Excelsior... Nation

US "closely" working with India on nuke deal

WASHINGTON, Feb 8: The United States is "closely" working with India on the "actual implementation" of the Indo-US nuclear deal and is hopeful of making "some progress" on it in the coming weeks leading up to the visit of President George W Bush to New Delhi in March.

The discussions are focused on a "workable proposal" by India on the separation of its civilian and military nuclear facilities, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said during a briefing here yesterday.

"We have continuing discussions with the Indian Government on the issue. The key component of these discussions is a workable proposal from the Indian Government on the separation of their civilian and their military nuclear programs. So we continue to work with them on that issue," he said.

"We don’t yet have anything to report in terms of a final agreement, but we think — we hold out great hope that we are going to be able to make some progress here in the coming weeks on that issue," he added.

The US, he said, appreciates Indian concerns on energy security which is why "we have been working so closely with them on actual implementation of the agreement," signed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W Bush in July last year.

He also said that the US was "pleased" that New Delhi decided to vote "with many other countries" to report Iran to the UNSC over its nuclear programme.

Acknowledging that the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be travelling with the President when he visits the region shortly, the McCormack would not say if the State Department is planning to open additional diplomatic posts—or one in Hyderabad.

"...We are looking at how we are arrayed in India. The Secretary talked about the importance of transformational diplomacy and shifting assets to those key areas of the globe where we might not have as many assets as we like. India she used as an example. So we’re going to be taking a look at that...", he said. (PTI)

HC to take up PIL seeking dismisal of Solicitor General

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: The Delhi High Court will take up on February 17 a petition seeking dismissal of Solicitor General G E Vahanvati and Additional Solicitor General B Dutta for their alleged connivance in "facilitating" defreezing of the London bank accounts of Italian businessman Ottavio Quotrocchi, an accused in the Bofors payoffs.

Though listed for hearing today as a Public Interest Litigation, the matter could not be taken up for hearing at the Division Bench of Justices Virender Jain and Rekha Sharma as both of them have gone on leave.

The PIL filed on behalf of the Rashtriya Mukti Morcha by its president Ravinder Kumar sought action against the two top officials for their "failure" in discharging their duties to give correct legal advise to the Union Government on questions relating to continuation and withdrawal of cases pertaining to the Bofors scandal.

Besides seeking dismissal of the two officials, the petitioner sought issuance of notices to the Union Government, CBI Director, Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and another Additional Solicitor General K P Pathak.

Interestingly, though the petition had sought dismissal of the two officials, it had not sought action against any other Government or political functionary for their perceived involvement in defreezing Quotrocchi’s bank accounts.

Incidentally, it was the Rashtriya Mukti Morcha that had earlier filed a petition in the JMM bribe scandal that had rocked the then P V Narasimha Rao Government.

Senior counsel P N Lekhi is expected to argue on behalf of the petitioner. (PTI)

Telgi hospitalised following chest pain

PUNE, Feb 8: Prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi, who is giving an in-camera confession in a 1995 stamp seizure in Mumbai, was today admitted to Sassoon General Hospital here, after he complained of chest pain.

"He complained of chest pain in the morning and was rushed to general hospital," an official of Yerawada Central Jail, where Telgi is lodged for the past three years, told PTI.

Telgi was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital at about 10 am, hospital sources said adding that "he had some chest pain but is okay now".

There was little possibility of Telgi being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate D W Modak today for recording the remaining part of his confession, he added.

Telgi, who is an HIV positive patient and also afflicted with other ailments has recorded for over 11 hours of his confessional statement before the Judge, running into 118 pages. (PTI)

Courage under fire: INA veteran recalls Col G S Dhillon

BHOPAL, Feb 8: Former Indian National Army Capt S S Yadav’s praise for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s associate Col Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon seems to constitute more of a friend’s fitting tribute than a junior officer’s compliments as he waxes eloquent about the colonel’s sheer courage while engaging British forces at Magwe in central Burma.

