Indian hospital for
Afghan refugees on
Tajkistan border

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: A hospital built with Indian aid for Afghan refugees has become operational near Parakhor town on the ....more

HRM strategies
should attract reward
competence

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Experts have underlined the need for organisations adopting an appropriate Human Resource Management (HRM) policy, .......more

Orissa ups monthly maintenance limit

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 9: The Orissa Government has decided to enhance the upper limit of the maintenance allowance to Rs 3000 per month under.......more

VHP: Time ripe to
liberate PoK

VIJAYAWADA, Oct 9: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today demanded that Indian Government should "liberate" Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by taking....more

‘Oppose US decision
reserving right to attack
other nations’

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today took strong exception to the letter filed by the United States .....more

NOS to give upper
primary education to
all children

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The National Open School (NOS) will shortly broaden its role provide basic education up to 8th standard to children who messed....more

UNDP to engage in a
dialogue with States

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will engage in a dialogue with State Governments on developing a .....more

Muslim intellectuals
condemn US attacks

MUMBAI, Oct 9: Muslim intellectuals and religious scholars have condemned the attacks across Afghanistan by the United......more
 

Indian hospital for Afghan refugees on Tajkistan border

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: A hospital built with Indian aid for Afghan refugees has become operational near Parakhor town on the Tajkistan-Afghan border, Defence Minister Jaswant Singh said here today.

Saying it was part of Indian humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people, Singh said the hospital had already started functioning catering to both inpatients as well as outpatients.

The Defence Minister’s statement comes amid reports that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has cleared a proposal to send humanitarian assistance to Kabul. However, Singh declined to elaborate on when and how the assistance would be routed.

The minister told newsmen on the sidelines of the Territorial Army Day parade here that Government would take the public into confidence on all measures taken vis-a-vis the situation in Afghanistan following the US-led milityary strikes.

Earlier, addressing the Territorial Army personnel after taking the salute at an impressive parade, Singh said Government was seriously considering a proposal to expand what he described as citizens army as well as service conditions in the Territorial Army.

The minister commended the Territorial Army for playing a significant role in countering militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and also had a word of praise for the work of the force on the ecological front. (PTI)

HRM strategies should attract reward competence

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Experts have underlined the need for organisations adopting an appropriate Human Resource Management (HRM) policy, focusing on attracting, retraining and rewarding competence and building intellectual capital to survive in an increasing competitive environment.

Organisations should stress on constant skill upgradation of the work force and foster a culture of life long learning, they said participating in a CII organised HRM summit.

Dr Karan Singh, MP and an expert on Hinduism, said the challenge is to combine a corporate career with one’s spiritual quest to achieve a holistic harmony in today’s global society.

Management of Human Resources in organisations has become all the more crucial and the human being must be viewed through many dimensions. These include the management of the body, mind, emotions, along with societal and spiritual dimensions, he said.

We are living in tumultuous times, with a disappointing past and disturbing future. Post September 11, things the world over will never be the same again, Dr Singh said.

Mr Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT, said in today’s emerging knowledge economy, strategic management of people and related processes have become crucial area of management in an organisation.

He said institutions must strive to achieve and develop a proper mix of efficient processes and a highly committed and passionate work force .

Ms. Rumjhum Chatterjee, chairperson, HRM Summit and Director, Feedback Ventures Limited, gave a presentation how HRM plays a role in assisting business strategies.

Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, MD, Hero Cycles, spoke of the global environment where the watchword for companies are cost, quality and service.

The two-day summit is being attended by more than 100 industry delegates and HRM professionals from all over the country. (UNI)

Orissa ups monthly maintenance limit

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 9: The Orissa Government has decided to enhance the upper limit of the maintenance allowance to Rs 3000 per month under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Briefing newsmen after the cabinet meeting yesterday, State Chief Secretary D P Bagchi said the decision to enhance the maintenance limit was taken as a step for empowerment of women.

The Chief Secretary said the upper limit of the maintenance allowance was fixed at Rs 500 per month in 1973 and since then there has been no revision in it.

He said some other states had already increased the monthly maintenance for the divorcee to Rs 3000.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, also decided to bring amendment in section nine of the CrPC 1973 so that the Assistant and Additional Judges in the state could take cognisance of the cases without the approval of the Sessions Judge.

Such an amendment, the Chief Secretary said, was necessary as the state has altogether 14 district judges as against the 30 existing districts.

