Monday 30 April 2012

विभीषण नहीं, अन्ना हजारे का भक्त हूं : कासमी

बिजनौर। अन्ना की कोर कमेटी से निष्कासन के बाद बिजनौर लौटे मुफ्ती शमऊन कासमी ने कहा कि वह अन्ना का सम्मान करते हैं और भ्रष्टाचार के विरोधी उनकी मुहिम से जुडे़ रहेंगे। उन्हें राजनीति से भी कोई परहेज नहीं है।


जासूसी के आरोप में 22 अप्रैल को अन्ना की कोर कमेटी से निकाले गए बिजनौर निवासी मुफ्ती शमऊन कासमी का कहना है कि वह 'विभीषण' नहीं, बल्कि अन्ना के भक्त हैं। उन पर लगाए गये आरोप बेबुनियाद हैं। उन्होंने कोर कमेटी से हटने का खुद ही फैसला लिया है। अरविंद केजरीवाल, मनीष सिसौदिया, किरन बेदी व प्रशांत भूषण ने अन्ना को कैप्चर कर रखा है। वह अन्ना का सम्मान करते हैं, लेकिन ये चारों जनता के पैसे का बंदरबांट कर रहे हैं। उनके संघ अथवा किसी भी राजनैतिक दल से संबंध नहीं हैं। एक सवाल के जवाब में कहा कि सपा सुप्रीमो मुलायम सिंह यादव से हवाई जहाज में मुलाकात अचानक हुई थी। मेरठ में शनिवार को सपा नेता अरशद मक्की के घर प्रेस वार्ता करने पर कहा कि उनसे पुराने संबंध हैं। उन्हें भी राजनीति से कोई परहेज नहीं है। प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री अखिलेश यादव से बहुत आशाएं हैं। मुफ्ती शमऊन कासमी का कहना था कि वह एक सप्ताह तक अज्ञातवास में नहीं रहे, बल्कि इस अवधि के दौरान दिल्ली में धार्मिक नेताओं से भेंट की और भ्रष्टाचार खत्म करने में सहयोग की अपील की। वह देवबंद दारूल उलूम के वाइस चांसलर व लखनऊ में धार्मिक नेताओं से मुलाकात करेंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि कोर कमेटी की बैठक से बाहर आने के बाद वह विचलित हो गये थे। इसलिए वह भूलवश कह गये कि मुस्लिम होने के कारण ही उन पर आरोप लगाये गये हैं, जबकि वह यह कहना चाहते थे कि कमेटी में किसी मुस्लिम के न होने पर विपरीत प्रभाव पडे़गा।
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Islamists march to Egypt Defence Ministry
Hundreds of Islamist protesters marched on to Egypt's Defence Ministry, denouncing the ruling military council and demanding that officials of the Hosni Mubarak regime be disallowed from the presidential race. The protesters included supporters of the disqualified Salafist candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, whose candidature was ruled out on grounds that his mother had been given an American citizenship. Abu Ismail warned last night of "unknown reactions" of his backers to what they see as "injustice" over his exclusion from the presidential race.>His comments came shortly after thousands of protesters, mostly his supporters, marched at midnight to Egypt's Defence Ministry, chanting slogans against Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. <"Down with the military council," shouted demonstrators, calling on the generals who took over from Mubarak step down.>There has been an increasing perception among the people in Egypt that the ruling military may try to get a loyalist elected as the next president. The election commission announced the final list of 13 candidates for the presidential election on Thursday after disqualifying 10 candidates. >While two top Islamist candidates were disqualified, the candidature of Ahmed Shafiq, who served as prime minister in the deposed Mubarak regime during last year's uprising, was upheld.Abu Ismail's supporters have staged a sit-in in Tahrir Square for more than a week now, protesting the Elections Commission's decision to disqualify him from the race after proving that his late mother had obtained an American nationality.The protesters have demanded the dissolution of the elections commission. The military police blocked the roads to the Defence Ministry but the protesters, estimated to be around 2,000, stayed overnight near the ministry, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.In a poetic post on Facebook, Abu Ismail wrote, "People feel that injustice blocks the road against them. This makes them leave their homes and beds and respond to the calls to break the chains". Before his disqualification, Abu Ismail had emerged as one of the most popular presidential candidates. His simplistic rhetoric over following the Sharia and defending citizens' dignity attracted much support. This month an opinion poll by Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies showed that before his exclusion Abu Ismail had topped the presidential race with 26 per cent of votes, while Hosni Mubarak's spy chief Omar Suleiman, also since excluded, garnered 21 per cent of the votes

Gram Panchayats to become Nirmal in 10 years: Ramesh

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the Centre had fixed a target to make every Gram Panchayat as "Nirmal Gram Panchayat" in next ten years.

Addressing a gathering at a Panchayati Raj Sammelan in Karnal, he hoped Haryana would become the third Nirmal state in next three years.
The Union government would provide all necessary support to the state in this regard, Ramesh said.
At present, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh were totally Nirmal while Maharashtra and Kerala were performing well in this direction, he said.
Lauding Haryana government's approach with regard to the total sanitation campaign, the Minister said he had asked other states to follow the Haryana slogan of "Shauchalya Nahin to Dulhan Nahin".
The Nirmal Bharat Campaign would formally be launched after finalisation of details within next two-three weeks, he said.
Under the proposed programme, the Centre and the state governments would provide monetary assistance for setting up pucca toilets in houses in rural areas and each beneficiary would have to spend only Rs 600 to Rs 700.
The Minister said it would be covered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme and the Central and the state governments would provide Rs 5400 and Rs.1000 respectively for this purpose.
On the occasion, Ramesh honoured 330 Gram Panchayats of Haryana for making their village a Nirmal village.
As many as 50 village Panchayats of Kurukshetra, 49 of Ambala, 68 of Yamunanagar, 22 of Sonepat, seven of Rohtak, one of Rewari, 30 of Panipat, five of Mewat, 26 of Karnal, two of Mahendragarh, nine of Kaithal, eight of Jind, 11 of Hisar, 23 of Jhajjar, three of Faridabad and 16 of Bhiwani were

