Russia to provide additional 42 Sukhoi fighters to India and amidst Mass Protests continued in Russia,PM Manmohan Singh congratulates Vladimir Putin on his party's victory in Duma polls! It explains how he cares about Public opinion!Moreover,PM says first unit of Kudankulam to be operational in few weeks!
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned today following Opposition's demand that Chidambaram should resign over alleged misuse of office. A Delhi-based newspaper had reported on Chidambaram's alleged links with a city hotelier and how the home minister directed the Delhi Police to withdraw three FIRs against the hotelier.
CBI to set up international centre for tackling telecom crimes
Narayana Murthy says no need to worry over fall in rupee, supports FDI in retail
Bharat Ratna for Sachin? Greatness needs no sarkari certificate
Hooch tragedy: Mamata, stand up and stop blaming the Left
Government paves way for Bharat Ratna in sportsSachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand can now be given Bharat Ratna
Farmer-Industry Partnership: Pratibha Patil calls for stronger relations!No question of censoring internet, Kapil Sibal eats his words
Maharashtra wants Belgaum to be declared union territory
Arrest warrant against Mukesh Ambani by Kerala consumer court
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and
Time - SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY TWO
Palash Biswashttp://indianliberationnews.com/
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/
After his talks with Russsian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin, Dr. Singh said the first unit of Kudankulam project will be operationalised in a couple of weeks.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was confident about "going ahead'' with Unit I of the Russia supplied Kudankulam plant in a "couple of weeks.The government has modified the eligibility criteria for the Bharat Ratna paving the way for sportspersons like the late hockey legend Dhyan Chand to be conferred the country's highest civilian award, sports minister Ajay Maken said here Friday.
Maken said his ministry had requested the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Home Ministry to modify the eligibility criteria for sportspersons for Bharat Ratna. The award earlier was given to individuals for excelling in fields of art, literature, science and public service but now after the modifications it could be conferred for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour.
"I wrote a letter to Home Minister on April 15. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have very kindly agreed now to change the norm. Instead of the fields of art, literature, science and public services, now on November 16, Government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded," Maken told reporters here outside parliament house.
"For me as a sports minister this is one of the biggest days of Indian sport and next biggest day I think will be the day when any sportsperson is named as an awardee of Bharat Ratna," he said.
Maken said that Dhyan Chand and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar are the top contenders for the award.
"Both of them I think should be the top contender but there are many other contenders for Bharat Ratna award if it is given to a sportsperson. Ultimately, the decision has to be taken by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister takes the decision and recommends it to the President," he said.
Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954 and has been conferred upon 41 individuals so far.
16 DEC, 2011, 09.17AM IST, VISHWA MOHAN,TNN
Sachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand can now be given Bharat Ratna
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NEW DELHI: In a significant move clearing decks for Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand and others to get Bharat Ratna, the government has made a necessary change in eligibility criteria for a person getting the India's highest civilian honour.
The Bharat Ratna will now be awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order "in any field of human endeavour" - covering almost all the fields that had earlier remained out of the purview of this civilian award.
Earlier, it was restricted to areas like "Art, Literature, Science and Public Service", making it difficult for government to consider names of those, who contributed immensely to other fields, including sports.
"The change is made through notification by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on recommendation of the home and sports ministries," said a senior official.
Supporting sports ministry's demand to include 'sports' as a category for the award of Bharat Ratna, the home ministry had written to the PMO in July, asking it to take the call as the decision would help outstanding sportspersons to be considered for the highest civilian award.
As the clamour for awarding Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar and Dhyan Chand gets louder, sports minister Ajay Maken had earlier written to home minister P Chidambaram seeking inclusion of 'sports' as a category for the award of Bharat Ratna. Maken, however, did not plead for any specific sportsperson or sports.
Before the change which is made now, the Bharat Ratna was considered only for those, who excelled for "exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order". The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna - that was instituted in 1954 - are made by Prime Minister himself to President.
Though names of persons as per the eligibility criteria can be recommended by different state\Union Territories governments, organizations and individuals to PMO for consideration, no "formal recommendation" for this is necessary. It is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna is awarded every year. The number of awards is, however, restricted to a maximum of three in a year.
So far, 41 people have been conferred with Bharat Ratna. The first three Indians, who received the prestigious award, were Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sarvapali Radhakrishnan in 1954. There is no written provision that Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Indian citizens only.
The award has been conferred to a naturalized Indian citizen Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was the last recipient of the award in 2009.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Amartya Sen, Jayprakash Narayan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, M S Subbulakshmi, J R D Tata, A P J Abdul Kalam, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai and Bhimrao Ambedkar are among the other recipients of Bharat Ratna.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/Sachin-Tendulkar-Dhyan-Chand-can-now-be-given-Bharat-Ratna/articleshow/11128990.cms
Photo: .A.ShaikmohideenConvener of the Central experts team on Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project A.E. Muthunayagam (second from right), shows the report on safety of the plant and impact of its operation on the sorroundings, at a press conference at the Tirunelveli Collectorate on Thursday. Photo: A. Shaikmohideen
Talks between Central team and anti-nuke panel fail once again
Protesters' demand for copies of vital documents turned downThe third round of talks between the Central Experts Team on Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) and the protesters' representatives in the State panel failed on Thursday and the relay fast against the upcoming nuclear power programme is still going on at Idinthakarai.
The anti-nuke protesters hoisted black flags in their hamlets on the coastline of Tirunelveli to express their dissatisfaction over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow to ink the deal on constructing the third and the fourth reactors each with 1,000 MWe capacity at Kudankulam. Moreover, relay fast for three days is being observed since Thursday as the Prime Minister is on a 3-day tour to Russia.
The protesters' representatives M. Pushparayan and M.P. Jesuraj, while rejecting the experts' replies to their earlier queries as "inadequate and factually wrong," were determined to get copies of vital documents relating to the KKNPP and holding a meeting between the experts of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) and the Central Team. Both the demands were turned down summarily, which led to the failure of talks held on Thursday.
The next round of talks between the two teams may take place if the Centre asks its experts' team to meet the PMANE's experts and gives copies of the documents as demanded.
Emerging from the 150-minute-long meeting held at the Collectorate since 11 a.m., Mr. Pushparayan said that since the Centre's Experts Team expressed its inability to provide the copies of "some vital documents," the protesting people's "genuine fears" could not be addressed effectively. "If the Centre's experts are not prepared to meet the protesting people and cannot provide us the documents, they should at least meet our team of experts," said Mr. Pushparayan, who handed over a 70-page questionnaire to the Central experts. He, through Collector R. Selvaraj, also submitted a petition to the Central experts seeking permission to inspect the reactors by PMANE experts.
However, convener of the Central team A.E. Muthunayagam rejected this demand saying that they had been told to hold talks with the State panel to allay the fears of the people. "If the Centre wants us to talk (to the experts of the protesters), we'll speak to them. We're open for talks with anyone," said Dr. Muthunayagam while claiming that there was progress in the talks.
He once again reiterated that 2 X 1,000 MWe VVER reactors at Kudankulam were safe with state-of-the-art redundant safety features and there was no chance for accidents. The oceanography specialist said there was no violation in the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) norms.
"Since the Central experts team has effectively responded to all the queries raised by the protesters, now they are diverting their attention by raising the fears of undersea volcanic activity," Dr. Muthunayagam said. Team member C.V.R. Murthy from Indian Institute of Technology – Madras said the KKNPP would not be affected by the mild "volcanic activity that lies off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands."
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Muthunayagam said that only maintenance activities were going on at KKNPP. "If this situation is allowed to continue, it will badly affect the healthiness of the hi-tech equipment installed."
Keywords: Kudankulam nuclear power project, anti-Kudankulam agitation, Central team of experts
SLIDESHOW
Two states and a damWhat could have been a symbol of harmony and co-existence, has now become the epicenter of more than a century-old dispute. The story so far… Photos: The Hindu Photo Library, Text input: T. Ramakrishnan
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http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2718510.ece
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President Pratibha Patil
Pratibha for greater use of MGNREGS in farm sector
Recognising the impact of schemes such as the MGNREGS, President Pratibha Patil on Thursday called for their further utilisation in the agriculture sector in the emerging scenario of "farm labour shortage and food security." »16 DEC, 2011, 03.59AM IST, ET BUREAU
Farmer-Industry Partnership: Pratibha Patil calls for stronger relations
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NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Thursday called for stronger linkages between companies and farmers through new business models designed to improve rural incomes and helpagriculture take "another great leap forward".
