Railway Minister Announces Introduction of New Trains

Railway Minister Announces Introduction of New Trains and Other Services
The move Implements the Announcements made in the Railway Budget 2011-12

The Minister of Railways, Shri Dinesh Trivedi today announced introduction of 26 new trains, extension of five existing trains, increase in frequency of two existing trains and introduction of new five sub-urban trains.  Most of these new services announced were part of the Railway Budget 2011-12.  The trains announced in the Railway Budget 2011-12 are implemented by the end of the financial year i.e. 31^st March 2012.     With this announcement, 115 out of 132 new trains proposed for introduction during Railway Budget 2011-12 will get introduced, 19 out of 22 increase in frequency of trains proposed in Railway Budget 2011-12 will be effected and all the extension of trains proposed in Railway Budget 2011-12 will get implemented.  Efforts are being made to ensure introduction of other remaining services proposed in the Railway Budget 2011-12 by the stipulated date of 31^st March, 2012.  Today’s announcement include three Duronto, one Shatabdi, one fully AC Express, three  Rajyarani Express, nine Mail and Express services, three MEMU services, three DEMU services and five EMU services.

In case of new trains, local public representatives as per laid down protocol will be invited by the concerned Zonal Railway/Divisional Railway for the formal flagging off in next 7 to 10 days. 

Extension and increase in frequency of the existing trains will be introduced with immediate effect, as operationally feasible. 

The list of new trains, extension of existing services etc. is given below:

Sl	Train no. and name
1	12297/12298 Pune-Ahmedabad AC Duronto (Tri-weekly)
2	22209/22210 Mumbai Central-New Delhi AC Duronto (Bi-weekly)
3	19405/19406 Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur AC Express (Weekly)
4	12567/12568 Saharsa-Patna Rajya Rani Express (Daily)
5	22101/22102 Manmad-Mumbai Rajya Rani Express (Daily)
6	19261/19262 Porbander-Kochuvelli Express (Weekly)
7	22901/22902 Udaipur-Bandra(T) Express (Tri-weekly)
8	18511/18512 Visakhapatnam-Koraput Intercity Express
9	57477/57478 Tirupati-Guntakal Passenger (Daily)
10	58301/58302 Koraput-Sambalpur Passenger (Daily)
11	59425/59426 Bhuj-Palanpur passenger (Daily)
12	66302/66303 Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU (6 days a week)
13	77683/77684 Jalna-Nagarsol DEMU (6 days a week)
14	77686/77685 & 77688/77687 Kacheguda – Nizamabad DEMU (6 days a week)
15	77681/77682 & 77679/77680 Falaknuma-Medchal DEMU (6 days a week)
16	19027/19028 Bandra (T)-Jammu Tawi Vivek Express (Weekly)
17	12293/12294 Allahabad-  Mumbai  AC Duronto (Bi-weekly)
18	22454/22453 Meerut-Lucknow Rajya Rani Express (Daily)
19	13423/13424 Bhagalpur-Ajmer Express (Weekly)
20	12371/12372 Kolkata-Jaisalmer Express (Weekly)
21	22451/22452 Mumbai-Chandigarh Express (Weekly)
22	19407/19408 Varanasi-Ahmedabad Express (Weekly)
23	15033/15034 Haridwar-Ramnagar Express (Tri-weekly)
24	66019/66020 Salem-Katpadi MEMU (6 days a week) (Railway Budget 2010-11)
25	66300/66301 Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU (6 days a week) (Railway Budget 2010-11)
26	Introduction of Anandvihar-Kathgodam Shatabdi Express (4 days a week)

EXTENSION:

1. 59803/59802 Nagda-Kota Passenger extension upto Ratlam

2. 19603/19604 Sultanpur-Ajmer Express extension upto Ahmedabad

3. 12965/12966 Udaipur-Gwalior Express extension upto Khajuraho

4. 55007/55008 Hajipur-Thawe Passenger extension upto Kaptanganj

5.12891/12892 Bhubaneswar-Baripada Express extension upto Bangriposi

INCREASE IN FREQUENCY:

 1. 59025/59026 Surat-Amravati Fast Passenger from 2 to 3 days a week.

