NEW DELHI, July 27: A total of 930 posts of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers are lying vacant across the country with the highest 105 vacancies in Uttar Pradesh.

The total strength of IPS officers in the country is 4,728 and currently 3,798 are in service, leaving 930 posts of senior police officers vacant.

“The highest 105 posts are lying vacant in Uttar Pradesh cadre, followed by West Bengal cadre where 96 posts of IPS officers are lying vacant,” a Home Ministry official said.

The strength of IPS officers in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal cadres are 489 and 347 officers respectively.

There are 83 vacancies of IPS officers in Odisha cadre, 75 vacancies in Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre and 61 vacancies in Karnataka cadre.

The strength of IPS officers in Odisha, AGMUT and Karnataka cadres are 188, 295 and 205 officers respectively.

Tamil Nadu has 52 vacancies of IPS officers, Andhra Pradesh 51 vacancies and Maharashtra 72 vacancies of IPS officers. The cadre strength of IPS in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are 263, 258 and 302 officers.

Despite taking a number of steps to fill up the posts of IPS, the vacancies continue to remain across all cadres, the official said.

The direct recruitment to IPS has been increased from 88 officers to 103 in 2005. Again in 2008, 130 officers were recruited to IPS and further 150 officers were recruited in 2009.

In 2013, 145 officers were recruited into the service and all of them are currently undergoing their probationary period.

Apart from making recruitment, government has also introduced an alternate method of recruitment to IPS i.E. Limited Competitive Examination to recruit 80 candidates annually.

Besides the above, the process of appointments to the Indian Police Service by promotion from State Police Service has also been accelerated, the official said. (PTI)

KATHMANDU, July 27:
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today described her three-day visit to Nepal as “very successful” during which the two neighbours agreed to finalise the text of a power trade deal and “review and adjust” a crucial treaty of 1950 to reflect the current realities.
“I am highly satisfied with my visit to Nepal and the visit was more successful than expected,” Swaraj said talking briefly to media persons at the Tribhuvan International Airport here today.
“I had come here with high expectations and aspirations and the visit turned to be much more successful than I had expected earlier,” Swaraj said.
“I have already said that the visit would strengthen Nepal-India relations and we have prepared a full roadmap for the purpose,” she said.
Swaraj said both sides removed hurdles and agreed to step up cooperation in a number of key areas.
During her visit, the External Affairs Minister met Nepal’s top leaders including President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Swaraj also met UCPN-Maoist chief and Leader of Opposition Prachanda. Swaraj this morning called on Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam, who is also the acting chairman of the CPN-UML, which is a constituent of the ruling coalition.
Swaraj was in Nepal to co-chair the meeting of the Indo-Nepal Joint Commission (JC) which was held yesterday after a gap of 23 years and to prepare the ground for the two-day official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from August 3 — the first visit by an Indian Premier in over 17 years. The late Prime Minister I K Gujral had visited Nepal in 1997.
“We have agreed on 26 points,” Swaraj said mentioning about the 26 point joint communique issued at the conclusion of the Nepal-India Joint Commission Meeting.
“The bond of friendship will be further consolidated in the days ahead,” she said.
She also performed prayers at the revered Hindu temple Pashupatinath this morning amid tight security.
During the visit, India told Nepal that the new Indian government is very keen to impart “renewed momentum” to their multifaceted bilateral ties even as the two countries decided to step up cooperation in key areas of defence, security, trade and and hydro power.
The two countries also agreed to “review and adjust” the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 to reflect the current realties.  The Joint Commission directed the Foreign Secretaries to make necessary recommendations. The agreement between the two countries comes in the wake of various political parties in Nepal demanding revision of treaties such as 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty with India, terming them ‘unequal’.
Nepal had convinced India to take up the issue in the JC meeting arguing that the political context in 1950, when the treaty was signed, was completely different from today’s.
“Since many changes have transpired over the years we need to find solution to avoid any disputes,” Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, the Nepalese foreign minister was quoted as saying by the media here.
The meeting also directed the Nepal-India Boundary Working Group (BWG) to commence field works at the earliest to settle the border disputes over Susta and Kalapani. The BWG is entrusted with the responsibility to make recommendations based on facts and evidences available to their respective governments to permanently settle disputes.
The two leaders underscored the importance of harnessing vast hydropower potentials of Nepal for mutual benefits. They directed the concerned authorities to finalise the text of a Power Trade Agreement (PTA) at the earliest. While noting the finalisation of the Terms of Reference of the Pancheswar Development Authority, they directed the concerned authorities for early completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project.

NEW DELHI, July 27: The government is likely to approach regulator TRAI for details of the villages in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh that have no telecom connectivity.

“The Department of Telecom (DoT) is preparing a detailed project report on uncovered villages for which has it has asked TRAI to seek information from telecom operators on unconnected villages in J&K, Uttarakhand and HP,” an official source said.

The move is a part of the government’s agenda of raising rural tele-density to 100 per cent in the next 3-4 years.

The rural tele-density in the country is at present around 44 per cent.

According to DoT estimates, about 56,000-60,000 thousand villages in the country have no telecom connectivity.

The Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) wing under the Department has been given responsibility to facilitate telecom connectivity in rural areas. The DoT, however, plans to seek information on unconnected villages from TRAI.

Sources said most of the uncovered villages will get covered under various projects like installation of mobile networks in nine naxal-affected states at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore, increasing connectivity in North East at a cost of Rs 5,100 crore, and plans for connecting Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar islands.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last week had recommended over Rs 2,400 crore-plan to provide telecom connectivity in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar islands.

However, uncovered villages in three states–J&K, HP and Uttarakhand– do not fall under the proposed schemes.

“From TRAI, DoT wants a list of all unconnected villages state-wise and urgent information is required for three states–J&K, Uttarakhand and HP,” the source said. (PTI)

PUNE, July 27:
Arun Dutt, son of legendary Hindi film actor-director Guru Dutt, passed away in a city hospital here due to a kidney ailment, a family source said today. Arun, 58, passed away yesterday and is survived by wife and two daughters.
A recluse, Arun was credited for his untiring efforts to keep his famous father’s legacy alive by organising Guru Dutt films festivals in India and abroad. The film festival revived interest of subsequent generations in the movie icon, who made and directed immortal films such as ‘Pyasa’ and ‘Kagaz ke Phool’. Arun, who held all rights of his father’s work, had carried out a project for digitisation of his films to preserve them for posterity and also floated a dance and acting academy in the legendary director’s memory. (PTI)