Rama Pandey’s book “Begum Bano aur Khatoon”

Rama Pandey’s book “Begum Bano aur Khatoon”

Shriprakash Jaiswal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Coal today launched Rama Pandey’s book “Begum Bano aur Khatoon” at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel, New Delhi. Dignitaries like Javed Akhtar – Padma Bhushan Poet & Lyricist, Muzaffar Ali – Padma Shri, Film Maker & Artist, Ashok Chakradhar – Chairperson Hindi Sahitya Academy & Poet and Mamta Sharma – Chairperson for National Commission for women were the Guests of Honour along with the presence of Ghazal Maestro Ghulam Ali, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard- Najeeb Jung and Prabha Thakur, Member of parliament. The book launch was followed by Sufi music, the music which is referred as the music of the soul, from the Rajasthani artists “Babu Khan Manganiyar with group and Jamila Khatoon, Last Court singer of Royal Jodhpur tradition”.

Begum Bano aur Khatoon talks about the trail and tribulation of Indian Muslim women. It’s about their struggle, resilience and their success story. The book carries with itself seven incidences which are heart touching and sensitive. The book celebrates the strength and courage of Indian Muslim women. The author has very closely followed these women and was awestruck with their desire to change their lives’ for a better tomorrow. The book consists of real life stories of Muslim women of modest traditional background who mustered courage and determination to fight for their rights and went ahead to live their lives with dignity. The incidences imprinted in the book have been composed in the ‘drama’ style of literature.

Commenting on the launch of her book Ms. Rama Pandey said, “This book actually reveals the current situation of Indian Muslim women who are often not given the opportunity to prove their real worth. Begum, Bano aur Khatoon is like a dream coming true for me. I have followed these women very closely and now is the time to celebrate & salute their success. They are path breakers, fighters and achievers in true sense”.
Begum Bano aur Khatoon depicts range of emotions and establishes the emerging face of our society. Different stories highlight the zeal among these women who strive to dream and are determined to change their lives. The journey from a house wife to an entrepreneur; riveting story of entering unconventional profession and becoming Criminal Lawyer; fighting the curse of Talak (Divorce) and giving hope to others; a parachute jumper fighting the boredom of household chores whose husband is away working in Saudi Arabia and a girl athlete whose pre conditions on her Nikaah shocks the society.

Posted by Nksagar at 7:38 PM

बैसाखी की पंजाब सहित देशभर में धूम

 

 बैसाखी की पंजाब सहित देशभर में धूम..पंजाब और हरियाणा के किसान सर्दियों की फसल काटने के बाद नये साल की खुशियां मनाते है इसलिए बैसाखी पंजाब और आसपास के प्रदेशों का सबसे बड़ा त्योहार है और फसल पकने की खुशी का प्रतीक है..इसी दिन 13 अप्रैल 1699 को गुरु गोविंद सिंह ने खालसा पंथ की स्थापना की थी जिसे सिख सामूहिक जन्मदिवस के रुप में मनाते है..आज बैसाखी के पावन अवसर पर गुरुद्वारों में अरदास और कीर्तन का आयोजन किया जा रहा है वही रंगारंग कार्यक्रम के जरिये भी खुशियां मनाई जा रही है...

भारत और पाकिस्तान स्थित वाघा बार्डर पर इंटीग्रेटेड चेक पोस्ट का शुभारंभ..भारत और पाकिस्तान के बीच व्यापार को बढावा देने के लिए आज दोनो देशों के बीच इंटीग्रेटेड चेक पोस्ट शुरु हो जायेगा..इस मौके पर पाकिस्तान के वाणिज्यमंत्री अमीन फहीम और भारतीय गृहमंत्री पी.चिदम्बरम इस चेक पोस्ट का उदघाटन करेंगे..इस पहल से ट्रकों के सीमापार आने जाने में काफी आसानी होगी जिससे व्यापार बढना लाजिमी है...स्थानीय कारोबारियों के मुताबिक चेक पोस्ट चार गुना बढ जायेगा पहले पंजाब का सारा कार्गो गुजरात और मुंबई से जा रहा था लेकिन अब ये पंजाब के

Steel Minister met Afghan President in Kabul

The Union Minister of Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma met the President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Shri Hamid Karzai on 10th April, 2012. It is noteworthy that this was the first ever visit of an Indian Economic Minister to Afghanistan. They discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation and mutual development between the two countries. Shri Karzai stressed on the need for better participation of Indian private and public sector companies in various mining projects in Afghanistan.

A Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed between the two countries in the presence of the Prime Minister of India during the visit of the President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Shri Hamid Karzai to India in October 2011. This was a step towards reinforcing cooperation in various sectors with special focus on mineral exploration and mining.

The Union Minister of Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma also met the Vice President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Shri Abdul Karim Khalili on the same day. During which the latter stressed on expediting implementation of projects.

Earlier on 9th, April, 2012, a meeting took place between the Minister of Steel and the Minister of Mines, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Shri Wahidullah Shahrani where they discussed the prospects of mineral exploration and mining as well as other related issues. An MoU on Co-operation in the Field of Steel Sector was also signed between Minister of Steel, Government of India and Minister of Mines, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The MoU will not just act as a catalyst in the development of Afghanistan but will also be a high point in ensuring co-operation in the two countries. The initiative will also facilitate greater economic ties between the two countries.

Steel Minister hailed the MoU as a significant measure aimed at strengthening ties with Afghanistan and boosting socio - economic restructuring of the country. He also described the MoU as a measure of encouraging investments by public and private sector Indian companies in Afghan Iron and Steel and other allied sectors.

The Steel Minister explained how India’s interests in Central Asia have grown in the recent years. The Indian Minister also said that Afghanistan should see things from a long term perspective and give preference to Indian private and public sector companies in exploration of other minerals also.

Shri Verma discussed Afghanistan’s importance from the energy standpoint and its significance as a reservoir of huge mineral wealth. The Minister stated that the country’s great natural wealth could transform it into one of the most important mining centres in the world.

Shri Verma also expressed his satisfaction over the SAIL led consortium being selected as a preferred bidder for the Hajigak iron ore project and said that after execution of the contract, the consortium would move ahead with exploration & geological studies. The Minister also mentioned that SAIL led another consortium is also bidding for Copper and Gold reserves in Afghanistan.