She was addressing the first meeting of the Committee of Governors on Farmer-Industry Partnership which met at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Referring to farmers as "agri-preneurs", Patil said they are keen to look at new forms of engagement with other stakeholders.
"The farmer today requires inputs of knowledge and scientific research, access to markets, credit support and insurance coverage and management techniques for effective utilisation of various resources. These are very much the inputs for running a successful business operation! So linking industry and the farmer is very much a viable option," she said.
"The farmer-industry partnership can include crop specific and region specific models by making farmers associations, shareholders or co-operatives or organising farmers into primary producer bodies, or any other desirable and viable model between farmers and industries," she added.
The President said agriculture occupies a fundamentally important position in our economy and for a growing nation like India, our work requires a constant review and a constant renewal of commitments.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/farmer-industry-partnership-pratibha-patil-calls-for-stronger-relations/articleshow/11126834.cms
APRussian President Dmitry Medvedev greets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their meeting at Moscow's Kremlin on Friday.
Bharat Ratna for Sachin? Greatness needs no sarkari certificate
Akshaya Mishra Dec 16, 2011Does greatness need sarkari certification?
Would Sachin Tendulkar be any lesser than what he is without a Bharat Ratna?
In an ideal world, the answer to both would be in the negative. Greatness is a property which shines on its own; requires no crutches to stand on; or needs no official recognition to get bigger. That's what makes the whole debate over Sachin being awarded the country's highest civilian award look so unnecessary.
The government has gone the extra mile to accommodate the wishes of the cricketer's fans. It has modified eligibility rules to include sportspersons in the category of achievers. Earlier, the award went to people excelling in the fields of art, literature, science and public service.
It is always nice if a sportsperon gets a recognition of this kind. Reuters
"Instead of the fields of art, literature, science and public services, now on November 16, government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded…For me as a sports minister this is one of the biggest days of Indian sport and next biggest day I think will be the day when any sportsperson is named as an awardee of Bharat Ratna," said an ecstatic Ajay Maken, Union Minister for Sports. He mentioned hockey legend Dhyan Chand and Sachin as strong contenders but said the award was open to other sport too.It is always nice if a sportsperon gets a recognition of this kind. But let us not be unmindful of the uncomfortable questions it could raise or and the nasty controversies it might lead to.
For starters, how do you compare greatness?
Is there a way to measure excellence in, say, hockey and compare it with excellence in cricket? How do you weigh greatness in art against greatness in any sporting category? Is there a way to compare greatness in two different eras? Chess prodigy Vishwanathan Anandis definitely as big as Sachin, if not bigger, in his field. It is impossible to measure singer Asha Bhosle against the cricketer with the bland yardstick of achievement. And there is simply no way you can compare Sunil Gavaskar with Sachin — they belonged to different eras and both faced challenges unique to their periods.
Such comparison is an insult to the greats and their achievements. If Bharat Ratna makes one of them greater than the other, then there should be no Bharat Ratna at all. And just imagine the tasteless discussions the exercise could end up in. Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has already suggested that Sachin be considered for the award. The clamour is expected to get louder in the coming days. There are demands in some parts of the country to confer the award upon hockey genius Dhyan Chand too. Given the penchant of people to take sides in such discussions it could end up being an ugly affair. Don't be surprised if the greats turn into political footballs.
Moreover, the popular craze for cricket is certain to overwhelm all other sport and prejudice selection. If a cricketer bags the award, it sends a wrong message to players in other sport. It is they who need official encouragement; cricket is big and can manage without the government. It's not an easy choice to make for the committee short-listing awardees. There are bound to be controversies and sullen faces.
It's better to scrap one Bharat Ratna altogether and create awards for different categories on the lines of the Nobel prizes — Bharat Ratna for sports, Bharat Ratna for public work etc. That will make the playing field more level. But ultimately such awards mean little to the men under consideration.
Greats will stay great even without official recognition. It is their unusual talent and the popular acknowledgement of it is that makes them what they are. They need no crutches to stand on or no government stamp of approval.
If the recognition for Sachin comes at the cost of the dignity of other greats and a lot of unpleasantness, he should say 'no thank you' beforehand.
http://www.firstpost.com/sports/greatness-needs-no-sarkari-certification-158444.html
Hooch tragedy: Mamata, stand up and stop blaming the Left
The value of human lives in West Bengal stooped to a new low as the ruling Trinamool Congress and its predecessor, the Left Front sparred in public trying to score political points, even as the death toll in the South 24 Parganas hooch tragedy climbed to 167 and counting.Mamata Banerjee and Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo honcho Biman Bose, last seen commiserating with each other after the AMRI hospital fire, are now playing the blame game with each other instead of joining hands to punish the guilty.
Time for serious work. Image courtesy PIB
It is surprising that Mamatachose politics over police when everyone wanted her to ensure that the owner of the den, Badshah Khokan does not go scot-free. Although seven people have been arrested and the case is now being handled by the state CID, people want to see her display the political will to destroy the country liquor menace .On Thursday, the chief minister fired the first salvo in the assembly by asking opposition CPM's Abdur Rezzak Mollah to help locate Khokan as he might have been close to the state's previous regime when Mollah said the incident had occurred "under the very nose of the police." All hell broke lose. Biman Bose opted for a full frontal retaliation calling it the "largest killing in a hooch incident in West Bengal" and squarely blaming Mamata saying she her party-led panchayats allowed the hooch dens to flourish.
Her minister Partha Chatterjee retorted that "CPI-M leaders were behind the tragedy". Then he went further by saying they "acted in a planned way by mixing toxic substances in the liquor which proved fatal."
A crisis that needed police attention and medical attention has instead become a political football.
Bose's comrade and Lok Sabha MP, Mohammad Salim treaded on even more dangerous ground. He tried to give a communal colour to the tragedy by telling a news channel that deaths occurred in a particular community. We seem to have learned no lessons from Godhra.
It is an open secret that both Left and TMC bestowed their patronage on the hooch baron. They need the muscle power hooch kingpins provide. However, it is not the time to open that Pandora's box and indulge in mud-slinging. The political class in the state must realise that the morgues are filling up. People are grieving over the death of near and dear ones and crying for justice. The government's job does not end with a Rs 2 lakh compensation.
Mamata has a huge agenda and many problems. Infant deaths. The AMRI fall out. The rotting infrastructure. The crumbling finances. Hooch dens might figure low on that list. But hooch is just a symbol of the sad state of affairs in our society.
Hooch, or 'haria' in local parlance is easy to make and cheap to afford. Costing less than Rs 5 per glass usually, bootleg wipes out families, not only by sudden deaths as these but it is also a tell-tale statement about poverty, illiteracy and exploitation. It is a way for the poor to forget the drudgery and humiliations of their daily existence for awhile.
It's time she stopped blaming the Left for all the state's problems. She was voted in to bring change. Putting bootleg sellers behind bars and instilling a sense of positivity in the lives of people who drown their sorrows for Rs 5 a glass would be a good beginning.
Sparking off an avoidable political controversy, when law and medical attention should have rationally prevailed, Mamata had put herself under intense scrutiny. She needs to perform—check infant death in hospitals, root out hooch booths, prevent a second AMRI—and for that she needs to come out of the Left rule hangover for a new script from Writers Building.
Watch video
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/hooch-tragedy-mamata-stand-up-and-stop-blaming-the-left-157894.html
Russia to provide additional 42 Sukhoi fighters to India and amidst Mass Protests continued in Russia,PM Manmohan Singh congratulates Vladimir Putin on his party's victory in Duma polls! It explains how he cares about Public opinion!Moreover,PM says first unit of Kudankulam to be operational in few weeks!
Meanwhile,Both houses of Parliament were adjourned today following Opposition's demand that Chidambaram should resign over alleged misuse of office. A Delhi-based newspaper had reported on Chidambaram's alleged links with a city hotelier and how the home minister directed the Delhi Police to withdraw three FIRs against the hotelier.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday cleared the uncertainty over the start of Kudankulam nuclear project declaring that the first unit will be operationalised in a couple of weeks but India and Russia did not sign any agreement for the third and fourth units of the plant.
After his talks with Russsian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin, he said at a joint press interaction that the second unit of the plant will be operationsalised six months after that.
However, the two countries chose not to sign agreements for the third and fourth unit of the Russian-aided project in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu where there has been an agitation on the issue of safety.
But the two countries today finalised the terms of reference for the Line of Credit for the third and fourth units.
Before the meeting, Russian officials were confident that the signing of agreements on third and fourth units would be done today.
Earlier, quoting Medvedev's foreign affairs aide Sergei Prikhodko, local agencies had said the agreements on construction of two more units at KNPP will be signed after the Kremlin talks.