 2. 15279/15280 Saharsa-Adarsh Nagar Delhi Express from weekly to bi-weekly

SUBURBAN:

1       Avadi-Chennai Beach                         

2       Chennai Beach-Gummidipundi                                  

3       Gummidipundi-Chennai Beach                                   

4       Chennai Central-Tiruvallur                              

5       Tiruvallur-Chennai Central    

Posted 3 minutes ago by Nksagar

Press conference to protest the arrest of Syed Mohammad Kazmi

Press conference to protest the arrest of Syed Mohammad Kazmi

PRESS INVITE

Dear Sir,

              We are organizing a press conference to protest the arrest of Syed Mohammad Kazmi on March 10, 2012 at 3pm at Anhad office, 23, Canning Lane (Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukl Lane), New Delhi-110001.

We will also be releasing a statement condemning the arrest of Syed Mohammad Kazmi signed by citizens and prominent people.

The following will address the press conference: Saeed Naqvi, ND Pancholi, Manisha Sethi, Sukumar Muralidharan, Shabnam Hashmi

We request you to kindly depute a reporter and a press reporter to cover the press conference.

Yours sincerely

Shabnam Hashmi

9811807558

Hanoi:Internationlsl conference on nuclear power assessment

Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) held on Thursday an international conference on consultation of nuclear power legal assessment in Vietnam.
Participants to the conference include foreign scientists and experts from Russia, France, Japan, the U.S., South Korea, Germany and Britain.

They exchanged experience and information with the Vietnamese legal agencies on building a necessary roadmap for foreign consultants to join in the assessment of nuclear power operations in Vietnam.
Addressing the conference, MoST Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien said nuclear power has become an important power source worldwide and it receives due attention to become an important part in the power industry in many countries.Vietnam's consistent viewpoint is to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes, to ensure safety, security and with responsibility, he stressed.

According to the national master plan to develop the power sector, by 2020, Vietnam's first nuclear plant will be operated and by 2030, a total of 10,700 MW of power will be produced, accounting for 10.1 percent of the country's total power output.In November 2009, Vietnam's National Assembly approved the project to build two nuclear power plants in central Ninh Thuan province with a designed capacity of about 4,000 MW. Each plant has two turbine groups.Vietnam has signed cooperative agreements with Russia and Japan on building these plants, said MoST. 

US report: China military cyber capability a threat

A US Congressional report warns that China's cyber-warfare capability has become a serious threat to the US military.The report was released on Thursday by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The commission is an independent body created by Congress to investigate the national security implications of US trade with China.The report says the Chinese military has integrated cyber-warfare into its major military drills since 2009.

It adds that Chinese capabilities in computer network operations have advanced to the point where they pose a genuine risk to US military operations in the event of a conflict.The report calls on the US government to deal with the situation immediately. It warns that Chinese keyboard-launched attacks could delay or degrade a potential military response in a possible conflict over Taiwan or disputes in the South China Sea.

Last week, the US commander for the Asia-Pacific region, Admiral Robert Willard, told a Congressional hearing that cyber attacks are the biggest threat to the US military.Concerns are mounting in the United States over possible cyber attacks by China and Russia.

Deliberations are currently under way in Congress over cyber security legislation to protect US networks, as there is currently no clear legal framework for counterattack measures.

Rural Development Ministry proposes 40% increase in sanitation projects

The Union government is seriously considering to 40 percent increase for sanitation sector in the annual budget this year. Indicating this the Union minister for Rural Development, Shri Jairam Ramesh announced to launch a nationwide sanitation campaign with title “ Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan”. Addressing a group of liberated manual scavengers during his visit to Sulabh headquarters here, he said that the government is considering to increase the grant of Rs.3 thousand to Rs.7-8 thousands for the construction of individual toilets in rural areas. He said that his ministry would focus on the implementation of sanitation related issues at gram panchayat level. He aanounced to open a “sanitation club” for each and every school of the country and the ministry will provide an annual grant of Rs.3000 for every sanitation club to create awareness among children at grass root level.

Appreciating the efforts of Sulabh International in the field of Sanitation, Sh Ramesh urged it’s founder Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak to focus on rural areas to achieve the target of total sanitation in the country. Lauding the initiative of Sulabh,the minister said that there is a need of the construction of at least one lakh toilets in rural areas to achieve total sanitation cover in next ten years.He requested Dr. Pathak to come forward to support government`s aim in this regard.