The Minister of Mines of Afghanistan, Shri Shahrani welcomed the Indian delegation and briefed them about the mineral potential of Afghanistan and the reforms under way in the Ministry of Mines. Both sides shared a common view of working together for the development of iron ore mines and setting up of industry in Afghanistan. The Afghan Minister expressed his hope that options for joint exploration of Afghanistan’s huge reserves of rare earth metals and ores for metals like tungsten, tin, bauxite, lead, zinc could also be worked out by the two countries.

Also present on the occasion were Secretary Steel, Shri D.R.S. Chaudhary, Chairman, SAIL, Shri C.S. Verma; CMD, NMDC, Shri N.K. Nanda and other senior officers from India and Afghanistan.

Lately India has undertaken many projects in Afghanistan in the areas of hydro-electric power, power transmission, road construction, industry, telecommunications, information and broadcasting and capacity building which are contribution to changing the face of the country. Besides, the Government of India is already exploring the possibility of developing a new route from the port of Chah Bahar on the Gulf to Kandahar-Heart highway of Afghanistan leading to Central Asia which would boost trade in the region and guarantee benefits to all the stakeholders.

सरकार को नहीं पता, विदेशों में कब-कहां गईं सोनिया

ऐसा लगता है कि यूपीए अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी की विदेश यात्राओं के बारे में किसी सरकारी विभाग के पास जानकारी नहीं है। इस बारे में जानकारी के लिए दाखिल आरटीआई अनेक मंत्रालयों में घूमती रही, लेकिन अंत तक जवाब नहीं मिल सका।


राजस्थान में भीलवाड़ा के रहने वाले कैलाश कंवर ने एक आरटीआई अर्जी दाखिल कर यूपीए और राष्ट्रीय सलाहकार परिषद की अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी द्वारा पिछले दो साल के दौरान की गई विदेश यात्राओं के बारे में जानकारी मांगी है। उन्होंने अपने आवेदन के माध्यम से हाल ही में कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष द्वारा इलाज के लिए अमेरिका जाने की यात्रा का भी ब्योरा मांगा है। विदेश मंत्रालय को दिया गया यह आवेदन आरटीआई अधिनियम के तहत संसदीय कार्य मंत्रालय और सांख्यिकी तथा कार्यक्रम कियान्वयन मंत्रालय भेज दिया गया। विदेश मंत्रालय ने आवेदन यह कहते हुए वापस कर दिया कि संसद सदस्य के तौर पर सोनिया गांधी की विदेश यात्राओं पर जानकारी देने के लिहाज से संबंधित विभाग संसदीय कार्य मंत्रालय के पास है।


विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा, 'राष्ट्रीय सलाहकार परिषद की अध्यक्ष के नाते सोनिया गांधी की विदेश यात्राओं के बारे में जानकारी से सांख्यिकी और कार्यक्रम क्रियान्वयन मंत्रालय संबंधित है, इसलिए आरटीआई आवेदन को जरूरी कार्रवाई के लिए आरटीआई कानून: के तहत उन्हें भेजा जाता है।


सांख्यिकी मंत्रालय ने आवेदन को राष्ट्रीय सलाहकार परिषद (एनएसी) को भेजा और कहा कि वह एनएसी के सदस्यों या यूपीए अध्यक्ष के नाते सोनिया गांधी की या़त्राओं से जुड़े किसी मामले में किसी भी समय शामिल नहीं है। एनएसी ने कहा कि उसे इस मामले में कोई जानकारी नहीं है। एनएसी ने आवेदन को प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय को भेज दिया, चूंकि पीएमओ एनएसी के कामकाज में होने वाले पूरे खर्च की जानकारी रखता है।


प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय ने 20 अक्टूबर को दिए अपने जवाब में कहा, 'कार्यालय में मौजूद रिकॉर्ड में कोई जानकारी नहीं है।' संसदीय कार्य मंत्रालय ने भी कहा कि उसके रिकॉर्ड के अनुसार उसके पास सोनिया गांधी की विदेश यात्राओं के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है।

Global Award for Sustainable Architecture

 6th Edition, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture
5 architects awarded
Portraits by Marie-Hélène Contal
Salma Samar Damluji, London, G.B. - Daw’an, Yemen
Anne Feenstra, AFIR Architects, Kabul, Afghanistan -

 Arch i Platform, Dehli, India
Suriya Umpansiriratana, Bangkok, Thailand
Philippe Madec, Paris, France
TYIN Architects, Yashar Handstad, Trondheim, Norway
The timetable for 2012
Symposiums
LOCUS Practice Projects
Touring of the exhibition
Partners
LOCUS Foundation, Founder
Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine
GDF SUEZ Corporate Foundation
Scientifi c Committee
Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine, Paris
Centre International pour la Ville, l’Architecture et le Paysage,
Brussells
Università IUAV Venezia, Venice
Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki
International Architecture Biennale of Ljubljana
LOCUS Foundation, Paris

Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi

21 y 22 de septiembre de 2010 / September 21st and 22nd, 2010

TALLER: INTRODUCCIÓN A LAS SEVILLANAS Sábado 21 y domingo 22 De 4pm a 6:30pm Sinopsis: Abril es el mes de la Feria en Sevilla, qué mejor momento para aprender a bailar uno de los bailes españoles más universales, las sevillanas. Profesora: Rosalía Pérez, formada en flamenco, bailes latinos, danza africana y danza fusión oriental entre Puerto Rico y España. Con una larga trayectoria como profesora en Puerto Rico, España y Argentina. Matrícula: 1.000 INR Inscripciones: cenndel@cervantes.es / tel. 43681900 AVISO: Lamentamos anunciar la suspensión del concierto de Josemi Cardona en el Instituto Cervantes de Nueva Delhi el sábado 14 de abril. Aprovechamos la ocasión para informarles de que esta noche actuará junto al pianista Bugge Wesseltoft (Noruega), el bajista Shri (Reino Unido) y los percusionistas Amade Cossa from (Maputo), Khaled Yassine (Beirut) y Vivek Rajagopalan (Mumbai) en la sala BlueFROG de Delhi a las 10 pm. WORKSHOP: INTRODUCTION TO THE SEVILLANAS Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd From 4pm to 6:30pm Synopsis: April is the month of the April Fair in Seville, what a better time to learn to dance one of the most universal Spanish dances, the sevillanas. Teacher: Rosalia Perez formed in Latin dance, African dance and oriental fusion dance between Puerto Rico and Spain. With a long career as a teacher in Puerto Rico, Spain and Argentina. Enrollment: 1,000 INR Registration: cenndel@cervantes.es / tel. 43681900 NOTICE: We are sorry to announce the cancellation of the concert by Josemi Cardona at the Instituto Cervantes of New Delhi on Saturday 14th, April. We take this opportunity to inform you that tonight he will act along with the pianist Bugge Wesseltoft (Norway), the bassist Shri (UK) and the percussionists Cossa Amade (Maputo), Khaled Yassine (Beirut) and Vivek Rajagopalan (Mumbai) at BlueFROG, Delhi at 10 pm.

Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi 48, Hanuman Road Connaught Place 110 001 Nueva Delhi

INDIAN COAST GUARD STATION ANDROTH COMMISSIONED

 

Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands, Androth 12 April 2012

 

          Indian Coast Guard Station Androth, the third Coast Guard Station in the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands, was commissioned here today by VAdm KN Sushil, PVSM, AVSM, NM, ADC, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, in the presence of VAdm MP Muralidharan, AVSM, NM, Director General, Indian Coast Guard. IG SPS Basra, YSM, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region (West) and senior officials from the Central and UT Administration witnessed the Commissioning Ceremony.

 

          The Station is part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security in the island territories. The Station would be instrumental in monitoring sea-lanes of communication passing close to the islands, undertake surveillance in the Indian EEZ, as also prevent maritime crimes such as piracy and poaching of maritime resources.

 

          The Coast Guard already operates two stations in the strategically important islands at Kavaratti and Minicoy. A District Headquarter was also commissioned at Kavaratti in Dec 10 by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri AK Antony, as part of a comprehensive security review undertaken post 26/11. This has enabled day-to-day functioning of the Coast Guard to be directed and effectively monitored from the island territories itself, rather than the Coast Guard District Headquarter-4 located at Kochi as was the case previously. Additionally, the Coast Guard is also in the process of setting up a chain of static sensors with Automatic Identification System along the entire coastline of the country to enable effective monitoring of shipping and fishing traffic. A Coast Guard Air Station at Minicoy is also on the anvil.

 

          In his address during the Commissioning Ceremony, VAdm Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command dwelt upon the need for continuing coordination and synergy between various stakeholders involved in maritime and coastal security to overcome existing challenges. VAdm Muralidharan, Director General Indian Coast Guard highlighted that several far-reaching initiatives had been taken by the Coast Guard to augment force levels as also manpower to meet existing and future maritime challenges. Setting up of Stations at strategically important locations, such as this, would provide requisite fillip to coastal security efforts, he stated.

 

          The Station will function under the administrative and operational control of Commander, Coast Guard Region (West) through the Commander, Coast Guard District HQ-12 (L&M) located at Kavaratti.  Comdt P Shyam Kumar is the Commanding Officer of the Station, which has a complement of 47 Coast Guard personnel.

CPCB Report Condemns Incinerator of Jindal Ecopolis, Demand Scrapping

Residents, Environmentalists and Workers Demand Scrapping of Chinese Waste to Energy Incinerator

Construction of Incinerators in Okhla, Ghazipur and Narela-Bawana in Contempt of Supreme Court

CPCB Report Condemns Jindal Ecopolis, Reveals Disaster Management Plan Missing

April 12, 2012, New Delhi: Ongoing construction of waste incineration based power plants is an irresponsible way of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi government and central government to mask today's waste problems and pass the toxic burden they release on to future generations.

Environmental, resident and labour groups demand that all governments to start eliminating all Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This means stopping all existing POPs sources, including dioxins. To achieve this, all existing incinerators must be closed, any plans for new incinerators must be scrapped and investment made into other, safer methods of waste disposal.

The 31 page report of the Union Environment Ministry constituted Technical Experts Evaluation Committee of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant was communicated on March 22, 2012. The which is owned by Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant by Prithivraj Jindal’s JITF Urban Infrastructure Limited (Jindal Ecopolis) has violated every rule in the rule book including environmental clearance conditions. It revealed to the Experts Committee in September 2011 that it is using untested and unapproved Chinese incinerator technology in complete violation all laws and environmental clearance of 2007 including its own project design document and environment impact assessment report. The CPCB report, its critique and a Letter to the Prime Minister is attached.

During MCD elections underway, it has come to light that both Bhartiya Janta Party led MCD and Indian National Congress led Delhi government are colluding for the construction of three Dioxins emitting municipal waste incinerator based power plants for 66.9 MW power in Delhi unmindful of disastrous public health consequences disregarding bitter opposition from the residents of Okhla, Ghazipur and Narela-Bawana. In manifest contempt of Supreme Court’s order, Central government’s Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is providing Rs 1.5 crore/MW subsidy under its waste to energy policy. 

MCD, Delhi government and central government has shown unpardonable callousness towards hazardous emissions from municipal incinerators that cause serious environmental and health problems both to people living near them and thousands of kilometres from the source. These projects are destroying the livelihood of about 3.5 lakh waste recycling workers and valuable resource material for compost that is required to be treated by composting/anaerobic digestion/vermin composting/other biological processing for stabilization as per Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules.

A 14 page critique of the CPCB’s report was released at the Press Conference. The weakest point about the report is that it has done the technical evaluation of the plant after it has become functional. It should have been done prior to granting of permission for construction of waste incinerator based power plant. Representatives of GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) led by Dr. Juergen Porst, Senior Advisor stressed the need for a Disaster Management Plan in the very first meeting of the CPCB’s Technical Expert Committee. This does not find mention in the recommendations of the report. This finds reference in the minutes of the meeting annexed with the report. It underlines the possibility of disaster from the Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant, which is situated in a residential area. It is noteworthy that a hazardous plant in Bhopal’s residential area that led to world worst industrial disaster in 1984 also did not have any disaster management plan. 

