RAMESWARAM They came in buses, by train and boat. Many walked into Rameshwaram over the last two days to bid goodbye to Dr APJ Adbul Kalam, who was buried with full state honours in a public ground in this Tamil Nadu island town where he was born. The presence of many VIPs at the last rites of the 'People's President' meant that the common man had to trudge the last few miles in swelter- ing heat, with vehicles being stopped for security reasons some distance away from the burial site. That did not deter Dr Kalam's fans, who resolutely reached the Pei Karumbu ground. Many had arrived on Wednesday to pay homage to Dr Kalam, whose body lay in state at a ground near the bus terminus for public tribute. At night, with Rameshwaram's hotels and other lodgings full, some people even slept on the roads. They said they had come CONTD. ON P AGE 5 NEW DELHI Yakub Memon, the "driving spirit" behind a series of bomb- ings in Mumbai that killed 257 people in 1993, was hanged early Thursday morning at a prison in central India. The bombings, a carefully coordinated series of a dozen explosions across the city, stunned India because of their level of sophistication and their unprecedented carnage. In addi- tion to the dead, more than 700 people were injured and several neighborhoods were left in smoking ruins. According to prosecutors, Memon was the bomb plot's indispensable middleman, the one who arranged financing, made travel plans, stockpiled weapons and bought vehicles for car bombs. Of all those who have been convicted of crimes related to the bombings, includ- ing the men who planted the bombs, Memon is the only defendant to be executed. As is the norm in India, CONTD. ON P AGE 5 NEW DELHI The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to "come out" with details of contracts it has with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to ascertain whether these websites have licences to the intel- lectual property rights of content uploaded. "Come out with all the contracts on next date," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said and listed the matter for further hearing on August 19. The matter was listed for next month after Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Centre, sought more time to sub- mit details of the contracts. On the last date of hear- ing, the court had observed that "it appears" that when anything was uploaded on social media sites the web- sites got a licence to the intellectual property rights (IPR) of the content with- out paying any royalty and had asked the Centre whether it was aware of this. The court had also observed that when the government gives royalty free licence to Facebook without anything in return, "it was akin to (giving) state largesse". In response, the ASG CONTD. ON P AGE 5 MUMBAI Temperature: 33 0 C Precipitation:53% Humidity:79% Wind: 21Km/hr HAQ SAADDA FIGHT FOR RIGHT FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015 Kejriwal 'manufacturing crises' to hide failures: Congress Tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircrafts Withdrawn: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Arjun Kapoor celebrates crossing 1.5 million followers on Twitter P8 NEW DELHI Over 14,000 posts earmarked for differently abled persons with disabilities have been lying vacant in various central government ministries, banks and PSUs, Rajya Sabha was CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Over 14,000 Posts for Differently Abled People Vacant GUWAHATI Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today announced that the state government would soon set up a centre for innovation named after late former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who died on Monday. CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Assam to Set Up Innovation Centre Named After President Kalam NEW DELHI The government has plans to print 15 crore currency notes of Re 1 denomination every year with effect from January 1, 2015, Parliament was informed today. "Government has issued gazette notification dated December 15, 2014 to print CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Government to Print 15 Crore Notes of Re 1 Denomination Every Year KOLKATA BJP president Amit Shah will visit West Bengal on August 12, according to party's state unit chief Rahul Sinha. "Amit Shah will visit Bengal on August 12. He has a programme at a chamber of commerce followed by a book launch. We have a plan to organise a party programme too," Mr Sinha told PTI. CONTD. ON P AGE 5 BJP President Amit Shah to Visit West Bengal on August 12 NEW DELHI Government has taken into consideration the "deficiencies" in some of the critical ammuni- tions on a priority basis and taken steps to address them, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the Minister said that government has also taken effective steps to miti- gate the deficiencies to ensure the desired level of CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Centre Taking Steps to Address Deficiencies in Critical Ammunition NEW DELHI Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, today offered no apolo- gies as he responded to a notice from Parliament on a Facebook post seen to be critical of the ruling BJP. In a three-page letter, Mr Vadra has reportedly invoked his "fundamental right to expression", adding that as a citizen of India "I have high respect for Parliament and don't have any disre- spect to the house." Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra CONTD. ON P AGE 5 In Reply on Facebook Post, Robert Vadra Invokes 'Right to Expression' KOLKATA The West Bengal government has launched a helpline number for monitoring the flood situa- tion in the state. A statement by the Trinamool Congress said, "West Bengal government launches emergency helpline CONTD. ON P AGE 5 West Bengal Government Launches Helpline to Monitor Floods NEW DELHI The government-owned Air India has received 13 com- plaints from its customers in the last seven months about the meals served on its flight, the Parliament was informed CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Air India Received 13 Complaints in Last 7 Months About its Meals: Civil Aviation Ministry P3 P2 Weather Report DELHI Temperature: 35 0 C Precipitation:22% Humidity: 54% Wind: 21Km/hr KOLKA T A Temperature: 34 0 C Precipitation: 56% Humidity:90% Wind: 13Km/hr CHENNAI Temperature: 37 0 C Precipitation:36% Humidity:58% Wind: 19Km/hr NEW DELHI The terrorists who attacked Gurdaspur, in Punjab's worst attack in over a decade, came from Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament today, warning of "a befitting reply". The statement comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and agreed that top officials from both countries, led by their National Security Advisors, should resume dialogue after a lengthy stand-off. "A view on continuing dialogue with Pakistan will be taken by the gov- ernment as part of diplo- matic strategy," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, as government sources confirmed that the talks are unlikely to be disrupted. This afternoon, Pakistan said it categori- cally rejects the Indian assertion. A statement from its foreign office said, "In the Gurdaspur incident, blames were apportioned to Pakistan in the Indian media, even CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Gurdaspur Terrorists Came From Pakistan, But Talks On For Now: Home Minister Come Out With Contracts Govt has With Social Media Sites: Delhi HC Vol. 1 Issue: 315 Price: Rs.3:00 Reg. No: DELENG/2014/58212 Delhi Edition Pages: 8 Website: www.saaddahaq.in Email: [email protected]PANAJI A 40-year-old Nepali was arrested on Thursday for mak- ing a hoax call to the police under influence of alcohol, claiming that seven terrorists had entered Goa to unleash CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Nepali Arrested in Goa for Hoax Terror Call NEW DELHI The government spent more than Rs. 92 lakh to purchase yoga mats for International Yoga Day (IYD) celebrations at Rajpath, Rajya Sabha was informed today. "The Ministry of AYUSH procured 37,000 yoga mats on the occasion of celebrations of IYD on June 21 at Rajpath through the agency Ms Arch Concept Pvt Ltd hired for event management activity through open tender basis. "The total amount spent CONTD. ON P AGE 5 NEWS IN BRIEF NEW DELHI Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has blamed what he called the Congress' "small and petty inter- ests" for disruptions today during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in Parliament on the Gurdaspur terror attack and said the oppo- sition party's leadership has "failed the test". "We expect Congress President Sonia Gandhi to respond why the Congress didn't allow a discussion on the Gurdaspur terror attack," Mr Jaitley said, criticis- ing the Congress for "presenting the country as a divided house" on a day that all political par- ties should have stood together. "At least they should have spoken in one voice on an issue like national security. We expect the Congress will once again review its negative and irresponsible behaviour," the Finance Minister CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Rs. 92 Lakh Spent on Mats for International Yoga Day Celebrations: Centre AHMEDABAD The team of doctors which examined a 14- year-old girl from Gujarat -- who became pregnant after being raped -- has decided that only a medical termina- tion of pregnancy can save her life. The abortion will be held at 10 am tomorrow at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. No further go ahead will be required from the Supreme Court, which gave its clearance on Tuesday, leaving the final decision to the team of doctors. The panel, comprising four gynaecologists and a clinical psychologist, had examined the girl today as per the court's order. One of the doctors, Riddhi Shukla, who had examined her before, said in her report that CONTD. ON P AGE 5 India Executes Man Tied to 1993 Mumbai Bombings Gujarat Teen, Rape Survivor, Allowed Abortion After 2 Courts Reject Plea Arun Jaitley Taunts Sonia Gandhi, Congress Hits Back NEW DELHI Cleaning of river Ganga is expected to be complet- ed by 2020, by which time desired results of initia- tives taken up for the pur- pose will be visible, the government has said. In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said cleaning of the river Ganga was a massive task. "The present initiative of Ganga cleaning is expect- ed to be completed by 2020, by which time most of the projects that have initiated/proposed are expected to be completed and desired results will be visible," she said. The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGBRA) was launched in 2009 with the renewed vision of cleaning river Ganga using a basin wide approach. Since inception and till NGBRA was launched CONTD. ON P AGE 5 River Ganga Likely to be Clean by 2020: Union Minister Uma Bharti They Came From Chennai, Pondicherry, Even USA, to Bid Dr Kalam Farewell Soldier Killed in J&K in Fresh Ceasefire Violation by Pakistan SRINAGAR An Army soldier was killed in a sniper attack by Pakistani troops who tar- geted forward posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, in a viola- tion of the ceasefire between the two countries on Wednesday night. Rachpal Singh was criti- cally injured when Pakistani troops fired at a post in Poonch along the Line of Control (LoC), a police officer said today. He later died. Colonel SD Goswami, a spokesman for the Indian army, said Pakistani troops CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Yakub Memon Third Terror Convict Executed in 4 Years NEW DELHI Yakub Memon, the lone 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict who was hanged to death today, became the third terror convict to have been sent to the gallows in the last four years. Memon, who would have turned 53 today was executed at Nagpur Central Jail. Before Memon, Parliament attack convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged at 8 am at Tihar jail here on February 9, 2013. Afzal was convicted of con- spiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004. On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed terrorists had CONTD. ON P AGE 5 Yakub Memon was not a petty criminal, he was a Terrorist. But his funeral procession suggests he was a hero of some kind.
Transcript
RAMESWARAMThey came in buses, by
train and boat. Many walkedinto Rameshwaram over thelast two days to bid goodbyeto Dr APJ Adbul Kalam, whowas buried with full statehonours in a public ground inthis Tamil Nadu island townwhere he was born.
The presence of many VIPsat the last rites of the 'People'sPresident' meant that thecommon man had to trudgethe last few miles in swelter-ing heat, with vehicles beingstopped for security reasons
some distance away from theburial site.
That did not deter DrKalam's fans, who resolutelyreached the Pei Karumbuground.
Many had arrived onWednesday to pay homage toDr Kalam, whose body lay instate at a ground near the busterminus for public tribute. Atnight, with Rameshwaram'shotels and other lodgings full,some people even slept on theroads.
They said they had come CONTD. ON PAGE 5
NEW DELHIYakub Memon, the "driving
spirit" behind a series of bomb-ings in Mumbai that killed 257people in 1993, was hangedearly Thursday morning at aprison in central India.
The bombings, a carefullycoordinated series of a dozenexplosions across the city,stunned India because of theirlevel of sophistication and theirunprecedented carnage. In addi-tion to the dead, more than 700people were injured and severalneighborhoods were left insmoking ruins.
According to prosecutors,Memon was the bomb plot'sindispensable middleman, theone who arranged financing,made travel plans, stockpiledweapons and bought vehiclesfor car bombs. Of all those whohave been convicted of crimesrelated to the bombings, includ-ing the men who planted thebombs, Memon is the onlydefendant to be executed.
As is the norm in India, CONTD. ON PAGE 5
NEW DELHIThe Delhi High Court
today asked the Centre to"come out" with details ofcontracts it has with socialmedia sites like Facebookand Twitter to ascertainwhether these websiteshave licences to the intel-lectual property rights ofcontent uploaded.
"Come out with all thecontracts on next date," abench of justices BadarDurrez Ahmed andSanjeev Sachdeva said andlisted the matter for furtherhearing on August 19.
The matter was listed fornext month afterAdditional SolicitorGeneral Sanjay Jain,appearing for the Centre,
sought more time to sub-mit details of the contracts.
On the last date of hear-ing, the court had observedthat "it appears" that whenanything was uploaded onsocial media sites the web-sites got a licence to theintellectual property rights(IPR) of the content with-out paying any royalty andhad asked the Centrewhether it was aware ofthis.
The court had alsoobserved that when thegovernment gives royaltyfree licence to Facebookwithout anything in return,"it was akin to (giving)state largesse".
Kejriwal 'manufacturing crises' tohide failures: Congress
Tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat AircraftsWithdrawn: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
Arjun Kapoor celebrates crossing1.5 million followers on Twitter P8
NEW DELHIOver 14,000 posts earmarked
for differently abled personswith disabilities have beenlying vacant in various centralgovernment ministries, banksand PSUs, Rajya Sabha was
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Over 14,000 Postsfor Differently AbledPeople Vacant
GUWAHATIAssam Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi today announced that thestate government would soonset up a centre for innovationnamed after late formerPresident APJ Abdul Kalam,who died on Monday.
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Assam to Set UpInnovation Centre NamedAfter President Kalam
NEW DELHIThe government has plans to
print 15 crore currency notes ofRe 1 denomination every yearwith effect from January 1,2015, Parliament was informedtoday. "Government has issuedgazette notification datedDecember 15, 2014 to print
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Government to Print 15Crore Notes of Re 1Denomination Every Year
KOLKATABJP president Amit Shah will
visit West Bengal on August 12,according to party's state unit chiefRahul Sinha.
"Amit Shah will visit Bengal onAugust 12. He has a programme ata chamber of commerce followedby a book launch. We have a plan to organise a partyprogramme too," Mr Sinha told PTI.
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
BJP President Amit Shah to VisitWest Bengal on August 12
NEW DELHIGovernment has taken into
consideration the "deficiencies"in some of the critical ammuni-tions on a priority basis andtaken steps to address them,Defence Minister ManoharParrikar has said.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the Minister saidthat government has also taken effective steps to miti-gate the deficiencies to ensure the desired level of
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Centre Taking Steps to AddressDeficiencies in Critical Ammunition
NEW DELHIRobert Vadra, the son-in-law
of Congress president SoniaGandhi, today offered no apolo-gies as he responded to a noticefrom Parliament on a Facebookpost seen to be critical of theruling BJP.
In a three-page letter, MrVadra has reportedly invoked his "fundamental right toexpression", adding that as a citizen of India "I havehigh respect for Parliament and don't have any disre-spect to the house." Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
In Reply on Facebook Post, RobertVadra Invokes 'Right to Expression'
KOLKATAThe West Bengal government
has launched a helpline numberfor monitoring the flood situa-tion in the state. A statement bythe Trinamool Congress said,"West Bengal governmentlaunches emergency helpline
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
West Bengal GovernmentLaunches Helpline toMonitor Floods
NEW DELHIThe government-owned Air
India has received 13 com-plaints from its customers inthe last seven months about themeals served on its flight, theParliament was informed
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Air India Received 13Complaints in Last 7Months About its Meals:Civil Aviation Ministry
attacked Gurdaspur, inPunjab's worst attack inover a decade, camefrom Pakistan, HomeMinister Rajnath Singhtold Parliament today,warning of "a befittingreply".
The statement comesweeks after PrimeMinister Narendra Modiheld talks with hisPakistani counterpartNawaz Sharif and agreedthat top officials fromboth countries, led bytheir National SecurityAdvisors, should resumedialogue after a lengthystand-off.
