India and US to Sign Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement Dr. Zaidi “India Aviation-2012”

India and US to Sign Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement Dr. Nasim Zaidi Launches “India Aviation-2012” Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation launched “India Aviation-2012”, the 3rd international Exhibition and Conference on Civil Aviation here today. The event will be held at Begumpet Airport from 14-18th March, 2012. Addressing on the occasion, Dr. Zaidi said that it would be necessary to redefine the parameters of regulation in order to assure travelers the guarantee of safety. The ministry is considering restructuring the DGCA into a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In order to prevent repetitive accidents, an Independent Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Committee has been set up within oversight of Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate and oversee the investigation into accidents and also effective follow up of compliance of recommendations. Steps are under way to set up a full-fledged Independent Accident Investigation Board. He announced that a land mark Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement has been approved by the Cabinet and will be signed with USA, during the visit of Ms. Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State. The proposed agreement will open up huge market for export of aeronautical products manufactured in the country in USA and other regions of the world. This will open up huge potential for investment.

Emphasizing the passengers’ facilities and consumer protection, he said that the rights of the passengers need to be respected and protected at all times. The significant steps for consumer protection has been taken through CARs on disability related rights, refunds, cancellations, delays, over-bookings and denied boardings. He suggested that Airlines and Airports should compete with each other in offering to passengers better of facilities, services and protection of their rights. He announced that a task force is working in Ministry to prepare an outline to set up an Ombudsman institution in civil aviation sector. Ministry of Civil Aviation has also set up an Innovation Council to suggest primarily IT lead innovations to improve products, services and customer related matters by airlines, airports and air traffic management service providers.

Dr. Zaidi also announced that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is also proposing to declare 18th February every year as Civil Aviation Day.

On connectivity, he said that the Ministry is reviewing policy of route dispersal guidelines to enhance connectivity in inaccessible areas and islands of the country. With a view to increase regional connectivity, regulatory framework pertaining to schedule and regional operators is also currently being reviewed to ensure that regional connectivity gets boost with the support of Airports Authority of India and private sector participating in the development of Tier II and Tier III cities. A task force is also working to examine the ways and means required to cut transaction time, cost and various other measures to simplify procedures to improve business environment with regulatory authorities.

Highlighting the growth of Civil Aviation Sector that the Secretary said that the sector has registered phenomenal growth in India in past decade. Passenger traffic has grown at 18% year on year basis and the year 2010 closed at 90 million passengers both domestic and international. India is the fastest growing aviation market and expected to be within 4-5 big aviation markets by 2020 and 3rd in terms of domestic market after US and China. India will cross 450 million mark of domestic passengers by 2020. During the last two decades from a fleet of only about 100, the scheduled operators today have 435 aircrafts connecting the nation and the world. It is projected that the center of gravity in the aviation industry will be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years. Considering the geographic position of India, it has the potential to become an aviation hub at the cross roads between Europe/ Middle East and Asia Pacific. He informed that T-3 Terminal at Delhi International Airport is already evolving into a hub. About 11000 passengers are transiting from various spokes to different destinations in the world by utilizing spoke and hub system. Air India is already contributing to this growth including Jet Airways. It is also proposed to develop Mumbai and Chennai as hubs in next 2 years.

The “India Aviation-2012”, the 3rd international Exhibition and Conference on Civil Aviation is being organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation jointly with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). It will witness participation of over 250 exhibitors comprising of Aircraft Manufacturers, Aircraft Machinery & Equipment Companies, Aircraft Interiors, Airlines, Airlines Services & Air Cargo, Skill Development, Airport and Infrastructure, MROs. The exhibition will be spread over as area of 20,000 square meters. UK is the partner country for the 2012 event with France as Focus country and USA as the Guest Country. The Host State is Andhra Pradesh and the Overseas Associate for the show is Famborough International Ltd.

Apart from the Exhibition, India Aviation-2012 will have a conference on policy issues and business aspects of the civil aviation sector, a CEOs Forum representing chief executives of leading aviation companies, Chalets, Static Display, Demonstration Flights and Media Conferences.

Afghan president,brother-Ahmed Wali Karzai-shot dead

Ahmed Wali Karzai, the younger brother of the Afghan president, was shot dead in the southern city of Kandahar on Tuesday, officials said.The killing of his chief local power broker will be a huge loss for President Hamid Karzai in Kandahar, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency as NATO troops rush to start withdrawing combat troops after a decade of war.Initial details were sketchy, with a family friend telling a news agency on condition of anonymity that he was killed by a bodyguard while entertaining guests at home and an Afghan intelligence official saying he was shot dead by a guest.

"We can confirm he has been martyred," Kandahar provincial government spokesman Zalmay Ayubi told a news agency, providing no further details.

India's outward FDI halves to $5.47 bn in June

India's outward FDI halves to $5.47 bn in June

Overseas investments by Indian companies halved to USD 5.47 billion in June, while Mundra Port and Bharti Airtel emerged as the top players in committing investments abroad.

Outward flows totalled USD 12.27 billion in June 2010.In the first three months of this fiscal (April-June), outward FDI stood at USD 10.57 billion.The is much lower than USD 18.26 billion recorded in the June quarter of 2010-11.

As per the RBI data released on Tuesday, Indian firms issued financial guarantees worth USD 3.9 billion, loans worth USD 937 million and contributed USD 641.37 million towards equities.Mundra Port and SEZ extended a guarantee of USD 2.25 billion to its wholly-owned subsidiary Mundra Port PTY Ltd in Australia, RBI said. The subsidiary is engaged in construction activities.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel made overseas investments worth USD 494.5 million through three separate deals last month.The total investment was spread across the Netherlands (USD 140 million), Singapore (USD 350 million) and Mauritius (USD 4.5 million).As per the RBI data, the other major players include, RHC Holding Private Ltd (Mauritius), Suzlon Energy (Mauritius) and Aurbindo Pharma (USA).

While FDI outward data is available for the first quarter, latest figures for inward foreign direct investment is only till May.FDI inflows saw a whopping 111 per cent increase in May at USD 4.66 billion, the second highest monthly inflows in 11 years.In May, 2010, the inflows had totalled USD 2.21 billion.For the April-May period of the current fiscal, the FDI went up by a huge 77 per cent to USD 7.78 billion from USD 4.39 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Leaders-file nomination papers for Rajya Sabha

Leaders-file nomination papers for Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Senior Congress leader Mr. Ahmed Patel filed his nomination papers for Rajya Sabha in Gandhinagar today. Two other candidates, who have filed their nominations include TV star Smriti Irani and Mr. Dilip Pandya- both from the BJP. Three Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant in the state this month and elections to fill up the vacancies is scheduled on 22nd of this month. Our Ahmedabad Correspondent reports that 12th July is the last day for filing of nominations.

