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Varanasi blast accused killed

      Srinagar: Security forces today gunned down a suspected militant in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. The militant was suspected to be involved in the twin blasts in Varanasi which shook the city on March 7. Militant Abu Zuber, an operative of Harkat-ul-Jehad Al Islami (HUJI), a Bangladesh-based terror outfit, was killed in an encounter carried out jointly by the Special Task Force of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army in Handwara, 90 km from here. Zuber was a resident of Baghpat village in Uttar Pradesh. On March 7, the twin bomb blasts occurred on March 7 in Varanasi at the Sankatmochan shrine and the cantonment railway station, left 20 people killed and fifty people as injured. The first bomb went off in the packed, centuries-old Sankat Mochan temple, where hundreds of devotees of the Hindu God Hanuman had gathered for evening prayers. The second bomb exploded at the city's cantonment railway station. Wali Ullah, the alleged mastermind behind the Varanasi blasts has revealed during his interrogation that temples are main targets of Harkat-ul-Jehad Al Islami (HUJI). Ullah was arrested along with five other militants by the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police on April two.

PM's panel against OBC quota (Go To Top)

      Bangalore: A high-power panel advising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production says affirmative action could help students overcome problems of opportunity in higher education instead of reservation of places in higher educational institutions for socially backward classes. The eight-member National Knowledge Commission (NKC) headed by Sam Pitroda has come out against the Central Government's proposal to extend reservation of seats in medical, engineering and business schools to historically underprivileged students. The NKC, which debated the issue over three days, said on Monday (May 08) a majority of its members were against extension of the proposal in central educational institutions. "Knowledge Commission firmly believes that a knowledge society must be socially inclusive society and this social inclusion must reflect in the educational institutions. We discussed this topic today at length. Couldn't come to any consensus. Six members felt that until such time we have explored new and more effective avenues of affirmative action, the status quo must be maintained and reservation should not be extended as proposed. Two members disagreed," said Pitroda.

     Pitroda, the telecommunication wizard who spearheaded the Indian IT drive that began two decades ago, also added that he was happy that his team did not have any bias towards any particular opinion and instead professed diversity of opinion. Pitroda said six members were in favour of status quo, while two said they were in favour of the proposal by the federal government. Pitroda argued there are better ways (than reservation) to achieve social inclusiveness in this day and age. Others in the panel include Nandan Nilekani, CEO of Infosys and Ashok Ganguly, Chairman of ICICI. The NKC members said they had already forwarded the recommendation to Arjun Singh, the federal Human Resources Minister and will soon convey the same as a recommendation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There has been a series of protests against the government's proposal for additional reservation for socially backward classes, which when implemented, would take the total quota of reserved seat to 49.5 percent. Antagonists of reservation say, the move, if implemented would deny meritorious students a fair chance at getting good education. At the moment, government-funded colleges have to allocate about 22 percent of their seats to the lower castes, and Arjun Singh also wants private universities to be brought in the ambit of the scheme. Reservations in India, where about 60 percent of more than a billion people live in rural areas with little access to good schooling and few well-paid jobs, is a sensitive political issue. Institutes like AIIMS and IITs already have one of the world's toughest selection procedures and the ratio of competition for the 2006 examination at IIT was a staggering 61 students per seat. The Indian Constitution has provided quota for education and jobs in state funded organisations for socially backward castes and tribes, initially for 10 years but the system has continued, with more and more castes being added to the list each year.

New 'toxic ship' heading for India (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: A former cruise liner with hundreds of tons of asbestos and other toxic materials on board is heading for the Alang shipyard in Gujarat, Greenpeace said on Tuesday, threatening a repeat of a controversy over the French Le Clemenceau. In February, the French government decided to recall the Le Clemenceau, a mothballed aircraft carrier containing tons of asbestos, after Greenpeace said scrapping it in India would pose a risk to the health thousands of workers at Alang. A Supreme Court order blocked the ship from entering Indian waters, while Greenpeace activists staged several protests. Greenpeace however, said New Delhi had not learned a "single lesson" from the Le Clemenceau saga. The 46,000-tonne Blue Lady, formerly the SS Norway, was on its way to the Alang yard in Gujarat from Malaysia, it said. "What is India doing? Actually nothing...nothing, nothing, nothing...but a big zero. There is no political initiative in India, there is no political debate, no political dialogue on the issue. Again I repeat, the Indian government has not learnt their lessons from Clemenceau. There is lack of co-ordination," Greenpeace campaigner Ramapati Kumar told a news conference in New Delhi. In a report in December, Greenpeace said thousands of workers involved in the ship-breaking industry in countries such as India, China and Pakistan had probably died over the past two decades in accidents or exposure to toxic waste. The 315-metres long Blue Lady contains more than 900 tons of asbestos and heavy metals, Greenpeace said. "This ship has been refused by Bangladesh earlier. It contains 900 to 1500 tones of asbestos and a lot of other toxic material and again it is not coming on its own power, but is being tugged by power boats," Kumar said. Environment ministry officials have however, not given any reaction over the latest controversy. The Blue Lady, which entered service in 1962, was owned by Malaysia's Star Cruises Ltd. A boiler room explosion in May 2003 killed seven crew on board the cruise liner.

