Srinagar, September 07:

The setting could not be more perfect. A cerulean autumn sky, majestic Chinar trees, a flower-bedecked Shalimar Gar-den and the magic of Zubin Mehta brought to life Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky as he conducted the Bavarian State Orchestra in the 'Ehsas-e-Kashmir' (Feel of Kashmir) concert Sat-urday evening. It all went off without a hitch.The orchestra, compris-ing around 80 musicians, enthralled a select audi-ence of around 800 special

invitees, some of whom had come in private and chartered planes from outside the state.The audience seemed to

understand every nu-ance of the compositions played by the musicians as their applause was

See Zubin Mehta on Pg. 11

Srinagar, September 07:

Authorities imposed undeclared curfew to quell massive protests in South Kashmir’s Shop-ian district after CRPF personnel allegedly gunned down four civil-ians who were moving towards Shopian town on their motor cycles. Di-rector General of Police said that they are ascer-taining the facts while Deputy Commissioner Shopian said they are waiting for police confir-mation and a probe may be ordered if need arises. However, CRPF officials claimed that the youth killed in CRPF firing were militants.Eyewitnesses told CNS that people in Gagrin area of Shopian ran for their lives when CRPF

personnel suddenly resorted to indiscrimi-nate firing in broad day light. “Everything was peaceful and everybody busy in his work when we heard gun shots. We were shocked to see the bodies of four youths in pool of blood lying on road in front of CRPF 14 Battalion Head Quar-ter. As people tried to come closer to the spot, CRPF resorted to aerial firing and forced people to retreat back from the spot,” one of the witness-es said.The brother of one in-jured youth Aadil Rehm-an who was shifted to SMHS told CNS that Aadil was on motorcycle that was driven by his friend when CRPF sud-denly fired upon them. “Aadil was on way to De-

gree College Shopian to appear in examination. He is not a militant but a student,” Omar Rehman said adding that it was the Station House Offi-cer Shopian who allowed us to move Aadil to Hos-pital in critical condi-tion.“I am the witness of it. CRPF personnel were dragging a dead body and my injured brother. They handed over Aadil to police station Shop-ian. SHO Shopian al-lowed us to shift Aadil to Hospital and it is be-cause of him that he is alive,” Omar said.Police sources said that some unidentified per-sons lobbed a grenade on CRPF Headquarter. During retaliation four youth were dead while two others were injured.

Soon after the incident, hundreds of people came on roads and raised anti-CRPF and anti-India slogans. They were de-manding the registra-tion of murder cases against CRPF personnel.No police official con-firmed the actual num-ber of deaths and their identity. Media person-nel were barred from en-tering into police station Shopian where dead bod-ies had been kept.“The slain youth are all civilians. If they are militants then why po-lice is not revealing their identity and handing over their bodies to us,” one of the protestors told CNS.Despite repeated at-tempts no police official picked up the phone.

See Killed on Pg. 11

St. Petersburg, Sep 07:

The Prime Minister says, he will have to factor in certain harsh realities like India being affected by terror before arriving at a final decision on meeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif later this month in New York. Dr. Manmohan Singh was speaking to newspersons on board the flight from St. Petersburg in Russia after attending G- 20 Summit. He has since returned to New Delhi.Dr.Singh asserted he would be happy to meet Sharif under normal con-ditions as he had respect for the Pakistani premier, who had said the right things about how India-Pakistan relations should evolve. But, he said there are certain harsh realities on the ground.If the terror acts doesn't stop, if those who voice terrorist thoughts move about freely, if there is no significant progress in bringing the culprits of the

Mumbai massacre to book, then he said, he has to fac-tor these in before arriving at a final decision. He said he had always maintained that both can choose their friends, but there is no choice with regard to our

neighbours.The Prime Minister also said he was very sad to hear of the killing of prominent Bengali writer Sushmita Banerjee by the Taliban in Afghanistan and described her as a no-ble person. Singh said the incident showed that Af-ghanistan is still plagued by the Taliban menace. He

said the government and people of Afghanistan, ulti-mately, will have to make up their minds whether the Taliban philosophy, particularly with regard to the role of women in so-ciety, is the theme which should decide their ap-proach to life.Answering a question Dr. Singh indicated he is ready to don any role in the Congress after the 2014 general elections. He said he will be very happy to work under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Singh also maintained that Ra-hul Gandhi, the Congress Vice President, will be an ideal choice for the prime ministership post after the next Lok Sabha polls.Singh also did not rule out any alliances with erst-while ally Trinamool Con-gress in the future, saying in politics there are no per-manent enemies and per-manent friends. He said Mamata Banerjee was a very respectable member of the Congress party at

See PM on Pg. 11

New Delhi, Sep 07:

Union home minister Sushil kumar Shinde on Saturday said inci-dents of communal vio-lence were up this year as compared to 2012, and indicated that the trend may grow fur-ther as 2014 general elec-tions draw near. Shinde said the Cen-tre and states should stay alert against attempts at c o m m u n a l polarisation and nip them in the bud. With Uttar Pradesh witnessing many com-munal clashes over the past few months, Shinde said he has spo-ken to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav re-questing him to watch out for attempts by the "communal forces" to whip up tensions ahead of polls next year.

"The polls are ap-proaching and commu-nal polarisation will take place...but we are alert," he said adding that at 451 communal incidents until August 31 this year, the cor-responding figure for 2012 had already been

surpassed. On Friday, Cabinet secre-tary Ajit Seth had met chief secretaries and DGPs of seven states - UP, Bihar, Karna-taka, Madhya Pradesh, Raj-

asthan, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir - here to review the communal situation in their respective juris-dictions and instruct them to ensure that their district and vil-lage-level peace com-mittees met regularly to amicably sort out minor communal is-sues. Union home sec-retary Anil Goswami

See Shinde on Pg. 11

CMYK

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SUNDAY September 08 | 2013 | 01 Zeeqad 1434 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 223 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

youth killed in CRPF firing

Pulwama, Sep. 07:

At least 14 policemen and a civilian were in-jured when unidenti-fied persons lobbed a grenade over policemen who were taking rest at one place outside Dis-trict Hospital Pulwama.Reports said that after day long duty scores of policemen had gathered outside District Hospi-tal Pulwama and were taking rest. Unidenti-fied persons hurled a grenade which exploded with a big bang injuring 14 policemen and a civil-ian. Seven policemen were referred to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in critical condition.Eyewitnesses told CNS that police and CRPF

personnel fired some aerial shots soon after the grenade attack that created panic in the area. “We exercised maximum restraint and did not aim at anyone. The policemen fired in air to defend them-selves,” Dy Sp Head-quarters Sajad Ahmed told CNS.

The injured policemen have been identified as Ghulam Muham-mad Dar (758), Manzoor Ahmed (757), Zahoor Ahmed Ganaie (100), Muhammad Shafi (302), Muhammad Yousf (514), Ghulam Nabi (848), Fay-az Ahmed (600), Gowhar Bhat (220), Bilal Ahmed

See Grenade Blast on Pg. 11

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Srinagar, September 07:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Saturday send off the first batch of Azmeen-e-Hajj from Srinagar Airport.Omar Abdullah interacted with Azmeen-e-Hajj, prayed for their performance of Hajj successfully and safe

return back to their home-land.Hajj pilgrims reciprocated their best wishes to the Chief Minister.Minister for Hajj and Au-qaf, Peerzada Moham-mad Sayed and MLC Dr. Shehnaz Ganai were also present on the occasion.

