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Leather interiors of NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Miffed over swanky Mercedes-Benz models using leather interiors, Ms Maneka Gandhi, MP .....more India
plans border NEW DELHI, Oct 26; In a move to boost security in the aviation sector, India plans to go in for an ambitious intelligent ....more India’s
productive NEW DELHI, Oct 26: About three million people in the country are addicted to ...more Tribute to a living legend’s attempt to rejuvenate Manipur NEW DELHI, Oct 26: It had not been easy for this colossus of Indian theatre to decide ...more |
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Alarming decline in NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Prosperity and education, it appears, give rise to strong son preference of many families in many states in India leading to female ....more Naidu wants left-wing extremists to join mainstream NEW DELHI, Oct 26: After surviving a devastating attack on him at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has no anger against....more J&K
power generation JAMMU, Oct 26: With electricity generation dropping by 31 pre cent from 1996 to 2002, Jammu Kashmir Power .....more Election campaign yet to pick up in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Oct 26: With assembly elections barely five weeks away election ......more |
Leather interiors of Mercedez rouse ire of Maneka NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Miffed over swanky Mercedes-Benz models using leather interiors, Ms Maneka Gandhi, MP and staunch animal rights activist, has shot a letter to the company threatening to launch "a large campaign" against its brands in India. "However, before I begin, I thought that you might like to change your attitude and offer non-leather," Ms Gandhi said in her letter to Mr Hans-Michael Huber, Managing Director and CEO of Daimlerchrysler India, owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand cars. The letter follows an action in 2002 in which Jeanne Danielf, a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the owner of a shopping centre in the US, removed the leather from her new Mercedez Benz, replaced it with a luxurious synthetic material and had peta’s ‘cow’ mascot return the leather to Daimler Chrysler’s headquarters. This was apparently done "as a strong message that supporting cruelty to animals through the use of leather will not be tolerated," Peta said in a statement here today. Former Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Raghvendra Prasad Singh, famous Jain leader Chitrabhanujee, the Director-General of the India Ahimsa organisations and the head of the UK-based young Indian vegetarians are among others who have also written letters to Daimler Chrysler and find the automobile company’s insistence on using leather interiors in its top models "offensive". Ms Gandhi, in her letter, has threatened that her campaign would involve religious leaders and politicians as well as the heads of business associations and communities. Peta says consumers who do not wish to sit on the skins of dead animals geport that if they try to buy a top model Mercedez Benz car, they are either asked to settle for a lower-quality model, charged more for the non-leather option or refused. Complains US-based chemical engineer Gulab Kothari: "My son Raj Kumar and daughter Shakuntala are doctors with MD degress. They both were told by the Mercedes dealers that (the company) cannot accommodate them for want of leather-free seats in the car ...Raj ended with BMW and Shakuntala with lexus. "It is shameful that Mercedes-Benz will not understand (the) new generation of professionals who are peaceful and kind even to animals. Even when the customer is asking for it with 60,000 dollars in their hand." Accordinv to the Peta statement, a company reportedly supplies Daimler Chrysler with hundreds of thousand skins each year, and it is estimated that the skins of four cows or more issued for the interior of just one car. Leather is an integral part of the livestock industry, and most of the millions of cows, pigs, sheep and other animals slaughtered for their skin are forced to endure the horrors of factory farming: overcrowding, deprivation, castration, branding, tailor docking and de-horning, all performed without anaesthetics. At the end of their miserable lives, they have their throats slit and are hung upside down and bled to death. "Synthetic materials that look and feel like leather are used by compunies like BMW and Audi and are often described by consumers as superior because of their ease of care and other advantages and because their production does not come with the high cost of animal suffering," says Peta Director of Asian campaigns, Poorva Joshipura. "There is no good reason for Daimler Chrysler’s insistence on using the skins of tortured animals at all, but at the very least, the company should recognise that offering all models of its cars with a non-leather option would prevent it from losing more business from the world’s many wealthy vegetarians." (UNI) |
