HYDERABAD, May 6: Joining the big leaguers in the galactic adventure, the Indian Space programme is all set to make a giant leap to probe the unknowns through a Mars Orbiter, a follow up moon mission, a solar sojourn besides a peep into the space astronomy over the next five years.

A whopping Rs 55,000 crore had been earmarked in the 12^th five year plan for the Indian Space pursuit with a crowded schedule awaiting Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to consolidate its past space gains and master both in rocketry and satellite building besides making India a force to reckon with in the space  endeavours.

Though the Mars orbiter, planned for 2013-14, would be the major milestone during the plan period, ISRO has planned a series of missions which included 33 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicle missions, according to an ISRO document. It had also planned to build, a third launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Spaceport at Sriharikota where a second launch vehicle assembly building would also be built planned to reduce the turnaround time for launch  vehicles.

However, how much of it will be realised is a million dollar question mark taking into account the complexities involved and also having a peep into the past records. Though the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) had record success rate and remains the main workhorse for satellite launchers, it could not be said the same to the Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicles (GSLV) which faltered in many stages for several reasons, both technical and political.

Two back to back failures of GSLV-D3 on April 15, 2010 and GSLV-FO6 on December 25 the same year had put the clock back in the GSLV Launches. The next flight of GSLV-D5 is slated for December this year.

Side by side with the development of space assets and launch  vehicles, ISRO is also planning to provide a fillip to the domestic industry to catch up with the high tech and precision oriented components. It had planned to develop space parks across the country during the next five years to enable the private sector play a major role in the space programme.

The Mars orbiter mission would be the country’s first mission to the plant Mars. It was aimed to send a spacecraft that would reach and orbit around Mars and study the Maritian surface features and atmosphere.

The second moon mission—Chandrayan-II that will land a Russian developed rover during 2014-15 at a suitable soft land on the lunar surface to carry out in-situ chemical analysis. The mission would provide an enhanced understanding of the moon and its environment from the analysis of scientific data provided by the spacecraft.

Another galactic venture would be the launch of Aditya-1 that would house a solar coronagraph and benefit solar astronomy researchers across the country. The solar coronagrah would provide a better understanding of physical processes that heat the solar corona, accelerate the solar wind and produce coronal mass ejections.

The year 2013-14 would also see ISRO realising the first of its ASTROSAT series of satellites. Astrosat is aimed to be a unique observatory satellite simultaneously covering a range of high energy radiation hitherto not covered from any other global observatory missions.

The satellite would provide multi-wavelength studies of a variety of celestial sources and phenomena using x-ray, Gama astronomy instruments besides an Ultra-Violet  telescope.

ISRO aimed to pursue rigorously to secure spectrum for 100 additional KU band transponders and around 50 C band/Extended C band transponders in newer orbital locations during the next five years. This was basically to accommodate the projected demand for 794 transponders from the operational transponder capacity of 187 from INSAT/GSAT satellites.

ISRO planned to launch 14 communication satellites during the 12^th plan besides increasing the transponder capacity it aimed to usher in new generation broadband VSAT systems and introduce KA band systems. It would also build high power S-band satellite mobile communications and introduce new generation geo imaging satellites.

The main focus of space transportation system over the next five years would be to achieve self sufficiency in launching Indian satellites, developing launch vehicles for enhanced payload capability and adopting appropriate outsourcing strategies for assuring production of launch vehicles. It aimed to enhance the level of production of PSLV vehicle systems with vigorous participation besides completion of qualification of indigenous cryogenic upper stage. During the next five years ISRO had planned 16 PSLV missions, six GSLV Mk-II missions and two GSLV MK-III missions (including an experimental mission). (UNI)

DHAKA, May 6: Pranab Mukherjee today refused to add any fodder to the talk of him being the front-runner for the presidential candidate, saying he was himself “in the dark” over the issue that has hogged headlines back home.

The past week has witnessed intense speculation in India over who would occupy the Rashtrapati Bhawan next, with Mukherjee and the current Vice President Hamid Ansari being touted as the main contenders.

However, little has been said officially by the ruling UPA over the issue. Mukherjee too has refused to comment anything on the matter.

The Finance Minister was posed with the critical question during an interaction with senior editors here. “We are delighted that your name was proposed for Indian Presidency? What’s your comment?” asked a senior scribe.

Mukherjee laughed at the suggestion, before saying that he himself was “in the dark” on the question.

“I am afraid I do not know. In our system of decision making, unless a decision is taken nobody discloses it officially. So, I am in the dark as you are,” replied Mukherjee, who is often called the UPA government’s ‘trouble shooter’.

Mukherjee, 76, arrived here last evening on a two-day tour to join the 150^th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore.

His comments, that gave no indication on what is going on in the back channel deliberations in the Congress and the UPA, came days after he had asked the media not to speculate on the issue.

