Excelsior... Nation

Flow of international students to India on the rise

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: It is not a one-way traffic of Indian students going abroad to pursue studies as the country witnesses an increase in the flow of foreign students.

A recent study by Association of Indian Universities (AIU), a body having about 275 universities in the country as its members, showed that flow of foreign students to India has been increasing since 1996-97.

There were 5,841 international students in India in 1996-97. However, in 2003-04, the number reached 7,753, AIU Under Secretary Veena Bhala, who conducted the study, said.

The highest number of students were from Malaysia (806), followed by 689 students from Nepal in 2003-04. As many as 4,809 students were from Asian countries, while there were 468 students from North America, including 354 from the US and 99 from Canada this year.

Similarly, 1,755 students were from African countries, while the number of students from Europe and South America was abysmal, standing at 128 and seven respectively. There was only one student from Pakistan this year, according to the study.

The overseas students prefer general courses at under graduate and post graduate levels in India. Very few people were coming to pursue technical or professional studies, it said.

The number of foreign students was very high in early 90s’. Nearly 13,000 international students used to come to India every year during 1990-91 to 1993-94.

More than 90 per cent of overseas students were from developing countries, the study showed. Western India, particularly Maharashtra, remains a favourite destination for international students.

Bhala said there was steady decline in the flow of students in mid-90s. "The reason is that while the developed countries were actively marketing their education, India was complacent," she said.

However, the inflow is much less than the outflow of students from India. As per UNESCO-IS data, India had sent 61,812 students abroad in 2000-01, including about 47,000 students to the US. In the following year, there was substantial increase in the number of students going to developed countries for education.

The study favoured simplifying the visa requirements and other administrative procedures. Further, academic reforms with regard to learning and evaluation could help attract more foreign students, the study said. (PTI)

Extradition request of US turned down by Delhi Court

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: A Delhi Court has turned down an extradition request by the United States for a fugitive Dutch national, an alleged international drug trafficker associated with a gang operating from Atlanta.

Additonal Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravinder Dudeja declined the request of US authority to extradite Louis Hedrick Olyve Marco, saying there was no substantive evidence against the foreign national who was arrested by the Delhi Police at the airport in May 2003 when he had come for heart treatment at a private hospital here.

The US authority had supported its case by forwarding the statement of two of his accomplices Howard Carlos Bickers and Milan Redesists, who had given statements against the Dutch national in the year 2002 after their arrest.

"There is no evidence except the statements of two other persons who are not being jointly tried with the fugitive," the court said discharging him from the case initiated by Indian authorities.

"The confessions of Bickers and Redesists cannot be treated as substantive evidence," the court observed held.

Citing various Supreme Court judgements the court held, "confession of a co-accused is an evidence of a very weak type. It is much weaker type of evidence than even that of an approver."

The US authority had alleged that Olyve was linked to a drug trafficking organisation based in Atlanta which is supervised by one Stephen Ashley House.

Bickers and Redesits not only confessed to their guilt in the trial in the USA Incriminatin Olyve but also identified his photograph. They both got reduced sentences based on this plea bargain (pleading guilty to a lesser charge in expectation of leniency).

However, the court refused to recognise the evidence based on plea bargain.

Olyve denied the allegations saying that he is a Dutch national and a car mechanic by profession. He said he had come to India to receive treatment for his heart disease. (PTI)

Testimony of doctor not essential in rape case: SC

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The Supreme Court has ruled that conviction in a rape case can be based on solitary evidence of the victim, with non-examination of doctor in court and non-production of medical report not being grounds to give benefit of doubt to the accused.

"Once the statement of prosecutrix (rape victim) inspires confidence and is accepted by the courts as such, conviction can be based only on solitary evidence of the prosecutrix and no corroboration would be required unless there are compelling reasons which necessitate the courts for corroboration of her statement," a Bench comprising Justice H K Sema and Justice G P Mathur said.

Setting aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order, the Bench said "non-examination of doctor and non-production of doctor’s report would not cause fatal to the prosecution case, if the statements of the victim and other prosecution witnesses inspire confidence."

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had acquitted a rape accused on the ground that the doctor who had examined the victim was not cross-examined.

"The view taken by the High Court, in our view, is perverse, erred in law as well as on fact and contrary to the established law laid down by this court in a catena of decisions," the Apex Court said.

The Bench said High Court committed "grave miscarriage of justice" in recording acquittal of the accused while giving him benefit of doubt for non-examination of the doctor.

The High Court had said non-examination of doctor and not providing an opportunity to the accused person to cross-examine the doctor was a fatal one and was a big lacuna in the prosecution case.

