Sunday, November 23, 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008

 

·  I am for no-first use of nuclear weapons: Zardari

·  “Cinema connects civilisations”

·  “With global meltdown, NREGS becomes more important”

·  Creative global leadership stressed

·  Say ta-ta to teraflops

·  IFFI-2008 begins amid tight security

·  Chandrayaan: normal operations soon

·  Stolt Valor reaches Muscat

·  Makkar re-elected SGPC chief

·  Does Zardari’s word have Army backing?

·  “Civilians fleeing LTTE areas”

·  U.K. to stimulate public spending

·  Aubry to head French Socialist Party

·  Hillary to resign from Senate, say aides

·  U.N. Security Council without India is an anachronism, says Tony Blair

 




Saturday, November 22, 2008 
 

·  National seminar on corporate governance

·  Mutually reinforcing trends

·  Bridging gender gaps

·  Sonia: protect the poor from impact of global meltdown

·  U.S. asks China to halt plan for reactors to Pakistan

·  We can sustain 8 per cent growth rate: Manmohan

·  Sops for textile exporters shortly

·  5 lakh workers may lose jobs

·  Sri Lankan troops approach Kilinochchi

·  Rural job scheme yet to gain momentum in many districts

·  China, India will lead the world: report

·  Law panel: Judiciary and Executive must have equal say

·  Submarine deal with India still on, say Russian defence experts

·  ‘Indonesia, India taking steps to thwart littoral threats’

·  Enhancing relations

·  CPI sees bid to block export of generic drugs

·  Use MPLAD funds for sanitation: Speaker

·  Pawar challenges perjury ruling

·  Recession and ‘strategic’ realities in East Asia

·  Devotee par excellence

Friday, November 21, 2008

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak was conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday, around 13 years after it was announced.

Mubarak was honoured for his "unique role in providing stability and progress to his country, in upholding the Arab cause, in promoting peace and understanding in the region".

The award, which carries Rs 25 lakh in cash and a citation, was conferred at a glittering function attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his senior cabinet colleagues among others.

"President Mubarak's unflinching commitment to peace as a considered choice for the West Asian region is well recognised," Patil said.

"India values the contribution of President Mubarak to the efforts of non-aligned and other developing nations for peace, justice and equality in the world," she said.

Accepting the award, Mubarak recalled that the Indo-Egyptian ties went back to the Nehru-Nasser era, which saw the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement.

"It is a real honour to receive an award named after this great leader, and I shall always cherish its value, significance and meaning," he said.

Mubarak said in the face of varied challenges from the economic crisis to international terrorism "the need is greater than ever to further enhance our relations and strengthen our partnership".

The Award is being given away annually since 1965 for outstanding contribution to the promotion of international understanding, goodwill and friendship among peoples of the world

 

hindu

 

  44 blocks awarded under NELP VII

  Relations with the Arab world

  Obama’s problems over Guantánamo

  Inflation dips further to 8.9 p.c.

  Pipeline will be a natural thing to do, says Kissinger

  MCOCA slapped on Malegaon blast accused

  Deprived sections denied opportunities: N. Ram

  Equal treatment sought for Gorkha veterans

  Lok Sabha to resume sitting on Dec. 10

  Oil price drops below $50

  Saudis get 10 days to pay ransom

  How far will the U.S. go, wonder Pakistanis

  Jackman “Sexiest Man Alive”

  India, China to get credit from Russia

  Auto chiefs go empty-handed

  UN mandate to tackle pirates essential, feels India

  Tribal stir: parts of West Bengal still inaccessible

  Pact on Kudankulam to be highlight of Medvedev visit

  Cabinet nod for biotech institute at Faridabad

  Government in no mood to revise oil prices

  Indian Navy comes of age

  Relief from Samsara

 

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2008


NEW DELHI: Nobel laureate and Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei has been chosen to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2008.

