Excelsior... Nation

Patil to visit Bihar on Feb 15, 16........

Cross donation of kidneys brings smiles to two families.......

Russia to build additional nuclear reactors in Kudankulam........

Security stepped up at Raj Thackeray’s residence..........

Cong, CPI slam Advani for calling
Indian politicians arrogant

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: L K Advani today found himself at the centre of a political row after the Left and the Congress slammed the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate for labelling politicians in the country as "arrogant".

Congress spokesman Abhsishek Singvi said Advani should not have made such generalisation while CPI leader D Raja felt Advani should introspect before judging politicians.

Voicing his views on how politicians are perceived in the country, Advani said yesterday many of them are "arrogant" and that this attitude is not seen in other democratic countries.

Advani’s assessment was based on what he said that Indian politicians enjoyed much greater power and influence than those compared to their foreign counterparts.

"We have come to occupy a place, enjoy a clout far in excess of our inherent merit," he said.

Singvi said "what Mr Advani has said as a generalisation is bound to be untrue."

"There are individuals(politicians) who are pompous but there are also equal number of people who are extremely humble," Singvi said as he urged Advani to refrain from making a generalisation.

Raja said he did not agree with Advani’s statement and sarcastically asked the BJP stalwart whether he meant all politicians including himself were arrogant.

"There can be some politicians who are arrogant. May be they are in BJP also," Raja said.

Coming to the defence of Indian politicians, Raja said they are also known for their humbleness, simplicity and more closeness to the people. (PTI)

M V Rajasekharan to be honoured for lifetime contribution

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajasekharan has been chosen for an award recognising his lifetime contribution in service of Karnataka and the country by Dehali Kannadiga, a Kannada monthly from here.

The award will be given away during the two-day 25^{th
National Kannada conference, to be
inaugurated by former Karnataka Minister
and Chairman of Lok Shishana Trust
Haranahalli Ranaswamy, the publishers of
Samyukta Karnataka, here on April 5,
monthly’s editor M B Samaga said in
a statement.}

^{Former
National Commission for Women and
Padmabhushan winner V Mohini Giri would
receive the ‘Best outside
Kannadiga’ award while Vijaya Bank
Chairman Prakash P Mallya will be given
the ‘Best Banker’ award.}

^{Former
Delhi University Professor Ahalya
Chintamani and former Bangalore
University Controller of Examinations H R
Dasegowda would receive the ‘Best
Delhi Kannadiga’ award.}

^{Among
those taking part in the two-day
conference include Union Labour Minister
Oscar Fernandes, former Syndicate Bank
Chairman K K Pai, Chief Editor of Vijaya
Karnataka Vishweshwara Bhat and noted
singer Shivmogga Subbanna, Mr Samaga said
in the statement. (UNI)}

Govt set to revamp weapons purchase policy

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: With the country’s defence market poised to touch an all time high of a billion US dollars by next year, Government is all set to revamp its weapons purchase policy to make sure frontier arms technology takes shape in the country.

For the second time since it came into force in 2002, Government is undertaking a comprehensive revamp of the defence procurement policy that could include setting up of a mechanism to register arms agents, a defence official said today.

"We would have a new policy ready by April this year", new Defence Production Secretary Pradeep Kumar said amplifying that the revamp was a means to fine-tune arms purchases through experience gained over the past few years.

Kumar said the highlight of the revamp would be to focus on new concept in India of defence offsets. "We want to use these offsets to make sure that we gain the knowhow to design and field futuristic weapons systems".

The thrust on means to gain capability to build weapons systems of the future comes as the Indian defence industry, even after being operational for the past four decades, still struggles to build fighters, tanks and missiles.

Asked whether the revamp of the policy would entail setting up of separate organisation to deal with Defence offsets, Kumar said though he directly did not deal with the framing of the policy, "but I can say that in the exercise all options would be considered". (PTI)

Police asked to book juvenile home inmates

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: The Delhi Government has asked the police to book five inmates who escaped last month from a juvenile home in the national capital allegedly in connivance with the guards.

