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'Himachal
to be tourist destination for all
seasons'
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The
Himachal Pradesh Government plans
to pursue a multi-pronged strategy
to make the State a round-the-year
tourist destination suitable for all
income groups. This was announced
by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh
while releasing a special issue of
Monal on the occasion of World Tourism
Day. Singh said that the Government
was focusing on home-based rural tourism
on the one hand while striving for
better air and rail connectivity to
attract foreign tourists. Home-based
rural tourism was a novel idea which
would take tourism to remote areas
of the State and give tourists the
opportunity to acquaint themselves
with the rich cultural heritage, customs,
traditions, art and craft and way
of life in Villages, he observed.
The Chief Minister said that the State
Government had launched a Home Stay
scheme to associate villagers with
the rural tourism promotion programme.
The villagers would have to invest
in creating an infrastructure to cater
to the boarding and lodging facilities
for the tourists would be registered
under the programme and issued a logo
of Himachal Tourism to ensure a certain
quality and instil a sense of security
among the visitors. He said that the
home-based tourism would generate
employment for the local people and
the entire State would be involved
in tourism promotion activities. Singh
said that tourism promotion was subject
to strict adherence to ecological
safeguards and reiterated the commitment
of the Government to preserve the
States ecology and environment at
all costs while promoting tourism.
He said that tourists visiting Himachal
outnumbered the population of the
State and the number was likely to
multiply with better connectivity
and structured tourism development
in remote areas. Himachal was the
most sought after destination for
tourists since it could cater to tastes
of all the people. He said that efforts
were afoot to associate internationally
renowned hospitality professionals
to create quality tourism infrastructure
in the State.
Courtesy:
www.dailypioneer.com, September 28,
2007
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Omega-3
fatty acids may help prevent type-I
diabetes
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Early
research suggests that omega-3 fatty
acids present in fish like salmon
may help prevent type-I diabetes,
which usually occurs in childhood
or adolescence. A new study conducted
by Norwegian researchers included
1,770 children, to suggest the protective
role of omega-3 fatty acids in type-1
diabetes. The study confirmed that
children who reportedly had higher
intakes of omega-3 fatty acids had
less evidence of the 'auto-antibodies'
associated with the progression of
type-1 diabetes, reported the online
edition of health magazine WebMD.
Type-1 diabetes is also known as juvenile
diabetes. It is an autoimmune disease
in which the pancreas makes little
or no insulin, resulting in an abnormally
high blood sugar level. A child suffering
from the disease requires daily insulin
injections for survival. Previous
research suggested that omega-3 fats,
which are also found in mackerel and
fresh tuna, might help cut the risk
of cancer and heart disease. The researchers
studied children from birth to age
three, who are at increased risk of
developing type-I diabetes, and monitored
them for six years. These children
either had a parent or sibling with
type-1 diabetes or had genetic tests
that showed increased risk.
Courtesy:
www.thestatesman.net, September 28,
2007
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The
former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,
has suggested the creation of an international
peace force consisting of space-faring
countries to ensure peaceful use of
outer space and to take collective
steps to achieve low cost transportation
into space. Addressing the delegates
at the International Astronautical
Congress here on Thursday, he urged
the IAC to constitute international
teams to achieve the objectives of
'World Space Vision-2050' which was
unveiled at an international conference
at Caltech in the U.S. on " Fifty
years in space." The vision included
using space technology for accurate
prediction of weather, keeping a tab
on global climate, finding solutions
to water scarcity and so on.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, September 28, 2007
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India
lifts Twenty20 World Cup
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India
on Monday created history by clinching
the inaugural Twenty20 cricket World
Cup with a breath-taking five-run
victory over arch-rivals Pakistan
in a summit showdown which saw fortunes
fluctuating from one team to the other
till the dying moments. In a nail-biting
contest, the young Indian team scored
157 for five and then held their nerves
to wrap up the Pakistan innings for
152 with just three balls to spare
to win their first major title in
over two decades. It was an incredible
display by the Indians who relied
on superb team work to not only maintain
their all-win record against their
bitter foes in World Cup matches but
end a series of giant-killing acts
in a blaze glory.
