The NDA Govt.constructed nearly half the total length of national highways laid during the last 32 years.

NEW DELHI: The UPA government on Monday admitted before the Supreme Court that the NDA regime, in five years, constructed nearly half the total length of national highways laid during the last 32 years.
In an interesting affidavit filed before the apex court, the Centre said the length of national highways in the country was 29,023 km in 1980, which expanded to 76,818 km by the end of 2012. This means 47,795 km of national highways was added by successive governments in 32 years. However, the affidavit revealed that during 1997-2002 (ninth five-year plan), when the NDA was in power, 23,814 km of national highways was added to the existing NH network, or nearly 50% of the total length of national highways constructed in three decades. This remains the largest construction of national highways during any five-year period since independence. In fact, during the nearly 10-year rule of the UPA government, the total length of national highways laid was much less - nearly 16,000 km, the affidavit said.
During 2012-2017, nearly 3,000 km of additional national highways was proposed to be built but the government decided to de-notify 530 km of national highways in Madhya Pradesh and 627 km in Gujarat.
The affidavit came on a PIL filed by Sanjay Kulshresta, who sought several directions from the apex court to make highways safe for motorists including making available expeditious medical help to accident victims. India has a total road network of 46.90 lakh km with a road density of 1.43 km per square km. While national highways account for 79,116 km, state highways make up 1,55,716 km and the remaining 44.55 lakh km is classified as 'other roads'. "National highways comprise only 1.7% of total road network but carry about 40% of road traffic," the Centre said. This is as per an affidavit filed in Supreme court on July 01 2013 TOI Report

Remembering Emergency 1975 - The victory of people's power!Narendra Modi

26 June 2013, It was on this day, 38 years ago that the Indian republic faced one of its toughest test in recent history. At midnight on June 25, 1975 the Emergency was imposed thus beginning one of India’s darkest periods when a political class full of arrogance and intoxicated with power preferred to destroy the nation’s democratic fabric rather than resign when their continuing in office became untenable. Personally, I have several memories associated with the Emergency. At that time I was a 25-year-old youngster who had recently started working for the RSS but what I witnessed during those dark days remains forever engraved in my memory. Who can forget the manner in which personal freedom was brutally trampled over? Who can forget the blatant misuse of MISA to target political opponents? Can one forget the lockouts on media houses? How can we not remember the determined struggle of lakhs of people across the nation for 19 long months? Overcoming grave personal risk, so many people devoted themselves to the restoration of democracy. For youngsters like me, the Emergency gave a wonderful opportunity to work with a wide spectrum of leaders and organisations that were fighting for the same goal. It enabled us to work beyond institutions we had been brought up with. From stalwarts of our family, Atal ji, Advani ji, late Shri Dattopant Thengadi, Late Shri Nanaji Deshmukh to socialists like Shri George Fernandes to Congressmen like Shri Ravindra Varma, who worked closely with Morarjibhai Desai and were unhappy with the Emergency, we got inspired by leaders who belonged to different schools of thought. I was fortunate to have learnt a lot from people such as former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapeeth Shri Dhirubhai Desai, the humanist Shri CT Daru and former Chief Ministers of Gujarat Shri Babubhai Jashbhai Patel and Shri Chimanbhai Patel and prominent Muslim leader late Shri Habib-ur-Rehman. The struggle and determination of Late Shri Morarjibhai Desai, who steadfastly resisted the authoritarianism of the Congress and even left the party, comes to the mind. It was as if a vibrant confluence of thoughts and ideologies had taken place for a larger good. Rising over differences of caste, creed, community or religion we were working with our common objective- to uphold the democratic ethos of the country. In December 1975, we worked for a very important meeting of all Opposition MPs in Gandhinagar. This meeting was also attended by Independent MPs late Shri Purushottam Mavalankar, Shri Umashankar Joshi and Shri Krishan Kant. Organisations, parties and individuals that may not have seen each other eye to eye ideologically now closed ranks for the sake of the nation. For instance, the BMS worked together with Left labour unions for the common cause. We got to work closely with student unions of different parties. These student unions may have been fighting politically in colleges and universities but when it came to preserving democracy for the nation, they were all together. People and organisations were working with the same RSS, which was considered by many as political untouchable in the preceding years. It was as if the spirit of the 1974 Navnirman Movement in Gujarat and the JP Movement in Bihar was coming alive on the national stage! Apart from leaders and various political organisations, the Emergency gave me the chance to engage with non-government social organisations, who were also deeply concerned with what was happening in the nation. Working with several Gandhians and people of Sarvodaya Movement was extremely enriching., it was at the residence of Gandhian Shri Prabhudas Patwari that I got the opportunity to meet Shri George Fernandes on a July evening in 1975. I vividly recall a bearded George Sahib coming in a yellow fiat, adorning his trademark non-ironed kurta, covering his head in a green cloth. I had the opportunity of making him meet with Shri Nanaji Deshmukh. These were two men who could make the then Prime Minister tremble with fear. When I look back at the Emergency, I cannot but salute the far sightedness of the people of India who rejected authoritarian politics in the very first opportunity in 1977. This despite a heavily censored, biased and one sided print media and radio. Electronic media was in its pre-infant stages and there was no social media. Infact, I wonder if there was social media during that time, would the Prime Minister have imposed the Emergency at all? Or would it even have lasted for the while it did? I am sharing my book ‘Aapatkal Me Gujarat’ in which I have shared in detail my memories of the Emergency. I would like to draw your attention to Page 200 in my book where I wrote this on how different political organizations came together developing a better understanding of each other: “The gap between different political organizations largely had to do with intentional and accidental differences resulting from rejection of each other’s causes. The mindset of “if you are not with us, you are against us” had also contributed to this gap. But events had created an opportunity for every one of these Organizations to rise above their political differences and to develop a deeper understanding of each other.” Many of my young friends would not have been born during those days. I specially urge them to have a look at the book to get a broader understanding of the historical context and what is now remembered as a great victory of people’s power.

