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Young BJP leaders prepared to take over leadership mantle: Vajpayee NEW DELHI, Apr 19: In his first ever reaction to the RSS chief K S Sudarshan asking old BJP leaders to make way for the second ...more Battle for M P Birla group assets enters crucial stage KOLKATA, Apr 19: The legal battle for the Rs 5000 crore worth assets of M P Birla group ....more A
truly democratic NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Political turmoil in Nepal may have been aggravated by the recent dismissal of the ruling Government, ....more Brass containers combat water-borne disease, kill bacteria NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Considering the wide spread problem of water-borne diseases, especially in the developing ......more |
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Indian film on female
foeticide to be screened NEW DELHI, Apr 19: A popular Indian film which focusses on saving baby girls would be screened at the forthcoming .....more Thrissur all set for ‘mother of all temple festivals’ THIRSSUR, Apr 19: Rekindling memories of the past, Thrissur — the cultural ....more No more adjournments come what may, says Speaker NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Anguished over the NDA-sponsored uproar in Lok Sabha ....more Anna University to beam programmes using Edusat CHENNAI, Apr 19: Anna University, one of the premier technical education institutions of the country, is all set to beam educational programmes to its ...more |
Young BJP leaders prepared to take over leadership mantle: Vajpayee NEW DELHI, Apr 19: In his first ever reaction to the RSS chief K S Sudarshan asking old BJP leaders to make way for the second generation BJP leaders, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said that the younger generation of leaders were fully ready to take over the leadership of the party. Asked for his reaction over the RSS chief’s statement in the ‘walk the talk’ interview on NDTV asking him (Mr Vajpayee) and Mr Advani to retire from politics and make way for second line leadership, Mr Vajpayee said it was a ‘good advice’ and the younger leaders were fully prepared to take over. As far as his own leadership was concerned, he did not hold any party post or position to relinquish. Asked if the advice held good for BJP president L K Advani, Mr Vajpayee said it should be decided by Mr Advani and the party. Asked for his reaction to Mr Sudarshan not holding a good opinion about six years of the NDA coalition regime under his leadership, the former Prime Minister said, "everybody has a right to comment on the functioning of the Government." When a reporter sought his views on the comments made against Mr Vajpayee and his family members, he said he had seen the Mr Sudarshan’s interview and read it in newspapers. "I will be commenting on it at an appropriate time," he remarked. (UNI) |
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Battle for M P Birla group assets enters crucial stage KOLKATA, Apr 19: The legal battle for the Rs 5000 crore worth assets of M P Birla group has entered a crucial stage with the main arguments for claimant Rajendra S Lodha’s probate petition for Priyamvada Birla’s purported will about to begin soon. In this ideal David vs Goliath battle where the powerful Birla clan, one of the oldest and respected business families in the country, is pitted against rank outsider and once auditor of most of the Birla group’s companies, Lodha. Lodha, who had claimed that the entire property has been bequeathed to him by Priyamvada, has so far fought with equal Elan but the most crucial time is ahead with the main suit for the assets to be taken up now. However, the hearing of the probate application of Lodha for the assets of the M P Birla group, in which three members of the Birla family now remain contenders, could get delayed if the Birlas decide to challenge the dismissal of caveats by three others from the family. "We are yet to get the certified copy of the order. After going through it, we will decide whether to appeal against the order," a source in the Birla group said. "We already have three caveats in the case and can fight Lodha through those in the suit," he said. Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta, who is hearing the case, had admitted that B K Birla had a caveatable interest in the matter and as such can challenge Lodha over the latter’s probate proceedings, while dismissing the caveats of three other Birlas — K K Birla, G P Birla and Yash Birla. Two sisters of M P Birla, Laxmi Devi Newar and Radha Devi Mohta would also fight the case against Lodha, as their caveats were not challenged by Lodha. The Birlas, however, suffered a setback when the court refused to appoint an administrator in the M P Birla group companies in the interim while directing Lodha to maintain status quo in the M P Birla group. A final order in this application of the Birlas seeking appointment of administrator in the M P Birla group companies is awaited as that will decide whether the group assets would remain in the control of Lodha or an independent administrator would take care of them till disposal of the main suit. An order on the maintainability of the criminal case instituted by the Birlas against Lodha and three of his associates is also awaited, in which hearing has been completed before the Calcutta High Court. In the criminal case, lodged before a city court, the Birlas had alleged