Expressing great concern over the issue of open defecation in India, the Minister pointed out that country still lacks in the field of sanitation.He called upon NGOs to launch awareness campaigns to motivate for use of toilets instead of going for open defecation.

Trivedi dismisses mid term poll remark

Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi today asserted that Trinamool will not rock the UPA Government and dismissed his remark on mid term poll as just an idea exchanged in a forum. He said it is not his views as a minister or a Trinamool Congress member. He emphatically said that it should not be taken in any other context. He said it is not a statement on the present political situation.

Trivedi said as a student of politics, he was analysing the political situation and given his opinion as an individual, not as a minister or a Trinamool Congress member.

PTI says, leaders close to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, however, expressed annoyance at Trivedi's statement ahead of the Budget Session. Its Parliamentary Party will meet in Kolkata on Friday and the issue is likely to be discussed.

Louis Philippe Cup 2012

Mithun Perera’s 65 powers Navratna Ahmedabad to top position Take Chennai, Puravankara Bangalore & Dev-Ellora Chandigarh complete semi-final line-up

Bangalore, March 8, 2012: Navratna Ahmedabad finished as the highest-ranked team after day two of the Louis Philippe Cup 2012 at the KGA golf course in Bangalore. Mithun Perera’s sublime seven under 65 and Vikrant Chopra’s four under 68 powered the Ahmedabad team to a total of 273 for the first two rounds. The other three teams to enter the semi-final stage along with Navratna Ahmedabad were Take Chennai (274), Puravankara Bangalore (276) and Dev-Ellora Chandigarh (278).

Navratna Ahmedabad, the top-ranked team after round two, will now take on Dev-Ellora Chandigarh which was ranked fourth, in one of the semi-final clashes on Friday. Second-placed Take Chennai will play third-ranked Puravankara Bangalore in the other semi-final. The teams outside the top-4 will play for fifth to 10^th position. The semi-finals and other clashes on Friday will be played in the match-play format with three singles matches comprising each encounter.

Navratna Ahmedabad (140-133) sealed the top spot on Thursday after firing 11 under 133 for the day. Mithun Perera posted a 65 while Vikrant Chopra shot a 68 to propel their team into the semis. Perera made eight birdies against a bogey in his extraordinary round. The Sri Lankan landed shots within three feet from over 100 yards on three occasions to set up birdies on the fifth, 12^th and 16^th.

Perera said, “I hit some good tee shots and approach shots today. I hit it very close to the pin through the day. I’m really enjoying the conditions over here. The only disappointment was missing a few putts from four to five feet. I’d like to continue playing like this over the next two days.

“The camaraderie in the team has helped us perform to our potential. I’m looking forward to the match-play format over the next two rounds as I have done well in match-play in the past.”

Anura Rohana, the other Sri Lankan in the tournament, continued his golden run with a bogey-free 65 to guide Take Chennai (138-136) to second position. SSP Chowrasia’s 71 meant the team finished with a second round score of 136.

Rohana, who had the best individual score (68) in round one, was in tremendous chipping form as he chipped-in from the edge for birdie on the seventh and narrowly missed eagles on two occasions when his chip shots from the edge landed within one foot of the pin.

The home team Puravankara Bangalore (139-137) shot a 137 on day two to be placed third. Anirban Lahiri with seven birdies and a bogey in his round of 66 was the star performer for Bangalore. Manav Jaini’s 71 also contributed towards the team total.

Dev-Ellora Chandigarh (139-139) edged out Ansal API Lucknow (140-138) for the fourth and last semi-final spot in dramatic fashion. Chandigarh’s Gaganjeet Bhullar (70) made a tricky chip-putt for par on the final hole while his team-mate Harendra Gupta (69) holed a 10-footer for birdie on the same hole to equal Lucknow’s two-day tally of 278.

Chandigarh made it through to the last four on account of a better score by their third player Sujjan Singh (72) as compared to Lucknow’s third player Sanjay Kumar (74). The top two scores for Lucknow were posted by Md Siddikur Rahman (67) and Vijay Kumar (71).