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India plans border management programme for aviation security NEW DELHI, Oct 26; In a move to boost security in the aviation sector, India plans to go in for an ambitious intelligent border management programme which would help detect entry of undesirable elements into the country well in advance. As part of this process, some international firms have recently made presentations on improving security at airports and, at the same time, ensuring a hassle-free travel for non-risk passengers. An Australia-based security firm made a presentation last week on the border management solutions for the civil aviation ministry to enhance border security and speed up clearance through technology. The presentation was attended among others by Civil Aviation Secretary K Roy Paul, Airports Authority of India Chairman S K Narula, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Airlines Sunil Arora and senior officials from Intelligence Bureau and Immigration, sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry said. Under the Intelligent Border Management System offered by the firm, retrieval of passenger data from multiple airline databases would be possible through pre-screening of passenger and their identification. The data would be delivered to the border control authorities prior to or at departure for risk assessment and clearance. Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy has been keen on upgrading the security at the airports and the passengers. The firm claimed that passenger data would be routinely collected at many stages of journey from multiple sources such as advanced passenger information, advanced passenger processing and the passenger name record. Claiming that it had a long track record in working with major global airlines and visa systems, the company said the technology could capture and integrate this data from multiple sources to give border control authorities a complete view of intending and actual passengers entering or departing the country. It said the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), introduced in Australia in 1996, had led to a list of "through check" passengers who could be automatically allowed to enter or exit provided they had the ETA. The system could provide early notification or risk assessment of the passenger, improved detection rate of potential high-risk persons, faster clearance for low risk ones and assist in fraud prevention, besides enabling the Government to keep and maintain information which could improve security. (PTI) |
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India’s productive workforce plagued by substance abuse: Survey NEW DELHI, Oct 26: About three million people in the country are addicted to drugs and more than ten million to alcohol, of which majority belong to the productive age, according to a recent national survey. It has found a disturbing rise of drug abuse among street children and concludes that more and more women continue to bear the hardships of substance abuse as their menfolk take to alcohol. The survey, undertaken by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) gives detailed profiles of drug addicts and data about the content, pattern and trends of drug abuse in the country. It says high incidence of drug addiction has been found in the northeastern states, the border areas and opium-growing regions of the country. Being related to socio-economic conditions or the social dynamics of a population, drug abuse should be recognised as a psycho-socio-medical problem, which can best be handled through community-based interventions, the draft of the survey says. It also concludes that efforts being made in the direction are far too little compared to the magnitude and dimensions of the problem. "We have still not been able to reach out to the most vulnerable groups. One of the impending factors has been ignorance and the social stigma attached to the drug abuse issue with very few people willing to talk about it," observe organisations that conducted the survey. Non Governmental Organisations, more and more of them, should come forward to meet the challenge and mobilise community resources rather than depend on scant Government funding, they say. "Drug abuse is not the problem of drug addicts alone, but of the entire society as people, particularly children and youth, are prone to fall easy prey to it. Thus as we talk more and more about the issue, it would bring into focus the potential causes of the problem and assist in evolving a composite approach in tackling it," the survey notes. Meanwhile, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has taken up with the State Governments the issue of setting up model centres in rural and urban areas for providing integrated rehabilitation services. The approach includes outreaching the addicts, providing counselling, treatment and rehabilitation. The ministry, under a scheme for prohibition and drug abuse prevention, provides Rs 25 crore annually to 400 voluntary organisations for maintaining 450 centres across the country. More than 400,000 people are expected to have benefitted through these centres. An allocation of more than Rs 140 crore has been provided under this programme for the tenth plan. (UNI) |