The
large flag-waving gathering of Indians
at the Wanderers burst into celebrations
when S Sreesanth caught a dangerous
Misbah-ul-Haq off Joginder Sharma
to bring an end to the Pakistan challenge.
The contest seemed to go out of India's
hands in the 17th over when Misbah-ul-Haq
clobbered Harbhajan Singh for three
sixes but Mahendra Singh Dhoni's band
of young warriors roared back in great
style to eventually lift the coveted
trophy and the winners' purse of $49000.
Gautam Gambhir slammed a 54-ball 75
and Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten
30 but the big guns like Yuvraj Singh
and Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to
click when it mattered the most. But
the Indian bowlers responded to the
challenge admirably by bowling their
hearts out in the pulsating contest
with Irfan Pathan (3-16) and R P Singh
(3-27) playing a stellar role. For
Pakistan, Misbah-ul-Haq was the top
scorer with a 38-ball 44 and Imran
Nazir chipped in with 33 but their
efforts were not enough to overhaul
the Indian target. The stunning victory
not only added a glorious chapter
to India's cricketing history but
also made amends for the team's inglorious
exit from the ODI World Cup in the
West Indies six months ago.
Indeed,
the Men in Blue sliced a piece of
history for themselves showcasing
great self-belief, confidence, passion
and a never-say-die attitude. And
they made their own destiny by their
sheer performance and will to win.
Pakistan needed 13 runs off the last
over bowled by Joginder Sharma who
was clearly overawed by the enormity
of the occasion. He started with a
wide and followed it with a dot ball.
However, the next one went sailing
into the sight screen as Misbah-ul-Haq
hit his fourth six that drove India
to despair. And with just six needed
off 4 balls, Misbah threatened to
pilot Pakistan to a dream triumph
all on his own. And yet, as it were,
he went for a delicate chip over fine
leg, a dangerous shot to play under
the circumstances, didn't connect
well enough for Sreesanth to take
the most memorable catch of his career.
Pakistan
were bowled out for 152 in 19.3 overs
chasing India's 157 for 5. Misbah
made 43 off 38 balls with 4 sixes.
And indeed it was the most sensational,
thrilling end to a World Cup final.
At one stage, Pakistan needed 35 off
last 3 overs. Tanvir Sohail then hit
Sreesanth for two sixes in the 18th
over before getting bowled off the
last ball. It left Pakistan to get
20 runs off the last 2 overs with
2 wickets in hand. It all boiled down
to 13 in the last over and it witness
a great finish. RP Singh made early
inroads for India and took 3 for 26
while Irfan Pathan's magical spell
in the middle overs rocked Pakistan
enablig him to finish with 3 for 16.
Even Joginder Sharma did well to finish
with 2 for 20. RP Singh gave India
a perfect start removing Mohammad
Hafeez (1) and Kamran Akmal (0) off
successive overs in the 1st and 3rd
over of the innings but, in between,
Imran Nazir did a lot of damage taking
21 runs off Sreesanth's first over.
Hafeez was caught at first slip by
Uthappa while Akmal played across
and lost his leg stump. Imran Nazir
roughed up Sreesanth with his audacious
strokeplay in his vert first over
smashig him for two sixes and two
fours.
The
first ball went over cover for a four,
the second ball went over mid-wicket
for a six, the third ball again went
for a six over thirdman and the 5th
ball was whacked over point for another
boundary. Luckily for India, they
got him out of the way in the sixth
over when Robin Uthappa's direct hit
from mid-off saw him short of the
crease by inches. Younis Khan became
the fourth casualty in the innings
when he holed out in the deep to Joginder
Sharma for 24. However, it was Irfan
Pathan who really rocked the Pakistan
innings in the middle overs when he
dismissed captain Shoaib Malik (8)
and big hitter Shahid Afridi (0) within
a space of three deliveries. Malik,
who crawled to 8 off 17-balls went
for a pull from outside the off stump
and was picked at mid-wicket by Rohit
Sharma. And when Shahid Afridi walked
in, Pathan intimidated him with a
first-ball bouncer that was called
wide by the umpire.
