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Kalam for national NEW DELHI, June 25: Expressing concern over the threat of electronic attacks on India’s information technology systems through hacking and . .....more CBI
now asks sanction NEW DELHI, June 25: Having received the sanction for prosecuting former Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate Ashok Agarwal for allegedly .....more Venkataswami Comm rejects Jaitly’s plea to include expert view NEW DELHI, June 25: Yet another attempt of former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly, who appeared for the first time before the ....more Kanchi seer rues Govt inaction on Ayodhya NEW DELHI, June 25: Kanchi Kamakoti Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati has charged the Vajpayee Government with "inaction" on the.....more |
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BJP Govt’s wrong policies cause of present Indo-Pak crisis: Digvijay BHIMTAL, UTTARANCHAL, June 25: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has lambasted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance . ...more Disillusioned
kids take VIRAT VILLAGE RAJASTHAN, June 25: "Child is the father of man," William Wordsworth had said, but perhaps he did not know that centuries ...more Australia revises travel advisory for India NEW DELHI, June 25: Australia, which had alongwith the US and Britain, issued travel advisories in the wake of heightened Indo-Pak tensions, has . ...more Even
mild sleep loss SAN FRANCISCO, June 25: Losing as little as one or two hours of sleep each night can leave people drowsy and mess up their hormones, potentially increasing the risk of a variety of diseases . ...more |
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Kalam for national citizens card for ensuring info security NEW DELHI, June 25: Expressing concern over the threat of electronic attacks on India’s information technology systems through hacking and other methods, presidential nominee A P J Abdul Kalam today suggested introduction of a multi-purpose ‘National Citizen Card’ in the country as a means to information security. "Our communication network and information generators have to be protected from the electronic attacks through surveillance, monitoring and building technologies to handle such attacks," he said while addressing a NASSCOM seminar on information security here. He said, the National Citizen/Smart Card needs an integerated approach from multiple departments and can be an instrument which can be used as a voter ID card, to operate bank account, besides as a ration card and with many other applications. It was essential for India to become a knowledge power within a decade, he said, adding, it should be achieved through societal transformation and wealth generation. "The hard earned wealth and the transformed society, which are the two pillars on which the knowledge society is supported have to be protected in order to sustain a knowledge society," the presidential nominee said. He said for strengthening information security there should be a focused approach to intellectual property rights and related issues and major private sector initiatives have to be taken in this regard for ensuring a fool-proof system. Stressing on dynamic leadership for steering the country to prosperity, Kalam said "when the leader of any institution empowers his or her people, leaders are born who can change the nation in multiple areas. The Indian history is witness to this." "When the political leaders of the nation empower the people through visionary policies, the prosperity of the nation is certain," he said. He said India’s ancient knowledge and culture should be protected against multiple attacks "launched from many directions." For India to rise to greater level of competitiveness, it was essential to give a technological push, he said. World competitiveness is decided by a triangular combination consisting of progressiveness of industry, technological push and status of Governmental deregulation, all working in unison. "The world economic forum in is report had ranked India 41st in the table of world competitiveness," he said. In this regard, Kalam said there was an urgent need to put in place an innovation system for competitiveness of both service and manufacturing sector. "Such a system would involve network of firms, knowledge producing institutions, bridging institutions and customers-users in a value addition creating production chain. India must also evolve such systems to improve its competitiveness in a global marketplace," he said. Stating that 70 per cent of India’s population is young, he said, "only the vision of the nation can ignite the young minds. The ignited mind empowered with knowledge is the most powerful resource on the earth to bring about this transformation." (PTI) |
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CBI now asks sanction in a DA case against Ashok Agarwal NEW DELHI, June 25: Having received the sanction for prosecuting former Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate Ashok Agarwal for allegedly implicating a businessman in a FERA case, the CBI today sought approval from Finance Ministry for his prosecution in a second case pertaining to possession of Assets Disproportionate to his known sources of income. Following a direction of the Delhi High Court to give its decision on the disproportionate assets case against Agarwal within two months, CBI chief P C Sharma cleared the file and the report of Superintendent of Police was sent to Revenue Secretary seeking permission to prosecute Agarwal. The CBI, which had arrested Agarwal in November 2000 along with his brother for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets, asked the