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J&K power generation falls by 31% JAMMU, Oct 26: With electricity generation dropping by 31 pre cent from 1996 to 2002, Jammu Kashmir Power Departments’s losses have touched an all time high of nearly Rs 2000 crore, according to sources in J and K Power Development Corporation (JKPDC). "Although installed capacity for power generation in the state increased from 3253 million kilo watt hours in 1996-97 to 3536 MKWH in 2001-o2, power generation decreased from 827 MKWH in 1996-97 to 572 MKWH in 2001-02, a decline of 31 per cent ", sources told PTI today. Hydro-electricity generation an important economic resource for the state, slipped from 743 MKWH to four MKWH from 199 to 2001.Diesel power generation fell to nine MKWH in 2001 from 10 MKWH in 1996. The capacity utilisation of hydel power stations decreased from 45 per cent in 1996-97 to 30 per cent in 2001-02, they said. "If situation continues like this it would give result in a crises in J and K in near future+, they said. As a result of underutilisation of capacity, heavy transmission and distribution losses, non-linkiing of tariff with the cost of energy, non-recovery of electricity charges, power situation was in bad state. Losses during the last five year have accumulated to Rs 1939 crore, they said. A loss of Rs 310.98 crore was registered in 1998-99, followed by a loss of Rs 314.56 crore in 1999-2000, Rs 371.08 crore in 2000-2001, Rs 338.16 crore in 2001-2002 and Rs 598.22 crore in 2002-03, sources said. Revenue generated from consumers amounted to Rs 975.39 crore only during the period, they said. The deficit from 1996 to 2000 totalled to Rs 36650.56 crore, as deficit increased from Rs 521 crore in 1996-97 to Rs 886 crore in 2000-01. While overall shortfall in utilisation of funds during the period (1997-98 to 2001) was 22 per cent, revenue expenditure was incurred mainly on purchase of fuel (Rs 3061 crore, 86 per cent) and administrative expenses including salaries (Rs 439.06 crore, 12 per cent). Nearly, Rs 71.94 crore (mere two per cent) was spent on the operation and maintenance of system, they said. Transmission and distribution losses ranged between 52 per cent and 86 per cent against the norm of 15 per cent during the period 1996-2001. Average loss per KWH increased from Rs 1.97 in 1996-97 to Rs 2.50 in 2001 and loss of sale in energy per consumer increased to Rs 8.309 in 2001 from Rs 5753 in 1996. Installations per employee was just 41 as the workforce went up to 20925 in 2000 from 18500 in 1996, he said. There were earlier 10 lakh connections in J and K. (PTI) |
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Election campaign yet to pick up in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Oct 26: With assembly elections barely five weeks away election campaign in Rajasthan is yet to pick up as political parties are still in the process of selecting candidates. The ruling Congress and opposition BJP, the two main contenders, are carrying out the selection process in Delhi as State Election Committees of both the parties have been meeting in the national capital. Both the parties have selected their candidates for more than half of the 200 assembly seats, sources said adding, the list of candidates is likely to be announced in the first week of November. Filing of nomination papers is scheduled to begin on November 7. Sources in Congress say there was consensus among the party over names of candidates for about 100 seats, mostly sitting members, in the State Election Committee meetings held in Delhi last week. However, names would be given a final stamp of approval by Central Election Committee and Parliamentary boards, party sources said. Similarly BJP has finalised candidates for about 100 seats The efforts to forge an evasive third front to take on both Congress and BJP in the state are yet to bear fruits as there had been no serious talks between different political parties including CPI, CPM, Nationalist Congress Party, and Janata Dal as yet. Both Bahujan Samaj Party and social justice front who are seeking reservation for Rajputs and Brahmins, have decided to contest 150 seats in Rajasthan. Indian National Lok Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Akali Dal (Badal) are also trying to have their foothold in Rajasthan in the coming elections and their leaders have been visitng the desert state frequently. Samata Party, an ally of NDA Governmment at the Centre, has indicated that it could have electoral understanding with INLD in the forthcoming polls. Meanwhile, the election department is making all arrangements for free and fair polls by identifying sensitive