Courtesy:
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com,
September 24, 2007
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Prashant
Tamang wins the Indian Idol
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IT
WAS A big night for music fans all
across the country as they waited
in anticipation for the declaration
of the new Indian Idol. The shy constable
from West Bengal Police - Prashant
Tamang emerged winner amidst great
jubilation. Thousands of fans cheered
their new Indian Idol and celebrated
his victory. The grand finale, which
took place in the Capital on Sunday,
was one of the biggest events of the
year in the world of music. The decision
was influenced by over seven crore
votes sent by people from all across
the country. Amit Paul, the first
runner up took his defeat rather gracefully.
He was seen applauding for Tamang
and said that he was very happy for
him. Javed Akhtar said that he would
have preferred Amit Paul over Prashant
Tamang but then the final decision
was left to the public. Alisha Chinai
backed Javed Sahib's preference but
also went on to add that both are
dynamic singers. Gayatri Wadhwa, an
excited fan says, "Prashant has an
amazing voice but Amit's voice can
touch the heart. But both are good
in their own way. I am happy that
Indian Idol gives this kind of opportunity
to common people." Aneesh Mehra, a
student opined, "Indian Idol is one
of the most popular reality music
shows in the country. This is because
it was the first of its kind and people
from humble backgrounds are transformed
into stars on this platform." The
hills of Darjeeling were echoing with
jubilation. People feasted throughout
the night and are looking forward
to Tamang's visit. Kamini Kataria
says, "When John Abraham was called
on stage to do the honours, all of
us held our breath. It was a funny
situation. We love both Prashant as
well as Amit but only one person had
to emerge as winner. For us, it didn't
really matter. It was a big deal for
both finalists to be there." Both
Prashant as well as Amit have won
a Maruti SX4 car while Tamang has
bagged the Rs 1crore contract with
Sony as well. The wait finally ended.
It was indeed a big event for Prashant
Tamang who emerged triumphant at the
end. The new singing sensation of
the nation will soon be singing playback
songs making us cherish Indian Idol
over and over again.
Courtesy:
www.merinews.com, September 24, 2007
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Young
Indians happiest in the world: Survey
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When
it comes to being satisfied with oneself,
Indian youths are the world's happiest
lot with career being their top priority.
Young middle-class Indians are the
happiest people of all and much more
satisfied with all aspects of their
lives compared to other nationalities,
according to a new global survey by
Swedish research and consulting firm
Kairos Future. Further, work comes
as top priority for Indian youth,
followed by a good career and higher-status.
In contrast, for those in Europe,
a good living environment comes on
top and above all work-related aspects,
Kairos Future said. The priorities
of Indian youth -- work, good career
and a position with high status, are
reflected in their values such as
endurance and entrepreneurship. "Indian
youth are also strikingly more optimistic
about their own future and also about
the future of society. The general
picture in other countries is that
young people tend to be personal optimists
but societal pessimists," according
to Kairos Future Group CEO and founder
Mats Lindgren. However, the study
found that even though family is a
strong focal point in an Indian society,
youths here showed little interest
in having a family and children of
their own. When asked about what constitutes
a good life, many responded that there
are many other important aspects than
having a family and children, the
survey said. "Indians are focused
on their careers and are much more
status-oriented than youth in Europe,"
says the latest survey carried out
by Sweden-based Kairos Future, a futures
research and consulting firm.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, September
20, 2007
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JWDI
briefing: India's defence industry
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With
a defence budget that is set to increase
from USD23.6 billion in 2006 to USD33.2
billion in 2009, Western defence companies
have prioritised India as a key market.