Chief of Russian State Nuclear Cooperation 'Rosatom' Sergey Kiriyenko told reporters that the agreement for the construction of the third and fourth units were not signed.
Responding to the question when the Indian side would be ready to sign them, Kiriyenko said: "I don't know".
"Both India and Russia are very clear that there is nothing to worry about the safety of the Kudankulam nuclear project," Singh said in reply to questions.
Singh noted that there is a problem of agitation arising out of safety issues.
"We are confident we will overcome the problem. We are sure that the concerns will be adequately taken care of," he said.
He said unit one and two were already in advanced stage and very close to being operationalised.
To a question, he said the two countries are committed to implementing the roadmap on Kudankulam project which India has agreed with Russia, an apparent reference to the construction of the third and fourth unit with Russian cooperation.
He said Russia is a time-tested partner of India's nuclear programme. "India and Russia are committed to a high level of safety," he said.
The Kudankulam plant is a nuclear power station currently under construction in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district. Project investment cost to India was estimated to be Rs 13,615 crore.
In the wake of Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan this year, there has been a protest by locals in the villages surrounding Kudankulam against commissioning of the project on apprehensions of safety.
There have been talks between agitators and a government-appointed committee and the exercise is still inconclusive.
After the talks, India and Russia signed five agreements including one for technical assistance in the production of 42 Sukhoi-30MKIs.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the victory of his party in December 4 parliamentary polls, widely perceived by the West as 'rigged'.
According to the transcript of the initial remarks at their meeting provided by the Russian Prime Minister's Office, Singh said: "permit me to congratulate you and the people of Russia on successful State Duma elections and the victory of United Russia party."
The ruling United Russia had obtained 238 seats in the 450-strong State Duma polls, down sharply from the 315 seats it won in the elections in 2007.
Putin, 59, who is set to reclaim the presidency in 2012 elections, is facing one of the biggest challenges to his 12-year rule amid massive protests against him following the polls, which has been described as "rigged" by the West.
Singh, who is here on a three-day visit to attend the 12th annual bilateral summit, after his wide ranging talks with President Dmitry Medvedev had a meeting with Putin.
Singh also wished success for the Putin in the presidential polls.
He said in India Putin is seen as a 'special friend' and 'architect' of the privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
Welcoming Singh in his office, Putin underscored that the relations between Russia and India are not undergoing any changes in essence; they are only developing and moving forward.
CBI to set up international centre for tackling telecom crimes!
Narayana Murthy says no need to worry over fall in rupee, supports FDI in retail!
Terming falling value of rupee as a general phenomenon, IT major Infosys' founder N R Narayana Murthy said it should not be seen with pessimism.
"Value of rupee keeps fluctuating. This is normal. At some point of time value of Rupee was at 39 against a dollar ...," Murthy said.
He was speaking to reporters on sidelines of award function organised by Indore Management Association where he was conferred 'Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award'.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today offered joint development of civilian aircraft with India, saying the two nations could benefit in this from the accumulated experience in the development and production of combat jets.
"I discussed the idea of shifting our successful experience in the field of military aircraft to the civilian aviation, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year (during New Delhi visit)," Medvedev said.
The two leaders were addressing the CEO's of top Indian and Russian companies after their Kremlin summit today.
"Now we are moving towards implementing this idea, at least I hope so," Medvedev said.
India have jointly developed Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jet and are involved in the developing Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA) for the military.
Earlier, Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov said Russia was offering joint production of new generation of civil aircraft including Sukhoi Superjet-100 regional jet and futuristic MS-21 medium haul aircraft.
Russia's Irkutsk-based (Siberia) Irkut Aircraft Corporation is the main producer of Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jets, tailored to meet Indian Air Force's requirements in the coming decades. Now it is developing the MS-1 passenger aircraft of the 21st century.
It's CEO Alexei Fyodorov, who has been linked to all major projects for the development and licensed production combat jets with India, believes that India has the intellectual and industrial potential for co-developing and producing this wide-body futuristic aircraft.
CBI would be setting up an international high-tech centre in partnership with the Interpol for unravelling telcommunication crimes keeping in mind growing popularity of mobile phones and devices as carriers of senstitive information, vulnerable to hackers.
The proposal for CBI's Interpol Research and Innovation Centre for Prevention of Telecommunication Crime came during the discussion of the CBI Director AP Singh and Secretary General Interpol Ronald K Noble.
They also agreed that the present procedure to get information and evidence with regard to IP addresses, subscribers details of the alleged cyber criminals from different countries "cumbersome" wherein most of the countries insist on sending a formal Letter Rogatory under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties resulting in loss of evidence.
"It was agreed that we need a mechanism, whereby IT (Information Technology) intermediaries across the globe can be linked to a single interface for Law Enforcement Agencies. It was agreed that Interpol is the agency best equipped to execute this project," CBI Director AP Singh said here.
On the Centre for Prevention of Telecommunication crime, Singh said CBI will send a proposal to the Centre to set up the international centre in partnership with the private sector, research centres and top academic institutions.
Russia will provide an additional 42 Sukhoi frontline fighters to India under an agreement signed today, taking the bilateral defence cooperation to new heights.
With this pact, the total number of acquired or contracted aircraft by India in various stages of manufacture of the frontline SU-30 MKI fighters increases to 272.
The agreement for the upgraded Sukhois was signed by Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and Russian Federal Service for Military-technical Cooperation Director MA Dmitriev in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Dmitry Medvedev after their talks at the 12th annual Indo-Russian Summit at the Kremlin.
The pact, which was among the five agreements initialled between the two countries, came against the backdrop of a crash of an Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 near Pune.
The mishap, in which the two pilots ejected safely, raised some technical questions and also led to the grounding of the entire fleet of 120 planes pending investigations.
An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) and a general contract were signed in 2000 for the manufacture of 140 Su-30 MKI aircraft by HAL. A 2007 protocol envisaged manufacture of a further 40 aircraft.
Earlier, 50 Su-30 aircraft were purchased in phases prior to the signing of the IGA and the deliveries started in the late 90s.
The new version is expected to include a new cockpit, an upgraded radar and certain stealth features to avoid radar detection.
Significantly, the upgraded Sukhoi-30 MKIs will be able to carry a heavier weapons load, especially the airborne version of the Brahmos cruise missile. India is also looking to upgrade most of its SU-30 MKIs in the long run.
The first delivery of the upgraded Sukhois is expected in 2014 and the last by 2018.
According to present projections, India plans to phase out 120 MiG 21s by 2017 and with the MMRCA still not a done deal, the SU-30 MKI fleet will be the mainstay.
At their joint press conference, Medvedev said Indo-Russian Military-Technical Cooperation has reached "unprecedented levels" while Prime Minister Singh saidthis has reached 'qualitatively new levels."
15/12/2011
No question of censoring internet, Kapil Sibal eats his words
New Delhi: Amid controversy over screening of content in the cyber world, the government today held a dialogue with Google, Facebook and Twitter seeking their views on effective usage of their platforms but asserted that there was no question of censorship of Internet.
The government has called for an open dialogue with the social media companies, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, and various government departments, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Information and Technology,y and sought opinions on how social media and e-governance can empower individuals and citizens, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said after the meeting.
Asked whether there was any plan to formulate a mechanism to regulate Internet content, Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communication and IT, said, "There is no question of censorship of Internet.
"Whatever law has to me made are already in place. The Government of India is committed to abiding by what is there according to the Constitution of India which is freedom of speech and expression. We protect that with a lot of energy," he said.
Sibal said this discussion and this dialogue is about how the social media can empower the government, because under the normal processes of the government, there is always a limited dialogue with representatives of society as the means are limited.
In September this year, in an endeavour to increase the trust of citizens in the online environment and to enable the various government agencies to choose appropriate authentication mechanism, the Department of Information Technology had conceptualised the e-Pramaan framework for authentication of public services.
Source in the know also said the Telecom Ministry is mulling forming an inter-ministerial group to work out a mechanism to monitor and avoid uploading of any defamatory material on Internet.
Sibal further said the reach of the social media is enormous, but those who use the social media are limited, so it should not be that the government represents the point of view of a certain section of society.
He asked the social network representatives, "How does the social media use its own platform to ensure that the voice of the marginalised is heard by government, which otherwise sometimes is not heard?"
"So, in other words, we want a constructive dialogue that helps them to empower us when we move forward in our decision-making," he added.
Pilot said the meeting also discussed as to how to use social media platform to help the government for the disaster management.
The meeting assumes significance in view of India, for the first time, is hosting The World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR), a unique global forum initiated by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) formed under the auspices of UNESCO, in April next year.