Earlier, while on his way to Manila where he attended the 45^th Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank’s Board of Governors, Mukherjee had dismissed these reports as speculation. “It is speculative. I don’t want to comment on it,” he had said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: The Supreme Court has given a split verdict on whether a defeated candidate can file a modified petition after failing to furnish material facts pertaining to alleged corrupt practices of the winning candidate.

While Justice Altamas Kabir heading the bench ruled that the defeated candidate has a right to amend the petition, Justice J Chelameshwar held that a defective petition cannot be cured subsequently as it is prohibited under Representation of Peoples Act.

The split verdict came on a special leave petition filed by BJP MLA Ishwardas Rohani challenging the petition filed by Alok Mishra of the Congress who lost the 2008 elections to the Jabalpur Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh.

Rohani had challenged the high court’s decision to admit the election petition filed by Mishra on the ground that material facts relating to the alleged corrupt practices indulged in by the former were not pleaded.

It was Rohani’s contention that the allegations against him were not supported by any material fact like establishing that they were done either with his or agent’s consent which is mandatory under the RPA Act.

The allegations related to distribution of cheques, gifts, and exerting influence on the district collector.

The high court while acknowledging that the petition by Mishra were not supported by material facts allowed him to modify his pleading which was basis of challenge in Rohani’s petition before the apex court.

“There is little doubt that the provisions have to be strictly construed, but that does not mean that any defect in the election petition cannot be allowed to be cured in the public interest,” Justice Kabir said.

“If after an opportunity is given, still no steps are taken by the election petitioner to cure the defects which are noticed, then the rigours of the procedure indicated by the 1951 Act, come into effect with full vigour.

“In this case, while accepting the case made out by the appellant regarding the deficiencies in the election petition, the division bench of the high court, in my view, did not commit any error in directing the election petitioner to cure the defects in the election petition, which had been brought out during the hearing of the election petition.”

However, Justice Chelameshwar said  it would be an absolute travesty of justice and opposed to all the settled principles of law regarding the election disputes if such amendment was allowed in the petition.

“An election petition is required to contain all the material facts, which, either if proved or went uncontraverted, would be sufficient to constitute the cause of action for setting aside the election of the returned candidate on one or some of the grounds specified under Section 100 of the R P Act.

“In my opinion, the election petition on hand hopelessly lacks in stated material facts constituting the various corrupt practices mentioned in the election petition to enable the declarations sought by the election petitioner.”

According to Justice Chelameshar, consent by the candidate or his election agent is an essential material fact, which is required to be pleaded and proved when the allegation is that somebody other than the candidate or his election agent committed a corrupt practice. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: The Supreme Court has sought response from six BSP legislators to a plea seeking their disqualification for defecting to the ruling Congress in Rajasthan.

A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir issued notice to the six MLAs on a petition by BSP state unit president Bhagwan Singh Baba, challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s order which had upheld the Speaker’s decision not to disqualify them.

Advocate Shail Dwivedi, appearing for Baba, argued that continuance of Rajendra Singh, Raj Kumar Sharma, Girraj Singh Malinga, Ramkesh Meena, Ramesh Chandra Meena and Murarilal Meena, as MLAs is “unlawful, undemocratic and illegal” as they are liable to be disqualified for violating the anti-defection law in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

He said the six MLAs were elected to the Rajasthan Assembly in the December 2008 elections, on BSP tickets, but they had voluntarily given up the BSP membership and decided to join the Congress party with the Speaker approving their decision.

Pointing out that “no material was placed to prove that there was split in the BSP at the national level which is mandatory in the case of a recognised national party, Baba contended that the Speaker wrongly accepted that there was split in the party.

The Speaker, in his order on February 27, had dismissed Baba’s plea for disqualifying the six MLAs.

Baba, in his petition has also sought the apex court’s directions to restrain the six from exercising their rights as legislators and casting votes in the House.

The Rajasthan High Court, had dismissed the petitioner’s plea against the Speaker’s February 27 decision, saying that he was not aggrieved in any way by the decision against which he has now moved the Supreme Court. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 15: The mushrooming of unregistered Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Internet Telephony has become a security problem as the origin of caller and time of call cannot be ascertained prompting central agencies to ask service providers to come up with a solution within a month.

A series of meetings between security agencies, Department of Telecom, National Technical Research Organisation and service providers have failed to come up with any solution to block the unregistered VoIP, who operate from outside the boundaries of the country, sources privy to the developments said.

Recently militants, who wanted to trigger an explosion in Jammu and Kashmir, have said that they were receiving information from across the border through VoIP, which went undetected.

Sources in the Government said that service providers, especially running Internet services, in Jammu and Kashmir were called to the Union Home Ministry recently and given a months time to find out ways to intercept and find the end user of the VoIP based on the Internet Protocol address.