"His unit took up positions in the vicinity of Popa Hill. Though they had no artillery or air support and a paucity of rations, Dhillon proved his salt and fought well led by Gen Shah Nawaz Khan," Capt Yadav, now in his eighties, recounted to UNI in a telephonic interview after the

February 6 demise of Col Dhillon at Gwalior.

Yadav was earlier serving as havildar in the 1st Indian ‘Ack-Ack’ (Anti-Aircraft) Regiment of the British Army. After Singapore capitulated on February 15, 1942, British forces surrendered to the Japanese. Maj Fujiwara, an intelligence officer, handed over thousands of Indian PoW in Malaya to Capt Mohan Singh, the General-Officer-Commanding of the INA.

"After February 15, 1942, I often met Dhillon who was earlier in the 1st Battalion of the 14th Punjab Regiment. Capt Mohan Singh was a company commander in 1/14 Punjab and taken to Maj Fujiwara by Thailand-resident Granthi Pritam Singh, who had Congress leanings," narrates Capt Yadav.

1/14 Punjab had been deployed at the north end of Malaya to repel the Japanese who successfully attacked on December 8, 1941.

Speaking of his own contribution to the INA, Capt Yadav says that in 1944, as a bachelor of 25, he was ordered to protect a lifeline wooden railway bridge spanning the Annaquin rivulet in lower Burma, now Myanmar, near the Thai border.

"For seven months, our 4th Light Ack-Ack Company did not let the enemy damage the structure and we also brought down Allied aircraft. The bridge was built by the Japanese using British PoW. In September 1944, I was transferred to the INA’a Supreme Command Headquarters at Rangoon,’’ Capt Yadav adds while recalling that the INA had to depend on bullock carts for supplying ammunition and rations.

In July 1943, after Netaji took direct command of the INA, Dhillon was appointed commander of the Nehru Brigade, the others being the ‘Netaji Subhas’, ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Azad’ brigades.

After heavy reverses, the INA surrendered on May 17, 1945. The historic trial of Gen Khan, Col Prem Kumar Sehgal and Col Dhillon at the Red Fort began on November 5, 1945 by a General Court Martial for the of waging war against the king. All three were found guilty.

Commander-in-Chief Claude Auchinleck, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances, decided to remit the sentences against and they were released.

"I had a talk with Dhillon’s son. Since I’m not well I will be unable to attend the funeral," says Capt Yadav while regretting that INA personnel were generally thrown into oblivion by the Government of free India.

Though Gen Khan eventually received a Congress ticket for an election, Col Sehgal — who also fought shoulder to shoulder at Magwe — died on a bench at the New Delhi Railway Station, unwept and unsung.

"Dhillon’s role was apolitical after Independence. His daughter is a physician in Gwalior," says Delhi-resident Capt Yadav who is general secretary of the All-India INA Committee.

Though he was only a matriculate while in the British Army, he later completed his MA and retired in 1978 as a Government school teacher. His son is a doctor.

(UNI)

Average age of marriage in Punjab best in country

CHANDIGARH, Feb 8: The average age of marriage in Punjab is 21.3 years which is better than that of India which is 19.6 years.

Likewise the life expectancy in Punjab is far better than other states and is expected to rise further to 69.7 years for males and 72.6 years for females during 2011-15.

These observations were made by Prof G K Chadha, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister at the Data Dissemination Workshop organised by the Punjab Directorate of Census Operations yesterday.

Prof Chadha in his speech focused on the changing economic structure of Punjab’s population and highlighted on the shift from agricultural sector to non-agricultural sector. He also pointed to the phenomenal incrase in female work participation during this decade in Punjab.

Another speaker at the workshop Mr Madhav Shyam while presenting Punjab’s scenario through the eyes of the census observed that the life expectancy rate at birth in Punjab during 1996-2002 was greater among females than males.

