialise, a small but growing number of individuals are also logging on to share not only their personal problems but also to find solutions for them.
Social networking sites are are increasingly taking the shape of the new age online 'agony aunt'.
"Orkut has been a great strength of support for me. I had lost all faith in destiny till I logged on to a kidney transplant community where people with similar problems pepped me up by writing down their experiences," says Sarath Kumar from Hyderabad.
Sarath, who is looking out for a kidney donor for himself adds, "They were people who told me what to do, what all precautions I should take and even suggested names of some good doctors that I could get in touch with." The popularity of such networking sites turning out to be the agony aunt can be gauged from the hundreds of help communities that have been set up, be it from complex issues like kidney transplants, blood cancer to much smaller issues like teenage heart breaks.
Not only do these communities attract a large number of members who indulge in periodical discussions to offer help to the one seeking, many also take part in these discussions as non members.
"The whole purpose of my community has been to reach out to people who face similar problems. Many of the freshers had joined my community and we discussed everything from anti- ragging rules to how to go about with their admission procedure," says Sashank Nair, who had set up a community for first year under-graduate students. PTI
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