Mr Bagchi said the West Bengal Government has already brought such an amendment empowering the Additional and Assistant Judges to take cognisance in the absence of Sessions Judge.

The Cabinet also decided to amend Section 272, 273, 274, 275 and 276 of the CrPC, relating to adulteration and sale of such medical preparations. The amendments will seek to make these offences non-bailable and cognisable with maximum life imprisonment.

Earlier, these cases were treated as bailable and could be tried by any magistrate with a maximum fine of Rs 1000 and six months of imprisonment.

Mr Bagchi said as per the cabinet decision now the cases under these sections would be taken up for trial in the sessions court. He said the State Government would bring bills for amendment in the next Assembly sessions and then seek the Governor’s assent for implementation. (UNI)

VHP: Time ripe to liberate PoK

VIJAYAWADA, Oct 9: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today demanded that Indian Government should "liberate" Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by taking advantage of the United States strikes in Afghanistan.

VHP national joint general secretary Sadananda Kakade, while taking strong exception to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s describing the situation in the Valley as "freedom struggle", said here that Islamabad could launch an offensive on Jammu and Kashmir any time, going by the car bomb blast outside the Srinagar Assembly building last week.

"Before they attack, we must smash all terrorist bases in the PoK and take it back as early as possible," he noted at a press conference here.

Referring to Pakistan dissociating itself from the terrorist strike near the Assembly, he said Gen Musharraf cannot be trusted. "Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azar, responsible for the strike, is very much a Pakistani and is operating from there, " he said.

The VHP leader further said Pakistan might attack any building and any man in Kashmir. "Even the (Jammu and Kashmir) Chief Minister is not secure if one goes by the bomb blast outside the Srinagar Assembly."

Mr Kakade welcomed the United States’ attack of terrorist targets inside Afghanistan. "Terrorism must go. Perpetrators of terrorist acts should be eliminated."

Patting the Union Government for taking a "bold decision" to ban the SIMI, he claimed that the the fundamentalist outfit was found have been involved in terrorist acts.

"Moreover, the SIMI openly declared that it would not abide by the Indian constitution if the provisions were not in confirmity with Quran," he claimed.

Asked about the demand for a ban on Sangh Parivar organisations like the VHP and the Bajarang Dal, he said "we have not indulged in anti-national activities. If the Government found us doing so,it could very well go ahead and impose a ban."

Mr Kakade demanded that Government grants for Muslim Madrasas be stopped as they were "breeding" ground for launching "Jihad".

He said the Government should not fund Haj pilgrimage as it was unislamic for a Muslim to go to haj at others’ expense. "Haj pilgrimage should be undertaken only with their own money as per their tradition."

The Parishad functionary also wanted stoppage of grants to educational institutions run by Christian minorities in the north and north-eastern states, which were promoting ‘’anti-national activities’’. (UNI)

‘Oppose US decision reserving right to attack other nations’

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today took strong exception to the letter filed by the United States and Britain with the United Nations Security Council reserving the right to attack countries other than Afghanistan in the course of their retaliatory strikes, saying it was violative of international laws.

The party wanted the Vajpayee Government to publicly oppose the move and also called upon all secular and democratic parties to do so.

"By this step, the US has confirmed that it seeks to attack other countries, trampling upon national sovereignty and in flagrant defiance of international laws," the CPI(M) politburo said in a statement here.

Media reports today said the US and UK had filed a letter saying that in pursuit of those guilty of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, they reserved the right to take action against countries other than Afghanistan.

The CPI(M) also sought a clarification from the centre on its reported willingness to offer port facilities, including those at naval bases, to American warships.

It was understood that the us had requested New Delhi use of five ports — Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Goa, Mumbai and Balsar.

The Left Party had earlier warned that the US would seek to extend its global hegemony under this pretext. "Within the Bush administration, preparations are being made for attacks on Iraq and other targets in the Middle East," it said.

After offering refuelling facilities for US military planes, it was now reported that the Centre was prepared to offer naval port facilities to american warships. The BJP-led NDA Government should clarify it this was true, the politburo said.