Central security agencies have expressed concern over the lack of real time monitoring of communication exchanges taking place over the internet and that telecom operators were not providing them the real time data of these conversations which is a security risk, they said.

The sources said Lashker-e-Taiba’s Kashmir commander codenamed “Furkan” has been frequently talking to its cadres in the Kashmir Valley using the VoIP technology.

“We are sometimes able to monitor it but the chances of missing the conversation cannot be ruled out because of mushrooming of VoIP service providers who use varying frequency,” a senior official said.

The security agencies said while internet usage on computers where the connectivity is offered via Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are traceable, the same is not applicable when it comes to browsing on mobile phones as telecoms had not set up facilities for real time tracking of websites visited by their customers.

The security agencies even cited examples where the telecom companies were provided with Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of websites, but the telecom companies were unable identify customers who had visited or browsed these sites. (PTI)

JALANDHAR, May 6: For a number of Pakistan-born people, who have acquired Indian citizenship and are settled in different parts of Punjab, meeting their relatives in that country remains a dream with the Pakistan authorities allegedly rejecting their visa application citing “discrepancies”.

“I have got three brothers in Pakistan. I want to meet them. But the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi asked for different documents on every occasion I visited it,” said 72-year-old Mulk Raj, a resident of Jalandhar for last 17 years.

He indicated that the Pakistani officials had objected to mentioning of ‘Undivided India’ as the birth place for those who were born before independence.

“The birth place mentioned in my birth certificate is Sialkot (Undivided India). The officials said that if Sialkot is in India, why do I need a visa to visit it,” Raj said.

“However, the officials later asked for the identity proof and the electricity bill of the person whom I wanted to visit there but when I brought all the documents, the High Commission denied me visa for some unknown reason,” he said.

The mission officials cite different conditions everytime someone applies for visa, alleged another applicant.

Regional passport officer Parneet Singh said such cases of denial of visa have been brought to his notice.

Regarding the issue of “Undivided India” written on the passports, he said, “It is the decision of the government. I can do nothing about it. We act according to the orders issued by the foreign ministry.”

However, the official said after he received complaints of visa applicants, he had referred the issue to the ministry. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: Aiming to speed up airport modernisation projects, a Parliamentary committee has made a strong pitch for grant of financial autonomy to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and allowing it to raise funds through tax-free bonds.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its latest report, noted that “the much-emphasised financial autonomy to AAI to plan and execute its projects has not materialised so far”.

The Committee, headed by CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, said it hoped that the Civil Aviation Ministry “will impress the Ministry of Finance in granting permission to AAI to float tax-free bonds to raise funds so that the ongoing and planned airport projects are not stalled or delayed for want of funds”.

The AAI, a mini-ratna, has long been awaiting the Finance Ministry’s approval to its proposal to raise Rs 3,000 crore through tax-free infrastructure bonds to fund various airport development and modernisation projects.

The Committee’s 174^th report, tabled in the Parliament last week, also asked the government to “lend a helping hand to AAI” in recovering its outstanding dues from various agencies for the services rendered to them so that its cash flow was maintained at the desired level.

Besides undertaking the modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports, the AAI is also working on upgrading 35 non-metro airports.

Chennai and Kolkata airports are being developed through internal resources and loans raised by AAI to the tune of Rs 1,600 crore which is estimated to go up to Rs 3,000 crore.

The Committee noted that funds allocated under the 11^th Plan for the airport infrastructure provider was reduced to the revised estimate level of Rs 208.65 crore from Rs 280.15 crore as budget estimate level in the last fiscal.

Of this, it said the AAI had spent only Rs 120.99 crore during the fiscal.

The parliamentary panel said that the AAI’s ability to spend merely 60 per cent of the plan allocation “does not augur well for the development of required airport infrastructure in the country”.

But the AAI informed the Committee that delays in getting requisite clearances and land acquisition for airport projects were the reasons for under-utilisation in 2011.

The Committee expressed hope that AAI would ensure that it utilised the allocated funds to the maximum extent during the current fiscal. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: In spite of the exceptionally high threat to aviation security, a large number of aircraft operating in India are flying without a mandatory security system that allows pilots to watch what is happening outside the cockpit while in flight, official sources said today.

This is happening even as there are specific rules under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) framed by aviation regulator DGCA which make it mandatory that all planes, imported after 2008, must have the Cockpit Door Surveillance System (CDSS) installed.

But it has become a practice with many airlines to “apply for exemption on one ground or other and they get the exemption without providing any detailed explanation”, the sources, refusing to be named, said.

The officials did not specify which airlines were flouting these norms, nor did they divulge the exact number of such aircraft. But there are a “large number of planes which are flying without CDSS”.

