NEW DELHI: Ahead of an expected statement in Parliament on Monday, Minister for Communications and Information Technology A. Raja has handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The development follows hectic parleys between some senior Congress leaders and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi during the day. By evening on Sunday, the DMK leader advised Mr. Raja to submit his resignation.
NDA government policy
This brings to a close one chapter of the drama that involved allegations of corruption in 2G spectrum allocation, although Mr. Raja continued to maintain that he was following the policy laid down by the previous National Democratic Alliance government and was not guilty of any wrong doing.
Soon after tendering his resignation, Mr. Raja told journalists here that he had done what he had been advised to do by “my leader,” that is, Mr. Karunanidhi. Mr. Raja said he was confident that his innocence would be established. “My conscience is clear and I have done nothing wrong.”
‘Tele-density had risen'
Mr. Raja pointed out that through his efforts in the Ministry tele-density had risen from about 300 million users, when he took charge, to over 700 million now. The rates per call for mobile telephone users had also fallen dramatically from Rs.1.60 to just 40 paise or less, with huge reductions in outstation telephone call charges.
The CAG report on the spectrum allocation, sent to President Pratibha Patil for her signature, is expected to be presented to Parliament on Monday or the next couple of days.
Senior Congress leaders have so far maintained that serious adverse remarks were made by the CAG even in its report in 2000 on the telecom sector when the then NDA government waived committed licence fees and allowed companies in this sector to migrate to a system of revenue sharing. At that time too, there were allegations of loss to the exchequer of thousands of crores of rupees. “In any case, the CAG report will be seen by the Public Accounts Committee chaired by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi,” a senior Congress leader in the government pointed out.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left parties have welcomed the resignation of Mr. Raja, but there is no word yet on what will happen in Parliament that has been stalled since November 10.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Obama Backs U.N.Permanant Seat for India
New Delhi: Lauding India's growing role in global bodies, US President Barack Obama Monday said the US welcomed India as it prepared for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
'We welcome India as it prepares to take a seat at the United Nations Security Council,' said Obama in an address to members of the two houses of parliament.
'And as two global leaders, the United States and India can partner for global security - especially as India serves on the Security Council over the next two years,'
'Indeed, the just and sustainable international order that America seeks includes a United Nations that is efficient, effective, credible and legitimate,' he said.
'That is why I can say today-in the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member,' he said to loud applause from over 780 MPs.
Obama stressed that the US valued India's role in global economic decision-making bodies like the G20 and in ongoing consultation over global issues like climate change.
'We welcome India as it prepares to take a seat at the United Nations Security Council,' said Obama in an address to members of the two houses of parliament.
'And as two global leaders, the United States and India can partner for global security - especially as India serves on the Security Council over the next two years,'
'Indeed, the just and sustainable international order that America seeks includes a United Nations that is efficient, effective, credible and legitimate,' he said.
'That is why I can say today-in the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member,' he said to loud applause from over 780 MPs.
Obama stressed that the US valued India's role in global economic decision-making bodies like the G20 and in ongoing consultation over global issues like climate change.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
India signs $10-billion worth deals with U.S.
Taking India-U.S. trade relations to new territory, U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday announced that deals worth $10 billion (nearly Rs.44,000 crore) have been reached between India and the U.S. for creating more than 50,000 jobs back in the U.S.
“Several landmark deals have been done shortly before my arrival here. Boeing is going to sell dozens of planes to India and GE is going to sell hundreds of electric engines. The deals are worth $10 billion and will create more than 50,000 jobs in the U.S.,” said President Obama while addressing the U.S-India Business and Entrepreneurship Summit here.
ADAG, SpiceJet sign agreement
Among the deals, SpiceJet has purchased 30 737-800 aircraft with a total cost of $2.8 billion from Boeing and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group purchased power equipment for 2,400 MW plants from GE for $2 billion.
Increase in trade between the U.S. and India is a “win-win situation for both nations”, said President Obama. The summit was jointly organised by U.S.-India Business Council, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). President Obama hoped that the trade between the two countries would be doubled in five years. “There is no reason why India can't be our top trading partner. Trade with India is less than with the Netherlands, whose population and size is less than Mumbai,” he said. Saying that economic relationship between India and the U.S. is still untapped, President Obama said, “India can be U.S.'s largest trade partner instead of 12th”.
Tariffs
However, Mr. Obama asked India to ease trade barriers to open up market access. India is the market of the future where Washington was willing to step up investments, provided uncertainties relating to tariffs and other barriers were taken care of.