Mr Shyam observed that likewise the infant mortality rate in the state which was 49 per cent was much better than the country as a whole (60 per cent). About 8.7 per cent of the population in the state is elderly that is 60-plus and this proportion is expected to rise to 14.6 per cent by 2026 possibly due to decline in fertility on one hand and increase in life expectancy due to improved medical facilities on the other.

The proportion of children attending school in age-group 6-10 years was also higher in Punjab (78.4 per cent) when compared to India (69.8 per cent).

Highlighting the economic indicators contributing to non-agricultural sector of growth Mr Shyam said the contribution of construction (146 per cent) is most dominant, followed by manufacturing (96 per cent) and wholesale and retail trade (39 per cent). Agriculture sector, however, is stagnating in terms of employment generation.

As many as 8.11 lakh persons in the state are immigrants and Ludhiana has attracted the maximum number of immigrants. These migrants are mainly from UP, Bihar, HP, Haryana and Rajasthan.

About 1.16 million persons in 27 cities/towns of Punjab are living in slums and this number is the highest in Ludhiana city (3.15 lac).

Highlighting on the future challenges before the state, Mr Shyam said that rapid urbanization poses challenges for urban infrastructure as the urban population in the state was expected to rise to 1.1 crore (38 per cent) by 2011 and further to 1.65 crore (52.5 per cent) by 2026. (UNI)

SC to monitor progress of slaughter house project

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Expressing dissatisfaction over the tardy progress in setting up a modern slaughter-house in Ghazipur in east Delhi, the Supreme Court today decided to monitor the MCD project to ensure that it was completed by June 30 deadline.

A Division Bench of Justice Ashok Bhan, Justice S P Sinha and Justice A K Mathur said it would also monitor the timely release of funds for the project to ensure that it was completed within the stipulated time.

The Bench pulled up the civic body for the delay in shifting the Idgah slaughter house from the Walled City area to Ghazipur in East Delhi.

Meanwhile, in a fresh affadavit filed in the court, MCD said it would not like to deal with M/s Bans (the German firm supplying machinery for the new slaughter house) on the ground that the civic body had no direct contact with it.

MCD also said it would appoint a committee headed by Sher-e-Kashmir University Vice Chancellor to assess the cost of the increasing the capacity of the plant.

However, the Bench which had earlier rejected MCD’s older affidavit, noted that it would like to monitor the progress of the project and timely release of the funds for the same.

The court also asked MCD to file an additional affidavit and posted the matter for hearing on February 14.

Earlier, taking exception to the frequent change of lawyers by MCD, the Bench had observed that it adversely affected the progress of the case.

The court had on January nine warned MCD to stick to its two-year deadline to complete construction of the state-of-the-art slaughter house in east Delhi.

It had asked MCD to file a status report within two weeks specifying the stage of construction and installation of machines at the site.(PTI)

BIMT asked to refund tution fee to student

NEW DELHI, Feb 8:Coming down heavily on private educational institutions’ policy of "fees once received not refudable", a city consumer court has asked the Birala Institute of Management Technology (BIMT) to cough up Rs 44,000 as refund and compensation to a student.

"Merely because the seat could not be filled up does not mean that the BIMT had a right to forfeit the amount of tution fees and any such term which is against the public policy and good conscience is not valid and can not be allowed to operate," observed the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission bench presided by Justice J D Kapoor and Member Ruminita Mittal.

Taking strong view of refusal to refund the tution fees to one Dheeraj Sachdeva, who could not pursue studies in BIMT after taking admission, the Commission said, "Any provider of service can claim consideration if it provides the service."

"But, in the instant case, the service was not provided at all and therefore the District Consumer Forum has rightly allowed Rs 39,000 by allowing the appellant to deduct the admission fees," added the Commission rejecting BIMT’s appeal.

"The educational institutions can not forfeit the amount for which services were not provided to consumers," it said.

