PMO shops for cheaper mobile tariff for its staff
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government is on an austerity drive.
After insisting that bureaucrats and minister to fly economy class and avoid the five-star culture, it is the turn of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to put less economic burden on the government.
PMO is keen to take advantage of the ongoing tariff war amongst the mobile companies and wants to keep its mobile bills short.
PMO has asked telecom service operators for information on cheaper calls and SMS tariffs.
CNN-IBN has a copy of a letter written on January 4 in which the PMO has asked various service providers for details of their schemes on ISD, STD and roaming calls.
PMO is looking for 50 GSM connections with ISD and STD /SMS facilities, 25 compatible Blackberry connections, special number series, national and international roaming and internal building solutions for uninterrupted signals.
Manmohan Singh’s office also wants the telecom operators to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in the high security zone.
PMO has set a deadline of January 15 for all operators to send in their proposals.
Officials of the PMO currently use Bharti Airtel mobile service.
Telecom companies have cut rates drastically for calls and SMSs in the last three months.
Permission For Narco Tests On Aarushi’s Parents
In a new twist to the Aarushi murder case, the CBI has sought permission to carry out narco analysis tests on Rajesh and Nupur Talwar — parents of the teenager found dead under mysterious circumstances at her Noida residence less than two years ago.
An application in this regard was moved a week ago before a special CBI court here seeking permission to conduct the tests on the dentist couple.
14-year-old Aarushi Talwar was found murdered in her Noida house on May 16, 2008.
Satish Tamta, counsel for Talwar said an application was moved by the CBI for narco analysis. “Both of them have given their consent,” he said.
Narco analysis involves psychotherapy which is conducted while the patient is deeply sedated with medication so that inhibitions are reduced and responses will be more truthful.
Incidentally, Rajesh, who was arrested by the Noida police, was let off after the CBI gave him a clean chit.
“The CBI had about a week back sought our consent to carry out the narco tests. We have given our written consent as our final objective is to get the killers. We are suffering and if the CBI has any doubts, we are happy to help them,” Rajesh told PTI.
“Last year too, we had given our consent for Narco but the CBI did brain mapping and lie detector test. After that they said the Narco was not needed. Now they want it again and we have no problems with that.”
Asked whether the CBI had told them why they wanted to carry out the tests, Rajesh said, “We didn’t even have a chance. We were surprised by their request.”
“CBI would be able to answer better for you,” Nupur said on being asked why the agency wanted to carry out the tests on them. Besides Aarushi, their domestic help Hemraj was found murdered at their Noida house on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008.
“CBI has again decided that they wish to put us through narco tests. The agency claims it is in the interest of justice for Aarushi that we have to undergo this and help in getting her culprit caught,” she said.
“Even if we have to undergo five to ten times of such tests, we are ready to go through with them,” she said.
The case has had its own twists and turns with the CBI yet to make any breakthrough.
The agency had recently re-constituted the entire investigating team probing the case. The CBI had earlier alleged that Krishna, Vijay Mandal and Rajkumar, all domestic helps, were accused in the double murder case but are yet to file a chargesheet against them.
Source @ PTI
Delhi Schools Shut
Cold wave conditions over North India show no signs of abating with rainfall in many areas and snowfall in the hills over the last two bringing down the temperatures drastically.
At least 100 deaths have been reported due to cold wave condition with Uttar Pradesh being the hardest hit. In Uttar Pradesh the death toll has reached 72 with 16 more people reportedly dying in the state in the past 24 hours.
Shimla witnessed the season’s first snow fall on Sunday. The snowfall that started in the morning was recorded at over 10 centimetres by Sunday evening. According to the Met Department more snowfall is expected in the region over the next two days.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -1.2°C on Sunday. The temperature also dipped severely in some other parts of the country going as low as 3°C in Amritsar.
Delhi and neighbouring areas witnessed spells of rain on Sunday bring down the maximum temperature.
Some parts of the country grappled with dense fog which delayed trains and hampered vehicular traffic.
The Taj Mahal in Agra was seen cloaked in fog on Sunday even as there was no fog in Delhi.
Several trains passing through Punjab and Haryana were running late by several hours due to intense fog. Poor visibility also hampered vehicular traffic across the region.
Bihar too is witnessing cold wave conditions. At the Patna zoo authorities are using heaters to help the animals beat the cold.
Authorities of the city’s Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park have made special arrangements and the enclosures have been covered with straw mats.
Mumbai medical students get bail in ragging case
A Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to 18 medical students of Seth GS Medical College arrested on charges of ragging their juniors in Mumbai at a New Year party.
They were granted bail by the Bhoiwada metropolitan magistrate after furnishing a bail bond of Rs 5,000 each.
All the 18 students belong to occupational and physiotherapy courses in Seth GS Medical College and had been arrested on Sunday following a complaint to the police by college.
The students have been asked to present themselves in court at a later date when a chargesheet will be filed.