areas where security needs to be stepped up. Electronic voting machines would be used in all the 200 assembly constituencies this time and an intense drive is on to train the staff about their use and also to familiarise electorate in rural areas with the machines. (PTI) Vajpayee’s visit to boost ongoing Naga peace process KOHIMA, Oct 26: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee begins his three-day maiden visit to Nagaland tomorrow with the objective of conveying the Centre’s earnestness to resolve the five-decade-old insurgency in the state. The visit is politically significant, as it would give a moral boost to the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and the national Socialist Council of Nagalim (ISSAC-MUIVAH). The Centre has so far held four rounds of parleys with the rebel outfit since last January when its leaders visited Delhi to hold talks on the Indian soil after 36 years. Although progress has been made on less contentious issues including devolution of powers and autonomy, the longstanding demand of the NSCN (I-M) to create a ‘greater Nagaland’ comprising existing Nagaland and Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh remains the biggest impediment in the successful outcome of the talks, with the rebel leaders unwilling to compromise. The Centre is considering alternative proposals in lieu of the NSCN (I-M)’s demand which include granting Union Territory status to the Naga majority areas and extending the ambit of Article 371 (A) to such areas to safeguard the cultural and religious rights of the NAGAs. Nagaland already enjoys special status under this Article. The Centre is also under pressure from opposition Congress and Nagaland-based NGOs inlcuding NAGA HODO, apex body of the NAGAs, to expedite the peace process and make public the details of the talks before any agreement with the NSCN (I-M) is reached. The Congress has also demanded that the Centre hold talks with other rebel groups. The State unit of the Congress will submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urging him to take measures to boost the economy of the State. Naga hoho sources said they had sought an appointment with Mr Vajpayee to discuss issues related to the peace talks and will urge him to expedite the process. He is likely to meet other NGOs including Naga Mothers’ Association. Mr Vajpayee during the trip, his third to the region as the Prime Minister, is likely to announce special economic packages and development programmes, according to official sources here. The Centre had announced Rs 365-crore peace bonus for Nagaland, few months back. The Prime Minister, would meet Governor Shyamal Dutta and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio tomorrow and would launch the mobile phone service at a function to be held at Rajbhawan. He would also meet the council of ministers and then will attend a cultural programme to be hosted by the Governor. On Tuesday, Mr Vajpayee would lay a wreath at the Kohima war cemetery and will inaugurate the much-delayed Indira Gandhi Stadium near here, where he will be given a civic reception. He would also attend the first convocation of the Nagaland university to be held at the Government civil secretariat plaza. He will confer "doctor of philosophy" to ten research scholars and "doctor of literature" (honoris causa) to Nagaland Minister for Planning, Co-ordination and Urban Development Shurhozelie Liezietsu. In the evening he would attend a cultural programme and dinner to be hosted by the Chief Minister. The earlier programme to inaugurate the phase-I of the upgraded Naga hospital here was dropped from the itinerary as its construction could not be completed on time. Sources said though the structural work could be completed in time installation of sophisticated technical equipment could not be done within the stipulated time-frame. Official sources also informed that the Prime Minister’s office has asked the State Government for 30 Wireless Local Loop (WLL) sets to be used during the PM’s visit. While the Prime Minister’s entourage would use fifteen such sets, the family members and friends of Mr Vajpayee who would accompany him would use the remaining ones, sources added. The State Government has left no stone unturned to provide full proof security to the Prime Minister. Sources said eleven special chairs as specified by the Prime Minister’s Office have been made. The legs of these chairs measure between 17 to 19 Cms, to provide relief to Mr Vajpayee, who had undergone twin operations on his knees. Special cuisine like white meat and non-spicy food will be served to the Prime Minister sources said and added that special Naga dishes have also been arranged for Mr Vajpayee. Meanwhile, the state capital got a facelift in view of the Prime Minister’s visit. Roads have been repaired, commercial establishments have been given fresh coat of colour and seven breathtaking traditional Angami welcome gates have been erected at strategic locations in Kohima. (UNI) Kashmiris