Tamilnadu, Popular TV host Mr.Rabi Bernard today filed his nominations for the lone Rajya Sabha seat. He was nominated for the Rajya Sabha on behalf of the AIADMK Party. The filing of nominations will end tomorrow and the withdrawal of nomination is on the 15th of this month. The lone vacancy arose after the resignation of Mr. K.V.Ramalingam who contested the Assembly election and is now a minister in the State Cabinet. The date of poll is on the 22nd of this month.

US suspends aid to Pakistan

US suspends 800 million US dollar aid to Pakistan

Angered by Pakistan's reluctance to go full throttle in the war against terror, the US has disclosed that it has suspended 800 million US dollar worth of military aid to it.

White House Chief of Staff Tom Donilon while confirming the suspension of the aid, described the relations with Pakistan as difficult and that it must be made to work overtime.

The suspended aid is about one-third of the 2 billion US dollar in annual American security assistance to Pakistan.

tsunami reaches Japan after strong quake

July 10, 2011 TOKYO:An earthquake jolted north-east Japan, the same area that was devastated four months agoand triggered a small tsunami in Iwate prefecture, measuring 10c.7.0 Mw - OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. Date-Time 10 Jul 2011 00:57:12 UTC 10 Jul 2011 10:57:12 near epicenter 10 Jul 2011 04:57:12 standard time in your timezone Location 38.040N 143.287E Depth 34 km Distances 212 km (131 miles) E (96 degrees) of Sendai, Honshu, Japan 237 km (147 miles) ENE (62 degrees) of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan 250 km (155 miles) E (81 degrees) of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan 411 km (255 miles) NE (49 degrees) of TOKYO, Japan

A small tsunami reached the Pacific coast of northern Japan Sunday after a strong quake hit the region heavily damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The port town of Ofunato, Iwate prefecture, saw a 10-centimetre (four-inch) tsunami at 10:44 am (0144 GMT), the agency said. The Japanese weather agency issued a tsunami advisory for Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the main island of Honshu at 09:57 am (0057 GMT). No damage has been reported from the tsunami and quake. Japanese weather agency expected a small tsunami of up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) along the affected region along the Pacific coast. Television footage of the port in Ofunato did not show any sign of the tsunami, with the water surface seemingly calm and flat. The agency issued the tsunami advisory shortly after the offshore quake in the same general area as the 9.0-magnitude quake of March 11 which triggered a massive tsunami.The US Geological Agency, which also estimated the magnitude at 7.1, said the offshore quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles).

Rahul Gandhi address Aligarh Kissan Maha-Panchayat

 Rahul Gandhi reach Aligarh Airport for Kissan Maha-Panchayat  reports DD news  is on his way to Exhibition Ground Aligarh.Congress National General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has arrived in Aligarh this afternoon to participate in the Kisan Maha Panchayat at Numaish Maidan of the town.
Union Ministers, Sachin Pilot, Salman Khurshid, Jitin Prasad, Congress leaders Parmod Tiwari,Ritu Bahuguna Joshi UPCC,Sriprakash Jaiswal,Parvez Hashmi too made their presence at Maha Panchayat.Rahul Gandhi said with this interaction he has been able to know more about the Kissan community grievances and may not be able to experience the same at stay in New Delhi. Terming his foot march as an unforgettable experience, Rahul Gandhi has said he gained a world of knowledge on land acquisition issues,an unforgotten knowledge in lifetime.Agrarian society from surrounding states are present in this Maha-Panhayat begins today at 11.AM. He is to deliver half an hour lecture after four days of his walks across the villages of UP starting from NOIDA ends at Mathura. Congress National General Secretary Rahul Gandhi’s foot march conclude Saturday at Aligarh, where he is slated to participate in a Kisan Maha Panchayat at the Exhibition Ground.Ritu Bahuguna Joshi President UPCC made inaugural and welcome speech and asked Parmod Tiwari to address the Kissan Maha-Panchayat who compared the Rahul four days UP walk with Gandhi Quit India movement of 1942.
Rahul addressed the rally taking on Mayawati,for next year Assembly elections, Gandhi said Land acquisition  in Uttar Pradesh a farmer comes to know about his land only when the builder comes and tells him that the land belongs to him,further to remarks about his padyatra nautanki.or drama he added  “A politician needs to go to people and talk to them and that is what I believe".Winding up his four-day 'padyatra' in the battle against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today accused her government of acquiring farmers' lands for golf courses,colonies  and racing tracks and beating,firing upon poor farmers as they protest.
“We will try to bring such a law that will benefit the farmer. But only changing the law won’t help because the same law exists in Haryana and UP but Haryana government takes people into confidence and talks to them.
“UP government doesn't talk to the people. When a farmer demands his rights government orders firing on him,” Rahul Gandhi said "Farmers are not against development."
Describing the new land acquisition policy announced by BSP government as misleading the farmers, he said it is not helping the farmers who have already lost their land. He reassured the farmers that proposed Land Acquisition Bill prepared by the centre will be in favour of them. He also alleged that welfare schemes including right to education and Mid-day meal initiated by the centre are not being implemented by state government properly.His foot march flagged off from twin villages Bhatta Parsaul in Gautam Buddha Nagar district on Tuesday. Congress leader visited more than one dozen villages affected with the Yamuna Expressway project in three districts of Aligarh, Mathura and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
BSP spokesman briefed media in Lucknow said, almost 80 per cent of the crowd of mahapanchayat was due to lure of  ticket-seekers and farmers' presence was nearly twenty per cent. BSP spokesman too questioned Gandhi's view of separate land acquisition policy for housing and development added BSP government in the state already enacted a "progressive and farmer-friendly policy covering both these areas and it would have been better had he praised the UP government for it".

 Regime will not fall, NATO must pull back: Kadhafi

  Saturday, July 09, 2011
 TRIPOLI: Embattled Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said in an audio message relayed to supporters that his regime will not fall and told NATO to stop attacking his troops.

"The regime in Libya will not fall -- it is based on the people, not on Kadhafi. NATO is wrong if it thinks it can topple the regime of this country," he said in the message to thousands of supporters in Sabha, some 750 kilometres (450 miles) south of Tripoli.

"This gathering of more than a million people is a new message to Europe, to the crusaders and colonialists: the regime does not belong to Kadhafi, it is the people's regime and the people will not give up an inch of its land or bow down to invaders," he said.

"Our only choice is resistance: we are on home ground and are not afraid of your war machine," a defiant Kadhafi told his supporters in Sabha, the desert stronghold of his clan, addressing NATO directly.