Finance Ministry to accord a sanction in the case as it could help the agency in filing two chargesheets against him simultaneously, official sources said. The agency has alleged that he had invested in properties in Ghaziabad, Bahadurgarh (Haryana) and World Trade Centre in the capital in the name of his wife and had created several trusts whose beneficiaries were his minor children. The Central Vigilance Commission has also asked the Finance Ministry to expedite the case and allow the CBI to complete the case, the sources said. Agarwal, a 1985 batch IRS officer, was also facing charges of corruption and wrongful confinement for allegedly framing a Delhi-based jeweller Subhash Barjatiya in a 15,000 dollar FERA violation case on the basis of a fax message purportedly issued by a Swiss Bank. The CBI received a clearance from the Finance Ministry yesterday following which the CBI was planning to file a chargesheet against Agarwal in this case. The sanction in the case was awaited by the CBI for last seven months as the Finance Ministry had asked CBI about the veracity of the confessional statements by Abishek Verma, co-accused in the case, in view of the fact that Agarwal had petitioned several times challenging them in the courts. However, CBI had disputed the claim of Revenue Department official saying that Verma’s turning an approver had been accepted by the court and the CBI had no role to play in that. "As per the norms, an approver has to be a co-accused in the crime committed and that none of the courts had accepted the petitions of Ashok Agarwal in this regard," the CBI communication to the Revenue Secretary had said. The CBI has also recommended a departmental action against Agarwal in a third case related to alleged framing of a Delhi-based man in FERA violation case. The agency had received a complaint from Pawanjit Singh who had alleged that Agarwal had forged documents against him and subjected him to "harassment" and wrongful confinement. After registering a preliminary enquiry into the case, the CBI found that Agarwal had allegedly indulged in fabrication of a case against him.(PTI) |
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Venkataswami Comm rejects Jaitly’s plea to include expert view NEW DELHI, June 25: Yet another attempt of former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly, who appeared for the first time before the Venkataswami Commission, to create doubt over veracity of Tehelka tapes failed when the Commission today rejected her plea for inclusion of expert testimonies as exhibits. Alleging that the so called expose on alleged corruption in defence deals was "self-structured" lies created by Tehelka to "put her in a bad light", Jaitly said she wanted to put on record the expert testimonies favouring her stand. However, the same was contested by the Tehelka counsel Kavin Gulati saying it was not "permissible" as it will amount to granting another chance to the applicant, who has been already given two chances to verify the tapes. Upholding Gulati’s view, Justice Venkataswami said after considering arguments presented by Jaitly, Gulati, Government and Commission counsel it was felt that expert wintess testimonies will not be taken on record. Giving details of "tampering" at various levels in the tapes, Jaitly said "there are types of lies have been portrayed in the expose." Besides putting conversations which never took place, the news portal also propagated major set of lies by taking statements from people who were either drunk or later refused to admit the statements attributed to them, she said. Meanwhile, former navy official and NRI Suresh Nanda, while deposing before the Commission, said he had investments in the companies, which deal in export of defence equipments from India and servicing of some engineering goods used by Indian Navy. Jaitly, who also put some documents on record including a transcription of unedited tapes 73 and 74 done by her, said the tape carried a cut which clearly showed that "editing" was done in the tapes for the purpose of "tampering". Emphasising that she never assured the news portal of any intervention, Jaitly said words were "superimposed" and there was also "non-sycronisation" of sound in the tapes. "Rs two lakh was never paid to me" she said but the words "two lakh" was interpolated in the tapes, she said. They also propagated "self-structured" lies of knowing me and my family personally, she said, adding the news portal also made "wrong statements" about my daughter. Resigning from the post of Samata Party president in the wake of Tehelka expose, Jaitly, had also moved Delhi High Court seeking examination of the tapes by forensic experts which was, however, rejected by the court. The other witness, Nanda, who claimed that he used to visit India to see his family only, said he was not involved in the running of the companies in the country. The UK-based businessman, however, said he along with his other family members including his father former Navy Chief Admiral S N Nanda and Sanjeev Nanda, who was involved in infamous "BMW car accident case", were directors in various companies including dynatron services, providing after-sale service to engines provided by a German company to the Indian Navy. The Commission also asked Brig Iqbal Singh, a defence official allegedly involved in the corruption, to apply for leave seeking permission from the Government to appear before it. (PTI) |