hoping to meet relatives across LoC JAMMU, Oct 26: The proposed bus service from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad in Pak occupied Kashmir has rekindled hope among Kashmiris of meeting their relatives across the Line of Control after a long wait. "Our wish to meet our relatives in Muzaffarabad has received a fresh lease of life with the Government’s proposal," 75-year-old Kishori Lal Sehgal, who fled Muzaffarabad after the tribal invasion from Pakistan in 1947, said. Lal’s family wants to visit his native place of Hatli Dopatta hamlet overlooking Muzaffarabad valley to meet his wife Bijee’s brothers, Kashi Nath and Mohan Lal Vij, whom they have not seen for last 13 years. "Kashi and Mohan, then 10 years and 4 years old, (have converted) are now Gulam Rasool Shah and Farooq Ahmed. They were in constant touch with us sharing moments of grief and joy till 1990," Lal, who lost several family members in the 1947 conflict, said showing letters and photographs of his relatives. "They had visited us in 1988 and we took both brothers along with other family members to Hazratbal, where they offered prayers," Lal’s son Vijay Sehgal said. "We have not been able to communicate with each other for last 13 years due to militancy," he said. "Opening of road link and bus service between two parts of J-K and interaction between people will help create an atmosphere of brotherhood and love," he said. "Centre should promote greater interaction between Kashmiris on the two sides so that those people (living in PoK) can realise for themselves who is better off," Ram Lal Verma,87, said. Verma, who ran a tailoring institute at Muzaffarabad, wants to meet the family members of Master Abdul Aziz, a Muslim Conference leader, "who had saved hundreds of Hindus and Sikhs during 1947 conflict". "I want to thank his children," Verma said, recounting that Azziz was shot dead by the tribal raiders at main chowk at Muzaffarabad for protecting Hindus and Sikhs. "God willing, I will go in the first bus to see my daughter," said Noor Jehan, who has not met her daughter Zohra Iqbal, for last 14 years now. Ninety seven-year old Feroz Din, a resident of Ganda village near LoC, wants to meet his two freiends Labbha Shah and Suddan Gujjar, now living in Mirpur area of PoK. Like Feroz, Israr wants to visit his brother, who lives at Kotli main Fetah across LoC. Over one lakh Hindus and Sikhs fled from PoK to Jammu and on the Indian areas and the same number of Muslims from Jammu to PoK during 1947 conflict. (PTI) Everybody is now talking about Vanilla THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 26: In Kerala, everybody is now talking about Vanilla. Farmers in the state, big and small are lately taking to massive cultivation of Vanilla, originally an inhabitant of Mexico and was for long a major produce of Madagascar. The state will soon witness a Vanilla revolution, if the present trend among the farming community continues. There is no reason why the enthusiasm should not continue. This is in view of the skyrocketing price of Vanilla. And of course the ever increasing demand. Believe it or not, the price per kilogram of raw Vanilla beans has shot up from Rs 80 to Rs 3,500. Little wonder therefore, that the Kerala farmer is over enthusiastic about Vanilla cultivation. Significantly, it has emerged as the highest price earning farm produce in the state. There is no need for vast stretches of land for Vanilla cultivation and planting is also easy. It can be grown as an inter-crop. One can grow up to 50 stalks of Vanilla in a ten-cent plot. This will yield around 100 Kg of Vanilla beans fetching unto Rs three lakh. Yet another reason why the enthusiasm would not die is the WTO stipulations on food products. The major chunk of the world requirement of Vanilla is now being met by synthetic produce. The requirement at present is around 12,000 tonens of which about 80 per cent is met by synthetic Vanilla and only 20 per cent by natural Vanilla. This means that the world produce is only around 2000 tonnes. Thanks to the new wto stipulations, the demand for natural Vanilwa will witness a quantum leap. The Kerala Government, according to sources in the State Agricultural Department, is determined to rise to the occasion and encourage Vanilla cultivation. Already the state cabinet had cleared an ordinance exempting vanilla cultivation from land ceiling. Experts are, however, of the view that large Vanilla plantations will not be that rewarding as small farms in view of the labour factor. Vanilla, it is pointed out, calls for peculiar farming operations, especially in regard to pollination. State Agricultural Director K R Jyothilal has announced all support and encouragement for Vanilla cultivation. The State Agriculture Department is working on a scheme to help Vanilla growers. The crop is projected as the best suited for Kerala, in view of the pressure on land in the state and also the fragmentation of farmlands. Besides the State Agriculture Department, the spices board, under