He added that the NATO-led air strikes on his forces must cease, and Libyans should be left "all alone" to solve their own problems.GeoTv

Suggestions on electoral reforms

Dr. Sanjay Singh,
Joint Secretary and Legislative Counsel,
Room. No. 423 A-Wing, 4th Floor.
Ministry of Law and Justice,
Legislative Department,
Shastri Bhawan,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road,
New Delhi-110001 .

 

1. Refer notification at http://lawmin.nic.in/legislative/ereforms/ereforms.htm

 

2. The following suggestions are offered:

 

2.1. Minor/short term:

 

2.1.1. Every candidate for elections should have been a regular resident of the constituency, from where s/he is contesting, continuously for  period of 5 years before the date of elections. Absence of less than 15 days at a stretch need not be considered though cumulative absence of more than 3 months in a year. even at less than 15 days at a stretch, would be a disqualification.

 

2.1.2. A candidate should be allowed to contest from one and only one constituency. (This would automatically get implemented if teh suggestion at para 1 is implemented.

 

2.1.3. A candidate contesting  to the state assembly should have been a member of the gram panchayat/muncipality/corporation for not less than 5 years.

 

2.1.4. A candidate contesting to the parliament should have been a member of the state assembly for not less than 5 years.

 

2.1.5. A minister should be one who has been a member of the appropriate legislative body for not less than two terms of 5 years each in that body.

 

2.1.6. The maximum term permitted for anyone to be a member of any body at a particular level should be only three.

 

2.1.7. The cost to the exchequer for an elected representative should be decided by the electorate through a parallel ballot.

 

2.1.8. The ballot should have an option to reject all candidates and if such an option gets the majority of votes, the constituency should be put under Governor's rule for one year, extendable to two years.

 

2.2. Major/Long term:

It is a fact that party-based democracy itself has failed in this country. So, will the Presidential system, as in the US of A, work in our context? No guarantee, there. But can’t we think afresh, keeping in mind the lessons we have learnt from our own experiences in the past sixty years? Shouldn’t we tailor our solutions to suit our problems? Here is one suggestion: Our government should function at three levels. Villages should form the units of administration. Villages should be linked through computer networks to the next level of governance, that is the State. States should be linked to the government at the Center. Polls should be conducted to elect representatives to an Electoral College (EC). These representatives, Members of Electoral College (MEC) can be one per 500 or 1000 of the population, but should necessarily be one amoung them. MECs from the village will function as the Village Panchayat (VP). The VP will send a representative from amoung them to the State Legislature (SL) on need basis. This need will be decided by the agenda before the Legislature and the competence of the MEC to address the issues in the agenda. The agenda, of course, will be circulated by the State Secretariat well in advance so that the issues are discussed thoroughly at the VP and every VP can send its best spokesperson for the occasion to the SL. A similar exercise can follow for issues at the national level taken up for consideration in the Parliament. Of necessity, the discussions should start at the VP, ensuring the best democratic process at work always. And there shall never be defections and toppling of governments for the five years for which each Electoral College shall function!

 

Yours truly

 

Veteran Major P M Ravindran

Save RTI Campaign

Save Judiciary, Save  Nation Campaign

Tele; 0491-2576042

 

 Veteran Major P M Ravindran
http://raviforjustice.blogspot.com

Jr Basketball Nationals: Chhattisgarh defeat TN ; Kerala Girls win

Junior Basketball Nationals: Chhattisgarh defeat TN in thriller; Kerala Girls keep winning

The third day of the 62^nd Junior National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in New Delhi witnessed a great battle of the heavyweights when two of the strongest boys’ sides at the competition – Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh – went face to face in a showdown that lived up to its high-profile expectations, before Chhattisgarh secured a close win. Amongst the girls’, reigning champions Kerala continued their domination, winning their third straight after defeating Rajasthan on Thursday.

In the Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu match-up, an electrified crowd greeted two efficient teams, who were excelling especially on the defensive end in this game. The teams traded spurts of excellent play between each other: Chhattisgarh’s star Ajay Pratap Singh, who was the top scorer with 25 points, kept the pressure on the opponents, while TN countered with their own star in Aravind.

With little to choose between the sides in the fourth quarter, Chhattisgarh made all the right plays in the last few minutes of the game to survive for a four point win, 64-60. The end of the match was highlighted by a dunk by Chhattisgarh’s Ajay Pratap Singh that provided the exclamation point to the victory. For TN, Aravind scored 22 points in a losing effort and Karthikeyan S added 16.

In another boys’ game, Punjab picked up the slack after losing in their first match to defeat Kerala on Thursday. After a close first quarter, Kerala lost their grip on Punjab’s high-scoring wingmen, who helped give Punjab a 20 point lead at halftime. Kerala did make a huge comeback in the third quarter to make it a three point game again, but Punjab executed well in the last period to notch a 84-72 win. Loveneet Singh scored 25 points for Punjab and Prabhu Mohan Mishra added 19. Akhil Mathew Sunny had a game-high 33 points for Kerala.

After two wins, Kerala, the defending champions in the girls’ division, continued their hot streak by routing Rajasthan by 30 points and going atop their group. Kerala attacked hard from the beginning, holding Rajasthan to just four points in the first quarter. With the game effectively out of reach by halftime, Kerala had the advantage of resting several of their star players and look ahead towards the next round.

Perhaps Kerala’s biggest challenge in the knockout stages could come from their southern neighbours, Tamil Nadu, who have been playing unstoppable basketball in the tournament, too. TN Girls shrugged off the challenge from Uttar Pradesh, despite 20 points from UP’s Dhrijit Arora. TN won 67-43.

Scores

Boys

Chhattisgarh (Ajay Pratap Singh 25, Janaki Ramnath Kumar 13, Sameer Kumar Rathee 11) bt. Tamil Nadu (Aravind A. 22, Karthikeyan S. 16, Kasi Rajan M. 10) 64-60 (17-12, 15-20, 17-12, 15-16).

Punjab (Loveneet Singh 25, Harmandeep Singh 17, Baljeet Singh 10, Sunil Bajaj 10) bt. Kerala (Akhil Mathew Sunny 33, Arun 13) 84-72 (19-18, 26-7, 14-31, 25-16)

Maharashtra (Aqib Wahab Noor Khan 26, Nitin Chopde 14, Fardeen Khan 11) bt. Andhra Pradesh (Vaddadi N. Babu 14) 87-44 (17-8, 20-13, 27-9, 23-14)

Girls

Kerala (Anu Thomas 14, Jeena P.S 10, Anjana 10) bt. Rajasthan (Kamlesh Jat 13, Manisha Meena 9) 63-33 (26-4, 21-10, 8-9, 8-10)

Tamil Nadu (Rajapriya Dharsh 14) bt. Uttar Pradesh (Dhrijit Arora 16, Barkha Sonkar 11) 67-43 (20-8, 18-4, 16-13, 13-18)

Jharkhand (Anima Tirkey 18, Reena Khalkho 13, Swarnlata Membram 12) bt. Bihar (Sameena Raza 13) 63-25 (14-8, 21-5, 10-6, 18-6).