"The accused are over 18 years of age, two of them facing serious offences including attempt to murder. They were brought to the home when they were minor," S K Saxena, Director of Delhi Women and Child Department (WCD) said.

The Delhi Police has been asked to register a case against the boys while the four guards-Vijay Kumar, Anil Kumar, Shekhar and Subash Kumar-have been suspended, Saxena said.

The guards had allegedly helped the inmates escape in the cover of darkness at about 6.30 pm on January 30 from Seva Kutir Child Observation Home in Mukherjee Nagar.

"We have asked the Director General of Home Guards for their blacklisting as well action as we are not empowered to take any action against them," Saxena said.

The official, who has investigated into the episode, said the guards had helped the five boys in the pretext of taking them out of the home for morning walk.

Outside the home a car was already waiting for them, in which the boys fled.

"The investigations have revealed that the children, four of whom hail from the capital itself and one from Noida had lured the guards with monetary benefits," the official who submitted the report in the matter to the Welfare Ministry said.

All the five accused are absconding. (PTI)

5086 Village Health Sanitation Committees operationalised

CHANDIGARH, Feb 12: Haryana health department has operationalised 5086 Village Health Sanitation Committees (VHSC) so as to bridge gap between demand and supply of quality and timely healthcare services and strengthen the decentralised health planning.

Haryana Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Navraj Sandhu said here today that these committees have been operationalised by giving an untied grant of Rs.10,000 each.

The bank account of each such committee was being operated jointly by sarpanch and Accredited Social health Activist (Asha) or Anganwari Worker (AWW), she said.

Sandhu said that with a view to further strengthen health services at village level, active inclusion of vulnerable groups in planning process would lead to solutions finding approach and improvement in status of health of the community.

Referring to the role and responsibilities of members of such committees,she said that the VHSC would maintain a record of biirths and deaths in the village and regularly update the status of resources in the village, like hand-pumps, latrines, public health facilities, number of private doctors or clinics, schools and places of worship.

These committees would also maintain a record of beneficiaries as well as the kind of health and integrated Child Development Services required.

Sandhu said that these committees would also gather all mothers and eligible childern for vaccination and health check-ups at one place in the village during the visit of the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM).

The committees would also monitor the visits of the ANM and ensure that her services have been extended to the target population.Monthly meetings would also be held to review and update the progress of Village health Improvement plan.

She said that after getting information about needs of the people at the village level, district action plans have been prepared for nine districts and the process was on to formulate such plans for the remaining 11 districts of Haryana. (PTI)

Vienna to host conference on human trafficking

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Employers and trade unionists will come together to focus attention on the critical issue of human trafficking and the role of employers and workers in combating the menace within supply chains at the three-day Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking beginning in Vienna, Austria, from February 13.

The ILO will on the occasion announce launch of a new joint initiative with the European Union to improve national statistics on human trafficking.

The Vienna Forum, organised by UN, provides intergovernmental agencies a unique platform to bring together representatives of member states, Non-Governmental and International Organisations, business and the public sector to generate support for the U N Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).

The ILO will use the opportunity to renew its call for a global alliance against forced labour.

At least 2.4 million people are trafficked for forced labour around the world, nearly half, or 43 per cent, for sexual exploitation, 32 per cent for labour exploitation and 25 per cent for a mixture of both. Half the victims of trafficking are under 18, according to ILO estimates, a press release here said. (UNI)

Mankind to expand footprint globally

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Drug firm Mankind Pharma is mulling over foraying into newer markets including the US to boost topline as it envisages to become a Rs 1,000-crore company over the next three years.

The company would kickstart its operations abroad during the current calendar year with plans to set up marketing offices in neighbouring Nepal and Burma.

"As of now, we are going to set up a base in Nepal and Burma but are actively looking at expanding footprint in other geographies. Though US is not on our radar immediately, but we plan to enter that market within the next five years," Mankind Pharma Director Marketing Rajeev Juneja said.

He said the company would market its entire product portfolio including the over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in Nepal and Burma.

Presently, the company only operates in the domestic drug market with 44 brands both prescription based and non-prescription based. It had last year started its OTC division and launched veterinary drugs three months ago.