Although much of this money is committed
to procurement of foreign equipment,
local defence industries are also
enjoying an unprecedented period of
high profits as the country modernises
its ageing equipment throughout its
armed forces. However, India's defence
system is in need of repair. Too many
- if not all - major indigenously
designed and manufactured platforms
are delayed and over budget, some
by up to 20 years. Traditionally India's
state-owned companies have been selected
for all major defence contracts in
the country and have been supported
by a complex process that, judging
by the continued delays, is archaic
and ineffective. The government, however,
is aware that it needs to make changes
to its defence system and, over the
past few years, has started to introduce
a number of measures - including offsets
and the pending Raksha Udyog Ratnas
(RUR) policy. Together, these policies
and reforms could make a positive
difference to India's defence industries
and provide the 75 per cent self-reliance
that the government craves. Without
the government discipline and a level
of ruthlessness that would be needed
to make the policies work, however,
the reforms will be nothing more than
the traditional sound-bites that defence
analysts are used to hearing from
New Delhi. Indian defence spending
in the years between 2001 (USD13.81
billion) and 2007 (USD22.1 billion)
has seen an increase of 60 per cent.
The 2007 budget has been set at USD25.08
billion, a 12.6 per cent increase
over 2006. The published defence budget
covers, and is the sum of, the following
six areas: military pensions; the
army; the navy; the air force; capital
expenditure; and research and development.
The actual execution of the defence
budget, however, is plagued by inefficiencies
and corruption, the former resulting
in billions of rupees remaining unspent
and returned to the Ministry of Finance
(MoF). In 2006, the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Defence revealed
that up to INR10 billion (USD246 million)
set aside for capital investment and
modernisation was unspent during that
year; while two years earlier the
same committee said that, since 1999,
a total of USD7 billion had remained
unspent and was consequently repaid
to the MoF. All this has had a significant
impact on the defence budget as, according
to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget
Management Act, monies repaid to the
MoF are removed from the next year's
budget. This is part of the reason
that expenditure as a percentage of
GDP is on the decline. This seems
likely to remain the case until defence
procurement processes are significantly
improved.
Courtesy:
www.janes.com, September 18, 2007
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US
students keen to add India on CVs
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Yet
another instance of reverse traffic
that India is waking up to. While
India is one of the largest exporters
of students to the US, it is slowly
emerging as the destination for American
students eager to have India on their
résumés. While a few are enrolled
for full courses at Indian colleges,
a growing tribe of American students
is opting for exchange programmes.
Students also opt for studying in
India for a single semester and be
evaluated in college records back
home. Jerome Axle Brown of Johns Hopkins
University is one of them. The 20-year-old
student of public health is among
a group of 19 who has enrolled in
a programme for the fall semester
this year offered by IES Abroad, a
Chicago-based non-profit overseas
study facilitation service.
The
Delhi centre is IES's 16th venture
and the latest on its global map of
study centres. "I came here to find
out what I really want to do beyond
pre-med. I am hoping an outside perspective
will help," Brown said. If self-discovery
is the prime motivation that has prompted
Brown to opt for the course, others
in his group cite reasons ranging
from the attraction of Bollywood to
getting to know the nuances of a different
theological system. India has been
a revealing experience for most. "Even
crossing roads has been quite an adventure,
but hopefully, life will get easier,"
said Lindsey Humphreys of Ithaca College.
"We often get preferential treatment
at shops and yet, have to dole out
higher prices. It's quite unnerving,"
she added. Vibha Sharma, who started
the Delhi centre a year and a half
back, said: "My biggest challenge
has been finding the faculty for the
six compulsory courses I am running
this semester." Specialised courses
are offered at JNU and Ramjas College.
Exchange programmes, such as the ones
between Delhi colleges like St Stephen's
and Lady Shri Ram with American universities
like Rutgers and Brown, also offer
opportunities to study in India. While
these deals have been getting a few
dozen American students a semester,
faculty members from Indian colleges
also visit US campuses for research.
St Stephen's gets 10 to 15 American
students to India every year and has
tie-ups with three American institutes.