Telecom Minister Sibal is Chairperson of this Forum.
Last week, Sibal had met with officials from Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo and had complained about offensive material on their websites.
However, Sibal maintained that the government does not want to interfere with the press, but if the social networking sites are not willing to cooperate with the government on stopping incendiary material, appropriate steps will be taken.
Source: PTI
16/12/2011
Maharashtra wants Belgaum to be declared union territory
Nagpur: In a new dimension to the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, the Maharashtra assembly Friday passed a unanimous motion urging the centre to declare Belgaum in Karnataka as a union territory till the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict on the dispute.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was replying to an adjournment motion on the issue moved by Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai, also assured the house that he would lead an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Belgaum issue. However, Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil declined the adjournment motion and said that an all-party meeting with the government would consider all the views on the contentious issue. After uproarious scenes leading to four adjournments on the issue, the assembly met again to debate the matter.
Desai, who had proposed the earlier adjournment motion, said that the Karnataka government was deliberately suppressing the voice of the Marathi-speaking people of Belgaum and surrounding areas and subjecting them to "atrocities."The assembly unanimously demanded that the central government should take appropriate action against Karnataka for dissolving the Belgaum City Corporation Council (BCCC) Thursday and appointing an administrator.
The assembly members said Karnataka must immediately re-instate the BCCC, which has nearly three-and-a-half-years of its tenure remaining. Karnataka's action came ostensibly since the BCCC is controlled by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) which has been demanding merger of the Marathi-speaking areas of the region with Maharashtra.
Speaking on the debate, Chavan said that the Karnataka government's drastic step against a linguistic minority was "unjust and unfair" and its step had led to consternation among the people of Maharashtra. The three-point resolution finally adopted by the assembly unanimously has demanded: Belgaum and surrounding areas must be declared as union territory till the final verdict of the apex court, the BCCC should be re-instated and an all-party delegation would meet President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.
Though some Congress and Shiv Sena members demanded that the central government should dismiss the Karnataka government on this issue, the point did not figure in the final resolution adopted by the assembly, as it was opposed by members of the the Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules the state. The Karnataka government's step has been severely castigated by all political parties in Maharashtra and evoked a sharp reaction from Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
The Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute has been simmering since 1948, and erupted into a major political controversy from 1956 after Belgaum was included in the neighbouring state. Maharashtra has been demanding the inclusion of Belgaum and other surrounding areas into this state (Maharashtra) as the majority population there comprised Marathi-speaking people.
Source: IANS
Image Source: Reuters
Full coverage on Belgaum
16/12/2011
India, Russia sign five deals, including for Sukhoi jets
Moscow: India and Russia Friday signed five major agreements, including one on licensed production of an additional 42 Sukhoi combat planes and another on managing fly ash residue at thermal plants in Siberia.
The agreements on the Sukhoi combat planes were signed after three-hour-long delegation level talks between visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here. Among the deals are a memorandum of understanding on enhancing cooperation and exchanges between anti-monopolies agencies and another to oversee the safety and quality issues by the drug standards and safety organisations to enhance trade in the pharma sector.
The two sides also signed an educational exchange programme to share experiences in the field of pedagogy and to form a joint working group to monitor the agreement's implementation. The combat plane deal would mean that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will operate a total of 272 Sukhoi SU-30MKI jets, which will account for a major portion of its future fleet once the aging Soviet-origin MiG-21 fighter planes are phased out in five years.
The agreement was signed by Indian Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, who is part of the prime minister's delegation, and Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Director M.A. Dmitriev in the presence of Manmohan Singh and Medvedev. The agreement on fly ash will facilitate development and application of technologies for the utilisation and safe management of the thermal plant residue and will include import of technologies from India.
It also envisages experience sharing, investment projects and mutual exchange of scientific personnel for managing of fly ash, an environmental pollutant and hazard.
Source: IANS
Image Source: Reuters
Full coverage on Sukhoi fighters
Arrest warrant against Mukesh Ambani by Kerala consumer court
THRISSUR (KERALA): The Thrissur consumer court Friday issued an arrest warrant against Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani for failing to adhere to its earlier ruling on a complaint by a customer of mobile phone service.
The case before the Thirissur Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum date backs to 2003 when M. Joseph purchased a Reliance Infocomm mobile phone for Rs.24,000, according to his advocate Seby J. Pulley.
The customer said he was promised numerous offers like free outgoing calls and SMS but failed to get the services despite several attempts to avail of the offers. A petition then was moved in 2005.
In 2010, the court gave a verdict in favour of Joseph and directed Reliance Infocomm to pay Rs.24,000, along with 12 percent interest for five years. Then after waiting for a year, Joseph again approached the court in March 2011 to help in being paid the amount.
Following this, the court, presided over by Thrissur Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum President Padmini Sudheesh, Friday directed for an arrest warrant to be issued against Ambani as the first accused and that he be produced before the court before Feb 15.
Parliament adjourned for 2nd day over Chidu's misuse of office
FP Staff Dec 16, 2011#Lok Sabha #NewsTracker #P. Chidambaram #Parliament of India #Rajya Sabha #Wintersession
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Both houses of Parliament were adjourned today following Opposition's demand that Chidambaram should resign over alleged misuse of office. A Delhi-based newspaper had reported on Chidambaram's alleged links with a city hotelier and how the home minister directed the Delhi Police to withdraw three FIRs against the hotelier.Earlier, both Houses were adjourned till 12 noon today soon after meeting at 11 am.
But, as soon as both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha reconvened in the noon, members of the Opposition trooped into the well demanding Chidambaram's resignation.
While BJP members were on their feet shouting slogans against Chidambaram, Shiv Sena members displayed newspaper clippings and placards which said "Sack Chidambaram".
The Opposition led by the BJP trooped into the well of the House displaying placards saying 'Sack Chidambaram.' PTI
Samajwadi Party members also walked into the well demanding action against the Mayawatigovernment for allegedly misusing Central funds meant for development of the Bundelkhand region.Meanwhile, similar scenes were witnessed when the House started its proceedings for the day forcing Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the House till noon.
The same issues rocked the Rajya Sabha with Shiv Sena members demanding dismissal of the Karnataka government while the NDA members shouted slogans seeking Chidambaram's removal.
In the Rajya Sabha, as soon as Chairman Hamid Ansari called for Question Hour, Shiv Sena members raised the issue of alleged atrocities by the Karnataka government against Marathi-speaking people living along the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
Led by Manohar Joshi, Shiv Sena members trooped into the well and alleged that the Karnataka government has failed to ensure the safety of those people. They demanded that the Karnataka government be dismissed.
On the other hand, BJP members demanded Chidambaram's resignation.
Though Ansari appealed for normalcy, BJP members were on their feet shouting slogans against the minister.
As the din continued, the chairman adjourned the House for the day.
Since the news of Chidambaram's alleged misuse of office has been brought to public domain, the BJP has maintained they will not let the Parliament function unless either the home minister resigns or the prime minister dismisses him.
"Chidambaram has misused his office. He is not only guilty of improper conduct, he is himself guilty of a criminal offence. A criminal cannot be the home minister of the country. Therefore, the BJP has demanded that the prime minister must dismiss him immediately." BJP leader Yashwant Sinha had said last evening.
After the case of quashing of FIRs and a possible conflict of interests was brought to his notice Lt Governor, Delhi, Tejinder Khanna revoked the earlier decision not to press for prosecution.
The Opposition has been boycotting Chidambaram since the Winter Session began, over his alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation case. The Opposition maintains that Chidambaram was aware of Raja's designs and colluded with Raja in the 2G spectrum allocation.
"An FIR was registered on the complaint of a private party against another private party, and I don't see how the home ministry can intervene in a matter like that and ask that it be withdrawn," Janata Party President Subramaniam Swamy said.
Meanwhile, the home ministry passed the buck to the Ministry of Law, and claimed that actions taken were based on the latter's recommendations.
"When the file was submitted to the home minister, he (Chidambaram) noted on May 4, 2011 that MHA should not give any direction and MHA may only convey the advice of the Ministry of Law," CNN-IBN TV channel quoted Home Ministry's joint secretary M Gopal Reddy as saying. The Opposition alleges that Gupta is a former client of Chidambaram, and in the past has been represented by the home minister in various courts.
Reddy said that the home minister could not remember if he had ever represented Gupta.
The Parliament is set to reconvene on Monday.