"A view on continuingdialogue with Pakistanwill be taken by the gov-ernment as part of diplo-matic strategy," saidFinance Minister ArunJaitley, as governmentsources confirmed thatthe talks are unlikely tobe disrupted.
This afternoon,Pakistan said it categori-cally rejects the Indianassertion. A statementfrom its foreign officesaid, "In the Gurdaspurincident, blames wereapportioned to Pakistanin the Indian media, even
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Gurdaspur Terrorists Came From Pakistan,But Talks On For Now: Home Minister
Come Out With Contracts Govt hasWith Social Media Sites: Delhi HC
arrested on Thursday for mak-ing a hoax call to the policeunder influence of alcohol,claiming that seven terroristshad entered Goa to unleash
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Nepali Arrestedin Goa for HoaxTerror Call
NEW DELHIThe government spent
more than Rs. 92 lakh topurchase yoga mats forInternational Yoga Day(IYD) celebrations atRajpath, Rajya Sabha wasinformed today.
"The Ministry ofAYUSH procured 37,000yoga mats on the occasionof celebrations of IYD onJune 21 at Rajpath throughthe agency Ms ArchConcept Pvt Ltd hired for
event management activitythrough open tender basis.
"The total amount spent CONTD. ON PAGE 5
NEWS IN BRIEF
NEW DELHIFinance Minister Arun
Jaitley has blamed whathe called the Congress'"small and petty inter-ests" for disruptionstoday during HomeMinister Rajnath Singh'sstatement in Parliamenton the Gurdaspur terrorattack and said the oppo-sition party's leadershiphas "failed the test".
"We expect CongressPresident Sonia Gandhito respond why theCongress didn't allow adiscussion on theGurdaspur terror attack,"Mr Jaitley said, criticis-ing the Congress for
"presenting the countryas a divided house" on aday that all political par-ties should have stoodtogether.
"At least they shouldhave spoken in one voice
on an issue like nationalsecurity. We expect theCongress will once againreview its negative andirresponsible behaviour,"the Finance Minister
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Rs. 92 Lakh Spent on Mats for InternationalYoga Day Celebrations: CentreAHMEDABAD
The team of doctorswhich examined a 14-year-old girl fromGujarat -- who becamepregnant after beingraped -- has decided thatonly a medical termina-tion of pregnancy cansave her life.
The abortion will beheld at 10 am tomorrowat the Ahmedabad CivilHospital.
No further go aheadwill be required from
the Supreme Court,which gave its clearanceon Tuesday, leaving thefinal decision to theteam of doctors.
The panel, comprisingfour gynaecologists anda clinical psychologist,had examined the girltoday as per the court'sorder.
One of the doctors,Riddhi Shukla, who hadexamined her before,said in her report that
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
India Executes Man Tied to1993 Mumbai Bombings
Gujarat Teen, Rape Survivor, AllowedAbortion After 2 Courts Reject Plea
Arun Jaitley Taunts SoniaGandhi, Congress Hits Back
NEW DELHICleaning of river Ganga
is expected to be complet-ed by 2020, by which timedesired results of initia-tives taken up for the pur-pose will be visible, thegovernment has said.
In reply to a question inthe Rajya Sabha, UnionWater Resources MinisterUma Bharti said cleaningof the river Ganga was amassive task.
"The present initiative ofGanga cleaning is expect-ed to be completed by2020, by which time mostof the projects that haveinitiated/proposed areexpected to be completed
and desired results will bevisible," she said.
The National GangaRiver Basin Authority(NGBRA) was launched in2009 with the renewed
vision of cleaning riverGanga using a basin wideapproach.
Since inception and tillNGBRA was launched
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
River Ganga Likely to be Clean by2020: Union Minister Uma Bharti
They Came From Chennai,Pondicherry, Even USA, to
Bid Dr Kalam Farewell
Soldier Killed inJ&K in FreshCeasefire Violationby PakistanSRINAGAR
An Army soldier waskilled in a sniper attack byPakistani troops who tar-geted forward posts inJammu and Kashmir'sPoonch district, in a viola-tion of the ceasefirebetween the two countrieson Wednesday night.
Rachpal Singh was criti-cally injured whenPakistani troops fired at apost in Poonch along theLine of Control (LoC), apolice officer said today.He later died.
Colonel SD Goswami, aspokesman for the Indianarmy, said Pakistani troops
Yakub Memon, the lone 1993Mumbai serial blasts convictwho was hanged to death today,became the third terror convictto have been sent to the gallowsin the last four years.
Memon, who would haveturned 53 today was executed atNagpur Central Jail.
Before Memon, Parliamentattack convict MohammedAfzal Guru was hanged at 8 amat Tihar jail here on February 9,2013.
Afzal was convicted of con-spiracy in the December 2001attack on Parliament and wassentenced to death by theSupreme Court in 2004.
On December 13, 2001, fiveheavily-armed terrorists had
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Yakub Memon was not a petty criminal, hewas a Terrorist. But his funeral procession
suggests he was a hero of some kind.
Rainy Thursday in Delhi, moreshowers likely on FridayNEW DELHI
Parts of the national capital received light rain onThursday while the weather remained pleasant and themaximum temperature settled three notches below theseason`s average at 31.3 degrees Celsius. The city islikely to get more showers on Friday, the Met Officesaid.
"The sky will remain cloudy tomorrow (Friday) andsome parts of the city may get rain," said an official ofthe India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The maximum and minimum temperatures will hoveraround 31 and 25 degrees.
On Thursday, the city received "traces" of rainfall till5.30 p.m. which are "not measurable" and the minimumtemperature settled at 25.2 degrees Celsius, two notch-es below average.
The day`s maximum humidity was recorded at 84 per-cent.
Wednesday`s maximum temperature was recorded at32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature set-tled at 22 degrees Celsius, slightly below the season`saverage.
US citizen alleges molestation by cabdriver in DelhiAHMEDNAGAR
A case has been registered here against a cab driverfor allegedly molesting a 20-year-old US national inDelhi.
The case was registered in Tophkhana police stationon the complaint of the girl and later transfered toChitaranjan Park police station of New Delhi for furtherprobe as the crime took place in that area, said SaurabhTripathi, Superintendent of Police of Ahmednagar.
The girl registered a complaint against DevrajChauvan (30), a taxi driver of a Delhi-based travel com-pany, in Tophkhana police station of Ahmednagar onJuly 28. "The driver has been booked under Sections354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent tooutrage her modesty) and 506 (punishment for criminalintimidation) of the Indian Penal Code," theAhmednagar SP said. The girl came from the US to visitan Ahmednagar-based spiritual centre. She had hired ataxi of a travel company to visit various locations afterarriving in New Delhi on July 24, while staying at ahotel in Chitaranjan Park area of New Delhi.
"The driver allegedly tried to physically abuse her.She could not speak about it due to fear then but aftercoming to Ahmednagar, she shared the incident with hercolleagues," the SP said. Later, she met the districtpolice chief and narrated the incident after which thecase was filed against the driver.
Four held in DU admission scamNEW DELHI
The Delhi Police on Thursday claimed to have busteda fake admission scam running across Delhi University(DU) colleges with the arrest of four people, officialssaid. The Delhi Police, in June, successfully investigat-ed an admission scam in city schools under the EWS(Economically Weaker Section) category.
21 Nepali women rescued in Delhi,two traffickers heldNEW DELHI
Twenty-one Nepali women, who were set to be sent toDubai for the sex trade on the pretext of getting jobs,have been rescued following the arrest of two meninvolved in human trafficking, Delhi Police said onWednesday.
Vishnu Tamang, 29, and Ishwor Neupane, 32, bothresidents of Nepal, were arrested on July 25 from southDelhi`s Mahipalpur and revelations from them led torescue of the Nepali women from the area.
"At the instance of Tamang and Neupane, 21 Nepaliwomen in the age group of 20-35 years were rescued.They had been brought from Nepal and were to be sentto Dubai," Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGIA) M.I.Haider said. "The women were kept at a place inMahipalpur for further movement to Dubai," Haidersaid. The official said the agents had been inducing poorNepali women affected by the recent major earthquakein Nepal on false promises of handsome salaries for dif-ferent jobs in Gulf countries.
"The agents would send the Nepali women to Gulfcountries with the help of fake travel documents andwrongful means," he said. Tamang and Neupane arrivedin India in 2014 and 2013, respectively, and began traf-ficking Nepali women to Middle East countries afterdeveloping contacts with some Nepali agents. "Theyhave trafficked a large number of Nepali girls for pecu-niary consideration of Rs.4,000 to 5,000 per woman astheir commission," the official said.
"The agents used to get money from abroad throughRoyal money or Moothoot Finance," he said.
Police said the women`s travel to Dubai was arrangedby an agent Raju with the active connivance of two AirIndia staff -- identified as duty manager Kapil, 30, andcustomer service executive Manish, 28 -- who werearrested on July 21 on charges of trafficking Nepaliwomen. Seven Nepali women were rescued at the inter-national retail area of Terminal-3 earlier this week whenthey were slated to travel to Dubai. "As the documentsof all the women passengers were found forged by theCISF, they were handed over to immigration officialswho later handed them to police for further legalaction," said the official.
"After questioning and verification, we came to knowthat these women were being trafficked to Dubai in sextrade. We later got inputs of 21 more such women to betrafficked to Dubai," he said. In February 2014, a jointteam of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the CentralBureau of Investigation (CBI) and Intelligence Bureau(IB), Special Cell of Delhi police and CISF had con-ducted surprise checking at IGI Airport on specificinformation and found 76 Nepali girls travelling fromDelhi to Nairobi via Dubai.
DELHI NEWS2 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight For Right
IN BRIEF
NEW DELHIThe Delhi High Court today dis-
missed pleas of Congress lawmakers,Ambika Soni and Kumari Selja, chal-lenging the Centre's orders to evictthem from the type-VIII bungalowsin Lutyens' Delhi.
Both former cabinet ministers hadalleged, that despite being entitled tothe current accommodation by virtueof being members of the Rajya Sabha(Upper House of Parliament), theUrban Development Ministry andDirectorate of Estates acted in "collu-sion" and is "hounding" them tovacate the premises.
Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said,"Merely for the sake of retaining ahouse to which they (Ms Soni andMs Kumari) are not entitled, haveattempted to give political overtonesto the matter."
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat hadtold the court that the two lawmakersare eligible for only Type-VII houses,which are a grade lower than Type-
VIII bungalows that they are current-ly occupying.
The Secretariat was in consonancewith the Centre's contention that thetwo lawmakers are ineligible for thebungalows as per the 2006 allotmentguidelines.
Additional Solicitor GeneralSanjay Jain, assisted by central gov-
ernment standing counsel JasmeetSingh, had told the court that said asper the 2006 allotment guidelines,Type-VIII bungalows are only allot-ted to a person who was a formerSpeaker and has been a former Unionminister, an ex-governor or a formerchief minister, making both Congressleaders ineligible to stay in them.
The government had asked MsSoni and Ms Kumari, to vacate theirofficial bungalows by June 10, afterthe rejection of privilege notices sentby the two lawmakers against theeviction orders served on them.
The government had also submit-ted that four Union ministers current-ly do not have their entitled, Type-VIII accommodation, and are livingin Type-VII flats. Two union minis-ters, Birender Singh and RamShankar Katheria, who have beenallotted the bungalows which werecurrently occupied by the twoCongress lawmakers, are still waitingto move in.
Delhi High Court Rejects Ambika Soni,Kumari Selja's Pleas Against Eviction
accused Chief MinisterArvind Kejriwal of "manu-facturing crises to hide hisfailures" as it slammedDelhi government for notsending any representa-tives to an "important"Joint Cadre ControlAuthority (JCCA) meet-ing.
"Shockingly, at the cadrecontrol meeting held onJuly 24, Delhi governmentdid not send any represen-tatives, not even the chiefsecretary, to mention itsstand on which officers itwants to retain and othercadre-related issues,"charged Delhi PradeshCongress Committee(DPCC) President AjayMaken.
"Kejriwal cries foul thathe is not being allowed torecruit officers of hischoice, but then his gov-ernment is deliberatelyboycotting important meet-ings where such decisions
are taken," he further said.Kejriwal's deputy,
Manish Sisodia, had writ-ten to the Union HomeMinistry on July 23 statingthat he would like to repre-sent the Delhi administra-tion at the JCCA meeting.But the proposal was
turned down on thegrounds that no politiciancan be a member of theJCCA, which is an admin-istrative set-up of only IASofficers.
"As per my knowledge,no political leader has beenallowed to participate in
the meeting," Maken said.Claiming that the ruling
AAP was creating a hueand cry about the transferof the VAT commissionerand the Education Directorof Delhi to other UnionTerritory-cadre postings bythe Centre, Maken said the
Kejriwal dispensation hasto respect the laid-downnorms, which cannot bechanged to suit the conven-ience and demands of thechief minister.
Maken alleged thatKejriwal has been creatingone crisis after another, beit over the appointment ofthe Chief Secretary orthrough claiming that hewas being made a victim ofpolitics in the matter ofappointment of ShakuntalaGamlin as the acting ChiefSecretary, despite the factthat Sisodia himself hadcleared her name for thepost. The Congress leaderalso cited the appointmentof DCW chairperson SwatiMaliwal to criticise theAAP government.
Congress also ridiculedAAP government'sremarks that VAT
commissioner VijayKumar's transfer wouldnegatively affect revenuecollection, saying that rev-enue collection was on a
decline even during histenure.
Maken claimed that VATcollection has slumped toalmost 1.75 per cent in2014-15 compared to10.03 per cent in 2013.
"In 2013, the revenuecollection in six months,February to July, was Rs8,493 crore, whichincreased to Rs 9,345 croreduring the correspondingperiod in 2014. The growthrate, however, declined in2015 as Rs 9,509 crore rev-enue was collected fromFebruary to July despiteincrease in VAT on petroland diesel," claimedMaken.
"During the electioncampaign, Kejriwal hadclaimed that revenue col-lection has declined due tocorruption, but the presentfigures point towards cor-ruption in his tenure," saidMaken, the Delhi PradeshCongress Committee presi-dent.
Kejriwal 'manufacturing crises' to hide failures: Congress
NEW DELHISt Stephen's research
scholar who wasallegedly molested by acollege professor todaywarned him and collegeprincipal ValsonThampu of legal actionif they do not facilitatedisbursal of her stipend,access to her com-pounds and computa-tional data within sevendays.
"I call upon both ofyou to jointly ensurewithin the next 7 daysthat my stipend calcu-lated from the period ofOctober 15, 2014 toJune 30, 2015 at Rs20,800 per month isreleased to me alongwith Rs 1,21,420 as
travel grant."...That my chemical
compounds namely NY-6, 2NY-91, 2NY-92,2NY-132 are returned tome in their proper formas synthesized by meand all the relevantcomputational data inrespect of my com-pounds and my researchare given back to me bythe professor," she saidin a caution note sent toboth of them.
A copy of the samehas been marked to theHRD ministry andUniversity GrantsCommission (UGC).
The victim hadapproached police lastmonth, alleging that shewas molested by Satish
Kumar, an assistant pro-fessor in the college'sChemistry departmentunder whom she waspursuing her research.