The Court said minor contradictions or insignificant discrepancies should not be a ground for throwing out an otherwise reliable prosecution case.

The Bench said the court while acquitting the accused on benefit of doubt should be cautious to see that the doubt should be a "reasonable doubt" and it should not reverse the findings of the guilt on the basis of irrelevant circumstances or mere technicalities.

Speaking on the facts of the case, the court said "the victim was subjected to cross-examination but nothing could be elicited to demolish the statement-in-chief".

Maintaining that corroboration of testimony of the victim as a condition for judicial reliance was not a requirment of law but a guidance of prudence under given facts and circumstance, the Bench said her statements were corroborated by those of prosecution witnesses, coupled with the FSL report which has been accepted by the High Court. (PTI)

Thousands of birds killed for Durga Puja ‘dhaks’ in Bengal

KOLKATA, Oct 2: Wildlife activists are alarmed at the killing of thousands of wild birds for feathers to adorn the ‘dhaks’ (drums) during Bengal’s biggest annual festival Durga Puja and called for an immediate check to the practice in the name of tradition.

A recent survey by wildlife NGOs in the state has suggested that at least 700 dhaks are fully decorated with white feathers and plumes of egrets and herons in Kolkata alone by hunting down at least 20,000 birds on an average every year.

"That is a staggering figure...Especially in the 32nd year of the Indian Wildlife Act which is being blatantly violated year after year in Bengal," says Mukuta Mukherjee, coordinator of the Friends of Wetlands and Wildlife which has taken up the cause.

The team surveyed 300 ‘dhakis’ (drummers) from Nadia and Murshidabad entering Kolkata for the forthcoming puja season and considered a baseline figure of 700 dhakis for the 2,000 puja ‘mandaps’ in Kolkata alone.

"All dhakis said they had used white feathers of egrets either by purchasing them from hunter-gatherers or from local gunmen who occasionally kill the birds for recreation or for consumption of meat," says Subhasis Bhaduri, one of the field workers.

The dhakis said they had to travel several hours from their villages to procure the feathers as the birds were not readily available these days unlike in the past, Bhaduri says.

Contrasting figures ranging from Rs 1400 per kg to Rs 100 per kg indicated that there was no regularised market for such plumes and prices depended on availability which again was very uncertain, he says.

The dhakis use flight feathers after plucking them from the wings, softening with tepid water and slicing midway.

"A maximum of 15 to 20 feathers can be obtained per bird and at least 40 bunches of such feathers were needed to complete the feather tail for one drum. This means at least four to five birds have to be killed to decorate one drum," says Kheya Mukherjee, co-field worker on the project.

The feathers obtained by the group were sent to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) which identified them as belonging to the Egretta garzetta (Little Egret) species. (PTI)

Loudspeaker ban likely to dampen Navratri revelry

MUMBAI, Oct 2: Enterprising "Dandia" dancers in certain parts of the metropolis will be sporting an altogether different kind of ornament this "Navratri’’ which commences from Tuesday — earphones!

With the Supreme Court refusing to budge on its 2200 hours deadline for loudspeakers, certain organisers of "Dandia Raas" here have hit upon the novel idea of providing the participants with earphones so that the revelry can continue beyond 2200 hours.

But, the deadline has come as a dampener for many other organisors. While "Dandia Raas" used to be organised in at least ten places across the metropolis earlier, this year their number would be just around four, says an organisor Vikky Faras.

In the western suburbs of Borivali, the organisors have decided to provide the participants with earphones, Mr Faras told UNI. However, other organisors have not made any such arrangements, he said.

Because of the ban, the organisors are finding it difficult to get sponsorships with the sponsors turning away their backs. Last year, Mr Faras said, he had received around Rs three lakh in sponsorships. But, he was yet to receive even a single rupee this year. Despite the lack of sponsorship, Mr Faras claimed he had organised "Dandia Raas" at Wadala which would be thrown open to the participants at a cost of Rs 100 per day or a season’s ticket at Rs 600.

"Garba" is associated with the "Shakti" cult and worship is offered to the goddess to seek blessings for fertility and creativity. On the first day of "Navratri", people light a lamp in a perforated earthern pot, called "Garbo", to offer worship to the Goddess. The devotees sing and dance around the pot following a circular path.