Watch video of Parliament being adjourned for the day.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/parliament-adjourned-for-2nd-day-over-chidus-misuse-of-office-157943.html
Chidu has used up his nine lives: It's time for him to go
Venky Vembu Dec 16, 2011In political terms, P Chidambaram is something of an Artful Dodger, a Teflon-coated politician on whom no allegation, however scandalous, sticks.
Political tempests may rage; his own election may be mired in controversy; scandals may erupt over his unusual interest in the 2G case; Chidambaram may even be (inferentially) accused of bugging the office of his own Cabinet colleague and senior minister; the dossier of Pakistan-based 'terrrorists' prepared by his ministry may contain a few names of those who are holed up in Hyderabad or Mumbai (thereby profoundly embarrassing the Indian government and weakening its case against Pakistan)….
But Chidambaram will waltz through all these political crises. And what's more, he will waltz along in a starched, white dhoti – and a contemptuous sneer directed at anyone who should be so demented as to demand his resignation on moral grounds.
Chidambaram has an uncanny knack of waltzing through crises without getting his dhoti creased. PTI
And such is the mystical power that Chidambaram wields that his Cabinet colleagues, many of whom themselves loathe his supercilious arrogance, will come out batting for him and defending him publicly against the gravest charges.A lesser man than Chidambaram would have long been considered a political liability and thrown overboard – even by a government that has lowered the bar of accountability standards to the supremely low.
But Chidambaram is the consummate survivor: he is the cat with nine lives.
He may fall from a 30-foot building, but he will always land on his feet, with feline grace, his dhoti unruffled by a single crease.
But now, with the latest controversy that he finds himself in, Chidu the cat may have used up his nine lives.
The facts, as made public by a CNN-IBN investigation, are these:
Since 1999, SP Gupta, a hotelier-businessman has been involved in legal disputes with a finance company. It was a private complaint, undistinguished except for the fat that Chidambaram, then an Opposition MP, represented Gupta in court. That case has dragged on for years, in the way that court cases in India do, and a few more criminal cases have arisen from the original dispute.
Fast forward to 2008. Within days of Chidambaram taking over as home minister (following the Mumbai terror attacks), his ministry receives representations from Gupta (and his company Sunair Hotels) pleading the ministry's intervention in having the criminal cases against them withdrawn. (Sunair claims that it had been making similar representations to the Delhi government and the Union home ministry since 2005, and that its 2008 representation had nothing to do with Chidambaram's taking over as home minister. Yet, the fact is that its petitions began to receive response only after Chidambaram took office.)
The home ministry sought opinion from the law ministry on Gupta's petition and was cautioned against interfering in the investigation and the trial. Chidambaram claims, and notes on the file bear him out, that he merely instructed his ministry officials to convey the law ministry's opinion to the Delhi government.
Even so, in May 2011, AK Saxena, a director in the home ministry, wrote to Arvind Ray, principal secretary in the Delhi government, to say that on the advice of the law ministry, the Delhi government's home department "should urgently scrutinise" the case against Gupta "for taking action… for withdrawal of prosecution immediately."
Strikingly the letter signs of by claiming that "this has the approval of the Union Home Minister."
The home ministry also sent several other letters to the Delhi Police asking seeking clarifications and status reports so that a decision on withdrawing cases against Sunair Hotels could be taken.
It even wrote to the Delhi police commissioner asking for the status of investigation for appraising the Union Home Minister.
In other words, the home ministry under Chidambaram was actively involved in writing to the Delhi government – and despite recommendations from the law ministry that the home ministry not interfere in the cases – advised withdrawal of FIRs in a case against a businessman who used to be Chidambaram's client in the past. What's more the home ministry's letter seeking withdrawal of the FIRs claims that the letter has the minister's approval.
It's a striking case of conflict of interest, if there ever was one.
Of course, after the issue became public, Chidambaram and his ministry officials are desperate to cover their tracks. The home ministry letter invoking Chidambaram's approval "had a drafting error" they say.
Chidambaram himself pleads loss of memory about whether Gupta was his client in the 1990s. In response to questions from CNN-IBN to Chidambaram, the ministry wrote back to say:
"The Home Minister is unable to recall at this distance of time whether he appeared in a case concerning M/s Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd at any time between 1999 and 2003. When the file was submitted to the Home Minister, he noted on 4/5/2011 that MHA should not give any directions and MHA may only convey the advice of the Ministry of Law."
'Responding to opposition demands for Chidambaram's resignation – or dismissal – the Congress megaphones have started blaring again. Their lack of conviction in the minister's case is coming through in their half-hearted defences.
More embarrassingly, the Delhi government has now reversed the order it had issued – under advice from Chidambaram's ministry – to withdraw the FIRs against Gupta.
The longer Chidambaram stays on, despite this open-and-shut case of conflict of interest, the greater the political liability that the government – even one so disconnected from moral moorings as the UPA government – has to bear.
It appears that Chidu-the-cat may have used up its nine lives, and may finally have to go. Unless of course he invokes yet more of the 'mystic power' that has enabled him to stay on in office and land on his feet every time he falls.
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/chidu-has-used-up-his-nine-lives-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-him-to-go-157523.html
Ending Bush's war, has Obama embraced his war doctrine?
Venky Vembu Dec 16, 2011In October 2002, about the time when the George W Bush administration was building an international case for a war on Iraq, ostensibly to defang it of its "weapons of mass destruction", a little-known US senator with a funny name made an impassioned speech in Chicago criticising the needless warmongering.
In many ways it was a courageous speech that went against the tide of popular opinion in America, which –still in shock a year after the 9/11 terror attacks – was swayed by the neo-conservative case for pre-emptive strikes on any foreign power that might, even remotely, possess the capacity to strike at the US in the way that the Al Qaeda had spectacularly done.
US President Barack Obama. Reuters
Not everyone was persuaded by the neo-con narrative, of course. A strong liberal, anti-war constituency challenged the administration's case and questioned the flimsy evidence on which it had been built. But among play-safe politicians, even on the Democratic side, there weren't too many who would stick their necks out for what was, in the main, an unpopular cause.One of the exceptions was Barack Obama, then a little-known Senator from Illionis. Consistent in his opposition to the Iraq war, he addressed what was billed as an anti-war rally and stirred it with his oratorical gift that was to inspire the world years later during his 2008 presidential campaign.
In that speech, which you can read in its entirety here, Obama made clear that he wasn't opposed to war in all circumstances, and that on occasion, wars may even be necessary.
But the war against Iraq that the Bush administration was preparing for was, Obama said, "a dumb war, a rash war" which he opposed. Although he nursed no illusions about Saddam Hussein, and acknowledged that he was a "brutal man", Obama said Saddam posed no imminent and direct threat to the US.
That didn't stop the Bush administration from blundering into a ruinous, and wholly unnecessary, war in 2003. That decision decisively bent the arc of history in a way that enfeebled America economically and overstretched it militarily – and, ironically, contributed to Barack Obama's rise to the presidency in 2008.
Much water has flowed down the Tigris since Bush's fateful decision of 2003. But yesterday, President Obama – in one of those curious twists of history – effectively ended the war on Iraq, which he had opposed as a senator all those years ago.
In style and substance, Obama's drawing down of US troops and signalling of the end of the war was markedly different from the premature "victory" that Bush proclaimed in 2003, when he stood on the decks of an US aircraft carrier, in front of a sign that read 'Mission Accomplished'. (Years later, Bush said the sign was intended to cheer up the troops, and not to signal that he thought the Iraq war was over, but by then history had already judged the Bush presidency harshly, and with good reason.)
In contrast, the real end of the war, which Obama proclaimed yesterday, was accompanied by little or no fanfare, and a greater sense of sobriety as befits the losses – in terms of human lives and money – that the US suffered over eight years. And the utter futility of the war itself.
As we've noted earlier, the decade gone by was effectively a "lost decade" for America, distracted as it as with war in faraway lands while its economy reeled under successive recessions and volatile boom-bust cycles that would implode spectacularly in 2008. It was also a period when income disparity in the US worsened, which even three years of the Obama presidency haven't managed to heal, setting the stage for the Occupy movement that has overrun US cities.
Much of Obama's perceived failure owes to Republican leaders' cussedness in thwarting every one of Obama's initiatives to fix the economy, even dragging the US to the brink of default. But even liberal opinion in the US has been disappointed with Obama for not being combative enough in beating back Republican obstructionism.
More disquietingly, however, liberal opinion is beginning to fret that the distinction between Obama's policies in the "war on terror" and the worst of the Bush-era policies is beginning to blur. Indicatively, civil libertarian groups are reeling in shock after the White House indicated earlier this week that it would support passage of the "indefinite detention" legislation that, critics say, could authorise the US military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians, including American citizens, anywhere in the world.