that Lodha, S N Prasad, Dr V Gaurishankar and S K Daga had committed a fraud on Priyamvada who, by a purported will in 1999, had bequeathed the entire assets of the M P Birla group to Lodha. Lodha and his associates filed an application before the High Court seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings before the lower court. Hearing in this quashing application has been completed and the order is awaited. In another significant victory for Lodha, the company law board has declared him and two others elected as directors of the M P Birla group flagship company Birla Corporation Ltd. While the Birla clan claims that auditor Lodha was trying to usurp the property meant for charitable purposes, Lodha said M P Birla’s widow Priyamvada had entrusted the assets of the group in him as she trusted that he would be able to manage the assets more professionally and uphold the name of her husband. The Birlas charges that Lodha had cheated Priyamvada into signing the will and accused him of breach of trust while the auditor alleges relation between Priyamvada and the rest of the Birla family had soured long back and that the will was a result of the bitter relations. The Birla family came together to jointly fight the court case against Lodha and filed six caveats before the Calcutta High Court challenging Lodha’s probate petition. The Birlas also sought probate of two ‘mutual wills’ by M P Birla and Priyamvada. Justice Sengupta has, however, said the last testament of Priyamvada, which was purportedly signed in 1999, would be taken up for hearing first, and only after decision on that, would the question of 1982 wills arise. (PTI) |
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A truly democratic Nepal: fact or fiction? NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Political turmoil in Nepal may have been aggravated by the recent dismissal of the ruling Government, with the King blaming it for not checking maoist insurgency, but the roots of the problem go back a long way, says a new book. What were the reasons for the rapid rise of maoists? Can political exclusion alone explain why a particular communist faction initiated the insurgency in 1996? And what are the options before the tiny Himalayan kingdom to put an end to militancy and move towards democracy and development? These and a range of other issues crucial to strengthening democracy in Nepal find mention in the book ‘Towards A Democratic Nepal: Inclusive political institutions for a multicultural society’ by Mahendra Lawoti, of wake forest university, north Carolina. Although written before the cataclysmic events of February 1, 2005, when the King dismissed the incumbent Government and seized power, the book could still be an important tool for understanding the issues plaguing the Himalayan kingdom, since it provides a historical perspective on the issue. "The Maoist insurgency began (in 1996) and grew dramatically because of the inequality and injustice in Nepali society. The opening up of polity in 1990 increased the awareness of inequalities, as the oppressed people articulated their problems," says the author. According to Lawoti, unless Nepal’s ruling elite is sensitised to the needs of marginalised groups, the country could witness an escalation of violence. "The problem is that Nepal might encounter even bigger problems, such as protracted violent ethnic conflicts, the costs of which could be much higher than those of the Maoist insurgency," he says. "The lack of reforms alienated the marginalised people as it showed that the state and the ruling elite were insensitive to the demands. When Maoists raised the banner of rebellion, a large segment of the population supported them," Lawoti adds. Providing a comprehensive critique of Nepal’s constitution, which was adopted in 1990, the author identifies it as an important factor in the exclusion of variou ethnic and minority groups. "Unfortunately, minority rights are not protected in the 1990 Nepali constitution. The irony of discriminatory articles in it is that the rigid constitutional amendment process has made it very difficult to amend them," writes Lawoti. The author has also examined causes for the lack of democratic consolidation in Nepal and outlines alternative institutions that could strengthen democracy. "Federalism will effectively divide power between the centre and the regions. In sucha scenario, the potential for widespread abuse would be less because the Central administration will not enjoy absolute hegemony of power in all sectors nationwide," he suggests. Lawoti also makes out a case for the setting up of a new constituent Assembly to craft an inclusive and democratic Constitution. "In the meantime, the 1990 Constitution could be used as an interim one to run the day-to-day affairs of the state and society," he says. (PTI) Brass containers combat water-borne disease, kill bacteria NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Considering the wide spread problem of water-borne diseases, especially in the developing world, an international study has suggested that use of brass water containers could help combat diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice and dysentery. Brass water containers could help fight many water-borne diseases. The vessels would prove to be more useful in the developing countries where people view plastic containers as better and cheaper option to store drinking water, a report published in ‘Nature’ said. Rob