BSF celebrates its 42^nd Raising Day

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: The Border Security Force (BSF) today celebrated its 42nd Raising Day at Chhawla here, attending to the call of duty from the dizzy heights of Himalayas to the scorching heat of Rann of Kutch and away from their home and hearth for a long time.

Speaking on the occasion, chief guest, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said "India was in safe hands with the BSF guarding its borders."

He paid glowing tributes to the BSF soldiers who laid down their lives fighting anti-national forces. He assured their families of all possible help from the Government and appealed to the masses not to forget their sacrifice and help the grieving families in every way.

The Home Minister congratulated the BSF fraternity for having performed well under challenging circumstances.

"BSF works silently behind the scenes without being noticed by the people, however, peace in the land is largely due to them. We have to bring their work to the notice of the Indian people," he said.

Mr Patil extolled the BSF camel unit and said "they attract the maximum attention."

"BSF has played a paramount role in anti-terrorist operations and bringing relief in times of natural calamities to the people," he added.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, BSF Director General AK Mitra traced the history of BSF when it was founded to operate on the India-Pakistan border. However, with the passage of time its role and duties kept increasing as also its operational area, he said.

Mr Mitra assured the families of BSF martyrs all possible assistance from the organisation. He also praised the BSF officers who have

served on overseas stint in various capacities.

Mr Patil took the salute at an impressive parade that comprised various BSF units, artillery pieces, Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV), dog squad, horse and camel contingents and various tableaus that were the star attraction of the event.

The Home Minister presented President’s Police Medal for gallantry to many soldiers, including a few posthumously, for their role in combating terrorism. President’s Police Medal for distinguished service was presented to a few senior officers by the Home Minister.

General Choudhary’s Trophy was bagged by Battalion 135. (UNI)

Radhakrishnan new VSSC Director

CHENNAI, Dec 1: Dr K Radhakrishnan is the new Director of Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

He assumed charge yesterday from Dr B N Suresh, who has been appointed as the Director of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, according to an ISRO release here today.

Dr Radhakrishnan is an Engineering Graduate from Kerala University (1970), MBA from Indian Institute of Management (1976), Bangalore and Doctorate from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (2000).

Dr Radhakrishnan started his career in ISRO as an avionics engineer at VSSC in 1971. Later, he was the Director of Budget and Economic Analysis at ISRO Headquarters, Bangalore as well as Director of Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres.

Subsequently, he was appointed as the Mission Director of Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development and Deputy Director of National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad of the Department of Space.

He is a member of the Indian delegation to the UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space since June 2006. (UNI)

Ramesh dropped from Congress’ ‘Group
on Future Challenges’

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has been dropped from the high-profile "Group on future challenges" of the Congress which has Rahul Gandhi as its prominent member but there was no explanation as to why the decision was taken.

Ramesh, who is also an AICC Secretary, was the Convenor of the Group headed by senior party leader M Veerappa Moily.

The panel was constituted by party Chief Sonia Gandhi in September this year as a ‘think tank’ to go into the various issues that are confronting or likely to confront the organisation and the country

Moily said Ramesh ceased to be a member of the Group a day after its first meeting was held in September, but expressed ignorance about the reasons for his removal. The first meeting was held soon after the re-constitution of the AICC Secretariat as also the Group.

Ramesh, who is also a member of the National Advisory Council, which was earlier headed by Sonia Gandhi as UPA Chairperson, was not immediately available for comment.

A member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh had come under controversy in September as he demanded the resignation of Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni in the wake of the row over the Ram Setu affidavit.

The AICC had disapproved of Ramesh’s going public on the issue and he had sought apologies from Soni. (PTI)

Sonia flags off ‘Red Ribbon Express’

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today flagged off specially-designed seven-coach ‘Red Ribbon Express’ that will traverse across the country spreading AIDS prevention messages.

Flagging off the train on World AIDS Day, the UPA Chairperson said the campaign was a battle for those afflicted by AIDS and "it can and must be won".

This project will help bring to the mainstream the fight against the disease, she added.

"AIDS is a major public health concern. No single thing has had such an impact in the world. Men and women in the prime of their youth have been lost to this disease," Ms Gandhi said.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who was also present on the occasion, announced that his ministry will also run another train for the same purpose.

The train will raise awareness about HIV, promote safe behavioural practices and fighting the stigma and discrimination attached to the blood-borne disease.

During its year-long journey, the train will cover over 27,000 km covering 180 stations holding programmes and activities in over 50,000 villages.

Two exhibition buses and cycle caravans will also be travelling with the train and they will cover the peripheries of the districts reaching out to millions of people. (UNI)

Punjab Govt bans Madhuri’s comeback movie ‘Aaja Nachle’

CHANDIGARH, Dec 1: In order to maintain law and order in the state, the Punjab Government today banned Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit’s comeback movie "Aaja Nachle", a day after it was pulled off from theatres in Uttar Pradesh.

The decision to ban the film has been taken in the wake of reports that a section of a society was feeling outraged over certain lines in a song in the film, Media Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Harcharan Bains said here.

"The direction comes into force with immediate effect and is taken after consideration of safety of life and property of the people of the state," he added.

The movie has been released at various places in the state, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar and Bathinda, as part of the countrywide release starring Madhuri Dixit, who is making a comeback after 5 years.

Official sources said that district authorities have been directed to ensure that no show of the movie is screened at any theatre or multiplex in the state.

The Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh had yesterday banned the movie in the state and also written to the prime minister demanding a complete ban on the film throughout the country alleging its title song has "humiliated" Dalits. (PTI)

No end to Aaja Nachle’s woes as Punjab also bans movie

CHANDIGARH, Dec 1: There was more trouble for popular actress Madhuri Dixit’s comeback movie "Aaja Nachle" with Punjab, which has a sizable dalit population, today banning it, a day after it was taken off theatres in Uttar Pradesh over its title song which allegedly humiliated the community.

The decision to ban the film has been taken in the wake of reports that a section of a society was feeling outraged over certain lines in a song in the film, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s media adviser Harcharan Bains said here.

"The direction comes into force with immediate effect and is taken after consideration of safety of life and property of the people of the state," he added.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has also decided to issue summons to the film’s producer, director and all those associated with the controversial lyrics and ask them to submit affidavits explaining their position.

"We will summon all the people who have performed, written and cleared the lyrics as well as the producer and director," Commission Chairperson Buta Singh said.

"The damage has already been done. The lyrics go against the laws passed by Parliament and the Constitution itself," he said.

Support for film came from Censor Board Chief Sharmila Tagore who said she was ready to apologise if the sentiments of any community were hurt but stressed there was no reason for the film to be banned.

"The music of the film has been in the market for a long time now, but nobody had registered any complaints. The line has been taken out of context. My committee which had reviewed the film had seen it as a profession-based remark and not a caste-based slight or insult," Tagore said.

Tagore said the lyrics to which objections have been raised were meant in a light-hearted manner.

"Nevertheless, if somebody has been offended and if any particular community has been hurt then we are prepared to apologise," she said.

Tagore admitted that the line in question, which has been criticised as being insulting to Dalits, was "slightly overlooked" and some "miscalculation" was made.

She welcomed the decision by the filmmakers to voluntarily withdraw the line. Director of the film Anil Mehta had yesterday announced that the "objectionable" line from the song would be deleted.

The Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh had yesterday stopped the screening of the movie starring Madhuri, 42, who is making a comeback after 5 years, in the state and had also written to the prime minister demanding a countrywide ban on the film alleging that its title song had "humiliated" Dalits.

"The reference to the caste is not only objectionable and humiliating but also unconstitutional and therefore the screening of the film has been banned in Uttar Pradesh," Principal Secretary Shailesh Krishna had said.

However, Krishna today said that the ban would be lifted if the controversial lines are deleted from the film.

"The State Government can ban a film if it creates a law and order problem. But I don’t see any reason for any Government to ban the film because the questionable line has been removed and I saw the movie myself in a theatre in Mumbai and there was no problem and there were no spontaneous protests anywhere in the country," Tagore said. (PTI)

HC pulls up hospitals for neglecting HIV positive patients

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Pulling up Government hospitals in the national capital for not providing adequate treatment to HIV positive patients, the Delhi High Court has directed them to take immediate steps in this regard.

"Why there is delay in providing treatment?" asked Justice T S Thakur and Justice Veena Birbal while hearing a petition filed by three HIV positive patients seeking a direction from the court to the hospitals for providing proper treatment.

The patients approached the court after they were denied treatment by Lok Nayak and Ram Manohar Lohia hospitals in the city.

Contending that the hospitals lacked infrastructure in treating HIV positive patients, the petitioners alleged that they were suffering from negligence.

They further said that the ARV drug, which is vital for the treatment of such patients, was not available in the hospitals.

"The Medical Superintendent should ensure that the necessary is done to provide adequate treatment and to ensure that they (the patients) are treated without delay and discrimination," the court said after hearing the petition.

It also asked the Medical Superintendent to take immediate steps to ensure the implementation of its order and place before it a compliance report within eight weeks.

While refusing to frame any guidelines for the treatment of HIV patients, the bench, however, agreed to give a hearing if the patients approached it with their grievances in case the hospitals continued the negligent attitude.

"If there is any individual patient, then point out and bring it to our notice. We would then pass further order for their proper treatment," the court said. (PTI)

Rainwater harvesting among steps
to increase ground water level

NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Minister of State for Water Resources Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav today said the State Governments had been advised to take all measures to artificially recharge groundwater and promote rain water harvesting in all the over-exploited areas.

Replying to a calling attention on the depleting ground water reservoirs in the Lok Sabha, Mr Yadav said it had been suggested to the states to ensure inclusion of roof top rain water harvesting in the building bye laws.

Besides the Central Ground Water Authority had also issued directions to Group Housing Societies, institutes, hotels, industries, and farm houses in the notified areas of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad and other areas of NCT Delhi where ground water table was below 8 metres, to adopt rain water harvesting.

In addition, the Water Resources Ministry had circulated a ‘Model Bill’ to regulate and control development and management of groundwater to states and union territories. So far ten states had already enacted legislation on groundwater, 19 other states were in the process of enactment, while six states had refused to enact it. These states are Punjab, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Arunacha Pradesh.

The Minister said a lot of emphasis was being laid on raising awareness for optimal use of groundwater in which, he said, women were playing a big role.

He said the Aritifical Recharge of Ground Water Advisory Council was constituted with the objective to share experiences and to popularise the concept of artificial recharge among various stakeholders.

A scheme for artificially recharging the groundwater through Dug wells had been approved for implementation in over-exloited, critical, semi-critical areas in six states, he said.

As many as 165 demonstrative recharge projects had been implemented in various states under the central scheme on ‘Study of recharge to ground water’ in the Ninth Plan. Through these projects, water harvesting and recharge technologies had been developed, Mr Yadav informed the members.

The Minister said the UPA Government had made an allocation of 10,000 crore for development of water resources in the Eleventh Plan. The Government, he said, had given priority to the project of inter-linking of rivers.(UNI)