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(SUNDAY)SUNRISE ON (MONDAY)

06:49 pm06:11 am

16.2 0C30.4 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Mainly dry in Kashmir and Ladakh.

Partly cloudy sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 29°C & 16°C respectively.

Need innovation in education system

Inaugurates INSPIRE Programme

7 8 10

Omar sends off Hajj pilgrims from Srinagar Airport

10 foods that protect your heart

Zubin Mehta brings Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky to Kashmir

Harsh realities to be considered before taking decision on meet

with Sharif: PM

Grenade Blast in Pulwama

Communal violence to rise as 2014 polls draw

closer: Shinde

Shopian under curfew

Srinagar, September 07: Life in Kashmir remained para-lyzed on Saturday in wake of the shutdown called by Syed Ali Geelani and restrictions imposed by the author-ities on the occasion of Zubin Mehta’s musical concert.Curfew like situation prevailed in famous Boulevard while roads wore a deserted look from Dalgate to Shali-mar garden. Security arrangements were tight to thwart any attempt to disrupt the musical concert. Barricades were set up at different entry points and security

See Shutdown on Pg. 11

Srinagar, September 07:

Former woman inter-locutor, Prof Radha Ku-mar who is in Kashmir Saturday said the inita-tive taken by German Embassy to bring Zubin Mehta here has grabbed the attention of the world and Kashmir once again has come in lime light all across the globe. “The kind of attention Kashmir is getting would certainly have positive impact. World is coming to know about the real problem of Kashmir. The way Civil Society has organized a parallel con-cert to grab the attention of the world media has put Kashmir at the cen-tre of the Atlas,” Kumar told CNS adding that the musical event of Zubin

Mehta would have no negative impact on Kash-mir issue.“Civil Society has done a marvelous job and I think

they have taken a correct step in holding a parallel concert. This would natu-rally bring Kashmir in lime light again,” Radha Kumar said adding that as a common citizen she would like to participate in the Concert organized

by Civil Society in Sri-nagar.She said that though Civ-il Society has not invited her, but she will show her presence there. “I think the Civil Society Pro-gramme is open to public and nobody should have any objection if I turn up there,” Kumar said. While replying to a ques-tion, former interlocutor told CNS that, “if you look at the musical event in the right context then you would realize that Kashmir in no way is on receiving end. Interna-tional community have come to know about the aspirations of Kash-miri people. A message has gone that separatist groups did not support the show because they

See Radha Kumar on Pg. 11

Show confined to affluent and bureaucrats

Valley observes shut down against concert

‘Haqeeqat and Ehsaas’ win-win situation: Radha Kumar14 Policemen and a civilian injured

Srinagar, September 07: A security naka check-ing party at Budshah Chowk, Srinagar was busy in checking the vehicles. The naka party asked a vehicle bearing registration number JK01R/5054 to stop. The vehicle dodged the party and fled from the spot. The naka party fired at the tyre of the vehicle, injuring one person Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh of Machuwa Chadoora in the leg. He has been hospitalized and is so for out of danger.

1 injured in Budshah Chowk firing incident

Srinagar, September 07:

Director General of Po-lice Jammu and Kashmir Ashok Prasad Saturday said that as per the state-ment of a Kashmiri youth, Manan Qadir Wani com-mitted suicide in Ghazi-abad. “We have come to know that a Kashmiri boy used to accompany Manan Wani all the time. We talked to him and he told us that Manan was with him during late night. The boy said that Manan after taking dinner took a stroll and later on hanged himself,” Prasad told CNS adding that there might be some provocation behind his death.“Either he may have some

See Prasad on Pg. 11

Ghaziabad incidentIt was a

suicide: Prasad

Omar remembers Sher-i-KashmirSrinagar, September 07: Remembering Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his death anniversary being observed throughout the State on 8th of September, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah paid rich tributes to the late leader describing him architect and founder of educative, progres-sive and secular democratic society in Jammu and Kashmir based on justice, equality and amity between all regions and all sections of the society. Highlighting the struggle and sacrifices made by Sher-i-Kash-mir for the cause of people and the State throughout his life, Omar Abdullah said that wel-fare and public empowerment was his cherished desire and he made all possible endeavours in this direction.

See Omar on Pg. 11

Youth consumes poison in Kupwara Srinagar, September 07: Dur-ing the intervening night of 05/06.09.2013, Shabir Ahmad Rather age 23 years son of Ali Mohammad resident of Reshigund, Kupwara, police station Kralpora consumed some poisonous substance at his home. He was shifted to SMHS Hospital for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

Shooting stone kills labourer in Bandipora Srinagar, September 07: A labourer Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat aged 20 years son of Abdul Azizi resident of Weaven, Bandipora was struck by a shooting stone in the forest area of Tulail, in the jurisdiction of Police Post Tulail, Gurez, resulting in his on spot death. Police inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC have been initiated in this regard.

5 Injured in road mishaps

Srinagar, September 07: Five persons were injured in differ-ent road accidents across the Kashmir Valley.A Tipper bearing registration number JK04/6811 collided with a Motorcycle bearing registra-tion number JK04C/1348 at Nursingpora, Budgam, in the jurisdiction of police station Khag, resulting in injuries to Motorcyclist Hilal Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Ashraf resident of Hardusuish. The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.A Tata sumo bearing registra-tion umber JK09/7656 driven by Sharief Ahmad Ganie son of Sitar Ganie resident of War-sun coming from Warsun to Kralpora skidded off the road near Gazriyal, Kupwara, result-ing in injuries to three persons Ajaz Ahmad Mir son of Ghulam Hassan resident of Dardpora, Saifudin Khatana son of Ismyal resident of Warsun and Farooq Ahmad Lone son of Ghulam Mohammad Lone resident of Warsun. The injured have been

See Mishaps on Pg. 11

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS Srinagar | Sunday 08.9 .2013

NRHM holds symposium on ‘Save the Girl Child’ at Presentation Convent

Srinagar, September 07:

Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah inaugurated Auditorium-cum-Examination hall at Government Girls Higher Secondary In-stitute, Sonwar today.

Spread over 1893 square feet plinth area, the complex comprising of one main hall, one rehearsal cum back stage area and green room has been com-pleted by utilizing Rs.39 lakh out of MP LADS. The single storied multi-purpose complex having seating capacity of 110 individuals, has been constructed by R&B Department, would be utilized for orga-nizing school functions and conducting examination. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Farooq Abdullah highlighted the im-portance of education especially of fe-male education in life, saying that women education is very significant for building a sound society. He said education to one female means education to one full fam-ily as mother is associated more than the father in moulding the children. He said education enable the women folk for per-

forming their duties successfully in their day to day life. He said women’s educa-tion leads directly to better reproductive health, improved family health, better economic growth for the family and so-ciety. It was encouraging that despite certain restrains, female literacy rate has been increasing day by day, he admitted.

“Education helps the women to kwon their legal rights and inculcates sense of self-confidence level among them which is very important in present competitive world”, Dr. Abdullah maintained.

The Union Minister enjoined upon the women folk to work hard, to get qual-ity higher education and achieve higher goals in life so that they may not become dependent upon others in their life. He said they have to be so bold to face the challenges in life and must fight for their right. He said “I feel proud when I notice that girls are attaining first positions in various academics and competitive ex-aminations at National as well as State levels”. He said that women are also heading important corporate houses in the world and also occupying highest

seats of political affairs. Pleading for more powers for women

folk in political institutions, Dr. Abdullah said that UPA, Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi has also strongly advocated for 33 percent female reservation in Parliament and other representation institutions.