He also expressed confidence that he was absolutely sure that relationship between the two countries was going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
He said U.S. was committed to reciprocate by easing trade barriers. The U.S. also is ready to ease curbs on export of dual use of technology. He said he would work with India towards easing of export rules which could result in ending the technology denial regime against Indian entities such as DRDO and ISRO.
“Back-offices in India cost American jobs. We don't want one-way traffic in trade; It's a dynamic two-way relationship for jobs and higher living standards,” he said.
U.S. was firm on its own commitments towards it. Referring to visa fee hike and outsourcing restrictions in the U.S., he said, “We don't want to unfairly target companies or people in India.” He said that India would be the largest supplier of workforce in the future and that the U.S. would compete with it in a healthy way in various areas.
President Obama started his speech wishing the gathering by acknowledging lighting up the diya on Diwali and “saal mubarak” (Happy New Year) to all.
He also reminded the gathering that he was the first U.S. President to celebrate Diwali at the White House. Lauding India's growth story he said that the sheer size and pace of India's progress was stunning in human history.
“Several landmark deals have been done shortly before my arrival here. Boeing is going to sell dozens of planes to India and GE is going to sell hundreds of electric engines. The deals are worth $10 billion and will create more than 50,000 jobs in the U.S.,” said President Obama while addressing the U.S-India Business and Entrepreneurship Summit here.
ADAG, SpiceJet sign agreement
Among the deals, SpiceJet has purchased 30 737-800 aircraft with a total cost of $2.8 billion from Boeing and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group purchased power equipment for 2,400 MW plants from GE for $2 billion.
Increase in trade between the U.S. and India is a “win-win situation for both nations”, said President Obama. The summit was jointly organised by U.S.-India Business Council, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). President Obama hoped that the trade between the two countries would be doubled in five years. “There is no reason why India can't be our top trading partner. Trade with India is less than with the Netherlands, whose population and size is less than Mumbai,” he said. Saying that economic relationship between India and the U.S. is still untapped, President Obama said, “India can be U.S.'s largest trade partner instead of 12th”.
Tariffs
However, Mr. Obama asked India to ease trade barriers to open up market access. India is the market of the future where Washington was willing to step up investments, provided uncertainties relating to tariffs and other barriers were taken care of.
He also expressed confidence that he was absolutely sure that relationship between the two countries was going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
He said U.S. was committed to reciprocate by easing trade barriers. The U.S. also is ready to ease curbs on export of dual use of technology. He said he would work with India towards easing of export rules which could result in ending the technology denial regime against Indian entities such as DRDO and ISRO.
“Back-offices in India cost American jobs. We don't want one-way traffic in trade; It's a dynamic two-way relationship for jobs and higher living standards,” he said.
U.S. was firm on its own commitments towards it. Referring to visa fee hike and outsourcing restrictions in the U.S., he said, “We don't want to unfairly target companies or people in India.” He said that India would be the largest supplier of workforce in the future and that the U.S. would compete with it in a healthy way in various areas.
President Obama started his speech wishing the gathering by acknowledging lighting up the diya on Diwali and “saal mubarak” (Happy New Year) to all.
He also reminded the gathering that he was the first U.S. President to celebrate Diwali at the White House. Lauding India's growth story he said that the sheer size and pace of India's progress was stunning in human history.
Obama in Mumbai Calls India Market of the Future
President Barack Obama says further opening India's markets to U.S. exports is crucial to job growth in the United States, and to economic progress for both countries. Mr. Obama spoke to American and Indian business executives on the first day of a three-day visit to strengthen economic, political and security ties with India, as part of a 10-day Asian tour.
Mr. Obama met with Indian and U.S. business entrepreneurs, and participated in a roundtable with U.S. executives gathered here as part one of the largest-ever foreign business missions ever undertaken.
In remarks to a business summit organized by the U.S. - India Business Council, the president described the U.S. - India relationship as one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
Mr. Obama met with Indian and U.S. business entrepreneurs, and participated in a roundtable with U.S. executives gathered here as part one of the largest-ever foreign business missions ever undertaken.
In remarks to a business summit organized by the U.S. - India Business Council, the president described the U.S. - India relationship as one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
Obama arrives, pays homage to Mumbai terror victims
6 Nov 2010
Mumbai:US President Barack Obama Saturday paid homage to victims of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, saying those who organised it needed to be punished.
Addressing families of some of the dead at the Taj Mahal and Palace Tower Hotel, one of the targets of the Pakistani terrorists, Obama said he 'will never forget the awful image of 26/11'.