Gold Sell-Off Biggest In 30 Years

Can Gold Prices Go Lower? Absolutely Says George Gero, RBC - Kitco.com

Apr 15, 2013 Gold plunged $144 an ounce today to its biggest two-day decline since 1983 as investors sold the precious metal amid declines in commodities of all types. Losses today widened to 9.6 percent as gold fell to $1,357 per ounce at 4:23 p.m. ET on the spot market. With Friday’s drop of 5.3 percent, the total two-day decline hit 14.9 percent. Stocks fell 1.8 percent as the Dow Jones average slid to 14,599. As ABC Radio’s Richard Davies reported this morning, the reasons for the plunge are linked to the rise in the stock market, the slow, steady improvement of the US economy and the recent strength of the dollar. Crude oil futures tumbled on global markets, down to less than $89 for West Texas crude, the lowest price since December, 2012. Silver was down and so was copper. Last week Goldman Sachs issued a report predicting gold prices would tumble. Another factor is China’s economy, which grew 7.7 percent in the first quarter, less than analysts expected and coming off a 2012 that showed the softest growth in 13 years. “We have seen massive liquidation from all quarters – ETFs, funds, CTAs, specs and even Chinese and Indian physical buyers. This is a market that has only got one thing on its mind … get me out,” David Govett, head of precious metals at Marex Spectron in London, told Reuters. In a research report, Goldman Sachs said: ”The decline in prices since last fall and our updated forecast suggests that the turn in the gold price cycle is likely already underway. As a result, although our U.S. economic forecasts point to modest near-term upside to gold prices, we believe that a sharp recovery in prices to our previous price forecast is unlikely.” “In fact, we suspect that if indeed our forecast for further declines in gold prices proves correct, the fall in prices could end up being faster and larger than we expect.” By Bill McGuire Gold had more than doubled since the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis and rose 30 percent in 2010 and 25 percent in 2009. In 2000 it was just $272 an ounce. It reached its all-time high of $1913 in August 2011.

AirAsia to offer fares as low as Rs 1,000

AirAsia may offer fares as low as Rs 1,000; may skip Mumbai-Delhi route NEW DELHI: AirAsia may avoid flying on the Mumbai-Delhi route and focus on smaller cities and the southern metros in a unique strategy to keep costs low and capture a larger slice of the fast-growing flying population in the rest of the country. The Tony Fernandes-run budget carrier, which rattled the aviation ministry and some of the country's established carriers by announcing an airline venture with the Tata Group last month, will focus on Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and northern cities like Jaipur, Ahmedabad, top airline officials have said. The decision is surprising as Mumbai and Delhi are the most lucrative flying routes with all domestic airlines having a presence. But flying to these airports is also expensive as landing and other charges are at least 25% higher than other airports. The cities also don't have low-cost airports. "We are going after a pan-India licence and not a regional one," Suresh Nair, AirAsia regional manager — India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said, explaining the group strategy. "Avoiding Delhi and Mumbai doesn't make us a regional carrier because India is much beyond that. If we fly, say, Chennai-Ahmedabad or Chennai-Jaipur, that would mean national operations. We would fly wherever we can to keep cost of operations low," he added. The move is in sync with AirAsia's disruptive strategy and its desire to grab a bigger market share of passenger traffic outside the two big cities. A section of the travel fraternity still thinks that AirAsia would be able to offer competitive fares not only by adopting certain practices unique to them and but also those not yet tried in India. Having a domestic network helps cope with expensive airports but the costs involved in operating from Delhi and Mumbai will still be quite high for a budget carrier. Keyur Joshi, COO of Nasdaq-listed travel portal makemytrip.com expects the company to avoid some of the major cities, not just Delhi and Mumbai. "I expect them to avoid Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad to keep costs low. Indian airlines have not been able to negotiate with airport operators to resolve that. AirAsia may also prefer to add more frequencies on a route rather than going after many routes, something not yet tried in India," he added. In a conference call with reporters on February 21, Tony Fernandes said the airline will avoid Delhi and Mumbai. "We will avoid certain airports like Delhi and Mumbai because of high charges and also because these airports are slot constrained. We will stimulate the market first with low-cost structure and later as the airports are being developed, we would also look at these newer markets. India is a huge country and we are confident that we will succeed," Fernandes had said. It is not yet clear whether AirAsia will completely avoid these two cities, as in not ferry passengers from other destinations to the two top metros. Nair said the routes have not been finalised and can't yet make a comment. While AirAsia is entering the domestic market for the first time, it has been flying between several Indian cities and south-east Asian countries. The experience so far has not been very good. The airline plans to pull out of flying between Delhi and Bangkok and rival IndiGo has responded aggressively by doubling services on the same route. High airport charges forced it to withdraw services between Kuala Lumpur and Hyderabad in 2010 while its long-haul arm AirAsia X pulled out of Delhi and Mumbai in January last year for the same reason. "We don't know why airlines don't come together on these issues. Every rupee makes a difference. We also know that costs of a couple of airlines are very low but they are not offering that price to customers," Nair said. AirAsia may also offer fares as low as Rs 1,000 to lure passengers when it begins operations in India though a successful replication of its South-east Asian model may be difficult due to the country's high-cost structure. The Malaysian budget airline will start fares at Rs 999 for flyers wanting to book months in advance and hopes to make early booking a regular habit. News Credits:TOI

Why this Muslim-majority town in Gujarat voted for Modi's BJP

Every Pseudo Secular Politicians and Media should watch this Videos and Truth



Additions
In 2009 A.P.Abdullakutty M.P from Kerala had the courage to tell this to the world
Read this
CPM MP A P Abdullakutty suspended for praising Narendra Modi
Saturday, January 17, 2009
CPM MP A P Abdullakutty suspended for praising Narendra Modi
Breaking News! A day after he praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for adopting a perfect development model to woo investors to his state, CPM MP from Kannur, A P Abdullakutty, was suspended from the party for one year. According to the CPM sources, the decision to suspend Abdullakutty, was taken in order to maintain discipline in the party. Abdullakutty, a two-time MP from Kannur, defended his statement, saying he did nothing wrong by praising a Chief Minister, who put his state on the path of high growth and development. Abdullakutty also said he intended to trigger a positive debate on development irrespective of party politics.