Dr. Abdullah also called upon the teaching community for imparting qual-ity education, besides moral education to enable them to excellence in competi-tions. Both the Union and State Govern-ments have taken essential steps to en-courage women education, he asserted.

Dr. Abdullah also asked the school management to send a proposal for set-ting up of solar lighting and heating sys-tem in the school premises. He assured that he would also provide additional funds for further developing the school building. The Union Minister also gave away prizes among the students who performed well in curricular and co-curricular activities during last session. He also inspected new science laboratory block and interacted with the teachers and students.

Jammu, September 07: National Rural Health Mission, J&K organised a symposium on ‘Save the girl child’ in the premises of Presentation Convent School, thereby giving an apt platform to ad-dress the burning social issue.

Programme was organised under the supervision of Dr Yash-pal Sharma, Mission Director, J&K whereas Dr. Roma Wani, Chair-person, Inner Call Forum for Evolution, Development and Aware-ness was the Chief Guest. Dr. Harjeet Rai, Divisional Nodal Officer, NRHM and Sr. Ivette adjudged the event.

To further encourage the participants, cash prizes of Rs 2500, for the first position which was bagged by Bhavnet Kour and Rs 2000 and Rs1500 for the second and the third positions, which were bagged by Mehula and Spandita respectively along with three consolation prizes of Rs 500 each for Manveen, Sargam, and Anvi, were also given by NRHM Jammu.

Dr Manohar distributes relief at Mandli

Kathua, September 07: Minister of State for Fisheries, Coop-eratives, Finance and Planning, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma distributed relief material among the flood and rain affected families at PHE Rest House in Mandli of tehsil Billawar.Tehsildar Billawar, panchs, sarpanchs and large number of people were among those present on the occasion. Dr Manohar Lal Sharma distributed 10kg bags of Flour, 10kg bags of Rice, Mosquito Net and Hawai Chappels among those families whose houses have been partially or fully damaged in recent flash floods and incessant rains.

Dr. Farooq inaugurates Auditorium-cum-Examination hall at GGHS Sonwar

Speakers highlight

role of Iqbal for reform-ing society Ganderbal, September 07

The Iqbal-day was ob-served at Qamria Model Higher Secondary Educa-tional Institute Saloora, Gan-derbal here today.The func-tion was organized by the institute in collaboration with Iqbal Institute, University of Kashmir which was presided over by the Chairman Manag-ing Committee Qamria and former Chief Secretary J&K State and MLC Sheikh Ghu-lam Rasool. Vice Chancellor,

Kashmir University, Prof Talat Ahmad was the Chief Guest on the occasion while as Prof Dean Faculty of Arts Kashmir University, Prof Bashir Ahmad Nahvi, and Director School Education, Kashmir Mir Tariq Ali attended the function as guests of the honours.

On the occasion, students from various educational in-stitutions across the valley participated in the debate titled “Iqbal Kay Kalaam Mein Insaan Dosti ka Paigaam”. The students and other speakers highlighted the philosophy of the poet and scholar which they said is the beacon light for the students and for the mankind as well.

They said that the poetry of Alama Iqbal spreads the message of love, peace, broth-erhood, communal harmony, ethics which ultimately led the reformation in the soci-ety.The speakers unanimous-ly urged upon the student

community in particular and people in general to play their role for spreading the mes-sage of Dr. Iqbal based on hu-man values .They stressed the need for promoting the moral values, ethics for the better-ment of mankind and society as well

Principal, Members of Management Committee Qamria Model Higher Sec-ondary Educational Insti-tute, Staff members and stu-dents besides large number of scholars and respectable citizens of the area were also present on the occasion.

At the end of the de-bate prizes were distributed among the participants in which Khalid Mushtaq and Hafiz Jaunaid of Qamria Mod-el Higher Secondary Educa-tional Institute bagged first and second positions respec-tively while as alaw-u-Din of J&k Sainik School Mansbal was adjudged third.

Srinagar, September 07

A grand function was organized today at Dooru, Anantnag to honor the in-tending Haj pilgrims who are going to perform Haj pilgrim-age-2013 today.

Minister for Tourism, Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who is also local representative of the area, was the chief guest on the occasion. Besides the Haji pilgrims of the area, civil and police administration, religious leaders and promi-nent citizens of the area par-ticipated in the function.

The Minister on the oc-casion presented gifts items among intending Hajis. He said that the government has made all possible arrange-ment for their safe journey towards holy Madinah-Sharief, besides boarding and lodging arrangements there.

Mr. Mir while interacting with Hajj pilgrims prayed for

their good health and suc-cessful performance of the Hajj and safe return to their respective homes. He ex-pressed the hope that the op-eration of direct flights from Srinagar to MadinahSharief by Indian Airlines will make the journey of Hajis hassle-free.On the occasion, neces-

sary Haj awareness was also given to the Haj pilgrims. The intending Hajis hailed the arrangements made by the government for them at Srinagar and MadinahSharief and said that they would pray for peace and prosperity of the State, besides wellbeing to the mankind during Haj.

Debate on Allama Iqbal’s poetry held at Ganderbal

Grand function organizes at Dooru in honour of Haj pilgrims

G.A. Mir distributes gifts among Hajis

Pleads for empowering women folk through educationYou may feel like you’re being tested in some way, Libra,

like you’re on trial and must defend yourself, including what you believe and how you operate. This feeling is unsettling, but soon you’ll realize that it’s strengthening in many ways. Questioning your behavior patterns is healthy, so open up in a way that you may not have considered before.

Your vitality is low. It may be difficult to fight adversity, Scorpio. Try not to get discouraged. Instead, realize that this is part of the natural cycle. Awareness of your energy patterns is half the battle. Don’t force yourself into feeling something you don’t. It’s important that you not overexert yourself or take on more responsibilities than you can handle.

You may find it hard to admit that you can’t do everything, Sagittarius. There are some jobs that you aren’t cut out to do. Why pretend when a better option would be to delegate the task to someone else? If you don’t feel a strong connection with something or someone, don’t force it. Pretending that you’re capable of something will only cause frustration for you and everyone else.

Your hard work is paying off in ways that may not be no-ticeable to you now, Capricorn. Things are flowing naturally, and you seem to have all your responsibilities under control. You may not be aware that this is so since it’s easier to see when something’s wrong than when something’s going well. Take time to appreciate the incredible things you’ve created for yourself thanks to all your effort.

You may feel like it’s your responsibility to take care of everyone, Aquarius. If you love someone, your brain trans-lates this into thinking that you need to be the caretaker. If you don’t take someone under your wing, maybe you see yourself as selfish or unkind. Dismiss this notion. Other peo-ple’s feelings aren’t your responsibility. Don’t let another’s well-being become your project.

There are opportunities for achievement, so stay open to new energy coming your way, Pisces. If you don’t turn at these fortuitous junctions, you may never find this spot in the road again. What comes your way may not be a pot of gold, but it will certainly be the rainbow that leads you to it. If nothing else, you’ll find opportunities that strengthen your spirit, preparing you for adversity later.