She had also accusedcollege principal ValsonThampu of "shielding"the teacher when thematter was reported tohim.
Following a meetingwith the victim lastweek, HRD MinisterSmriti Irani had directedthe Delhi University toensure that her stipendis released on time, sheis granted unrestrictedaccess to the laboratoryand assigned a newsupervisor.
The scholar had yes-terday raised the same
demands along with thatof a female supervisor'sappointment with DelhiUniversity's Chemistrydepartment.
While Thampu main-tained that the "addi-tional" demands raisedby the victim cannot bemet, the varsity hascalled them "highlyunrealistic".
"Now that HRDMinister has intervenedin this matter, both ofyou are now under anadditional obligation tocomply with the law...Ifthe necessary actionsare not taken by you, Ishall be constrained toinitiate appropriate legalaction against both ofyou," the note said.
Stephen's molestation victim sendscaution note to college principal
NEW DELHILok Sabha may not pursue any
further action on the privilegenotice it issued to Robert Vadraover his remarks on Parliamentdisruptions with Speaker SumitraMahajan saying it was not such abig issue.
The Speaker's remarks cameafter Vadra replied to the noticesaying that there was no attempton his part to hurt anybody and hewas only exercising his right tofreedom of expression.
"I do not think it is such a bigissue. I have also read the letter.May be it will not be pursued fur-ther. I can say that much,"Mahajan told reporters whenasked about her views on Vadra'sreply.
Vadra, in his Facebook post onJuly 21, the day Monsoon sessionof Parliament commenced, hadtaken a swipe at the BJP-led NDAgovernment, without naming it.
"Parliament begins and so dotheir petty diversionary politicaltactics... People of India are notfooled. Regret to see India led bysuch so-called leaders !!," Vadrahad said in his post.
Protesting against it, BJP MPPrahlad Joshi said in Lok Sabhathat Vadra had "demeaned"Parliamentarians and wanted theissue to be referred to thePrivileges Committee and he besummoned before the House.
The MP had later moved a priv-ilege motion against Vadra.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat had
written to Vadra giving him aweek to respond on the BJP MP'sprivilege motion.
Mahajan said,"we have got his(Vadra's) letter. I will examine itunder the rules of privilege. I havegiven it to the Secretary General toexamine it as per rules. If there isno issue, we will not take up it fur-ther (the privilege notice).
Asked about Vadra's reply,Congress chief spokespersonRandeep Surjewala said,"as far asI am aware, Speaker had issued anotice. The person who has torespond will respond. Beyond this,Congress does not have to sayanything. Final decision will betaken by the Speaker of the LokSabha."
LS may not pursue privilege notice against Vadra: Speaker
NEW DELHIUnder Swachh Bharat
Mission, 480 public toilets willbe installed at 80 differentlocations in Delhi in the nextthree months.
A decision to this effect wastaken last evening at a meetingby Urban DevelopmentSecretary Madhusudan Prasad.
Various models of public toi-lets, including the hugely pop-ular 'Namma' model beingimplemented in Tam il Naduand the ones evolved by DelhiUrban Arts Commission werediscussed in detail in the meet-ing, a senior UD Ministry offi-cial said.
The four urban local bodiesof Delhi will identify 20 loca-tions each for installing publictoilet complexes with 6 seatseach. This comes to a total of480 toilet seats at 80 locations.Both the 'Namma' and DUACmodels will be used for build-ing them.
The Namma model, made ofcomposite materials, wasevolved on the suggestion offormer President A P J AdbulKalam when he was thePrincipal Scientific Advisor toformer Prime Minister AtalBihari Vajpayee in 1998.
The 'Namma' toilets werealso appreciated by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi at theexhibition during the launch ofthree new urban missions lastmonth.
National BuildingsConstruction Corporation
(NBCC) will support part ofthe expenditure underCorporate SocialResponsibility (CSR).
DUSIP will prepare anAction Plan for installingabout 1,000 community toiletseats in slum areas. For build-ing community toilet seats, 40per cent Viability Gap Fundingwill be extended. This supportwill not be available for build-ing public toilet seats for theuse of which nominal usercharges will be recovered.
Under Swachh BharatMission in urban areas,1,25,398 individual householdtoilets, 9,156 public toilet seatsand 1,982 community toiletseats are to be built by 2019.Besides this, 100 per centSolid Waste Management isalso to be ensured. This is esti-mated to cost Rs 350 cr.
Stressing the need for speedyaction under Swachh BharatMission, Prasad also expressedconcern on negative percep-tions over its tardy progress inDelhi.
The meeting was attendedby the Chief Executives ofNDMC, the three MunicipalCorporations of Delhi andDelhi Urban ShelterImprovement Project(DUSIP), Special Secretary,Delhi Government, Chairmanof Delhi Urban ArtsCommission and other seniorofficials.
480 public toilets tobe installed at 80locations in Delhi
NEW DELHIWith the UN raising the
humanitarian crisis level ofYemen to the highest rung,India on Thursday askedits nationals to refrain fromtravelling to the strife-torncountry.
"The security situation inYemen continues to befragile. The UnitedNations has raised thehumanitarian crisis level ofYemen to the highest rung.Shortages of food items,cooking gas, diesel, petroletc continue and water andelectricity supply are alsoseverely affected.
"Conflict and bombingsstill continue andGovernment of India hasalready issued an advisoryfor avoiding travel toYemen for its nationals.Since it will still take timefor normalcy to return to
Yemen, Indian nationalsare once again advised torefrain from undertakingtravel to Yemen," ExternalAffairs Ministry said.
The UN has declared itshighest-level humanitarianemergency in conflict-tornYemen, where its estimat-ed more than 80 per cent ofthe population now needsassistance. UN agenciessay air strikes and groundfighting have killed morethan 1,400 civilians sinceMarch and displaced overa million amid shortages offuel and medical supplies.The World HealthOrganisation says 3,083people have died and14,324 have been wound-ed in the conflicts takingplace there for monthsnow.
India asks nationals to refrainfrom travelling to Yemen
NATIONAL /INTERNATIONAL3 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight For Right
NAGPURYakub Memon -- who
was convicted for playinga crucial role in the 1993Mumbai serial blasts --was executed today by thesame constable who hadcarried out the hanging ofPakistani terrorist AjmalKasab in Pune's Yerwadajail three years ago.
The hangman, whoseidentity has been keptsecret due to security rea-sons, arrived at the CentralPrison a week ago as partof a 20-member team ofprison personnel fromYerwada Jail.
He had pulled the leverto hang on Kasab -- theonly perpetrator of 26/11Mumbai attacks caughtalive -- on November 21,2012.
Jail Superintendent ofYerwada, Yogesh Desai,who had led the team dur-ing Kasab's execution inPune, was transferred tothe Nagpur Central Prisona few months back, appar-ently to oversee Yakub's
hanging.According to jail offi-
cials, the constable execut-ed the hanging with "clini-cal precision".
Also, another constablefrom Yerwada was broughthere a week ago andtrained with two others toassist the hangman. Theother members of the teamwere entrusted with thetask of preparing the dropand the platform in theexecution yard.
Nagpur and Yerwada arethe two Central Prisons inMaharashtra equippedwith hanging facility.
The previous executionat Nagpur jail was carriedout in 1984, when twobrothers from Amravatihad been hanged for mur-der. Memon was hangedshortly before 7 am -- lessthan two hours after theSupreme Court dismissedhis final appeal against hisexecution in an unprece-dented hearing held withinthe court premises in Delhiin the middle of the night.
NEW DELHIIndia has clarified to the WTO members
that its import licensing regime is openand transparent and affects only a fewrestricted items.
A WTO report, prepared as part of thetrade policy review (TPR) of India held inJune, has mentioned that India has a com-plex import regime.
In response to these observations, it wasinformed in the TPR that the duties areimposed to equalise internal taxes such ascentral and state value added taxes andother taxes leviable under domestic pro-duction, consumption of sale of goods,Commerce and Industry Minister NirmalaSitharaman has said in a written reply tothe Rajya Sabha.
These are not only WTO compatible butalso commonly followed in most membercountries, she said. "It was also clarified tothe WTO that India's import licensingregime is open and transparent and affectsonly a few restricted items primarily on
the grounds of need to protect human, ani-mal and plant life and environment," sheadded.
It was also mentioned that these differ-ences would be further neutralised withthe introduction of a more simplifiedGoods and Services Tax (GST).
In a separate reply, she said that India isworking with WTO members to ensurepermanent solution at the "earliest".
Import Licensing Regime is Open,Transparent: India Tells WTO
MUMBAIDays after Union Minister
Radha Mohan Singh stoked acontroversy by his remark thatlove affairs were among thereasons for farmer suicides, aBJP leader today said NCPchief Sharad Pawar had madea similar statement inParliament in 2013.
"Pawar had told Parliamentthrice - in the Lok Sabha onFebruary 26 and August 6 andin the Rajya Sabha on August16 (in 2013) that love affairswas one of the reasons behindfarmer suicides," StateAgriculture Minister EknathKhadse said in the Assemblytoday.
Taking exception to MrKhadse's remark, NCP createda ruckus and demanded thathis statement be expunged.
The NCP members rushed tothe well of the House follow-ing which Speaker HaribhauBagde's adjourned the pro-
ceedings for 20 minutes."Pawar had said that as per
the National Crime RecordsBureau, the causes of farmerssuicides include family prob-lems, illness, drug abuse,unemployment, property dis-pute, bankruptcy or suddenchange in economic status,poverty, professional problem,love affair, impotency, cancel-lation/non-settlement of mar-
riage, dowry dispute, fall insocial reputation among oth-ers," Mr Khadse said.
Interestingly, during hisreply in Parliament on thematter, Union AgricultureMinister Singh too had citedthe NCRB data.
Jaidutt Kshirsagar of NCPsaid a note, containing MrKhadse's statement on MrPawar and the latter's reply to
Parliament, wascirculated without the
Speaker's permission anddemanded a
probe into the issue. He wassupported by PrithvirajChavan.
Mr Khadse replied that hehad sought permission fromthe Speaker to make a state-ment on the issue in the Houseand said a probe be orderedinto how the note was distrib-uted.
NCP leaders ChhaganBhujbal and ShashikantShinde demanded thatKhadse's remarks be expungedas his statement on Mr Pawar'sreply was circulated with outthe Chair's permission. "Thisis not as per rules," they said.
Mr Bhujbal said Mr Pawarhad given Rs. 76,000 croreloan waiver package to farm-ers in times of distress. "But(Radha Mohan) Singh has notgiven even Rs. 76," he said.
Sharad Pawar Listed Love Affairs Among ReasonsBehind Farmer Suicides: Maharashtra Minister Khadse
Parsekar today told the StateLegislative Assembly that thenumber of illegal constructions inthe state are mushrooming onaccount of cumbersome proce-dures existing in the system.
"The procedures to get permis-sion to construct houses are cum-bersome. That is why people areforced to go for illegal construc-tions," Mr Parsekar said on thefloor of the House today.
He assured the legislators thatthe state government will be sim-
plifying the procedures for con-struction. He also said the stategovernment has been moving
towards regularising the houses inthe state. "The issue of illegalhouses is not new and it existed
right from the time of liberation,"the chief minister added.Responding to a question, he saidthe houses will not be regulariseden mass but would be classified."For example, if I have constructedhouse in my own land it would beimmediately regularised. Thosewhich are on tenanted land wouldbe treated differently," he said.Leader of Opposition PratapsinghRane demanded that the housesshould not be regularised as itwould give benefit to the non-Goans who have been illegallyoccupying spaces.
Illegal Constructions Rising Due to Cumbersome System: Goa CM Laxmikant ParsekarNEW DELHI
Two Air India employees have beenarrested in Delhi after the police uncov-ered a people-smuggling operation thatapparently targeted victims of the Nepalearth quake. A senior police officer at theairport said staff at the national carrierwere suspected of helping Nepalesewomen promised jobs in wealthy Gulfcountries to evade immigration proce-dures. So far 28 women have been identi-fied, most of whom the police said werefrom areas of Nepal badly affected by amajor earthquake in April that killed thou-sands and left many more homeless.
M I Haider, Deputy Commissioner ofPolice at the Delhi airport, said the scam
was exposed on July 21 when a group ofseven Nepalese women transiting Delhiairport en route to Dubai were found withtheir travel documents stamped, eventhough they had not yet cleared immigra-tion control. Police briefly detained thewomen and arrested two Air India groundstaff, who admitted under questioning thatthey had been paid $90 or Rs. 5580 perperson to arrange the forged documents.Police found the 21 women when theyraided a hotel in Delhi and they will bereturned to Nepal along with the otherseven, Mr Haider said. The women hadtravelled to India from Nepal by bus afterbeing promised work in Gulfcountries.
Air India Staff Arrested for Trafficking Nepal Earthquake Victims: Report
NEW DELHIDefence Minister
Manohar Parrikar todayinformed the Upper Housethat the Centre has with-drawn the multi-billiondollar tender for the 126Medium Multi RoleCombat Aircrafts(MMRCA), for whichRafale was shortlisted in2012.
"The Request forProposal (RFP) issued ear-lier for the procurement of126 MMRCA has beenwithdrawn. In the multi-vendor procurement case,the Rafale aircraft met allthe performance character-istics stipulated in the RFPduring the evaluation con-ducted by the Indian AirForce," Mr Parrikar said ina written reply to RajyaSabha.
The move comes justmonths after the DefenceMinister indicated that theover $20 billion MMRCAtender has virtually beenscrapped after the govern-ment decided to purchase36 Rafales under a govern-ment-to-government con-tract.
The talks for the 36Rafales have already com-menced, the Minister said.
Defence sources said thata letter was sent out to thesix vendors shortlisted forthe RFP, which was thenthe biggest aviation con-tract globally.
The RFP for the procure-ment of 126 MMRCA, at athen estimated cost of Rs.42,000 crores, was issuedin 2007 to six vendors -Russia's MIG-35 (RACMiG), Swedish JAS-39
(Gripen), Dassault Rafale(France), American F-16Falcon (Lockheed Martin),Boeing's F/A-18 SuperHornet and EurofighterTyphoon (made by a con-sortium of British,German, Spanish andItalian firms).
Under the terms of pur-chase, the first 18MMRCA aircrafts weresupposed to come in a 'flyaway' condition while theremaining 108 manufac-tured under Transfer of
Technology.While initially the tender
was valued at about $10billion for 126 aircraft, thecurrent price is estimatedto be over $20 billion.
Prime Minister NarendraModi had in Aprilannounced purchase of 36Rafale fighter aircrafts infly-away condition fromthe French governmentdirectly, sidestepping thegrueling three-year negoti-ations for the MMRCAtender.
Tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat AircraftsWithdrawn: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
KOLKATAHeavy rains have been
forecast in southern WestBengal by the meteorolog-ical department due to thecyclonic storm, Komen,which is likely to makelandfall in Bangladesh.Chief Minister MamataBannerjee cut short hervisit to London and landedin Kolkata at 5pm today topersonally oversee reliefoperations.