One of the most exciting clashes slated for Friday is the match-up between two of India’s all-time golfing greats Jeev Milkha Singh (Shubhkamana Noida) and Jyoti Randhawa (DLF Gurgaon). These two giants of Indian golf go head-to-head in a singles match-play encounter for the first time ever as their respective teams fight it out for ninth and 10^th positions.

In the Intercity Pro-Am competition, DLF Gurgaon emerged winners with a score of 566. DLF Gurgaon comprised of professionals (with their respective scores in brackets) – Jyoti Randhawa (72), Himmat Singh Rai (72), Digvijay Singh (72) and amateurs – Mr. Gurmehar Singh Sethi (70), Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Cheema (71) and Mr. Manmohan Chopra (78). Navratna Ahmedabad was placed second at 570.

Pak SC :Revive graft cases against Zardari

Pak SC :Revive graft cases against Zardari

Pakistan's Supreme Court today directed Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to ask Swiss authorities to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and to submit a report on the issue on March 21. The apex court said in an order that Gilani should write a letter to the Swiss authorities without waiting to seek the advice of his legal experts. It asked him to file a report giving details of the action taken by him at the next hearing.

A seven-judge bench led by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk said, contempt proceedings initiated against Gilani for failing to act on the court’s earlier orders to revive the cases against Zardari would continue simultaneously. The bench asked Gilani to record his detailed response to the contempt proceedings by March 21, failing which final arguments in the case would get underway.

Emerging from the hearing, Gilani's lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan told reporters that the bench had asked the Premier to submit a detailed statement by March 19 or to appear in person and record his statement on March 21.

The Supreme Court recently indicted Gilani for contempt of court after he refused to act on orders to reopen cases of alleged money laundering against President Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland.

Lucknow ruler enjoy national status

UP being the landscape of Indian politics has its own advantage of being the most populous state.With largest number of parliamentarian constituency, the mega  assembly with 403 members  has its pivotal  path of Upper house members the chunk of Rajya Sabha members.UP State in pathetic state where development needs to be taken on priority finds snail pace,therefore the dynamic of politics remain in shell of community.

Muslims,Dalits has rare opportunity of  appropriate education,health,employment are cause of impoverish state and poverty.Congress and BJP do not take advantage of party workers their leadership qualities and mass appeal in the selection of candidates.Party worker and leaders have the same complaints about the national leaders.But silver lining is that Uttar Pradesh elected more than 15% of its muslim community strength with equal record 63 Muslim legislators to the 403-member state assembly in the just-concluded elections out of which. 40 Muslim candidates of the Samajwadi Party and 14 are of BSP Congress has three and three Muslim candidates of the Peace Party and two of the Kaumi Ekta Dal were elected, as was one Independent.

Amazingly BSP dedicated works and leaders raised the same rhythm  of Maya being inaccessible and sparingly meets its dedicated comrades of their community. Mayawati former Chief Minister showered blame at the Muslims  not falling in line on her election debacle. Maya's claim that over 70 per cent of Muslims voted for the SP could be tenable as she has failed to please her insider so the rumour mill that she is not helpful for the lower community which follow sheep mentality alienated from the BSP and fell like bursting cloud on SP rostrum.

SP with its Prince Akhilesh Yadav with discipline vocabulary and diction being his maiden election has given the people of UP the hope of development  along with sense of belonging to their caste and the higher caste parties talking walking and behaving like super humans with pinch of arrogance cased their fortune in UP election.

Congress rule is under gloom,their continued arrogance can bring Mamata, Maya,DMK Jaylalitha,SP with consensus candidate   for the top post can overturn the government at the centre.Three important political events has to take place, Election Commission of India, notification to be issued March 12 for 58 Rajya Sabha members retiring across 15 states, the election of Rajya Sabha members, second ensuing election in state of Karnataka Gujarat, and Himachal and finally the election of President of India,the key to all appointments.