Kerala & World Bank Sign US$200 million Agreement

Government of India and World Bank Sign US$200 million Agreement to Strengthen Local Government System in Kerala To strengthen the capacity of gram panchayats and municipalities in Kerala, an IDA credit of US$200 million was signed between the Government of India and the World Bank in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. The Kerala Local Government and Service Delivery Project will fund improvements in local infrastructure to help Kerala usher in second-generation reforms towards greater decentralization at the local level.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy, Industries, IT and Urban Affairs Minister Shri P.K. Kunhalikutty and Panchayats Minister Dr. M.K.Muneer on behalf of the Government of India Shri Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance; on behalf of the Kerala Government Mr. James Varghese, Principal Secretary, Department of Local Self Government; and on behalf of World Bank Mr. Roland Lomme signed the agreements.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance said that this project seeks to strengthen gram panchayats and municipalities so that they can better deliver essential services such as drinking water supply, roads, sanitation, health and education.

Mr. Roberto Zagha, World Bank Country Director in India stated that the Project will help the Government of Kerala implement key reforms aimed at deepening the decentralization agenda of the State with increased accountability, and funds to support enhanced service delivery at the local level.

This Project will provide gram panchayats and municipalities with additional discretionary funds as performance grant for the creation and maintenance of its capital assets; provide inputs to strengthen the capacity of these local bodies; strengthen the system that monitors their performance; and provide overall support to the Project Management Unit within the local body.

The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm – which provides interest-free loans with 35 years to maturity and a 10-year grace period. There is no interest charge but a service charge payable by the recipient on the withdrawn credit balance shall be 0.75% per annum.

Some 978 gram panchayats and 60 municipalities in the State of Kerala will be the direct beneficiaries of the Project. Investments made by them will also indirectly benefit the entire State outside of the five City Corporations areas.

In 1994 India adopted the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which has mandated the creation of local governments in both urban and rural areas.

Since the 1990s, Kerala has devolved more responsibilities and resources to local governments – and within the local government system, to the lowest levels of local government – than any other Indian state. In addition to their responsibilities for typical local services such as water, roads and sanitation, local governments in Kerala are also responsible for providing services in the areas of health and education. On the fiscal side, the State has also been implementing recommendations of successive State Finance Commissions on transferring increased funding to local governments.

Despite the progress that Kerala has seen in the devolution of responsibilities to the local bodies, the State still faces a number of core challenges. While gram panchayats and municipalities in Kerala have benefitted from the increased resources flowing to them, use of these funds is still not fully under their discretion. Capacity of these local bodies – particularly in an environment where their mandate is increasing rapidly – is still limited in areas such as budgeting; planning; financial management; asset management; and in upgrading the skills of its staff.

SC appoints SIT to bring back black money

Black money issue: SC appoints SIT headed by Justice Reddy

  Supreme Court has appointed a high-level SIT headed by former apex court judge B P Jeevan Reddy to monitor the investigation and the steps being taken to bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks.Besides Justice Reddy, who will be the chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the apex court on Monday also appointed its former judge, Justice M B Shah as the vice-chairman of the panel.A bench comprising justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar on Monday directed that the High-Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the government to look into the issue of black money would "forthwith" be a part of the SIT.

The bench also directed the government to disclose the names of all the persons who have been issued show cause notices by the authorities in connection with the probe into the black money issue.The court, however, made it clear that the authorities would not disclose the names of those who have not been investigated in connection with deposits made in foreign banks including Liechtenstein bank.

The court passed the order on a petition filed by eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani and others seeking directions to the government to track black money stashed away abroad and bring it back.
The apex court directed the government to issue notification forthwith regarding the appointment of SIT and ordered that government machinery to cooperate with it.

The bench, while passing the order, made some hard-hitting observation against the Centre for its "failure" to take proper action against people who have illegally stashed away money in foreign banks.

Observing the phenomenon of black money as "extremely dangerous to the country", the court said the quantum of money in foreign banks is a rough measure of "weakness" and "softness" of the nation.The bench said that it was a serious lapse on the part of the government which will have implications on the country's external and internal security."We must express serious reservation on the steps taken by the government...It's clear to us that investigation was completely stalled and expedited only after the court's intervention.

"It was only upon this court's insistence that proper investigation was conducted," the bench said while referring to Pune stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan's case.There was much to be desired," the court said, adding there was a need for it to get involved in the case."We hold that continued involvement of the court is necessary," the bench said, while directing the SIT to take over all the cases relating to the issue of black money and file a status report before it.Apex court also asked the SIT to submit a comprehensive action plan to deal with cases relating to the black money issue.Justifying its decision to constitute the SIT, the bench said that in previous cases also the court has been passing such orders to fulfil its constitutional obligation.

The court also said that it's not possible for it to be involved in day-to-day investigations in the case as the resources at its disposal were scarce.The bench said the issue of black money has to be taken with a degree of seriousness and the state is primarily responsible to make all efforts to bring back into the country such wealth and punish people who have stashed away money in foreign banks.The court observed that unaccounted money going to foreign banks from the country was a reflection of incapacity of its authorities to collect taxes which is their constitutional obligation."These in capacities go to the very heart of poor governance," the bench observed, adding the wealth going to foreign banks might cause substantial damage to the country as it could be used for unlawful activities.

During earlier hearing, the government had told the court that it had constituted HLC headed by the Revenue Secretary.

It included directors of CBI, Intelligence Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Chairman of CBDT, Director General of Revenue Intelligence, Director General of Narcotics Control, Director of Foreign Intelligence Office (FIO) and Joint Secretary of Foreign Trade.The functioning of the HLC was questioned by the apex court during the hearing on 12^th May.

The bench had expressed surprise on why charge sheet filed by ED against Hasan Ali Khan in a money laundering case was not placed before the HLC which was appointed by the government to counter the plea for setting up of SIT to monitor the probe.

Justice Jeevan Reddy, who will head the SIT, had been elevated to the apex court in October 1991 and retired in March 1997.

After his retirement, he was appointed chairman of the 15th Law Commission of India.

He continued as chairman of the 16th Law Commission of India but resigned in 2001.

