PM
hints at corrective measures to restore economy
New
Delhi: Manmohan Singh, after taking oath of office and secrecy as prime minister
on Friday, said that his government's focus will be on restoring the economy and
ensure inclusive growth. "Our first priority is to restore the economy, especially
keeping the global recession (in mind)," the Prime Minister told reporters. "Industrial
production is down. Certain sectors need revival, though the Indian economy is
not so badly affected. Corrected measures have to be taken. Growth will be our
main focus. And when I mean growth, I mean inclusive growth that will carry everyone
along, including the underprivileged in the country," he said. The Prime Minister
also expressed hopes that Pakistan would cooperate with New Delhi "on all matters."
Earlier, President Pratibha Patil administered oath of office and secrecy to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh along with 19 Cabinet ministers. The 76-year-old, soft-spoken
economist is the first Prime Minister since post-independence after Jawaharlal
Nehru to be returned to office after completing a full term. Senior Congress leader
Pranab Mukherjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, A K Antony, P Chidambaram, Trinamool
Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Ministers S M Krishna, Ghulam Nabi
Azad, and Veerappa Moily were inducted in the Cabinet. Kamal Nath, Sushilkumar
Shinde, S Jaipal Reddy, Meira Kumar, Vayalar Ravi, Murli Deora, Kapil Sibal, B
K Handique, Ambika Soni, Anand Sharma and C P Joshi also took oath as Cabinet
Ministers. * Mukherjee is likely to retain finance portfolio, which he got as
additional charge towards the end of the tenure of the outgoing government. The
names of Krishna and Kamal Nath are being mentioned for External Affairs Ministry.
Chidambaram and Antony are expected to retain home and defence respectively. Today's
swearing-in would be followed by an expansion of the Council of Ministers on May
26. The expansion would include Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State (MoS) with
independent charge as well as other Ministers of State.
Indian magazine puts out Prabhakaran's
live photo Top
Coimbatore:
A weekly magazine in Coimbatore has carried some photographs in its latest edition
giving an impression that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran
is still alive. The Tamil magazine Nakkeran, published from Coimbatore town of
Tamil Nadu has published some photographs of Prabhakaran in which he is shown
watching his photographs on television and other media reports in which the Sri
Lankan government is claiming he is dead. The article claims in the photos the
Prabhakaran is sitting in his hideout. The write up has created quite a stir,
making the magazine sell like hot cakes here. The initial edition of magazine
has already sold out and orders have been placed for more copies. "At my shop,
the magazine Nakkeran has already sold out 40-50 copies. The issue of Prabhakaran's
death is out of stock now and I have ordered 100 more copies from the agent,"
said Jayavardhanavelu, one shopkeeper. The published article has put the readers
in a quandary. "Prabhakaran is shown alive in this magazine. We were in a fix
earlier about his status. But after seeing this magazine we believe he is alive.
The photographs shown earlier and the ones, which are shown, now are different.
So now we confirm that he is alive," said Perumalsamy, a local resident. News
of Prabhakaran's death has sparked a controversy with the Sri Lankan Tamils terming
it as a conspiracy and propaganda by the Sri Lankan government to prove their
false strength against the LTTE. Sri Lankan troops finished off the last of the
LTTE resistance on Monday (May 18), wrapping up a three-year offensive to destroy
the separatists and bring to end the 25-year-civil war. Sri Lankan army commander
Lt-Gen. Sarath Fonseka said troops on Monday morning had finished the task given
to them by President Rajapaksa three years ago. News of the Tiger chief's death
came as Sri Lanka's state TV for the first time broadcast images of the body of
his son and heir apparent, Charles Anthony, and other dead rebels. He was killed
overnight, the military said, along with a host of other top LTTE fighters and
political cadres, including political chief B. Nadesan and spokesman Seevaratnam
Puleedevan.
Prabhakaran's
body cremated Top
Colombo:
The Sri Lankan military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanyakkara said that
LTTE Supremo Prabhakaran's body was cremated in Mullaithivu on Wednesday. According
to the military, his body was treated like any other terrorist. Earlier, Sri Lankan
Army sources had revealed that the Government was planning to bury Prabhakaran
in an unmarked mass grave. They said that the mass burial was being undertaken
to prevent any sort of hero worship or memorial being built in the honour of Prabhakaran.