India Inc. promises Narendra Modi much investment, as always, at Vibrant Gujarat meet

January 11, 2013 Gandhinagar: The who's who of industry lavished praise on Narendra Modi and promised him more investment at the Vibrant Gujarat summit today. The Chief Minister of Gujarat uses the biennial event to showcase his marketing savvy and drive investment in his state. Thousands of crores in investments for Gujarat were pledged today by many leading industrialists. But every Vibrant Gujarat summit - initiated by Mr Modi in 2003 to attract investment after communal violence and a huge earthquake tore through the state in 2001 - has been attended by many corporate officials who promise huge investments every time. So far, only a fraction has seen the light of day. Of the Rs. 67.8 lakh crore in investment proposed at the 2009 event, just 8.5 per cent had been spent as of November 2011, according to state government data. At the end of the day, Mr Modi tweeted, "Vibrant Gujarat 2013 is not only about investments, but about bringing positivity and global and local inclusiveness in our economic processes." At the event, Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, said he was proud of his Gujarat roots and that "in Narendra Bhai, we have a leader with a grand vision". Mr Ambani said his company had "committed over Rs. 1 lakh crore; in the next three years we will invest this back in Gujarat expanding Jamnagar and Hazira." He also promised to create next generation mobile broadband infrastructure, second to none in the world, he said, to "provide employment to lakhs of Gujaratis". Mr Ambani also announced a Rs. 500-crore university that will be set up in collaboration with the Gujarat government. Ratan Tata said Gujarat would continue to attract investment because of its unwillingness to be the second best. And that the Tata group had committed to investing another Rs. 34,000 crore in the state. Mr Modi had lured Tata Motors to the state in 2008 after the company's plans to build a factory for its low-cost Nano car were thwarted by farmer protests in West Bengal. "(I) hope the world sees Gujarat as an outstanding example of what can be done," Mr Tata said at the summit today. Maruti Suzuki chairman R.C. Bhargava said Gujarat would now be the car-maker's "second home", and that it was a "better state than anywhere else in the country for Maruti to grow". India's largest automaker has signed a memorandum of understanding for a new plant in the state, and will start work before March 2013, he said. The plant will manufacture cars from Gujarat by 2015. Private sector lender HDFC Bank said it would open 250 branches in the next three years in the state because, its managing director Aditya Puri said, it "believes Gujarat will continue to grow at the same levels". The paeans continued and the pledges. Anil Ambani acknowledged "respected elder brother Mukesh Bhai" in his opening remarks before going on to call Mr Modi "a king among kings". He said the chief minister's skills had "acted as a huge magnet for investors and entrepreneurs from India and across the world in the past decade". The Essar Group, which is investment of more than $20 billion (Rs. 1,09,481 crore) in the state so far, said it would invest another Rs. 14,000 crore in the ports sector; a move that was expected to create 15,000 jobs, it said. And the Adani Group said it would create 5,000 jobs through additional investments. The Jubliant group plans to invest Rs. 1,300-1,500 crore in the next few years. It had committed to developing a special economic zone in Baruch six years ago and has invested Rs. 2,000 crore in the state so far. Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro has invested Rs. 8,000 crore in the state and employs 5,000 at its Hazira unit. The best -- and the most unique -- approbation came from Anand Mahindra, the chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra. "There are very frequent comparisons between Gujarat and China. But I think a day will come when we won't talk of the China model in Gujarat but the Gujarat model in China." "Earlier, Gujarat was the gateway to the globe from India. Now it is becoming the global gateway to India," Mr Modi tweeted. Article Credits NDTV

India gets high praise in Republican platform

Washington, Aug 28 — Seeking a stronger relationship with India, the Republican Party platform set to be adopted as the foreign policy plank of its presidential candidate Mitt Romney, urges New Delhi to permit greater foreign investment and trade. "We welcome a stronger relationship with the world's largest democracy, India, both economic and cultural, as well as in terms of national security," says the platform posted on the Republican National Committee's website ahead of the party's national convention in Tampa, Florida. The convention that would formally anoint Romney as the party's presidential candidate gets underway Tuesday with its schedule pushed back a day over concerns about the tropical storm Issac even as it passed well west of Tampa Monday. "We encourage India to permit greater foreign investment and trade. We urge protection for adherents of all India's religions," says the platform that also praises the contributions of Indian-Americans. "Both as Republicans and as Americans, we note with pride the contributions to this country that are being made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry." "We hereby affirm and declare that India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner," the party platform said. The Republican platform "arguably lavishes more praise on India than on any country mentioned in the document except Israel and Taiwan", says Uri Friedman in his blog post in influential Foreign Policy magazine. The passage relating to India particularly stands out when compared with the more businesslike language employed in the 2008 Republican platform, he says. While the 2008 Democratic platform praised India as a "natural strategic ally", the Republicans then simply said, "We welcome America's new relationship with India, including the US-India Civil Nuclear Accord." "Our common security concerns and shared commitment to political freedom and representative government can be the foundation for an enduring partnership." Reflective of the growing political importance of Indian-Americans, the two Indian-American governors, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and South Carolina's Nikki Haley were invited to be headliners at the Republican convention. While Jindal, who was scheduled to address the convention Wednesday, is skipping it with Issac bearing down on his state, Haley - born Nimrata (Nikki) Randhawa to Sikh immigrant parents from India - is set to speak at prime time Tuesday. In a move aimed at providing a healing touch to the Sikh community in the aftermath of the Wisconsin gurdwara shooting, Ishwar Singh, a Sikh faith leader, will offer the invocation at convention Wednesday. Noting that only around 500,000 Indian-Americans are expected to vote nationwide in the November election, Friedman wrote: "But what they lack in numbers they contribute in some measure in money and activism." "No other ethnic group outside white, African-Americans, and Latinos - including Chinese-American and Filipino-Americans who are numerically larger groups than Indians - have as many political heavyweights," he noted.