Upper house members due to retire include: Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Rajasthan), BSP's Naresh Chandra Aggarwal (Uttar Pradesh) and union minister Mukul Roy of Trinamool Congress (West Bengal), and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Rajniti Prasad (Bihar),BJP's Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley (Gujarat), Ravi Shankar Prasad (Bihar), Hema Malini (Karnataka), Kalraj Mishra, Vinay Katiyar (both Uttar Pradesh), Congress' Raashid Alvi (Andhra Pradesh) and Rajya Sabha deputy chairman K. Rahman Khan (Karnataka), 

UP politics  is the breeding ground of Indian leadership but with dynastic parties culture the new parties may emerge but retain the inner core structure is always tied with tenterhooks and thus smash into pieces in the local to national elections.

International Day for Women: Women as peacemakers

International Day for Women: Women as peacemakers

Rene Wadlow

2012-03-07, Issue 573

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/80547

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cc J HIt is only when women start to organise in large numbers that we become a political force, and begin to move towards the possibility of a truly democratic society in which every human being can be brave, responsible, thinking, and diligent in the struggle to live at once freely and unselfishly.

8 March is the International Day of Women first proposed by Clara Zetkin (1857-1933) at the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen in 1911. Zetkin, who had lived some years in Paris and was active in women’s movements there, was building on the 1889 International Congress for Feminine Works and Institutions held in Paris under the leadership of Ana de Walska. De Walska was part of the circle of young Russian and Polish intellectuals in Paris around Gerard Encausse, a spiritual writer who wrote under the pen name of Papus. For this turn-of-the-century spiritual milieu influenced by Indian and Chinese thought, ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ were related to the Chinese terms of Yin and Yang. Men and women alike have these psychological characteristics. “Feminine” characteristics or values include intuitive, nurturing, caring, sensitive, relational traits, while “masculine” characteristics are rational, dominant, assertive, analytical and hierarchical.

As individual persons, men and women alike can achieve a state of wholeness, of balance between the Yin and Yang. However, in practice “masculine” refers to men and “feminine” to women. Thus, some feminists identify the male psyche as the prime cause of the subordination of women around the world. Men are seen as having nearly a genetic coding that leads them to “seize” power, to institutionalize that power through patriarchal societal structures, and to buttress the power with masculine values and culture.

One of the best-known symbols of a woman as peacemaker is Lysistrata, immortalized by Aristophanes, who mobilized women on both sides of the Athenian-Spartan War for a sexual strike in order to force men to end hostilities and avert mutual annihilation. In this, Lysistrata and her co-strikers were forerunners of the American humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow who proposed a hierarchy of needs in The Farther Reaches of Human Nature: water, food, shelter, and sexual relations being the foundation (Maslow 1971). Maslow is important for conflict resolution work because he stresses dealing directly with identifiable needs in ways that are clearly understood by all parties and with which they are willing to deal at the same time.

Addressing each person’s underlying needs means you move toward solutions that acknowledge and value those needs rather than denying them. To probe below the surface requires redirecting the energy towards asking: what are your real needs here? What interests need to be serviced in this situation?’ The answers to such questions significantly alter the agenda and provide a real point of entry into the negotiation process.

It is always difficult to find a point of entry into a conflict, that is, a subject on which people are willing to discuss because they sense the importance of the subject and all sides feel that “the time is ripe” to deal with the issue. The art of conflict resolution is highly dependent on the ability to get to the right depth of understanding and intervention into the conflict. All conflicts have many layers. If one starts off too deeply, one can get bogged down in philosophical discussions about the meaning of life. However, one can also get thrown off track by focusing on too superficial an issue on which there is relatively quick agreement. When such relatively quick agreement is followed by blockage on more essential questions, there can be a feeling of betrayal.

Since Lysistrata, women, individually and in groups, have played a critical role in the struggle for justice and peace in all societies. However, when real negotiations begin, women are often relegated to the sidelines. However a gender perspective on peace, disarmament, and conflict resolution entails a conscious and open process of examining how women and men participate in and are affected by conflict differently. It requires ensuring that the perspectives, experiences, and needs of both women and men are addressed and met in peace-building activities. Today, conflicts reach everywhere. How do these conflicts affect people in the society — women and men, girls and boys, the elderly and the young, the rich and poor, the urban and the rural?

I would stress three elements that seem to me to be the “gender” contribution to conflict transformation efforts:


1) The first is in the domain of analysis, the contribution of the knowledge of gender relations as indicators of power. Uncovering gender differences in a given society will lead to an understanding of power relations in general in that society, and to the illumination of contradictions and injustices inherent in those relations.

