The Indus Litmus
WB: Cap on LPG hits mid-day meals in schools
Kolkata: Kids in state-run primary schools availing of mid-day meals in
Kolkata and the rest of Bengal seem to be among the worst hit by the
subsidy cap in LPG cylinders. The scheme is on the verge of collapse on
account of the hike in cooking gas prices. For five years, Uttam Mitra
has cooked mid-day meals for school students in a North Kolkata
community kitchen which caters to the...Illegal animal sacrifice - VSPCA - Andhra Pradesh, India
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vspca.org
- We consider the Ayoodha pooja on the occasion of Dussera ever year
(falling in mid-October in 2007) as the Mother of all sacrifices, when
millions of animals are sacrificed in the name of religion....
Why are our attitudes to poverty at home and abroad so different? | Ian Jack | Comment is free
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guardian.co.uk
- The soundtrack to Tom Beard's three-part BBC documentary, Welcome to
India, is eclectic beyond reason. In Wednesday's second film I thought I
heard Django Reinhardt, Nino Rota's theme for Fellini's...
Vijay Mallya facing arrest warrant in India - F1 Fanatic
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- In the round-up: Vijay Mallya is facing arrest in Hyderabad after
failing to appear in court over unpaid cheques. Arrest order for Force
India’s Mallya (The Telegraph) “An arrest warrant has been i...
T20 stars are set to sizzle again, this time in Champions League - The Times of India
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IPL T20
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- The year 2012 has belonged to Twenty20. The performances in the fifth
edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) were high quality efforts
and the recent World T20 too proved to be a thrilling expe...
Air India Express flight crash
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flights-visa-hotels.com
- Air India Express is a great company. They offer the best fares to
and from India. However Air India is not in the news this week because
of its cheap flights, instead it is making the headline bec...
Arvind Kejriwal, arrested en route to PM's home, refuses to leave Bawana jail
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- New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested for leading a march
towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, has refused to leave
Bawana jail. The activist-turned-politician, who was detaine...
Park Hyatt Chennai opens in India | News
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- Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Park Hyatt Chennai,
marking the 30th hotel in the Park Hyatt collection and the first Park
Hyatt hotel to be introduced in the city of Chennai, kno...
New Delhi: Amidst a furore over irregularities in land deals in
Haryana, a senior IAS officer, Ashok Khemka, has written a tell-all
letter to the state Chief Secretary detailing land scams in the state.
The letter, accessed by CNN-IBN, demands that security be provided to
the officer and his family to protect them from the people hit by the
expose. In the letter, Khemka says that several hundred crores worth...
New Delhi: Pakistani authorities on Friday evening arrested 24 Indian
fishermen after their fishing boats strayed into Pakistan's territorial
waters. The fishermen were handed over to the Karachi police. Last month
Pakistan released 48 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture following
talks between Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Pakistan
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The fishermen were arrested by the
Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and brought to a...
Rohtak: Haryana's Sarva Khap Jat Panchayat, which has been at the
forefront of demanding reservations for Jats in government jobs, will
now discuss the bizarre suggestion that the marriage age for girls be
lowered to curb rising incidents of rape in the state. The supreme
council is an umbrella body of khap panchayats across the state. Khaps
have no legal sanction but often function like kangaroo courts and issue
social...
We met in 1984 during the time of Operation Blue Star and now we meet here again.
And you tried very hard to fade away quietly.
I jump into my Nano car, go off to the golf course, play a game of golf and get back. But now, my movements are going to be restricted. I have to be a little more careful.
Was there a point in your life where you thought that life is back to normal, as it is in Punjab?