Things should be running smoothly for you, Virgo, and you’ll accomplish a lot with surprisingly little effort. Al-though there may not be any Earth-shattering develop-ments, you should find that things go well. Maybe you won’t win the lottery today, but the few dollars you invest now will turn into megabucks later. Be patient. Success may not come overnight, but it will come.

You may find it hard to relate to others verbally, Aries. You may have everything figured out in your head, but the words get in the way as soon as you share your ideas. Talking with someone else may add confusion instead of clarity to the situation. The other person’s energy seems to affect your perceptions. Stay grounded despite your frustration.

You may be coming to a point of reckoning in something you set into motion years ago, Taurus. This is a time of hard work when you may need to either salvage the mess you’ve created or start reaping the wonderful rewards of the suc-cess you’ve become. Your ego is wrapped up in this scenario. You may be frustrated by people wasting your time with problems that seem insignificant.

Your thoughts may be scattered and confused, Gemini, especially regarding responsibilities that are important to you. You need to be disciplined and focused, but frivolous chatter may fill your brain. This kind of mental muddle limits you in many situations, making it difficult to express what you feel. Ask someone who knows you well to help you make sense out of these thoughts.

There’s a chance that incredible luck will befall you, Can-cer, but nothing will come without hard work on your part. Don’t expect someone else to hand you the treasure chest. You have the map in your hand, so follow it. Once you start, you may realize that you’re much closer than you think. It’s up to you to make the journey. There’s a great deal of help for you along the way.

You may feel like someone’s trying to pin you down be-fore you start, Leo. Perhaps these obstacles are self-imposed. Maybe you’re restricting yourself from doing the things you want to do because you’re afraid they won’t work out. This fear of failure is the pain you feel. Overcoming it is the first step. If you try and fail, you’ll be no worse off than if you never try at all.

Srinagar, September 07:

Emphasizing the tremendous role of sci-ence and technology in nation building, Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, has called for creating a vast corpus of scientists and technocrats to tackle varied problems and taking the State and the country fast forward on the path of self-reliance, progress and prosperity.

The Governor, as Chief Guest, was inaugu-rating the 5-day Science Camp for “Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (IN-SPIRE 2013)” for students, organized by the Kashmir University here today. This Science Camp, in which about 300 talented science students from the Kashmir Valley are par-ticipating, has been sponsored by the Depart-ment of Science and Technology, Government of India, under its INSPIRE Programme.

The Governor observed that in J&K we have problems which are peculiar to our State, add-ing that if we groom our scientists they can tackle these. Elaborating, he said that one of these problems is of earthquakes and referred to the recurring tremors which had been taking place in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts for the past some months. Another

problem flagged by the Governor was about the emerging challenges of global warming and climate change and their serious impact on agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, forests, animal and sheep husbandry and allied sec-tors. He observed that our boys and girls need to have a clear vision on how to go about to find solutions to meet these challenges.

Referring to the proposed visit of the stu-

dents to Dal lake during the ongoing INSPIRE Camp, the Governor urged them for taking interest that what can be done for the protection and con-servation of Dal lake, Wular and other water bodies in the State.

The Governor also referred to vari-ous innovations and emphasized their importance for the overall economic development of the State.

Referring to the INSPIRE Pro-gramme, the Governor, who is Chan-cellor of the Kashmir University, ob-served that it is a very imaginative programme sponsored by the De-partment of Science and Technology, Government of India, with a view to enable the bright students to pursue science as careers for which scholar-

ships are also available. He impressed upon the students participating in the INSPIRE Camp to take best advantage of a galaxy of scientists participating in this programme and interact with them. He wished them fruitful deliberations and bright future ahead.

Earlier, the Governor was presented a me-mento by Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor,

University of Kashmir.Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, speaking on the occasion, expressed happiness that a large number of science students are participating in this Programme. He advised the students to interact with the renowned scientists during the INSPIRE Programme, learn about scientif-ic knowledge and become tomorrow’s lead-ers of science in the State and the country. He thanked the Governor for taking keen interest in the promotion of science and technology in the State and for inaugurating the INSPIRE Programme.Prof. Uma Shaanker, Professor at the School of Ecology and Conservation, Uni-versity of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Banga-lore, threw light on the importance of INSPIRE Programme.Prof. Ron Vale from the University of California said that he was highly impressed with the advancements made by India in the arenas of science and technology.Prof. Irshad Ahmad Nawchoo, Head of Department, Bot-any, University of Kashmir, presented a Vote of Thanks, while Dr. M. A. Shah, Convenor of the INSPIRE Programme, gave details of the various workshops, interactive sessions and other activities to be undertaken during the INSPIRE Camp.

Calls upon scientists to come up with solutions to mitigate challenges of global warming, climate change

Stresses for major thrust on self em-ployment schemes

Kishtwar, September 07:

Chairing a high level meeting of all the district and sectoral officers of Kishtwar, Divi-sional Commissioner, Jammu, Mr Shantmanu today took a detailed review of all the major developmental activities pertaining to PWD, PHE, Education, Employment, Health, Power, and Agriculture sectors.

The Additional District Development Com-missioner, Kishtwar, Mr A S Chib apprised the Divisional Commissioner regarding the various ongoing works in various departments and the issues presently being faced by them through a Power point presentation.

Going through the details, Mr Shantmanu observed that the issues regarding land acqui-sition and compensation thereof in PWD, PHE and Education department need to be sorted out at the earliest as on account of these prob-

lems, the pace of work gets hampered. He di-rected the concerned officials to work out the modalities in coordination with Revenue De-partment and expedite the process.

Emphasising the role of self employment schemes, the Divisional Commissioner said that in present economic scenario, major stress on manufacturing and service sectors should be given through these SE schemes. He directed the Employment, Industries, Agricul-ture, Horticulture and Fisheries departments to encourage youth for installation of small scale industries, agriculture production and al-lied sectors like fish farming, dairies, fruit pro-duction and food processing units, This will not only generate employment but also ease the burden on government sector. He also stressed for effective implementation of PMGSY, Mid day Meal, NRHM and other schemes.

Mr Shantmanu called for close monitor-ing and periodic reviews of all the ongoing developmental works for an efficient and time bound completion of all the projects.

Later, Mr Shantmanu also met with the representatives of some social and political organisations and listened to their ideas and grievances.

Div Com takes review of devel-opmental activities in Kishtwar

Srinagar, September 07

Ambassador of Italy in In-dia, Mr. Daniele Mancini today called on Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister, Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Mir here at Royal Golf Course and discussed vari-ous matters of mutual interest with him.

The matters per-taining to tourism development initia-tives put in place by the State government to rope in high-end tourists from across the globe came up for discussion in the meet-ing.

The Minister apprised the visiting envoy about huge tourist potential of Jammu and Kashmir and its diversity in three different regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, “the issues relating to general development of the state and welfare of people also came up during the meeting,The

rich tourist potential of Jam-mu and Kashmir particularly the scenic splendor of val-ley was also discussed in the meet- ing. The

I t a l -ian Envoy showed keen inter-est for the initiatives taken by Jammu and Kashmir govern-ment for promotion of tour-ism in the State. He said that Kashmir is well known in Italy and people from that Country

would definitely love to visit the place. He said that the improvement in the ground situation will positively affect tourism sector in Kashmir.The envoy accompanied by Tour-ism Minister also made a round of Royal Golf course. He praised the beauty of the course and

appreciated the efforts of the J&K government for devel-opment and maintenances of series of golf courses in the State.On the occa-sion, the Ambassador was briefed by the concerned officers about the fame

and historical background of Royal Golf Course situated on

the foot hills of Zabarwon and Dal Lake.The Minister present-ed Kashmiri ‘Samawar’ to the Ambassador as token of love.Managing Director, JKTDC, Mr. Shamim Ahmed Wani, Manag-ing Director Cable Car Corpora-tion, Mr. TufailMatoo and Sec-retary Royal Golf Course, Mr. Galib Mohi-ud-Din was pres-ent on the occasion.