2) The second contribution is to make us more fully aware of the role of women in specific conflict situations. Women should not only be seen as victims of war: they are often significantly involved in taking initiatives to promote peace. Some writers have stressed that there is an essential link between women, motherhood, and non-violence, arguing that those engaged in mothering work have distinct motives for rejecting war that runs in tandem with their ability to resolve conflicts non-violently. Others reject this position of a gender bias toward peace and stress rather that the same continuum of non-violence to violence is found among women as among men. In practice, it is never all women or all men who are involved in peace-making efforts. Sometimes, it is only a few, especially at the start of peace-making efforts. The basic question is how best to use the talents, energies, and networks of both women and men for efforts at conflict resolution.

3) The third contribution of a gender approach with its emphasis on the social construction of roles is to draw our attention to a detailed analysis of the socialization process in a given society. Transforming gender relations requires an understanding of the socialization process of boys and girls, and of the constraints and motivations that create gender relations. Thus, there is a need to look at patterns of socialization, potential incitements to violence in childhood training patterns, and socially approved ways of dealing with violence.

Awareness that there can be “blind spots” in men’s visions is slowly dawning in high government circles. The UN Security Council, at the strong urging of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on 31 October 2011 issued Resolution 1325 which calls for full and equal participation of women in conflict prevention, peace processes, and peace-building, thus creating opportunities for women to become fully involved in governance and leadership. This historic Security Council Resolution 1325 provides a mandate to incorporate gender perspectives in all areas of peace support. Its adoption is part of a process within the UN system through its World Conferences on Women in Mexico City (1975), in Copenhagen (1980), in Nairobi (1985), in Beijing (1995), and at a special session of the U.N. General Assembly to study progress five years after Beijing (2000).

There is growing recognition that it is important to have women in politics, in decision-making processes and in leadership positions. The strategies women have adapted to get to the negotiating table are testimony to their ingenuity, patience and determination. Solidarity and organization are crucial elements. 8 March: International Day of Women is a reminder of the steps taken and the distance yet to be covered.

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* Rene Wadlow, President and Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, Association of World Citizens.

To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day

To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day
We organize panel disscussion on Women Empowerment
&

At
Speaker Hall, Constitution Club of India,
Rafi Marg, New Delhi
Between : 4pm to 7 pm, on March-17th-2012

Vedanta Resources, the British mining giant

Stop Vedanta from broadcasting its false advertisement Sign Kamayani's Petition Dear Naresh, Vedanta Resources, the British mining giant, spent millions of dollars on a campaign called ‘creating happiness’. But the truth is that Vedanta has destroyed the happiness and livelihoods of many communities where it has carried out its mining. Kamayani, a human rights lawyer from Mumbai, started a campaign against Vedanta’s misleading advertisement. She successfully managed to convince actress Gul Panag and filmmaker Shyam Benegal to withdraw their support from the campaign. Kamayani says, “Vedanta is desperate to clean up its image so that it can continue to displace tribals and destroy landscapes without opposition from the Indian public.” Join Kamayani in her demand and tell Ambika Soni, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, to take Vedanta’s untruthful ad off the air. Sign her petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/ambika-soni-stop-vedanta-from-broadcasting-their-misleading-ad-campaign "We need to get more people aware of Vedanta’s lies: it is NOT an Indian company, neither does it have anything to do with the Vedas," adds Kamayani. Join Kamayani in spreading the truth about Vedanta -- a British company that mines India’s natural resources, destroys natural heritage and fails to adequately compensate the communities it displaces. Sign and share her campaign Thanks for your support, Tamseel and the Change.org team News Sources Vedanta’s ‘happiness’ backfires; celebrities pull out of PR campaign: http://vimeo.com/11183545