Never. Because whether the situation in Punjab improves or deteriorates, as far as I’m concerned, there was always a very serious threat to me. After Operation Blue Star, Bhindranwale’s relatives, his followers, the Babbar Khalsa, the Khalistan Commando Force, all his soldiers who died in the temple, their relatives, they all swore revenge in front of the Granth Sahib. Who were they going to take revenge on? Mrs Gandhi (who was the Prime Minister), General A S Vaidya (the army chief), General K Sundarji (the army commander), General Dayal (Gen Sundarji’s co-commander) and General Brar (I conducted the operation). Now, at this point of time, with Mrs Gandhi assassinated, General Vaidya assassinated, and General Sundarji and General Dayal having died natural deaths, I’m the only one left. I knew that once they have given a threat of this nature from a holy place, they are going to carry it out some day or the other. There have been threats all along. I have been receiving letters, phone calls and there are messages being posted on websites—‘We are going to kill him. Being a Sikh himself, he dared to enter the bastion of Sikhs.’
Let’s go back to 1984 Operation Blue Star. You did enter the bastion of the Sikhs, your fellow Sikhs. What was going on in your mind when you were told to do it. Was it just a soldierly response—theek hai, order hai, karna hai? Or did you think for a moment and swallowed hard, saying, what am I being asked to do? You were a Major-General then. Commanding a division.
I was a Major-General. We were leaving for Delhi the next day and catching the evening flight to Manila. We had our air tickets, we had our travellers cheques, we were all set to proceed to Manila and we get a phone call in Meerut about 7 in the evening to say that you are required for a conference in Chandimandir tomorrow morning.
Chandimandir, near Chandigarh, used to be the II Corps headquarters those days.
Yes. So we drove from Meerut to Delhi. I caught the morning flight from Delhi to Chandigarh. I arrived in Chandimandir and told my wife that I’ll be back in the evening and we’ll catch the flight (to Manila). I’m rushed to the operations room. Maps on the wall and I’m still wondering what’s going on. I am told, ‘You know the situation in Amritsar is very bad’ and I said yes. The Brigadier General Staff gave me a briefing and it appeared to me that I am being sent off to carry out an operation. So in the middle of all those briefings I said, “I am proceeding abroad tonight. I have been sanctioned annual leave for my honeymoon.” And so he looked at General Dayal and they whispered to each other and then he said, “Bulbul, your leave is off. You go another time. There’s an aircraft waiting outside to take you to Amritsar. Give orders to your division to move from Meerut to Amritsar immediately. I give you 36 hours to settle down there and make your plans and I shall come there for my first briefing. The temple has to be cleared at the earliest. Time is at a premium. Khalistan could be declared any day. Bhindranwale is at the peak of his popularity. He has got the entire countryside in Punjab as his followers. He’s a guy who has almost been able to be accepted as a prophet.”
Read Full Story and Interview
Map (National Highways)
Highlighting concerns over possible infringement of personal privacy when the government provides information under the RTI (Right To Information) Act, 2005, he also called for a fine balance between right to information and right to privacy, describing the dichotomy "a complicated question".
Noting that there were concerns about "frivolous and vexatious use" of the law in demanding information, the disclosure of which cannot possibly serve any public purpose, he also said public authorities should not view the law as "an irritant" but as one that does collective good.
"Concerns have also been raised regarding possible infringement of personal privacy while providing information under the RTI Act."
"There is a fine balance required to be maintained between the RTI and the right to privacy, which stems out of the fundamental rights to life and liberty," Manmohan Singh said.
"But where to draw the line is a complicated question," he said, but did not mention Modi's demand that Gandhi's travel bills be made public while citing media reports of an RTI response from the government in this regard.
Referring to a Supreme Court order on appointment of retired apex court judges and high court chief justices as heads of Central Information Commission (CIC) and state information commissions (SICs), the prime minister said he was aware there had been "some confusion" about its implications on composition of the panels at the central and state levels.
"As you might be aware, the government has decided to go in review before the Supreme Court in this matter," he said, a day after the central government moved a petition seeking review of the Sep 13 apex court order.
Manmohan Singh also noted that issues relating to how much information relating to entities set up under public-private partnerships (PPP) be disclosed under RTI too needed to be addressed.