NBA protests against SC order (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Medha Patkar and Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists staged a protest in front of the Supreme Court today against the apex courts yesterday's decision, refusing to stop the construction work to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. The Supreme Court had yesterday refused to stop the construction going on to raise the height of the dam. Patkar said the Supreme Court and Prime Minister Mamohan Singh were playing with the lives of the people of Narmada valley. "The Supreme Court has ignored this matter by postponing its decision for weeks. It looks like the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court are playing badminton or cricket and the world would will soon recognise this. The displaced in our country will soon realise that they will not get justice by begging for it like this, society will never change," said Medha Patkar. She said she knew that it would be said that it is the defamation of the Court but the Supreme Court had in fact defamed itself by giving yesterday's order. "It will be said that this is the defamation of the court but we all think that the Supreme Court has defamed itself by giving yesterday's orders which is against the last four orders of the court. This decision supports the killers of the Narmada valley. The slums in Mumbai are being burned and demolished in Mumbai. Maharashtra Government has said previously in court that the two large peaces of land will be kept for the poor but the demolition has started there since today morning," Patkar added. Patkar also raised the issue of the slums demolition in Mumbai saying that the Maharashtra Government is violating court's orders by demolishing slums in Mumbai.

Delhi asks Centre for new power project (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday asked the Centre to provide additional gas supply to fuel a new 350 MW power project before the commencement of Commonwealth Games. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit who met Petroleum Minister Murli Deora today said that Delhi must be able to produce at least 2000 MW of electricity so that its dependance on the Northern Grid reduced to a considerable extent. "Our request to the honourable minister is that Delhi should be able to produce at least 2000 MW of electricity so that Delhi's dependence on Northern Grid reduces comparatively. He has given us the assurance and I believe that in the next six to eight months we will be able to go ahead with the talks and the petroleum minister will help us to get a dedicated gas so that we can carry on with the project for the future to produce this much of electricity," she said after a meeting with Deora. Assuring complete assistance to the state government for the gas, Deora said, "We will help Delhi to the maximum possible extent. We are conducting various meetings and we will go ahead with the proposal". Deora is understood to have outlined a number of options before the Dixit Minister for the purpose and suggested that Delhi could avail the help of Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) in this regard. Meanwhile, with its already existing gas-based Pragati I power plant also suffering from inadequate gas supply, the Delhi Government also asked the Centre to ensure a supply of 0.5 MMSCMD for the power project.

Speaker not to chair Parliament session (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has decided not to preside the concluding session of the Budget Session of Parliament. Chatterjee, who faced a petition on the ground of Office of Profit issue, said there were certain conventions for the presiding officer and he would not be presiding the session beginning Wednesday. He said this during his address to the media after an hour-long all-party meeting before the Budget Session. Briefing about the Budget session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi said: "There are several suggestions by various party leaders in regard to starting the discussion pertaining to incidents in Doda, Vadodara and also killing in Afghanistan. Some concerns have been expressed on peasants and import of the wheat. Honorary Speaker made it clear that all such issues would be given due weightage and disputed issues in the Business Advisory Committee". Chatterjee did not attend the last proceedings of last two days of the first half of the Budget session on grounds of the Office of Profit issue. "I am hoping that important issues will be considered as much as possible within the available time and subject to the rules. I need everybody's co-operation," said Somnath Chatterjee. Priyaranjan Das Munshi stated that the government would inform the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday about its intention to bring legislation on the Office of Profit issue. The second part of the Budget session would last for nine days.