The bodies of Prabhakara, his wife Mathivadhani, elder daughter Dwaraka and younger
son Balachandran were found and identified by the Sri Lankan army in the Nandikadal
Lagoon.
India
dispatches medical aid, doctors to Sri Lanka Top
New
Delhi: India on Friday dispatched a team of 27 doctors and paramedics to the
war ravaged Sri Lanka for the benefit of the devastated Tamil civilian population.
An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft took off from New Delhi for Colombo this morning
with the medical team, including a surgeon and paediatrician. The team is also
carrying about 30 tonnes of medicines worth over Rs. three crore to replenish
stores at the Field Hospital run by the Indian Armed Forces in a camp for the
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). India has deployed a self-contained Emergency
Medical Unit with Hospital in Sri Lanka since March 2009. The 110-bed facility
comprises of 62 members including eight doctors and paramedics. It has been operating
out of Pulmoddai town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. The Hospital provides
urgent medical care to civilians evacuated out of the conflict zone by the Red
Cross (ICRC) in ships. The hospital has so far treated more than 3,000 war wounded
and trauma patients. In view of the greater requirement in and around Vavuniya,
India's Emergency Medical Unit with Hospital is being shifted to Menik Farm Area
Zone 1 near Vavuniya which has a significant IDP population in need of medical
care. India's relief assistance so far has included food, clothing, medicines
and other essential supplies. Since November 2008, India has provided 1.7 lakh
family relief packs for lDPs and civilians affected by the conflict. The packs
include dry rations, personal hygiene items, clothes, utensils and water purification
tablets.
CBSE
Class XII results declared Top
New
Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the results
of Class XII examinations for Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad zones on Friday where
eighty-one per cent students have successfully cleared the exam. Girls have performed
better than boys and their pass percentage stands at 85.94 per cent against 77.40
per cent of the boys. Over 6.3 lakh students including, 264,248 girls and 373,330
boys had appeared for the exams that were held in March. The schools can get results
by giving their school code and email-id by registering themselves. Students can
get their results on their e-mail address by registering themselves on the web
sites: www.results.nic.in. www.cbseresults.nic.in, www.cbse.nic.in. The results
for Ajmer, Panchkula and Chennai regions have already been announced.
Pak admits to expanding its nuclear programme
Top
Islamabad: Pakistan
has for the first time admitted that it is expanding its nuclear programme. Islamabad,
however, said that it was expanding its nuclear capability only to maintain a
credible nuclear deterrence in view of the changing security scenario of the region.
Addressing a regular press briefing here, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit
said it was important for Pakistan to adopt certain measures to fortify the security
of its nuclear weapons because of the prevalent turbulent situation of South Asia.
"Pakistan cannot remain oblivious to increasing conventional asymmetries, unrelenting
arms acquisitions as well as preferential treatment being accorded to certain
countries in the region. Such developments disturb the strategic balance and Pakistan
is constrained to adopt necessary safeguards as it deems fit," The Dawn quoted
Basit, as saying. He said India has been acquiring sophisticated armaments, so
it was necessary for Pakistan to balance the unevenness in regard to nuclear capabilities
between of two neighbouring countries. "It is important that asymmetry between
Pakistan and India in the context of conventional arms should not be widened too
much. We have noticed that there are acquisitions of sophisticated weaponry by
our neighbour which will disturb the conventional balance between our two countries
and hence, lower the nuclear threshold," said Basit. Referring to the Indo-US
nuclear cooperation pact, without naming the United States, Basit said discriminatory
policies undermining the regional strategic balance should be avoided. Commenting
on the reports about Pakistan rapidly adding to its nuclear stockpile, and apprehensions
about the misuse of the US aid, he criticized the media reports for presenting
a wrong picture of the state in front of the international community. "This malicious
campaign against Pakistan is being launched at a time when Pakistan is actively
engaged in major operations against militants. It is counter-productive to the
collective objective of defeating the militants and also raises serious doubts
in the minds of the people of Pakistan about the objectives of those engaging
in negative propaganda," Basit added. Basit also turned down an offer by the US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to protect Pakistan's nuclear assets, saying:
"We do not need this assistance."