Google unveils new ultra-high speed internet

Chicago:After more than two years of anticipation, Google finally announced Thursday that the company's ultra-high speed internet service Google Fiber would become available to the residents of its test community Kansas City starting in September. Offering an internet connectivity speed of one gigabit per second, Google said the service will be about 100 times faster than the speed most Americans have with current broadband connections, reported Xinhua. Instead of a broadband connection, Google Fiber is composed of thin optical fiber lines that run directly from a person's home to a data centre, which is then in turn connected to the national internet backbone. According to Google, it is this 'direct connection' from a person's home to the national backbone that will allow users to experience such high internet speeds. Google said it was inspired to develop Google Fiber in line with the Federal Communication Commission's 2010 National Broadband Plan, which calls for making high speed internet more widely available in the US. Despite the fact that internet was invented in the US, according to content delivery network Akamai's 2011 State of the Internet report, the US ranks only 12th globally in internet connection speed, with an average connection of 5.8 megabits per second. South Korea ranks first, with an average speed of 17.5 megabits per second. In an interview on telephone, Google Fiber spokesperson Jenna Wandres told Xinhua that Google had already done advocacy work around the development of the National Broadband Plan and improving US internet connectivity, and that it set the stage for the company to do even more once the Plan was released. Wandres added Google hoped greater internet accessibility and speed could additionally lead to more technological innovation, and set the stage for the future of internet browsing. 'When we think back about the way we used to use the internet when we were still listening to a dial tone, there were all sorts of innovations that we couldn't even imagine - we were sitting waiting for it to dial in,' Wandres said, comparing how much the internet had changed since it was first developed. 'We're hoping that with Google Fiber and its higher speeds, these things will lead to new and unpredictable innovations that as a whole will move the web forward in the US,' she added. After months of laying the infrastructure and groundwork, Google Fiber will finally start home-installation after the pre-registration deadline Sep 9. The internet service is priced at $70 a month, which is competitive with most US broadband internet providers. Google also announced the new internet service could be paired with a television component, Google Fiber TV, which Google says will include regular broadcast channels and thousands of TV shows on demand. Although Google already owns video-sharing site YouTube, it will be the company's first venture into serving as a television provider. The Google Fiber project first started in February 2010, when Google announced that the company planned to build an ultra-high speed internet network in a select US city that was willing to partner with them. According to Google, the response was overwhelming. The company received invitations from almost 1,100 US communities and close to 200,000 individuals, all expressing their desire for faster internet service. Some cities even tried doing stunts hoping to attract the Google Fiber project, with one city mayor even jumping into a frozen river and posting the request on YouTube. Ultimately, the Midwest community of Kansas City was chosen as the Google Fiber launch site in spring 2011. According to Wandres, Kansas City was chosen because of its business-friendly infrastructure, community involvement, and supportive officials. MPP

25 paise and below coins not acceptable from June 30

December 30, 2010

New Delhi: Come June 30, 50 paise will be the minimum coin accepted in the markets as all denominations below it will cease to be legal currency. "From this date, these coins (denomination of 25 paise and below) shall cease to be a legal tender for payment as well as on account," the Finance Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

It further said that the minimum denomination coin acceptable for transaction will be 50 paise from that date.

Also, the entries in books of accounts, pricing of products, services and taxes should be rounded off to 50 paise or whole rupee from that date. "The procedure for call in shall be notified separately by the Reserve Bank of India," it added.

Four Lashkar terrorists who entered Mum could be foreigners'

24 Dec 2010

Mumbai: Four alleged members of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who sneaked into the city to carry out 'violent' attacks, could be 'foreigners' and are believed to have infiltrated into the country from the Bangladeshi border, police said. 'The nationality of the four terrorists could not be ascertained yet, but they do not appear to be Indians. They could be from other country or countries,' Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal told PTI. The city police yesterday said that four suspected LeT operatives have sneaked into Mumbai recently to carry out 'violent' attacks with the aim of causing 'destruction' ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

'The four jihadis were identified as Abdul Kareem Moosa, Noor Abu Ilahi, Walid Jinnah and Mahfooz Alam. The four recently sneaked into the city to carry out extremely dangerous activities,' Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Himanshu Roy had told reporters last night. Roy had released a sketch of Jinnah and issued an advisory to the citizens of the metropolis to remain alert. Sources said they had received information that the LeT operatives had sneaked into the country through the
borders of Bangladesh. 'There is also a possibility that Jinnah could have changed his appearance, as his sketch was released. They were co-ordinating with the state and central intelligence agencies to track them down,' said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.

On Tuesday, the Centre sounded a terror alert for Mumbai and Ahmedabad following specific Intelligence inputsthat the LeT teams may have entered the two cities to carry out strikes.

Two terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir

14 Nov 2010

Jammu: Two terrorists who had attempted to sneak into the Indian side along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around midnight Saturday were killed by the Indian Army, sources said Sunday.

The Indian troops spotted some movement along the LoC and opened fire, in which two of the infiltrators were killed, army sources told IANS.

The incident took place in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, 210 km north of Jammu, around midnight Saturday.

'It appeared to be a fresh infiltration bid by terrorists from across the LoC as Pakistan is desperate to push in as many terrorists into the Indian side before the mountainous passes close with snow in the coming months,' an army officer of the 16 corps of the Indian Army based at Nagrota, near Jammu, said on condition of anonymity.

Krishna Ghati has been in the news for infiltration in the past four months.

BJP demands JPC probe in CWG Corruption

October 19, 2010

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to inquire into the allegations of corruption in the organisation of the XIX Commonwealth Games, which were held in Delhi from October 3-14.

"The terms of reference of the proposed JPC, among other things, should include devising a foolproof mechanism to ensure complete transparency in hosting a corruption and scandal free international sporting event in future," BJP President Nitin Gadkari said at a press conference here.