He said blanket extension of the RTI Act to such PPP bodies may discourage private enterprises to enter into partnerships with the public sector. A blanket exclusion, on the other hand, may harm the cause of accountability of public officials, he added.
"This important legislation should not be only about criticising, ridiculing, and running down public authorities. RTI should be more about promoting transparency and accountability, spreading information and awareness and empowering the citizen."
Citizens, Manmohan Singh said, feel empowered because of the RTI as 95.5 percent applications relating to central government authorities are cleared at the first stage.
"The potential for good, constructive use of the RTI is perhaps far greater than what its current status would indicate," he said, adding that there was need to "change perceptions" on RTI among public authorities.
Tuesday, we entered the land of compassion, love and humbles. There is only one big check post gate between India and Bhutan at the border in Phuntsholing. I was able to feel the amazing positive vibes of Bhutan as soon as I entered. We got our tourist visas in just 30 minutes as well as permits to ride our bikes in Bhutan. Since both are valid only for seven days, you have to go to the capital, Thimphu to extend them. Opposite the immigration office building is a small restaurant with the best chole bhatura I have ever had. What makes the food delicious is its pureness. You will not find half water in your litre of milk. You will not find the use of bad oil for preparing food. In fact, just a day before reaching Bhutan we heard that Bhutan is going to be the first 100 per cent organic nation in the world.
On our way to Thimphu we had to stop at Gedu, a small village 50 kilometres from Phuntsholing border, because of rains and fog. We didn’t know anyone in Gedu and we were told that there no hotels. We had dinner at a small restaurant and made friends with the owners, who helped us find a guest house. A truly amazing place, we paid just 600 Ngultrum (equal to 600 Indian rupees) for thebest hotel room on the trip so far. Next morning, I saw my life’s best sunrise and though it was cold outside, I could not resist taking pictures. We set out finally at noon, reaching Thimphu by nightfall.
In the meanwhile I wrote to the Tourism Council of Bhutan via Twitter and Facebook and tried our luck to find some inspiring people through them. In a few hours we had a response and they arranged some meetings for us — one at the Tarayana Foundation and the other with the Bhutan Youth Development Fund.
Tarayana Foundation works to help enhance the lives of individuals and communities of Bhutan.“We work from the heart for a happy and prosperous Bhutan. And when you work with compassion and integrity, you will always get success,” says Chime P. Wangdi, Secretary General, Tarayana Foundation. Simply Bhutan — a project of Bhutan Youth Development Fund — has created the experiences of a village house. This will help to maintain the real, cultural Bhutan. One can experience the feel of a village house without going out to rural areas.
A nation of humble and compassionate people, Bhutan believes in collective and community work rather than just individual progress. More will always be less to describe Bhutan. In order to feel and experience it in a true way you have to visit here.
The columnist is on a peace mission along with friend Parth Vasvada. The duo will ride across eight countries and 13,000 km Every week they will share their travel tales with us.
Larger than Life: The Terracotta Sculptures of India Ron du Bois : ETHNOFLORENCE Indian and Himalayan folk and tribal arts
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ethnoflorence.skynetblogs.be
- 1956:PRELIMINARY REPORT ON TWO EXPEDITIONS IN NEPAL. Giuseppe Tucci.
Roma.§§§ 1961: The Sherdukpens. RRP Sharma. Shillong.§§§ 1962:
Lamaistiche Masken. H. Lucas. Kassel.§§§ 1965: The Rajbansi of No...
Puducherry
Gorakhpur: Four more children succumbed to encephalitis in Gorakhpur,
taking the death toll in the viral disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh to
421 in 2012. The deceased hailed from Kushinagar, Mahrajganj and Sant
Kabir Nagar districts, officials said on Saturday. As many as 41
patients suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome have been admitted
to BRD Medical College Hospital here and other government hospitals of
Gorakhpur and Basti divisions in the...