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Australia revises travel advisory for India NEW DELHI, June 25: Australia, which had alongwith the US and Britain, issued travel advisories in the wake of heightened Indo-Pak tensions, has now revised its communication which makes no mention of asking its citizens to leave India. In the advisory issued earlier this month, all Australians were asked to defer travel to India and those here advised to consider departing using available commercial means. The latest advisory omits this line but asks Australians to defer all holiday and non-essential business travel to India. It has asked Australians in India to register with the Australian mission here, closely monitor developments that might affect their safety and maintain a high level of personal security awareness. As in the earlier advisory, Australians have again been told not to travel to the border areas between India and Pakistan and "should avoid all travel to Jammu and Kashmir". "Travellers should avoid large public gatherings or demonstrations," it said. It said "tensions between India and Pakistan have eased but the situation remains unpredictable". Observing that India and Pakistan "remain at a high level of military readiness", it said Australians who choose to travel to border areas despite this warning, should closely monitor events that might affect their safety and follow the advice of local authorities. The latest advisory asks Australians to "avoid travel" to J and K, observing there "continues to be serious security problems in Srinagar, elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, and in other parts of the state. Armed clashes and bombings occur frequently. This has resulted in the death of several hundred people annually," it said. It also says that the security situation in the north-east "remains uncertain. Australians citizens should defer travel to the states of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur and exercise caution if travelling in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. It also refers to "on-going tensions" in Gujarat following the outbreak of communal violence earlier this year. Australians in the state should pay particular attention to their personal security, monitor local news reports and act on the advice of local authorities," it said. No decision has been announced on recalling non-essential diplomatic staff who were asked to leave amid increasing tensions and fears of a war breaking out. The reduced staff in the mission has impacted on visa and other consular services.(PTI) |
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Even mild sleep loss may affect health SAN FRANCISCO, June 25: Losing as little as one or two hours of sleep each night can leave people drowsy and mess up their hormones, potentially increasing the risk of a variety of diseases down the road, new research has revealed. There have been many studies where sleepers have been severely deprived of sleep, but we decided to mimic real life by restricting normal sleep by two hours (each night) for a week, said lead researcher Alexandros N Vgontzas of the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey. After a week of modest sleep reduction subjects actually slept better, Dr Vgontzas said. They fell asleep faster and spent more time in the deepest stages of sleep. But during the day, their system does not seem to compensate for the sleep loss, he said. Dr Vgontzas and colleagues showed after a week of getting six hours of sleep, 25 healthy young adults were more likely to doze off when put in a dark, quiet room. Compared to tests taken before the sleep deprivation began, the subjects also scored worse on tests designed to measure reaction times and psychomotor skills — enough to impair their driving ability, he said. It looks like there is no such thing as optional sleep. Concentrations of il-6, an immune-system-signalling molecule, rose by between 40-60 per cent in both men and women, Dr Vgontzas reported. In men, blood levels of an inflammatory molecule called TNF-alpha rose by 20 to 30 per cent. Higher-than-normal concentrations of these markers certainly affect metabolism, and may lead to obesity, Dr Vgontzas said. In addition, many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes have been linked to high levels of blood chemicals such as il6 and tnf-alpha, he said, adding it is possible that sleep loss could be contributing to the epidemics of obesity and heart disease currently affecting Americans. It’s surprising that sleep deprivation in the range of normal human everyday experience has adverse physical effects, said Nr William J Kovacs, Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The effects of high concentrations of these inflammatory molecules is well-known, he said, so the linkage to sleep deprivation is new and potentially important. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the endocrine society, where two other studies examined the effect of hormones and sleep. One study found elderly men who suffered slight sleep disturbances also had lower levels of testosterone. Since men with abnormally low testosterone levels may be more frail and have weaker bones than men with higher testosterone, this suggests elderly men with sleeping problems should alert their physicians, said Ms Plamen Penev of the University of Chicago Medical Center. A second study looked at the effects of high doses of testosterone in elderly men with normal testosterone concentrations. These high doses of testosterone caused the men to get up more often and increased the occurrence of sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition in which people temporarily stop breathing before rousing and gulping air. However, the men reported no disturbances in sleep or driving ability, said lead researcher Peter Y Liu of the University of Sydney in Australia. This certainly raises concerns about recreational use of (testosterone supplements) in young men, Dr Liu said.(UPI) |
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