"Dandia Raas" is associated with the Krishna cult and there are three different styles — Lata Raas, Tali Raas, and Dandia Raas. Lata Raas dancers place their hands on each other’s waist and shoulders and create a formation like a creeper (lata). In Tali Raas, the dancers maintain the rhythm with claps, while Dandia Raas is played using sticks (dandias). (UNI)

Reliance Life Insurance gets new CEO

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: Eager to enter the competitive life insurance business, Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Capital has appointed R Nandagopal as the CEO of Reliance Life Insurance (RLI) within a day of getting a go ahead from insurance regulator IRDA for acquisition of AMP Sanmar.

The acquistion of the Chennai-based firm, which paves the way for RLI’s direct entry in life insurance business, would be completed by next week with Reliance set to make payment of about Rs 100 crore for the deal that was awaiting IRDA nod.

Nandagopal had also met IRDA chairman C S Rao last week prior to taking over his new assignment, sources said.

The 45-year-old management graduate joins the younger Ambani’s life insurance business from Birla Sunlife, one of the companies that was also in the fray for AMP Sanmar.

"We effectively got the clearance from IRDA on September 30 and he was appointed CEO on October one," a top Reliance Capital official told PTI.

Nandagopal, who till now was a key member of Birla Sunlife, one of the top three private insurance players, is expected to lead the charge for the pan-India expansion of the company that is now focused on Western and Southern regions.

Nandagopal is an experienced hand in the insurance sector with over 10 years in state-run General Insurance Company and three years in DSP Merril Lynch. He was in Birla Sunlife for about six years.

AMP Sanmar had cash balance of Rs 80 crore, according to books of accounts. It has about 9,000 agents and 900 employees besides over 100 offices across the country and has sold over three lakh policies so far.

Reliance Capital is working on extensive plans for making its life insurnace venture nationwide although the new CEO would presently operate from Mumbai and Chennai, sources said.

Anil Ambani had previously said that the takeover marks the immediate entry of Reliance Capital into the growth area of life insurance in one of the world’s fastest growing and most under-served markets.

The acquisition, part of Anil’s plans to make RCL among the top three integrated financial services companies in next 2-3 years, gives it a direct entry in the sector without seeking a fresh licence and with a ready-made customer base in place.

Reliance, which had clinched the deal in August this year amid stiff competition from Aviva, HSBC, ICICI Prudential and Birla Sunlife, is awaiting RBI nod for the takeover,

Reliance Capital, which has a net worth of Rs 4,500 crore, is India’s third largest private financial services company after ICICI and HDFC.

AMP Sanmar, which has a capital base of Rs 217.5 crore, had demonstrated the highest growth among all the players at over 170 per cent with premium income of Rs 15 crore from new businesses in April-May this year despite uncertainties after its Australian partner AMP decided to quit Indian operations. (PTI)

Airlines hit as cost of leasing planes goes up

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The cost of leasing aircraft and their engines has gone up with the six-month exemption of withholding tax, granted to airlines in the budget, expiring on September 30.

The withdrawal of the exemption from paying the tax will increase the cost of leasing aircraft and engines from foreign lessers by up to 40 per cent.

The tax was extended by six months from April 1 and was applicable on all those airline companies that sign their lease deals until September-end.

"We’ve cleared all applications which were pending so far," said Finance Minister P Chidambaram. "I don’t know what will happen next," he told reporters here.

In the absence of exemption under section 10(15A) of the Income Tax Act, the lessee or the airline is required to bear the tax on lease rentals of aircraft.

Though the quantum of financial impact on airlines will depend on the residential status of the leaser, the rate of tax could range anything between 25 and 40 per cent plus the applicable surcharge.

In the budget proposal this year, the finance minister had mooted that the exemption granted to airlines to lease planes and aircraft engines should end.

But following persistent demands by the airlines and aviation industry as well as Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, another extension was granted till September 30.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry said they have received no communication from the Finance Ministry regarding the status of tax.

In the past few weeks, aviation ministry officials, leading airlines and industry chambers like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have met finance ministry officials to stress the need for allowing the exemption to continue.

They contend that withdrawal of exemption will adversely affect the airlines — both old and new — at a time when the aviation industry is witnessing a boom and is about to experience exponential growth.

Government-owned carriers Air India (AI) and Indian Airlines (IA) have already leased several aircraft to meet the demand for capacity till their own planes start coming in from late next year. They still have plans to lease a few more planes to meet the growing demand.

While AI has put in place a leasing plan for more aircraft, pending Government approval of its acquisition plans, IA also needs to lease capacity in the interim till their planes are delivered.

The withdrawal of the exemption is likely to affect a number of private airlines who are planning to meet capacity requirements.

