Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. is the largest media group in India, owned by the Sahu Jain family, also known as The Times Group. It is best known as the publisher of English daily The Times of India. This company, along with its other group companies, are more popularly known as The Times Group, which also publish The Economic Times (a leading financial broadsheet), Mumbai Mirror, Bangalore Mirror, the Navbharat Times (a Hindi daily broadsheet), Sandhya Times, and the Maharashtra Times (a Marathi daily broadsheet). It publishes general interest magazines like Femina and Filmfare. The Times Group has very recently added TIMES NOW a 24-hour English news channel to its chain of news organisations. TIMES NOW is a collaboration between Times Group and Reuters. It owns Radio Mirchi, a popular FM Radio brand in India and Indiatimes, a popular Indian portal. It also launched a real-estate speciality portal MagicBricks that brings property buyers and sellers (for both land & various types of constructions) onto a same collaboration platform. It also has a job portal called "Timesjobs" and a matrimonial portal called "Simplymarry". It has recently introduced a new venture called goodlife world, where all the products of BCCL comes under one roof. Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. has an open programme whereby it enters into pacts/agreements with approximately 100-odd companies (www.privatetreaties.com). Under the pact, which is called a Private Treaty, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. buys shares of small and fast-growing companies in return for guaranteed advertising and, quite obviously, favourable coverage in the Times publications. Some analysts point out that private treaty is a good way for companies or individuals to escape negative publicity from the Times group publications. Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. has also, of late, been acquiring equity interests in a number of Indian companies, from real estate to online brokerage. For a publishing group that owns two of the largest selling English medium dailies in the world, namely µThe Times of India¶ and µEconomic Times¶, the acquisition of equity stakes in companies and the µprivate treaty¶ arrangement has often lead to question marks as to the editorial quality and integrity of its publications. Provided below is an indicative list of companies in which BCCL has made significant equity investments: Abbee Consumables And Peripherals Sshope Ltd. Ace Tours Worldwide Private Limited Almondz Capital & Management Services Ltd Almondz Global Securities Ltd Archies Ltd. Asia CRYO-CELL Private Limited Avestha Gengraine Technologies Pvt Ltd. Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar & Industries Ltd. Career Forum Ltd. Cosmo Aviation Training School Emaar MGF Land Limited Ensemble Infrastructure India Limited eYantra Industries ICRI Research (P) Ltd. India Infoline Ltd. KSL and Industries Ltd. Leisure & Lifestyle Information Services Pvt. Ltd. Liberty Whiteware Pvt Ltd. Lok Housing & Constructions Ltd. NEXT Link Pvt Ltd. Nik-Nish Retail Pvt., Ltd. Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. Refex Refrigerants Ltd. Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd. Sai InfoSystems India Pvt. Ltd. SatNav Technologies (P) Ltd. Sleep-ins Apparels Pvt., Ltd. SMC Global Securities Ltd. Timbor Home Pvt Ltd. Travel Masti Holidays Private Ltd. Utssav CZ Gold Jewels Worldwide Media Ltd. YOU Telecom India Pvt Ltd. Non-cooperation movement to be launched in Telangana on Feb 17 2011-02-11 20:20:00 Last Updated: 2011-02-11 20:33:24 Save: It Budget Management Ads by Google Download Free Forrester Study & Learn to Cut Data Center Costs Now.Juniper.net/It+Budget+Management Hyderabad: The agitation for separate statehood to Telangana is set to intensify with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) gearing up to launch a non-cooperation movement from Feb 17 and an indefinite shutdown from Feb 22. The JAC, an apex body of the political parties and the groups fighting for separate Telangana state on Friday decided to go ahead with the indefinite protest to demand introduction of a bill in Parliament for carving out a separate state. JAC Convenor M Kodandaram announced an action plan under the non-cooperation movement and also a series of protest programmes in the run up to the campaign. The JAC, which comprises Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and various groups representing government employees, lawyers, students and other sections, wants the central government to table a bill in the coming budget session of parliament. As part of the non-cooperation movement, people in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana will not buy tickets while travelling in the state-owned Road Transport Corporation buses. 