Uttarakhand hung results

Party	Win	Lead
BJP	31	-
INC	32	-
BSP	03	-
SP	-	-
Others	03	-

Uttarakhand(70) Out of all the 70 results, Congress won 32 seats-four short of majority in the 70-member House and ruling BJP followed closely with 31 seats.Congress sources said the party would seek the support from three successful independent candidates as well as UKD, which won one seat, for government-making.BSP won three seats and could also hold the to government formation in the state.As Congress emerged as the single largest party, a delegation of the party called on Governor Margaret Alva late this evening and staked claim to form new government. Congress has also convened a meeting of the CLP tomorrow, party sources said.The biggest setback for BJP came when chief minister B C Khanduri, who led the party at the hustings, was defeated by S S Negi of Congress from Kotdwar seat by 4632 votes. He is the first Chief Minister who lost the elections in the 12-year history of the state carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.Congress and BSP failed to make headway in Haridwar and Udhamsingh Nagar districts this time which have a sizeable Muslim population. In both the two districts, BJP sprang a surprise by bagging 12 out of a total 20 seats. Former minister and Congress leader Indira Haridayesh wrested Haldwani seat from BJP by Renu Adhikari.
State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal won from Didihaat constituency.
PCC chief Yashpal Arya emerged triumphant from Baajpur seat and the leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat won from Rudraprayag seat.
Both Arya and Rawat are being seen as hot contenders for the post of chief minister.
A number of ministers in the BJP government, including Parliamentary Affairs minister Prakash Pant, Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Revenue Minister Diwakar Bhatt and Education Minister Matbar Singh Kandari were defeated at the hustings

Seminar - Japan-India Relations

Seminar on Japan-India Relations: Retrospect and Future Perspectives. March 14 2012,10.00 AM India International Centre 40 Max Muller Marg, Lodhi Estate Delhi (NCR) Mr Yasuki Enoki, former Japanese Ambassador; Shri Arjun Asrani, former Indian Ambassador to Japan; Prof K.V. Kesavan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation; Prof Nobuko Nagasaki, Ryukoku University, Tokyo.

SP landslide win in UP

 Congress leader Ambika Soni today said  that the election results in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab did not match party's expectations. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Ms Soni said the poll outcome was a lesson for the party, but will not affect the UPA government at the Centre in anyway. Party leader Rajiv Shukla also admitted that the results, especially in Punjab, were disappointing for the party.

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has said that the results of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are not on the expected lines. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rahul said he accepted responsibility of the short comings in the poll results. Rahul said he had strived to expand the political base of the Party in Uttar Pradesh and had worked with the poor and the farmers.

The Assembly poll trends he said, favours the Samajwadi party. Rahul said, the Organisational strength of the Congress Party in Uttar pradesh is not strong enough. Rahul said his work to improve the political system of the country will continue.

Samajwadi's star campaigner and party leader Akhilesh Yadav said today that the giant statues of BSP supremo Mayawati and party symbol elephant in Uttar Pradesh will remain safe. He said statues will not be pulled down after the change of guard in the state. He said that the party will fulfill the promises made in its manifesto. Mr. Yadav said that Mulayam Singh will be the next chief minister of the state.
BJP President Nitin Gadkari said the UP assembly results were not according to their expectations and they will examine the weaknesses.

Meanwhile Samajwadi Party will hold its parliamentary party meeting tomorrow to decide about its Chief Ministerial candidate. Party spokesman Ram Gopal Yadav said that his party is confident of getting absolute majority in the state. He said, Samajwadi Party will continue to support the UPA government at the centre.
Mr Shukla, however, said that Congress has improved its previous tally in Uttar Pradesh. Union Law minister Salman Khursheed said the Congress has made some interesting gains in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr Khursheed said there are some disappointments also for the party.
                                                           Uttar Pradesh(403)

Party	Win	Lead
BSP	74	06
Cong	26	02
RLD	09	-
BJP	44	03
Others	15	-
SP	217	07
Alliances: [Cong + RJD], [BJP + Samajwadi]

Readers Launch of The Urban Monk Diaries – by iTransform

                                                         

Readers Launch of The Urban Monk Diaries –

by iTransform  at 20^th World Book Fair, New Delhi, India 2012

iTransform organized a very unique Readers’ launch of “The Urban Monk Diaries : The adventure begins” - the first book in an adventure trilogy that helps cultivate an enlightened mind for life in the city. The theme resonated with the audience who had come from different walks of life – students, artists, working professionals, Senior Executives and families. At an event organized at the World book fair, the youngest reader of the book, 11-year old Abby George unveiled the book. Several long time, ardent readers from the city, shared their personal experiences with the book and their own transformation journeys. The book is authored by Ramesh Babu Mohankrishnan, who works as a Director of Strategy and Planning in a Global MNC and writes under the pen-name @UM. The book is published by iTransform Pvt. Ltd – a startup venture focused on crafting Real-World Transformation journeys – for individuals, corporations and communities.