The exemption was granted in 1989 to facilitate the airlines lease planes. But later it was withdrawn for a few years but re-introduced in 1999. (UNI)

No peak too high, no disability too big

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The 16 km hill trek from Solang Valley to Beas Kund, where Ved Vyas is said to have written the Mahabharta in Himachal Pradesh played host to a rather unexpected group of visitors last week from a far-out town in Maharashtra.

It is fairly commonplace for a group of trekking enthusiasts to spend vacations staking claim at the 12,500 meter summit. But this time those climbing the river crossing and the rope-grappling were an assorted bunch of handicapped between 10-76 years with disabilities ranging from blindness to lameness.

Organised by Ajinkya Adventure Group based in Akola Maharashtra, the group of 45 disabled and strong-hearted trekkers took five days and months of training including yoga, swimming and climbing to scale the peak and most importantly their own handicaps.

"It was for the first time that a composite group of people with different disabilities participated in a trek such as this,"Dhananjay L Bhagat, the organiser of the group said adding, "the idea is to foster a spirit of understanding, that of team work between the group members so that each of them understand each others disability and grow to complement each other."

"When we touched the ice, it was exhilirating. We just thought to ourselves this is difficult, not impossible," Deepak, a visually challenged person says. Now, we say, "if there’s something taller, we’d like to climb that as well," he adds.

"What adventures susch as these do is to increase our self confidence. During the trek, we felt that we were by no means handicapped, with adventure, we grew beyond," Rajesh Dawri, a sculpture artist from Akola and an amputee says.

The group relates stories of having "grappled across the river on ropes," crossed it on "log bridges where slight loss of balance would send you plunging into the torrential Beas river". However, no one in the group received any serious injuries.

"We regularly organise such activities like rope-climbing, rappling and river crossing in Maharashtra," instructor with the group says adding,"they just need a little support, but once they do something like this it does wonders for their personality."

Dhotre, the local Member of Parliament says,"taking people to peaks where not even all normal people go, is in itself extraordinary. From next year onwards whenever excursions such as these are organised we’ll make sure that the need for funds is well taken care off."

One thing that Rukma, Sudarshan (visually and aurally challenged), Sheikh and Rajesh Dawri (physically challenged), Deepak and Monal (Visually challenged) and all others in the group agree on is that they’re not about to back-down from a challenge."Get us a peak we’ll climb it," they say.

As far as the group organisers, Dhananjay and others are concerned, this is just the begining of an annual event. "Maybe, one day, if we get the opportunity, we’ll want to

Climb the Everest," Dhananjay says. (PTI)

Women oppose Orissa’s Govt move to open more liquor outlets

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 2: Several hundred women, braving squally weather conditions, maintained a night long vigil at a busy city interjection till this morning to oppose the Orissa Government’s recent move to open 2,000 more liquor outlets all over the state.

Raising slogans against the government plan and singing about the ills of drinking, the women — most of them tribals — lit candles and sat through the night on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg to register their protest against "spreading the culture of liquor".

Veteran freedom Fighter Annapurna Maharana inaugurated the vigil, titled "Binidra Rajani", organised by "Madamukti Abhijan", an organisation demanding imposition of prohibition in the state.

Eminent persons from different walks of life addressed the protestors who also continued their dharana this morning coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

They demanded that the Government plan to open 2,000 liquor outlets to earn more revenue should be dropped.

"It is hard to understand the logic behind the Government claim that issuing more licences would stop illicit brewing and selling of liquor and boost revenue earning, the speakers said adding there are many other better ways to increase venue.

A five-member delegation on behalf of Madamukti Abhijan also called on the Governor Rameswar Thakur and submitted a memorandum to him yesterday decrying the Government move.

"The Governor assured us that he will take up the matter with the Government, Pramila Swain, convenor of the organisation, told PTI.

They demanded imposition of total prohibition in the state in a phased manner, shelving of the plan to open more liquor shops and strict implementation of the Bihar-Orissa Excise Act.

Besides, the Government should come forward with a white paper on liquor-related crimes, accidents and deaths, they said. (PTI)

Home Ministry officials, journalists in official secrets case

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The CBI has filed a charge-sheet against two Home Ministry officials, two journalists and a media company under the Official Secrets Act for leaking proceedings of a secret meeting on alleged funding of rebels in Bihar and the North East by a Dutch NGO.

Taking note of the charge-sheet naming Home Ministry officials Thomas Mathew and Neeraj Kumar, Tehelka journalists Mathew Samuel and Anirudh Behal and media company Buffalo Network Pvt Ltd, a designated judge at the Tis Hazari District Court here has asked them to appear before the court on November 29, 2005.

The CBI had investigated the matter on a complaint by Home Ministry Under Secretary on March 30, 2001 against Neeraj Kumar and some unknown persons alleging that the accused leaked to Tehelka.Com the minutes of the October 9, 2000 meeting.