College authorities have also rusticated all the 18 students from the college hostel.
“BMC and the hospital authorities have decided that all the 18 be rusticated from the hostel. They will not be allowed to represent the medical college in any public forum. They will not be eligible for scholarships and freeships. The senior professors have said that the boys should not be expelled from the college as their education must not suffer,” said KEM Dean Sanjay Oak.
The medical college, which is associated with the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, has also asked BMC additional Commissioner Health to decide the future course of action.
Ten first year physiotherapy students had filed a complaint against their seniors including some intern doctors, alleging that they were asked to strip and perform mock sexual acts at a New Year’s party last week.
The accused students and intern doctors have been booked under various sections of the IPC and the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act.
A probe by the anti-ragging committee of the college has also been ordered into the allegation.
Reality TV Star Commits Suicide In Mumbai
11-year-old Neha Sawant, who took part in three TV dance reality shows, committed suicide on Saturday in Dombivli East by hanging herself with a dupatta inside her house, police said.
Police is investigating what triggered the suicide, which comes months after concerned parents barred her from participating in dance competitions
The shocking incident came to light on Saturday noon, when residents of Sai Darshan Apartment in Dombivli east called up Manpada police to inform them that Std VI student Neha Sawant had been found hanging by a dupatta inside her house.
“The door was locked from inside, so there is no question of foul play. It is indeed a case of suicide. We are still investigating as to why she took the drastic step. We haven’t found any suicide note from the spot yet,” said Subhash Divekar, senior inspector of Manpada Police Station.
According to police, Neha’s mother works as a teacher while her father works with a private firm in Mumbai. Both had left for work and Neha’s younger sister had just returned from morning school.
“She could not open the door so she asked the neighbours to help. As soon as the neighbours opened the door they saw her hanging from the curtain rod in the living room. She was rushed to a private hospital where she was declared dead,” said Assistant Inspector V K Kambli, who is investigating the case.
‘We stopped her from taking part in dance shows’
Neha’s family revealed she was an “amazing dancer” who participated in three TV dance reality shows, including Boogie Woogie. She was also a student of a dance academy, where she excelled in western and folk dances. Most of Neha’s performances were part of the academy’s group shows.
A few months ago, Neha’s family had pulled her out of the academy, as they wanted her to concentrate on her studies. This was revealed by Neha’s father Narendra Sawant.
“She was very popular in the neighbourhood for her performances. People loved her moves. However, a year ago we realised that her studies were getting affected due to the contests and performances. So we pulled her out of the academy and stopped her from taking part in competitions.”
However, Neha was apparently very keen on continuing with her classes and her shows. This was confirmed by her neighbours and her dance instructor Shyam Patil.
“The child was an extremely good dancer. In fact, unlike most kids her age, she would dance with the older kids and do a great job of it. However, her family pulled her out of the classes a few months ago as they wanted her to concentrate on studies,” said Patil.
He added that he had tried convincing her parents to change their mind. He even offered to teach her for free as she was incredibly talented, but they refused. “It was after a lot of convincing that they would allow her to take part in the shows,” added Patil.
Neha’s inconsolable father Narendra said that in the past few days she had showed no signs of depression.
“I had left for work as usual on Saturday and she even had breakfast with me. She did not say anything or do anything to suggest she would kill herself,” he said.
A student of Pandurang Vidyalaya, Neha was good at academics. Her neighbours speak of her as an extrovert and bubbly child who mingled with everybody. “All of us knew her as someone who loved to dance and show off her skills,” said a neighbour.
Left’s Buddhadeb baggage for CPM now.
Within 24 hours of poll drubbing at the hands of Trinamool Congress, an influential section of CPM on Wednesday began to reflect the popular anti-chief minister sentiment, openly talking about Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee becoming baggage for the party. Nirupam Sen, a senior Cabinet minister and Buddhadeb’s No.2, known to adhere to the hardline associated with the central CPM leadership, appeared to lead the charge.
The mandate against the party, CPM leaders in Alimuddin Street discussed privately, left little chance of a recovery even if the Left Front opts out of power. On the other hand, continuing in power would further add to its embarrassment. The pressure from within CPM and some of the Front partners to step down is likely to come up in the CPM’s weekly secretariat meeting on Thursday. Whatever the outcome, nobody, it seems, is ready to share the CM’s worries. And Bhattacharjee has to go down fighting a lone battle as long as he is the CM.
Leaders like Sen had already began a campaign against the CM. “Where is it written that CPM will continue in power for ever?” Sen had said at a recent closed-door party meeting in Durgapur.
Others less tactical, such as CPM leader and Pashimanchal Unnayan affairs minister Susanta Ghosh, who has allegedly misused his ministerial position the most to suppress the rising dissent, is most vocal about the Left Front’s calling it quits. Fisheries minister Kiranmoy Nanda has gone public with the view that the Front should bring the elections ahead. And while doing so, they have been training their guns on Bhattacharjee.