the Union Government, is also all set to help boost Vanilla cultivation. According to spices board sources, within the next four years, India is expected to be on par with her major competitor Madagascar in regard to cultivation of Vanilla. The country, by then, will have around 15,000 hectares under Vanilla cultivation. The Vanilla promotion drive planned by the board would help the country earn much more from the export of Vanilla than that from all other spices, at Rs 1,625 crore last year. The promotion programme of the spices board envisages sale of over half a million Vanilla cuttings during the current year. This is proposed to be stepped up to four times next year. The Vanilla cuttings are being supplied at subsidised rates. The rooted beings are sold at Rs 12.50 a piece while the tissue-cultures plantlets are supplied at Rs six per piece. Groups like ‘Kudumbasree’ are to be involved in the tissue culture programme. The plantlets are being developed in the premises of the spices board. According to spices board’s figures, the total area under Vanilla cultivation in India, at present, is 1000 hectares. It is expected to touch 15,000 hectares, which would put India on par with Madagascar. Production of Vanilla in India, at present, is only 30 tonnes. This is mostly grown in Kerala and Karnataka. The present production in Madagascar is around 2000 tonnes. Indonesia is the only other country producing Vanilla and there the production is quite marginal. Spices board sources said that several big buyers from abroad had visited India and held discussions for import of Vanilla. Quality wise, the commodity produced in the country had higher Vanilline content than that of the Madagascar variety. The Vanilla produced in India, therefore, is more favored and in greater demand. There is, however, some apprehension in certain quarters about the over-enthusiasm for Vanilla. The grave cocoa disaster of the early eighties in the state is very much fresh in the memory of many farmers. The enthusiasm for cocoa was almost the same over two decades ago when every farmer, lured by the high price of cocoa beans in the market, abruptly took to massive cocoa cultivation. As cadbury, the sole agency which had been procuring cocoa then, suddenly withdrew from the market, cocoa had no takers and had to be used as fodder for cattle. In promoting cocoa cultivation too, the State Government had gone out of the way. The present State Finance Minister K Sankaranarayanan, who was then handling agriculture in the then state cabinet, even came to be called ‘Cocoa Narayanan’ because of his enthusiasm for cocoa cultivation, recalled a retired State Agricultural Department Director. (UNI) Election campaign yet to pick up in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Oct 26: With assembly elections barely five weeks away election campaign in Rajasthan is yet to pick up as political parties are still in the process of selecting candidates. The ruling Congress and opposition BJP, the two main contenders, are carrying out the selection process in Delhi as State Election Committees of both the parties have been meeting in the national capital. Both the parties have selected their candidates for more than half of the 200 assembly seats, sources said adding, the list of candidates is likely to be announced in the first week of November. Filing of nomination papers is scheduled to begin on November 7. Sources in Congress say there was consensus among the party over names of candidates for about 100 seats, mostly sitting members, in the State Election Committee meetings held in Delhi last week. However, names would be given a final stamp of approval by Central Election Committee and Parliamentary boards, party sources said. Similarly BJP has finalised candidates for about 100 seats The efforts to forge an evasive third front to take on both Congress and BJP in the state are yet to bear fruits as there had been no serious talks between different political parties including CPI, CPM, Nationalist Congress Party, and Janata Dal as yet. Both Bahujan Samaj Party and social justice front who are seeking reservation for Rajputs and Brahmins, have decided to contest 150 seats in Rajasthan. Indian National Lok Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Akali Dal (Badal) are also trying to have their foothold in Rajasthan in the coming elections and their leaders have been visitng the desert state frequently. Samata Party, an ally of NDA Governmment at the Centre, has indicated that it could have electoral understanding with INLD in the forthcoming polls. Meanwhile, the election department is making all arrangements for free and fair polls by identifying sensitive areas where security needs to be stepped up. Electronic voting machines would be used in all the 200 assembly constituencies this time and an intense drive is on to train the staff about their use and also to familiarise electorate in rural areas with the machines. (PTI) |
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