The government hassounded a high alert in allsouthern districts, especial-ly North 24 Parganas,South 24 Parganas, Nadia,Burdwan, Hooghly,Birbhum andMurshidabad. Leave of allgovernment officials hasbeen cancelled to tackle
the situation. The Director of the
Indian MeteorologicalDepartment in Kolkata,GC Debnath, said,"Depression has intensi-fied into cyclonic storm,will make landfall in
Bangladesh. After landfall,it will hit border districtsand heavy rainfall isexpected across southBengal."
According to officials,the impact of the stormwill be felt tonight and
tomorrow. The low lyingareas in south-easterncoastal parts are likely tobe most affected inBangladesh. While windspeed may decrease by thetime the depression reach-es Bengal, damage is likelyto happen due to heavyrain, 30 to 100 per centmore rainfall than normalis expected.
On her arrival, MsBannerjee tried to reassurethe people. She said,"There is no need to bescared of the cyclone. Thegovernment is prepared.People should be alert andcareful."
The chief minister hadset up a task force to tacklethe situation even beforeshe left for London last
Sunday. Home secretary,Basudeb Bannerjee, whoheads the task force said,"26,000 people are alreadyin relief camps in 7 dis-tricts. 227 relief campshave been setup and 47kitchens. Heavy rain is aconcern because the bar-rages are full and a hightide is expected tomor-row."
In villages across theSunderbans, people arealready moving to reliefcamps because of theirexperience of cyclone,Aila, in May 2009 whichkilled atleast 158 peopleand many others werereported missing. Thecyclone had affected bothWest Bengal andBangladesh.
Heavy Rains Forecast as West Bengal Prepares for Cyclone Komen
Cyclone Komen to Bring VeryHeavy Rains in OdishaBHUBANESWAR
The deep depression over northeasternBay of Bengal today intensified intocyclonic storm 'Komen' which is set to trig-ger heavy to very heavy rain coupled withsqually surface wind in several areas ofOdisha. After moving northwestwards, thecyclone lay centred around 440 kms east ofBalasore, the meteorological centre inBhubaneswar said.
The system would move north-northwest-wards and cross Bangladesh coast shortly.After landfall, it would move west-north-westwards and weaken gradually.
Under its impact, rain and thundershowerwould occur at many places in Odisha.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or twoplaces in coastal Odisha and adjoiningMaurbhanj district would occur during next24 hours, the Metrological office said.
In view of the weather condition, LocalCautionary Signal Number-Three (LC-III)was replaced by Danger Signal Number Five(D-V) at all ports in Odisha.
Squally surface wind with speed reaching50 to 70 kmph would prevail along and offOdisha coast. Sea condition would be veryrough to high and fishermen have beenadvised not to venture into sea, it said.
NEW DELHIIndian States and Union
Territories will be penalisedfor any delay in transfer offunds to urban local bodies(ULBs) under the AtalMission for Rejuvenationand Urban Transformation(AMRUT), Rajya Sabhawas informed today.
States and UTs shallrelease the central assis-tance, along with theState/UT share, to theULBs within seven work-ing days of the release ofcentral share, failing whichpenal interest will belevied, Minister of State forUrban Development BabulSupriyo said in a writtenreply. He said this provisionwas made in the MissionGuidelines to avoid delaysin the execution of projectsunder the Atal Mission forRejuvenation and UrbanTransformation (AMRUT),which was launched on
June 25.The minister stated that
AMRUT is a time boundprogramme to be imple-mented over a period offive years from 2015 withstipulated reforms to becompleted in four years.
To avoid delays in imple-mentation, the Ministry ofUrban Development hasalso left the task of prepara-tion, appraisal and execu-tion of projects to theStates/UT unlike in the pastunder Jawaharlal NehruNational Urban RenewalMission (JnNURM). UnderAMRUT, central assistanceranges from one-third ofthe project cost for citieswith a population of above10 lakh to 50 per cent forcities/towns with a popula-tion of less than 10 lakh forprojects pertaining to watersupply, sewerage, septagemanagement, storm waterdrains and urban transport.
States to Be Penalised For Delayin Transferring AMRUT Funds
NEW DELHIThe BJP has challenged
Congress president SoniaGandhi and her son anddeputy Rahul Gandhi toofficially condemn com-ments made by their partyleader Digvijaya Singh onTwitter today, saying a fail-ure to do so will mean thathe has spoken on theirbehalf.
Digvijaya Singh kickedup a massive controversyby appearing to compareYakub Memon, executedthis morning for his role inthe 1993 Mumbai blasts, toformer President APJAbdul Kalam, whose lastrites were performed in hishome town today.
Mr Singh tweeted: OnTwitter, people lambastedMr Singh for mentioningYakub Memon, a manfound guilty for terrorattacks that killed 257 peo-ple, in the same space asone of the country's mostbeloved leaders.
The BJP's GVLNarasimha Rao said, "IfRahul and Sonia Gandhido not reflect the views ofDigvijaya, they must con-demn his statement todaythrough a formal press
statement," adding,"Otherwise this countryhas to take DigvijayaSingh's comments as theofficial position of theCongress party."
Union Minister RaviShankar Prasad of the BJPtoo asked, "What he hassaid, does it represent theofficial view of theCongress party?"
Mr Singh's party vice-president Rahul Gandhiwas among thousands whopaid homage to Dr Kalamat his burial in TamilNadu's Rameswaramtoday. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and manysenior ministers too attend-ed.
Digvijaya Singh, whoalso accused the Modi gov-ernment of "giving com-munal colour" to the Yakubcase, later claimed that hehad only meant to high-light a contrast in histweets. "On one side theformer President withhumble beginningsreached such great heightsand did so much for thepeople and on the otherside Yakub got involved inbad company and becamea criminal," Mr Singh said.
On Digvijaya's ControversialYakub Tweet, a BJP
Challenge to the Gandhis
BY KAILASH SATYARTHI
The United Nations (UN)has designated July 30 asWorld Day against
Trafficking in Persons. It is agood day to remind ourselves ofthe plight of an estimated 2.5million people and 1.2 millionchildren who are victims of traf-ficking every year all over theworld.
It is also a good day to con-front the burgeoning issue ofmodern-day slavery. We live intimes when teenage girls are soldin slave markets for as little as apack of cigarettes. These aretimes when young boys areforced to become soldiers andare handed guns and swordsinstead of toys and books. Theexamples of trafficking andmodern-day slavery are increas-ing steadily, and require concert-ed and cohesive action so thatfuture generations are protected.
Despite technology, which hasput information and knowledgeat our fingertips, civilisation haswoken up to the scourge of slav-ery only in the last few decades.Human trafficking results in andfuels all forms of slavery such assexual exploitation, forcedlabour, other forms of labourexploitation, forced marriages,and the abuse of children inarmed conflicts. Curbing humantrafficking becomes imperativein tackling slavery.
The world over, human traf-ficking is labelled as the thirdmost lucrative illicit trade, afterdrugs and arms. But it is, in fact,the single largest illicit trade inthe world. Slavery, prevalent inalmost all countries of the world,amounts to U.S.$32 billionaccording to official sources anda definitive U.S.$150 billionaccording to non-governmentalsources.
Take the example of a girl traf-ficked illegally in a red-lightarea. A solicitor pays approxi-mately Rs. 500 on an average.Ifthe girl performs sexual acts for
10 people a day and there are100 such girls in the area, thenthat area alone generates Rs. 5lakh in black money in a singleday. This, when expanded to thethousands of such areas inalmost a hundred countries,amounts to huge amounts ofblack money. This money isused, in turn, to support all otherillicit trades, thus setting off abooming economy based on traf-ficking.
It is this nexus of black moneyexchange that needs to be dis-mantled. The lucrative illiciteconomy that has been built uparound trafficking in personsmust be attacked from everyangle.
Despite its frightening reper-cussions, there are major legallacunae in the definition, track-ing and punishment of traffick-ing. A global concerted effort hascome up only in the last fewdecades, after the passing of theUnited Nations Protocol toPrevent, Suppress and PunishTrafficking in Persons,Especially Women and Children(Palermo Protocol) in 2000.
In the Indian context, on theother hand, traffic in human
beings has been prohibited as afundamental right granted in theConstitution. Untouchability andtrafficking are two crimes thatare prescribed as punishable inthe Constitution itself.
Despite this, a comprehensivelaw was laid down only in 2013,which made trafficking a crimi-nal offence. India ratified thePalermo Protocol after a casewas filed by my organisation,
Bachpan Bachao Andolan(BBA). The Justice Verma com-mittee report has dedicated twoentire chapters to the issue on thebasis of suggestions and recom-mendations from BBA.
The delayed action by govern-ment agencies against traffickinghas resulted in its widespreadincidence across the country,which spans from traffickinginto forced labour in hazardouswork and factories to the seem-ingly innocuous trafficking intodomestic labour. As per officialestimates, 15 children go miss-ing every hour in India and 8 arenever found. The real number oftrafficked children is neverknown. The international nexusof trafficking has manifestationsright inside our homes. Underthe garb of supplying cheap
domestic help, placement agen-cies traffic people, making this alarge organised crime, especiallyin metropolitan cities. The prob-lem hence needs not just organi-sational solutions but societalinvolvement too.
In this backdrop, other disturb-ing forms of trafficking are alsoemerging. Children in armedconflicts, illegal adoptions, thesale of organs, and trafficking
for marriage are some of theother ugly heads of traffickingthat have emerged in the pastfew years.
I have always maintained thatIndia is a land of a hundred prob-lems and the mother of a billionsolutions. Filling policy gaps tocounter trafficking, especially inthe area of rehabilitation, is theforemost need. Next in line is anefficient legal response to allreported cases of trafficking. Theenforcement of law and the sub-sequent enforcement of justicemust be immediate and becomea deterrent.
Trafficking is an organisedcrime that needs concerted inter-state and inter-agency efforts.Arresting a guilty placementagent, or shutting down a factory
that employs trafficked personsis not enough. The entire moneytrail needs to be tracked andeveryone involved tried as perlaw.
The victims of trafficking,especially children, need safesocial and economic rehabilita-tion. Higher budgetary alloca-tions are needed for their imme-diate help and counselling,besides making arrangements fortheir vocational training, hous-ing and repatriation. The reintro-duction to education is also amust. Also, changes in the edu-cation system to include rights-based information, if given toeach child, can lay the founda-tions of an aware and securegeneration. Schools and parentsmust make children aware of thedangers of trafficking and pre-pare them to recognise and tack-le it.
All these efforts will only seeresults through dedicated publicparticipation. Our social con-science has to treat traffickingfor what it is, a crime and an evil.We can, all of us, help combattrafficking. Stay vigilant andinform the authorities wheneveryou see a case of exploitation, donot frequent restaurants or shopsthat employ child labour, reporthomes that employ children, besensitive towards victims of sex-ual abuse, and participate active-ly in dialogue against traffickingand slavery. Businesses and cor-porate houses must self-monitorand map their supply chain toensure there is no trafficking orforced labour.
I believe that together we caneliminate human traffickingacross the world. Freedom is anon-negotiable right and eachone of us, irrespective of oureconomic and social status,deserves to have it. The shacklesof slavery can never be strongerthan the quest for freedom.
(Kailash Satyarthi is NobelPeace Laureate, 2014.)
FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015
Inhuman and unconscionable
Sowing the seeds of a disaster
BY SRINATH RAGHAVAN
In two recent speeches, theForeign Secretary, Dr. S.Jaishankar, has enunciated the
strategic underpinnings of India’sforeign policy under Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. The speeches arecharacteristically incisive, thoughtfuland provide useful insights into NewDelhi’s evolving approach to interna-tional relations. Nevertheless, sincethese speeches were public interven-tions, a few thoughts may be worthbouncing off their polished surface.
Srinath Raghavan
The burden of the speeches was toflag apparently far-reaching shifts inIndia’s approach to foreign affairs.Even while the Foreign Secretaryconceded some continuity with thepast, he insisted that we are witness-ing “different times”. A simple“smell test” of the diplomacy of thelast year would point to this “reason-ably clear conclusion”. Foreign poli-cy under Mr. Modi is marked by“greater confidence, more initiative,certainly stronger determination” aswell as a series of innovativeapproaches.
Engaging with the neighbourhood
The Foreign Secretary rightly heldthat Mr. Modi’s decision to inviteSouth Asian leaders for his swearing-in, in May 2014, heralded a “bigshift” in India’s policy towards itsneighbours. By engaging intensivelywith the neighbourhood, Mr. Modihas indeed managed to project India’sleadership without ruffling sensitivi-ties in the region. In particular, hisengagements with Nepal, Bangladeshand Bhutan have given a fillip toplans for subregional connectivityand integration.
That said, our relationships withthe Western neighbours leave muchto be desired. It is not surprising thatthe Foreign Secretary slurred overPakistan in his speeches. Here, thegovernment has struggled to reapdividends of the “big shift” — large-ly because it shifted away from itsoriginal position. By calling off talks
last year and by taking the initiativeto resume them now, the governmenthas showcased its inability to craft asustainable approach to Pakistan. Theposition with Afghanistan is worsestill. Repeating platitudes about“Afghan-led reconciliation process”and “internationally accepted red-lines” is unlikely to get us very far. Inreality, there is an ongoing Pakistan-facilitated process to arrive at a set-tlement with the Taliban. Moreimportantly, this process has the
approval of the United States, Chinaand Russia. The limitations of ourpolicy towards Afghanistan over thepast year are amply clear — not leastin the manner in which traditionalpartners like Russia have edged clos-er to the Pakistani position.
Looking beyond the subcontinent,the Foreign Secretary underlined thegovernment’s pattern of engagementwith various other regions. ThePrime Minister’s “integrated” toursto countries in East Asia, the IndianOcean and Central Asia are evidentlyindicative of a different approach —one that also seeks to exploit theopenings that may be offered by localbalances of power. The prime minis-terial itineraries certainly lend cre-dence to this claim. And the outreachto some neglected countries is to bewelcomed.
But is there a novel strategicapproach at work? Take the case of
the Indian Ocean region. The ForeignSecretary stated that there is a new,integrated approach in place — withemphasis on “exchange of informa-tion and coastal surveillance, build-ing of infrastructure and strengthen-ing of capabilities”.
Assessing policy
In fact, each of these initiativesbegan under the previous govern-ment. For instance, the maritime
domain awareness systems inaugu-rated during Mr. Modi’s visit toSeychelles, in March 2015, were theoutcome of an older initiative encom-passing several Indian Ocean coun-tries. As for beefing up our maritimecapabilities, it may be worth pointingout that this year’s Budget actuallycut the Indian Navy’s share ofdefence allocation to 13.5 per centfrom 16 per cent in the last year.Perhaps the real problem of integra-tion lies within the Government ofIndia.
Beyond such quibbles, there is thelarger question of how to assess ourforeign policy. A “smell test” canhardly suffice. The real test of a for-eign policy is coherence of design,consistency in execution, and effica-cy in outcomes. The last in particularis the litmus test.
Compare the outcomes secured bythis government with those of the
National Democratic Alliance gov-ernment under Prime Minister AtalBihari Vajpayee and the first UnitedProgressive Alliance governmentunder Prime Minister ManmohanSingh. Over a similar period inoffice, Mr. Vajpayee tested nuclearweapons, travelled to Lahore,repelled Pakistani aggression inKargil, and opened new avenues inour relationship with the U.S. andChina. In the same time frame, Dr.Singh concluded the agreement on
parameters to settle the boundarywith China, announced the nucleardeal with the U.S., and made head-way with Pakistan in backchanneltalks. By this standard, the presentgovernment’s foreign policy looksordinary. To be sure, the governmenthas a long way to go and there is noreason to judge it by the performanceso far. Still, the government mightwish to refrain from talking up itsown policies.