Sealing: Delhi traders call shutdown (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Traders in Delhi have announced plans for a day-long shutdown on Thursday (May 11) to protest against the government's ongoing sealing and demolition drive in residential areas. According to a release, a massive rally will be held at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital. The focus of the protest will be to urge the Union Government to bring out a legislation on the issue and to regularise business establishments by observing a status quo. On Thursday, the Government is expected to table a Bill on sealing and demolition of of commercial establishments in residential areas in Parliament. The Supreme Court is also scheduled to hear a petition of Union Government seeking extension of time to complete the sealing and demolition drive on the same day. The shutdown has been called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Delhi Traders Sangarsh Morcha, Federation of Rohini Traders, Karil Bagh Traders Association, Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, Yamuna Paar Traders Federation, Federation of South Delhi and New Delhi Traders, Federation of Delhi Trade Associations, Retail Trade Forum and many others, said CAIT secretary Praveen Khandelwal. They will observe a shut down on the day and have asked the political parties to join their protest rally. The six-day 'Sangarsh Yatra' by Delhi traders that began on Ay 4 from the Trans Yamuna Ares entered into its last day today. The yatra led by CAIT senior vice president Ramesh Khanna was supported by many trade leaders across the capital. The traders said that the sealing had disturbed the life of thousands of people, putting their livelihood at stake. Some of he traders had put the affidavit abiding by the Supreme Court's order. They are now worried as to what would happen to them after June 30. Meanwhile, the CAIT has demanded Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy to take traders into confidence about the contents of the Bill likely to be placed in Parliament, as it has direct bearing on lakhs of traders.

Zahira's plea for release rejected (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: The presiding judge of the Mazagaon court today rejected the plea of Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case, to relieve her from the year-long prison sentence handed down to her by the Supreme Court for contempt of court. The court verdict came shortly after Zaheera and her family members pleaded not guilty to charges framed against her by a sessions court for giving false evidence in the Best Bakery case. The trial of the case will commence on Wednesday. Zaheera, prime witness in the case, was brought to the court from Byculla jail in Mumbai. She is presently a one-year sentence imposed on her by the Supreme Court for contempt of court at Byculla. The judge had read out the charges to Zaheera on the last occasion and explained the accusations against her and other members of her family. Additional Sessions Judge Abhay Thipsay, who had conducted the retrial in Best Bakery case, told Zaheera she had falsely stated in court that she had not lodged the First Information Report (FIR) regarding the incident and that she was unaware of the document although it bore her signature. Zaheera Sheikh, who is the prime witness in the Best Bakery case, was booked for contempt of court after repeated variations were found in her statement.. "The adjournment was sort, so that we can file revision application against this matter, against the judgement in the High Court, for that we need time. Second thing is that I have to go through the particular detail of the judgement. So that I can make the reply ready. Our reply is not yet ready, for that we have to have the copy of the judgement, when it is ready we have to go through it and study it then we can make up our mind. The charged have already been explained, so no separate time is granted, that is how it started, but I have moved an application for adjournment, sitting adjournment by months and stay. I want to file an application in the High Court against the order and guidelines that have been passed was not granted, stated that it has already been explained. So that no adjournment can be sought," Umesh Deshpande, Zaheera's lawyer. Charges of perjury were also framed against Zaheera, her mother Shahrunnisa Sheikh and brother Nasimullah Shah, to which they pleaded not guilty.

Tendulkar worships at Kukke temple (Go To Top)

      Kukkesubramanya (near Mangalore): After spending two days for a religious visit to Kukke Shree Subramanya temple at Kukkesubramanya near Mangalore in Karnataka, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the ace batsman of Indian cricket team, along with his wife and family members left for Mumbai on Monday. Tendulkar was here to complete sacred rituals for propitiating Nag Devta (or, the serpent deity) at Kukke Shree Subramanya temple, 140 kilometres from Mangalore. Tendulkar performed the "Sarpa Samraksha Mangala" ( Serpent protection rituals) and "Ashlesha Bali" and "Go Puja"( cow worship) in this temple town. Tendulkar and his family had arrived here on Sunday to perform the rituals, which is believed to be affecting the master batsman's performance. Thronged by media men, Tendulkar refused to talk to the media calling his visit "private". Earlier, Tendulkar was accompanied by his wife Dr. Anjali, brothers and other family members and performed all rituals and Puja to overcome the "Naga Dosha". According to sources in the temple, Tendulkar remained on fast during Puja ceremony. Meanwhile, for his cricket fans it was an opportunity to have a glimpse of their star batsman. A large number of fans gathered outside the rest house where he stayed.