Human Rights Watch said that Obama's decision "does enormous damage to the rule of law both in the US and abroad" and that "President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law."
Even in its dealings with Iran, the Obama administration's rhetoric and incremental slide into confrontation has observers wondering about whether, as Republican war hawks crow, Obama has bought into the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive strikes. Quite uncharacteristically, Obama recently expanded US military troop presence in Australia evidently as part of an effort to checkmate China,
Perhaps Obama, who ended the war on Iraq soberly yesterday, has, for all his measured approach to geopolitics, forgotten the pacifist message of his stirring speech from 2002…
http://www.firstpost.com/world/ending-bushs-war-has-obama-embraced-his-war-doctrine-158291.html
India, Russia condemn existence of terror sanctuaries
PTSHARE · PRINT · T+
India and Russia on Friday condemned in strong terms the existence of "safe havens" for terrorism, asserting that states that "aid, abet or shelter" terrorists were as guilty of such acts as their perpetrators.
In a joint statement issued after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the two countries said there was no justification for any act of terrorism and all states needed to combine efforts to vanquish the menace.
"They strongly condemned the existence of safe havens and sanctuaries for terrorism, and reiterated that States that aid, abet or shelter terrorists were as guilty of acts of terrorism as their actual perpetrators," the statement without naming any country.
It said India and Russia being pluralistic states were especially vulnerable to acts of terrorism "which are attacks against the values and freedoms, enshrined in their societies".
Both sides reaffirmed that international terrorism is a threat to peace and security, a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity.
They also reaffirmed that the United Nations had a central role in the combat against international terrorism and called for an early adoption of the UN's draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Taking into account the fact that illicit drug trafficking had become one of the main financial sources of international terrorism, the two sides stressed on the importance of joint bilateral and multilateral efforts in the fight against it.
Keywords: Indo-Russia ties, terror havens
Chidambaram denies 'unfounded allegations' of BJP
VINAY KUMARSHARE · PRINT · T+
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who is at the centre of a concerted opposition attack over charges that he had helped one of his former clients on Friday rejected the allegations of BJP, terming them "completely unfounded".
The issue has seen noisy disruptions in both Houses of Parliament on the second day on Friday as an unrelenting BJP demanded his resignation, citing media reports that the Home Minister had approved dropping of a decade-old case of cheating and forgery against S. P. Gupta, a hotelier, who had been his client once.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till Monday as a determined opposition continued to target the Home Minister and created ruckus demanding that he should be sacked. The latest controversy, coming after 2G scam, FDI in retail, rising prices and Lokpal which have stalled Parliament during the current winter session, has further embarrassed the Congress-led UPA government as the opposition appears steadfast in its efforts to continue to raise it.
Holding a hurriedly called press meet in his North Block office, Mr. Chidambaram described the charge of "conflict of interest" as "most ridiculous". Strongly rejecting the BJP allegations, he said: "I am deeply hurt and I strongly reject these completely unfounded allegations being made by the BJP". It was for the first time in the past two days since the controversy erupted that Mr. Chidambaram chose to break his silence over the issue. He was flanked by former Home Secretary G. K. Pillai and the present Home Secretary R. K. Singh.
At the centre of the controversy is the May 9, 2011 letter written by Director (Delhi), Ministry of Home Affairs, to the Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi Government which records "approval of Union Home Minister" in suggesting that action under "Section 321 of CrPC for withdrawal of prosecution [against Mr. Gupta]" should be taken. The letter also mentions the opinion of the Law Ministry that the "power under Section 321 CrPC vested in Government can be exercised in such cases in the interest of proper administration of justice".
Denying that he had given any approval for withdrawing the cases, Mr. Chidambaram said the file came to him just once on May 4, 2011. "I clearly said that the Ministry of Home Affairs should not give any direction but only convey the advice of the Law Ministry to the Delhi Government," he told reporters.
Mr. Chidambaram said that Mr. Pillai who was Home Secretary till this mid-year had merely suggested that the Law Ministry be consulted for its opinion. Giving the list of dates, the Home Minister said that S.P. Gupta had been giving dozens of representations to the MHA since July 2004 and continued to send several representations till this year. "One, two or three MPs had also given representations to the then Home Minister Shivraj Patil who had also acknowledged it to one of the MPs," he added.
Describing such representations as "routine" in nature which are usually about false complaints and harassment by the police, Mr. Chidambaram said that ministry officials normally forward them to Delhi Police officials. "In this case, the concerned Director drafted the letter, settled it and sent it to the Delhi government on his own without showing it to either the joint secretary or the Home Secretary," he maintained.
Brushing aside the allegation of conflict of interest, the Home Minister said that he might have appeared in one of the cases during 1999 to 2001 along with several other lawyers. "What interest would I have, we are talking of a case which is more than 10 years old. Had I had a continuing interest, it would be conflict of interest. I have appeared in thousands of cases. I do not have any current subsisting interest with any case. I cannot have life long interest in over 25,000 cases I may have represented as a lawyer in the past 40 years," Mr. Chidambaram said.
Keywords: Chidambaram, FIR controversy
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2720877.ece?homepage=true
AFSPA: Antony says threat to J&K cannot be ignored
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
The HinduUnion Defence Minister A.K. Antony with Army Chief V.K. Singh, Navy Chief Admiral NIrmal Verma and Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik pay homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: V.V. Krishnan
Against the backdrop of demands for revoking AFSPA from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Friday said though violence levels have come down, cross-border infiltration attempts were still on in the state and the "threat" there can't be ignored.
"Even though violence level has reduced substantially, attempts at infiltration are still persisting... We can't ignore the threat," he told reporters at the 40th Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) of Bangladesh Liberation War.
The Minister was asked to comment on the demands for revoking of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some parts of the state in view of a recent terrorist attack on a senior Minister there.
"We have to be alert in our border areas 24X7," Mr. Antony said.
State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been pressing for revocation of the controversial law from certain parts of J&K.
He has held several meetings with the Cabinet ministers and other stakeholders in-charge of security in the state.
The Army is against the withdrawal of the Act from the state, saying such a move will hamper its operations there.
The Government had last year decided to leave it to the Unified Command chaired by the state Chief Minister to take a decision on partial withdrawal of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir.
Keywords: AFSPA, Union Defence Minister Antony, Jammu and Kashmir, cross-border infiltration
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2720171.ece
Focus on development to defeat left-wing extremism: Sonia
SMITA GUPTASHARE · COMMENT · PRINT · T+
The HinduUNAMBIGUOUS SIGNAL: Congress president Sonia Gandhi dances with tribal women at the National Convention on 'Empowerment to Tribal Women' at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, four months after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed – but much speculated on – illness in the United States, danced with abandon with tribal women from different regions of the country for well over 10 minutes at 24 Akbar Road, the party's headquarters here, sending photographers and TV crews into a frenzy – and her SPG minders into a spin of anxiety.
Earlier, on stage, at a meeting of the women's wing of the Congress on Friday, she urged the women who had gathered not just to educate people about the many central social sector schemes in the tribal areas, but to agitate if they were not functioning properly.
"Wherever these schemes are not being implemented," she said, "launch an agitation." The only way to tackle the spread of left-wing extremism, much of which is in the tribal-dominated areas of the country, she said, was through focussing on development. "Through better implementation of rural development schemes, we can defeat these (LWE) forces," she told them.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government would soon enact a Mining Bill, she said, that would ensure not only the proper utilisation of the country's mineral resources, but also bring concrete benefits to the tribal people as well as prioritise the creation of jobs for the youth among them.
If those were the political messages she sent out, minutes later when she descended from the stage to mingle and dance with the Adivasi women, Ms. Gandhi sent out another unambiguous signal: she was in the pink of health, and in command.
The attractive posters that dotted the Congress office premises, too, included one of Ms. Gandhi dancing with tribal women on an earlier occasion, recalling similar photographs of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, whose affection for the tribal communities, Ms. Gandhi recalled in her speech: "Many schemes for tribal communities were conceived during the time of Indira Gandhi," she said, "and I know that even today, her photograph adorns many Adivasi homes."
Indeed, the new president of the Mahila Congress, Anita Verma, managed to place a much derided section of the party on centre stage by organising a national convention on the theme of empowerment of tribal women, who came from across the country, all dressed in their traditional costumes: not only did Ms. Gandhi deliver a speech at the day-long function, Ms. Verma succeeded in pulling in several central ministers – including Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Kishore Chandra Deo and MoS for Finance Namo Narain Meena — thus raising the profile of the occasion.