Bonhomie and the results
Talking up, however, seems to bean integral part of its conception offoreign policy. Indeed, this was a run-ning theme through the various inno-vations pointed out by the ForeignSecretary. “Personal chemistry” hasapparently emerged as a “powerfultool in our diplomatic kit”. There is ameasure of truth to this. The PrimeMinister does seem to have a person-al affinity for leaders such as the
Japanese Prime Minister, ShinzoAbe, and the Israeli Prime Minister,Benjamin Netanyahu. In other cases,as with the American and Chineseleaders, there was more of orchestrat-ed bonhomie. In any event, the roleof personalities in diplomacy canhardly be denied.
Yet, as the British diplomat HaroldNicolson observed, diplomacy is ulti-mately “disagreeable business”. Themere fact of leaders getting alongwell can hardly ensure convergencein policies and actions. The ForeignSecretary’s claim that Mr. Modi’svisit to China, in May 2015, resultedin the “world’s most powerful selfie”— when Mr. Modi posed withChina’s Premier Li Keqiang — maybe true; but it can scarcely disguisethe fact that the Chinese refused toaccede to Indian wishes on such keyissues as clarification of the Line ofActual Control or increased marketaccess. The number of followers onTwitter or Facebook is no measure ofreal power or influence. There is adanger here of getting trapped in asocial-media echo chamber of tweetsand posts, “likes” and “favourites”.
Creating narratives
This is equally true of the govern-ment’s emphasis on creating narra-tives about India and coining neolo-gisms. The Foreign Secretary wasperceptive in highlighting the role ofstrategic narratives. The importanceof moulding opinions held by a vari-ety of constituencies and actors isundeniable in contemporary interna-tional politics. Narratives differ fromordinary stories in that they deal withthe way in which issues are framedand responses suggested.
A successful narrative will enablethe consumer to distinguish betweenimportant and trivial issues, good andbad news. It will suggest ways ofpiecing together seemingly disparatedevelopments while disentanglingothers. The fundamental require-ments of any strategic narrative areappropriateness and credibility. Thegovernment seems a bit oblivious to
both. The notion that highlightingIndia’s role in the First World Warbuttresses its demand for a permanentseat on the U.N. Security Councilfalls short on the first criterion.Making large claims for a“Neighbourhood First” policy whileeliding the missteps on Pakistan orAfghanistan fails the second criteri-on. Moreover, communication is cur-rently too focussed on personalityand style as opposed to ideas and out-comes.
The Foreign Secretary has coinedhis own neologism in these speeches:India as a “leading power”. Hitherto,he argued, India had remained con-tent to be a “balancing power”. It isperhaps time to take the lead on glob-al issues and demonstrate our will-ingness to shoulder global responsi-bilities. This seems unexceptionable,though his suggestion that in the pastIndia had been “neutral or riskaverse” is a gross misreading of ourdiplomatic history.
So far, the real constraint on suchambitions has been weak state capac-ity. This affects both our ability tograsp the big strategic picture and ourability to get the nuts and bolts right.On the former, we only need to lookclosely into the Ministry of ExternalAffairs’ flawed assessment of theprospects of a nuclear agreementbetween Iran and the United States.Equally striking is the absence of anycoherent response by the governmentto the major changes sweeping theglobal economic landscape: themega-regional trade deals driven bythe U.S. and the ‘One-Belt One-Road’ envisioned by China. On thelatter, think only of our inability todeliver on any number of regionalpromises of cooperation and connec-tivity. Instead of focussing on flaky“soft power” initiatives such as Yogaor Buddhism, the government shouldaim to get its institutional muscle intoshape. Otherwise, our partners maycome to see us not as a “leading”power but as a misleading power.
(Srinath Raghavan is SeniorFellow, Centre for Policy Research,New Delhi.)
All form, little substance
EDITORIAL4 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight For Right
Fight For Right
Judicial finality need not necessarily mean that Indiashould hang Yakub Memon. Even in this situation, ashis life hangs on the slender thread of a fresh mercy
plea to the President, is the irreversible and inhuman sen-tence of death the only recourse for a democratic govern-ment? Carrying out the sentence will only have the appear-ance of a justice that is retributive and vengeful, not sub-stantial or morally different from the very offence thatgave rise to the proceedings. In recent times, we saw thehorrific judicial murder of Afzal Guru, who was hanged insecret without a final opportunity for his family to meethim, marking an unprecedented abandonment of moralityon the part of the state. It was only in apparent cognisanceof this that the Supreme Court ruled early last year that aformal communication to the convict and his family, inti-mation to the local legal aid centre and a clear gap of 14days between the communication and the execution werenecessary. Further, there are bound to be questions eachtime someone is hanged or spared. Even in the Mumbaiblasts case, the 10 men sentenced to death by the trial courtfor planting the explosives were given only life terms bythe Supreme Court on appeal, while Yakub Memon alonewas awarded the death penalty. Such distinctions mayseem arbitrary to the layman. As also, the revelation thatthe Memon family may have been induced to return toIndia will cast a shadow on the legitimacy of hanging aman who cooperated with Indian agencies. The debate onthe need and desirability of retaining the death penalty hasbeen overshadowed by much intellectual exertion on thenature of the crime involved, its gravity, its heinousnessand the fatalities it caused. The time has come to end thisdebate once and for all by ascending to a moral positionthat there shall be no death penalty on the statute book,regardless of the heinousness of the offence, the circum-stances or the number of fatalities involved. Anyone fol-lowing closely the evolution of the law on death sentencesand the clemency jurisdiction in India will understand thatthe Supreme Court is making it more and more difficultfor the executive to carry out death sentences. It hasevolved a jurisprudence that limits capital punishment tothe ‘rarest of rare cases’, allowed a post-appeal review aswell as a curative petition, and made decisions on appealsfor mercy justiciable. It has laid down a cast-iron ruleagainst undue delay in disposing of such mercy pleas, andit has humanised the process by repeatedly intervening infavour of condemned prisoners, often at the very lastminute. A truly lasting solution to the moral dilemma thateach instance of capital punishment poses will be to abol-ish it altogether and replace it with a sentence of imprison-ment for the rest of the convict’s life. The quality of mercyis not strained. The President, under Article 72 of theConstitution, has the power to grant pardon, and to sus-pend, remit or commute sentences. To not exercise thisexpansive power in the service of mercy would be inhu-man and unconscionable.
Despite technology, which has put information andknowledge at our fingertips, civilisation has woken
up to the scourge of slavery only in the last fewdecades. Human trafficking results in and fuels allforms of slavery such as sexual exploitation, forcedlabour, other forms of labour exploitation, forced
marriages, and the abuse of children in armed con-flicts. Curbing human trafficking becomes impera-
tive in tackling slavery.
The Foreign Secretary rightly held that Mr. Modi’sdecision to invite South Asian leaders for his swearing-in, in May 2014, heralded a “big shift” in India’s policytowards its neighbours. By engaging intensively with theneighbourhood, Mr. Modi has indeed managed to project
India’s leadership without ruffling sensitivities in theregion. In particular, his engagements with Nepal,
Bangladesh and Bhutan have given a fillip to plans forsubregional connectivity and integration.
5 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight for right
India Executes...journalists were not allowed to witness the
execution, which was carried out at theCentral Prison in the city of Nagpur. Underprison procedures, the condemned is typi-cally offered a bath, a final meal, freshclothes and a chance to pray before going tothe gallows.
Although death sentences are routinelyimposed in India, actual executions are rare.Memon was only the fourth person executedin India since 2000.
He was hanged before 7 a.m. on his 53rdbirthday.
While there was no immediate officialconfirmation, Memon's death was widelyreported by Indian news outlets citing gov-ernment sources.
The execution took place amid tightenedsecurity, especially in towns and cities withlarge Muslim populations. The securitymeasures reflected official concern that theexecution of Memon, a Muslim in a predom-inantly Hindu nation, could serve as a flash-point for religious strife and score-settling -the same dynamic present in the Mumbaibombings.
On March 12, 1993, over the span of a fewhours, bombs exploded one after another atdifferent locations around Mumbai, includ-ing the Bombay Stock Exchange, a movietheater, an Air India building, several hotelsand two crowded markets.
Prosecutors have said the bombings wereintended to avenge the destruction of a 16th-century Muslim holy site, the Babri Mosque,which was torn down in December 1992 bya mob of militant Hindu nationalists intenton building a temple in its place. Themosque's destruction touched off riotsacross India that left more than 1,000 peopledead, most of them Muslims.
Over the past week, as the executionapproached, a robust debate erupted hereover whether Memon deserved to die. Thatdebate gathered strength on Wednesday asIndia's president rejected his final plea formercy. By late Wednesday night, severalhundred people opposed to Memon's execu-tion had gathered for a candlelight vigil atJantar Mantar, a giant sundial that is thiscity's preferred rallying point for publicprotest. Not until 5 a.m. on Thursday didIndia's supreme court deny Memon's finalappeal.
The debate was fueled by last-minutequestions about Memon's supposed coopera-tion with investigators, by concerns aboutthe treatment of Muslim defendants inIndia's courts and by the uncontested factthat the actual masterminds of the bombingsremain at large.
This week, as Memon's execution began toappear more likely, Muslim leaders andsome legal experts argued with increasingvehemence that India's death penalty wasapplied more aggressively against Muslimsand other minority groups.
"Yes, Yakub was involved, but he did notdeserve capital punishment," AsaduddinOwaisi, a Muslim member of India'sParliament, told reporters here onWednesday. He cited cases of non-Muslimdefendants convicted of heinous crimes whohave avoided execution.
The debate even embroiled Salman Khan,one of India's biggest movie stars, who onSunday posted a series of messages onTwitter that seemed to imply that Memonwas being hanged for the crimes of his olderbrother, Ibrahim (Tiger) Memon, who pros-ecutors say is one of the masterminds still atlarge. "Brother is being hanged for Tiger,"Khan wrote, only to retract his posts a shortwhile later after facing heavy criticism,including from his father.
"I haven't said or implied that Yakub isinnocent," Khan wrote in a clarificationTwitter post. "I have complete faith in thejudicial system."
But perhaps the oddest twist came in theform of an article by a former senior intelli-gence official for India who said he played akey role in bringing Memon back to India in1994 to face trial.
The retired intelligence official, B.Raman, had been a regular columnist for anIndian website, Rediff, until his death in2013. According to the website, Ramanwrote a column about Memon in 2007, butthen had second thoughts and asked that itnot be published because he did not want toundermine other convictions in the bombingcase.
The website went ahead and published thecolumn last week. In it, Raman wrote thatthere was "not an iota of doubt" aboutMemon's guilt and that under "normal cir-cumstances" he would deserve to hang. But,he added, Memon had cooperated extensive-ly with investigators. His willingness tocough up details about the plot, and to per-suade other members of his family to coop-erate, was "a strong mitigating circum-stance," Raman wrote.
"There is a strong case for having secondthoughts about the suitability of the deathpenalty."
The extent of Memon's cooperation is verymuch in dispute. P.D. Kode, the judge whotried and sentenced Memon, told The Timesof India that the "theory of Yakub's surren-der was never established" and that "Yakub
never gave any details of the surrender ordetails of any deal that was offered to him."
Yakub Memon...stormed the Parliament complex and
opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine per-sons.
Before Afzal Guru was hanged, AjmalKasab, the sole Pakistani gunman involvedin the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to havebeen captured alive, was hanged to death atthe Yerwada central prison in Pune onNovember 21, 2012, in an operation thatwas shrouded in secrecy.
10 Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terroristshad descended on Mumbai on November 26,2008 and unleashed mayhem, targetingmany of the city's landmarks, includingHotel Taj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.166 people, including some foreigners, hadbeen killed in the brazen terror assault.
Nine of the perpetrators were killed duringthe 60-hour siege and Kasab was capturedalive.
They Came From...from Chennai and Pondicherry, some
from further away. One man said he hadcome all the way from the USA.
"It's a great honour to be here... Dr Kalamsaid wherever you go, please love eachother. His modesty has drawn so many peo-ple. This is the biggest crowd that I haveever seen," said a man.
"I am a big fan of Dr Kalam. He was avery real youth hero," said a young student,in Rameshwaram to attend the last rites.
Dr Kalam's body was brought to his ances-tral home at 10 pm last night.
At about 9:30 am today, a casket with DrKalam's body, draped in a traditional greenshawl, was carried by personnel of the threeservices to the mosque, where the Aalin orthe chief priest read out a special prayer andspoke about the former President.
Dr Kalam's body was then taken in a car-riage draped in flowers to the burial sitethrough packed streets, as people waved theTricolour, and shouted slogans of "BharatMata ki Jai."
Soldier Killed...had opened "unprovoked fire" Wednesday
evening targeting Indian positions."Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire
again during which our soldier was injuredwho died later," Goswami told AFP, addingthat the Indian side had returned fire.
This is the third incident of sniper attackby Pakistani troops along the LoC thismonth. Two Border Security Force jawanswere killed in similar incidents in theKashmir Valley.
There were two other incidents of cease-fire violations yesterday.
Earlier in July, Pakistan had killed twoborder guards and one civilian in Kashmir.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh onThursday told the Indian Parliament that thethree attackers behind the assault on thepolice station Punjab's Gurdaspur onMonday, which left seven people dead, mayhave travelled from Pakistan.
Arun Jaitley...said.As Rajnath Singh told Parliament in his
statement today that the terror attack inPunjab on Monday came from Pakistan, hecould barely be heard over the noise createdby Congress lawmakers, who shouted slo-gans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The Congress has spent two weeks in it'ssomewhat symbolic protest, it is time forParliament to function," Mr Jaitley also said.
The Congress's Anand Sharma retorted,"The House has spoken in one voice in con-demning terrorism and the terrorist attack inGurdaspur... It would have been advisable tohave a consensus on a discussion."
The Congress has disrupted proceedingssince the monsoon session began vowingnot to relent till top BJP ministers caught incontroversies are removed. The governmenthas made clear that their will be no resigna-tions, leading to a deadlock, with little workdone in the session.
At an all party meeting called by LokSabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today thegovernment reportedly said it would call ameeting of all opposition leaders to discusstheir various concerns.
River Ganga ...(1985-2009), 966 projects for cleaning
Ganga were launched, 902 projects werecompleted and 2495.73 million litres per day(MLD) treatment capacity was created, sheadded.
"Under NGBRA, 93 projects have beensanctioned in 55 towns in main stem Gangastates at a cost of Rs. 7350.38 crore. Thesanctioned projects are estimated to create atreatment capacity of 762 MLD," Bhartisaid.
On the other hand, responding to anotherquery Minister of State for Water ResourcesSanwar Lal Jat said that as per the CPCBassessment, 764 Grossly PollutionIndustries (GPIs) units are utilising 1123MLD of water and discharging 501 MLD ofwaste water.
According to him, CPCB has issued direc-
tions under Section 5 of EnvironmentProtection Act to 200 industries and direc-tions under Section 18 (1) (b) of the Water(PCP) Act, 1974 to 178 industries.