In the report, Dr A B Akolkar, Director, CPCB emphasized that as per Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules ‘biodegrdable waste’ is to be treated using biological method rather than deriving RDF or by incineration as is being done by Jindal Ecopolis. This clearly demonstrates that the Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant violates the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules framed under Environment Protection Act, 1986. 

The Review of Technical Evaluation by Anant Trivedi, Member, Technical Evaluation Committee, CPCB reads: "The Okhla plant has a capacity of 2050 tpd of domestic waste input. However the plant design allows upto 10,000 tpd of input for incineration. Toxic bottom ash quantity produced will be 20-30% of input. This amounts to at least 410 tpd rising to a maximum of 3,000 tpd. Additionally there will be toxic flyash of about 10% of the bottom ash.None of the landfill sites have the capacity to take in so much toxic waste and mulba has been dumped every where including all public spaces." He asks, "so what is proposed to safeguard public health from this toxic substance?

The report apprehended that the information that is submitted to the experts committee of CPCB might be used in the on-going case in the Delhi High Court. It makes a shocking revelation that although High Court has been hearing the case since 2009, the project proponent did not inform the court about gross deviations from the project design plan envisaged in the EIA report. As per the minutes of the second meeting of the technical experts committee, non-cooperative approach of the senior officials of Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant was condemned on August 11, 2011. Representatives of GTZ underlined that there was lack of transparency with regard to environmental and health impact on the neighborhood residents. It was also noted that the fugitive emissions and the expected emission of Dioxins and Furans has not been quantified. The characteristic of ash and required standards was not mentioned. Prof. T R Sreekrishnan, Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology stated that disposal option for incineration instead of bio-methanation proposed for green waste is in violation of what was mentioned in the EIA report.

CPCB report steers clear of the fact that fiscal incentives for projects of power generation from MSW through new technologies violates Supreme Court’s Order: The court has put a stay on subsidy for waste to energy projects except 5 pilot projects based on Biomethanation technology. It has come to light that none of Delhi’s three projects are based on biomethanation technology and are not the pilot projects approved by the court. The Timarpir-Okhla project is getting incentives from the government although the apex court has put a stay on subsidy. Although the court’s order applies to Delhi’s other waste to energy incinerator projects as well but plants in Narela-Bawana and Ghazipur are under rapid construction by Ramky Company and GMR Company for generating 36 MW from 4000 tons of MSW in two phases and 10 MW from 1300 tons of MSW respectively with impunity.  The speakers at the Press Conference were Prof. SS Khanna, former Senior Advisor, Planning Commission, Dr Usha Ramanathan, Noted Jurist, Kavita Krishnan, Member, Central Committee, CPI(ML) Liberation & Editor, Liberation, Gopal Krishna, Convener, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Shashi Bhushan Pandit, All India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh (AIKMM), Dr Kehar Singh, Secretary, East Delhi, CPI and CBR Nair, General Secretary, Residents Welfare Association, Ghazipur.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, Convener, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Mb: 9818089660, Email: krishna1715@gmail.com, Web: toxicswatch.blogspot.com, Shashi Bhushan Pandit, All India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh (AIKMM), Mb: 9968413109, Asha Arora, Okhla Anti-incinerator Committee, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ghoslaokhla

Posted just now by Nksagar

Annual General Meeting and National Conference 2012 Industry’s Role in Nation Building: Government - Industry Partnership 17-18 April 2012, 0930 Hrs: Hotel Taj Palace, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi   Chief Guest at the Inaugural Session : Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Hon'ble Minister of Finance   CII’s National Conference and Annual General Meeting 2012 is scheduled for 17-18 April 2012 at New Delhi. The theme of this year’s National Conference and Annual General Meeting is “Industry’s Role in Nation Building: Government - Industry Partnership”. The National Conference will focus on the changing role of industry in Nation Building. The focus is on Bringing Growth Back. While Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Finance is the Chief Guest, we have a series of key sessions with Ministers, Politicians, Government Officials and Industry. The other prominent speakers who have confirmed their participation include: Ms. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of India Mr. Arun Jaitley, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mr. N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana Mr. Arjun Munda, Chief Minister of Jharkhand Mr. S Y Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Chief Vigilance Commissioner Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, Government of India Mr. Arun Maira, Member – Planning Commission, Government of India Mr. Nandan M Nilekani, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Mr. Ajith Kumar Seth, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Member of Parliament Mr. N K Singh, Member of Parliament Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Member of Parliament Dr. Rahul Khullar, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry Mr. R Gopalan, Secretary (Economic Affairs), Ministry of Finance Mr. R S Gujral, Secretary (Finance & Revenue), Ministry of Finance Mr. Ajay Shankar, Member Secretary, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council. Detail programme outline is available at http://www.mycii.in/image/eventimages/eventmainimages/E000010867_AGMProgramme.pdf Please confirm your participation by using the enclosed reply form or registering online at http://cii.in/OnlineRegistration.aspx?Event_ID=E000010867 Warm regards, Chandrajit Banerjee Director General

PUNJAB ALL SET FOR MAJOR REFORMS IN INDUSTRIES DEPARTMENT

 by sagarmedia on April 11, 2012 * Sukhbir Singh Badal Constitutes A Reforms Committee To Submit Report In 30 Days  * Punjab To Create Land Bank To Facilitate Industry  Chandigarh :-  Industries department in Punjab is all set for major reforms as Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister today set the ball rolling for making state no. 1 investment destination.  Reviewing the implementation of Administrative Reforms in a high level meeting to make Industries department investor friendly, Mr. Badal said that after upgrading the infrastructure of the state, it was imperative for Industry Department to remove all bottlenecks coming in the way of investors’ investing in Punjab. The Deputy Chief Minister, who is also holding the newly created portfolio of Investment Promotion constituted a Reforms Committee under Dr. Parmod Kumar that would submit its report within 30 days suggesting reforms in the Industry Department. Mr. Badal said that his endeavor was to make Punjab as most investor friendly state and set-up single window service in its true spirit. He said that if industries department does not receive clearance from any department, it would be deemed approved.  Emphasizing the need for creating a Land Bank, Mr. Badal said that the experiment of other states offering land to the industrial houses ‘off shelf’ has been very successful as no industrial house wants to get entangled in land acquisition disputes. He said that it was the prime duty of the State Government to provide land clear of all hindrances to the investors with all the clearances including Pollution Clearance, Forest NOC, Power Connection, NOC from Labour Department etc. to the investors so that they would immediately go ahead with the setting up of project.  Asking the department to study the concept of Industrial Estates threadbare, Mr. Badal said that department should come out with the workable proposal for promotion of industry in the state. Stressing the need of a regular monthly meeting of ‘Empowered Committee and Project Approval Board’, Mr. Badal said that it was the duty of the department to ensure that these meeting do take place every month. He said that performance of Secretary and Director of Industry Department would be gauged from the fact that how much investment they could attract with their efforts.  Punjab Industries Minister Mr. Anil Joshi gave out a briefing of pending investment proposals and steps taken by the department to attract investments in the state.  Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Mr. Rakesh Singh, Chief Secretary, Mr. S.C. Agrawal, Chairman Right to Service Commission, Dr. Parmod Kumar, Chairman Governance Reforms Commission, Mr. Karan A. Singh, Principal Secretary Science and Technology, Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr. P.S. Aujla, Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister and Mr. S.S. Bains, Director Industries.