However, Dr Valsan Thampu, principal
of St Stephen's, said Indian educational
institutes are not organised enough
to capitalise on this new surge in
interest. "Detailed planning for certain
issues, like student accommodation,
should be worked out. Foreign students
look for accommodation with the comforts
of home and that's not easy to organise.
But we need to work on this," Thampu
said.
Courtesy:
www.sinlung.com, September 16, 2007
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Indian
docs serve, thrive in Kabul
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Away
from the security and normalcy of
their homes, over 100 doctors from
India are busy nursing the sick and
the wounded in Afghanistan. Cardiologists,
general physicians, orthopaedics,
paediatricians and radiologists from
all over India have made strife-torn
Afghanistan their new, even if temporary,
homes. Paediatrician RK Singh has
been stationed at the Institute of
Child Health in Kabul for 11 months
now. "The hospital was built by the
Indian government in 1971 and run
by a team of doctors from the All
India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) till the Taliban took over."
"After 2001, Indian doctors returned.
Now we have six doctors in Kabul and
nine more in the cities of Heart,
Kandahar, Jalalabad and Mazhar e Sharief,''
Singh told HT. Post-Taliban, what
began as an Indian government initiative
spread to the private sector. "Max,
Escorts and Apollo have opened branches
in Kabul in collaboration with local
players. The Hyderabad-based Krishna
Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)
set up the first MRI laboratory in
the private sector here last month,''
said an Indian Embassy official. Till
the lab was set up, patients had to
visit either Pakistan or India to
simply get an MRI scan done. Sumit
Aggarwal of Apollo said the clinic
caters to 20 patients per day on an
average. "We do not operate here but
carry out consultations. If some patient
wants to go to India for treatment,
we facilitate,'' the cardiologist
said. Most Indian doctors come to
Afghanistan for a one-to-two year
period. Usually, it is a non-family
posting with extra money and perks.
In spite of the faith that the people
of Afghanistan have on them, the doctors
have to be careful about security.
"There is no life after work. Our
lab is on the first floor and we stay
on the floor above. We also follow
guidelines issued by our Embassy.
But the love and affection of the
locals make it worth every second.
And home is just an hour-and-a-half
away,'' summed up Pankaj, working
at the KIMS lab.
Courtesy:
www.hindustantimes.com, September
15, 2007
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Train
mows down pilgrims - 12 bodies recovered
from Saryu River
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12
bodies recovered from Saryu river
so far after at least 16 pilgrims
were reportedly mowed down by the
Intercity Express last night near
Saryu Ghat railway station.The incident
occurred in the Lucknow Gorakhpur
section on the bridge over Saryu river.
Karwariyas travelling in Lucknow Gonda
passenger got down at the bridge near
Saryu river as the train slowed to
halt at the Saryu Ghat station. As
the passengers were over the bridge,
another speeding train - the Intercity
Express - crossed on the other track
killing about 16 of the kawariyas.
Several people jumped off the bridge
into the river to escape the speeding
train. Violent protests and acts of
arson by kawariyas followed, leading
to loss of property at Saryu Ghat
station. Divers from the Provincial
Armed Constabulary were deployed to
search for the people who had jumped
into the river or were thrown in by
the passing train.
Courtesy:
www.merabsp.com, September 14, 2007
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to Index
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Train
mows down pilgrims - 12 bodies recovered
from Saryu River
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12
bodies recovered from Saryu river
so far after at least 16 pilgrims
were reportedly mowed down by the
Intercity Express last night near
Saryu Ghat railway station.The incident
occurred in the Lucknow Gorakhpur
section on the bridge over Saryu river.
Karwariyas travelling in Lucknow Gonda
passenger got down at the bridge near
Saryu river as the train slowed to
halt at the Saryu Ghat station. As
the passengers were over the bridge,
another speeding train - the Intercity
Express - crossed on the other track
killing about 16 of the kawariyas.
Several people jumped off the bridge
into the river to escape the speeding
train. Violent protests and acts of
arson by kawariyas followed, leading
to loss of property at Saryu Ghat
station. Divers from the Provincial
Armed Constabulary were deployed to
search for the people who had jumped
into the river or were thrown in by
the passing train.