Russia Prepares For A US-Israeli Military Strike Against Iran

Russia Prepares For A US-Israeli Military Strike Against Iran
By Clara Weiss
28 April, 2012
WSWS.org
Russia has undertaken intensive preparations during the past few months for a possible military strike by Israel and the United States on Iran. According to recent reports, the Russian General Staff expects a war against Iran this summer, with enormous repercussions for not only the Middle East but also the Caucasus.
Russian troops in the Caucasus have been technically upgraded, and a missile division situated on the Caspian Sea has been placed in readiness. The missile cruisers of the Caspian flotilla are now anchored off the coast of Dagestan. The only Russian military base in the South Caucasus, located in Armenia, is also on alert for military intervention. Last autumn, Russia sent its aircraft carrier Kuznetsov to the Syrian port Tartous following the escalation of the conflict in Syria. Experts believe that Russia would support Tehran in the event of war, at least on a military-technical level.
In a commentary in April, General Leonid Ivashov, president of the Academy of Geopolitical Science, wrote that “a war against Iran would be a war against Russia” and he called for a “political-diplomatic alliance” with China and India. Operations were being undertaken throughout the Middle East in order to destabilise the region and proceed against China, Russia and Europe. The war against Iran, Ivashov wrote, would “end up at our borders, destabilise the situation in the North Caucasus and weaken our position in the Caspian region.”
Of central concern for Moscow are the consequences for the South Caucasus in the event of a war against Iran. Armenia is the only ally of the Kremlin in the region and has close economic links with Iran, while neighbouring Georgia and Azerbaijan maintain military and economic ties with the United States and Israel.
The Kremlin fears above all that Azerbaijan could participate in a military alliance alongside Israel and the United States against Iran. Azerbaijan borders Iran, Russia, Armenia and the Caspian Sea, and since the mid-1990s has been an important military and economic ally of the US in the South Caucasus, housing several American military bases.
Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are already very tense. Tehran has repeatedly accused Baku of participating in terrorist attacks and acts of sabotage, most probably in collaboration with the Israeli and American intelligence agencies. In recent years, Azerbaijan has doubled its military spending and in February completed a weapons deal with Israel worth US$1.6 billion involving the supply of drones and missile defence systems.
Citing senior sources in the Obama administration, Mark Perry told the American journal Foreign Policy in late March that Baku had allowed Israel access to several air bases on the border to northern Iran that could be used for an air strike on Tehran. The magazine quotes a senior government official saying, “The Israelis have bought an airport and this airport is Azerbaijan.” Perry warned, “Military strategists must now take into account a war scenario, which includes not only the Persian Gulf, but also the Caucasus.”
The Baku government immediately denied the report, but the editor of the Azerbaijani newspaper Neue Zeit, Shakir Gablikogly, warned that Azerbaijan could be drawn into a war against Iran.
Even if Azerbaijan should not prove to be the starting point for an Israeli attack on Iran, there is the danger that war will lead to a military escalation of other territorial conflicts such as the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region has been independent since the end of the civil war in 1994, but the government in Baku, the US and the European Council insist it be regarded as part of Azerbaijan. There have been repeated border conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the past two years, and commentators have warned that the dispute could escalate into a war involving Russia, the United States and Iran.
In a recent interview with Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda, military expert Mikhail Barabanov said that conflicts in the post-Soviet region could lead to military intervention in Russia. Any intervention in the region by the US or other NATO power would bring with it “the inevitable risk of the use of nuclear weapons.” Russia has the second largest nuclear arsenal in the world after the US.
Due to its geostrategic importance, Eurasia has become the epicentre for economic and political rivalries and military conflicts between the US and Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia form a bridge between resource-rich Central Asia and the Caspian Sea on one side, and Europe and the Black Sea on the other.
The US has sought to win influence in the region via economic alliances since the 1990s. In 1998, the then US vice president Richard Cheney declared, “I can not remember a time when a region so suddenly gained such huge strategic importance as the Caspian.”
In his book The Grand Chessboard (1998), Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security adviser to US president Jimmy Carter, wrote: “A power that dominates Eurasia would control two thirds of the most advanced and economically productive regions of the world. In Eurasia, there are about three-quarters of the known energy resources in the world.”
The central importance of the region is its role as a transit area for energy supplies to Europe from Asia, which bypasses Russia. By supporting alternative pipeline projects, Washington has sought to weaken Russian links to Europe, which depends heavily on Russian oil and gas.
So far, Georgia is the key country for the transit of gas and oil supplies and has been at the heart of conflicts in the region. Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” in 2003 was instigated by Washington to push Mikhail Saakashvili into power as president in order to safeguard US economic and strategic interests in the region. It led to an intensification of tensions with Moscow for geostrategic supremacy. The war between Georgia and Russia in the summer of 2008 represented a further ratcheting up of the rivalry between the two countries with the potential to expand into a Russian-American war. Relations between Russia and Georgia remain very tense.
US influence in the Caucasus and Central Asia has declined significantly in recent years. In addition to Russia, China has emerged as a major force in the area, establishing significant economic and military ties with Central Asian states such as Kazakhstan. Although Russia and China remain rivals, they have struck a strategic alliance in their competition with the United States. For the US, war against Iran represents a further stage in its growing confrontation with China and Russia for control of the energy resources of Central Asia and the Middle East.

नकली नोट रिसर्व बैंक और सरकार

नकली नोट रिसर्व बैंक और सरकार

देश के रिज़र्व बैंक के वाल्ट पर सीबीआई ने छापा डाला. उसे वहां पांच सौ और हज़ार रुपये के नक़ली नोट मिले. वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों से सीबीआई ने पूछताछ भी की. दरअसल सीबीआई ने नेपाल-भारत सीमा के साठ से सत्तर विभिन्न बैंकों की शाखाओं पर छापा डाला था, जहां से नक़ली नोटों का कारोबार चल रहा था. इन बैंकों के अधिकारियों ने सीबीआई से कहा कि उन्हें ये नक़ली नोट भारत के रिजर्व बैंक से मिल रहे हैं. इस पूरी घटना को भारत सरकार ने देश से और देश की संसद से छुपा लिया. या शायद सीबीआई ने भारत सरकार को इस घटना के बारे में कुछ बताया ही नहीं. देश अंधेरे में और देश को तबाह करने वाले रोशनी में हैं. आइए, आपको आज़ाद भारत के सबसे बड़े आपराधिक षड्‌यंत्र के बारे में बताते हैं, जिसे हमने पांच महीने की तलाश के बाद आपके सामने रखने का फ़ैसला किया है. कहानी है रिज़र्व बैंक के माध्यम से देश के अपराधियों द्वारा नक़ली नोटों का कारोबार करने की.


नक़ली नोटों के कारोबार ने देश की अर्थव्यवस्था को पूरी तरह अपने जाल में जकड़ लिया है. आम जनता के हाथों में नक़ली नोट हैं, पर उसे ख़बर तक नहीं है. बैंक में नक़ली नोट मिल रहे हैं, एटीएम नक़ली नोट उगल रहे हैं. असली-नक़ली नोट पहचानने वाली मशीन नक़ली नोट को असली बता रही है. इस देश में क्या हो रहा है, यह समझ के बाहर है. चौथी दुनिया की तहक़ीक़ात से यह पता चला है कि जो कंपनी भारत के लिए करेंसी छापती रही, वही 500 और 1000 के नक़ली नोट भी छाप रही है. हमारी तहक़ीक़ात से यह अंदेशा होता है कि देश की सरकार और रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया जाने-अनजाने में नोट छापने वाली विदेशी कंपनी के पार्टनर बन चुके हैं. अब सवाल यही है कि इस ख़तरनाक साज़िश पर देश की सरकार और एजेंसियां क्यों चुप हैं?


एक जानकारी जो पूरे देश से छुपा ली गई, अगस्त 2010 में सीबीआई की टीम ने रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के वाल्ट में छापा मारा. सीबीआई के अधिकारियों का दिमाग़ उस समय सन्न रह गया, जब उन्हें पता चला कि रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के ख़ज़ाने में नक़ली नोट हैं. रिज़र्व बैंक से मिले नक़ली नोट वही नोट थे, जिसे पाकिस्तान की खु़फिया एजेंसी नेपाल के रास्ते भारत भेज रही है. सवाल यह है कि भारत के रिजर्व बैंक में नक़ली नोट कहां से आए? क्या आईएसआई की पहुंच रिज़र्व बैंक की तिजोरी तक है या फिर कोई बहुत ही भयंकर साज़िश है, जो हिंदुस्तान की अर्थव्यवस्था को खोखला कर चुकी है. सीबीआई इस सनसनीखेज मामले की तहक़ीक़ात कर रही है. छह बैंक कर्मचारियों से सीबीआई ने पूछताछ भी की है. इतने महीने बीत जाने के बावजूद किसी को यह पता नहीं है कि जांच में क्या निकला? सीबीआई और वित्त मंत्रालय को देश को बताना चाहिए कि बैंक अधिकारियों ने जांच के दौरान क्या कहा? नक़ली नोटों के इस ख़तरनाक खेल पर सरकार, संसद और जांच एजेंसियां क्यों चुप है तथा संसद अंधेरे में क्यों है?


अब सवाल यह है कि सीबीआई को मुंबई के रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया में छापा मारने की ज़रूरत क्यों पड़ी? रिजर्व बैंक से पहले नेपाल बॉर्डर से सटे बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश के क़रीब 70-80 बैंकों में छापा पड़ा. इन बैंकों में इसलिए छापा पड़ा, क्योंकि जांच एजेंसियों को ख़बर मिली है कि पाकिस्तान की खु़फ़िया एजेंसी आईएसआई नेपाल के रास्ते भारत में नक़ली नोट भेज रही है. बॉर्डर के इलाक़े के बैंकों में नक़ली नोटों का लेन-देन हो रहा है. आईएसआई के रैकेट के ज़रिए 500 रुपये के नोट 250 रुपये में बेचे जा रहे हैं. छापे के दौरान इन बैंकों में असली नोट भी मिले और नक़ली नोट भी. जांच एजेंसियों को लगा कि नक़ली नोट नेपाल के ज़रिए बैंक तक पहुंचे हैं, लेकिन जब पूछताछ हुई तो सीबीआई के होश उड़ गए. कुछ बैंक अधिकारियों की पकड़-धकड़ हुई. ये बैंक अधिकारी रोने लगे, अपने बच्चों की कसमें खाने लगे. उन लोगों ने बताया कि उन्हें नक़ली नोटों के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं, क्योंकि ये नोट रिजर्व बैंक से आए हैं. यह किसी एक बैंक की कहानी होती तो इसे नकारा भी जा सकता था, लेकिन हर जगह यही पैटर्न मिला. यहां से मिली जानकारी के बाद ही सीबीआई ने फ़ैसला लिया कि अगर नक़ली नोट रिजर्व बैंक से आ रहे हैं तो वहीं जाकर देखा जाए कि मामला क्या है. सीबीआई ऱिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया पहुंची, यहां उसे नक़ली नोट मिले. हैरानी की बात यह है कि रिज़र्व बैंक में मिले नक़ली नोट वही नोट थे, जिन्हें आईएसआई नेपाल के ज़रिए भारत भेजती है.