An international jury, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, announced its decision on Wednesday to honour Dr. ElBaradei for his impassioned opposition to the use of nuclear energy for military purposes and for his steadfast espousal of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, sustained over many years, according to Suman Dubey, secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

‘No’ to nukes

Dr. ElBaradei has consistently argued that states should move away from reliance on nuclear weapons. He advocates a collective, rule-based system of international security.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

 

 

 

  Rupee surpasses 50-mark

  India remains top gold consumer

  Ugly defence of the indefensible

  Inequality in cities

  Indian Navy destroys pirate ship in Gulf of Aden

  Indira Gandhi prize for ElBaradei

  Temple inscriptions point to early Chola inroads into Pallava region

  Doctors now transplant windpipe with stem cells

  Power crisis: industries slash jobs

  Hu, Castro celebrate China-Cuba ties

  Maoists debate Nepal political structure

  Somali pirates warn against fake money

  India could take lead in anti-piracy diplomacy

  Russian team visits site of new reactors

  ‘MPLAD scheme is invalid’: petition in Supreme Court

  Qualities of a Bhakta

 

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Main points from G20 leaders communiqué( Washington Summit)

G20 leaders agreed to take rapid action, including fiscal stimulus measures as needed, to stabilize financial markets and restore growth in worsening global economy, according to a draft communique.

They also support giving emerging markets more say in the global financial order.

They backed:

- Fiscal measures to boost demand rapidly

- Monetary policy steps as appropriate

- More funds for the IMF to support emerging economies

- Strive for breakthrough this year in the Doha round of trade talks

- Reform of Bretton Woods institutions to give emerging economies more of a voice in line with their changing economic weight

- College of supervisors to review major global banks

- Review of accountancy standards, CEO pay, bankruptcy rules, credit rating agencies and moving credit default swaps to exchange trading

G20 finance ministers were instructed to work on specifics by March 31, 2009, ahead of the next summit.

 

 

 

  Centre working on fresh stimulus package

  Industry says ‘no’ to FM’s plea to cut prices

  NMDC to invest Rs. 1,000 cr. in Birbhum coal project

  Towards more transparent ratings

  A smart approach to public health (Smart card- egovernance)

  Apex court collegium puts its foot down

  India, Egypt to ‘make up for lost time’

  Remains of stone-age nuclear family unearthed

  Yahoo! CEO to step down

  Budget likely in early February

  Dinosaur footprints found in Bolivia

  Lt. Gen. Thamburaj, next Army Vice-Chief

  Two women face off to head French Socialist Party

  Bangladesh, Myanmar talks inconclusive

  Cross-LoC trade runs into problems

  Manmohan: time ripe for transforming ties

  Goa film fete to open with ‘The Warlords’

  Man of wisdom

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

  Agri & Business Expo 2008

 RBI to ensure adequate liquidity in the system

  Egypt for further strengthening of trade ties with India

  Rupee ends 33 paise lower

  Suzlon Energy to make foray into solar power

  The pirates of Somalia

  Inflation not the only concern

  55 p.c. turnout in J&K polls

  Centre plans stimulus package for exporters

  Yuvraj comes up with another regal performance

  Murdoch upbeat on future of newspapers

  Panel to study tourism industry’s proposals

  On the roof of the world, a lesson in democracy

  Suspected military chief of ETA held

  Another LTTE base falls to advancing Sri Lankan Army

  “BRIC played crucial role at G-20 summit”

  Obama presidency and some question marks

  India to boost oil, defence ties with Ecuador

  Russia for closer nuclear ties

  Yechury suggests BRIC coalition to deal with crisis

  Maharashtra makes job preference for locals more stringent

  “British varsities can help address skills gap”

  India condemns Gaza violence

  A community loses 500 homes to California’s fires

  Import of the Vedas

 

 

 

 