Justice Reddy has also headed several key sub-panels of the National Commission to Review Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), set up under the chair-personship of former Chief Justice of India M N Venkatachaliah.

The NCRWC was established by the erstwhile Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government in February 2000 to report on various anomalies existing in law and the Constitution.

Justice M B Shah, who will form part of the panel, had become an apex court judge in December 1998 and retired in September 2003. Media agencies

Djokovic win Wimbledon title

Novak Djokovic underlined his rise to the top of tennis world Sunday, overpowering defending Champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 for his maiden Wimbledon title.

The Serb took nearly two-and-a-half hours to end Nadal's domination at the hallowed turf where he was on a 20 match winning streak.
It was Djokovic's third major title, having won the Australian Open in 2008 and earlier this year. He will also be the new number one, leaving Nadal at number two and breaking the seven-year domination of Roger Federer and Nadal at the top.
Djokovic is enjoying an astonishing run this year and has won 48 matches with his only loss coming against Roger Federer in the French Open semifinal.
It's was also Djokovic's fifth straight win over the Spaniard, all in title clashes.
Nadal was aiming for his 11th major and third Wimbledon title.
Djokovic is the first from his country to capture a Wimbledon title. As a Nadal backhand sailed over the baseline, Djokovic fell flat on his back before coming to terms with the victory.
'It is the best day of my life,' Djokovic said. 'This is the tournament I always dreamed of winning. I think I am still sleeping, still dreaming. When you're playing the best player in the world, I had to be on top of my game. I played probably my best match on grass courts ever,' he said.
Djokovic was flawless on serve and moved 5-4 and then stepped up his game to clsoe out the first set. At love-30 down, Djokovic struck two brilliant winners, one on each flank. Nadal then netted forehand to give the Serb his first set point that he converted.
Djokovic was relentless from the baseline, finding the angles that had Nadal scurring for the corners. Djokovic controlled the rallies, hitting deep and making Nadal commit errors. He carried on the momentum and raced through the second set.
Nadal then fought back with vengeance. He counterattacked and broke Djokovic early in the third set. Nadal then won three service games to love and again broke Djokovic for a second time when the Serb made his first double fault.
Djokovic went 2-0 up in the fourth set. He first survived a break point to hold serve and then a perfect drop volley set up another break of the Nadal serve. Nadal's response was to break Djokovic and to go on to level at 2-2 but the tough Spaniard was slowly showing signs of cracking down in the tense fourth set. Nadal dropped his serve in the eighth game, and Djokovic served out the match.
A gentleman as ever, Nadal took the defeat in his stride. 'I'd like to compliment Novak for his performance today and his amazing season. Wimbledon is the most special tournament. I can imagine how Novak feels.'

The 25th anniversary of the Mizoram Peace Accord.

‘Negligence causes turmoil in NE region’

July 2nd, 2011

Aizawl: The Centre’s lack of proper appreciation of social, political and demographic peculiarities of region is responsible for turmoils that have been plaguing the northeastern region, Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said here on Friday.

”The conflicts witnessed in the North East for decades seem to carry with them an ideal or goal. The projected goal is to preserve ethnic identities, perceived to be in danger of being swamped by culture alien to the people, and to undo the alleged wrong done to them by years of neglect with the resultant economic deprivation,” Lal Thanhawla said at a closing function of a national seminar on ‘Peace and Development in Mizoram : Challenges and Prospects’.

The seminar was organised by Zoram Research Foundation, in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research,North Eastern Region and Mizoram University, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Mizoram Peace Accord.Report:-theshillong-times.com

Madhu Chandra-Our campaign for peace in North East India had many forms. Prayer Campaign was one begun from 2007 May, hundreds and thousands continued to prayer for peace in the region,situation in Manipur is much better. I was there for for 25 days and did not hear about killing, whereas there use to be daily killing a year ago.
Tripartite talk at Senapati Concludes without Positive Solution   The UNC is demanding to have alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur. The United Naga Council (UNC), Central Govt. and Manipur Govt hold a talk today at Senapati H.Q., Manipur but both the parties drew their own lines and failed to meet in the same point.   The tripartite talks commenced at 10:30am and continue till 12:30pm. The Govt. of Manipur want the territorial integrity and stressed on the functioning of Autonomous District Council (ADC) with devolution of more powers.   To which the UNC have clearly told the Govt. of Manipur and Central Govt. that the Nagas are not in Manipur by choice and want to have an alternative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur.   In this tripartite talks, the UNC represented for the Nagas in Manipur, Uk Bansal Secy, Internal Security, Shambhu Singh, Joint Secy and Ak Mishra, joint Director (IB) represented Central govt. and the state govt. was represented by DS Poonia, CS and Host of S/Bureaucrats. Media-agencies

Orissa bows to demands of pro-Posco agitators

After work for construction of the boundary walls and rehabilitation colonies for the Posco project was stalled for the last six days, the Orissa govt has accepted the demands of the agitators paving the way for resumption of work.The pro-Posco United Action Committee (UAC) has been opposing the work at Jagatsinghpur district in support of its six-point charter of demands.

"Talks between district officials and UAC members held at Gadakujanga were cordial. We discussed matters relating to resumption of work and it was a success," District Collector Narayan Chandra Jena said on Friday.

Jena said the district administration would fulfill all six demands, but it would take some time as the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Central Division, was busy with the car festival at Puri.

"The RDC is now busy in organising the car festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri. Necessary action will be taken after he is free," Jena said.

"It was agreed to accept their demands. I assured them that the administration is prepared to give in writing after RDC level talks," Jena said voicing confidence that the villagers backing the mega steel project would continue their support.UAC leader Tamil Pradhan said villagers had certain reservations on construction of boundary walls and the rehabilitation colony near the Noliasahi-Polang area.The UAC, however, agreed to allow felling of trees, clearing of forest areas, measurement of betel vine plantations and civil work in the area, where the government has already acquired 1800 acre.

Asked whether the people wanted a written assurance on fulfilment of their demands, Jena replied, "as such they did not insist on a written assurance or any time-frame for fulfilment of their demands."

With the talks positive, work at the proposed site for the Rs 52,000 crore Posco steel project is likely to be resumed on Saturday, sources said.The Dhinkia area, however, still remained out of bounds for officials and police with anti-project agitators of the Posco Pratirosh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) continuing dharna near Gobindpur.

Protestors of the Bhitamati Suraksha Manch, backed by Congress, also staged a dharna at Nuagaon in protest against the steel project.

India-Malaysia FTA

The free trade agreement between India and Malaysia will come into force from Friday, giving Indian professionals like accountants, engineers and doctors access to the key South-East Asian nation.