'People will also not pay utility charges and taxes like toll tax on highways and property tax,' Kodandaram said. The JAC further appealed to people to boycott the ongoing census. TRS to move no-confidence motion in AP assembly 'People launch non-cooperation movement if they feel the government is illegitimate. We feel this government represents only the interests of the ruling classes of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions,' he said. He added that the JAC would organise rallies, picket government offices, 'jail bharo' and lay siege to the houses of Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators before launching the non- cooperation movement. The protesters will block traffic on highways to mount pressure on the government. The government employees and the teachers in Telangana have also decided to participate in the non-cooperation movement by not performing their duties. ULFA leaders meet Chidambaram in Delhi Kalyan Barooah NEW DELHI, Feb 10 ± In a first step forward in the ULFA peace process, a seven- member coordi-nation committee was set up to fix modalities and oversee a couple of critical aspects, even as the Centre insisted on non-interference from the pro-talk group with any military operations against Paresh Barua faction. The day one of the ULFA leaders¶ Delhi tour appeared fruitful, as the eight-member delegation led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa held the first formal round with Union Home Secretary G K Pillai and State Chief Secretary Naba Kumar Das. Minutes earlier, they met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in what was described as an introductory meeting. On Monday, they are expected to call on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Home Ministry officials described the interaction as an ice-breaking meeting. The meeting decided to constitute the seven-member committee with Joint Secretary (North- east) Sambhu Singh as coordinator. The committee would comprise three representatives from ULFA, two officials each of Government of India and Government of Assam. ULFA is likely to nominate three names shortly. The coordination committee would look into the issues such as setting up of designated camps to house the ULFA cadres and thrashing out the surrender process. A significant development was that the Home Ministry wanted the ULFA leaders not to interfere with any operations conducted by security forces against anti-talk group headed by Paresh Barua, putting Rajkhowa¶s group in a dilemma. Sources further said that after completion of the initial formalities, the next round of formal talks would be held sometime in May after the Assembly polls in Assam. Officials, however, indicated that a formal ceasefire pact may not be signed immediately, as an informal suspension of operation was already in place. The ULFA delegation also raised the issue of Anup Chetia¶s release. The delegation was told about ten pending petitions in Bangladesh Court, filed by Chetia seeking political asylum. Chetia has to withdraw the petitions. Later addressing a press conference, Sasha Choudhury said that an offer for ceasefire would have to come from the Government of India¶s side and so far none has come. Welcoming the ULFA leaders, the Union Home Minister said that the ULFA leaders have offered unconditional talks with the Government of India and Assam to find an honourable and just solution. ³I welcomed them and assured them that the Governments of India and Assam would engage them in sincere and meaningful talks. I am confident that we will find a just and honourable solution,´ Chidambaram added. The meeting between the ULFA leaders and Chidambaram lasted for about 15 minutes, while the formal talks with the Home Secretary continued for about 45 minutes. The ULFA leaders who attended the meeting included vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi, Chitraban Hazarika, Raju Barua, Bhimkanta Buragohain, Mithinga Daimary and Pranati Deka, among others, besides the chairman and Choudhury. The ULFA leaders including the vice-chairman, Chitraban Hazarika and Sasha Choudhury later addressed a press conference while Rajkhowa and other leaders kept themselves away. The militant leaders answered a volley of questions ranging from Paresh Barua¶s reaction to the possibility of joining politics to the reasons for taking shelter in Bangladesh. Hinting at the need to amend the Constitution of India, ULFA leader said that Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan (SJA) was preparing the agenda. It would be later circulated among the people for comments after which it would be placed before the Government of India. Replying to questions, the ULFA leaders declined to clarify what constitutional amendments they were looking for but referred to the Prime Minister¶s statement in Hyderabad, when he said that the Indian Constitution was flexible enough to address the desires of all people. Substantive talks would be on the basis of the agenda of SJA,´ they said. Choudhury further clarified that they have come forward for talks on the basis of the three resolutions adopted by SJA, a joint platform of 18 organisations. On the decision to drop the demand for sovereignty, Choudhury said that they wer e following the decision taken by the general council of ULFA, which resolved that ULFA members have to talk to the government. On the impact of Paresh Barua¶s rejection of the peace process, Choudhury said it would have zero impact.