  Huge problems but subdued expectations

  Baffling problem of liquidity crunch

  Coping with benching

  Study reveals rise in banks’ NPAs

  Setting the agenda

  Obama and Afghanistan

  We anticipated global slowdown, our fiscal stimulus is in place: Manmohan

  PM moots coordinated fiscal stimulus to mitigate severity of recession

  Laser instrument on board Chandrayaan-1 activated

  Developing nations get a say in economic talks

  Keynesian warning is one of seven ‘big messages’: Manmohan

  Djokovic claims Masters Cup

  California fire destroys hundreds of houses

  Army on Kilinochchi’s outer perimeter, says Sri Lanka

  Indian aid reaches Colombo

  Bridge urban-rural divide, China told

  China, Russia to enhance coordination

  New Nepal Constitution by May 2010

  Call to resist protectionism, revive Doha Round

  Big rise in incidents of sea piracy this year

  Call for abolition of child labour

  IFFI: 2 Indian entries in competition section

  Preventive detention cannot be quashed for non-supply of papers: Supreme Court

  Strategies for green growth

  Absolute surrender

Sunday, November 16, 2008

hindu

  Poor steel demand may lead to production cuts: Rastogi

  More telecom giants eye Indian market

  Bid date extended for Tilaiya UMPP

  Credit default by Chinese banks hits iron ore exporters

  Summit declaration is a hybrid, Obama advisers ‘dismissive’

  PM moots coordinated fiscal stimulus to mitigate severity of recession

  RBI unveils a slew of measures to propel economy

  Land route opened up to Jaffna: Sri Lanka

  Exporters get relief to tide over crisis

  G-20 cannot solve global crisis: Karat

  Djokovic takes on Davydenko in final

  First woman four-star General in U.S.

  Nordic toppers in gender scores

  Parents of child labourers too were so in their childhood, says study

  Y.V. Reddy in U.N. panel of experts

  $7.6-billion IMF loan for Pakistan

  Fourth Indian in Obama transition team

  France: knives out as Socialists seek a leader

  Blair’s plea to Obama on W. Asia

 

  A long haul for ISRO

  Soli Sorabjee for justice with mercy

  France, EU hail India’s moon probe

  Canada, India to hold nuclear talks

  India, ASEAN clear FTA hurdle

  V.R. Krishna Iyer turns 94

  Preventive detention can’t be quashed for non-supply of papers

  2 Indian entries in competition section of 39th IFFI

  First 3-D image of Moon on Monday

  Centre to build outlets to market rural products

  Dhumal launches road project

  Indian foreign policy looks towards Middle East

  Supreme Court to frame guidelines on encounter deaths

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Friday, November 14, 2008

hindu

Friday, November 14, 2008

 

 

 

  India, Nepal give major thrust to power projects

  The growth conundrum

  Ensure safety of Tamils at all costs: Manmohan

  Sharp fall in inflation rate

  India wants World Bank and IMF strengthened

  Call for early conclusion of free trade pact

  “Shourya missile cannot be easily detected”

  You can’t put a price tag on moon mission: ISRO

  U.S. Congress to discuss $700-billion bailout plan

  Panel to look into labour issues in IT sector

  Brown clouds making Delhi, Beijing ‘darker’: U.N.

  Chandrayaan-II launch by 2012

  3,000 more U.N. troops for Congo

  Iranian diplomat abducted in Pakistan

  The present crisis and the way forward

  Increase people’s purchasing power, says Yechury

  When preventive detention is illegal, why should court stay its hand?

  India will be most populous by 2050: UN report

  Egyptian President to visit India from November 16

  Acme of devotion

 

SC Verdict: Arts.21,22,32 and 226

The reputation of a person is a facet of his ‘right to life’ under Article 21 of the Constitution and to protect this right, illegal preventive detention orders can be quashed even at pre-execution stage through habeas corpus petitions, the Supreme Court has held.