Calling the terrorists 'murderers', he said they sneaked into Mumbai to kill 'innocent civilians'.
A total of 166 Indians and foreigners, Americans included, were massacred when 10 terrorists from Pakistan went on a killing spree in Mumbai for three long days from Nov 26.
'Those who attacked Mumbai wanted to demoralize this city and this country but they failed,' he said.
'The very next day, Mumbaikars came back to work... Within weeks, this hotel was welcoming guests from around the world.'
He said the Indian and US governments were working more closely than ever to keep people safe by sharing intelligence.
He said he looked forward to deepening counter-terror cooperation 'when I meet Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh in New Delhi'.
With an hour of landing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Obama took off in a US helicopter and then his Cadillac to reach the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel at the edge of the Arabian Sea to pay homage to those who died in the terror attack.
After lunch at the Presidential Suite of the hotel, where he and his wife Michelle will spend Saturday night, he will go to Mani Bhavan, now a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, a childhood hero of the US president.
The US Air Force One carrying the Obamas landed on runway 14 at 12.48 p.m. after flying some 15 hours from Washington.
Obama, dressed in a black business suit, and Michelle walked out of the aircraft with their hands locked. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and central Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, the minister-in-waiting for the US president, received them with warm handshakes.
The chief minister handed the president a gift packet and a bouquet to the US First Lady, who wore a grey dress with a three-string pearl necklace around her neck.
This is Obama's first visit to India -- and the first halt in a four-nation Asian tour that will take him to Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.
It will be Obama's longest visit to any country since he assumed the presidency two years ago. On Sunday, Obama will reach New Delhi for talks with Indian leaders before leaving for Indonesia Tuesday.
Apart from Michelle, Obama is accompanied by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Security Adviser Tom Donillon and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Prior to his departure from the US, Obama said in a signed article in the New York Times that the US wanted 'to be known not just for what we consume, but for what we produce. And the more we export abroad, the more jobs we create in America. In fact, every $1 billion we export supports more than 5,000 jobs at home'.
Obama said his priority was to double US exports in the next five years.
The president will also visit St Xavier's college, where he will interact with select students, and address Indian business leaders.
In New Delhi, the US president will address Indian MPs.
Obama is pushing New Delhi to lift a cap on foreign investment in the defence sector while India wants more visas so high-tech workers can move to the US.
More than 200 US business leaders are also making the trip to India.
Mumbai:US President Barack Obama Saturday paid homage to victims of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, saying those who organised it needed to be punished.
Addressing families of some of the dead at the Taj Mahal and Palace Tower Hotel, one of the targets of the Pakistani terrorists, Obama said he 'will never forget the awful image of 26/11'.
Calling the terrorists 'murderers', he said they sneaked into Mumbai to kill 'innocent civilians'.
A total of 166 Indians and foreigners, Americans included, were massacred when 10 terrorists from Pakistan went on a killing spree in Mumbai for three long days from Nov 26.
'Those who attacked Mumbai wanted to demoralize this city and this country but they failed,' he said.
'The very next day, Mumbaikars came back to work... Within weeks, this hotel was welcoming guests from around the world.'
He said the Indian and US governments were working more closely than ever to keep people safe by sharing intelligence.
He said he looked forward to deepening counter-terror cooperation 'when I meet Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh in New Delhi'.
With an hour of landing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Obama took off in a US helicopter and then his Cadillac to reach the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel at the edge of the Arabian Sea to pay homage to those who died in the terror attack.
After lunch at the Presidential Suite of the hotel, where he and his wife Michelle will spend Saturday night, he will go to Mani Bhavan, now a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, a childhood hero of the US president.
The US Air Force One carrying the Obamas landed on runway 14 at 12.48 p.m. after flying some 15 hours from Washington.
Obama, dressed in a black business suit, and Michelle walked out of the aircraft with their hands locked. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and central Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, the minister-in-waiting for the US president, received them with warm handshakes.
The chief minister handed the president a gift packet and a bouquet to the US First Lady, who wore a grey dress with a three-string pearl necklace around her neck.
This is Obama's first visit to India -- and the first halt in a four-nation Asian tour that will take him to Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.
It will be Obama's longest visit to any country since he assumed the presidency two years ago. On Sunday, Obama will reach New Delhi for talks with Indian leaders before leaving for Indonesia Tuesday.
Apart from Michelle, Obama is accompanied by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Security Adviser Tom Donillon and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Prior to his departure from the US, Obama said in a signed article in the New York Times that the US wanted 'to be known not just for what we consume, but for what we produce. And the more we export abroad, the more jobs we create in America. In fact, every $1 billion we export supports more than 5,000 jobs at home'.