Mr Gadkari said Indian sportspersons had made the country proud by winning as many as 101 medals at the Games. He also said that the opening and closing ceremonies were spectacular and praised the foolproof security arrangements.

"But all was not well with the Commonwealth Games-Delhi 2010. It all looked fine and on track till the bid was won. Then where did we fail and who all nearly let us down? The world community in general and the people of India in particular need to know," he said.

He said the "irregularities and bungling" in the tendering process of various Games-related proejcts were "scandalous involving several thousand crores".

He referred to the allegations about corruption in the organisation of the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay in London late last year "without proper tendering and paperwork".

He said corruption was suspected in the award of tenders for different projects, including stadia and other infrastructure, and grant of contracts for hire or purchase of items such as air-conditioners, treadmills and toilet paper.

Mr Gadkari said he Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had commented adversely on the cost overruns for the stadium being built or refurbished for the Games.

He referred to the collapse of an under-construction footbridge near the main venue, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, after which the army pitched in by building a temporary structure.

Mr Gadkari said leaders of his party had raised these issues in both Houses of Parliament. He said the party had now prepared a "First Information Report on Commonwealth Games Loot", which alleges that the Government agencies and sports bodies had wasted taxpayers' money, which had resulted in huge cost overruns.

Referring to the inquiry ordered by the Prime Minister into the allegations as well as the probes being conducted by various official agencies, he said the BJP felt these must be expedited and taken to their logical end so that those guilty could be punished without any delay.

"In view of the multiplicity of the agencies involved in this task, we demand that a high-power coordination committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary should be set up to ensure an effective and concerted effort to unearth the scandals. All these investigations must reveal the extent and magnitude of the corruption in different deals and the role of the agencies involved therein for which those found guilty must be taken to task as per the law of the land," he said.

Mr Gadkari said the BJP would extend full cooperation to all the investigative agencies and make available to them the information gathered by its leaders.

"But at the same time, I strongly feel that there is an urgent need to pin point accountability on those who cleared these projects and sanctioned fund allocations from time to time overlooking the serious discrepancies in the project reports and the unreasonable exorbitant cost escalations. It is high time to expose the nexus between the partners in the Commonwealth Games loot and those providing them political patronage by condoning this mess," he said.

"People of India have a solemn constitutional right to know who the real culprits of this national shame are. The truth must prevail and shall prevail only if a comprehensive inquiry in the public domain is held and that is possible only through a Joint Parliamentary probe," he added.

NII researchers develop once-in-3-month insulin to treat diabetes

Indian scientists at the Delhi-based National Institute of Immunology have developed a new technology that could produce once in 3-month insulin injection for diabetic patients.

Currently, insulin is injected multiple times a day to control blood sugar in diabetes patients.

The new insulin formulation follows a simple technique in the hormone is clumped together into complexes called oligomers.

These oligomers are then injected into rats, mice, and rabbits with chemically induced diabetes. A single injection maintained basal glucose levels for up to 3 months, whereas other diabetic mice needed daily injections.The diseased mice mice not given insulin died within 40 days.

The NII researchers tested the oligomer insulin on mice and rabbits using bovine and recombinant human insulin. A single dose using bovine insulin was able to give coverage for over 120 days while that with recombinant human insulin sustained over 140 days.

The oligomers act like “an insulin depot” at the injection site, releasing a steady, low insulin dose, according to Dr Avadhesha Surolia, director of the National Institute of Immunology here, who led the research team.

“The just above basal level of human insulin released in a sustained manner has been found to be effective in not only controlling the upsurge in the level of blood glucose after meals, but also in preventing the dreaded early morning hypoglycaemia, which is caused by low glucose levels,” stated Dr Surolia.

The oligomer technique primarily involves getting individual molecules of insulin to come together and form multi-molecular or supra-molecular assemblies.

Oligomer insulin utilizes the basic principles of protein folding to harness the inherent aggregative property of insulin molecules to generate a form that exhibited a controlled and sustained release of the molecules over prolonged periods, explained Dr. Surolia, who is also a professor at the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science’s Molecular Biophysics Unit.

Since oligomers do not lead to the activation of enzymes that destroy insulin, it does not cause cancer which many currently available insulin analogues are associated with.

The researchers observed no side effects in the animal studies.

NII has transferred the technology to Life Science Pharmaceuticals in Darien, Connecticut for further development including clinical trials. The US firm plans to launch clinical trials to test the oligomr insulin later this year.

If it comes out successfully through all clinical testing, the oligomer based insulin could be available in the market in about six years after, Dr Surolia hoped.

A major issue with diabetes management with the current practice of multiple injections in a day was the fear of pricking oneself. This often lead to the patient not adhering to the treatment in toto, resulting in complications such as diabetic cardiopathy, cataract and nephropathy.

Saffron terrorism: PM should apologise to people, says Modi

30 Aug 2010

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought an apology from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for use of the term 'saffron terrorism' by the home minister.

'The post of the Prime Minister has been devalued and he has become helpless as someone else is in control of the administration,' Modi said at a public function here.

Criticising home minister P Chidambaram for using the term 'saffron terrorism', Modi said, 'it is the height of misfortune that the Union minister has demeaned the chair which was once held by the Iron man of India, Sardar Patel.'

'Is not there a saffron flag on a temple? Would you call it a centre of terrorist activity? Swami Vivekanand, Dayanand Saraswati, Shankracharya, Swami Ramdas and others who have sacrificed for the country wore saffron clothes. Are you calling them terrorist?' Modi asked.

'Every Congressmen will have to answer this. And the Prime Minister has to apologies to the people of the country for this,' the chief minister added.

Modi said saffron colour is an integral part of Indian tradition. 'By conning the term 'saffron terrorism', the home minister has caused insult to the Indian heritage,' he said.

Attacking the Congress on the alleged misuse of CBI against him, Modi said one cannot make place in people's heart through CBI.

Modi also dared the Congress-led UPA government to compete with Gujarat on the development front.