रिज़र्व बैंक आफ इंडिया में नक़ली नोट कहां से आए, इस गुत्थी को समझने के लिए बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में नक़ली नोटों के मामले को समझना ज़रूरी है. दरअसल हुआ यह कि आईएसआई की गतिविधियों की वजह से यहां आएदिन नक़ली नोट पकड़े जाते हैं. मामला अदालत पहुंचता है. बहुत सारे केसों में वकीलों ने अनजाने में जज के सामने यह दलील दी कि पहले यह तो तय हो जाए कि ये नोट नक़ली हैं. इन वकीलों को शायद जाली नोट के कारोबार के बारे में कोई अंदाज़ा नहीं था, स़िर्फ कोर्ट से व़क्त लेने के लिए उन्होंने यह दलील दी थी. कोर्ट ने जब्त हुए नोटों को जांच के लिए सरकारी लैब भेज दिया, ताकि यह तय हो सके कि ज़ब्त किए गए नोट नक़ली हैं. रिपोर्ट आती है कि नोट असली हैं. मतलब यह कि असली और नक़ली नोटों के कागज, इंक, छपाई और सुरक्षा चिन्ह सब एक जैसे हैं. जांच एजेंसियों के होश उड़ गए कि अगर ये नोट असली हैं तो फिर 500 का नोट 250 में क्यों बिक रहा है. उन्हें तसल्ली नहीं हुई. फिर इन्हीं नोटों को टोक्यो और हांगकांग की लैब में भेजा गया. वहां से भी रिपोर्ट आई कि ये नोट असली हैं. फिर इन्हें अमेरिका भेजा गया. नक़ली नोट कितने असली हैं, इसका पता तब चला, जब अमेरिका की एक लैब ने यह कहा कि ये नोट नक़ली हैं. लैब ने यह भी कहा कि दोनों में इतनी समानताएं हैं कि जिन्हें पकड़ना मुश्किल है और जो विषमताएं हैं, वे भी जानबूझ कर डाली गई हैं और नोट बनाने वाली कोई बेहतरीन कंपनी ही ऐसे नोट बना सकती है. अमेरिका की लैब ने जांच एजेंसियों को पूरा प्रूव दे दिया और तरीक़ा बताया कि कैसे नक़ली नोटों को पहचाना जा सकता है. इस लैब ने बताया कि इन नक़ली नोटों में एक छोटी सी जगह है, जहां छेड़छाड़ हुई है. इसके बाद ही नेपाल बॉर्डर से सटे बैंकों में छापेमारी का सिलसिला शुरू हुआ. नक़ली नोटों की पहचान हो गई, लेकिन एक बड़ा सवाल खड़ा हो गया कि नेपाल से आने वाले 500 एवं 1000 के नोट और रिज़र्व बैंक में मिलने वाले नक़ली नोट एक ही तरह के कैसे हैं. जिस नक़ली नोट को आईएसआई भेज रही है, वही नोट रिजर्व बैंक में कैसे आया. दोनों जगह पकड़े गए नक़ली नोटों के काग़ज़, इंक और छपाई एक जैसी क्यों है. एक्सपर्ट्स बताते हैं कि भारत के 500 और 1000 के जो नोट हैं, उनकी क्वालिटी ऐसी है, जिसे आसानी से नहीं बनाया जा सकता है और पाकिस्तान के पास वह टेक्नोलॉजी है ही नहीं. इससे यही निष्कर्ष निकलता है कि जहां से ये नक़ली नोट आईएसआई को मिल रहे हैं, वहीं से रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया को भी सप्लाई हो रहे हैं. अब दो ही बातें हो सकती हैं. यह जांच एजेंसियों को तय करना है कि रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के अधिकारियों की मिलीभगत से नक़ली नोट आया या फिर हमारी अर्थव्यवस्था ही अंतरराष्ट्रीय मा़फ़िया गैंग की साज़िश का शिकार हो गई है. अब सवाल उठता है कि ये नक़ली नोट छापता कौन है.


हमारी तहक़ीक़ात डे ला रू नाम की कंपनी तक पहुंच गई. जो जानकारी हासिल हुई, उससे यह साबित होता है कि नक़ली नोटों के कारोबार की जड़ में यही कंपनी है. डे ला रू कंपनी का सबसे बड़ा करार रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के साथ था, जिसे यह स्पेशल वॉटरमार्क वाला बैंक नोट पेपर सप्लाई करती रही है. पिछले कुछ समय से इस कंपनी में भूचाल आया हुआ है. जब रिजर्व बैंक में छापा पड़ा तो डे ला रू के शेयर लुढ़क गए. यूरोप में ख़राब करेंसी नोटों की सप्लाई का मामला छा गया. इस कंपनी ने रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया को कुछ ऐसे नोट दे दिए, जो असली नहीं थे. रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया की टीम इंग्लैंड गई, उसने डे ला रू कंपनी के अधिकारियों से बातचीत की. नतीजा यह हुआ कि कंपनी ने हम्प्शायर की अपनी यूनिट में उत्पादन और आगे की शिपमेंट बंद कर दी. डे ला रू कंपनी के अधिकारियों ने भरोसा दिलाने की बहुत कोशिश की, लेकिन रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ने यह कहा कि कंपनी से जुड़ी कई गंभीर चिंताएं हैं. अंग्रेजी में कहें तो सीरियस कंसर्नस. टीम वापस भारत आ गई.


डे ला रू कंपनी की 25 फीसदी कमाई भारत से होती है. इस ख़बर के आते ही डे ला रू कंपनी के शेयर धराशायी हो गए. यूरोप में हंगामा मच गया, लेकिन हिंदुस्तान में न वित्त मंत्री ने कुछ कहा, न ही रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ने कोई बयान दिया. रिज़र्व बैंक के प्रतिनिधियों ने जो चिंताएं बताईं, वे चिंताएं कैसी हैं. इन चिंताओं की गंभीरता कितनी है. रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के साथ डील बचाने के लिए कंपनी ने माना कि भारत के रिज़र्व बैंक को दिए जा रहे करेंसी पेपर के उत्पादन में जो ग़लतियां हुईं, वे गंभीर हैं. बाद में कंपनी के चीफ एक्जीक्यूटिव जेम्स हसी को 13 अगस्त, 2010 को इस्ती़फा देना पड़ा. ये ग़लतियां क्या हैं, सरकार चुप क्यों है, रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया क्यों ख़ामोश है. मज़ेदार बात यह है कि कंपनी के अंदर इस बात को लेकर जांच चल रही थी और एक हमारी संसद है, जिसे कुछ पता नहीं है.


5 जनवरी, 2011 को यह ख़बर आई कि भारत सरकार ने डे ला रू के साथ अपने संबंध ख़त्म कर लिए. पता यह चला कि 16,000 टन करेंसी पेपर के लिए रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ने डे ला रू की चार प्रतियोगी कंपनियों को ठेका दे दिया. रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ने डे ला रू को इस टेंडर में हिस्सा लेने के लिए आमंत्रित भी नहीं किया. रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया और भारत सरकार ने इतना बड़ा फै़सला क्यों लिया. इस फै़सले के पीछे तर्क क्या है. सरकार ने संसद को भरोसे में क्यों नहीं लिया. 28 जनवरी को डे ला रू कंपनी के टिम कोबोल्ड ने यह भी कहा कि रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के साथ उनकी बातचीत चल रही है, लेकिन उन्होंने यह नहीं बताया कि डे ला रू का अब आगे रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया के साथ कोई समझौता होगा या नहीं. इतना सब कुछ हो जाने के बाद भी डे ला रू से कौन बात कर रहा है और क्यों बात कर रहा है. मज़ेदार बात यह है कि इस पूरे घटनाक्रम के दौरान रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया ख़ामोश रहा.