Puducherry
UP: 4 more succumb to encephalitis, toll rises to 421
Gorakhpur: Four more children succumbed to encephalitis in Gorakhpur,
taking the death toll in the viral disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh to
421 in 2012. The deceased hailed from Kushinagar, Mahrajganj and Sant
Kabir Nagar districts, officials said on Saturday. As many as 41
patients suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome have been admitted
to BRD Medical College Hospital here and other government hospitals of
Gorakhpur and Basti divisions in the...Haryana IAS officer blows lid off land scams in tell-all letter
New Delhi: Amidst a furore over irregularities in land deals in
Haryana, a senior IAS officer, Ashok Khemka, has written a tell-all
letter to the state Chief Secretary detailing land scams in the state.
The letter, accessed by CNN-IBN, demands that security be provided to
the officer and his family to protect them from the people hit by the
expose. In the letter, Khemka says that several hundred crores worth...Pakistani authorities arrest 24 Indian fishermen
New Delhi: Pakistani authorities on Friday evening arrested 24 Indian
fishermen after their fishing boats strayed into Pakistan's territorial
waters. The fishermen were handed over to the Karachi police. Last month
Pakistan released 48 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture following
talks between Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Pakistan
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The fishermen were arrested by the
Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and brought to a...Haryana: Khaps to discuss early marriage for girls
Rohtak: Haryana's Sarva Khap Jat Panchayat, which has been at the
forefront of demanding reservations for Jats in government jobs, will
now discuss the bizarre suggestion that the marriage age for girls be
lowered to curb rising incidents of rape in the state. The supreme
council is an umbrella body of khap panchayats across the state. Khaps
have no legal sanction but often function like kangaroo courts and issue
social...Shanghai Masters: Bhupathi-Bopanna to face Paes-Stepanek in final
Bhupathi-Bopanna are bidding to qualify for Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.‘It was wrong to keep media out of Amritsar during Op Blue Star. Without them, there were rumours and a lot of mutinies’
After the recent attack on him in London, Lt Gen (retd) K S Brar speaks to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDTV 24x7’s Walk the Talk about leading Operation Blue Star and the lessons learnt
I am in Colaba in south Bombay and my guest this week is an old general who, sadly, is not being allowed to fade away although that might have been his wish—General K S Brar, Bulbul to friends. General, these are odd circumstances. You and I only meet in odd circumstances.We met in 1984 during the time of Operation Blue Star and now we meet here again.
And you tried very hard to fade away quietly.
I jump into my Nano car, go off to the golf course, play a game of golf and get back. But now, my movements are going to be restricted. I have to be a little more careful.
Was there a point in your life where you thought that life is back to normal, as it is in Punjab?
Never. Because whether the situation in Punjab improves or deteriorates, as far as I’m concerned, there was always a very serious threat to me. After Operation Blue Star, Bhindranwale’s relatives, his followers, the Babbar Khalsa, the Khalistan Commando Force, all his soldiers who died in the temple, their relatives, they all swore revenge in front of the Granth Sahib. Who were they going to take revenge on? Mrs Gandhi (who was the Prime Minister), General A S Vaidya (the army chief), General K Sundarji (the army commander), General Dayal (Gen Sundarji’s co-commander) and General Brar (I conducted the operation). Now, at this point of time, with Mrs Gandhi assassinated, General Vaidya assassinated, and General Sundarji and General Dayal having died natural deaths, I’m the only one left. I knew that once they have given a threat of this nature from a holy place, they are going to carry it out some day or the other. There have been threats all along. I have been receiving letters, phone calls and there are messages being posted on websites—‘We are going to kill him. Being a Sikh himself, he dared to enter the bastion of Sikhs.’
Let’s go back to 1984 Operation Blue Star. You did enter the bastion of the Sikhs, your fellow Sikhs. What was going on in your mind when you were told to do it. Was it just a soldierly response—theek hai, order hai, karna hai? Or did you think for a moment and swallowed hard, saying, what am I being asked to do? You were a Major-General then. Commanding a division.