This alarming trend is being witnessed even after several recommendations were made by Indian and international aviation security authorities and agencies after the 9/11 terror strikes in the US, where airplanes were used as weapons.

The revelation by the sources come at a time when loopholes in aviation security are being plugged worldwide, with the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board even considering making Cockpit Video Recorders mandatory on all US registered aircraft by January 1, 2014, to watch the happenings inside the cockpit at all times in-flight.

The CDSS helps the pilots view happenings outside the cockpit through a special application which connects integrated video computer, video cameras and a system controller.

Post 9/11, aviation regulators worldwide adopted new security measures, including the installation of bullet-proof cockpit doors and CDSS.

Five years ago, the DGCA had come out with CAR which said: “In all aeroplanes which are equipped with a flight crew compartment door, means will be provided for monitoring from either pilot’s station the entire door area outside the flight crew compartment to identify persons requesting entry and to detect suspicious behaviour or potential threat.

“All new aircraft to be imported after January 1, 2008 should have CDSS installed at the time of import.”

The aviation regulator has also recommended that all Indian aircraft need to be equipped with approved compartment doors designed to resist penetration by small arms fire and grenade shrapnel. The door should be capable of being locked and unlocked from either the pilot or co-pilot’s station.

As per the DGCA, “forcible intrusion by unauthorised persons” into the cockpit should be “resisted”.

Even last month, the aviation regulator had warned airlines of stringent action after it was found that the flight crew of a scheduled airline had allowed the “entry of unauthorised persons in the cockpit in violation of Aeronautical Information Circular 3 of 1997 issued by DGCA”.

However, the sources said there are still a lot more to be expected from the Indian carriers in terms of putting in place stringent security measures. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: Economic intelligence agencies have informed the Finance Ministry that a major chunk of illegal funds and black money is being generated and routed in the real estate sector of the country.

Special departments like the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), Income Tax (Intelligence) and the Directorate General of Excise Intelligence have alerted enforcement agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and IT (Investigations) to conduct special operations and keep a tight vigil on the funds moving in this sector.

At a meeting of the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee some time back, the CEIB reported that during the year 2011, the maximum percentage of undisclosed income (40 per cent) was detected in the real estate sector, followed by the manufacturing sector (27 per cent).

The concealed incomes were detected by the investigation units of the IT department and the total undisclosed income in the real estate and construction sector was more than Rs 1,400 crore, while the manufacturing sector reported more than Rs 1,100 crore of stashed funds during the calendar year.

The CEIB is the nodal body for collection and dissemination of economic intelligence data. It coordinates with all the concerned agencies in the area of economic offences like the IT, ED, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs and other agencies like the Narcotics Control Bureau, CBI and the IB.

The data also indicates the modus operandi used by tax evaders in these sectors—wrong claim of deductions under the IT Act, unreported cash transactions, multi-layered transactions, routing of funds from foreign shores, including tax haven nations, and under-valuation of profits.

The report, made on the instructions of the Finance Minister, has also become a part of the recommendations of the CBDT Chairman-led committee on black money which submitted its report to the government in March.

The committee was constituted to examine ways to strengthen laws to curb the generation of black money in the country, its illegal transfer abroad and its recovery.

The classified report also talks about others sectors like mining, health, forex business and education as some of the prominent categories which were detected and reported to have generated or consumed black money or illegal funds. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 6: In the aftermath of the controversy over television screening of ‘The Dirty Picture’, the Government is mulling a separate rating mechanism for films meant to be watched on TV.

“The creation of a separate mechanism for home viewing of films is being very seriously considered. The issue has been discussed in recent meeting of officials in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry,” an official source said.

“The ministry also has the option to bar channels from airing U/A rated films before 11 pm, something which many TV channels do at present,” the source said.

The ministry has been forced to review its policy after it had to step in to stop ‘The Dirty Picture’ from being aired by Sony TV during general viewing hours.

The Dirty Picture, a 2011 film inspired by the life of South Indian actress Silk Smitha, had been initially given an ‘A’ (adult only) rating but subsequently got a U/A (parental guidance) after 59 audio video cuts.

Sony channel wanted to air the film on April 22 at noon and 8 PM before the Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued an order to stop it.

The channel had held that the film had a U/A rating, which was like many other films showed on TV, but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) held that under the programme code, U/A cannot be shown on TV in the afternoon or evening.

Officials said while the CBFC ratings are meant for theatre screenings of films, these are used to judge whether these movies can be shown on TV. The TV programmes are regulated under the Cable TV Networks rules, 1994.

“To ensure that confusion, like that happened in the case of ‘The Dirty Picture’ does not recur, the government will take a decision on a new mechanism to ensure clarity over which films can be allowed for unrestricted viewing and which cannot,” the source said. (PTI)