इस तहक़ीक़ात के दौरान एक सनसनीखेज सच सामने आया. डे ला रू कैश सिस्टम इंडिया प्राइवेट लिमिटेड को 2005 में सरकार ने दफ्तर खोलने की अनुमति दी. यह कंपनी करेंसी पेपर के अलावा पासपोर्ट, हाई सिक्योरिटी पेपर, सिक्योरिटी प्रिंट, होलोग्राम और कैश प्रोसेसिंग सोल्यूशन में डील करती है. यह भारत में असली और नक़ली नोटों की पहचान करने वाली मशीन भी बेचती है. मतलब यह है कि यही कंपनी नक़ली नोट भारत भेजती है और यही कंपनी नक़ली नोटों की जांच करने वाली मशीन भी लगाती है. शायद यही वजह है कि देश में नक़ली नोट भी मशीन में असली नज़र आते हैं. इस मशीन के सॉफ्टवेयर की अभी तक जांच नहीं की गई है, किसके इशारे पर और क्यों? जांच एजेंसियों को अविलंब ऐसी मशीनों को जब्त करना चाहिए, जो नक़ली नोटों को असली बताती हैं. सरकार को इस बात की जांच करनी चाहिए कि डे ला रू कंपनी के रिश्ते किन-किन आर्थिक संस्थानों से हैं. नोटों की जांच करने वाली मशीन की सप्लाई कहां-कहां हुई है.


हमारी जांच टीम को एक सूत्र ने बताया कि डे ला रू कंपनी का मालिक इटालियन मा़िफया के साथ मिलकर भारत के नक़ली नोटों का रैकेट चला रहा है. पाकिस्तान में आईएसआई या आतंकवादियों के पास जो नक़ली नोट आते हैं, वे सीधे यूरोप से आते हैं. भारत सरकार, रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया और देश की जांच एजेंसियां अब तक नक़ली नोटों पर नकेल इसलिए नहीं कस पाई हैं, क्योंकि जांच एजेंसियां अब तक इस मामले में पाकिस्तान, हांगकांग, नेपाल और मलेशिया से आगे नहीं देख पा रही हैं. जो कुछ यूरोप में हो रहा है, उस पर हिंदुस्तान की सरकार और रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया चुप है.


अब सवाल उठता है कि जब देश की सबसे अहम एजेंसी ने इसे राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा का मुद्दा बताया, तब सरकार ने क्या किया. जब डे ला रू ने नक़ली नोट सप्लाई किए तो संसद को क्यों नहीं बताया गया. डे ला रू के साथ जब क़रार ़खत्म कर चार नई कंपनियों के साथ क़रार हुए तो विपक्ष को क्यों पता नहीं चला. क्या संसद में उन्हीं मामलों पर चर्चा होगी, जिनकी रिपोर्ट मीडिया में आती है. अगर जांच एजेंसियां ही कह रही हैं कि नक़ली नोट का काग़ज़ असली नोट के जैसा है तो फिर सप्लाई करने वाली कंपनी डे ला रू पर कार्रवाई क्यों नहीं हुई. सरकार को किसके आदेश का इंतजार है. समझने वाली बात यह है कि एक हज़ार नोटों में से दस नोट अगर जाली हैं तो यह स्थिति देश की वित्तीय व्यवस्था को तबाह कर सकती है. हमारे देश में एक हज़ार नोटों में से कितने नोट जाली हैं, यह पता कर पाना भी मुश्किल है, क्योंकि जाली नोट अब हमारे बैंकों और एटीएम मशीनों से निकल रहे हैं.
डे ला रू का नेपाल और आई एस आई कनेक्शन


कंधार हाईजैक की कहानी बहुत पुरानी हो गई है, लेकिन इस अध्याय का एक ऐसा पहलू है, जो अब तक दुनिया की नज़र से छुपा हुआ है. इस खउ-814 में एक ऐसा शख्स बैठा था, जिसके बारे में सुनकर आप दंग रह जाएंगे. इस आदमी को दुनिया भर में करेंसी किंग के नाम से जाना जाता है. इसका असली नाम है रोबेर्टो ग्योरी. यह इस जहाज में दो महिलाओं के साथ स़फर कर रहा था. दोनों महिलाएं स्विट्जरलैंड की नागरिक थीं. रोबेर्टो़ खुद दो देशों की नागरिकता रखता है, जिसमें पहला है इटली और दूसरा स्विट्जरलैंड. रोबेर्टो को करेंसी किंग इसलिए कहा जाता है, क्योंकि यह डे ला रू नाम की कंपनी का मालिक है. रोबेर्टो ग्योरी को अपने पिता से यह कंपनी मिली. दुनिया की करेंसी छापने का 90 फी़सदी बिजनेस इस कंपनी के पास है. यह कंपनी दुनिया के कई देशों कें नोट छापती है. यही कंपनी पाकिस्तान की आईएसआई के लिए भी काम करती है. जैसे ही यह जहाज हाईजैक हुआ, स्विट्जरलैंड ने एक विशिष्ट दल को हाईजैकर्स से बातचीत करने कंधार भेजा. साथ ही उसने भारत सरकार पर यह दबाव बनाया कि वह किसी भी क़ीमत पर करेंसी किंग रोबेर्टो ग्योरी और उनके मित्रों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करे. ग्योरी बिजनेस क्लास में स़फर कर रहा था. आतंकियों ने उसे प्लेन के सबसे पीछे वाली सीट पर बैठा दिया. लोग परेशान हो रहे थे, लेकिन ग्योरी आराम से अपने लैपटॉप पर काम कर रहा था. उसके पास सैटेलाइट पेन ड्राइव और फोन थे.यह आदमी कंधार के हाईजैक जहाज में क्या कर रहा था, यह बात किसी की समझ में नहीं आई है. नेपाल में ऐसी क्या बात है, जिससे स्विट्जरलैंड के सबसे अमीर व्यक्ति और दुनिया भर के नोटों को छापने वाली कंपनी के मालिक को वहां आना पड़ा. क्या वह नेपाल जाने से पहले भारत आया था. ये स़िर्फ सवाल हैं, जिनका जवाब सरकार के पास होना चाहिए. संसद के सदस्यों को पता होना चाहिए, इसकी जांच होनी चाहिए थी. संसद में इस पर चर्चा होनी चाहिए थी. शायद हिंदुस्तान में फैले जाली नोटों का भेद खुल जाता.




नकली नोंटों का मायाजाल
सरकार के ही आंकड़े बताते हैं कि 2006 से 2009 के बीच 7.34 लाख सौ रुपये के नोट, 5.76 लाख पांच सौ रुपये के नोट और 1.09 लाख एक हज़ार रुपये के नोट बरामद किए गए. नायक कमेटी के मुताबिक़, देश में लगभग 1,69,000 करोड़ जाली नोट बाज़ार में हैं. नक़ली नोटों का कारोबार कितना ख़तरनाक रूप ले चुका है, यह जानने के लिए पिछले कुछ सालों में हुईं कुछ महत्वपूर्ण बैठकों के बारे में जानते हैं. इन बैठकों से यह अंदाज़ा लगाया जा सकता है कि देश की एजेंसियां सब कुछ जानते हुए भी बेबस और लाचार हैं. इस धंधे की जड़ में क्या है, यह हमारे ख़ुफिया विभाग को पता है. नक़ली नोटों के लिए बनी ज्वाइंट इंटेलिजेंस कमेटी ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में लिखा कि भारत नक़ली नोट प्रिंट करने वालों के स्रोत तक नहीं पहुंच सका है. नोट छापने वाले प्रेस विदेशों में लगे हैं. इसलिए इस मुहिम में विदेश मंत्रालय की मदद लेनी होगी, ताकि उन देशों पर दबाव डाला जा सके. 13 अगस्त, 2009 को सीबीआई ने एक बयान दिया कि नक़ली नोट छापने वालों के पास भारतीय नोट बनाने वाला गुप्त सांचा है, नोट बनाने वाली स्पेशल इंक और पेपर की पूरी जानकारी है. इसी वजह से देश में असली दिखने वाले नक़ली नोट भेजे जा रहे हैं. सीबीआई के प्रवक्ता ने कहा कि नक़ली नोटों के मामलों की तहक़ीक़ात के लिए देश की कई एजेंसियों के सहयोग से एक स्पेशल टीम बनाई गई है. 13 सितंबर, 2009 को नॉर्थ ब्लॉक में स्थित इंटेलिजेंस ब्यूरो के हेड क्वार्टर में एक मीटिंग हुई थी, जिसमें इकोनोमिक इंटेलिजेंस की सारी अहम एजेंसियों ने हिस्सा लिया. इसमें डायरेक्टरेट ऑफ रेवेन्यू इंटेलिजेंस, इंटेलिजेंस ब्यूरो, आईबी, वित्त मंत्रालय, सीबीआई और सेंट्रल इकोनोमिक इंटेलिजेंस ब्यूरो के प्रतिनिधि मौजूद थे. इस मीटिंग का निष्कर्ष यह निकला कि जाली नोटों का कारोबार अब अपराध से बढ़कर राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा का मुद्दा बन गया है. इससे पहले कैबिनेट सेक्रेटरी ने एक उच्चस्तरीय बैठक बुलाई थी, जिसमें रिजर्व बैंक ऑफ इंडिया, आईबी, डीआरआई, ईडी, सीबीआई, सीईआईबी, कस्टम और अर्धसैनिक बलों के प्रतिनिधि मौजूद थे. इस बैठक में यह तय हुआ कि ब्रिटेन के साथ यूरोप के दूसरे देशों से इस मामले में बातचीत होगी, जहां से नोट बनाने वाले पेपर और इंक की सप्लाई होती है. तो अब सवाल उठता है कि इतने दिनों बाद भी सरकार ने कोई कार्रवाई क्यों नहीं की, जांच एजेंसियों को किसके आदेश का इंतजार है?