Mankind, which expects to close the current fiscal with revenues of Rs 700 crore, is targeting a topline of Rs 1,100 crore by 2010-11, Juneja said.

"We would soon tap South Asian market and Russia which offer a huge growth potential. The company has already applied for registering 20 products in these countries," Mankind Pharma Managing Director RC Juneja said.

Mankind Pharma today tied up with diagnostics equipment major Roche Diagnostics India to market its diabetes monitoring device Accu-Check Go.

As per the agreement, Mankind would market the equipment in 500 towns pan-India through physicians and expects the new vertical to contribute Rs 200 crore to its overall revenues in the next five years.

"In the first year itself, the new business would contribute Rs 20 crore to our revenues while in the next five years we expect a turnover of Rs 200 crore through this agreement," Juneja said. (PTI)

NAL looking for partners to sell 14-seater aircraft ‘Saras’

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: With an aim to capture fast-growing aerospace industry, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has began the hunt for industry partners for production and marketing of its 14-seater transport aircraft - Saras.

"We have plans to develop 14-seater light transport aircraft ‘Saras’ commercially. We are looking for a partner who can manufacture, maintain, market the aircraft and provide customer service," senior NAL executive Chidananda said today.

The companies which are interested in aerospace engineering can join hands with the national laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in production and marketing of the aircraft, NAL said while inviting the expression of interests (EoI) from the industry.

Interested firms can send their proposals to NAL by February 29, it added.

According to NAL estimates, there is a demand for such aircraft with the requirement going up from 30-40 aircraft initially to 200 aircraft over the next 10-15 years.

Saras is the first indigenously designed and developed light transport aircraft (LTA) by the NAL with cooperation from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The LTA is a twin turbo-prop multi-role aircraft with air taxi and commuter services as its primary roles.

The aircraft, it said, can carry between eight to fourteen passengers in multiple modes of operation, attain a cruising speed of 520 km/hr and has an endurance time of six hours. (PTI)

Mortal remains of Maharshi consigned to flames

ALLAHABAD, Feb 11: The mortal remains of Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, the man who introduced transcendental meditation to the masses, were consigned to flames here with full state honour amid chanting of vedic hymns by religious leaders and followers from across the world.

The body of the Maharshi, which was brought here on February 9, three days after his demise in Holland, was taken from his ashram in Arail, in a grand procession, to the site of cremation, overlooking the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

A host of dignitaries, including Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, VHP supremo Ashok Singhal, Art of living founder Ravishankar and several other religious leaders were present at the site of cremation along with thousands of Maharshi’s disciples to bid an emotional adieu.

Flower petals were showered as Maharshi’s body was placed in the yogic posture of Siddhasana, on the funeral pyre which was lit by his nephew and in-charge of the schools founded by the Yogi, Swami Girish Chandra Verma.

Locals and pilgrims camping at the on-going Magh mela congregation too joined the cremation ceremony of the Maharshi, whose disciples included the legendary rock band The Beatles. (PTI)

Cross donation of kidneys brings smiles to two families

BALASORE, ORISSA, Feb 12: Two women in Orissa - one Hindu and another Muslim have opted for cross-donation of kidneys to save the lives of each other’s husbands, setting an example of communal amity.

The kidney transplant restored joy to two families by saving the lives of Harekrishna Bhanja (48), a lawyer from Soro near here, and Mohammed Sayed (50), a shopkeeper in Cuttack.

Bhanja was suffering from kidney failure for the past one year and was on dialysis. He was helpless as doctors found that none of his close family members had the same blood group as his.

When it became difficult for the patient to get a suitable kidney for his survival, Deepak Sankar Roy, chief nephrologist of Manjulaben Kidney Hospital here, an institution affiliated to Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Science in Kolkata, came to his rescue.

Roy persuaded the two couples who were facing the same problem of kidney transplantation.

Sayed’s wife Saira donated her kidney to Bhanja, whose wife Kalpana in turn donated her kidney to Sayed, Roy said over phone from Kolkata.