Former MP and CPM strongman Laxman Seth has been dwarfed in East Midnapore. Seth, the once uncrowned king of Haldia, has been blaming the state administration for failing to protect the CPM cadres in the area.Some of the influential CPM secretariat members who gave the go-ahead to the “re-capture” of Nandigram, or allowed the party cadres from Garbeta to go on a rampage against Trinamool men in the forest hamlets of Belpahari in West Midnapore on the eve of the 2008 panchayat polls, are now busy monitoring the organisational purging (the much-touted rectification programme) at the zonal and local levels.
Bhattacharjee had also in recent months being politically alienated from his own cadres. He started depending more on the administration. Police briefed him that the Maoist problem in Jangalmahal was local, involving only 16-18 police stations. The CM banked on them and made statements in the assembly. When the problem became acute after 2006, the CPM’s West Midnapore unit held that they could tackle Maoists as they had done in Garbeta and Keshpur. But the guerrillas proved tough and expanded their network in the three tribal districts.
Elephants to be banished from all zoos: In India
Delhi Zoo will soon be bidding farewell to its three elephants. In fact, elephants will no longer be seen in any zoo or circus in the
country after the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) issued a notice on Monday to the effect that all of these animals in zoos, numbering about 140, should be sent to national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves as soon as possible.
According to sources, the circular states that a zoo environment is not the best place for the large animals and they should be shifted to national parks with immediate effect. “CZA’s order is binding on all zoos. Elephants are large animals and require a large area to move about freely. The environment of a zoo can be very restrictive. The animals have great use for departmental work, eco-tourism, patrolling etc and a decision has been taken to send them to national parks and tiger reserves where they can be under the supervision of mahauts,” said A N Prasad, director, Project Elephant.
According to Dr B K Gupta, evaluation and monitoring officer of CZA, India had 140 elephants in 26 zoos and 16 circuses as on March 31 2009. “Of these, Mysore and Trivandrum have the largest number at 9 and 8 respectively.
Delhi and Mysore are the only two zoos that have African elephants. The decision was taken after evaluating conditions of elephants at various zoos and circuses. We found that circuses specially were not following standards set under the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 1992,” he said.
Delhi Zoo director D N Singh confirmed that they had received the order though he restrained from elaborating on it. Sources said that Delhi Zoo’s resident Asiatic pachyderms, Rajlakshmi and Hira, and its sole African member Shankar would be moved to Jim Corbett National Park sometime soon. Shankar had been gifted to former president Shankar Dayal Sharma by the Zimbabwian government.
Sources explained that the various zoos would carry out this order in consultation with the chief wildlife wardens of their specific states and the CZA.
Environmentalists saw this as a positive move though some had reservations on the shifting of all elephants as that would be contrary to the principal of ex-situ conservation.”There is merit in this decision. It is best for them to be as close to their natural habitat as possible. Elephants needs a lot of space to exercise and move about in and they are being deprived that space in zoos and circuses,” said Samir Sinha, head of traffic, WWF India.
Julia Roberts Splashes In A Bikini In Bali
Hollywood star Julia Roberts, after completing her shoot at an ashram in Guragon, winged her away to the tourist resort of Bali in Indonesia, where she cavorted in a bikini for her latest movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’.
Julia flashed her famous smile as she struggled to stay in her teeny bikini.
The Notting Hill star was in danger of revealing more than she intended as she shot for a scene in the film.
ulia laughed as she adjusted her skimpy top to avoid a disastrous wardrobe malfunction.
Dalai Lama Gets Green signal to visit Arunachal
New Delhi has cleared the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh in November, dispelling speculation over the Tibetan leader’s trip.
Arunachal’s state reception committee has announced that the visit was cleared on October 19. But the files on the ministry’s clearance were not shared with Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in accordance with the model code of conduct in force for Assembly elections in the state.
The Dalai Lama recently offered prayers at Dharamsala for four Tibetan youths executed by the Chinese government, for their alleged role in the 2008 anti-China unrest in Lhasa.
India discards Pak accuse of backing Taliban
India on Tuesday rubbished as “absurd” and “totally baseless” Pakistan’s allegations that it was supporting and sponsoring Taliban along the border with Afghanistan and said it was the greatest threat to world peace.
“It is absurd and totally baseless. India cannot support Taliban, which is the greatest threat to world peace,” Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters on the sidelines of a defence function in New Delhi.
He was asked about Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s allegation in this regard.
Malik had on Monday claimed that India was fomenting unrest within Pakistan through steps such as funding Taliban fighters based along the border with Afghanistan.
In an interview to a TV news channel, Malik said he was “convinced” India is among “certain hostile agencies” that are backing the Taliban to create instability in Pakistan.
In Bangalore, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had yesterday rejected the charges, saying, “We want Taliban and Talibanism to be totally eliminated”.