Courtesy:
http://merabsp.com, September 14,
2007
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India
opens Siachen to trekkers
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In
a clear signal to Pakistan that the
Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region
will remain "non-negotiable" till
it accepts Indian conditions, India
is now actively encouraging mountaineering
and trekking expeditions to the forbidding
glacial heights. The expeditions are
also meant to show to the international
audience that Indian troops hold "almost
all dominating heights" on Saltoro
Ridge, which is the highest watershed
in the area and towers along the western
edge of the glacier. And, of course,
that Pakistani troops are nowhere
near the 72-km-long Siachen Glacier.
Sources said a 16-member Indo-French
expedition to Mamostong Kangri peak,
located about 30-km east of the snout
of Siachen Glacier, took place between
July 30 and September 1. A 33-member
Army expedition is currently underway
to the same area. Another Indian Mountaineering
Federation expedition to Rimo Peak,
which is located east of Siachen and
overlooks Aksai Chin, was launched
on September 6, with six civilians
and four Army soldiers. Interestingly,
it was Pakistan's grant of permit
to a Japanese expedition to climb
Rimo Peak in 1984, in the hope of
laying a legal claim to the area,
which had acted as the final provocation
for India to airlift troops to the
region.
The
Indian troops had occupied Saltoro
Ridge heights, ranging from 16,000-feet
to 22,000-feet, against daunting odds
under 'Operation Meghdhoot' in April
1984, beating Pakistani troops from
doing the same by just a whisker.
Apart from the expeditions, the Army
is now also going to organise "trekking
trips" as a "civilian adventure activity"
to the world's highest, coldest and
costliest battlefield since it no
longer witnesses fierce artillery
duels due to the ongoing Indo-Pak
ceasefire. A group of 20, including
eight to nine civilians and cadets
from NCC, Rashtriya Indian Military
College and Indian Military Academy,
will be part of the first such trekking
trip from September 19. "The group
will acclimatise and train at Leh
for 10 days before they are sent to
the Siachen base camp for further
training. Thereafter, they will trek,
through heights varying between 14,000-feet
and 16,000-feet, to reach the forward
Kumar Post," said an officer. This
frenzy of activity at the glacial
heights comes at a time when 11 rounds
of Indo-Pak defence secretary-level
talks, the last held in April, as
well as back-channel contacts have
failed to achieve a major breakthrough
in the Siachen dispute. Defence minister
A K Antony has made it clear Pakistan
will have to "authenticate" the relative
troop positions - both on the map
and on the ground - along the 110-km
Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL)
before any forward movement can take
place. The AGPL stretches beyond the
NJ-9842 grid reference point, where
the well-delineated Line of Control
simply stopped dead in the 1972 Shimla
Pact, right till the Karakoram Pass.
With the trust deficit with Pakistan
yet to be bridged, India wants the
AGPL to be "authenticated" first as
an international safeguard before
any troop disengagement, withdrawal
and the final demilitarisation of
the glacier. Pakistan, on its part,
has shown some willingness for this
in recent times but is yet to fully
meet India's demand. India, of course,
is in no particular hurry to vacate
the heights since it has stopped "bleeding"
like before due to better infrastructure
and facilities in place there.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, September
13, 2007
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Oh
God! UPA red faced, says Lord Ram
existed
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The
Centre will withdraw "offending remarks"
from an affidavit which said there
is no scientific or historical evidence
to prove the existence of Lord Ram.
"Lord Ram is an integral part of Hindu
faith" and his existence can never
be doubted, said Union Law Minister
H R Bharadwaj. He announced the Government
would on Friday file a supplementary
affidavit on the Sethusamudram canal
project before the Supreme Court and
the Archaeological Survey of India's
affidavit will be cleansed of offending
remarks. The ASI affidavit, which
was filed to explain the Government's
position on the Sethusamudram project,
embarrassed the Government and gave
ammunition to its political rivals,
as it claimed that mythological texts
cannot be regarded as "historical
record" and they don't prove the existence
of characters mentioned in those texts.