Posted just now by Nksagar

Apr 11

Edit

Delhi fake media run for gift

by sagarmedia

Delhi Fake media run for gift is the latest buzz around the corridors of the CEO who finds lots of attendance in their conferences but find their press release placement absolutely blank and those in channels are the result of the nature of trade the two encounter.Delhi is important destination of India for the global sociopolitical and  trade, mega  city  media  so termed the national media is still walking in hybrid state with its most of journalist walk for gift and is dormant to news item. Delhi the capital of India has in the name of press,The messengers,advertisers,part hoppers,free lance journalist with hardly any talk of the subject but indulge in mud slinging on each other.There are thousands of small and medium newspapers but their welfare, regularizing their affairs or their streamlining is difficult,the government needs to encourage these media   players with proper task.

Italian Mission from Novara

Apr 10

Editby sagarmedia

 

Italian Mission from Novara

16th & 17th April 2012, New Delhi

 

We are now pleased to inform you that the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (India) is collaborating with E.V.A.E.T. the Special Agency of Novara Chamber of Commerce is organising a business delegation to India from the 15^th to 22^nd April, 2012. The mission will comprise 5 Italian companies from Novara, Italy scheduled to visit New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahemdabad.

 

The business delegation is focused from sectors “valves & tapes for are domestic and public utilities” and industrial robotic automation. The business delegation will hold one to one business meetings with interested Indian companies on 16^th and 17^th April 2012 in New Delhi.

This business mission is looking for distributors, importers, representative and joint venture collaborators in the Indian market.

 

The brief product description and their websites are given below for your kind reference:

 

Italian Company	Products/Services	Business Interests
La Torre   www.latorre-spa.it	Production of sanitary fittings mixers and Taps for Bathroom and Kitchen.	Looking for 1)   importers, distributors and 2)   joint venture collaboration for local production
VA Albertoni Sr.l www.va-albertoni.it	Production of angle valves; washing machine valves and brass fittings..	Importer and distributors for their products in India
Idral    www.idral.it	Production of self-closing taps and sanitaryware, low water consumption technology	Looking for importers/distributors/producers of sanitary ware and faucets specialised in supplying facilities to hospitals, airports, sports, schools, hotels etc.
Poletti Rubinetteria	Production of Kitchen and bathroom taps, luxury shower heads and nebulizers	Importer and distributors for their products in India
GMB   www.gmb-srl.it	They offer robotic system design and installation solutions for handling and assembly operations, palletizing, loading and unloading of machines tools and automation of industrial machines.	Looking for 1) joint venture collaboration for        producing and assembling 2) importers and distributors of their      products

              

If your company is interested in meeting the above mentioned companies, we shall arrange one-to-one business meetings at your office on 16th (full day) and 17th (half a day) April 2012

 

Please confirm your participation for a b2b meeting with Italian delegation by filling the attached registration form and email b.sharda@indiaitaly.com  or fax the same to us on 011.26885281. On receipt of your registration form, we shall confirm the business meeting date and timing

 

We await your positive response.

 

Kind regards,

Bharti Sharda

India, Qatar sign pact to boost coop in oil & gas sector

India, Qatar sign pact to boost coop in oil & gas sector

A pact to enhance cooperation in the key sector of oil and gas exploration is among the six agreements inked between India and Qatar on Monday, which has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani held comprehensive talks on a whole gamut of bilateral ties, including boosting trade as well as energy cooperation and welfare of Indian workers.

There are around 500,000 Indians in the Gulf country. After the talks, Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Qatar's Energy Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh al-Sada signed an MoU to establish a cooperative framework to facilitate and to enhance bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector for mutual benefit.

It envisages cooperation in the areas of upstream and downstream oil and gas activities.

It is expected to encourage and promote investment and cooperation between two ministries of oil and gas and through affiliated companies.

Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, which buys 7.5 million tonnes/per year of LNG from it. India wants to have huge additional supply of oil and LNG from Qatar but pricing is an issue.

Other pacts are in the areas of educational exchanges, cultural contacts, promoting tourism and cooperation in legal affairs.

An MoU was also signed between the Reserve Bank of India and Qatar Central Bank for sharing of supervisory information and enhancing cooperation in the area of banking supervision.

USHA IGU Delhi Juniors tees off from tomorrow

By sagarmedia on April 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment | Edit

9^th April, New Delhi: USHA IGU Delhi Juniors, the season’s opening junior golf tournament will tee off at the Army Golf Club (AEPTA), Delhi from tomorrow. In the 2012 calendar, three out of 11 junior tournaments will be sponsored by USHA as part of their commitment to promote Junior amateur golf in the country. Around 96 golfers in Category A (Age group 15-17) and Category B (Age group 13-14) will participate out of which 50 from the IGU’s order of merit list and rest through an open registration will vie for the title.  The tournament will be played in stroke play format and the cut will be applied after 36 holes on Wednesday. There will be an over all winner declared apart from the winners in different A and B categories.

 

 

In Category A, the no. 1 junior of the country Syed Saqib Ahmed will be out of action while two of last season’s winners – Delhi’s Honey Baisoya and Shubhankar Sharma will be looking to begin their year by clinching the title. Other top four players including Patna’s Aman Raj, Delhi’s Abhishek Kuhar, Manpreet Mann and Manu Gandas will also be in the fray to give a strong challenge.