Reed, a microbiologist at Northumbria University, Newcastle, found that bacteria were less likely to thrive in brass water pots than in earthernware or plastic ones. The scientist, along with fellow researchers Puja Tandon and Sanjay Chhabaria, filled brass and earthernware vessels with a diluted culture of escherichia coli bacteria, which can cause diseases such as dysentery, it said. The researchers then counted the surviving bacteria after 6, 24 and 48 hours. A similar test was carried out using naturally contaminated water, it said. The amount of live coli in the brass vessels dropped dramatically over time, and after 48 hours they fell to undetectable levels. "It is one of the traditional ideas of water treatment in this part of the world and interestingly we were able to find a microbiological basis for it," he said. Part of the study was done in India as a large number of people are affected with typhoid, jaundice, amoebiasis, diarrhoea and dysentery, the report said. As efforts to provide safe drinking water have had difficulty reaching remote areas, water-borne diseases remain a serious threat in many poor regions of the world. About two million children, in the developing world, die each year from diarrhoea alone, the study said. Reed, while in India came across local wisdom where people believed that traditional brass water containers offer some protection against sickness, it said. "The idea intrigued me as, in Asia, I was investigating the anti-bacterial effects of sunlight on water," he said. The amounts that circulate into the brass water vessels would not harm humans. Even a person drinking 10 litres of such water in a day would take in less than the daily recommended dose of copper or zinc, the scientist aded. (PTI) |
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Anna University to beam programmes using Edusat CHENNAI, Apr 19: Anna University, one of the premier technical education institutions of the country, is all set to beam educational programmes to its 234 affiliated colleges, using ISRO’s Edusat. "All the colleges will be hooked through Edusat before June this year, to enable us to resort to teaching through the small screen," University Vice Chancellor E Balagurusamy told PTI. Already over 30 colleges, including some Government colleges, have been linked through Edusat, as an experimental measure and programmes were being beamed. The expermiment had been successful and the university wanted to extend this to other colleges, he said. This would enable the university to standardise the teachning methods in engineering colleges in the state and the quality of technical education would go up, he said. The programme would mainly concentrate on the university syllabus prescribed for technical courses. Special lectures were also being planned to be included in the telecasts. The duration of telecast would range between six to eight hours per day, he said. The telecast would bridge the gap between a student in the rural area and urban teachers, Balagurusamy said. The standard of education in the engineering colleges caused concern to the university and telecast would definitely enhance the quality, he said. The studio, set up by the university, at a cost of Rs one crore would be used for the preparation of the programme, Balagurusamy said. Tamil Nadu Government had also approached the university for using the Edusat for beaming its educational telecast. The university was having discussions with the State School Education Authorities for preparing the programmes using its studio facilities, he said. Anna University, established in 1980, was one of the first universities exclusively for technical education. The unitary type of the university was changed with all the engineering colleges in the state brought under its control in 2003. The Government’s move was to upgrade the quality of technical education with the ever increasing number of self-financing engineering colleges in the state. Over 65,000 engineering graduates pass out of the university every year in the state. The state has six Government run engineering colleges, including the century-old guindy engineering college here -one of the oldest in the country. (PTI) |
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Gandhi family extends helping hand to people of Amethi AMETHI, Apr 19: Know what Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra had carried with them for their hosts when they visited Pakistan to see a cricket match some time ago? They took designer candles, hair clips made of bamboos, earthern ware items and pickles made by the women of their "extended family" in Amethi which they had been nurturing since long. The young Priyanka, about four years ago, had motivated the women of the area to hone their skills and take up trades that could not just give them some occupation in their free time but also make them self-sufficient. These self-help groups of women under the aegis of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna took shape in about 1200 villages of Amethi consisting of over 16,000 women. Both Priyanka and her mother Sonia Gandhi have made a difference in the lives of these women by extending a helping hand in arranging for trainers, experts and marketing persons who could help them earn a decent amount by using the things available locally, Pavitra Mutto, Project Director and Coordinator of the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna, told PTI here. "The idea was to make