Sources tell CNN-IBN Congress chief
Sonia Gandhi has sought a clarification
from the Government on the affidavit
and take "remedial measures". The
controversy has given the BJP a chance
to embarrass the government. Party
president Rajnath Singh on Thursday
rejected the Government's explanation
and demanded an "unqualified" apology.
Courtesy:
www.ibnlive.com, September 13, 2007
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Nithari
killings: Court frames charges against
Pandher
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A
special court on Wednesday framed
charges of murder and rape against
Moninder Singh Pandher, in whose home
in Nithari at least 19 women and children
were brutally murdered. The court
of Special CBI Judge Rama Jain here
framed the charges in connection with
the murder of 22-year-old Payal, one
of the victims of the serial killings
allegedly committed by Pandher's servant
Surender Koli. All the chargesheets
filed so far by the CBI, which is
investigating the serial killings
in Nithari, had not levelled charges
of murder against Pandher. Payal's
father Nand Lal filed an application
under section 216 of CrPC in Judge
Jain's court for imposing murder and
rape charges against Pandher, Nand
Lal's advocate Khalid Khan said. The
judge allowed the application today
and framed charges of murder and rape
against Pandher. These charges will
be in addition to the other charges
framed against him by CBI. Khan said
Pandher would now be prosecuted by
the court under all these charges.
"Some evidence surfaced against Pandher
to frame charges of rape and murder.
We filed an application in court,"
he said. "After arguments, the court
was fully satisfied and reached the
conclusion that additional charges
under sections 302 (murder), 376 (rape),
201 (causing disappearance of evidence
of offence) and 120B (criminal conspiracy)
of the IPC should be framed against
Pandher." Pandher and Koli are currently
being held in the Dasana district
jail here.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, September
12, 2007
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Fake
sting: Uma Khurana gets bail
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A
Delhi court on Monday granted bail
to Uma Khurana, the school teacher
arrested in connection with a TV channel's
sting operation. The sting operation
had accused Uma Khurana, a government
school teacher, of forcing students
into prostitution. Police, however,
discovered evidence that showed that
the sting was an attempt to frame
her. The crime branch has already
arrested the reporter, Prakash Singh,
who masterminded the operation. Rashmi
Khanna, the girl who had been roped
in by Singh as a bait for the teacher,
was arrested on Thursday. In an application
before a Tis Hazari court where she
was produced on Friday, Khanna offered
to turn approver. This may help the
police piece together the plot and
prove its case in court. The sting
has raised such a stink that the HC
stepped in, taking suo motu cognisance.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com,
September 10, 2007
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TV
editor blasts reporter for fake sting
expose
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The
CEO and editor of the Live India television
news channel that broadcast a fake
sting operation that purported to
show the alleged involvement of a
teacher in a prostitution racket and
set off a riot in the process said
the reporter who carried out the investigation
was a "criminal and breached the trust".
"The reporter kept me in dark and
breached the trust. He is a criminal
and a hazard for journalism," Live
India editor Sudhir Chaudhary told
IANS. "As the head of the channel,
I owe responsibility but there is
no reason why I should trust him (now).
He cheated me, Uma Khurana and Rashmi
Singh. "I issued a show cause notice
to him on September 2 after reading
newspaper reports and he gave us a
handwritten reply defending the sting,"
Chaudhary said.
The
reporter Prakash Singh is currently
in Delhi Police custody.
Prakash
Singh was arrested on Friday on charges
of cheating, fabrication of evidence
and criminal conspiracy after he allegedly
tried to frame Uma Khurana, a mathematics
teacher of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya
in central Delhi. After the purported
sting was shown on Live India, hundreds
of angry people manhandled her and
later the Delhi Education Department
sacked her from her job. Taking note
of the TV report, Delhi Police arrested
Khurana under the Immoral Trafficking
Prevention Act. Live India is the
new name of Janmaat channel, promoted
by Broadcast Initiatives Ltd of Markand
Adhikari. Janmaat was a predominantly
"views channel" earlier till it re-launched
itself in the form of Live India,
a 24x7 news channel, on August 3.