The CPI(M) said it was a matter of great concern that the Government was getting involved in the US military operations. The move was fraught with serious implications for the country’s interests, it added. (UNI)

NOS to give upper primary education to all children

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The National Open School (NOS) will shortly broaden its role provide basic education up to 8th standard to children who messed schools and take indian culture and heritage to the Non Resident Indians (NRIs)

After its 12 year experience in providing open schooling facility to those who missed formal school, the mandate for NOS is getting reinforced in consultation with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to shoulder added responsibilities, Prof N K Ambasht, Chairman of the National Open School, told UNI.

He said pointed out that about 800,000 upper primary schools in the country could currently handle only about 100 million of the total 320 million children in the 6-16 age group and we would require double the number of existing primary/elementary schools if all the children were to be given formal schooling up to the upper primary level.

"It would mean raising the financial outlay for this sector by three times, apart from the cost of opening new elementary schools. Open schooling is the alternate mode of providing upper primary education for all the children in the country in the coming years," he added.

NOS currently has on its rolls about 500,000 students, preparing them to the higher secondary level (12th standard) through its 11 regional centres and 1500 study centres spread out throughout the country.In addition, it has extended this open schooling facility to students of Indian origin residing in Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Canada. NOS will extend this facility very soon to Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Caribbeans and Guyanas where there are large number of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and people of Indian origin, NOS Chairman said.

Mr Ambasht said in its enlarged role, the NOS would soon be offering certificate and diploma courses in Indian history, culture and heritage to people of Indian origin in all countries where they are in good number. A high level committee under the chairmanship of Dr L M Singhvi, former Indian High Commissioner to London, was giving final shape to this scheme, he said.

There are about 20 million people of Indian origin in 131 countries. Some of them are descendants of people who emigrated as plantation workers in the early 19th century. The proposed course programme would quench their cultural thirst,’’ Prof. Ambasht said.

NOS, according to Prof Ambasht, was also building up a national consortium of open school to promote participation of the state Governments, civic bodies and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in spreading open schooling concept.

Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have set up their own open schools for which NOS has given technical and curriculum development support.

Prof. Ambasht felt that partnerhip building with different organisations was crucial for the success of spreading basic education.About 150 NGOs are already accredited in the NOSopen schooling programme. (UNI)

UNDP to engage in a dialogue with States

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will engage in a dialogue with State Governments on developing a need-based and gender sensitive Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) training policy.

Ms. Brenda Gael McSweeney, UNDP resident representative and UN Resident Co-ordinator in India, said a training programme involving PRIs should reflect local as well as cross-cutting themes relevant to states.

Ms. McSweeney, whose keynote address at a recent national workshop was made available here yesterday, called for a gender balance in the selection of trainers. Special needs of women need to be taken into account while designing training for them, and the vast experience of former panchayat representatives should be harnessed to design training programmes, he said.

The task was enormous as it involved upgrading the skills and knowledge-based three million elected representatives, including more than a million women, she added.

Mr Arun Bhatnagar, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, said only a mass movement for strengthening PRIs would result in effective implementation of the constitutional amendments on decentralisation.

The Indian Government’s United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) has identified promoting gender equality and strengthening decentralisation as cross-cutting themes for priority action.

Right to information, social audit and community-based national resource management were among the other themes highlighted by the experts at the workshop for incorporating in the training needs analysis.

The experts included representatives from community-based organisations, youth clubs and women’s organisations. (UNI)

Muslim intellectuals condemn US attacks

MUMBAI, Oct 9: Muslim intellectuals and religious scholars have condemned the attacks across Afghanistan by the United States and Britain, saying that the strikes since Sunday night are against international law.

Indian Union Muslim League president and Member of Parliament G M Banatwala described the attacks "as a gigantic setback to the rules of international law".

Mr Banatwala said, "indeed, the terrorist attacks on United States were barbaric and cannot be condoned, but what is the use of international law and systems of international justice if they are meant to be thrown to wind, howsoever grave may be the provocations. Such cannot be the response of a civilised nation."

Hazrat Maulana Mussana Miyan, Maulana Mansoor Ali Khan, president of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, Maulana Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi, chairman of All India Muslim Mashavarati Board and Maulana Mohammed Saeed Noorie, general secretary of Raza Academy also condemned the attacks.

In a joint statement issued here, they said the attack is unwarranted as for a single person (Osama bin Laden) the United States is targetting the entire Afghanistan. They said that if there are any evidences against the accused, he should be tried under the vigilance of the United Nations and be punished accordingly. "And the one who is trying to give justice by attacking innocent civilians is himself committing a great crime," the statement said.(UNI)

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