Keywords: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Naxalism, Left-wing extremism, All India Mahila Congress function
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2720251.ece
NEWS » NATIONAL
FARRUKHABAD, December 16, 2011Rahul Gandhi comes out in support of FDI in retail
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
PTIAICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi addresses a public rally in Bhimnagar, Uttar Pradesh. File photo
Terming the opposition as "anti-farmer", Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday came out openly in support of FDI in the retail sector saying it would help farmers.
Addressing a public meeting in Farrukhabad, which is the highest potato growing district in the country, Mr. Gandhi said that 60 per cent of vegetables go waste and FDI would provide a chance to the farmers to directly sell their produce.
On the fourth day of his five-day mass contact programme here, Mr. Rahul said, "farmers are facing problems as 60 per cent of vegetables go waste… we brought FDI in retail so that they could sell their produce directly".
But the opposition stalled the move in the parliament as they are anti-farmer, he asserted.
Asserting that Congress had been working for the welfare of farmers, Mr. Gandhi recalled that loans worth Rs 60,000 crores were waived off for farmers and doors of banks were opened to them.
Without naming the BJP, he said that the government of "India Shining" had forgotten the farmers.
Referring to farmers' unrest in Bhatta Parsaul, he said that he fought for them there when they got bullets for demanding proper compensation for their land and atrocities were committed on women.
"In cities when people sell their land they get market rates but when farmers who give sweat and blood demand compensation for their land they get bullets", he said adding that farmers demanding their rights in UP are branded as naxals.
Attacking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Mr. Gandhi said that she did not go to Bhatta Parsaul nor to Bundelkhand even once and reiterated his charge that she has a magical elephant (BSP symbol) which eats the money belonging to poor people.
"Earlier there was dearth of funds but it is not the same anymore as funds worth thousands of crores have been sent to the state," he said adding, "we sent money but elephant eats it up".
The Congress leader did not spare the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav saying that earlier he used to come among the people but the case is not the same anymore.
"Once leaders become chief ministers they fly in helicopters and sit in Lucknow," he said adding that the same is the case with Ms. Mayawati.
Mr. Gandhi said, "I also fly in helicopter and find everything shining" adding that to understand the problems at the ground level it was required that leader visit villages and partake the food and water which the common people eat and drink.
On the problem of unemployment in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Rahul said that he recently asked a six-year old what he would want to do on growing but got no answer as even such a small boy knows that there are no jobs in UP.
Criticising Mr. Yadav's anti-computers and anti-English stance he said that it is not right for the poor to ask for it thought his (Yadav's) son Akhiesh speaks English well and can also run computers.
Stressing that Congress thinks of the future, he said that it was because of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi talking about PCO in villages, computers and 21st century that the mobile phone has now in the hands of all people. "It took 20 years to reach the people", he said.
Seeking the support of people in the coming assembly elections, he said that UP has to be brought back on track and Congress wanted to achieve it with the help of youths.
Keywords: AICC general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, FDI in retail, Opposition parties
Moneycontrol » News » Business » Business NewsAir India debts mount to Rs 43,000 crore: Govt |
Noting that Air India is passing through a deep crisis with its total debt touching a whopping Rs.43,000 crore, Government today expressed confidence that it would be able to wipe out the debts with active cooperation of management and employees.
Air India has also a net loss of Rs.18,000 crore accumulated in the past three to four years, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said. Giving details of the National Carrier's indebtedness, he said AI's outstanding loan stood at Rs.20,000 crore on account of purchasing new aircraft and Rs.20,000 crore for taking loan for operational purposes.
However, Ravi expressed confidence that government would be able to overcome the crisis and wipe out its debts with the active co-operation of the management and employees. Increase in revenue of the Airlines was the silver lining and 'objective' is to double the revenue, he said. Air India employees has extended full support to government in resolving the problems, he said while inaugurating the Aircraft Maintenance facility, put up by AI here.
On criticism that AI's debt mounted due to purchase of new aircraft, he said the carrier was able to operate its schedule with the 82 Airbus and Boeing aircraft it acquired. Otherwise, it would have found it difficult to operate its services.
Observing that Air India enjoys the preferred airline status among Non-resident Keralites, Ravi said there were a lot of demands from NRK's to operate more Air India Flights. State Minister for Excise and Airports, K Babu, said Airport Authority of India has given its approval on taking 13% equity in the Kannur Airport Project. Shashi Tharoor, MP, said the airlines market in the country was growing by eight per cent and projected growth rate was 15%.
The state-of-art Aircraft maintenance facility with two hangars would become a major revenue earning centre of the state.The facility could be used by other airlines also, he added.
( Enjoy Moneycontrol.com on iPad and be prepared for a fantastic experience. Get real time stock quotes, interactive charts, market buzz, and watch CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz live on your iPad. Check out the free moneycontrol app. Click here to download now )
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/ai-debts-mount-to-rs43000-crore-minister_634880.html
16/12/2011
'Deeply hurt' Chidambaram rejects conflict of interest charges
New Delhi: Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday said he was "deeply hurt" and rejected the opposition charge that he had misused his office while withdrawing prosecution against a businessman he represented as a lawyer.
"I feel deeply hurt (by the opposition charge)... I strongly reject completely unfounded allegations of the BJP,"Chidambaram told reporters here, breaking his silence over the controversy. The home minister said he didn't have any "current subsisting interest with any case he represented as a lawyer" because "I can't have life-long interest in over 25,000 cases" he represented as lawyer in the last four decades.
He said the opposition charges were "most ridiculous". The home minister said he had "once" seen the file of hotelier S.P. Gupta to withdraw his prosecution and that he had asked the ministry not to give any directions in the case. "The confidential draft was prepared by the director who didn't show it to anyone and sent it on his own.
I was clear that no directions should be given. Had I had a continuing interest, it would be conflict of interest," said Chidambaram.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the home minister of "conflict of interest" and forced parliament to shut for two days alleging that Chidambaram had favoured Gupta, chairman of Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd, by misusing his office for his "former client".
The case dates back to 1999 when owners of the luxury Metropolitan Hotel, Gupta and his company Sunair Hotels were involved in a legal battle with private firm VLS Finance Ltd that claims to have funded the hotel project.
The home minister has been a focused target of the opposition since the winter session began Nov 22. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance had declared on the eve of the session that it would not allow Chidambaram to speak in parliament till he resigns over his alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Source: IANS
Image Source: Reuters
Full coverage on P Chidambaram
16/12/2011
PM to focus on energy, economy during India-Russia summit
Amidst political unrest over the Russian parliamentary elections and allegations of rigging, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here Thursday evening on a three-day visit for a bilateral summit with President Dmitry Medvedev, during which the two sides will discuss proposals to ramp up their strategic relations and also sign agreements in the fields of defence, health and science and technology.
Manmohan Singh is also slated to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is at the centre of the political storm, Friday afternoon after the summit.
During the meetings, the two sides are likely to discuss their civil nuclear cooperation, in particular the setting up of units III and IV of the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu with Russian reactors.
Before leaving for Moscow, Manmohan Singh said in New Delhi that India would seek to substantially expand bilateral trade with Russia from the current $8.5 billion, while enhancing ties in a host of areas such as defence, energy, space technology and health.
The prime minister said his talks with the Kremlin leadership will also cover multilateral issues, notably on ways out of the global economic slowdown.
"I will discuss mechanisms to further expand our bilateral cooperation, particularly in the trade, economic and commercial fields," Manmohan Singh said in his departure statement.
"Our relations encompass diverse sectors, including nuclear energy, defence, space, science and technology, hydrocarbons, trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges," the prime minister said without dwelling on the recent protests over the Kudankulam nuclear plant.
Manmohan Singh said India's bilateral relations with Russia were based on "mutual trust, friendship and shared interests" and encompass diverse sectors, including nuclear energy, defence, space, science and technology, hydrocarbons, trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges.
Bilateral trade amounted to $8.535 billion in 2010, witnessing a 15 percent growth from $7.46 billion in 2009.
The two countries in 2009 decided to target $20 billion worth of bilateral trade by 2015 with a focus on energy, pharmaceuticals, IT, steel, hydrocarbons, aerospace and agriculture.
Manmohan Singh said during his talks with the president, he would also focus on increased consultations with Russia in international forums.
"I will discuss with Medvedev how to further enhance our consultations in international forums like the United Nations Security Council, G20, BRICS as well as the East Asia Summit which Russia has recently joined. I am convinced that the India-Russia consultation on global issues is more necessary today than ever before."
He said he would also hold "in-depth exchange of views with the Russian leadership on the crisis facing the global economy and the political developments in our extended neighbourhood".