“If a person against whom a prevention detention order has been passed can show to the court that the order is clearly illegal, why should he be compelled to go to jail? To tell such a person that although such a detention order is illegal he must yet go to jail and he will be released later is a meaningless and futile exercise,” said a Bench consisting of Justices Altamas Kabir and Markandey Katju on Wednesday.

Writing the judgment, Justice Katju said: Article 21, which gives the right of life and liberty, is the most fundamental of all Fundamental Rights in the Constitution. Though, no doubt, restrictions can be placed on these rights in the interest of public order, security of the state, etc, they are not to be lightly transgressed.”

The Bench said: “If a person is sent to jail then even if he is subsequently released, his reputation may be irreparably tarnished. The liberty of a person is a precious fundamental right under Article 21 and should not be transgressed.”

Quoting a sloka from the Gita which says, “For a self-respecting man, death is preferable to dishonour,” the Bench said: “If a person against whom a preventive detention order has been passed comes to court at the pre-execution stage and satisfies that the order is clearly illegal, there is no reason why the court should stay its hand and compel the petitioner to go to jail even though he is bound to be released subsequently [since the detention order was illegal].”

Writ of habeas corpus

On the contention that a writ of habeas corpus would lie only when there was illegal detention, the Bench said: “We regret we cannot agree. Firstly, Article 226 and Article 32 permit the High Court and the Supreme Court to not only issue the writs which were traditionally issued by British courts but these Articles give much wider powers to this court and the High Court. Hence, even if the petitioner is not in detention, a writ of certiorari and/or mandamus can be issued.”

The Bench said: “The celebrated writ of habeas corpus has been described as ‘a great constitutional privilege of the citizen’ or ‘the first security of civil liberty.’ The imperative necessity to protect those precious rights is a lesson taught by all history and all human experience. Our founding fathers have lived through bitter years of the freedom struggle and seen an alien government trample upon the human rights of our citizens.”

Detention set aside

In the instant case, the Maharashtra government passed a detention order, dated May 22, 2008, against Deepak Gopaldas Bajaj under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act. He challenged the order directly in the apex court contending that his reputation would be tarnished if it was executed. Quashing it, the Bench said: “The detention order in our opinion was clearly illegal and deserves to be set aside.”

 

Thursday, November 13, 2008

  Industrial growth slips to 4.8%

  Sharp fall in rupee

  Slowdown, an adjustment process, says U.S. official

  ISB to set up campus in Mohali

  A gigantic stimulus

  Reforming India’s public institutions

  Shourya test-fired successfully

  Chandrayaan-1 truly home

  Pact on counter-terrorism likely

  Gaza Strip shut to fuel, journalists

 Swiss violinist Paul Giger’s concert launches music fest

  Huge job cut for immigrants in U.K.

  Part of deterrent doctrine: Iran

  World Bank to come to poor nations’ aid

  Waiting for the promise of change

  Narayanan Award for Madhavan Nair

  Yunnan reaches out to India

  A delayed silence descends on Verdun

  Crisis is opportunity

  Interpreting scriptures

Shourya

India on Wednesday successfully test-fired a new surface-to-surface missile called “Shourya” from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore in Orissa.

The two-stage missile took off from a silo at 11.25 a.m. and reached its targeted site 600 km away in the Bay of Bengal. Shourya can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads.

It is the land version of the underwater-launched missile called K-15 (Sagarika), which was fired in February 2008 from an underwater pontoon.

Shourya is a product of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and its Programme Director is A.K. Chakrabarti. M. Natarajan, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, was at Balasore to watch the launch.

The flight-test of Shourya is a significant milestone in building capability for the nation in the field of missiles both for strategic and tactical applications. Just as the K-15 (Sagarika) missile could rise from the water and knife into the air, Shourya could lift off from a silo on the ground and pierce the sky. Since the missile is fired from underground, it cannot be detected by conventional satellite imaging.

Both its stages were powered by solid propellants.

While the K-15 missile has an underwater booster and an air booster, Shourya has a booster underground and an air booster.