them self sufficient at a time when being in the opposition their party mp could not help in bringing any major scheme for the development of the area," she said. The experiment has started yielding results with these women, about a dozen in each of these 1200 villages, earning about Rs 800 to Rs 1200 per month. These self-help groups of women are today producing pickles, spices, embroidered clothes and growing vegetables among other things which are also available in their showroom in Gauriganj. More showrooms are on the anvil in Lucknow and Delhi for which help of Priyanka is being sought, Mutto said adding the works of the Pariyojna are being regularly monitored by all the three members of the Gandhi family. During election days, these groups get special orders to supply flags and other campaign material which helped them earn additional income, Mutto said. Financial help has also come through NABARD which has been extending assistance to the women groups under its scheme. Besides, these women have a solid inter-loaning system established amongst themselves which today has a hefty sum of Rs 44 lakhs in bank. The project has also provided a platform to the children of the area to showcase their drawing and painting talents with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Printing Pictures made by them on the greeting cards published by it last year. "Drawings made by the children of these villages are selected and printed along with their names and villages and in return they also earn royalty," Mutto said. After the successful experience in Amethi, both Priyanka and Rahul are now likely to take it to neighbouring Rae Bareli, their mother’s Lok Sabha constituency. Sonia Gandhi has been seen enquiring from the women whether they would like to form self-help groups to improve their living standards, Mutto said. (PTI) Thakurani yatra, biggest carnival ends BERHAMPUR (ORISSA), Apr 19: Amidst a festive atmosphere that continued for three weeks, the famous Thakurani yatra, considered one of the biggest carnivals in south Orissa, ended here last night. The presiding deity ‘Ma Thakurani’ was taken round the streets of the city in a ceremonial procession before the return of the Goddess to the temple. A large number women carrying ‘Ghatas’ (pitchers) on their head followed in serpentine queues as part of the ritual on the last night of the festival. Thousands of people from different parts of Ganjam district and also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh poured into this south Orissa city every night to witness the biennial extravaganza for 21 days. The yatra had given this silk city a bridal look with dazzling illuminations in every nook and corner of the old city area where the permanent as well as the makeshift temple of the deity were located. Decorated chariots known as ‘Kalakunjas’ carrying the clay images of Gods and Goddesses and other artistic creations lined up on the road attracted the crowds. During the yatra many people painted and dressed themselves up in mythological characters and roamed the streets in different ‘Vesas’ (costumes). Donning greasepaint and costumes as an offering to the Goddess for fulfilment of their wishes, these devotees collected money a part of which was offered to the deity. However, among all the ‘Vesas’ donned by the devotees, the tiger’s garb drew the biggest attention as ‘tiger dancers’ thronged the streets. A thatched house is built in front of the residence of Desbehera in Desbehera street as the temporary abode of the Goddess. From the fourth day of the commencement of the yatra the Goddess sets out on the ‘Ghata yatra’ and visits the streets in the night along with eight companions. While the wife of Desbehera carries the main ‘Ghata’, eight other women follow her holding one ‘Ghata’ each on their head in a procession to the beating of ‘Dhamp’, ‘Mridang’ and sound of other musical instruments amidst ‘Hulahuli’ by the womenfolk. Meanwhile, keeping the huge turnout of devotees in view, the Ganjam district administration had made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order. S K Palsania, Superintendent of Police, Berhampur said 18 platoons of armed police besides officers had been deployed for the purpose. No untoward incident was reported during the carnival and everything went off smoothly, the SP added. (PTI) India’s large population can be a liability: Murthy MUMBAI, Apr 18: India’s large population can become a liability rather than an advantage as limited progress in Human Resources Development has been made so far, infosys chairman N R Narayana Murthy said. "India’s present rate of population growth translates into 16 million more Indians every year, rising almost to 18 million a year by 2016 and failure to stabilize the population will have a significant implication for the future of India’s economy," he said while delivering a lecture on "population and economic development in India" here recently. He pointed that the high population densities have led to overloaded systems and infrastructure in urban areas and nearly 72 per cent of India’s population will be urbanized by 2030 and India will be required to construct 3.6 million housing units in urban areas every year. Murthy said according to the World Bank resource degradation cost, the Indian economy 4.5 per cent of GDP annually and common property such as grasslands has declined by 25 per cent through encroachments and over-cultivation. He said the water table in India is