The complaint was filed soon after the news portal posted a story — Dutch Support Revealed for Rebels in Bihar and North East — on their website on March 30, 2001. The ministry alleged that the story substantially reproduced the minutes of the said meeting.

Besides Neeraj, the CBI, after investigating the matter, named Thomas Mathew, Mathew Samuel, Anirudh Behal and Buffalo Network Pvt Ltd, which has Tarun Tejpal as one of the Directors, as accused in the case. They have been charged under sections 3 and 5 of Official Secrets Act and 120B of the IPC. (UNI)

New techniques in medicine makes organ transplantation easier

JAIPUR, Oct 2: Complicated medical procedures like liver and kidney transplantion in children and pregnant women have now become possible with development of new techniques in medical science.

Experts in the field of organ transplantation from USA, Canada, India and several other countries said that organ transplatation which hitherto was complicated and posed difficulites has now become more easier with developments in the medical field.

In his presentation at the 16th Annual Cconference of Indian Society of Organ Transplantation (ISOT), an eminent nephrologist of the US, Dr Phyllis August said that kidney transplanation in children is now possible with development of a new technique which till date was done in adults only.

Discussing about viral infection in post kidney operation, recipient of American Fellowship Award, Dr LC Sharma of Jaipur said, "Of the total patients who developed infections, 70 per cent of them got afflicted by CMV infection and 15 per cent from fatal pneumonia.

He said with the administration of CMV hyperglobulin, the infection could decrease from 70 per cent to six per cent and life of a transplanted organ would increase by one year in 96 per cent of the cases and in some, upto three years.

Dr RK Sharma from Lucknow said that during kidney transplantation, antibodies were formed after blood transfusion which could be managed by ATG technique.

Discussing liver transplantation, Dr A Humer of the US said development in medical sciences has now made it possible for doctors to split the liver of a living person and transplant it, which earlier could only be done after the death of a donor.

He said, "Now a portion of the liver from a live person could be taken and transplanted."

Dr JM Shapiro from Canada said that artificial pancreas can be constructed after taking cells from the pancreas islet and tuning that into liquid.

Dr M Suthanthiran from the US informed that special molecular investigative tools have been developed to facilitate the diagnosis pertaining to pre-transplant and care of the patient.

Inaugurating the conference yesterday, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said that the 21st century would usher in scientific techniques like gene therapy and stem cells.

But she said that "questions of ethics may arise when using them so we must check its legal and moral aspects." She also said that these techniques should be within the reach of the poor.

She said she wanted to become a super speciality centre and a place for medical tourism. (PTI)

Eating during eclipses pose no harm: Scientists

RAJKOT, Oct 2: When the moon passes in front of the sun tomorrow obscuring it, some scientifically-tempered activists are going to have a feast amid raised eyebrows. The feast, of course, is not in celebration but to dispel the several myths surrounding a solar eclipse.

Superstitions have surrounded eclipses and other solar phenomena since ancient times. In an effort to dispel them, a campaign is being held all over the country tomorrow when a partial solar eclipse will occur.

The programme is being organised by the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, an organisation committed to promoting scientific temper in the country.

"Eclipses are normal, cosmic occurences. But astrologers with vested interests, have deftly used them to cheat the common man. Their prescriptions to shun food and do "puja-paath" (prayers) during an eclipse are all bogus. We intend to organise a programme wherein food and snacks will be eaten at that time," said Mr Jayantbhai Pandya, the state representative of the Jatha.

For this purpose, he said the Jatha is approaching schools and colleges to create awareness among the youth. "The response has been very good. We will hold the programme mostly in the campuses of educational institutions," he said.

He said the campaign will try to dissuade people from following the astrologers blindly. "Astrologers try to create fear in the minds of people by saying if they did not follow their instructions, they would suffer from leprosy or go to hell after death. It is all so ridiculous," he said.

Superstitions surrounding eclipses are many. According to a well-known superstition, if a pregnant woman goes out during an eclipse, her baby will be born blind or with a cleft lip.

Another one says, all cooked food that stayed unused during an eclipse should be given away in charity, because it is supposed to have become impure. No one should eat or drink during the eclipse, it adds.

"Anyone holding a knife or axe during an eclipse will cut himself", goes yet another superstition.

Observing that the superstitions do not have any scientific basis, the activist said only education and awareness among people can expose their hollowness.

Renowned scientist Prof Yashpal is the national chairman of the Jatha, which is supported by National Council for Science and Technology, Communication. (UNI)