 

In category B, Delhi’s Piyush Sanghwan who won two tournaments on the IGU circuit last year will try to remain as no. 1 in his category by winning the tournament. Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa, currently no. 2 on the IGU’s Order Of Merit, Jaipur’s Prakhar Asawa and Chandigarh’s Feroz Grewal will also be eager to add their names in the trophy as well.

 

Due to the ever increasing number of Junior Golfers in the National Junior Tour, a large number of eligible players had to sit out due to the limitations of field that could be allowed to play each day.  The IGU has now decided to bifurcate the Junior Tour into Junior and Sub Junior Tours in order to accommodate larger number of eligible Junior Players on the Tour. The Sub Junior Tour for category C, D and E will be held on a zonal basis while the Junior Tour for category A and B will continue at the National Level.  The IGU hopes that by doing so, not only the field in each category will be increased but it will also restrict the travelling of Sub Juniors with their parents in the respective zones only.

 

About USHA’s association with Golf

Usha has been sponsoring ladies golf since 1987 with the sponsorship of the Ladies Northern India Open Amateur Golf Championship. The Junior Training Programme and Junior Tournaments at the Delhi Golf Club are being sponsored by Usha since 2006.

From this year, Usha will be the exclusive sponsor of the entire ladies golf tour on the IGU (Indian Golf Union) Ladies Circuit which includes the 4 regional tournaments, the 4 zonal tournaments and the All India Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship. Usha is also the exclusive sponsor of the Junior Tournaments at Delhi, Bangalore and Chandigarh and will also continue to conduct the Junior Training Programme at the Delhi Golf Club.

The Mawana Marathon which is sponsored by the Group for the last 23 years is actively supported by Usha.  This marathon is approved on the calendar of the Athletic Federation of India and has been flagged off from the historic India Gate for the last 3 consecutive years.

About Usha International

Usha International Ltd, a Siddharth Shriram Group Company, is one of India’s leading consumer durable marketing and manufacturing companies.  The diverse products marketed by the company under the brand name USHA include fans, sewing machines, home appliances, engines and pump sets, electrical motors and pumps, water coolers and dispensers, inverters, cook tops, hobs and hoods and auto components. The brand USHA has been re-energized through creative marketing, modernizing its product range and offering high technology products.

Press Conference

On

‘Analysis of Criminal, Financial & other background details of candidates contesting the MCD elections’

At

Press Club, Raisina Road, New Delhi – 110001

Date: April 10^th 2012

Time: 12:00 noon

Idea Cellular ties up with Delhi Daredevils

Idea Cellular ties up with Delhi Daredevils - a power packed combo!

The country’s leading telecom brand celebrates its 3 year association with the team as they gear up for their first game on the home ground

New Delhi, Monday, 9^th April:  India’s 3^rd largest telecom operator, Idea Cellular, renewed its association with IPL -5’s favorite team the Delhi Daredevils, for the 3^rd year in a row, and welcomed the team and its new members prior to the first home game on 10^th April in Delhi.

The Idea Cellular and Delhi Daredevils partnership began with the third edition of IPL T20 Cricket Tournament. IPL – 5 too will have Idea Cellular and its over 100 million subscribers support the Daredevils in their pursuit to win the cup. Idea subscribers will get a chance to win tickets for the matches, autographed merchandize, download special player messages and many more exciting interactions with Team Delhi Daredevils.

Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Rajat Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, and Mr. Sanjeev Govil, Chief Operating Officer – Delhi, all from Idea Cellular and the Delhi Daredevils skipper Virendra Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jayawardhane and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion to mark 3 years of association.

Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing officer – Idea Cellular said, “When Mobile telephony was launched, it was a game changer. It helped people get more productive and communicate better. Today, with Mobile Broadband in the form of 3G services, Idea is yet again championing this evolution - empowering consumers where they can communicate in multiple ways and follow their passions like Cinema, Music and Cricket wherever they are, whenever they want.  As a part of our Cricket-connect, Idea has had a long term partnership with the Delhi Daredevils, now in its 3^rd year. Delhi is an important market for Idea and nothing says this louder than our association with the Delhi Daredevils.”

Idea Cellular has always focused on Bollywood and cricket to align its brand to youth segment. Indian Premier League tournament has been one of the most successful cricketing events since its inception with the top brands of the country competing for visibility and to avail the maximum mileage.

Mr. Amrit Mathur, Chief Operating Officer, GMR Sports said, “The Delhi Daredevils don’t just stand for all Delhities but also for those who choose to follow different paths and daredevilry. Our focus is to reach out, engage, entertain, and live up to our club’s promise. In this endeavor Idea has been at the forefront of this communication.  Idea has helped us reach out to our fans in multiple ways. The Delhi Daredevils and Idea association has gone from strength to strength and we have tried to do newer things every year.

This year being a case in example, where for the 1^st time, we opened the ticketing window exclusively for Idea Customers, 48 hours before opening it up for everyone. We are also collaborating on many fronts to engage fans and generate traction for both our brands.”

Speaking on this occasion Mr. Sanjeev Govil, Circle Head, Delhi & Haryana, Idea Cellular, said, “Cricket fever is rising and the IPL 5 will only add more excitement to it, further electrifying the cricket frenzy in the nation. Going with our essential brand promise of bringing champion ideas through the power of mobility, we have partnered with this champion team. Through this association we will be offering cricket entertainment to our subscribers across the country. Like the last two seasons, this tie up too will offer a huge platform to create visibility for brand Idea through on-ground cricket action, and magnify the impact by reaching out to a larger audience through various media platforms.”

About IDEA Cellular Ltd

IDEA Cellular is India’s 3^rd largest national mobile operator, with over 113 million subscribers. With traffic in excess of a billion minutes a day, Idea ranks among the Top 10 country operators in the world. Using the latest in techn

Iran talks schedule in Turey:EU

Berlin, April 8, - The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the five UN Security Council veto powers plus Germany will be held in Istanbul on April 14, the German Press Agency (DPA) quoted a European Union official as saying in Brussels on Sunday.'We have agreed to launch talks in Istanbul on April 14,' a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.'We hope that this first round will produce a conducive environment for concrete progress. We are of course aiming at a sustained process,' he added.