Italian envoy meets J&K Tourism Minister, Praises beauty of Kashmir

Governor inaugurates INSPIRE Programme at KU

The envoy accompa-

nied by Tourism Min-ister also made a round of

Royal Golf course. He praised the beauty of the course and appreciated the efforts of the J&K government for develop-

ment and maintenances of series of golf courses

in the State.

E ++HHEAAL L HH5 ZABARWAN TIMES

SUNDAY | 08 SEPTEMBER 20138 ZABARWANTIMES

Best foods for stamina Exercise for 30 mins daily, lose weight

30mins of daily exercise enough to get into shape (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)Thirty min-utes of daily e x e r c i s e provide an equally ef-fective loss of weight and body mass as 60 minutes, researchers at the Uni-versity of Copenhagen have shown.For thirteen weeks, a re-search team at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sci-ences followed 60 heavy - but healthy - Danish men in their efforts to get into better shape.Half of the men were set to exercise for an hour a day, wearing a heart-rate monitor and calorie coun-ter, while the second group only had to sweat for 30 minutes. Research results show that 30 minutes of exercise hard enough to produce a sweat is enough to turn the tide on an un-healthy body mass index.On average, the men who

exercised 30 minutes a day lost 3.6 kilo in three months, while those who exercised for a whole hour only lost 2.7 kg. The re-duction in body mass was about 4 kg for both groups, reports Mads Rosenkilde, PhD student, Department of Biomedical Sciences.Moreover 30 minutes of exercise training provide an extra bonus.Participants exercising 30 minutes per day burned more calories than they should relative to the training program we set for them. In fact we can see that exercising for a whole hour instead of a half does

not provide any additional loss in either body weight or fat. The men who exer-cised the most lost too little relative to the energy they burned by running, biking or rowing. 30 minutes of concentrated exercise give equally good results on the scale, explained Mads Rosenkilde.Mads Rosenkilde pos-tulates that some of the explanation for the sur-prising results is that 30 minutes of exercise is so doable that participants in the study had the desire and energy for even more physical activity after their daily exercise session.

Heart disease is one of the most feared ailment and a side effect of sed-entary lifestyle. You can control the effects of your lifestyle by eating the right food.It’s quite often difficult to change your lifestyle drastically in this com-petitive world. But you can surely change a little bit of eating and ensure you are protecting your heart.Here’s a list of food that can help you protect your heart.

1. Black beans: Black beans are packed with folate, antioxidants, magnesium which are good for lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. This in turn keeps your heart in safe zone. But if you are planning to use tinned beans, please drain the liquid and wash them before use to reduce the sodium content.2. Salmon and tuna:

These two fish are rich in anti-oxidants and omega-3, two important can-didates who help heart.3. Walnuts: A handful of them a day helps low-er your choles-terol and reduce i n f l a m m a t i o n in the arteries. Replace them as mid-meal snacks instead of chips etc.4. Oranges: They contain cholesterol-fighting pectin. The fruit is also rich in potassium that helps control blood pressure. Antioxidant hesperidin also helps lower blood pressure.5. Carrots: Though sweet, they are good to control diabetes, which increases heart attack risk. They also help fight bad cholesterol.6. Sweet potatoes: They are rich in vitamin A, fi-

ber and lycopene making them a healthy substitute for the white brethren.7. Oats: Oats in all forms help your heart by lowering bad cho-lesterol.8. Flaxseeds: Fiber, phytochemicals called lignans, and ALA - these three ingredients in these small seeds make them a power-house of health. Sure protector of heart if had spoonful in pow-

dered form everyday in cereals or salads.9. Chilli powder: Dif-ficult to believe, but these Indian tasty spice actually protects heart and body from diabetes with its ability to spike up the natural insulin levels in the body.10. Coffee: It can keep away type 2 diabetes, but people having high blood pressure should be cautious as it can have a counter effect.

A pattern of disturbed sleep could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s dis-ease, suggest scientists.Working on a mouse model, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, found that when the first signs of Alzheimer’s plaques ap-pear in the brain, the normal sleep-wake cycle is significantly disrupted.“If sleep abnormalities begin this early in the course of human Alzheimer’s disease, those changes could provide us with an easily detectable sign of pathol-ogy,” said senior study author David M. Holtzman, professor and head of neurol-ogy at Washington, the journal Science Translational Medicine reported.“As we start to treat Alzheimer’s pa-tients before the onset of dementia, the presence or absence of sleep problems may be a rapid indicator of whether the new treatments are succeeding,” added Holtzman.Holtzman’s lab was among the first to link sleep problems and Al-zheimer’s through studies of sleep in mice genetically altered to develop Al-zheimer’s plaques as they age, according to a university statement.In a 2009 study, he showed that brain

levels of a primary component of the plaques naturally rise when healthy young mice are awake and drop after they go to sleep. Depriving the mice of sleep disrupted this cycle and acceler-ated the development of brain plaques.A similar rising and falling of the plaque component, a protein called amyloid beta, was later detected in the cerebro-

spinal fluid of healthy humans studied by co-author Randall Bateman, profes-sor of neurology at Washington Univer-sity.The new research, led by Jee Hoon Roh, neurologist and postdoctoral fellow in Holtzman’s lab, shows that when the first indicators of brain plaques appear, the natural fluctuations in amyloid beta levels stop in both mice and humans.

Smokers who value the fu-ture are more likely to stop smoking, new research has found. In order to make this dis-covery Drs. Heather Brown and Jean Adams of Newcas-tle University (UK) tapped into eight years of data from a large Australian database. The Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Aus-tralia (HILDA) survey col-lects data on economic and subjective well-being, work, and family dynamics every year from over 7,000 Aus-tralian households. Brown and Adams identified 1,817 partici-pants who were smokers at the start of the survey (2001) and analysed their plan-ning regarding their saving and spending to measure their future orientation. People whose spending and saving plans looked ahead by more than three months were categorized as having a longer time horizon, while those whose financial plans looked no more than a week ahead had a shorter time horizon. The researchers then looked at how many

of those 2001 smokers had quit or tried to quit by 2008. Seventy-six percent of quitters were long-time-horizon planners, compared with 66 percent of those who continued to smoke. Researchers in other fields have found similar associations: newly diagnosed diabetics who are future-focused are more likely to make healthy changes to their diet and exercise habits, and cocaine users who discount the future are less likely subsequently to stop using the drug.“It is possible that helping smok-ers to think about the future a bit more might be a useful way to help them quit,” said co-author Jean Adams.

You need tons of energy to cope with your hectic lifestyle, es-pecially if you are into sports. Here's a list of foods that give you enough stamina to keep you active throughout the day.While certain foods in your diet can actually re-duce stamina, healthy foods help to build up your stamina and in-crease your energy levels, espe-cially if you're interested in sports and athletics. As a sportsperson, you need foods that are designed to not only give you energy but also keep you feeling full all day long. Says nutritionist Smruti Gokhale, "Nutrients like complex carbs, proteins, fibre and vitamin C is crucial for those who are into sports. These nutrients keep you active and feeling energetic."