Earlier, a District Forum, in its January 18, 2003 order, had allowed Sachdeva’s complaint wherein he alleged that the BIMT did not pay back the fees on the ground that it’s seat remained vacant as the admission was already closed and, as per the rule, it was non-refundable. The Commission, holding BIMT guilty of negligence, asked it to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation, in addition to Rs.39,000 as the tution fees, within a month. (PTI)

Technology opens doors of BPO industry for the blind

BANGALORE, Feb 8:A new technology now allows visually challenged to work shoulder to shoulder with people who have normal eyesight in the BPO industry. The technology neil (navigation and expert interaction logic) offers visually challenged a "talking companion", Shyam Kedare, who heads softnet interactive private limited that has conceptualised the new technique, told PTI.

The technology was utilised by the employment department of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) to impart call centre training to the visually impaired who were trained in marketing skills and later absorbed as telemarketing executives by Tata teleservices, M Srinivas, Chief Employment Officer, NAB said.

"Out of the 18 who were given training, eight were chosen for product training and use of software and six are finally working under Tata teleservices’ Drishti project," he said. The technology is simple. The software is used to transform coded data into voice format through a landline telephone instrument..(PTI)

NCRB to put all crime data online

KARNAL, Feb 8:If you are in a fix to fix the marriage of your daughter and in the dark about the antecedents of the prospective groom, don’t worry. National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) is ready to take you to the bottom of the truth.

NCRB would let out all kinds of information on its website, NCRB Deputy Director Ved Prakash told UNI on the sidelines of the 49th All India Police Duty Meet here today.

He said the common man would have access to all kinds of information through e-policing. All the police stations across the country flashing information on Crime Criminal Investigation (CCI) would be connected by a network of computers, he said.

At present, he said, police stations provided information to the District Crime Record Bureau (DCRB) which in turn was put out to the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB) which finally let it out to the NCRB.

Mr Ved Prakash said the data so far related to the crimes covered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Central acts only and the process was quite sloppy.

But once the 15,000 police stations across the country were connected, all kinds of information would on Crime Criminal Investigation would be instantly available for the benefit of the police as well as well as the common man, he added.

In a recent meeting of the senior officials the NCRB and the Union Home Ministry, it was decided that all kinds of information, barring the one which could harm the national interests, would be let out to the public through NCRB website, he said.

Matters relating to the background of a person, whether any case was registered against him, development in any case, theft of vehicles, missing persons, arrest of a person, passport verification—all sorts of information would be available on the website.At present, the information available on the NCRB website could be availed by an authorised person only but in future it would be available to all and sundry and that too free at cost, Mr Ved Prakash said. To begin with, important police stations of Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh would be directly connected through Wide Area Network (WAN), he added.(UNI)

Phone-tapping: HC restrains UP from questioning Delhi Officers

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: The Delhi High Court today granted an interim order restraining the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force from questioning top Delhi Government officials including its Principal Secretary (Home) R Narayanaswamy and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ranjit Narayan in connection with the Amar Singh phone-tapping row.

Justice R C Jain passed the interim order while dealing with a contempt petition filed by the Delhi Police against its UP counterpart for conducting a parallel probe into the case despite the court’s earlier stay on the matter.

Justice Jain also gave the UP Police three days to file their affidavit on the contempt petition and posted the matter for further hearing on February 16.

Appearing for Delhi government, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam took umbrage at UP’s reply to the contempt notice wherein the STF had maintained that the Delhi High Court has no jurisdiction to restrain UP Police from investigating the matter.

Subramaniam maintained that UP Police’s defiance was not only contemptuous of the High Court but was also a serious assault on the federal structure of the country involving two different states.

The ASG also informed the court that the latest forensic reports had established that the letters purported to have been issued by Narayanaswamy and Narayan were forged and that the Delhi Police was on the verge of completing the entire investigation and file a chargesheet.

Delhi Police also submitted in the court compact-discs and newspaper clippings in which top sleuths of UP Police reportedly stated that they would continue with their investigations, irrespective of the Delhi High Court order.

However, appearing for UP, senior counsels Sushil Kumar and R S Chandioke argued that there was no defiance of the High Court order as the STF was merely seeking to question the two Delhi Government officials as part of routine investigations in pursuant to the FIR lodged in UP on a different premise.