"In addition, it has issued closure direc-tions to 68 units. The Uttar Pradesh StatePollution Control Board has also issued clo-sure directions to 98 tanneries for operatingwithout the consent of the Board on thedirections of National Green Tribunal," MrJat added.
Gurdaspur Terrorists...when the encounter with terrorists was
still going on."Four policemen and three civilians were
killed on Monday, less than 18 kms fromPunjab's border with Pakistan, which hascondemned the attack.
The minister said the GPS devices belong-ing to the terrorists found after they wereshot dead at the end of a 12-hour long gun-battle established that they crossed intoIndia through the River Ravi.
The terrorists were dressed in armyfatigues and equipped with Chinese-madegrenades and AK 47s. They opened fire on apublic bus early on Monday morning, thencarjacked a Maruti 800, which they drove toa police station in the town of Dinanagar.
Then they stormed into a part of the com-plex, where they remained for a lengthyexchange of fire with the Punjab police.Security forces originally wanted to captureat least one of the attackers live.
The attack threatens to renew tensionbetween India and Pakistan after the recentconferral of their premiers achieved a thawin bilateral relations.
Last evening, Pakistani forces killed anIndian jawan in the Poonch sector along theLine of Control (LoC), some 200 kilometerssouthwest of Srinagar.
Come Out ...had sought time to place before it the
"exact nature" of contract entered into by thegovernment and its departments with socialmedia sites.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by for-mer BJP leader KN Govindacharya, throughadvocate Virag Gupta, who has raised ques-tions on usage of social media by govern-ment departments.
The court had also said it was not onwhether terms and conditions of socialmedia sites are right or wrong.
"We are only on whether government hasgiven away the licence for the Facebookcontent," it had said.
Mr Govindacharya, in his plea, has con-tended government departments like DelhiPolice and Indian Railways are not entitledto create accounts on social networkingsites. He has also sought recovery oftaxes from the websites on their incomefrom operations in India.
Gujarat Teen...girl was "psychologically devastated" and
"physically too weak to deliver a child" andpregnancy will pose a "serious threat to herlife".
On basis of the report, the Supreme Courtsaid on Tuesday that the girl could have anabortion if the doctors thought it necessary.In the process, the top court overruled thedecision of two Gujarat courts and bypassedthe abortion laws they had cited - which dis-allows abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
In this case, the girl was in the 24th weekof her pregnancy when the case was heard inthe high court on July 25.
But Dr MM Prabhakar, who was one ofthe experts who examined the girl today,said the procedure can be conducted suc-cessfully.
The girl had become pregnant in Februaryafter she was raped allegedly by a doctor towhom she had gone for treatment oftyphoid. Her family's application for termi-nation of the pregnancy was turned down bya lower court as well as the Gujarat HighCourt.
Calling it a difficult decision, JusticeAbhilasha Kumari said, "Whatever be thecircumstances in which the child was con-ceived, whatever the trauma of the youngmother, the fact remains that the child is alsonot to blame for being conceived."
Rs. 92 Lakh...on purchase of 37,000 yoga mats is Rs.
92,50,000 plus taxes," AYUSH ministerShripad Naik said in a written reply. He wasasked whether these 37,000 yoga mats wereprocured from China.
The Minister said that the procurementwas made through the local event manage-ment agency following the procedure laiddown in General Financial Rules 2005.
The Rajpath event made it to the GuinnessBook of World Records for the largest yogademonstration at a single venue with morethan 35,000 people participating.
The government had a few days back inanother reply said that it had spent over Rs.32 crore on organising the first IYD.
BJP President ...This will be Amit Shah's second visit to
the state this year after July 7 when he con-ducted the "Maha Sampark Abhiyan" atHowrah.
According to BJP leaders, BJP observer incharge of Bengal Kailash Vijayvargia alongwith Siddharth Nath Singh will be coming toBengal in the first week of August to takestock of the party organistaion in Bengal.
In Reply on...Mahajan will now decide whether to refer
a BJP complaint against Mr Vadra to theprivilege committee or close the matter.
The Lok Sabha secretariat had given MrVadra seven days to explain after BJP MPsmoved a privilege motion against the busi-nessman for "attempting to malign theimage of Parliament."
BJP lawmakers called for action againstMr Vadra for posting on Facebook:"Parliament begins and so do their pettydiversion political tactics... People of Indiaare not fooled. Regret to see India Led bysuch so called leaders !!"
Mr Vadra, who has been targeted by theBJP over controversial land deals thatallegedly led to windfall gains for his com-pany, wrote the post after disruptions inParliament on the first day of the monsoonsession on Tuesday last. As Congress andother opposition parties demanded theremoval of BJP leaders caught in the LalitModi and Vyapam scandals, the ruling partylawmakers hit back with references to MrVadra.
A privilege motion moved by Arjun RamMeghwal, the BJP's chief whip in the LokSabha, alleged that Mr Vadra's Facebookpost amounted to "contempt" and a "clearcut case of breach of privilege" and shouldbe referred to the privileges committee for"appropriate decision."
Centre Taking...operational-preparedness commensurate
with threat perception in a dynamic strategicscenario.
He was replying to a question on a recentreport by CAG which pointed out that thearmy is facing severe ammunition shortageand cannot fight a war beyond 15 to 20 days.
"The CAG report covers the status asexisted in March, 2013," Mr Parrikar said.
He said the steps taken further to mitigatedeficiencies include placing of Second FiveYear Ammunition Roll on indent for theperiod 2014-19 on Ordnance Factory Board(OFB).
A roadmap on ammunition has beenapproved which envisages procurement ex-import and ex-trade to build up adequate tar-geted stocks in addition to training require-ment, he said.
Besides, an institutionalized mechanism inthe form of Working Group to review criti-cal items has been set up.
"Ammunition with recurring large annualtraining requirement with high cost has beenintimated to Defence Research andDevelopment Organisation (DRDO) andOFB for indigenous development," MrParrikar said.
Over 14,000...informed today.The Centre has asked all concerned to
carry out a special drive to fill these vacan-cies, Minister of State for Personnel JitendraSingh said in a written reply.
As per the data received from variousdepartments, nationalised banks, financialinstitutions, central public sector undertak-ings, among others, there were 14,267vacancies identified for differently abledpeople, he said.
These included backlog vacancies carriedforward from earlier years. "Out of these14,267 vacancies, 2,990 vacancies identifiedwere in respect of Group A or equivalentposts," the minister said.
The government had issued instructions inMay this year to all concerned to take imme-diate necessary action for filling up ofvacancies for differently abled people and tolaunch a special recruitment drive to fill upthese vacancies by February 2016, he said.
Assam to Set ...Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for
Innovation would help engage the youngminds of the state and the North East as awhole in entrepreneurship, innovation andcreativity, Mr Gogoi said in a statement.
"The proposed Centre named after thegreat scientist, super human being and ateacher par excellence would help to ignitethe young minds," he said.
This, in turn, will help to transform thelives of the common man and bring smileson their faces, he said.
Government to...Re 1 currency notes with effect from 1
January 2015 under the provisions of theCoinage Act, Minister of State for FinanceJayant Sinha said in a written reply in RajyaSabha.
Accordingly, the government has decidedto print 150 million one rupee notes perannum, he said further.
The minister in his reply said the printingof Rs. 1, 2 and 5 denomination banknoteswere discontinued by the Reserve Bank inview of high cost of printing.
"At present, there is no proposal to issueRs. 2 and 5 denomination notes," Mr Sinhasaid.
West Bengal...number 1070 for flood situation."A deep depression over the Northeast Bay
of Bengal on Thursday intensified into acyclonic storm 'Komen', with the weatherdepartment forecasting heavy to very heavyrains.
Air India ...today. However, the national carrier has
not compromised with the quality of foodcatered to the onboard flyers, Minister ofState for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma saidin Rajya Sabha.
"Air India does not serve poor quality ofmeals on any of its flight. The meals uplift-ed on Air India flights are procured fromreputed flight kitchens, who are supplyingmeals to various other international anddomestic airlines," Mr Sharma said.
However, in the period between Januaryand July (till date), 13 complaints regardingfood served on Air India flights have beenreceived by the Ministry of Civil Aviation,Sharma said, adding, Air India has takenaction against the caterer as per terms ofcontract.
Recently, in two separate reports, Air Indiawas accused of serving contaminated foodon two of its flights. The airline, however,vehemently denied the allegations.
"Air India would like to reassure its pas-sengers and the media that it takes theutmost care in the choice, quality, hygieneand safety in its service of meals onboard allits flights," Air India had said in response tothe reports.
The caterers are selected after a stringenttechnical evaluation in terms of their infra-structure, capabilities, hygiene and safetycertifications and other regulatory clear-ances, it had said.
Nepali Arrested ...mayhem, an officer said.The call was made at 12 midnight to the
police control room by Neem Bahadur,Superintendent of Police (North Goa)Umesh Gaonkar told IANS.
"The accused said seven terrorists hadentered Goa to spread terror and hung up.After that, his phone was switched off.When it was switched on again Thursdaymorning, we located its position and arrest-ed him from (south Goa's) Cortalim village,"Gaonkar said. Bahadur confessed that hewas drunk at the time of making the call, headded. "We are still questioning him,"Gaonkar said.
Island debris a “majorlead” in the long hunt forMH370 jet, AustralianTransport MinisterWarren Truss onThursday told reportersthat it was a “first realevidence” in the searchfor the missing plane.
Meanwhile, MalaysianPM Najib Razak con-firmed that the debris "isvery likely to be from a
Boeing 777", however hesaid that the authoritieswere yet to ascertain if itis from flight MH370."At this stage it is tooearly to speculate," PMNajib said in a statement.
Malaysian PM addedthat debris will be"shipped by Frenchauthorities to Toulouse,site of the nearest officeof the BEA, the Frenchauthority responsible forcivil aviation accident
investigations".Talking to the reporters,
Australian MinisterWarren Truss said that theauthorities were almostcertain that the 2 metre-long wreckage found onthe Indian Ocean islandof Reunion was a partcalled 'flaperon' from thewing of a Boeing 777.
Investigators are confi-dent the 2-metre longpiece of wreckageappears to be wing flap
from a Boeing 777 and asMH370 is only suchplane missing since lastone and half years, thedebris holds great impor-tance.
Australian authoritiesare meanwhile examiningthe debris and Trussadded that a numberimprinted on the debrismay help speed up theidentification process.
While the number maynot be a serial or registra-
tion number, Mr Trusssaid it may be a mainte-nance number, whichcould speed up identifica-tion of the part.
Truss said whileAustralian authoritieswere assisting, Malaysianand French teams wouldtake the lead in this partof the MH370 investiga-tion as Reunion is aFrench territory.
MH370 hunt: Debris 'very likely' fromBoeing 777, to be examined in France
SCIENCE & TECH6 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight for right
In a stern warning, regu-lator Sebi has said any-one trying to manipu-
late the markets with new-age trading technologytools would be slappedwith strong penal meas-ures and a new frameworkis being put in place totackle cases like organisedcyber-attacks from abroad.
On the other hand, therisk management systemsin the marketplace havebeen upgraded to ensurethat the damage from anygenuine technical snags,including in the algorith-mic and high-frequencytrades, is minimised andthe issues are addressed onan urgent basis, SebiChairman U K Sinha said.
"What I am saying is thata technology snag can hap-pen anywhere in the world.But our system is designedfor how to minimise theimpact of the snag," Sinhatold PTI in an interview inMumbai.
"If, it is deliberate, thenwe have a system for howto penalise the person. Wewill take stern actionagainst the person who isfound to be deliberatelydoing it."
Asked about a recenttechnical 'glitch' causingnearly four-hour halt at theNew York Stock Exchange(NYSE), Sinha said theproblems can happen any-where including in India.
"Technology is always adouble-edged sword andproblems can happen.Problems have happenedin India also in the past.On high-frequency trad-ing, algorithmic trades, co-location, we have alreadyput in place some restric-tions and have issued a cir-cular about penalties etc,"he said.
On the issue of cyber-attacks, Sinha said theoverall marketplace, theexchanges and the regula-tor itself need to be alertand Securities andExchange Board of India(Sebi) is working on adetailed framework to dealwith such cases.
"For matters like cyber-attacks, we have to bealert. We are in the processof sensitising everybodyabout this. "We are prepar-ing the exchanges. Wehave some thoughts on thisand we have told theexchanges to do certainthings, but may be moreneeds to be done," he said,without disclosing any fur-ther details on this.
Talking in detail aboutthe steps taken by Sebi tobeef up the risk manage-ment systems to deal withtechnical snags as alsowith the deliberate manip-ulative attempts, Sinhasaid the regulator hastaken a series of measureson order checks.
1. Neurospora is used as genetic material becauseA. it has short life cycle of 10 daysB. the product of single meiosis can be easilyanalysedC. meiotic products are linearly arranged in the formof ordered tetradsD. is a diploid fungus
2. Phloem is a tissue found inA. reproductive organs of animals B. plantsC. insects D. mammals
3. N2 content is kept constant in the biosphere due toA. N2 fixation B. industrial pollutionC. nitrogen cycle D. absorption of N2
4. out of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates present in acell membrane, what is true?
A. Lipids are maximumB. Carbohydrates are minimumC. Carbohydrates are maximumD. All three are in equal proportion
QUIZ TIME
Answer: 1(A), 2(B), 3(C), 4(B)
TODAY’S STARARIES Plans to get some long-neglected tasks done around the house or yard
may be interrupted by a phone call from someone dear who lives faraway. You might be so excited by the call that you are no longer in theright frame of mind to finish your work once the conversation ends. Don'tworry. You can always get the tasks done later.
TAURUS Plans to get together with a close friend or romantic partner might goawry due to circumstances beyond your control, Taurus. Sudden eventscould necessitate being out of touch. You might have to face delayswhen you're trying to make arrangements. Don't give up - you will reachyour goal but just a little later than you'd hoped. Accept things as theyare and change your schedule. These things happen.
GEMINI A member of your household has perhaps been withholdingsome negative emotions for a long time. He or she may finally letloose with everything today. This could prove disconcerting,Gemini, as you probably had no idea this was going on. Somehonest talk is definitely in order. Try to show that you understand.All should be fine in the end.
CANCER An unexpected and perhaps unwelcome call or email from a co-worker might mean you have to work some extra hours, Cancer.This could be frustrating. You may feel that someone is takingunfair advantage of you. If you aren't up to doing it, say no. Thiswon't affect your long-term standing with this person. Otherwise,grit your teeth, dig in, and think of it as a favor.
LEO You may have been saving up for something you really wanted, Leo,when an unexpected expense compels you to spend some of your sav-ings. This could cause some gloom. Make sure you've exhausted all ofyour other options before digging into your nest egg. Appearances couldbe deceiving. There could be other resources at your disposal that youdidn't immediately think of.
VIRGO Some hidden problems in your house could suddenly appear,Virgo. This could involve plumbing, electricity, or the walls. Repairsare definitely indicated. It's best if you see to them right away ratherthan wait. The problem will only escalate if neglected. It's probablybetter to call in professionals than to try to do it yourself. Things likethis are a drag, but they happen.