Since then Live India was focussing
less on programmes, discussions and
more on live news and adopted a tagline
Khabar Hamari Faisla Aapka (News ours
decision yours). Chaudhary, who was
earlier the executive editor of Rajat
Sharma-owned India TV, joined as the
editor and CEO in March this year.
Expressing helplessness over the situation,
Chaudhary said: "I wish I were in
a different situation and asking questions,
not answering them. We have suspended
the reporter till police reaches a
conclusion." Prakash Singh was earlier
working with IBN 7, another Hindi
news channel before joining Live India
on August 6. Chaudhary said the fake
sting was not a stunt to gain more
rating points and increasing viewership.
"In the face of it the story is of
great value. I wish the reporter had
not messed it up. "The issue is much
larger than it looks from outside.
I am sure police will go to the root
of it. Let me clarify, the sting was
not carried out by the reporter after
joining our channel. It was much before
August," he said. Chaudhary said he
regretted the whole episode but his
channel was not the only culprit.
"It's a sad event". "Why the other
channel gave a trainee journalist
a go ahead to conduct the sting? If
they found loopholes in the whole
story, why did not they take action
against him?" Asked if he and his
channel will apologise to Uma Khurana,
once the court gives a clean chit
to her, Chaudhary said: "So far police
have not given clean chit to Khurana.
If that happens we have to look at
things from a different angle. But
so far the sting seems half true."
Chaudhary said after the episode,
he has ordered some equipment like
those with forensic labs to check
the authenticity of any suspicious
tape before airing it. "It's not that
we have no filters but the whole episode
is an accident. We are going to put
more filters in our organisation."
Courtesy:
www.sify.com, September 10, 2007
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Photo
ID cards for Indian cattle
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bY
Subir Bhaumik
Indian
border guards say cattle smuggling
to Bangladesh is thriving
Indian
border guards are photographing cows
in villages in the eastern state of
West Bengal and issuing them with
identity cards, officials say.
Border
Security Force (BSF) spokesman GK
Sharma said the move was meant to
stop smuggling of cattle from India
to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Mr
Sharma said thousands of cows were
smuggled every day from West Bengal.
India
prohibits cattle exports, as beef
consumption is frowned upon by the
country's majority Hindu population.
Thousands
of villagers in the state's Murshidabad
district bordering Bangladesh are
queuing up outside photo studios to
have their cows photographed for the
identity cards.
Some
cattle identity cards have already
been issued in the district's border
villages.
BSF
officials in Calcutta say if the pilot
project works well in Murshidabad,
where cattle smuggling is at its highest,
the scheme could be extended to other
border districts.
Smuggling
networks
Local
estimates say that between 20,000
and 30,000 cows are smuggled into
Bangladesh every day from India, mostly
through the state of West Bengal.
These
ID cards can help us easily identify
the cattle brought for smuggling
Surinder
Singh,
Indian
Border Security Force official
Exporting
cattle is illegal in India, but cows
are smuggled in large numbers to Bangladesh
and Pakistan regularly, primarily
for beef.
The
smuggling is at its highest during
Muslim festivals.
Traffickers
bring the cows by truck to West Bengal
from as far as Haryana and Punjab
in northern India.
"The
traffickers have a strong network
in the border villages, where the
cattle are kept in transit, before
being sent across the border," said
BSF official in Murshidabad, Surinder
Singh.
"Locals
are paid for that, so they have a
vested interest in the smuggling.
These ID cards can help us easily
identify the cattle brought for smuggling."
People
in border villages say having their
cattle photographed is a problem because
it requires them to take time off
work.
But
they have agreed to the identity cards
to avoid harassment by the BSF and
police who often raid villages in
search of cattle waiting to be smuggled
to Bangladesh slaughterhouses.
Authorities
say crime syndicates find | |