E s s e n t i a l nutrientsComplex carbs: When you are talk-ing about building stamina, you just cannot miss out on complex carbs. Carbs are the main source of fuel for your body and brain. Says Priya Kathpal, nutritionist, "Carbs are the food that the body uses to get glucose, which provides energy. Complex carbs are present in foods like bread, pasta and rice, which un-like simple carbs, keep you feeling energetic all day long."

Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system and protects you from infections like cold and cough, which sap your energy. Also, when you are out-doors, you are more susceptible to

bacterial infections which hamper your health. Thus ensure that you consume foods and fruits rich in vi-tamin C.

Proteins: Protein is an im-portant nutrient for the growth, de-velopment and repair of muscle and body tissues. Protein has a higher metabolic rate than fat, so an indi-vidual can burn more calories. It is also said to increase satiety, which prevents a person from overeating. Healthy sources of protein include lean chicken, fish, eggs and nuts.Iron: Lack of iron in your diet can cause loss of stamina. You can get iron from meat, beans, nuts and some vegetables such as broccoli and spin-ach. Consult your doctor about taking iron supplements.

Foods that build stamina

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is an unpro-cessed carb, which gets digested slow-ly and hence keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time. Says Kathpal, "A power-packed cereal, oatmeal pro-vides sustained energy for hours. Due to high content of complex carbs, it breaks down slowly in your body and keeps the blood sugar at optimum level."

Beans: Rich in mineral and iron which helps your body to generate RBCs (Red Blood Cells) that carry oxygen to the muscles when you are exercising and also builds stamina.

Coffee: Coffee is known to be an instant energy provider. It is known to help fight against fatigue, as it triggers the central nervous system. Coffee keeps you energised and ac-tive throughout the day.

Green leafy vegeta-bles: Packed with micronu-trients, it is essential for building

stamina and also to improve your RBC count. Green leafy veggies are rich in fibre and digest slowly while maintaining your blood-glu-cose level. Bananas: Bananas are a particularly good energy source and these are best eaten a few hours before you intend to exert yourself. Along with being great sources of carbs, they are also effec-tive because they trigger the release of 'dopamine' — a chemical that builds your concentration and focus.

Peanut butter: Peanuts are said to contain Omega 3 fatty acids that helps in reducing pain, boost heart health and develop your brain. Peanut butter is also excellent for building stamina. It is high in calories and digests slowly. Consume peanut butter in combination with com-plex carbs.Lean meat, fish, chicken and eggs: Says Gokhale, "Rich in protein, these foods are important for growth and development, muscle building and repair. Meat takes a lon-ger time to digest and thus keeps you feeling full and active all day long."

Red grapes: Red grapes con-tains 'resveratol' which provides in-creased energy. These grapes contain a very small amount of sugar, which gives you instant energy and helps build stamina.

Beetroot juice: Consum-ing a glass of beetroot juice before exercising will make your body work for long hours without feel-ing exhausted. Beetroot is rich in vitamin A and C — both help in building stamina and reducing fa-tigue.

10 foods that protect your heart Sleep disorders signal Alzheimer’s disease

Future-focused smokers likelier to quit

New hope for people with fatal lung cancerScientists have discovered new potential targets for treating squamous cell lung cancer, which causes approximately 400,000 deaths per year worldwide. Squamous cell lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, colorectal, or prostate can-cer, ranking second only to lung adenocarcinoma in the number of deaths it causes. But unlike the most common form of lung cancer, squamous cell car-cinoma has no treatments aimed at the specific genetic alterations that drive it. Now The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, led in part by scientists at the Broad In-stitute, Dana-Farber Cancer Insti-tute, and Harvard Medical School, has identified many potential ther-apeutic targets based on the large number and variety of DNA alter-ations they discovered in most of the tumours they studied. "This study clearly shows that squamous cell carcinoma, like lung adenocarcinoma, is a cancer with diverse genomic causes, many of which are potentially susceptible to drug inhibition," said Matthew Meyerson, co-leader of the project

within TCGA, Broad senior as-sociate member, and professor of pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This provides many new thera-peutic opportunities for squamous cell carcinoma that would be suit-able for clinical trials," he noted. The first targeted treatments for lung adenocarcinoma, erlotinib (Tarceva) and gefitinib (Iressa), were aimed at mutations in the EGFR gene. Unfortunately, and like other drugs being tested in clinical trials that target several other genes altered in lung ad-enocarcinoma, they do not help patients with squamous cell car-cinoma. The TCGA effort, a multicenter consortium funded by the Nation-al Institutes of Health, is the first comprehensive genomic charac-terization of this lung cancer sub-type. As in the three previous TCGA reports on the brain cancer glio-blastoma, on ovarian cancer, and on colorectal cancer, the scien-tists used multiple large-scale ap-proaches to highlight key molecu-lar defects. They sequenced the

protein-coding segments of the genomes of 178 squamous cell car-cinoma tumors, along with normal tissue from the same patients. The researchers also sequenced the whole genomes of 19 tumor and normal tissue pairs. They mapped a diverse catalog of ge-nomic alterations, including the rearrangements of chromosomes and other structural changes in regions of the genome that might not encode proteins but could con-trol nearby genes involved in can-cer development. The comprehensive study con-firmed some previously identified genomic alterations. For example, the TP53 gene was altered in 90 percent of the tumours and the CDKN2A gene was inactivated in 72 percent of tumours. These genes normally prevent cancer, but when they are switched off, tumours can grow unimpeded. CDKN2A may be susceptible to a kinase inhibitor, presenting an op-portunity for clinical trials. Overall the researchers identified mutations or amplifications in three families of tyrosine kinases, which are enzymes that act like power switches for many cellular

functions. Frequently altered in cancer, they are already being in-vestigated as therapeutic targets in other cancers. The researchers also found genomic alterations in signalling pathways that could present important opportunities for treatment. In another striking finding, the re-searchers discovered mutations in the HLA-A gene that hampered its function in tumours. HLA genes direct the arm of the immune sys-tem that discriminates between its own tissues and foreign invad-ers. This is the first cancer in which these mutations have been found, but they are likely to oc-cur in other cancers, Meyerson said. "To our knowledge, this is the first example of a tumour that has a genomic mechanism for evading an immune response. This may be important in under-standing the immune response to squamous cell carcinoma and also in envisioning how immune-regulatory therapy might be used for this disease," he said. While much works needs to be done, the scientists see many op-portunities.

Sunday 08 Sep 2013

Kashmir ThunderSunday 08 September 2013

Hyderabad under police siege for Seemandhra meet

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad is un-der police siege as Seemandhra em-ployees are set to hold 'save Andhra Pradesh' meeting amid tight security later Saturday during a shutdown in Telangana, which brought normal life to halt.

The city is on the edge as hundreds of policemen and personnel from para-military forces have been deployed in view of the threats by some Telangana groups to disrupt the meeting being organized by Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Asso-ciation to oppose proposed bifurcation of the state.Accusing the state gov-ernment of anti-Telangana attitude,

Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) has called for 24-hour shut-down, which began Friday midnight. The state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport CorporationBSE 1.88 % (APSRTC) buses went off the roads in Hyderabad and nine other dis-tricts of Telangana. Educational insti-tutions, shops and business establish-ments were closed.