'The Union government had the country, entire administration and crores of rupees at its disposal. I dare the Union government that despite of all this, Gujarat will be far ahead if there was a competition,' he said.

He said those bent on demeaning Gujarat will be taught lesson by the people themselves.

The chief minister, today dedicated number of project to the people which included a recreation centre, water pumping and distribution station, a sports and commercial complex, a Sardar Patel Heritage Hall and Zonal office of New western zone of the city to name a few.

Modi speaking at a function in Vadodara on Sunday also had demanded an apology from the Prime Minister on the 'saffron terrorism' issue.

India evaluating Chinese stand

NEW DELHI: The government of India is evaluating a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Defence denying that military exchanges with India were suspended. “We will see what that means. For now, defence exchanges have been put on hold from our side. There are no exercises on the anvil,” said government sources.

However, meetings between border personnel would continue, as they are an integral part of the confidence building measures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Officials said on Friday that India was putting on hold all military exchanges with China, including high-level visits after Beijing denied visa to the Army's Northern Command chief, B.S. Jaswal.

The sources indicated that diplomats from both sides would get down to sorting out differences over this issue, which officials are linking to stapled visas given by China to Indians with passports issued in Jammu & Kashmir on grounds that the State was a “disputed territory.''

At the same time, the officials pointed out that defence exchanges were a small dimension of the larger relationship with China.

The controversy arose while officials from both sides were working on a proposal to send senior Army officers to China. New Delhi was informed about a month ago that it was not possible to take the visit forward because Gen. Jaswal's area of responsibility was such that it caused “difficulties.''

The officials said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was “candidly discussed'' with China on several occasions and, felt “there was little point'' in taking forward military exchanges in view of the stand taken in Gen. Jaswal's case.

“Modest ties”

The sources described defence ties with China as “modest'' with a “not very ambitious architecture.'' But it had led to the absence of tension on the border, though both sides have differing interpretation of the LAC at several places.

“When we talk of defence ties with China, this incident should not be taken up in isolation. Defence ties were built up over two decades since the December 1988 visit by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Except for one incident in the 80s, there has been no confrontation on the border,'' the sources added.

India to suspend defence exchanges with China

As Beijing refuses to host Lt. Gen. Jaswal


NEW DELHI: India has decided to suspend defence exchanges with China following Beijing's refusal to allow the Army's Northern Command chief, Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal to join a military delegation for a high-level visit.

In retaliation, India has refused to allow two Chinese Army captains to attend a defence course and a colonel to speak at a higher defence course. While border meetings between Army personnel will continue as before, a cloud hangs over future military exchanges and even a joint exercise. It will remain so until China “unties the knot it has tied,” said senior officials.

Pointing out that India's sensitivities on Kashmir are similar to China's on Tibet, the sources said China questioning the State's status by resorting to this move was unacceptable. “There is little point in taking forward other exchanges in the defence area,” added the officials.

A senior official found it strange that while China had hosted the Army's Eastern Command chief (now the Chief of the Army Staff) even though it has claims on large parts under his military jurisdiction, it objected to the visit of the Northern Command chief even though the main discord over territory is between India and Pakistan. “It appears that Pakistan's interests are more important than their own. They seem to be more sensitive to Pakistan's concerns.”

“While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each other's concerns. Our dialogue with China on these issues is ongoing,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Vishnu Prakash.

Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan met Foreign Office officials but sources denied that the refusal of visa to Lt. Gen. Jaswal was discussed.

Last year, India protested against the Chinese practice of issuing visas to Kashmiris on separate pieces of paper.

Asked if India would retaliate in other areas, the sources said it was not a question of tit for tat. “We have a complex relationship with China. We have taken stock of the situation and stated our position as clearly as we did in the case of stapled visas.”

Expressing themselves in favour of continuing with the dialogue in a wide range of areas, the sources noted that despite ups and downs in the relationship, both sides acted with maturity and were able to keep the discussions going.

Hoping that the controversy would have a “short life,” the sources said that until the boundary question was resolved, such exchanges would help build confidence among the defence establishments. “There is a degree of comfort in communicating after defence officials meet each other. It helps in improving the general atmosphere,” added officials.

`Pakistan`s ISI aids insurgency in India, Afghanistan`

US intel mega leak exposes Pak games

New York/Washington, July 26: Americans fighting the war in Afghanistan have long harboured strong suspicions that Pakistan’s military spy service has guided the Afghan insurgency with a hidden hand, even as Pakistan receives more than $1 billion a year from Washington to help combat the militants, according to a trove of secret US military field reports made public on Sunday.

The documents, made available by an organisation called WikiLeaks, suggest that Pakistan, an ostensible ally of the United States, allows representatives of its Inter-Services Intelligence spy service to directly meet the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organise networks of militant groups that fight against US soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders.

Taken together, the reports indicate that US soldiers on the ground are inundated with accounts of a network of Pakistani assets and collaborators that runs from the Pakistani tribal belt along the Afghan border, through southern Afghanistan, and all the way to Kabul.

Much of the information — raw intelligence and threat assessments gathered from the field in Afghanistan — cannot be verified and might be from sources linked to Afghan intelligence, which considers Pakistan an enemy, and paid informants. Some describe plots for attacks that do not appear to have taken place. But many of the reports rely on sources that the US military rates as reliable. While current and former US officials interviewed could not corroborate individual reports, they said the portrait of the ISI’s collaboration with the Afghan insurgency was broadly consistent with other classified intelligence.

Some of the reports describe Pakistani intelligence working alongside Al Qaeda to plan attacks. Experts cautioned that although Pakistan’s militant groups and Al Qaeda work together, directly linking the ISI with Al Qaeda is difficult.

The records also contain firsthand accounts of US anger at Pakistan’s unwillingness to confront insurgents who launched attacks near Pakistani border posts, moved openly by the truckload across the frontier, and retreated to Pakistani territory for safety.