 Earlier in the day, the website of the Iranian news network Press TV had quoted unnamed Iranian officials as saying that Istanbul has been confirmed as the venue for the nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers -- the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.

Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad arrives India

By sagarmedia on April 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment | Edit

New Delhi, April 8,  Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani arrived in New Delhi Sunday evening on a three-day state visit to India.Sheikh Hamad, accompanied by his wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, a high level Ministerial delegation, senior officials and businessmen, was received by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Corporate Affairs, R.P.N. Singh here at Air Force Palam Airport.
Visiting dignitary apart from meeting President Pratibha Patil, who is hosting a banquet in his honour, the emir will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Monday, said Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.Vice President, Hamid Ansari and External Affairs Minister, S M Krishna will call on the emir.
Sonia Gandhi the Chairperson of UPA and the leader of opposition will  call on the emir.India’s relations with Qatar have been historically close and friendly. Visit of the Qatari emir is to provide further impetus to multifaceted engagement between India and Qatar.
Qatar is the largest supplier of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to India. Qatar also hosts an Indian community of around 500,000 persons.This is the third visit of the Qatari emir to India, the last two being in 1999 and 2005.Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh  visited Qatar in November 2008.

‘I would like to wish the people of India ‘as-salam walekum’:Zardari

By sagarmedia on April 8, 2012 | Edit

Pakistan President was warmly received by Singh after reaching the Prime Minister’s residence and both the leaders posed for shutterbugs.

After landing in New Delhi at 12.10 pm at Palam Air Force Base (technical area) along with his son Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari drove straight to Singh’s official Race Course Road residence.

 

Zardari, who had expressed his desire to come on a private visit to go to Ajmer to pay obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, was invited by Singh to join him for lunch. The invitation was accepted by Zardari.

 

“I have taken advantage of this visit to discuss with him all bilateral issues and I am very satisfied with the outcome of this visit,” the Prime Minister said while admitting that there were number of issues between the two countries.

 

“We have a number of issues and we are willing to find practical and pragmatic solutions to all those issues and that is the message President Zardari and I would wish to convey,” Singh said.

 

“I would like to wish the people of India ‘as-salam walekum’ from the President of Pakistan. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for inviting me for lunch though I am on a private visit here but we have had some fruitful bilateral talks together,” Zardari said.

 

The Pakistan President, who is on a day-long visit to India, said the two countries are neighbours.

 

“We would like to have better relations with India. We have spoken on all topics that we could have spoken about and we are hoping to meet on Pakistani soil very soon,” he said.

 

There was no structured agenda for the meeting between Singh and Zardari. The two leaders, however, did not mention the specific issues discussed during their meeting

The President landed at Ghugra helipad in Ajmer in a helicopter from Jaipur where a special aircraft carrying him and his delegation brought him from Delhi after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who also hosted a lunch for him. The convoy then moved to the Dargah Sharif, 12.3 kms by road from the helipad.
Zardari performed ‘fateha’ (supplication) and went around the premises comprising mosques, graves of the Khwaja’s disciples, a pool and two big cauldrons used for cooking food during the annual Urs. Pervez Musharraf and Zia-ul-Haq were the previous Pakistani Presidents to offer obeisance at the revered shrine.
A one million USD donation(Rs five crore) for the welfare of the shrine was announced on behalf of Zardari by a member of his delegation, according to the Anjuman Committee’s vice president Syed Khalimuddin Chishti.
Clad in a blue shalwar kameez, 56-year-old Zardari, accompanied by his son Bilawal, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and members of his 44-member delegation, stayed inside the Sufi saint’s mausoleum for 20 minutes where he offered a 42-square metre long red ‘chadar’ and floral tributes. Bilawal offered a green chadar. Chadar is a ceremonial cloth inscribed with religious verses.
A chadar was also offered by Union Minister Pawan Bansal on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bansal, the minister-in-waiting for Zardari’s visit, prayed for peace and harmony.Zardari said he felt “a great spiritual happiness” after coming to this holy place which was “beyond description.”

Spice Board of India to Establish 10 Spice Parks by End of 2012

Spice Board of India, the nodal organization of Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India, in an effort to promote exports of spices from India will establish 10 spice parks across the most strategic locations in the country by end of 2012. A total of Rs. 167 cores are earmarked to invest in the spices parks. Out of which Rs. 75 crores are already invested in three completed spices parks in Chhihdwara in MP, Puttady in Kerela and in Jodhpur. The other parks will be completed during the year in states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Kota in Rajasthan. The Board has completed the construction of Spice Park in Rampura Bhatia Village of Ozian Tehsil near Jodhpur in an area of 60- acres provided by the Rajasthan Government. The park in Jodhpur was inaugurated by Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The park has common infrastructure and processing facilities for the seed spices especially cumin and coriander. A public private partnership is ensured with 17 exporters to set up state of the art processing lines and also cold storage facilities and also facilities to produce oils and oleoresins from seed spices. The machineries in the Park are capable for the processing of other seed spices like fennel and fenugreek, which are quite ample in this region. A full line processing facility with a capacity to turn out two tones per hour has inbuilt facilities for pre-cleaning, grading, colour sorting, grinding and packing. The Spice processing facilities available at Spice Park are at par with the international standards. The higher end processing plants installed is a full processing line which includes pre cleaning, grading, colour sorting, grinding and both bulk and consumer packing ranging from 100 g to 50 Kg. The Board is establishing a sterilization facility within the plant building with a capacity of 250 Kg per hour in batch process. The Board will also be allotting individual slots for exporters on lease basis for developing their own processing plants in the Parks. There was tremendous response from the exporters who wanted to set up their own facilities in the Park. The Spices Board has set up other common infrastructures like Compound wall, Road, Drains, Water Distribution system, Power Station, Weighing Bridge, Common parking area, Truck yard, Warehouses, preliminary Quality Testing facility, Bank counter, Training center, Conference Hall, Canteen facilities etc within the Parks. To ensure storing of raw materials for processing and to take care of the processed materials, the Parks will have warehouses exclusively devoted for various seed spices separately. Two Raw Material Warehouses with a storing capacity of 800 sq mtr each are devoted for Coriander while two other warehouses for other seed spices have a storing capacity of 800 sq mtrs each. The Parks are being provided with a 33 KVA substation with transformer and 250 KVA D.G. sets for ensuring an uninterrupted power supply for the working besides a full fire fighting system. The Board’s regional and zonal offices will start functioning from the Spices Parks with more orientation towards the spices growing villages. The other facilities provided include conference hall, training hall, and space for establishing mini QC lab, Bank and for Customs.

Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM greets the Nation on Easter| http://pmindia.nic.in/press-details.php?nodeid=1420

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has greeted the people on the occasion of Easter.

The Prime Minister in his message said the universal significance of Christ's resurrection is that truth triumphs over evil and love is stronger than hatred. Easter is the celebration of compassion and fellowship and the hope of a better tomorrow.

May the festivities strengthen the bonds of unity and brotherhood among our people, the Prime Minister added.

Pakistan President Zardari visiting India

Pakistan President Zardari visiting India

by sagarmedia on April 8, 2012

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 Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari along with his son Bilwal Bhutto Zardari the Chairman of the ruling Peoples Party of Pakistan  PPP along with the delegation to embarks a day-long trip to India today to visit Ajmer and to attend a luncheon being hosted in his honour by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
  This is  the first ever visit of President Zardari to India as President of Pakistan, to provide a chance to promote bilateral relations between the two countries.According to a Pak Foreign Office spokesman, the president will travel to the city of Ajmer to pay homage at the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a famous Sufi Muslim saint.
“President Asif Ali Zardari will leave for Ajmer Shareef on Sunday for ‘Ziarat’ and to offer prayers at the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and will return the same day,” said the spokesman.
Further spokesman said the president has also accepted a luncheon invitation of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi en route to Ajmer Shareef.He said that the President’s delegation to New Delhi would consist of Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and his personal and security staff.
President Zardari will be the first Pakistani head of state to visit India in seven years after the visit of President Pervez Musharraf in 2005.
“Although the visit is private, but the two leaders will discuss all the issues and it will contribute towards achieving the President’s vision to promote intra-regional peace and prosperity in this part of the world,” said the spokesman.
He said, “We are looking forward for a constructive engagement between the two leaders in New Delhi.”
The spokesman said, “Obviously during the lunch the issues, which continue to take priority in our bilateral relations, will be discussed.”
According to diplomatic sources, important issues between the two countries, including Jammu Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, visa liberalisation, trade, water as well as regional situation, could be discussed at the luncheon meeting , which will pave the way for further enhancing and promoting bilateral relations.
The invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to visit Pakistan will be reiterated in this meeting as it has already been extended by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar during her visit to India in July 2011. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani also extended the invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Pakistan during the SAARC summit in Maldives in November 2011 and their meeting in Seoul in March.
Pakistan president and his delegation is under Top level security
India will provide highest level of security to the delegation of President Asif Ali Zardari during their one-day pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif.
Government sources said advance liaison team from Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) arrived in Delhi on Friday to tie up security and logistics for Zardari’s trip and had day-long meetings with their counterparts from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
As Zardari is expected to reach Ajmer around 5pm, he may offer “Asr” namaz at the holy shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. He will fly out from Jaipur the same day.At the lunch hosted by Manmohan Singh, Indian ministers, National Security Advisor and foreign secretary will be present. Media speculates on home minister P Chidambaram to be present to meet Rehman Malik as he goes to his constituency Sivaganga on every weekend. Bilawal,aged 24  who took over as PPP Chairman when he was 19, following the death of his mother Benazir Bhtto in 2007, figures in the guest list for the lunch hosted by Mr Manmohan Singh at his Race Course Road residence.Media sources said Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi may also be at the lunch and the two young leaders from India and Pakistan may get to talk.Mr Bilawal appointed Chairman of PPP on December 30, 2007 when he was at Oxford. He returned to Pakistan and became active in politics last year, particularly when Mr Zardari went for medical care to Dubai amid speculation that the President may quit.
Media agencies

$3Trillion Worth ‘Black Gold’

 Introduce Wealth Tax On Gold

Honorable Prime Minister

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Cc to Honorable Members of Parliament

Respected Sir,

Ramdev recently uncovered the ‘Black Gold’ worth Rs.142,00,000 crores as reserves of Black Money with Indians or $3 Trillion. This is twice the GDP of India.

This huge reserve could be utilized to develop Indian Infrastructure and Industries.

It was therefore Important to introduce 4% tax on Gold Transactions and was OK to reduce it to 2% in case of unbranded Jewelry.

GOI may also introduce ‘Wealth Tax on Gold, Gems and Precious Metals in Excess of 500gm per household at 2% per year.’

These Tax Proposals could generate Rs.1,50,000 crores to GOI as Annual Tax in addition to other tax proposals enough to Fund India’s Food, Healthcare and Education Expenditure Gap.

Ø      Also make it compulsory to ‘Declare All Gold Gems and Precious Metals Holdings’ – Any thing not declared be treated as ‘Black Money’ generated through ‘Criminal Activity and Tax Evasions’ liable to be Confiscated.

Ø      Also introduce ‘Gold, Gems and Precious Metal Identification Code’ – Gold could packed in Vacuum Sealed packs and each item in it given a tag number.

Please go ahead with determination.

Ravinder Singh

Progressindia008@yahoo.com

April07, 2012

50,000 x 1000 x 100 x Rs.28,410 = Rs.1,42,05,000 crores

Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty at Spandan Childfun day

Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty with underprivileged children at the ChildFun day organized by ChildFund India, in New Delhi on Wednesday. .Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty participated on day three of three days event, Spandan 2012, at the Talkatora stadium organised by ChildFund. Delhi hosted a mega national event April 092 -05 to create a platform for children and youth to share their expressions, thoughts, needs and aspirations through diverse communication mediums to recognise their best initiatives in child focused development. About 1,200 participants including 800 children and youth from ChildFund’s programme areas across the country, also participated in the function. Shetty came to stadia at 3.15 PM to support the social cause. Speaking at Spandan 2012, he said: “It is an honour for me to be a part of ChildFund’s Spandan 2012. The work that ChildFund is doing at the grass root level is commendable. Taking inspiration from their work, I and my wife Mana have tried to do our bit through our organisation ‘Save the Child’.”