Ex- US toxic ship entry in Indian waters challenged in Supreme Court

Ex- US toxic ship entry in Indian waters challenged in Supreme Court

New Delhi 27/4/2012: An application has been filed in Supreme Court in the matter of a hazardous end-of-life vessel named 'Oriental Nicety' (formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, Sea River Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean) which has been purchased by Best Oasis Company, (a subsidiary of Priya Blue Industries Pvt Ltd) in the Indian waters in the name of dismantling and recycling. The minutes of the court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on shipbreaking and a sensitive document that has been filed in the court reveal the repeated security concerns which remain unaddressed.

The hazardous wastes/shipbreaking case Writ Petition (Civil) 657/1995 is coming up for hearing on May 3, 2012.

The following are the prayers in the application.

A relevant sensitive document (that is corroborated by recent minutes of IMC's 14th meeting dated February 2012) is
(i) Direct the Union of India to ensure that no end-of-life ship should be allowed without prior decontamination in the country of export as per this Hon’ble Court’s order dated October 14, 2003,

(ii) Direct the Union of India to send back all hazardous wastes laden end-of-life ships entering/ or have entered the Indian territorial waters without prior informed consent and without prior decontamination keeping in view the environmental principles,
(iii) Direct inquiry by an independent trans-disciplinary investigating agency to ascertain the circumstances of the dead US ship’s arrival in Indian territorial waters, to make concerned officials accountable for their acts of omission and commission and seek a detailed report on more than 1200 ships broken in last 5 years and more than 5924 ships broken since 1982;
(iv) Direct Union of India to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Hon'ble Court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on ship-breaking

The illegal traffic of this dead ship must be stopped besides investigating the possibility of fake documents which came to light in the earlier case of Platinum II, a US ship. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has invoked the Precautionary Principle and directed that granting permission for beaching and breaking, purposes of the ship will not be advisable in the case of Platinum II. It may be mentioned that precautionary principle is the basis of UN conventions, such as Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). India is a signatory to these conventions and has ratified them as well. The ex-Exxon Valdez is violating these international laws besides the court's order.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), New Delhi, New Delhi, Phone: +91-11-2651781, Fax: +91-11-26517814, Mb: 9818089660, E-mail: krishna1715@gmail.com, Web: toxicswatch.blogspot.com

Wan Ho Shon,Li Xuerui qualify for London Olympics

Yonex Sunrise India Open 2012 OSIM BWF World Superseries.
Wan Ho Shon of Korea bags his maiden Super Series title: 
In Women singles Li Xuerui keeps Chinese flag flying
New Delhi: Wan Ho Shon of Korea celebrated his qualification for the London Olympics with a sensational upset win over world number one and top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia to lift the men’s singles title while Asian champion Li Xuerui ensured that the China would not go back empty handed from the second edition of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2012-OSIM BWF World Super series on Sunday with a title triumph in women’s singles.

Shon, who was assured his Olympic berth when he defeated Denmark’s Peter Gade at the quarterfinal stage, was considered a rank outsider against a player whom he had lost to four times before. However, the Korean was prepared for Chong Wei’s flat and fast game and it was his defensive skills under pressure that gave Shon the advantage on crucial points.

Chong Wei was late to get off the block and Shon took advantage of his opponent’s sluggishness to pocket the first game. The Malaysian hit back in the second but it was the tenacity of the Korean that saw his through in the decider.

At one stage, Shon looked like running away with the match when he opened up an 18-13 lead in the decider but Chong Wei retaliated with some grate down the line smashes to take six points in row.

A mistake on the net dribble allowed Shon to level scores and the Korean then kept his nerve and squeezed through the next two points to claim his maiden Super Series title.
“I have been playing well throughout this tournament and hence I was confident of a good show against Chong Wei,” said Shon after the match.

Chong Wei on his part was satisfied with his performance in the tournament. “I am coming back after a shoulder injury I am happy that I managed to reach the final. He was the better player today and he won,” said the world number one.

The women’s singles final also provided an exciting end to the tournament in front of a sizeable crowd at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
With the women’s doubles pair of Yixin Bao and Qianxin Zhong losing the final and no other Chinese contender in the other three categories, the badminton powerhouse needed Xuerui to come good against Schenk, who had accounted for two of their stars in the earlier rounds.

The second seed began erratically in the first game as Schenk kept mixing her game plan. But once she managed to understand what her opponent was trying to do, Xuerui began to control the rallies and consolidated her position in the top-four of the world ranking in the last competition of the London Olympic qualification period with a 14-21, 21-17, 21-8 victory over giant killer Schenk in 47 minutes.

Following the first game reversal, Xuerui raced to an 8-0 lead by forcing Schenk to take risks to earn points. The German fell for the trap initially but managed to come back with some lucky net chords and a combative approach that makes her a very difficult opponent.

However, Xuerui kept her cool despite Schenk closing on her at 17-16 after having led 15-6 at one stage.
The decider proved to be a one-sided affair as Schenk got desperate to take control of the match and made too many errors in the bargain.

Results (final):
Women’s singles: 2-Li Xuerui (CHN) bt Juliane Schenk (GER) 14-21, 21-17, 21-8
Women’s doubles: 6-Ha Na Kim/Kyung Eun Jung (KOR) bt Qianxin Zhong/Yixin Bao (CHN) 21-17, 21-18
Men’s singles: Wan Ho Shon (KOR) bt 1-Lee Chong Wei (MAS) 21-18, 14-21, 21-19
Men’s doubles: Bodin Issara/Maneepong Jongjit (THA) bt 2-Sung Hyun Ko/Yeon Seong Yoo (KOR) 21-17, 14-21, 21-14
Mixed doubles: Tontowi Ahmad/Liliana Natsir (INA) bt Sudket Prapakamol/Saralee Thoungthongkam 21-16, 12-21, 21-14
BAI thanks its sponsors OSIM, Yonex-Sunrise, ONGC, Syndicate Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of India, SAIL, BBD University, Lucknow and Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs for their generous support.

It also thanks its official broadcaster Sony Six and DD Sports for the live telecast of the event and the spectators who came in large numbers to watch the matches and support the Indian players.

ABOUT BADMINTON ASSOCIATION OF INDIA
The Badminton Association of India under the guidance of President Akhilesh Das Gupta and the Organising Committee comprising of Mr. Ashok Kumar (Executive President) Mr. T.P.S Puri (Secretary) and Mr. Girish Nattu (Technical Director) are leaving no stone unturned to make the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2012 a successful one. BAI has previously organised the World Championship and Asian Championship successfully before.

Sunday 29 April 2012

A Congress leader said that the meeting was convened to find out reasons of dismal performance by the party in the MCD elections. “MLAs will give their feedback and reasons of their loss of municipal seats,” he said. The loss in the civic body is a huge setback for the party — it had lost the seats which were traditional Congress seats.

On results of MCD elections Dikshit blamed the inflation and corruption,  she advocated  that no single person can be blamed for the defeat and it is the collective responsibility of every Congressman.

Majority of Congress leaders have blamed poor distribution of tickets for the MCD debacle.