The behind-the-scenes frustrations of soldiers on the ground and glimpses of what appear to be Pakistani skullduggery contrast sharply with the frequently rosy public pronouncements of Pakistan as an ally by senior US officials looking to sustain a drone campaign over parts of Pakistani territory to strike at Al Qaeda havens.

US administration officials also want to keep nuclear-armed Pakistan on their side to safeguard Nato supplies flowing on routes that cross Pakistan to Afghanistan. Earlier this month, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced $500 million in assistance and called the US and Pakistan “partners joined in common cause.”

The reports suggest, however, that the Pakistani military has acted as both ally and enemy, as its spy agency runs what US officials have long suspected is a double game — appeasing certain American demands for cooperation while angling to exert influence in Afghanistan through many of the same insurgent networks that the Americans are fighting to eliminate.

Behind the scenes, both Bush and Obama administration officials as well as top US commanders have confronted top Pakistani military officers with accusations of ISI complicity in attacks in Afghanistan, and even presented top Pakistani officials with lists of ISI and military operatives believed to be working with militants.

Benjamin Rhodes, deputy US national security adviser for strategic communications, said Pakistan had been an important ally in the battle against militant groups, and that Pakistani soldiers and intelligence officials had worked alongside the US to capture or kill Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

Still, he said the “status quo is not acceptable,” and that the havens for militants in Pakistan “pose an intolerable threat” that Pakistan must do more to address.

“The Pakistani government — and Pakistan’s military and intelligence services — must continue their strategic shift against violent extremist groups within their borders,” he said. US military support to Pakistan would continue, he said.

Several US congressional officials said despite repeated requests over the years for information about Pakistani support for militant groups, they usually receive vague and inconclusive briefings from the Pentagon and CIA.

Nonetheless, senior US legislators say they have no doubt that Pakistan is aiding insurgent groups. “The burden of proof is on the government of Pakistan and the ISI to show they don’t have ongoing contacts,” said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the armed services committee, who visited Pakistan this month. He said he and Senator Carl Levin, the committee chairman, had confronted Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani yet again over the allegations.

Such accusations are usually met with angry denials, particularly by the Pakistani military, which insists that the ISI severed its remaining ties to the groups years ago. An ISI spokesman in Islamabad said the agency would have no comment until it saw the documents. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani said: “The documents circulated by WikiLeaks do not reflect the current on-ground realities.”

The man the US has depended on for cooperation in fighting the militants and who holds most power in Pakistan, Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, ran the ISI from 2004 to 2007, a period from which many of the reports are drawn.

US officials have described Pakistan’s spy service as a rigidly hierarchical organisation that has little tolerance for “rogue” activity. But Pakistani military officials give the spy service’s “S Wing” — which runs external operations against India and Afghanistan — broad autonomy, a buffer that allows top military officials deniability.

US officials have rarely uncovered definitive evidence of direct ISI involvement in a major attack. But in July 2008, CIA deputy director Stephen R. Kappes confronted Pakistani officials with evidence that the ISI helped plan the deadly suicide bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul.

One report from the current trove identifies an ISI colonel plotting with a Taliban official to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The report says there was no information about how or when this would be carried out.

The coordinating general
Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul ran the ISI from 1987 to 1989, a time when Pakistani spies and the CIA joined forces to run guns and money to Afghan militias then battling Soviet troops in Afghanistan. After the fighting stopped, he maintained his contacts with the former mujahideen, who would eventually transform themselves into the Taliban.

More than two decades later, it appears Gen. Gul is still at work. The documents indicate he has worked tirelessly to reactivate his old networks, employing familiar allies like Jaluluddin Haqqani and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, whose networks of thousands of fighters are responsible for waves of violence in Afghanistan.

Gen. Gul is mentioned so many times in the reports, if they are to be believed, that it seems unlikely that Pakistan’s current military and intelligence officials could not know of at least some of his wide-ranging activities.

For example, one intelligence report describes him meeting a group of militants at Wana, capital of South Waziristan, in January 2009. There, he met three senior Afghan insurgent commanders and three “older” Arab men, presumably representatives of Al Qaeda, who the report suggests were important “because they had a large security contingent with them.”

The gathering was designed to hatch a plan to avenge the death of “Zamarai,” the nom de guerre of Osama al-Kini, who had been killed days earlier by a CIA drone attack. Mr Kini had directed Al Qaeda operations in Pakistan and spearheaded some of the group’s most devastating attacks.

The plot hatched at Wana that day, the report says, involved driving a dark blue Mazda truck rigged with explosives from South Waziristan to Afghanistan’s Paktika province, a route well known to be used by the insurgents to move weapons, suicide bombers and fighters from Pakistan.

In a show of strength, the Taliban leaders approved a plan to send 50 Arab and 50 Waziri fighters to Ghazni province in Afghanistan, the report said.

Gen. Gul urged Taliban commanders to focus their operations inside Afghanistan in exchange for Pakistan turning “a blind eye” to their presence in Pakistan’s tribal areas. It was unclear whether the attack was ever executed.

The US has pushed the United Nations to put Gen. Gul on a list of international terrorists, and top US officials said they believed he was an important link between active-duty Pakistani officers and militant groups.

Gen. Gul, who says he is retired and lives on his pension, dismissed the allegations as “absolute nonsense,” speaking by telephone from his home in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistani Army has its headquarters. “I have had no hand in it.” He added: “American intelligence is pulling cotton wool over your eyes.”

Suicide bomber network
The reports also chronicle efforts by ISI officers to run the networks of suicide bombers that emerged as a sudden, terrible force in Afghanistan in 2006.

The detailed reports indicate that US officials had a relatively clear understanding of how the suicide networks presumably functioned, even if some of the threats did not materialise. It is impossible to know why the attacks never came off — either they were thwarted, the attackers shifted targets, or the reports were deliberately planted as Taliban disinformation.

One report, from December 18, 2006, describes a cyclical process to develop the suicide bombers. First, the suicide attacker is recruited and trained in Pakistan. Then, reconnaissance and operational planning gets under way, including scouting to find a place for “hosting” the suicide bomber near the target before carrying out the attack.