TJAC is protesting the police per-mission for the APNGOs meeting and denial of the same to it and other groups for peace rallies. Osmania Uni-versity Joint Action Committee has threatened to disrupt the meet.

Lal Bahadur Stadium in the heart

of the city has turned into a fortress with the police sealing off all routes and allowing only government em-ployees from Seemandhra (Rayalas-eema and Andhra). Barricades have been erected about two km radius from the stadium.

More than 5,000 policemen and paramilitary forces personnel have been deployed as part of the massive security around the stadium. The po-lice have also imposed traffic restric-tions at several points in the core area of the city.

Tension prevailed at Nizam Col-lege near the stadium as police ar-rested dozens of students, reportedly planning a protest against the meeting. Police entered the college premises and removed several students from the hostel. Students pelted stones on po-lice, who retaliated with baton charge.

Tension also prevailed late Friday night at few places in Nalgonda district when pro-Telangana activists alleg-edly pelted stones on buses bringing Seemandhra employees to Hyderabad.Police and paramilitary forces were deployed on Vijayawada-Hyderabad and Kurnool-Hyderabad roads to pro-vide security to employees coming

to the state capital in buses, cars and other private vehicles. Police set up 16 check posts at the entry points into the city and were checking the vehicles.Hyderabad Police Commissioner An-urag Sharma said only Seemandhra employees carrying identity cards would be allowed into the stadium. He warned that police would deal firmly with anybody trying to take law into his hands.Thousands of employees from 13 districts of RayalaseemaBSE -3.60 % are coming to Hyderabad by trains and buses for the meeting, the first show of strength in by those op-posing state's division. Seemandhra employees working in government of-fices in Hyderabad would also attend the meet.APNGOs expect a turnout of one lakh employees in Seemandhra, where over four lakh employees and two lakh teachers are on indefinite strike to demand the centre to with-draw its decision to carve out separate Telangana state.APNGOs president P. Ashok Babu said the meeting would be held peacefully despite the provo-cation by Telangana groups. "Through this meeting we want to tell people why the state should be kept united," he said.

Narendra Modi attacks PM over falling rupee, says UPA

govt is too arrogantGujarat Chief

Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched yet another scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, even as he launched the poll campaign for Chhattisgarh As-sembly elections in Ambikapur.I don't dream of being the PM: Modi

He accused the UPA government of being at the zenith of arrogance and considering citi-zens of the country as mere votebanks. "The government in Delhi is so arrogant that it does not even answer the questions of people," said Modi.PM is the 'main election agent' of Modi: Shourie

Addressing a gathering at Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) poll panel chief took a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and later compared him with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Modi rues absence of BJP imprint on Food Security BillModi pointed that Manmohan

Singh was a doctor of rupee while Raman Singh was a doctor of people. He went on to add that while the doctor of people was doing excel-lent for their well-being,

the doctor of rupee was not able to heal the wounds of the Indian currency at all. He said that the rupee was battling for life in a hospital.

Coalgate has become a soap opera, UPA has no credibility: BJP

Pointing that social media was a powerful medium these days, he said that he recently got a mail wherein Mahatma Gandhi was seen looking for the "lost rupee" and his photograph on it through a magnifying glass.

He further attacked the government for be-ing indifferent to the woes of the poor people, saying those in Delhi did not even know the cost of food of the poor people. "They do not know your pain, how can they give you medi-cine," said the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Uttarakhand tragedy: 68 decomposed bodies of pilgrims found

The death toll in Uttarakhand tragedy continues to mount with 68 more bodies believed to be of pil-grims who died of cold and starva-tion while trying to escape the dev-astating June floods being found on way to Kedarnath shrine. The badly decomposed 68 bodies, found over the ridges between Garurchatti and Gaurikund, were cremated on Friday just a couple of days after 64 bod-ies were consigned to flames close to the Himalayan shrine, Inspector General of Police R S Meena said. "They are being cremated after nec-essary rituals and other formalities like DNA sampling, Panchnama and preser-vation of the ornaments worn by them like bangles, rings etc for identification," he said. Uttarakhand tragedy: 68 decom-posed bodies of pilgrims found Since the start of the third round of combing opera-tions in the worst affected Kedar valley on Tuesday, a total of 166 bodies have been found and cremated, officials said.

Over 200 bodies were extricated in the previous two rounds with sources saying that the official toll has now crossed the 1000 mark. However, NGOs and others have expressed fears that thousands have perished in the tragedy with many not yet found due to inhospitable hilly terrain. The operation which is likely to continue till Sunday is being carried out by moun-taineers and commandos of Uttarakhand police at a height of 12500-13000 ft.

"These bodies seem to be of pil-grims who climbed up the ridges out of fear after the calamity struck in mid June to save themselves and perished due to extreme cold con-ditions there, hunger and thirst," Meena told PTI. "We resumed our search on Tuesday for bod-ies trapped in the higher reaches and ridges of the valley which we could not access earlier due to bad weather. If the weather permits, the process will go on till Sunday in Junglechatti, Rambada, Gaurigaon and Bheembali areas of the valley

where we expect to find bodies," he said. Clear weather has given fresh impetus to the search for bodies, the IG said. "As of now we are concentrating on areas where bodies are lying visibly on the sur-face and not on places where they may be lying underneath the debris," Meena said. The operation to retrieve bodies are on even as Kedranath Shrine is all set re-sume prayers on September 11.

Sexual assault case: Jodhpur cops visit Asaram's ashram in Ahmedabad

As fresh complaints came against Asaram Bapu, a team of Jodhpur police visited his ashram in Ahmed-abad where they scanned documents and also questioned officials in con-nection with the sexual assault case filed against him by a 16-year-old girl. In Jodhpur, a court directed that a medical board examine Asaram to ascertain if his health condition required that he be given special food from outside jail as claimed by him. District and Session Court (Rural) passed the order while hear-ing an application by Asaram seeking facilities like special health food, bed, 'Gangajal' and some other articles for carrying out prayers in the jail. Sexual assault case: Jodhpur cops visit Asaram's ashram in Ahmedabad "A two-member team of Jodhpur police visited Asaram Bapu's ashram in Motera yesterday to collect evidence and check documents of the ashram," a police official said in Ahmedabad on Friday. "Ashram offi-

cials were questioned regarding details like the number of students studying in gurukuls (run by his trust)," police said, adding related documents would be handed over to Jodhpur police via post. Meanwhile, Jodhpur police has said that it has received fresh complaints against Asaram. Many victims have started com-ing forward with their complaints against Asaram, police said without disclosing the nature of the complaint or the identity of the alleged victims. They have also of-fered to help the police in its investiga-

tion. Police, however, denied reports that it is in possession of any CD or video clippings given by Asaram's aide Shiva. "We have not received any such CD or video clipping so far showing Asaram or any of his activ-ity. We have obtained some evidence out of interrogation of Shiva and are in the process of its verification," DCP Ajay Pal Lamba said in Jodh-pur. Lamba said that the case is un-der investigation and they are yet to interrogate Shilpi, the warden at the

Chhindwara Gurukul where the girl was a student and an important link in this case, as she allegedly sent the girl to ar-rest her at an appropriate time," he said, adding Asaram's driver and cook will also be interrogated. The controversial self-styled godman, accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, was arrest-ed by Jodhpur police after midnight from his ashram in Indore on August 31. He is currently in Jodhpur jail under judicial custody.