I was a Major-General. We were leaving for Delhi the next day and catching the evening flight to Manila. We had our air tickets, we had our travellers cheques, we were all set to proceed to Manila and we get a phone call in Meerut about 7 in the evening to say that you are required for a conference in Chandimandir tomorrow morning.
Chandimandir, near Chandigarh, used to be the II Corps headquarters those days.
Yes. So we drove from Meerut to Delhi. I caught the morning flight from Delhi to Chandigarh. I arrived in Chandimandir and told my wife that I’ll be back in the evening and we’ll catch the flight (to Manila). I’m rushed to the operations room. Maps on the wall and I’m still wondering what’s going on. I am told, ‘You know the situation in Amritsar is very bad’ and I said yes. The Brigadier General Staff gave me a briefing and it appeared to me that I am being sent off to carry out an operation. So in the middle of all those briefings I said, “I am proceeding abroad tonight. I have been sanctioned annual leave for my honeymoon.” And so he looked at General Dayal and they whispered to each other and then he said, “Bulbul, your leave is off. You go another time. There’s an aircraft waiting outside to take you to Amritsar. Give orders to your division to move from Meerut to Amritsar immediately. I give you 36 hours to settle down there and make your plans and I shall come there for my first briefing. The temple has to be cleared at the earliest. Time is at a premium. Khalistan could be declared any day. Bhindranwale is at the peak of his popularity. He has got the entire countryside in Punjab as his followers. He’s a guy who has almost been able to be accepted as a prophet.”
Read Full Story and Interview
Map (National Highways)
PM favours limiting RTI to protect individual privacy
New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday called for limiting of citizen's right to information if it infringes upon individual privacy, an issue that cropped up after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi sought details of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's foreign travel bills, which include those for health reasons.
"Citizens' rights to know should definitely be circumscribed if disclosure of information encroaches upon someone's personal privacy," Manmohan Singh said, addressing the annual convention of information commissioners here.Highlighting concerns over possible infringement of personal privacy when the government provides information under the RTI (Right To Information) Act, 2005, he also called for a fine balance between right to information and right to privacy, describing the dichotomy "a complicated question".
Noting that there were concerns about "frivolous and vexatious use" of the law in demanding information, the disclosure of which cannot possibly serve any public purpose, he also said public authorities should not view the law as "an irritant" but as one that does collective good.
"Concerns have also been raised regarding possible infringement of personal privacy while providing information under the RTI Act."
"There is a fine balance required to be maintained between the RTI and the right to privacy, which stems out of the fundamental rights to life and liberty," Manmohan Singh said.
"But where to draw the line is a complicated question," he said, but did not mention Modi's demand that Gandhi's travel bills be made public while citing media reports of an RTI response from the government in this regard.
Referring to a Supreme Court order on appointment of retired apex court judges and high court chief justices as heads of Central Information Commission (CIC) and state information commissions (SICs), the prime minister said he was aware there had been "some confusion" about its implications on composition of the panels at the central and state levels.
"As you might be aware, the government has decided to go in review before the Supreme Court in this matter," he said, a day after the central government moved a petition seeking review of the Sep 13 apex court order.
Manmohan Singh also noted that issues relating to how much information relating to entities set up under public-private partnerships (PPP) be disclosed under RTI too needed to be addressed.
He said blanket extension of the RTI Act to such PPP bodies may discourage private enterprises to enter into partnerships with the public sector. A blanket exclusion, on the other hand, may harm the cause of accountability of public officials, he added.
"This important legislation should not be only about criticising, ridiculing, and running down public authorities. RTI should be more about promoting transparency and accountability, spreading information and awareness and empowering the citizen."
Citizens, Manmohan Singh said, feel empowered because of the RTI as 95.5 percent applications relating to central government authorities are cleared at the first stage.
"The potential for good, constructive use of the RTI is perhaps far greater than what its current status would indicate," he said, adding that there was need to "change perceptions" on RTI among public authorities.