LIBRA Some strange communications could come your way today, Libra.Hang-ups or blank emails could have you wondering who the personis and what they want from you. This is probably due more to prob-lems with phone lines or Internet connections than to anything else,so don't waste time worrying. If you think you know who's trying toreach you, wait until tomorrow and contact him or her.
SCORPIO A group you're affiliated with could find some discrepancies in theirfinancial records and ask you to check into it, Scorpio. This is prob-ably due more to mistaken entries or lost pages than to any majordisaster, but solving it will set everyone's mind at ease. Don't besurprised if you have to dig through little scraps of paper buried inthe bottom of files. It will be worth it, though.
SAGITTARIUS Secrets that someone close has been trying to keep hidden could comeout today, Sagittarius. This may or may not be something Earthshaking,but either way, some quick damage control might prevent them frombecoming common knowledge. The people around you are more under-standing than you know, so express how you feel. By tomorrow it shouldbe old news. Take care of business and all will be well.
CAPRICORN Some strange news concerning friends who live far away couldcome to you secondhand today, Capricorn. Attempts to reachthe people in question may prove fruitless, at least now. Withholdjudgment about what you hear until you talk to your friends, asmuch of what is passed on to you is likely to be misinformation.Tomorrow you should have better luck reaching them.
AQUARIUS Some rather unsettling insights into a friend's thoughts and feel-ings could come to you today. Your intuition is keener than usual,Aquarius, so trust your instincts about everyone, even strangers.Disconcerting though it may be, the experience will increase yourunderstanding of others and enable you to deal with them in theright way. This could strengthen your relationships.
PISCES A disagreement with a friend or family member could cause confu-sion and hurt feelings if it isn't nipped in the bud. Communication isthe key, Pisces. Avert misunderstanding by explaining in detailexactly what it is you need or what you're prepared to give. Don'tassume everyone knows this already. Do this in person if you can.Phone or email might not be as effective.
Following the launch ofWindows 10 on Wednesdayin 190 countries as a free
upgrade for Windows 7/ 8/ 8.1users and new PC and tablet users,Microsoft on Thursday made thelatest version of its desktop andtablet operating system availableto buy for new users in India.Windows 10 Home has beenpriced at Rs. 7,999, whileWindows 10 Pro has been priced atRs. 14,999.
The Windows 10 Home andWindows 10 Pro SKUs will beavailable to buy online and viaretail stores, and are currentlyavailable online from theMicrosoft Store in India. Microsofthad revealed US pricing back inJune, and the Indian prices are inline for the Home edition, the Proedition is significantly moreexpensive. In the US, Windows 10Home is priced at $119 (Rs.7,600 approximately), andWindows 10 Pro at $199 (Rs.12,700 approximately).
There is no information yetabout the India pricing of theWindows 10 Pro Pack, which inthe US has been priced at $99 (Rs.6,300 approximately). It is meantto enable Windows 10 Home usersto upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
Windows 10 Home andWindows 10 Pro have significant
differences, but unlike Windows 7and 8.1, in which the basic variant
was markedly crippled with fewerfeatures than its professional coun-terpart, Windows 10 Home packsin a large set of new features thatshould suffice most users' needs.Read our guide for more details tohelp choose the right versionaccording to your needs.
The Redmond giant has a lot rid-ing on this release, with the aim of
patching up its ecosystem after theconsumer reaction to Windows 8.
Microsoft is clearing trying tobring the best features from bothWindows 7 and Windows 8 to itslatest offering, and does providesome tempting features for anupgrade. However, Windows 10also clearly appears to be a work inprogress, with several bugs andissues remaining. Users upgradingfrom Windows 7 and Windows 8
will also lose some features.Windows 10 is being called the
"most secureWindows ever" byMicrosoft, and thefirm says the operat-ing system will be"delivered as a serv-ice and kept auto-matically up-to-datewith innovationsand securityupdates." It is alsocalling Windows 10the last version ofWindows.
Commenting onthe launch ofWindows 10,Bhaskar Pramanik,C h a i r m a n ,Microsoft Indiasaid, "Windows 10
is the bestW i n d o w sever. Today,
Windows 10will be available across 190 coun-tries as a free upgrade or with newPCs and tablets. It is more person-al and more productive. It's saferand more secure. And it's familiarand always up to date. In India,more than 1500 retail stores acrossthe country will help consumersmove up to Windows 10."
Windows 10 Home Will Cost Rs. 7,999 forNew Users, Windows 10 Pro at Rs. 14,999
12:00AM MasterChefIndia : Extra Class01:00AM Ye HaiMohabbatein01:30AM Iss Pyaar Ko
Kya Naam Doon...Ek Baar Phir02:00AM Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai02:30AM Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas03:00AM Tu Mera Hero03:30AM Suhani Si Ek Ladki04:00AM Saath Nibhaana Saathiya04:30AM Tere Shehar Mein05:00AM Diya Aur Baati Hum05:30AM Nisha Aur Uske Cousins06:00AM Iss Pyaar Ko Kya NaamDoon...Ek Baar Phir06:30AM Ye Hai Mohabbatein07:00AM Tu Mera Hero07:30AM Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas08:00AM Suhani Si Ek Ladki08:30AM Tere Shehar Mein09:00AM Diya Aur Baati Hum09:30AM Ye Hai Mohabbatein10:00AM Saath Nibhaana Saathiya10:30AM Tu Mera Hero11:00AM Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas11:30AM Iss Pyaar Ko Kya NaamDoon...Ek Baar Phir12:00PM Diya Aur Baati Hum12:30PM Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai01:00PM Ye Hai Mohabbatein01:30PM Tu Mera Hero02:00PM Diya Aur Baati Hum02:30PM MasterChef India03:00PM Tere Shehar Mein03:30PM Suhani Si Ek Ladki04:00PM Saath Nibhaana Saathiya04:30PM Nisha Aur Uske Cousins05:00PM Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas05:30PM Iss Pyaar Ko Kya NaamDoon...Ek Baar Phir06:00PM MasterChef India06:30PM Suhani Si Ek Ladki07:00PM Saath Nibhaana Saathiya :Ab Tak Ka Safar07:30PM Ye Hai Mohabbatein08:00PM Tu Mera Hero08:30PM Nisha Aur Uske Cousins09:00PM Diya Aur Baati Hum09:30PM Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai10:00PM Tere Shehar Mein10:30PM MasterChef India11:00PM Ye Hai Mohabbatein11:30PM Tu Mera Hero __________________________
Bhagya03:00AM Jamai Raja03:30AM Doli Armaano Ki04:00AM Baba Ramdev Ka Yog05:00AM Narayan Seva Sansthan05:30AM Dera Saccha Sauda06:00AM Sant Nirankari Mandal06:30AM The Faith show
07:00AM Kumkum Bhagya07:30AM Service Wali Bahu08:00AM Satrangi Sasural08:30AM Jamai Raja09:00AM Kumkum Bhagya09:30AM Jodha Akbar10:00AM Service Wali Bahu10:30AM Hello Pratibha11:00AM Doli Armaano Ki11:30AM Satrangi Sasural12:00PM Jamai Raja12:30PM Kumkum Bhagya01:00PM Service Wali Bahu01:30PM Doli Armaano Ki02:00PM Satrangi Sasural02:30PM Jamai Raja03:00PM Kumkum Bhagya03:30PM Hello Pratibha04:00PM SaReGaMaPa L’il Champs04:30PM Bandhan....Sari UmarHume Sang Rehna Hai05:00PM Jodha Akbar05:30PM Qubool Hai06:00PM Kumkum Bhagya06:30PM Service Wali Bahu07:00PM Bandhan....Sari UmarHume Sang Rehna Hai07:30PM Hello Pratibha08:00PM Jodha Akbar08:30PM Jamai Raja09:00PM Kumkum Bhagya09:30PM Qubool Hai10:00PM Satrangi Sasural10:30PM Doli Armaano Ki11:00PM Service Wali Bahu11:30PM Jamai Raja _________________________
12:00AM Best ofSavdhaan India: IndiaFights Back : UP FightBack Now
01:00AM Supercops vsSupervillains... Shapath
02:00AM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back : UP Fight BackNow
03:00AM Mahakumbh - Ek RahasayaEk Kahani ! : Kahani Rudra ki
04:00AM Supercops vsSupervillains... Shapath
05:00AM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back : Punjab FightBack now
06:00AM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back : UP Fight BackNow
07:00AM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back : 11 @ CrimeAlert
07:30AM Mere Rang Mein RangneWali
08:00AM Mahakumbh - Ek RahasayaEk Kahani ! : Kahani Rudra ki
08:30AM Comedy Classes09:00AM Dream Girl Ek Ladki
Deewani Si09:30AM Mere Rang Mein Rangne
Wali
10:00AM Mahakumbh - Ek RahasayaEk Kahani !
10:30AM Comedy Classes11:00AM Dream Girl Ek Ladki
Deewani Si11:30AM Mahakumbh - Ek Rahasaya
Ek Kahani ! : Kahani Rudra ki12:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:
India Fights Back01:00PM Best Of Savdhaan India :
Mumbai Fights Back02:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:
India Fights Back : 11 @ CrimeAlert
02:30PM Dream Girl Ek LadkiDeewani Si
03:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back : UP Fight BackNow
04:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back
05:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back
06:00PM Best of Savdhaan India:India Fights Back
07:00PM Dream Girl Ek LadkiDeewani Si
07:30PM Mere Rang Mein RangneWali
08:00PM Mahakumbh - Ek RahasayaEk Kahani !
08:30PM Kalash09:00PM Laut Aao Trisha09:30PM Dream Girl Ek Ladki
Deewani Si10:00PM Comedy Classes10:30PM Savdhaan India: India
Fights Back11:30PM Mahakumbh - Ek Rahasaya
Ek Kahani ! __________________________
12:00AM SoundShuffle0 1 : 0 0 A MTeleshopping
06:30AM Morning Music Mocha07:00AM Morning Music Mocha08:00AM Jump Starter09:00AM Morning Music Mania10:30AM Tweet Your Beat11:00AM Bindass Juke Box12:00PM Yeh Hai Aashiqui01:00PM Halla Bol (2)02:00PM Love By Chance03:00PM Teleshopping03:45PM Bounce04:00PM Yeh Hai Aashiqui05:00PM Fb Jukebox06:00PM Yeh Hai Aashiqui07:00PM Halla Bol (2)08:00PM Love By Chance09:00PM Halla Bol (2)10:00PM Yeh Hai Aashiqui11:00PM Love By Chance __________________________
12:00AM Bade AchheLagte Hain12:30AM Teleshopping01:00AM Ring Wrong
Ring01:30AM FIR
02:00AM Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo02:30AM Lapataganj03:00AM Parvarrish - Kuchh Khattee
Kuchh Meethi03:30AM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain04:00AM Saas Bina Sasural04:30AM Kuch Toh Log Kahenge05:00AM Entertainment Ke Liye
Kuch Bhi Karega06:00AM Teleshopping07:48AM Filler08:00AM Teleshopping08:24AM Teleshopping08:48AM Filler09:00AM Ring Wrong Ring09:30AM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain10:00AM Gutur Gu10:30AM Lapataganj11:00AM Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch
Bhi Karega12:00PM Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo12:30PM FIR01:00PM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain01:30PM Saas Bina Sasural02:00PM Parvarrish - Kuchh Khattee
Kuchh Meethi02:30PM Kuch Toh Log Kahenge03:00PM Lapataganj03:30PM FIR04:00PM Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo04:30PM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain05:00PM Parvarrish - Kuchh Khattee
Kuchh Meethi05:30PM Saas Bina Sasural06:00PM Gutur Gu06:30PM Ring Wrong Ring07:00PM Jeannie Aur Juju07:30PM FIR08:00PM Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo08:30PM Lapataganj09:00PM Parvarrish - Kuchh Khattee
Kuchh Meethi09:30PM Saas Bina Sasural10:00PM Bade Achhe Lagte Hain10:30PM Kuch Toh Log Kahenge11:00PM Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch
Mere Phere06:15AM Manjunath08:57AM Thunderball11:39AM Monsters vs. Aliens01:36PM Deewana04:52PM Main Khiladi Tu Anari08:00PM Ishq11:00PM Quantum of Solace
Sebi on Alert for Cyber-Attacks; Warns of Stern
Action for Algorithm Misuse Sony said Thursday its April-June netprofit more than tripled asvideogames and smartphone compo-
nent sales got a lift, with the companyemerging from a painful corporate restruc-turing that included layoffs and asset sales.
The Tokyo-based electronics giantlogged a quarterly net profit of JPY 82.4billion (roughly Rs. 4,248 crores), whileoperating profit also jumped nearly 39 per-cent.
But overall sales were flat, edging down
0.1 percent to JPY 1.8 trillion.
The upbeat results come after Sony lost$1.1 billion in its previous fiscal year.
"Sony has ended its worst period duringthe past fiscal year and now is on coursefor a steady recovery," said YasuoImanaka, analyst at Rakuten Securities inTokyo.
"Brisk sales of image sensors and gamesare contributing to Sony's profit."
But the firm still struggled in its coreelectronics business with weaker demandfor mid-range LCD televisions and homeaudio, as it shifts focus to higher-end TVs.
Sony's devices segment logged an oper-ating profit increase of 163.8 percent,thanks largely to strong sales of image sen-sors used in smartphones and digital cam-eras.
The videogames business, with thePlayStation 4 console at its core, was pro-viding more reasons to cheer, logging a
350 percent jump in operating profit on theback of lower costs and strong sales ofconsoles and games.
"This significant increase was primarilydue to PS4 hardware cost reductions," itsaid.
Sony has struggled in the consumer elec-tronics business that built its global brand,including losing billions of dollars in tele-visions over the past decade as it facedfierce competition from lower-cost rivalsfrom South Korea and Taiwan.
Sony Quarterly Profit More Than Triples on Camera Sensors, Video Games
Samsung reported itsquarterly earnings onThursday, posting a
fifth straight drop in prof-its. But the bigger storyperhaps was the fact thatthe company reported dis-appointing smartphonesales, including that of itsflagship smartphones, theSamsung Galaxy S6 andSamsung Galaxy S6 Edge.The company added that itsbottom line suffered in partdue to marketing expensesrelated to the new launch-es.
"Despite the launch ofGalaxy S6, improvementto earnings was quite mar-ginal due to low smart-phone shipments and anincrease in marketingexpenses for new productlaunches," Samsung said ina company statement. Thecompany later added that itwill be 'adjusting' the priceof its flagship smartphonesto help shore up sales.
"The Mobile Businessplans to firmly maintain itssale of premium smart-phones by flexibly adjust-ing the price of the GalaxyS6 (Review | Pictures) andGalaxy S6 Edge (Review |Pictures), and launching a
new model with a largerscreen," the statementadded, in a not so subtlehint that price cuts for bothphones are incoming. The"new model with a largerscreen" being talked aboutcould be the Galaxy Note 5or the Galaxy S6 Edge Plusthat are expected to launchnext month.
While sales of theSamsung Galaxy S6 weredisappointing, the compa-ny said it was unable to
meet demand for theGalaxy S6 Edge due tosupply issues.
"Although revenueincreased, profits increasedmarginally QOQ, due tosupply difficulties fromhigher than expected mar-ket demand for the GalaxyS6 Edge," the statementadded.
end with the election of anew president as football`sscandal-tainted world bodyneeds drastic reform,International OlympicCommittee presidentThomas Bach told AFP onThursday.