The Book is available online at www.planetitransform.com and www.flipkart.com for Indian customers soon to be released in selective retail outlets pan-india.

Mr. Ramesh (Under the pen-name @UM) introduced his book, “Thanks to the enormous support I have received from readers who have followed this adventure online for many years. There is already a thriving community of online readers in excess of 40,000 across the globe. With the launch of this book, I hope more people will have an opportunity to experience first hand, this engaging and entertaining adventure. Each of us lives in many life spaces in the city – personal, career, family and social. We pursue happiness in various ways. But invariably, we accumulate stress and experience numerous conflicts along the way. The wisdom of the ages has always pointed to the cultivation of the Enlightened mind as the lasting solution to this problem. In these interesting times we live in, accessing this wisdom has become a very urgent need, as we learn to deal with increasing uncertainty, volatility, competition and insecurity in urban living. The best way to experience this book is to live the adventure. Make it personal. You will discover many insights on your own life along the way. Go as far as you can go. Who knows, you may find a treasure at the end.”

Mr. Gana Vadlamani, CEO & MD, iTransform Pvt. Ltd. says on the book, “We are not a Publishing company. We are a company that is building out a comprehensive platform to enable powerful transformation journeys. Our management team found the approach and content of the book very refreshing, innovative and insightful in a range of life situations. We had an overwhelming response to this book at the World book fair. We are now working closely with the author to adapt the content of the book for our Personal Transformation Programs, Retreats and Online products for individuals and corporates.”

About the book:

Urban Life. Enlightened mind.

Is it even possible to mention them in the same sentence? The two appear to belong to different worlds.

Urban life unfolds in the midst of office skyscrapers, convenient relationships, stressful careers and the corridors of power.

Enlightened mind - the mastery of the self - is attained in the solitude of dark forests, mystical mountains, secret mantras and ancient teachings.



How can the two co-exist?

Welcome to The Urban monk diaries. An adventure spanning one world, many people and many lifetimes. Through it, you will learn The Way of the Urban Monk; and begin to fall in love with both worlds. All over again.

It is an adventure that we believe, will refresh, renew and rejuvenate you.

Oh..But one small thing...

To finish the adventure, you will need to find a treasure. A treasure that returns to you, the keys to your freedom.

The Urban Monk diaries offers you 100 clues to find it. Whether you discover the treasure in the first clue or the 100th or not find it at all is up to you.

Yet, the treasure has been hidden in plain sight. Forever. Many before you have found it.

But this time, the seekers start the treasure hunt from the heart of the city.



Start your treasure hunt now...

Uttar Pradesh(403) Punjab(117) Uttarakhand(70)Goa(40)Manipur(60)

Uttar Pradesh(403)	Punjab(117)
Party Win Lead SP 0 190 BSP 0 81 Cong 0 47 RLD 0 0 BJP 0 50 Others 0 20 Alliances: [Cong + RJD], [BJP + Samajwadi]	Party Win Lead Cong 1 30 SAD 1 54 BJP 0 12 Left 0 0 PPOP 0 0 Others 0 03 Alliances: [SAD+BJP], [Left+PPOP]

Manipur(60)	Uttarakhand(70)	Goa(40)
Party Win Lead NCP 0 0 MPP 0 01 JDU 0 0 RJD 0 0 BJP 0 0 Cong 10 11 Others 1 05 CPI 0 2 NPF 01 02 AITC 03 04 MSCP 1 02 Alliances: [PDF = NCP + MPP + JDU + CPM + RJD]	Party Win Lead BJP 1 26 INC 0 30 BSP 0 0 SP 0 0 Others 0 05	Party Win Lead Cong 0 03 NCP 0 01 BJP 0 08 MGP 0 01 Trinamool 0 0 Others 0 04 Alliances: [Cong +

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