falling by an average of six feet every year and it is predicted that the country will cross into water scarcity by 2025. "An estimated half of India’s 329 million hectares of soil is degraded and India will lose all its productive land to desertification within 200 years if the present annual loss of land continues," he said. Speaking about future consumption of India’s resources, he said the per capita consumption level in india is one-twentieth that of Europe, however with economic growth, approximately 30 million people are entering India’s middle class every year and India’s household consumptions is expected to double to USD 510 billion by 2008. by 25 per cent through encroachments and over-cultivation. He said the water table in India is falling by an average of six feet every year and it is predicted that the country will cross into water scarcity by 2025. "An estimated half of India’s 329 million hectares of soil is degraded and India will lose all its productive land to desertification within 200 years if the present annual loss of land continues," he said. Speaking about future consumption of India’s resources, he said the per capita consumption level in India is one-twentieth that of Europe, however with economic growth, approximately 30 million people are entering India’s middle class every year and India’s household consumptions is expected to double to USD 510 billion by 2008. Murthy termed India as a fastest growing economies in the world and pointed out that it was India’s low cost but skilled labour force which has been an important driver in its economic growth so far. He said 36 per cent of India’s one billion population is below the age of 15 years and this means that by 2020, 325 million people in India will reach working age. India will have largest working population in the world and this expected rise in India’s working population comes at a time when the developed world is faced with large ageing populations, Murthy said. It is estimated that by 2020, the US will be short of 17 million people of working age, China 10 million, Japan 9 million and Russia 6 million and against this India will have a surplus of 47 million working age people, he said. (PTI) Gujarat projecting itself as Jurassic park to woo tourists AHMEDABAD, Apr 18: The Asiatic lions of Gir forest, the wild asses and fossilised eggs and bones of dinosaurs that roamed this region 65 millions years ago—Gujarat is banking on all these to project itself as a major "Jurassic Park" to woo tourists. Besides, Gujarat Tourism Department is trying to promote tourism in a big way by selling places of piligrimage, hill stations and beaches of the state. Concerned over relatively poor inflow of tourists in the state, the department is taking a series of measures to make this state an important tourist destination on the lines of Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. "The thrust is to make Gujarat an important tourist destination for not only domestic but also international tourists as this region has immense tourism potential", Chairman of Gujarat Tourism Corporation R M Patel told PTI. The thrust is also on Eco tourism as some of the animals like the Asiatic lions and wild asses are found nowhere in the world except Gujarat, Patel said. The asiatic lions had once lived throughout Asia, particularly in west and south east Asia. However, this animal is now found only in the Gir Forest of Gujarat where more than 300 of them live at present. Another animal the Tourism Department wants to promote is wild asses which are found only in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The department plans to set up a dinosaur centre in Balasinore where a large number of dinosaur fossilised eggs have been found. In fact, this region of Gujarat is considered to be one of the biggest hatcheries of dinosaurs during the Jurassic era. The fossilised eggs belonged to dinosaurs like the fearsome tyrranosauras(t-rex), megalosaurus, brachiosaurus, titanosaurus, baraspauras, stegosauras, iguandon and several other varieties. Most of the fossilised eggs and bones of the dinosaurs are placed in Indroda dinosaur and fossil park in Gandhinagar. Managing Director of the Tourism Corporation C V Som said a seven-day "majestic Gujarat tour" is in the pipeline wherein a tour of places of religion including Dwarka, Somnath and Gir sanctuary will be conducted. The department has announced a 20 per cent rebate on hotel accomodations charges for senior citizens, physically challenged persons and children during the tourist season between April 15 to July 31. The rebate is meant only for the hotels that are owned by the department. The Tourism Department is also planning to open computerised tourist information centres at Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Porbandar Railway Stations. Plans are also underway to set up low cost accomodations near reserve forests on the lines of those in Karnataka. For those tourists who are interested in ancient culture and civilisation, the state has Dholavira in the Khadir island of Kutch. It is one of the two largest settlements in India and fifth largest in the subcontinent, the others being Mohen-Jo-Daro, Harrapa, Gharo Bhiro in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi (India). The state also organises various events to attract domestic and international tourists. This includes kite festival on January 14 each year. (PTI) |
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