Bach would not com-ment on the announcementby UEFA leader MichelPlatini on Wednesday thathe was a candidate to takeSepp Blatter`s place asFIFA president when anelection is held nextFebruary.
But he said in an inter-view that all candidateshad to embrace "trans-parency".
"That applies to eachcandidate. It applies partic-ularly because FIFA`sproblems will not be overwith the election of a newpresident.
"There must be reformsto the FIFA structure,transparency must beimproved, the other struc-tures must be transformed.The election of a presidentalone will not be enough."
The IOC chief pointedlyavoided involvement in thelooming FIFA election bat-tle however. "I am notgoing to make a commenton the election of federa-tion president. It is not forme to judge," he said.
FIFA was rocked by thearrest of seven footballofficials accused of takingbribes on the eve of itsCongress on May 27.
Bach spoke at the con-gress before Blatter wasreelected to a fifth term aspresident but within fourdays he had announcedthat he would standdown.
The seven FIFA officialsare among 14 peoplecharged by US authoritiesof involvement in morethan $150 million of bribesfor football marketing con-
tracts.Bach underlined the need
for sports federations tobolster "credibility" as heopened a special IOC ses-sion to choose betweenBeijing and Almaty,Kazakhstan, to host the2022 Winter Olympics.
"These are difficult timesin sport, as recent events inother sport organisationshave all too clearly
shown," he told delegateswithout mentioning FIFA.
"People today demandmore transparency andwant to see concrete stepsand results on how we areliving up to our values andour responsibility.
"We need to demonstratethat we are indeed walkingthe walk and not just talk-ing the talk."
The IOC embarked on itsown reforms after its ownscandal over membersreceiving money for votingfor Salt Lake City to hostthe 2002 Winter Games.
"We know from our ownhistory how long it takes torebuild credibility and thatimplementing best prac-tices with regards to goodgovernance and trans-parency can not happenovernight," Bach said.
"Putting these changeslike term limits, age limitand others in place has notbeen an easy process. Butwe see very clearly todayjust how vital thesereforms have been for ourorganisation," the IOCpresident added.
FIFA problems will not end with newpresident: IOC president Thomas Bach
NEW DELHIAce Indian shuttler
Saina Nehwal is confidentof recovering from hershoulder pain and regainfull fitness before the pres-tigious World badmintonChampionship that getsunderway in Jakarta,Indonesia on August 10.
"There is some pain inthe shoulder. I hope to befit before the tournament,"Saina told PTI.
The Olympic bronzemedallist has been unluckywhen it comes to her fit-ness ahead of the WorldChampionship. She had anupset stomach during the2013 edition and ahead ofthe 2009 event she wasdiagnosed with chickenpox.
Earlier this year, Sainahad developed a shoulderpain en route to her his-toric runners-up finish atthe prestigious AllEngland championship inMarch.
In world championship,a medal has always eludedSaina, who has not pro-gressed beyond the quar-terfinals. The World No. 2
will still start as one of thefavourites at Indonesia,especially after her successrun this season where shewon the Syed Modi GrandPrix Gold and India SuperSeries.
The 25-year-old willstart her campaign in thesecond round, taking onthe winner of the matchbetween Hong Kong'sCheung Ngan Yi and KatiTolmoff of Estonia. She is
likely to take on Takahashiof Japan in the prequarter-finals and if she can crossthe hurdle, it is likely to bea battle against WangYihan of China.
Talking about the draw,Saina, who has got a bye inthe first round, said: "Thedraw is really tough withSayaka Takahashi andWang Yihan both in myhalf. They are very strongplayers, so let us see how it
will be for me in this tour-nament. I hope I do wellthis time."
Saina has a 3-0 recordagainst Takahashi buttwice it has been a three-game match, while againstYihan Wang it is a 2-9record but the Indian willtake heart from the factthat she had beaten her inthe All EnglandChampionship in March.
I hope to be fit before worldchampionship: Saina Nehwal
NEW DELHIThe Indian Super League clubs are busy
shopping and just after the announcementof Helder Postiga signing as Atletico deKolkata's marquee player on Wednesday,the likes of Pune FC and Mumbai FC gottheir hands full too.
Pune FC have signed former InterMilan, Juventus and Chelsea forwardAdrian Mutu. The 36-year-old has joinedthe club as the marquee signing for season2. Mutu is considered as one of the best
strikers of his era in Italian club footballdespite his two long suspensions for faileddrugs tests. On the other hand Pune'sneighbour Mumbai FC too signed threeinternational players in Cristian Bustos,Frederic Piquionne and Frantz Bertin.
Bustos who hails from Spain is current-ly plying his trade at Mallorca.
Frantz Bertin meanwhile, plays forGreek club Aiginiakos FC. The centraldefender has represented Haiti at the 2007CONCACAF Gold Cup.
NEW DELHIIndian men's national
football coach StephenConstantine on Thursday,announced the list of 28probables for India’s forth-coming match against Iranin the Russia 2018 WorldCup Preliminary JointQualifiers.
The match is slated to be
played at the SreeKanteerava Stadium inBengaluru on September 8.
Iran is ranked 38th in theFIFA rankings and willstart the match as outrightfavourites.
India have lost both theirqualifying matches so faragainst Oman and Guamrespectively. The 28 play-
ers would be assemblingfor a preparatory Camp inPune on August 23.
The AIFF announcedthat India will be playingan international friendlyagainst Nepal on August31. The match againstNepal will be played at theBalewadi Stadium in Pune.
Stephen Constantine announces 28probables for India's match against Iran
NEW DELHIAustralian pace bowler
Mitchell Johnson becamethe fifth person to take 300wickets in Tests for his sidein the history of the game.Johnson achieved the featagainst England in theongoing Ashes Test matchin Edgbaston.
Johnson got the wicketof Johnny Bairstow whocould only manage to fendit off with his top glove to
the keeper. Bairstow washis 300th victim and in thespace of two balls he gotBen Stokes for a nought.Another short ball resultedin an edge and a straightforward catch was taken byPeter Nevill.
Shane Warne leads thetally of most Test wicketsby an Australian with 708.He is followed by GlennMcGrath (563), DennisLillee (355) and Brett Lee
(310). Johnson who nowhas 301 wickets needs ninemore scalps to equal Lee.
Johnson achieved thefeat in 69 Tests and he isthe fastest to get to thelandmark amongst left-armbowlers.
Earlier on Thursday,South Africa's Dale Steyngot to his 400th Test wick-et in the ongoing Testseries against Bangladeshin Dhaka.
ISL: After Atletico de Kolkata,clubs from the west announce
vital international signings
Mitchell Johnson becomes fifth Australianbowler to take 300 Test wickets
LEXINGTON (USA)Yuki Bhambri dis-
patched Croatia's MatijaEcotic in straight sets toadvance to the secondround but RamkumarRamanathan was oustedfrom the USD 50,000 ATPChallenger event, here.
Coming back to com-plete yesterday's unfin-ished business, Yuki wasdominant on day two of hisrain-hit match as he con-ceded only two games. Hewas 4-4 when the matchbegan and he ran awaywith a 7-5 6-1 win in theopening round.
Yuki and Ramkumarcould have clashed in thesecond round but for bril-liance of Briton BrydanKlein, who defeated thelatter 6-3 6-3 in the otherfirst round match.
Yuki now remains thesole Indian in the singlesevent as Saketh Mynenihas also already exited fol-lowing a 2-6 1-6 defeatagainst seventh seedBriton Liam Broady.
In the doubles, Myneniand Ramkumar havealready reached the quar-terfinals with their respec-tive partners.
Myneni and Bulgaria'sDimitar Kutrovskyknocked out the top seeded
Australian pair of AlexBolt and AndrewWhittington 7-5 5-7 10-7
in their opening round.Ramkumar and his
Australian partner John
Millman routed Americanwild cards Sam Barnettand Jesse Witten 6-0, 6-0.
Yuki Bhambri in 2nd round in Lexington Challenger
SEOULSouth Korean billionaire
Chung Mong-Joon pushedhis candidacy for the FIFApresidency in uncompro-mising terms Thursday,calling Sepp Blatter a cor-rupt "cannibal" and paint-ing his main election rivalMichel Platini as anuntrustworthy stooge.
A former FIFA vicepresident and powerbro-ker of Asian football,Chung described himself
as a candidate untaintedby scandal and with aglobal, non-Eurocentricvision to take football`sgoverning body into a newera.
The billionaire scion ofKorea`s Hyundai groupconfirmed he would for-mally announce his candi-dacy to replace Blatternext week and alsopledged that, if elected, hewould only serve a single,four-year term.
South Korea FIFA hopefulslams `cannibal` Sepp Blatter
and stooge Michel Platini
SAADDA HAQ NEWSPAPERAdvertisement Tariff (Rate Card)
DISPLAYBlack & White Rs.80 p.sq.cmColour Rs.160 p.sq.cm
EXTRA PREMIUMFront page (size min : 15×8, Max : 50×33)Back page (size Min : 5×8,Max : 50×33)3rd & Other pages (size Min : 3×4,Max : 50×33)
EAR PANELFour Colour Rs.4000/- per panelSize : 5cmx4cm(*min.30 insertion)
Note : All the Classified Ads will be published on 2ndpage and will cost Rs 500 per insertion
Printer, Publisher, Owner & Editor: S. Harpreet Singh Khalsa, C-35, Hanuman Road, New Delhi-110001, Website:- www.saaddahaq.in, Contact Number :- +91- 9697645357, E-mail: [email protected], Printed by:- Purraj Print & Puckaging Pvt. Ltd., E-19, Sec-6, Nodia-201301All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi High Court.
HEALTH/BOLLYWOOD8 NEW DELHI | FRIDAY | JULY 31, 2015Fight for Right
While drinking your dailycup of coffee can help youstay sharp, modifying your
habit by increasing coffee consump-tion over time may increase risk ofmild cognitive impairment (MCI),early symptoms of Alzheimer's dis-ease (AD) and dementia, says newresearch.
"These findings from the ItalianLongitudinal Study on Ageing sug-gested that cognitively normal olderindividuals who never or rarely con-sumed coffee and those whoincreased their coffee consumptionhabits had a higher risk of developingMCI," said one of the researchersFrancesco Panza from the Universityof Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
"Therefore, moderate and regularcoffee consumption may have neuro-protective effects also against MCI -confirming previous studies on thelong-term protective effects of cof-fee, tea, or caffeine consumption andplasma levels of caffeine against cog-nitive decline and dementia," Panzanoted.
The study involved 1,445 individu-als aged 65-84 years.
An interesting finding in this study
was that cognitively normal olderindividuals who modified their habitsby increasing with time their amountof coffee consumption ( more than a
cup of coffee/day) had about twotimes higher rate of MCI compared tothose with reduced habits (less than acup of coffee/day).
They also had about one and a halftime higher rate of MCI in compari-son with those with constant habits
(neither more nor less than one cup ofcoffee/day).
Moreover, those who habitually
consumed a moderate amount of cof-fee (one or two cups of coffee/day)had a reduced rate of the incidence ofMCI than those who habitually neveror rarely consumed coffee.
These findings were published inthe Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Increasing coffee intake is bad for your brain!
Moonlight pro-duction pres-ents yet
another interesting storyof a girl named lillywho hailed from a smalltown and wanna getrich, successful overnight. But,will she orwon't she? Stay tuned,promos to out soon.Samira Raza, in mainlead with supportingcast Reet, Roopa,Sahiba, Akanksha andGagan Deep Singh.Param of Moonlightproductions is veryhopeful that this smallbudget entertainer willdo big in the industry.
This small budget entertainer willdo big in the industry: Param MLP
Arjun Kapoor is one of thebiggest names on socialmedia these days. The actor
joined Twitter just last year on hisbirthday and in such a short span oftime, he has crossed 1.5 Million fol-lowers as well. So what do you dowhen you achieve a milestone on asocial media platform? You share aselfie! Yes, and that’s exactly whatArjun did.
Arjun tweeted, “1.5 million ke liyeSelfie toh Banti hai!!! Better late thannever…btw it’s KI & KA and not theother way around.” So along with ahot selfie, the actor even gave outsome info about his upcoming mag-num opus. Ki & Ka had been in a titlecontroversy since the past few days,when Manish Malhotra gave out thename in an interview. Although, hequoted it wrong. What Manish hadsaid was Ka & Ki, which went on tobecome a huge trend that day. Sadlythe movie’s name is the other wayround.
Whatever the name of the movie is,we are already super psyched aboutthe film. Co-starring Kareena KapoorKhan, the film is R Balki’s next
directorial. It promises to be a roman-tic film about two people with con-trasting ideologies. While on onehand Arjun will essay a progressive
house husband, who lovingly supporthis wife’s ambitions, on the otherKareena portrays a super ambitiouscareer-oriented woman in the movie.
Arjun Kapoor celebrates crossing1.5 million followers on Twitter
Amitabh Bachchan andFarhan Akhtar’s upcom-ing film Wazir is all set
to release on December 4. Themakers released the first teaserof the film in December lastyear and came with a secondteaser a couple of months back.Both of them got immenseappreciation from fans and crit-ics.With so much being talkedabout the film, the makers neverspecified a release date untilnow.
If we look at the Bollywoodyear calender, we can see that
Wazir is all set to release a weekafter the Imtiaz Ali filmTamasha, which stars RanbirKapoor and Deepika Padukonein the lead roles. Although, it’s abig movie, Wazir still will havestill competition from it. PostDecember 4, the next weekendthere is only Hate Story 3.Considering the last two sequelsbecoming sleeper hits, it’s verymuch likely that this film toowill get equivalent eye balls attheatres.
Directed by Bejoy Nambiar,
edited by Rajkumar Hirani andproduced by Vidhu VinodChopra, this film surely hasbeen creating a lot of buzz aboutitself. With this news it surelymark it’s place in the year calen-dar for us. Apart from Farhanand Amitabh, the movie alsostars Aditi Rao Hydari, NeilNitin Mukesh and JohnAbraham. With such a wonder-ful ensemble cast and a superbgamut of people behind thescreens, we are eagerly awaitingits release. What about youBollywoodLifers?
Amitabh Bachchan-Farhan Akhtar’sWazir to release on December 4
Brothers will be onegood film to look outfor next month. It
releases on August 14 and isexpected to get the sameresponse as the Hollywoodoriginals titled Warriors.Sidharth Malhotra and AkshayKumar have prepared theirbodies to look like wrestlerswho will fight each other outin the ring. Now that kind ofbodies need special trainingand workouts which we aresure people who are intogyming will know better. Buthere is your chance to provethese actors you can do it too!Just shoot your workout videoand let it go viral. The rewardsare pretty tempting!
Akshay and Sidharth sharedthe contest on Twitter askingfans to participate. Whoevergets the maximum likes willget goodies. Sidharth haspromised that the winner willget to be in a video with himwhile Akshay has invited thewinner to be part of theBrothers Anthem. We are surewhatever the reward; it will beworth all your sweat.
So it’s time for you to pumpsome iron, lift some weights,and punch something hard tobring out a workout video which will please the Brothers. Do remember, it won’t be easy to please them.
Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotrachallenge you to a workout!