In addition, exports of items of considerable interest to India, like basmati rice, mangoes, eggs, trucks, motorcycles and cotton garments, will attract lower or no duty in Malaysia with the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), according to a statement of the Commerce Ministry issued in New Delhi on Thursday.

It said sensitive sectors like agriculture, fisheries, textiles, chemicals and automobiles have been given protection from imports without duty or with significant cuts.

The CCEA will facilitate temporary movement of business people, including contractual service suppliers and independent professionals in accounting, architecture, engineering services, medical and dental, nursing and pharmacy, computer services and management consulting.

The agreement will also help boost cross-border investment between the two countries, which achieved bilateral trade of USD 10 billion in the 2010-11 fiscal.With the help of the opening of trade in goods and services, bilateral trade between India and Malaysia is expected to reach USD 15 billion by 2015, it said."The CECA creates an attractive operating environment for the business communities of both countries," the statement said.

An agreement for freeing trade in goods has already been implemented with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).The pact with Malaysia will lead to tariff liberalisation beyond the India-ASEAN FTA commitments, which were implemented by both countries on 1^st January 2010.India has also freed trade with South Korea, while a similar agreement with Japan will come into effect from August.

Heavy Restrictions in Karze

Heavy Restrictions in Karze

DHARAMSHALA: A set of new photos and an eyewitness accounts of situation in Karze in eastern Tibet posted online by a human rights group in Dharamsala show heavy surveillance by Chinese security forces in the region during the holy Buddhist month of Saga Dawa.

The region witnessed a series of peaceful protests by Tibetans, who made strong calls for freedom in Tibet and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Over 39 Tibetans, including monks and nuns, have been arrested and tortured since the protests began on 6 June.

”The situation in the area is very tense and people live in a climate of fear. In the wake of protests, security troops in thousands have been deployed in the area to instantly crush any sort of a popular protest,” an unnamed foreign tourist who visited Kardze told the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

“There were thousands of police and army, in riot gear, in armored trucks patrolling the streets, and on foot in formation patrolling the streets. As well as many standing on street corners, and many more in plain clothes,” the foreigner said.

The foreigner also saw a prison full of Tibetan political prisoners and evening TV shows that showed how the prisoners repent for wrongdoing after they were forced to confess by beatings. “One was an old nomad lady -- about 80, crippled and bent over. Her three sons had been killed and she came into town to shout Free Tibet. My friends in Ganzi, who I won't name to protect them, had several members of the family in prison in the past. The father was in for two years and repeatedly tortured. The two nieces, who are nuns, were most recently in prison in 2008 for writing an open letter asking the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet and in support of him. They are young nuns in their 20's and were locked up for two and three years successively. As they described their torture to me, they started crying, the emotional/mental wounds were still fresh,” the foreigner told TCHRD.

China Intensifies Restrictions in Tibet

The Chinese government has convened a high-level meeting in Lhasa on 25 June to strengthen security apparatus in Tibet, as it prepares to celebrate its so-called "60 years of Peaceful Liberation of Tibet".

In the evening of 25 June, a meeting was held in Lhasa for the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and People Armed Police (PAP) to take oath by them to keep the society stable and to bring security to the people. The police displayed their arms and ammunitions and marched in the police ground to swear on ensuring stability on the society and to maintain peace.

“Due to the forthcoming celebrations there have been increased restrictions in Lhasa and monks from the monastery around Lhasa area are restricted to move around freely to Lhasa. The hotels and guest houses are being checked round the clock, passes are being checked for fear of any protest. Especially the former political prisoners are being questioned and Tibetans coming from outside Lhasa are being arrested if they do not have permits to stay in Lhasa,” TCHRD reported.

The rights group urged the Chinese government to immediately lift restrictions, saying the restriction violates human rights of the Tibetans in Tibet.Media-agenies

Taliban storm Kabul hotel

Heavily armed Taliban militants stormed a top Kabul hotel, sparking a ferocious battle involving Afghan commandos and a NATO helicopter gunship that left at least 21 dead including the nine attackers. Officials said all of the gunmen were killed during the night-time raid on the hilltop Intercontinental Hotel, frequented by Westerners and Afghan officials, part of which was left in flames as tracer bullets lit up the sky. The state-owned 1960s hotel, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, was hosting delegates attending an Afghan security conference and a large wedding party when the insurgents struck. The interior ministry said nine Afghan civilians -mostly hotel workers and two police officers were killed in the brazen assault and another 18 people were wounded. It said a ninth dead Taliban militant had been identified. The ministry and the government in Madrid said a Spanish man -reportedly a pilot working for a Turkish airline  was also killed at the hotel. Interior ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi said the slain hotel workers had been on the first floor and in the lobby at the time of the attack. Among those staying at the hotel were provincial government officials who were in Kabul for a conference on the handover of power from foreign to Afghan security forces. The process starts next month. Two New Zealand special forces troops who had been supporting the Afghan commandos received "moderate injuries", the country's defence force said. The attackers steered clear of the normally heavily guarded road snaking up to the hotel, instead picking their way through the trees on the northern slope towards the building around 11:00 pm yesterday, police said. Panicked guests were told to stay in their rooms as the attackers, thought to have suicide vests, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, roamed through the building for about four hours before the raid was quelled. Major Tim James, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said ISAF deployed one helicopter at the request of Afghan authorities. "It flew over the hotel, circled it a few times. They were able to clearly identify a number of insurgents who were armed and wearing suicide vests and then they engaged the individuals with small-arms fire," James told the news agency.  "We've had reports that there were a number of explosions caused either by the insurgents detonating themselves or the engagement by the helicopter causing that (suicide vests) to explode," he said. Witnesses identified the NATO aircraft as an Apache attack helicopter. A member of staff named Ezatullah said he hid in a room on the fifth floor when the attack started. "There was first gunfire, and then two blasts. It continued and got worse. The room I was hiding in filled with smoke," he said. "I had to leave. As I got out I saw trails of blood, and then the police came and took me out of the building." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the militant Islamist group was behind the attack, which comes weeks before foreign forces are expected to start withdrawals from Afghanistan.