The surgeries were performed successfuly in the last week of January at the hospital and Bhanja was discharged from the ICU yesterday, Roy said.

While Bhanja would have to remain in hospital for a few more days, Sayed has already been discharged, hospital sources said adding the patients as well as donors were in good condition.

Roy, who hails from Bhadrak, said "it was due to the grace of the almighty that the lives of two persons could be saved as their problems could be addressed at the right time."

The blood groups of both the donors were found to be matching with the respective recipients, he said it was the first such case in Orissa involving two individuals belonging to different religions. (PTI)

Russia to build additional nuclear reactors in Kudankulam

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Russia today affirmed its commitment to build additional nuclear reactors in Tamil Nadu under an agreement for which negotiations have been completed.

The strategic partners also decided to step up all-round cooperation with particular focus on defence, hydrocarbons, trade and economic ties during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian Prime Minister Victor A Zubkov here.

They set a bilateral trade target of 10 billion dollars to be achieved by 2010, for which the recommendations of a joint task force would be implemented and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) considered.

Addressing journalists after his 90-minute meeting with Zubkov, Singh said the two sides discussed issues related to civil nuclear cooperation.

"We have finalised negotiation in regard to reaching agreement on building additional nuclear power plants in India," he said in the presence of the Russian Prime Minister.

Zubkov affirmed his country’s commitment to building the nuclear plants in Kudankulam.

Under the agreement, Russia is to build four additional reactors in Kudankulam but it will have to await a waiver from NSG, for which efforts are underway.

The agreement was to be signed during Singh’s visit to Moscow in November last year but it was put off because of lack of NSG waiver.

The two countries signed two MoUs-one on development of cooperation in matters of customs and another in the field of archives.

Referring to the defence relations as an "important pillar" in Indo-Russian relationship, Singh said the two sides expressed commitment to build on these ties.

Singh said the two sides agreed that "vast potential" existed for cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons.

He hoped that the ongoing discussions between oil and gas companies of the two countries will result in finalisation of joint projects in India, Russia and third countries.

Recognising the potential in the field of trade and economy, the two leaders agreed on stepping up efforts to tap it.

"We agreed to redouble our efforts to tap full potential of our two countries’ economies," Singh said, adding the two sides felt the need for diversifying the trade basket and expanding cooperation in the areas of minerals, diamonds, transport, services, investment and high technology.

Zubkov said they set priorities, with particular attention to trade and economic relations.

"Trade last year grew by 30 per cent touching by five billion dollars. If the speed remains the same, I am confident 10 billion dollar mark will be achieved," the Russian Prime Minister said.

He added that the two countries had huge resources and political will that will help them achieve the target. (PTI)

Security stepped up at Raj Thackeray’s residence

MUMBAI, Feb 12: Security was today beefed up at the residence of MNS chief Raj Thackeray and all entrances barricaded ahead of his possible arrest after a case was registered against him for making provocative statements against north Indians.

Media personnel trying to reach Thackeray’s residence were told to wait several meters away.

A senior police official said yesterday that Thackeray and SP leader Abu Asim Azmi will be arrested for making provocative statements which resulted in incidents of violence across the city last week.

"The cases have been registered on the basis of certain evidence and arrest is mandatory," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K L Prasad said yesterday.

However, Prasad had refused to disclose when the arrests would be made and said the charges under which Thackeray and Azmi had been booked were non-bailable and cognisable.

The city police had registered cases on Sunday night against Thackeray and Azmi at separate police stations under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of place of birth, residence, etc), 153 B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of an offence by the public), he said.

Incidents of violence in the city, specifically targeting north Indians, began on February 3 after Thackeray launched a verbal assault against the community.

The case had been filed against Thackeray at the Vikhroli police station on account of a speech made by the MNS chief in the suburb ahead of SP rally on February 3, Prasad said.

Azmi allegedly made provocative speeches at the SP rally on February 3 at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

"We have also sent them notices under section 144 of the CrPC. Also, they cannot hold any press conferences or rallies for the next seven days and if they violate this, we will take action against them," Prasad said. (PTI)