This, the prime minister said, included the situation in the "Gulf and Afghanistan and the impact of all this on peace and stability in the world."
"The perspectives of our countries on these developments are marked by a high degree of convergence."
Meanwhile, highly placed government sources in New Delhi said that India is likely to push for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement with Russia and possibly an economic arrangement with a regional trade forum that Russia is planning with its neighbours like Belarus.
Source: IANS
Full coverage:
Manmohan Singh
Russia
G20
Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  * | |
 * | |
| Coordinates |  *8°10′08″N 77°42′45″ECoordinates:  8°10′08″N 77°42′45″E |
| Construction began | 1997 |
| Owner(s) | |
| Reactor information | |
| Reactors under construction | 6 x 1200 MW 2 x 1000 MW |
| Website | |
| As of August 11, 2007 |
Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power station currently under construction in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Project investment cost to India was estimated to be US$ 3 billion (Rs.13,615 Crores) in a 2001 agreement.[1]
Contents[hide] |
[edit]History
An Inter-Governmental Agreement on the project was signed on November 20, 1988 by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. The project remained in limbo for 10 years due to political and economic upheaval in Russia after the post-1991 Soviet breakup, and also due to objections of the United States on the grounds that the agreement does not meet the 1992 terms of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).[2]Since the plant was conceived in the mid-1980s, an anti-nuclear group People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy was opposing the plant for about 25 years[3] due to the Environmental impact of nuclear power and its threat to the people and environment.[4]
A small port became operational in Kudankulam on January 14, 2004. This port was established to receive barges carrying over sized light water reactor equipment from ships anchored at a distance of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi). Until 2004 materials had to be brought in via road from the port of Tuticorin, risking damage during transportation.[5]
In 2008 negotiation on building four additional reactors at the site began. Though the capacity of these reactors has not been declared, it is expected that the capacity of each reactor will be 1000 MW or 1 GW.[6][7] The new reactors would bring the total capacity of the power plant to 9200 MW or 9.2 GW.
In June 2011, Sergei Ryzhov, the chief designer of the light water VVER nuclear reactors used at this Nuclear Power Plant was killed in an airplane accident. The plane belonging to the Rus-Air airlines was flying from Moscow to the Karelian capital Petrozavodsk. [8]
[edit]Technical description
Two 1 GW reactors of the VVER-1000 model are being constructed by the Nuclear Power corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Atomstroyexport. When completed they will become the largest nuclear power generation complex in India producing a cumulative 2 GW of electric power.[9] Both units are water-cooled, water-moderated power reactors.[10] The first was scheduled to start operation in December 2009 and the second one was scheduled for March 2010. Currently, the official projections put unit 1 into operation in June 2011, and unit 2 will go in March 2012.[11][12][13]Four more reactors are set to be added to this plant under a memorandum of intent signed in 2008.[14] A firm agreement on setting up two more reactors, has been postponed pending the ongoing talks on liability issues. Under an inter-government agreement signed in December 2008 Russia is to supply to India four third generation VVER-1200 reactors of 1170 MW.[15]
The reactors have some advanced safety features like passive heat removal system, double containment, Core Catcher, and hydrogen re-combiner instead of conventional systems.[16]
[edit]Controversy
 * | The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (November 2011) |
As of October 2011, thousands of protesters and villagers living around the Russian-built Koodankulam nuclear plant in the southern Tamil Nadu state, are blocking highways and staging hunger strikes, preventing further construction work, and demanding its closure as they fear of the disasters like the Environmental impact of nuclear power, Radioactive waste, nuclear accident similar to the radiation leak in March at Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster.[17]
The protesters have clearly stated few specific reasons for opposing the Koodankulam NPP project.[18]
According to S P Udayakumar, of the voluntary People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, "the nuclear plant is unsafe" and "the safety analysis report and the site evaluation study have not been made public. No public hearing was held. It's an authoritarian project that has been imposed on the people." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha that "all precautions would be taken at the Koodankulam nuclear plant to maintain the highest safety standards".[17]
Protesters claimed that even advanced countries like Germany has decided to shutdown all its 17 Nuclear reactors through which the country gets 23% of its energy.[19][20]
Gopal Gandhi, Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, former West Bengal governor also said that Indian Fukushima possible in a lecture on 'India 2021- Hazarding Guesses, Guessing Hazards' in New Delhi)[21]
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed against the government's civil nuclear program at the apex Supreme Court. The PIL specifically asks for the "staying of all proposed nuclear power plants till satisfactory safety measures and cost-benefit analyses are completed by independent agencies".[22][23]
Renowned aeronautical scientist and former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam after a personal visit to the plant claimed that Koodankulam Nuclear Plant is safe.[24][25]. However People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy leader Mr.Pushparayan recollected that Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India Dr Homi Sethna had suggested to A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in the past not to comment on nuclear engineering since he was a missile engineer. [26][27]
Protesters also claimed that the Fukushima disaster in which the emergency cooling system itself was damaged by the earthquake[28], has made it clear that no one can really predict any disaster occurance.[29] .
Regarding people's fears Former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India Srinivasan said that one should never compare the Fukushima plant with Kudankulam and added "The Fukushima plant was built on abeachfront, but the Kudankulam was constructed on a solid terrain and that too keeping all the safety aspects in mind. Also, we are not in a tsunamiprone area. The plants in Kudankulam have a double contaminant system which can withstand high pressure. At least Rs 14,000 crore has been spent. If we don't operate the plant immediately, it will affect the economic stability of our country".[30]
A center panel constituted by the Government of India ,which did a survey of the safety features in the plant,said the Koodankulam reactors are the safest and fears of the people are not based on scientific principles.Dr. Muthunayagam,panel's convener,also added that the protesters have asked for some documents which are not related to the safety of the reactor hence he suspects the very nature of their questions.[31]
In response to the center panel report, protesters wrote an open letter to the chief minister Jayalalithaa that the center panel's report is "ill-baked and incomplete eyewash report" and also said that the report has "ignored our question on liability, and has given no specific or scientific information on nuclear waste, and vague information on the fresh water needs of the KKNPP".[32]
[edit]See also
*
*
*[edit]References
- ^ http://www.eca-watch.org/problems/asia_pacific/india/documents/SFried_indiaprojectssurvey_jan2004.pdfAt What Cost? ECAs in India: Bankrolling Nuclear Power Plants, Mega-Dams, and Scandal-Ridden Projects; January 2004
- ^ Nuclear Exports to India from Russia
- ^ Koodankulam Struggle: 25 years of sweat and toil
- ^ See starting section in this article
- ^ Kudankulam Port operational
- ^ Dmitry Sergeev (2008-02-12). "Russia, India edge closer to major nuclear deal". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Designer of Indian N-reactor killed in Russian plane crash - Times Of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
- ^ NPCIL to go into details with 4 reactor suppliers
- ^ Nuclear Power Plant Type
- ^ "Kudankulam Atomic Power Project". Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "KUDANKULAM ATOMIC POWER PROJECT 1 & 2". Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
- ^ History of the Kudankulam Project
- ^ Four more reactors
- ^ Details on the Next Generation Reactors
- ^ "Kudankulam reactors safest: Central panel". The Hindu. 19 November 2011.
- ^ a b Rahul Bedi (October 28, 2011). "Indian activists fear nuclear plant accident". NZ Herald.
- ^ Thirteen Reasons Why We Do Not Want the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project
- ^ Germany to shut all nuclear reactors
- ^ See March 2011 shutdown & May closure plan in German nuclear power units table in this article
- ^ Indian Fukushima possible: Gopal Gandhi
- ^ Siddharth Srivastava (27 October 2011)."India's Rising Nuclear Safety Concerns". Asia Sentinel.
- ^ Ranjit Devraj (25 October, 2011). "Prospects Dim for India's Nuclear Power Expansion as Grassroots Uprising Spreads". Inside Climate News.
- ^ "Kudankulam plant safe: APJ Abdul Kalam".The Times of India. 15 November 2011.
- ^ SHIV SAHAY SINGH (14 November 2011)."Kalam plumps again for Kudankulam plant".The Hindu.
- ^ See last 3 paragraphs in this article
- ^ See Criticisms and controversy section
- ^ Earthquake, not tsunami, may have damaged cooling system
- ^ See section-12 in this article
- ^ "Kudankulam plant is safe: Srinivasan". The Times of India. 14 November 2011.
- ^ "Kudankulam reactors safest: Central panel". The Hindu. 19 November 2011.
- ^ Koodankulam plant: Activists seeks Jaya's help to scrap project
[edit]External links
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd
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