Everonn World centres go on stream

Everonn World centres go on stream

·        Everonn initiative to offer one-stop solutions

·        Services to cover higher education, IIT-JEE & CAT, Training, Testing & Admissions Counseling

·        Counseling  for overseas education

NEW DELHI, June 29, 2011: Spurred by its success as the worldⳠlargest VSAT education company, Everonn had rolled out its Edupreneur Program to identify a committed set of entrepreneurs who are willing to transform the Indian Education space in their chosen geographies while creating a new generation of Education thought leaders in India. This is a unique opportunity to provide products and services across the value chain of EveronnⳠofferings namely Pre-School, Vocational Education, Training, Institutional tie-ups (schools and colleges), University & Management Education, Admission Counselling, Coaching, Certification and Testing. These would be offered through Everonn World. In phase 1, the 3 cities will offer these products and services through Everonn World. They are being opened in Delhi-NCR (Patel Nagar, Rajouri Garden & Gurgaon), Bengaluru (Indiranagar) & Ahmedabad (Navrangpura). Envisaged to work as mini-Everonn centres, the Everonn World outlets will serve as one-stop-solution providers for educational as well as training needs of candidates and institutions.

Announcing the new initiative, Mr. P Kishore, Managing Director of Everonn Education, said: ㅤucation is our mission and Everonn World is a path-breaking endeavour to fulfill our vision and desire to ensure that a whole range of learners across economic and social boundaries gain from the benefits of education. Our experts will help train and prepare students for competitive examinations, address challenges pertaining to the admission process for higher education and guide them through the decision making process in order to take the right steps that will help them achieve their dream of being an integral part of a knowledge driven economy.䠼/p>

Talking about the launch, Mr. Manoj Chawla, President of Eduprenuer, said 㔯 begin with, Everonn World will introduce programmes in Test Preparation for IIT-JEE and CAT, IT Training (Microsoft, Oracle) in Hardware and Networking, Software and Web Development, Database Management as well as University Degree programs such as MBA, BBA, B.A., B.Com.  It will also offer overseas education counseling covering countries like the US, UK, Canada and Singapore. Subsequently, tests for certification by international agencies like Prometric and VUE will also be made available.伯p>

Seeking to provide a new thrust to education, Everonn Education has embarked on a novel Edupreneur Program to promote people with entrepreneurial skills onto education. With this, Everonn aims to promote Business Leaders who will turn into Ambassadors of Learning to spread education with a missionary zeal as the nation witnesses an unprecedented boom in the sector. Everonn is set to nurture a new breed of educationalists who will believe in the vision of educating India with emphasis on quality teaching through technology enabled solutions.

Everonn Edupreneur targets 1,000 locations taking its footprint to almost every district in India and also the mini-metros and metros. Everonn Education, a leading education company is in the process of appointing Edupreneurs (Educational Entrepreneurs) across the length and breadth of the country.

About Everonn Education Limited

Everonn Education, IndiaⳠsecond largest listed education company, is credited with revolutionizing and transforming the educational landscape of the country.  Everonn has an established name as a brand in the Education industry and also a track record of participating in innovative projects through its emphasis on contemporary learning process and strong project execution. Constantly growing Everonn recorded a 45% increase in Revenue for FY11

Pioneering deployment of technology for education, Everonn embarked on its mission with computer-aided learning 24 years ago and today it reaches out to students across the length and breadth of the country with diverse and multi-lingual culture. Everonn has been providing quality and consistently researched content works with 16 State Governments and touches the lives of 8 millions of students through 10,062 of Everonn learning centres across the country

With its VSAT platform, Everonn addresses students even in the most remote corners which have been hitherto denied even basic education facilities.

Under the leadership of its founder Directors, who have taken up education as their mission, Everonn today imparts education from Pre-school to B-School and is setting a high benchmark in the sector.

Everonn Education was Asia's 'Best under a Billion' on 2010 list of companies compiled by the Forbes magazine. It was one of the 39 companies listed out of the 200 by the Forbes magazine, The 'Best under a Billion' list is chosen from nearly 13,000 publicly-listed Asia-Pacific companies with actively traded shares and having sales in the range of USD 5 million- USD 1 billion.

Serena, Venus, Wozniacki, Petrova out of Wimbledon

Monday, June 27, 2011 LONDON: Defending champion Serena Williams, five-time champion Venus Williams and top seed Caroline Wozniacki were sent crashing out of Wimbledon Monday as the women's singles was rocked by a triple upset. Serena, who has only recently returned from a year-long layoff caused by injury and life-threatening health problems, was stunned 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) by fiery Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in a pulsating battle on Court One. Elder sister Venus lost 6-2, 6-3 to Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, who had also defeated the American in the last eight here last year. Pironkova will face Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova who skated past Belgian 19th seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-0, 6-2. And Danish world number one Wozniacki meanwhile will have to wait a while longer for her maiden Grand Slam triumph as she was beaten 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 by 24th seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova. Although clearly not at her best, Serena showed trademark resilience in the second set as she saved four match points before Bartoli eventually held her nerve to wrap up victory in 1hr 57 mins. Four-time champion Serena was left to reflect on her first failure to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since her third round exit in 2005.Bartoli's reward is a quarter-final against big-serving German wildcard Sabine Lisicki, who advanced to the last eight with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 dismissal of Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic. Lisicki, who accounted for French Open champion Li Na in the second round, again served formidably, booming down eight aces with her fastest serve weighing in at a blistering 123 miles per hour. Lisicki is now on course for a possible semi-final showdown with Russian fifth seed Maria Sharapova, who advanced to the quarter-finals after overcoming China's Peng Shuai 6-4, 6-2. The first set was a closely-fought affair with little between Sharapova and the Chinese number two, but the 2004 Wimbledon champion was able to impose herself much more in the second set against the 20th seed. Sharapova faces Wozniacki's conqueror Cibulkova in the quarter-finals.In other side of the draw, Austrian world number 80 Tamira Paszek advanced to the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time when she battled past Ksenia Pervak of Russia, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Paszek faces Belarusian fourth seed Victoria Azarenka in the last eight. Azarenka breezed past Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.Media agencies

Ranjan Mathai next Foreign Secretary

Ranjan Mathai next Foreign Secretary

Ranjan Mathai, India's ambassador to France, will be the next Foreign Secretary, succeeding Nirupama Rao.

Mathai, a 1974-batch IFS officer, will assume from 1st August and will be there for a term of two years, official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.

After completing post graduate studies in Political Science at the University of Poona, Mathai joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974. He has served in Indian embassies in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels.

As Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi between January 1995 to February 1998, he headed the division dealing with India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives.

He also served as Indian Ambassador to Israel from February 1998 to June 2001 and was the Indian Ambassador in Qatar from August 2001 to July 2005.

He held the post of Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK in London from August 2005 to January 2007.

Rao, who is retiring on 31^st July, has been appointed as India's ambassador to the United States.

Lokpal Bill to be finalized after consultations with political parties: Govt.

Lokpal Bill to be finalized after consultations with political parties: Govt.

Jun 26,  2011
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said, one of the key members of the joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill emphasised that the draft bill prepared by the five ministers was not the final bill. Mr Sibal said it will go through changes after getting inputs not just from other political parties but also other members of civil society.