Sandeep Dikshit who attributed the defeat to an anti-Congress mood generated by scams like 2G and price rise and a disconnect between people and the Government. Man Mohan Singh categorically rejected that Congress’s poor show in the MCD was not due to inflation and corruptions.  “The MCD polls were fought on local issues.

Sheila Dikshit and DPCC  president Jai Prakash Agarwal, in quandary  to point out specific reasons for the defeat despite the fact that the party contested the election on the development work of the State Government and trifurcation of MCD.

 Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Saturday analyzed in a meeting with her ministers and legislators the reasons behind the Congresss defeat in the recent Delhi civic polls, a statement said. Dikshit met all her cabinet ministers and the members of legislative assembly as well those who lost the 2008 assembly polls and asked them not to be "disheartened" and "work with full energy".
Posted by



The rate of growth of eight core sectors improved from 2.8% in 2008-09 to 6.6% in 2009-10. It moderated to 5.8% in 2010-11. In 2011-12(Apr-Feb), eight core sectors recorded a growth of 4.4% compared to a growth of 5.8% in the corresponding period of 2010-11. Lower growth rate during 2011-12 has mainly been due to a lower growth in crude petroleum, natural gas and steel sectors.

Government has initiated several steps to augment the production of core sectors by promoting state of the art technologies and by augmenting resources for exploration and mining through private sector participation. To facilitate development of necessary infrastructure, Viability Gap Finding, under the Scheme for support to PPP, has been extended to capital investment in fertilizers sector, oil and gas storage and pipelines facilities. To remove the fuel supply constraints affecting the power generation , the government has advised the Coal India Limited to sign fuel supply agreements with the power plants. In the Budget 2012-13, full exemption from basic duty has been provided to fuels such as natural gas, liquefied natural gas, uranium concentrate etc. imported for power generation. Further, basic customs duty on surveying and prospecting machinery and instruments imported for use in the mining sector has been reduced. Full exemption from basic customs duty has been provided to coal mining projects.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Posted by

 

When most of the core sectors,other industries along with agriculture show remorse growth.Scam and Corruption twin social evil rule the society mainly is cause of concern,naught accountability,transparency in lips not in action, leadership with unethical style of functioning.  

Monek has in store "Notwithstanding global credit rating agency S&P's lowering India's outlook to 'negative', the country remains bullish and its long-term economic growth potential is 8-9 per cent," Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said.
 

"My view of India is that it is bullish. India's long-term growth potential is 8 to 9 per cent. In order to achieve this, we have to get our Macro-economic right," said Ahluwalia, briefing media at the third Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting which concluded in London Thursday evening.

He added, "India achieved a growth rate of 6.9 per cent last year. The question is whether India's growth in 2012-13 will go up or not. Growth is taking place in Asia - China and India."

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee termed S&P's move as a "wake-up call" and said the government would work towards achieving higher economic growth."The Finance Minister has already commented on the Standard and Poor's decision to change the outlook on India from stable to negative. I have nothing to add to it," Ahluwalia said.

On Thursday, the Reserve Bank of India said the country's financial system is strong and sometimes these ratings are discounted by markets.RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty has said, "Indian financial system is strong. That is our internal assessment. That our financial stability report always gives. Again, RBIs financial stability report will come in June. Then you can see what the position is."

Leader of the largest party in the ruling coalition in Greece has said that there will be no new taxes, in an apparent attempt to win back support.Head of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, Evangelos Venizelos was talking to his party on Saturday ahead of the nation's parliamentary election on May 6th.

Austerity measures introduced to rebuild the Greek economy and its fiscal system have made the ruling coalition unpopular and the opposition is gaining support.Opinion polls suggest that the two parties in the ruling coalition are expected to lose many of their seats in parliament and may not be able to secure a majority.
A coalition partner promises to increase the guaranteed minimum amount of pension to win back support.
Media agencies

European Union opened its office in Myanmar's financial city, Yangon, amid the country's political reforms toward democratization.The first ever EU office in Myanmar will help promote personnel exchanges between the two sides, and support European companies that want to make inroads into the country.

The office was launched only days after the EU decided to suspend all of its sanctions on Myanmar for one year, except for a separate arms embargo. EU members agreed on the suspension on Monday, less than a month after Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League for Democracy, swept by-elections contesting 45 seats. The sanctions had been in place for over 15 years.

At the opening ceremony on Saturday, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton cut the tape together with Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Ashton told the gathering that she hopes the office will open a new chapter in relations between Myanmar and EU countries.

Ashton, who also held a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi ahead of the ceremony, later told reporters that the EU will support the changes now taking place in Myanmar.


South Korea's Samsung Electronics lead the world's largest mobile phone maker, overtaking Finland's Nokia, which dominated the market for 14 years.US research firm Strategy Analytics on Friday released the numbers of cell phone shipments between January and March by leading global makers.

Samsung was at the top with 93.5 million handsets, up 36 percent from the same quarter last year, on the back of brisk sales of its smart phone models.Nokia came in second with 82.7 million units, down 24 percent. This marks the end of Nokia's reign in the global mobile phone market since 1998.

US computer giant Apple came 3rd, with its quarterly shipment nearly doubling from last year to 35.1 million handsets. Cell phone users are increasingly switching to smart phones, sparking severe competition between Samsung and Apple.

Nokia is trying to turn around its business by tying up with Microsoft in the smart phone business, but has so far failed to stop its sales decline.

Saturday 28 April 2012



Congress President Sonia Gandhi attended the 105th birthday celebrations of the highly respected Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami at 'Siddaganga Mutt' at Tumkur in Bangalore, which is considered to be one of India's oldest religious institutions. “May Dr Shivakumara Swami jee continue to inspire lakhs and lakhs of people across the state, across the country and indeed across the world in the cause of education, social service, philanthropy and spirituality,” said Sonia Gandhi paying respects to the seer in her address.
Focusing the right to education, the Congress President said, “The primary education has been made a fundamental right. It is for all of us to ensure that this right is asserted and imposed so that all of India’s children from 6 to 14 receive free education”.
Striking an emotional chord with the people of Karnataka, the UPA Chairperson added that nothing exemplifies India’s diversity better than Karnataka itself, where people belonging to different culture, believing in different faith and speaking different languages have lived and worked for peace and harmony with each other.
Sonia Gandhi also asserted that education must inculcate respect for the wonderful diversities of our society. “It is this diversity that has given us strength. Beneath this diversity lays the continuity and unity of our great nation” stressed Sonia Gandhi.
Here is the full text of Sonia Gandhi’s address:
“I am hounoured to be here at the hallowed premises of this Siddaganga Mutt as we celebrate 80 years of the dedicated service of Dr. Shivakumara Swami jee to the cause of humanity. It is a privilege to congratulate the revere Swamijee on completing 104 years, on having witnessed 104 springs of nature of life. May Dr Shivakumara Swaijee continue to inspire lakhs and lakhs of people across the state, across the country and indeed across the world in the cause of education, social service, philanthropy and spirituality. This Sri Siddaganga Mutt with its recorded history of 600 years is truly unique.
Its achievements in the field of education are outstanding. Thousands of boys and girls from poor families are given free food, shelter and schooling. Its colleges and institutions of higher learning have acquired a national reputation.
Over the past century, Karnataka has given birth to many radical social reformers who have transformed the very fabric of our society. Foremost amongst them is Shri. Bhasaveswara, who advocated the cause of a casteless society, who championed the cause of equality of opportunity, who fought tirelessly for social justice, almost 900 years ago. His teachings have a profound influence on millions including the Siddaganga Mutt and continue to resonate and to be relevant even today.   
Education is, no doubt, about academic learning. It is, no doubt, about acquiring qualifications to ultimately find security and fulfillment in life. But surely there has to be something deeper, something more basic to education if it is to serve as an effective instrument of nation building. And that something is values - moral values. Education must inculcate respect for the wonderful diversities of our society. It is this diversity that has given us strength. Beneath this diversity lays the continuity and unity of our great nation.
An open participative, representative democracy is its anchor and nothing exemplifies India’s diversity better than Karnataka itself, where people belonging to different culture, believing in different faith and speaking different languages have lived and worked for peace and harmony with each other to the ages. Education must instill a great respect to our secular heritage and tradition so that we can stand up to the forces that seek to divide us whatever form they may take.
Education must lead to a deep sensitivity to social justice. It is education that has led to the empowerment of weaker sections of our society that is so very apparent in many parts of our country especially Karnataka. Nevertheless, the sad reality is, and it still remains, that there are so many of our countrymen and women who face discrimination, who live in poverty and deprivation. And now, the primary education has been made a fundamental right. It is for all of us to ensure that this right is asserted and imposed so that all of India’s children from 6 to 14 receive free education.
But education must also develop, what Nehru used to often speak about, is scientific temper. What is scientific temper? It is a spirit of ceaseless questioning, of relentless enquiries. Indeed we had ancient centres of learning, individual thinkers and philosophers in our country whose works led path breaking discoveries.
We also have great cultural, spiritual and intellectual traditions based on the wisdom, learning and experience gained over the millennia. So, true education combines respects for these traditions with a progressive, contemporary outlook that meets challenges of our times.
Swami jee’s life-mission is an embodiment of these principles. The institutions he had inspired and created seek not only to provide the young people with a conventional education but places equal emphasis on character building and moral values.  The students who emerge from these institutions will, I have no doubt, be well suited to meet the challenges in the adult life and contributing in nation building and a better society.
Dr Shivakumara Swami jee exemplifies hard work and self discipline. The perseveres in his mission, even at this age, is a remarkable lesson in itself. For Swami jee, I believe, his motto is ‘work is worship’. And each one of us will do well to imbibe the spirit and make it part of our own life.
Over the centuries, we in India have had the special blessing of being shown the right path by sages, reformers and teachers of different faith and persuasions. We are privileged to walk through the path that they have illuminated for us. Like them, Swami jee has shown us the path of selfless service of righteousness and universal brotherhood.
So let us continue to derive guidance and inspiration from Swami jee’s life, from his teachings and his works. Let me conclude by once again by congratulating Shree Shree Shivakumara Swami jee on this auspicious occasion and offer him my respectful pranaam. May pranaams also to all the swami jees present here who are following the footsteps of Swami jee and have dedicated themselves to the service of humanity; and also to the devotees I extend my very best wishes.. Thank you all.. Namaskaaram”.

