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PM sees China as model for economic growth

     New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today his country should look to China as a role model as it tries to step up economic growth rates and grab a greater share of global trade. China and India have emerged as the fastest-growing economies in the world and, in recognition of their growing economic clout, have been invited to a meeting of the club of rich nations -- the Group of Seven -- next month. "When we look at what a country like China has achieved in the last 20 years, I think that's the role model that we have to look at. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo. We therefore need chief executives, we need academic leaders, we need politicians and all those who make the crucial decisions of our national life to be dissatisfied with the status quo," Singh, a Cambridge- educated economist-turned-politician, told a business meeting. China and India account for more than a third of the world's six billion people but only four percent and two percent respectively of the global economy. India's share of global trade is a paltry 0.7 percent and it aims to push that up to one percent by 2007. "We must move away from the paradigm of incremental growth to a paradigm of exponential growth and growth into unchartered territory," Singh said.

Uma Bharti hospitalised (Go To Top)

    New Delhi: A day before she was to begin campaigning in Bihar elections, BJP leader Uma Bharti was today admitted to a hospital here after complaining of chest pain. The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister was shifted to a prominent private hospital today afternoon after chest pain and substantial increase in blood pressure, her close aides said. She was suspected of having cardiac problem and has been advised to stay under observation in the hospital for 72 hours, hospital sources said. "At the moment she is stable and medical examinations are being conducted on her," the sources said. The firebrand 'sanyasin', tipped to be BJP's best bet against RJD leader Lalu Prasad, was to launch campaigning in Bihar on Sunday.

Conducting free and fair polls a challenge: EC (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Election Commission has admitted that conducting free and fair polls in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana is a big challenge. The statement comes soon after the full EC returned from a three- day tour of the election bound states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy said, "The equations between bureaucracy, politics and criminals in these states are very dangerous and are proving to be a big obstacle in conducting peaceful polls." "The state governments have been directed to act tough on those who are intimidating voters and preventing the weaker sections from exercising their franchise," he further added. The EC said that it is not stopping any debate on the UC Bannerji report on Godhra, but it was only against "communalising" electoral politics. "We have not stopped debate and discussion but it should not be communalising electoral politics," said the Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy. The CEC once again made it clear that if there was violation of model code of conduct and unruly personal attacks, then it would intervene. "We will intervene whenever and wherever necessary", the CEC said.