 Sibal said civil society is not to be used again in drafting of law. The government is holding a meeting with political parties on the issue on July 3. Mr Sibal maintained that Anna Hazare and his associates had wanted to create an authority outside the system which would be accountable to nobody. Mr Sibal asserted that this could not be allowed to happen
Govt has said the draft of the lokpal Bill will undergo changes after consultation with political parties and other part of civil societies.With an all-party meeting scheduled on 3rd July to discuss the Lokpal Bill, it would be subsequently tabled in the Parliament in the monsoon session, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayansamy said on Saturday.

The "bill will certainly be tabled" before the Parliament in the monsoon session starting on 1st August, Narayanasamy told reporters at the airport in Chennai, adding, Congress alone was taking efforts to bring in the Lokpal Bill despite BJP being in power earlier.

‘Falcon’ hits Philippines

Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management said more than 40,000 people had been displaced in the Metropolitan area of Manila, while 11 people have been reported missing due to the heavy rainfall caused by tropical storm ‘Falcon,’ which began nearly a week ago.According to the Philippine Star, the missing include 10 fishermen off the eastern region of Luzon Province near the island of Catanduanes. In Ligao City, Albay province, a woman named Rose Belga Ordan was reported unaccounted for after flash floods reportedly washed her away.
As per  the country’s disaster management, flooding in the northern provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Rizal, Albay, and the National Capital Region (NCR) have affected 32,118 families in 132 villages. Government officials have set up 23 evacuation centers in Albay, Rizal, Zambales and the NCR, where over 10,000 families are already being assisted.In the village of Barangay Guintas in the Barotac Nuevo town area of Iloilo City, located in the Philippines’ Central Wisaya, at least 24 houses were destroyed by a tornado while another 25 houses were damaged, Barotac Nuevo Mayor Hernani Biron said.
No casualties were reported, however, as Biron said most of the houses were empty when the tornado hit the area since children were still at school and parents were out working. Municipal government authorities set up shelters for those left homeless at schools where they have been provided with food and assistance.
In Quezon City, located on the northern island of Luzon, a strong twister ripped through E. Rodriguez Avenue in the New Manila area at around 12 p.m. local time, toppling trees, iron sheets at a construction site, and damaging several residences and businesses.Officials confirmed at least one person being injured after a bicycle slammed into his head. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino said rescue personnel had been deployed to assist residents and clear out the area from debris.
Rainfall is expected to continue throughout the region, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Geographical Administration said. The weather administration also said ‘Falcon’ had become stronger although it was moving to the northwest.

CWC says govt was serious in tackling graft

CWC says govt was serious in tackling graft

The Congress Working Committee meeting took stock of the political situation in the country as Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern about corruption and asserted that govt has taken measures to control the scourge of corruption.

The CWC meeting presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, however, left the issue of bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of Lokpal to the all party meeting scheduled on July 3.
Congress will also bring out a booklet giving party's detailed response on the Lokpal issue before the July 3 all party meeting, it was decided at the CWC also attended by Rahul Gandhi.
"There was a general view that it will not to be correct to concede demands, whenever a motley group of four to five persons start making demands that contrary to the Constitution. Any demand that hurts the democratic polity can not be accepted," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting.
He added that Congress will support "whatever the government decides in consultation with various political parties" when asked about the party's view on bringing the Prime Minister under Lokpal's ambit.
At the outset, Sonia Gandhi sought to dismiss Opposition charges on the issue of corruption and maintained that the government was serious in tackling graft and all other issues of public welfare.
At the meeting devoted entirely to the Lokpal issue, Gandhi insisted that she as well as the Prime Minister had from time to time expressed their views on the issue of corruption and actions were also taken.

Press Statement by Mr Sinna Mani, BOPIO President

Press Statement by Mr Sinna Mani, BOPIO President

Sinna Mani, President of BOPIO, speaking at a rally in central London(Parliament Square) on Sunday 19/06/2011 said: ³It is a sad day for India and her friends overseas when five senior members of Manmohan Singh¹s government have to turn up to receive Swami Ramdev, who is just a yoga teacher however rich and powerful he may be. This in itself shows weakness on the part of the government for it fears any mass action in the aftermath of the Egyptian uprising. It is a well known fact that some members of the Indian Government and Parliament are corrupt. One of its ministers, Mr Rajah, and his parliamentary colleague are in jail for allegedly swindling the Indian government of telecommunications revenue. I do not consider it any of my business to criticize India from London. However, the Indian government must recognise the hard work of our members in this country and our associates in the United States, who have earned enormous good will for India, so much so that Indians are welcomed almost the world over not only for their vibrant cultural heritage, but also as providers of high quality manufactures, services, and investments. It may come as a surprise to hear that India is the second largest investor in Britain and that Indian companies are the biggest manufacturers as well (eg Tata). Moreover, our children do very well in the British school system. As result, Indians are no longer associated with inferior goods (Duke of Edinburgh).  When modern India fails to live up to the expectations of its founding fathers, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru ji, and Babasaheb Ambedkar among others, we have reason to feel ashamed of our mother country. Therefore, I call upon the Prime Minister of India to do everything in his power to root out corruption². Mani's speech was well received and the young people in the audience were especially enthusiastic (subsequently there was also much interest from India). He promised to hold a meeting in the Palace of Westminster some time soon in order that the issues could be discussed in more detail. He was supported from the platform by the Chairman of BOPIO, Anil Bhanot, who spoke on the same theme. Additionally Madhava Turumella of the organisation Action Against Corruption spoke in some detail, He said that 40% of Indians (over 450 million people) live in abject poverty in a country rich in resources. As a direct result more than 20,000 individuals die every day, mainly of malnutrition and health problems. He emphasised the fact that this is a human rights problem and that everyone has a right to life guaranteed by the Indian constitution. He continued by saying that the Indian government spends only 1 per cent of its gross domestic product on healthcare facilities, forcing millions to struggle to get food, medicines and other basic necessities. Quoting statistics published in a report by 'National Election Watch¹, Madhava Turumella said that the richer you are the more you were likely to win elections in India. As the 543 MPs of the current Lok Sabha are estimated to be worth Rs.80 billion, so the Indian Parliament had become a rich man¹s club. At election times there are those who buy votes from the very poor, thus making it in their interests to keep people in poverty in order to buy their loyalty at election time. So where is all India's money going? Madhava Turumella said it was now time to wake up and insist that corruption be tackled head on at all levels, governmental, corporate, NGO, individual etc, etc., instead of behaving harshly towards those demonstrating against corrupt practices.