Chandioke also submitted that the contempt petition moved by Delhi police was a clear case of abusing the due process of law to protect the two officials who were sought to be examined by the investigating STF officers.

(PTI)

Lalu’s son joins demonstration demanding release of Nirmalendu

PATNA, Feb 8: It was the turn of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad’s son Tejpratap, a student of International Public School here, to join the demonstration by students demanding the release of kidnapped schoolboy Nirmalendu alias Bunty, who remained untraced for the 23rd day today.Tejpratap, a student of standard ten, in his school uniform walked down the streets and joined the human chain formed by the students of his school to press for the release of Nirmalendu. The students also offered mass prayer while a group of nine fellow pupils sat on relay fast to put pressure on the police to secure early release of the boy

Nirmalendu, a student of standard eleven of Don Bosco Public School, was kidnapped on January 17 while on way to his school. He is the son of the Joint Director of the state Animal Husbandry Department O P Diwakar, who is one of the accused in the multi-crore fodder scam. (PTI)

Desi director takes on New York in slugfest

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: When Rakesh Sharma left his New York hotel to capture some street shots on his palmcorder, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. For over two hours on May 13, 2005, the documentary filmmaker says he was detained, physically and verbally assaulted by city police detectives.

According to Sharma, the detectives searched his bag and also damaged his camera. He was let off only after his credentials as an award-winning filmmaker were verified on the Internet and the footage he shot was viewed by the sleuths.

The incident was to be forever etched in Sharma’s memory and the 41-year-old Indian filmmaker decided he wouldn’t take the humiliation lying down. He filed a lawsuit against New York on January 10 this year.

"We now await a hearing as well as the city’s response," says Sharma in an email interview to PTI.

Best known for his film ‘Final Solution’ which is based on the 2002 Gujarat riots, Sharma is no stranger to controversy. His film was banned in India by the Censor Board for several months. The ban was only lifted in October 2004 after a sustained campaign for the film which won several prestigious awards abroad, including a Special Jury Award at the Berlin film festival.

The suit, filed on his behalf by the New York Civil Liberties Union, challenges the constitutional validity of the city’s film permit policies, which in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy puts filmmakers at risk of being arrested for documenting public places.

"During my detention, the detective repeatedly told me I needed permits to shoot on the streets. We applied for a permit the next time I was in New York in November 2005 but the city declined me a permit. We have now challenged the permit policy itself," says Sharma.

"My lawyers and I believe we have a very strong case. We hope punitive action will be taken against the detectives concerned, the city’s permit policy will be modified and appropriate damages will be awarded," he says.

In fact, Sharma had filed his first complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) immediately after the incident in May. The CCRB conducted its investigations over the next six months but the filmmaker got tired of waiting.

"We filed the lawsuit since the CCRB enquiry took quite long and also because it has very limited punitive powers. The lawsuit also brings up an important issue within the realm of the US constitution - the right to free speech," says Sharma.

"For nearly two hours, I was made to stand on the sidewalk outside Starbucks, with my camera and passport in the detective’s possession, not allowed even to move, not allowed to use my phone," he recalls.

With his now-famous lawsuit against New York city, Sharma believes he is taking up cudgels on behalf of the entire filmmaking fraternity.

"The case has far-reaching implications for all artists and filmmakers as it deals with the issue of free speech," he says.

The incident at the ‘Big Apple’ put paid to Sharma’s plans for his next documentary but the director says he is ready to pick up from where he left off.

"I plan to resume shooting as I had suspended all shooting in New York after my detention. My film deals with the lives of common people in the post 9/11 world, especially immigrant communities," says the Mumbai-based filmmaker, who started his career by assisting filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

Sharma admits he is plagued by resource crunches and says the film can only be a long-term project with a two to three-year horizon."Since I am a self-financed independent filmmaker, I am not able to shoot at the pace I’d like to as I have to keep waiting to generate adequate resources," he adds. (PTI)