UN expands Japan’s continental shelf

A UN commission has approved the first-ever expansion of Japan’s continental shelf. It gave the country an extra 310,000 square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. That’s equal to about 80 percent of Japan’s land mass.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea defines where a country can extract minerals and other natural resources. It states that a continental shelf extends 200 nautical miles, or about 370 kilometers, from a country’s baseline.
But under certain topographical or geological conditions, the UN can approve a wider area.
Japan submitted a claim to expand its 4 million square kilometers of continental shelf in 2008.
The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved an expansion of 4 areas, including east of the Ogasawara Islands and north of Okino-torishima, Japan’s southernmost island.
China and South Korea opposed the expansion. They claim Okino-torishima is a coral atoll, not an island.
The seabed surrounding the Ogasawara Islands is believed to be rich in copper and rare metals.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the expansion of the continental shelf will enhance Japan’s maritime interests.

DataWind unveils Ubislate series

 

Datawind’s next-generation UbiSlates series UbiSlate7+ and UBiSlate 7C models were introduced at respective MRPs of Indian Rupees 2,99 and Rs 3,999.The two models differentiated with a resistive screen on the UbiSlate7+ to the four-point multi-touch projective capacitive screen on the UbiSlate 7C,both models come with embedded GPRS modems in addition to WIFI connectivity allowing ubiquitous internet access.
The 7″ screen tablets support the Android 2.3 operating system that delivers a rich touch-screen graphical user interface which significantly reduces the learning curve for new computer users in joining the world wide web.A powerful 800 Mhz Cortex a8 processor allows smooth usability of a broad range of applications.The embedded HD videos coprocessor delivers high quality video content making it a perfect multimedia device.
DataWind CEO,Suneet Singh Tule said,”Over the last year,I have been travelling the globe,talking at the world Bank,with heads of state,at numerous universities and at global conferences,evangelizing the power of the internet to transform people’s lives.We’ve now created a product the removes the barriers and levels the playing field.”
DataWind also unveiled its ecosystem of partners for providing content,application and access,making it the industry’s largest collaborative effort to deliver consumer a complete turnkey offering in single unit.

Professional and Computer Training Programme by NMDFC

 The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) implements the scheme of Vocational Training for all States/Union Territories for various professional trades including training in computers for men and women belonging to minority communities, living below double the poverty line. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Shri Vincent H. Pala, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, said that the trades in which training is to be given are identified by the respective State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) depending upon the local needs and employment potential; and training is organized through Government owned/ recognized training institutions.

Shri Pala further informed the House that in order to educate and train more women from the minority communities, NMDFC has established a network with the Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (EDIs) of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal for professional training programmes.

Friday 27 April 2012

Jaswant Singh:On Bofors”a saga of continuing corruption”



Armed with fresh details in the 25-year-old Bofors scandal, an aggressive Opposition on Thursday disrupted Parliament, alleging “cover up” and demanding a new probe by a judicial commission. Opposition members, particularly those from BJP and Left, raked up the issue in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, saying the Bofors chapter was not closed yet, leading to clashes with ruling members and affecting pre-lunch sittings severely.
In the Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh raised the issue, saying it was “a saga of continuing corruption” and a “thorn” which needed to be removed.
He demanded setting up of a judicial commission to probe the issue even as he admitted to failure of the NDA government, in which he was External Affairs Minister, to get accused Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi extradited to India.
Without naming Rajiv Gandhi, who had faced the allegations of pay-offs in the 155 MM gun deal in 1986, Singh said the Congress would be “feeling the absence” of the late Prime Minister and a “promising” individual in the polity was lost.
As UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi watched, Singh said the party should get into the causes of the mistake because of which it paid a heavy political price.
CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia also demanded reopening of the case, institution of an independent inquiry and extradition of Quattrocchi.
In the Rajya Sabha, which saw three adjournments, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley alleged that “there were repeated efforts to cover up” the scandal but refrained from naming any party or individual.
“There were repeated efforts to cover up. The pace of investigation varied with the colour of the political government in power…we gave a whole burial to the case,” Jaitley said.
“….the fact is clear. Somebody got the contract and somebody got the kickback….this man (Quattrocchi) is so powerful. Entire Indian state appeared so helpless….this is a textbook illustration of fraud,” Jaitley said.
Congress members countered the allegations in both the Houses leading to clashes.
“The correct weapon was acquired, it was acquired in a wrong manner …. You (Congress) have paid, we have paid. The nation continues to pay,” said Jaswant Singh.
“Till you don’t remove this thorn, poison will continue to spread. … Whatever is happening in the defence sector today is because of this episode. It is a saga of continuing corruption. In matters of corruption, there is no closure,” he said.
Admitting that the NDA had failed to get Quattrocchi extradited after his arrest in Malaysia, Singh said, “Many will say why did you not do it. You have failed, we have failed. But don’t consider our failure as your success.”
Observing that it gave him “no delight” to raise this issue, he said, “25 years have passed but the storm of Bofors refuses to subside and the guns continue to blaze.”
Reminding Congress about the political cost, he said, the reason behind Congress being reduced from its “historic” victory of 404 seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to 114 in the next elections was Bofors pay-offs deal.
Singh posed a series of questions on the matter and asked why the Indian investigating teams which went to Sweden did not meet their Swedish counterparts probing the matter.
He claimed that Quattrocchi was “permitted through government connivance to escape from Delhi”.
He sought to know why “political” donations were paid to the account of AE Services, a company owned by the Italian businessman. “How can it (donations) be political in nature when it went to a businessman. We all know he worked for Snam Progetti and what happened in it. We must know what his political purpose was,” he said.
As Mani Shankar Aiyar (Cong) rose to counter Jaitley, Opposition members shouted him into silence asking why he is being allowed to speak when only leaders of parties in the House have been permitted to raise the matter.
Noting that Jaitley has bemoaned the fact that unsuccessful efforts were being made to unearth the truth, Aiyar said, “The reason why we could not unearth the truth is because the pursuit of truth began with a series of untruths.”
Through a point of order, Najma Heptulla (BJP) demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is Leader of the Rajya Sabha, should be present if the House wanted a discussion.
Naresh Agrawal (SP) also protested against allowing Aiyar to speak on the issue saying this amounted to partiality and demanded everybody should be given opportunity to speak.
He said there was a need to introspect “where we had gone wrong” and “what is the capacity of Indian state and all agencies of our in pursuit of truth to find out where we have gone wrong.
Joining the issue, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said the issue of Bofors has “plagued” the country for more than two decades.
“It has deeply impacted the country…the issue is of probity…even today there is a big question mark on defence deals. The whistleblower has formally said something. Government must investigate it properly,” he said.
Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha met for the day, BJP and AIADMK members displayed copies of a newspaper interview given by former Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom where he said Rajiv Gandhi did nothing to prevent the cover-up to protect Quattrocchi, who is alleged to have received pay-offs in the deal.
“Quattrocchi ko kis ney bachaya (Who saved Quattrocchi),” the Opposition members chanted.
Every time BJP members shouted “Who saved Quattrocchi”, ruling Congress members joined the chorus shouting “BJP ney bachaya (BJP saved him)”.
Aiyar said Jaitely was the Additional Solicitor General who had done paper work in the Bofors investigation case.
Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said very serious questions have been raised by the former Swiss police chief while his party members continued shouting slogans.
The uproar led to two adjournments in Question Hour.