In many cases, the reports are complete with names and ages of bombers, as well as licence plate numbers, but the Americans gathering the intelligence struggle to accurately portray many other details, introducing sometimes comical renderings of places and Taliban commanders.

In one case, a report rated by the American military as credible states that a grey Toyota Corolla had been loaded with explosives between the Afghan border and Landik Hotel, in Pakistan, apparently a mangled reference to Landi Kotal, in Pakistan’s tribal areas. The target of the plot, however, is a real hotel in downtown Kabul, the Ariana.

Several of the reports describe current and former ISI operatives, including Gen. Gul, visiting madrasas near Peshawar to recruit new fodder for suicide bombings.

One report, labelled a “real threat warning” because of its detail and the reliability of its source, described how commanders of Mr Hekmatyar’s insurgent group, Hezb-i-Islami, ordered the delivery of a suicide bomber from the Hashimiye madrasa, run by Afghans.

The boy was to be used in an attack on American or Nato vehicles in Kabul during a Muslim festival. The report says the boy was taken to Jalalabad to buy a car for the bombing, and later brought to Kabul. It is unclear if the attack actually took place.

Some bombers were sent to disrupt Afghanistan’s presidential elections held last August. In other instances, US intelligence learned that the Haqqani network sent bombers at the ISI’s behest to strike at Indian officials, development workers and engineers in Afghanistan. Other plots were aimed at the Afghan government.

Sometimes the intelligence documents twin seemingly credible detail with plots that seem fantastical or utterly implausible assertions. For instance, one report describes an ISI plan to use a remote-controlled bomb disguised as a golden Quran to assassinate Afghan officials. Another report documents an alleged plot by the ISI and Taliban to ship poisoned alcoholic beverages to Afghanistan to kill American troops.

India unveils world's cheapest tablet computer at $35; may drop to $10

July 23rd 2010


India's Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal displays a low-cost tablet at its launch.

From the country that brought you the $2,000 open-heart surgery and $2,127 car comes the latest bargain – a supercheap, touch-screen computer.

India unveiled a prototype of the gadget Thursday and hopes to find a manufacturer to get the device on the market by 2011, reports the Associated Press.

The Linux-based tablet appears to do most things an $499 iPad can do - but at a fraction of the cost: Internet browsing, word processing, video conferencing and more.

And it's eco-friendly: It can be converted to run on solar power for an additional cost.

Research teams at India's leading technical institutes - the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science -developed the tablet to compete with a $100 computer developed at MIT to be distributed to children and students in developing countries.

India's new tablet would first be distributed to university students and developers are hoping to drop the price to as little as $10.

The cheap computer is part of India's initiative to modernize its schools.

So far, the country has installed broadband connectivity in 8,500 colleges and provides online study materials through YouTube and other channels

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Delhi visit

According to the latest news Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba would be leaving for Delhi, the capital of India, on 9th April to stay there until 15th April. from there He is scheduled to leave for famous hill station in north India, Shimla.
The details are awaited. At the end its all Swami's will and His decision is final...

Programme Schedule


Public Darshans at

DC-10 DDA Grounds (Near Dawarka Sector-10 Metro Station) Dwarka

on Entry 3:00 pm onwards 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th April 2010

General Public is hereby informed to please use the Blue Line of Delhi Metro to reach Dwarka Sector-10 or Sector-11 station.


Both these stations are located within walking distance of DC-10, DDA Grounds, Dwarka.




Please carry a valid photo ID to the venue.

Please do not bring pens/pencils, handbags, briefcase, eatables, radio/transistor, mobile telephone and pager, tape recorder, camera, binoculars, digital diary, palm-top, laptop, notebook, computer, remote controlled car lock keys, arms and ammunition, thermos flask, water bottle, cigarette, bidi, gutka/paan masala, matchbox, lighter, knife, razor, scissors, screwdriver, blade etc with you, as all such items will not be allowed into the seating enclosures.





The Organisation reserves the right to include/exclude any other material(s), not notified above, at any time without prior notice. The Organisation also reserves the right to deny admission to person(s)/group(s) without assigning reasons.

Wipro may soon bag big-ticket outsourcing deals

6 Aug 2009,ET Bureau


KOLKATA: Wipro, the country’s third-largest software services exporter, expects to close a clutch of big-ticket outsourcing deals — each valued upwards of $100 million — in the second quarter of 2009-10.
The company claims it has a good funnel of potential clients who prefer end-to-end solutions in areas like IT services, consulting, remote management and BPO.

Confirming this, Wipro executive director & CFO Suresh C Senapaty said: “We expect to win some good clients this year despite the slowdown. It is true that bids are getting complex and taking longer time to conclude. However, we are optimistic of closing few large deals, especially in the $100-million plus range,” Mr Senapaty told ET.

Wipro had added 26 new clients in the first quarter (April-June 2009). “The total value of the new deals bagged in Q1 is around $700 million, with quite a few in the $30-million plus range. Clients are now looking for long-term deals and prefer end-to-end processing,” Mr Senapaty said. The company also indicated that hiring could become robust in the months to come.

“The newer spate of deals are much more stabilised on pricing and are volume-oriented. By virtue of their nature, we would require more people for servicing them. However, we will go for just-in-time hiring,” said Mr Senapaty. Wipro will also focus on near-shoring as a future strategy.

“Clients now prefer near-shoring as a concept. Bulk of our people outside India are working at customer premises. We plan to open several new near-shore centres in Latin America, eastern Europe and the APAC region. The idea is to expand into low-cost destinations,” said Mr Senapaty.

As part of this, Mr Senapaty said Wipro plans to double headcount at China from the present 400-odd people and also open a facility at Russia.

“The future growth verticals will include energy, utilities, telecom, healthcare and government. We intend to expand business in India and Middle-East, which currently contributes less than 10% to our revenue,” he said.

Wipro is also eyeing acquisition opportunities in Japan, Australia, Latin America and Europe, Mr Senapaty added