Obama said his priority was to double US exports in the next five years.
The president will also visit St Xavier's college, where he will interact with select students, and address Indian business leaders.
In New Delhi, the US president will address Indian MPs.
Obama is pushing New Delhi to lift a cap on foreign investment in the defence sector while India wants more visas so high-tech workers can move to the US.
More than 200 US business leaders are also making the trip to India.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
China using Pakistan to slow India's growth: Former US envoy
04 Nov 2010
WASHINGTON: Relation between India and China has deteriorated in last 18 months and is unlikely to get better, a former US Ambassador to India has said and he shared the perception of many Indian strategic thinkers that Beijing is using Pakistan to slow India's rise.
'I think it's fair to say now that China-India relations are not very good and in fact have been deteriorating for about last 18 months,' Robert Blackwill, former US Ambassador to India said in a conference call with reporters in a briefing on Obama's India visit.
'The Indians have a long list of Chinese transgressions, which in my judgment are accurate, having to do with Chinese policy on Kashmir and on the border dispute between the two countries and the so-called 'ring of pearls' of Chinese quasi-military installations in Bangladesh and in Sri Lanka and in Pakistan and so forth,' he said.
Blackwill is currently the Henry Kissinger Senior Fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations - a prestigious US-based think tank.
'So the relations aren't very good between the two. The Prime Minister keeps saying, and I think deeply believes, that there's no reason why India and China could not have a good long-term relationship. But it isn't clear that same degree of enthusiasm for that end state is felt in Beijing,' he said.
Many Indian strategists think that think there's some evidence that China's preoccupation with Pakistan and its long-time close links is closely connected to the Chinese realisation that if India is preoccupied, if not pinned down by cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and problems in the India-Pakistan relation, that it will slow the rise of India as a great power.
'In other words, China using Pakistan to slow India's rise,' Blackwill said.
'So China-India relations are not good, and I myself don't think they're going to get very much better on the geopolitical and security side. Now on the economic side, they're thriving, and of course, that's good for both countries,' he said.
'The Indians have no interest in thoughts of containing China, a concept that one sees in the American media from time to time. No way faster to clear a Delhi drawing room than to begin to talk about containing China.
'But what India would like is an agreement with the US that over the long term, the US and India will keep in close touch, both to the issue of Chinese behaviour and trying to decipher it, and second, close touch on trying to shape Chinese external behaviour in a positive way,' Blackwill said.
WASHINGTON: Relation between India and China has deteriorated in last 18 months and is unlikely to get better, a former US Ambassador to India has said and he shared the perception of many Indian strategic thinkers that Beijing is using Pakistan to slow India's rise.
'I think it's fair to say now that China-India relations are not very good and in fact have been deteriorating for about last 18 months,' Robert Blackwill, former US Ambassador to India said in a conference call with reporters in a briefing on Obama's India visit.
'The Indians have a long list of Chinese transgressions, which in my judgment are accurate, having to do with Chinese policy on Kashmir and on the border dispute between the two countries and the so-called 'ring of pearls' of Chinese quasi-military installations in Bangladesh and in Sri Lanka and in Pakistan and so forth,' he said.
Blackwill is currently the Henry Kissinger Senior Fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations - a prestigious US-based think tank.
'So the relations aren't very good between the two. The Prime Minister keeps saying, and I think deeply believes, that there's no reason why India and China could not have a good long-term relationship. But it isn't clear that same degree of enthusiasm for that end state is felt in Beijing,' he said.
Many Indian strategists think that think there's some evidence that China's preoccupation with Pakistan and its long-time close links is closely connected to the Chinese realisation that if India is preoccupied, if not pinned down by cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and problems in the India-Pakistan relation, that it will slow the rise of India as a great power.
'In other words, China using Pakistan to slow India's rise,' Blackwill said.
'So China-India relations are not good, and I myself don't think they're going to get very much better on the geopolitical and security side. Now on the economic side, they're thriving, and of course, that's good for both countries,' he said.
'The Indians have no interest in thoughts of containing China, a concept that one sees in the American media from time to time. No way faster to clear a Delhi drawing room than to begin to talk about containing China.
'But what India would like is an agreement with the US that over the long term, the US and India will keep in close touch, both to the issue of Chinese behaviour and trying to decipher it, and second, close touch on trying to shape Chinese external behaviour in a positive way,' Blackwill said.
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