Thursday 26 April 2012

6th CMAI National Telecom Awards 8th MAY

Many thanks for your interest in attending the CMAI National Telecom Awards. You have been registered and confirmed. Most welcome. In case you wish to bring other friends, colleagues, most welcome. Please let us know.

Look forward to welcome you at Siri Fort 4.30 PM TO 7.00pm ON 8TH May, 2012.

4.30 - 5.00 PM  Registration and Tea
5.00 - 6.00 PM  Conference on Empowering Women and Girls in ICT
6.00 - 7.00 PM  Award presentation.

Please feel free to email or sms if you want any further information,clarification.

REGARDS
 
Join 6th CMAI National Telecom Awards 8th MAY ( Preponed from 11th May ) Siri Fort 430-700PM 
Register at http://www.cmaievents.com/ registration.php  

“SMIDEX 2012 and ASEAN-INDIA SME CONFERENCE”


FICCI MSME Delegation to “SMIDEX 2012 and ASEAN-INDIA SME CONFERENCE” from 20-22 June 2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 
This is to inform you that FICCI has collaborated with the Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp.) and is organizing an MSME delegation to participate in “SMIDEX 2012 and ASEAN-INDIA SME CONFERENCE” from 20-22 June 2012 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia, The Conference will be held back-to-back with “SMIDEX 2012 exhibition” which will provide the platform for SMEs to exhibit and showcase their innovative products and services. During the SMIDEX 2012, pre-arranged business matching session will also be held for participating companies.
 
SMIDEX 2012 and ASEAN-India SME Conference 2012 “Breaking Barriers, Building Success” is an avenue & platform for successful business networking and reinforced collaboration among Indian and ASEAN SMEs. The delegation will create opportunities for small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs to:
·         Understand the rules and regulations of doing business with ASEAN member countries
·         Get updated information and approaches on business, trade and investment potentials
·         Forge strategic business partnership and networking with the Large and Multi National Corporations
·         Enhance efficiency, profitability, and export competitiveness
·         Exhibit innovative products
 
Hon’ble Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak will inaugurate the event. The participants in the event are among prominent business leaders from both ASEAN Member States and India that have successfully taken their business to great heights of success. Over 800 participants from ASEAN Member States and India, including the Malaysian business community are expected to participate.
 
Given the strategic importance of the visit and your business interests, I request you to be part of this important delegation. May I request you to please let us know your interest to join the proposed delegation as per the enclosed Registration Proforma latest by May 15, 2012. Conference Programme as on date is also attached for your reference.
 
To defray a part of the organizational expenses a delegation fee Rs. 35000/- per company is being charged. This fee includes participation fee of 1 delegate, one exhibition booth, business matching, (This amount does not include airfare, hotel accommodation, local transport, etc of the delegate). Delegation fee for an additional delegate from the same company is Rs. 20,000/-.  In case you would like to participate in the conference and B2B meetings only the delegation fee would be Rs 20,000.  
 
Hurry! The number of booths is very limited (approx 10). Please note that the registration would be done on first come first serve basis.
 
Mr. Deepesh Sharma or Ms. Kriti Palni Surya at msme@ficci.com (Phones: 91-11-23487260/23487263; Fax: 23320714) would be happy to provide you more information on this initiative.
 
We look forward to hear from you on this at the earliest and with regards,
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Hemant Seth
Joint Director & Head – MSME
FICCI

Wednesday 25 April 2012

SonaPapers unveils the new “Natural Evolution”


The finest paper from the stable of Cordenons, now available with enhanced features
New Delhi, April 25th, 2012: Sona Commercial Pvt. Ltd. (SCPL) today, unveiled the new “Natural Evolution”, swatch book by H.E. GiacomoSanfelice di Monteforte, Ambassador of Italy to India, and eminent photographer & photo journalist, Padamshri Mr. Raghu Rai, at an event organized in New Delhi.
Natural Evolution is a premium superfine paper produced from one of the most respected mills in the world, GruppoCordenons, SpA, Italy. In India, this paper is solely distributed and marketed by Sona Commercial Pvt Ltd., India’s first multisite FSC Certified Paper Company.
On this occasion Mr. Sanjay Suneja, Managing Director, SCPL, said:“It is a matter of great pride for us to bring this quality paper to India. We are proud of our association with Cordenons, a brand of great repute and synonymous with quality and luxury in paper all across the globe.” Further he shares “Natural Evolution is one of the flagship brand and most sold items from the house of sona.”
Also present on the occasion, Mr. Philippe Virey ofGruppoCordenonsSpA, Italy, commented “At Cordenons, we believe in innovation and quality, and that is what distinguishes us from the others. Today world over, we are proud to list some of the most prestigious luxury brands as regular users of this paper for their brochures, packaging or corporate communications, such as DOLCE & GABBANA, CARTIER, LOUIS VUITTON, HERMES, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, L’OCCITANE en Provence, BURBERRY’S, ROLEX” He continues “Gruppo Cordenons is proud of the collaboration with Sona for Indian sub-continent market.”
In India, NaturalEvolution is behind several prestigious jobs done on paper, like, Kingfisher’s Annual Calendar, Mercedes Corporate Brochure, Save the Tigers Campaign Calendar, ICC Word Cup Brochure, M F Hussain Coffee Table book, World famous Nobel prize winner RabindraNath Tagore’sChitravali,and many other prominent jobs of Designer JJ Valaya, Citi Bank, Cairn India, DLF, Unitech to name a few.
Since the introduction of this paper in the Indian market, it has made its own niche and is synonymous with fine paper. Natural Evolution is today the first preference by designers, printers and corporates because of its unique feel, texture quality and high printability. Natural Evolution is ideal for Greeting cards, Invitations, Catalogues, Calendars, Covers, Editions, Trade collaterals, Packaging, Annual reports, Monographs, Display boxes and others.
The new Natural Evolution is now available in India in wider variety and with enhanced coating, which is a result of years of innovation and R & D by Cordenons. Natural Evolution has been geared up for the next generation, reinforcing its top values, such as tremendous bulk, best printability, outcasting texture, top creasing perfomance.
About SCPL :Sona Commercial Pvt Ltd is the market leader deals into fine paper, recycled paper and dry grey boards, with an annual turnover of 150 cr. Established in 1966, Sona has been the name of high repute for introducing new and innovative range of specialty papers to its customer. Sona is sole distributor and has exclusive marketing rights of world’s finest paper in India & overseas market, in association with world’s leading paper mills likeGruppoCordenonssuper premium fine papers from Italy, Lenzing100% recycled paper from Austria, Montblanc bulk fine paper from Hansol, Korea & Won Wong grey dry board from Korea.
About Cordenons: GruppoCordenons, owned and managedby the Gilberti family for four generations, is the  Italian excellence in the manufacture of fine and technical paper, offering over 2,500 specialized products, for target and for application, to the international market, through a commercial presence in more than 80 countries in the world.
Gruppo Cordenons core business is only the highest quality of Fine Papers, and always devoting substantial resources to research and development of innovative and original paper in order to give an immediate response to client requirements, while keeping up with present trends, the company maintains an excellent quality of technological content and creativity. Besides the most advanced technologies, the company vocation for creating precious paper evoking the handmade paper elegance and charm remains intact for more than 400 years. The company has an annual capacity of producing 40,000 tons, with a consolidated turnover of more than 80 million Euros.
Gruppo Cordenons is also one of the most ancient and loyal supplier to the Godrej Industries for more than 20 years.