Need innovation in education system: Pranaj Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar: President Pranab Mukher-jee Saturday called for innovative changes in India's education system to reclaim its lost glory. "Improvement in our academic system calls for innovative changes. Our examination system must incorporate modern methods of evaluation. Top quality teachers must be re-cruited," the president said here while address-ing the second convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar. "A spirit of competition amongst universities must be infused. Academic regulation must be streamlined to create a more flexible, transpar-

ent and student-friendly educational sys-tem," he said. The president said very few academic institutions in the country can claim global rankings due to lack of qual-ity. The president also said the country's efforts at expanding higher education in-frastructure had yielded positive results but very few academic institutions in the coun-try can claim global rankings due to lack of quality. "As per an international ranking, there is not a single Indian university, in-cluding the IITs, amongst the top 200 uni-versities in the world," he pointed out. He

said the leading universities of the West and universities even in countries like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are ranked higher than any Indian institution," he said. "In the past, for about 1,800 years beginning th sixth century BC, we had an unbeatable higher edu-cation system represented by universities like Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri," he said. "They were a magnet for knowledge seekers from distant places. But today, we languish behind many nations," he said.

Congress trying to confuse voters by calling BJP communal: Nitin GadkariAt a conclave of the BJP's IT Cell, former

party president Nitin Gadkari said Congress was spreading misinformation about the main op-position by alleging that it was communal and anti-minority.Charging the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre with failure to improve the economy and provide good governance, BJP on Saturday said since the ruling party could not convince voters, it was trying to confuse them by branding the main opposition as communal.

At a conclave of the BJP's IT Cell, former party president Nitin Gadkari said Congress was spreading misinformation about the main op-position by alleging that it was communal and anti-minority."We do not believe in appeasing anybody on the basis of caste or religion. We stand for socio-economic justice for all... Con-gress is playing appeasement politics. When it cannot convince the voters, Congress tries to confuse them," Gadkari said.He maintained that since Congress was not in a position to win the upcoming elections, it was trying to label BJP as a communal party so as to polarise votes.Gadkari said Congress was not talking about issues and was instead playing the communal card."But we will not let the voter get confused," he said.Gad-kari claimed that Gujarat riots were being talked

about when the truth was that more communal riots had taken place in Maharashtra, which has Congress at the helm, than in Gujarat."Now the government is trying to term the encounter of terrorists as fake," he said, referring to the Sohrabuddin and Prajapati encounters in Guja-rat.appeasement, Gadkari said the issue is not who forms the next government or who becomes the Prime Minister or a Cabinet Minister."What is more important is whether Hindustan will be saved or not," he said.BJP alleged that the growth story in the IT sector received a jolt during Con-gress rule due to the falling Rupee, forex imbal-ance and the lack of FDI inflows to India.

Abhinav Bindra, Abhay Singh Chautala launch war

of words on IOA rowAce shooter Abhinav Bindra has refused to react to the personal

attack launched against him by Indian Olympic Association Presi-dent Abhey Singh Chautala, saying the remarks made by the sus-pended body's chief do not deserve a rebuttal.Taking a jibe at the Olympic gold-medallist's father, A S Bindra, who was arrested in 2009 for alleged financial irregularities, Chautala had stated that if Bindra feels that chargesheeted people should be stripped of their positions then "he should throw his father out of his house or leave his house himself".Chautala's fury stemmed from the former world champion's sustained campaign against tainted officials in the In-dian Olympic Association. The star shooter, however, refused to react."The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has observed with considerable disquiet, comments by individuals in the media cast-ing aspersions on certain sportspersons who have brought laurels to the country in international sports events," the Ministry said in a statement."The Ministry reiterates that it considers international sports awardees as national heroes and has zero tolerance to attacks against sportspersons. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports remains committed to furthering the cause of Indian sports per-sons and sports in India," it added.Bindra has been outspoken in his criticism of IOA officials in the wake of the India's suspension from the IOC due to which the country's athletes are being denied the opportunity to compete under the national flag."Ethics is one of the main reason from our suspension. Unless we get that right, we are not going to get back in.

Monsoon session ends; touted as the last productive Parliament session

The government today claimed that the Monsoon Session of Parliament which saw the passage of the landmark Food Security as also the Land Acqui-sition Bills was ‘successful’ but close scrutiny suggests more time was lost in the monsoon session in 2013 than any other monsoon session in history.

The Monsoon Session has been touted as the last productive Parlia-ment session in the run up to the Gen-eral Elections of 2014.Top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said agree-ment had been reached on the legislation to liberalise the insurance sector and the bill to allow a higher cap in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the sector would have been passed in the monsson session itself had it not been for reports suggesting there had been a ‘deal’ between the BJP and the government. Internally, anti-Congress hawks in the BJP forced their party to back off from moving ahead on the Insurance

bill. “If there is no media glare, we might consider passing the insurance bill in the winter session” a senior BJP leader told Business Standard.This session’s legisla-tive agenda included a total of 43 Bills to be passed by Parliament, of which 38 were left over from the previous session. However of the 43 bills, Lok Sabha passed only 16, while eight bills were introduced in the Ra-jya Sabha. Of the 16, four bills were passed on a single day on Friday. This was after the Lok Sabha, till 18 August ( midway

through the session) had not succeeded in passing a single bill.Parliamentary Af-fairs Minister Kamal Nath said "substan-tive work" was done in the month-long session and made much of the fact that key economic reform legislation, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Develop-ment Authority Bill, which was hanging fire for nearly a decade due to political differences was passedIndia can draw solace from the fact that Budget Session of Parliament earlier this year saw the

passage of only two Bills, apart from the appropriation Bills, of the 38 listed for pass-ing. These were the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill.Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die yes-terday and Rajya Sabha will be adjourned today. “Some very heavy bills — the Food Security and the Land Acquisition Bills have been passed — and both Houses on several days sat till night,"

Opposition forces Kapil Sibal to apologise

Opposition on Saturday forced Law Minister Kapil Sibal to apolo-gise in Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament, for failing to get a Constitution Amendment Bill passed in Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, alleging that he "misled" the Upper House while getting it passed in "haste".Attacking Sibal for not sending the Bill to the Standing Committee as desired by majority of members in Rajya Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created ruckus leading to two adjournments soon after the House met for the day. BJP also charged the government with not doing its home work."I say once again that despite our best efforts, I am sorry that the Bill could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. I regret it," Sibal said silencing the Opposition which was not allowing the House to function till he apologised.

Sibal had earlier expressed regret saying, "I am deeply anguished with the fact that Constitutional Amendment Bill could not be taken up by Lok Sabha."Ravi Shan-kar Prasad of BJP, however, said, "Home work was not done. We were misled into passing it... The Minister has committed a mistake, he should feel sorry for his act. Law Minister should apologise to the House. He must apologise, anguish

would not do."Sibal told the House that there was some error in the title of the bill. When introduced, it was titled 120th Constitution Amendment Bill, but when passed it should have read as 99th Constitution Amendment Bill.

"The Secretariat realised some error has taken place. The patent error was immediately intimated to the Chairman who corrected it and transmitted to Lok Sabha. The bill was printed and ready for passage. However, I regret despite our best efforts it could not be taken up

by Lok Sabha. It was not intentional," he said.Earlier, Prasad said the entire Oppo-sition wanted such an important bill to be sent to the Standing Committee as it was an important judicial legislation which paves the way for creation of a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to re-place the present collegium system to ap-point judges to higher courts.