Ride 4 Peace: India to vietnam
Tuesday, we entered the land of compassion, love and humbles. There is only one big check post gate between India and Bhutan at the border in Phuntsholing. I was able to feel the amazing positive vibes of Bhutan as soon as I entered. We got our tourist visas in just 30 minutes as well as permits to ride our bikes in Bhutan. Since both are valid only for seven days, you have to go to the capital, Thimphu to extend them. Opposite the immigration office building is a small restaurant with the best chole bhatura I have ever had. What makes the food delicious is its pureness. You will not find half water in your litre of milk. You will not find the use of bad oil for preparing food. In fact, just a day before reaching Bhutan we heard that Bhutan is going to be the first 100 per cent organic nation in the world.
On our way to Thimphu we had to stop at Gedu, a small village 50 kilometres from Phuntsholing border, because of rains and fog. We didn’t know anyone in Gedu and we were told that there no hotels. We had dinner at a small restaurant and made friends with the owners, who helped us find a guest house. A truly amazing place, we paid just 600 Ngultrum (equal to 600 Indian rupees) for thebest hotel room on the trip so far. Next morning, I saw my life’s best sunrise and though it was cold outside, I could not resist taking pictures. We set out finally at noon, reaching Thimphu by nightfall.
In the meanwhile I wrote to the Tourism Council of Bhutan via Twitter and Facebook and tried our luck to find some inspiring people through them. In a few hours we had a response and they arranged some meetings for us — one at the Tarayana Foundation and the other with the Bhutan Youth Development Fund.
Tarayana Foundation works to help enhance the lives of individuals and communities of Bhutan.“We work from the heart for a happy and prosperous Bhutan. And when you work with compassion and integrity, you will always get success,” says Chime P. Wangdi, Secretary General, Tarayana Foundation. Simply Bhutan — a project of Bhutan Youth Development Fund — has created the experiences of a village house. This will help to maintain the real, cultural Bhutan. One can experience the feel of a village house without going out to rural areas.
A nation of humble and compassionate people, Bhutan believes in collective and community work rather than just individual progress. More will always be less to describe Bhutan. In order to feel and experience it in a true way you have to visit here.
The columnist is on a peace mission along with friend Parth Vasvada. The duo will ride across eight countries and 13,000 km Every week they will share their travel tales with us.
SWAMINARAYAN AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE
Located on the banks of River Yamuna, Delhi. Akshardham Temple is a
magnificent shrine. This shrine is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a
Jain deity. The temple enshrines a 11 ft tall gilded statue of Bhagwan
Swaminarayan made in Bangkok with five different metals (Panchdhatu). The building is constructed entirely using Pink sandstone and Italian marble, without any concrete or steel.
The intricate carvings all over the magnanimous structure make the temple a masterpiece of art. Akshardham is also a part of BAPS’s initiative to promote Indian art, culture and values. BAPS also has a charitable arm, know as BAPS Care, working for the betterment of the people.
Every evening the center comes to life with a colourful musical water fountain that echoes Vedic rhymes and is worth watching.
Visiting time: April-Sep 7:15 am to 7:00 pm & Oct-Mar 6:15 am to 6:30 pm, Daily.
Entry Fee: Free and open to all.
Tip: Carry only necessary things, as you have deposit everything (except money) at the counter for security reasons.
The intricate carvings all over the magnanimous structure make the temple a masterpiece of art. Akshardham is also a part of BAPS’s initiative to promote Indian art, culture and values. BAPS also has a charitable arm, know as BAPS Care, working for the betterment of the people.
Every evening the center comes to life with a colourful musical water fountain that echoes Vedic rhymes and is worth watching.
Visiting time: April-Sep 7:15 am to 7:00 pm & Oct-Mar 6:15 am to 6:30 pm, Daily.
Entry Fee: Free and open to all.
Tip: Carry only necessary things, as you have deposit everything (except money) at the counter for security reasons.
