Army Chief loses age war In a setback to General V.K. Singh, the Supreme Court refused to intervene in his plea, pointing out that the Army Chief, who accepted the government's decision in determining his date of birth as May 10, 1950 on three occasions, could not go back on his commitment. His writ petition was disposed of as withdrawn. A Bench of Justices R.M. Lodha and H.L. Gokhale, however, made it clear that the question raised by Gen. Singh was not about the determination of his actual DoB but it concerned the recognition of a particular DoB by the Defence Ministry in the official service record. The Bench recorded Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati's statement that the government had not questioned the Army Chief's integrity or bona fides. It was resisting the petition as a matter of principle and doing so would not mean lack of faith in his ability to lead the Army.
ED notice to Google Issuing a foreign exchange violation notice to Google for alleged irregularities in transfer of funds to its foreign entities, the Enforcement Directorate asked the Indian arm of the company to explain the clearances it has obtained from the RBI, its source of income in the country and submit I-T returns filed earlier.
India Show' starts in Lahore today Seeking to make history and further consolidate people-to-people exchange, the Indian Government and industry have joined hands to put up a massive ‘India Show' at Lahore kicking off a new phase in trade and economic engagement of India and Pakistan. Pakistan's Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim will inaugurate the three-day India Show at Lahore Expo Centre. The show is being organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with Indian Commerce and Industry Ministry with support from Pakistan's Commerce Ministry and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Nearly 150 Indian companies will showcase their products during the show and it is expected that business deals could also be finalised. It will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Commerce and Industry Minister to Pakistan. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma will walk into the Pakistan territory through the Attari-Wagah border on February 13 to take part in the India Show celebrations and also hold bilateral talks with Mr. Fahim. Mr. Sharma will be accompanied by an 80-member business and official delegation that will visit Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad to interact with Pakistani CEOs and officials. “It is also our desire that the visa regime from both sides, at least for businessmen, should be liberalised removing all restrictions on their movement,” FICCI President R. V. Kanoria told.
Probe bribe charge against Yeddyurappa, CEC told The Supreme Court asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to look into allegations that bribe was paid to the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and some bureaucrats purportedly for illegal mining in Bellary and the adjoining district of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. A Special Forest Bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia passed the order on a plea by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) seeking extension of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against JSW Steel and Adani Enterprises for alleged illegal mining and transportation of iron ore. “We ask the CEC to consider the interim application for appropriate recommendation,” the Bench, also comprising justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar, said. It charged that powerful corporate entities such as Adani Enterprises were involved in the scam relating to the theft of 5.5 lakh tonnes of iron ore from the Belikere port.
High Court Chief Justice asks Government to recall Upalokayukta In a damning indictment of the State Government, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Vikramajit Sen has averred that due processes were not followed in the appointment of the former High Court judge Chandrashekaraiah as the Upalokayukta and demanded that the Government recall him at the earliest. In a letter written to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Mr. Sen said, “The appointment [of Mr. Chandrashekaraiah] is to be recalled at the earliest. Remedial action, therefore, is called for at your end.” Mr. Sen said that emphasise that the appointment of Chandrashekaraiah has been made without consultation with the Chief Justice. Therefore, it is in violation of the mandatory requirement of law.
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Rajasthan university ties up with University of Houston JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU) has tied up with University of Houston, Texas, for mutual cooperation in the field of education and academic activities. A memorandum of understanding for the purpose was signed here by Jerald W. Strickland, Assistant Vice-Chancellor, and William E. Fitzgibbon, Dean, College of Technology, on behalf of the University of Houston and Upinder Dhar, Vice-Chancellor of JK Lakshmipat University. This is the fourth international tie-up signed by JKLU after similar agreements with Hanyang University, South Korea; St. Cloud State University, US; and University of Wales, United Kingdom. The latest MOU allows academic cooperation in exchange of faculty, students and researchers; joint research, lectures, symposia and country visits for students; exchange of data, documentation and research material in the fields of mutual interest as well as working towards cooperative educational programmes for the future. JKLU has been established under the Rajasthan Private Universities Act by the Lakshmipat Singhania Foundation for Higher Learning. The University of Houston, founded in 1927, is a leading American public research university.
Veteran film-maker O. P. Dutta passes away Veteran Bollywood writer-filmmaker O. P. Dutta has passed away following a bout of pneumonia at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. He succumbed to complications of pneumonia. The film-maker, who was in his late 80s, began his career as a director with ‘Pyaar Ki Jeet' in 1948, followed by ‘Surajmukhi' (1950), ‘Ek Nazar' (1951), ‘Malkin' (1953), ‘Aangan' (1959) and others. Later he turned writer for his son J. P. Dutta with films like ‘Ghulami' (1985), ‘Hathyar' (1989), ‘Border' (1997), ‘Refugee' (2000), ‘LoC Kargil' (2003) and, his last film as a writer, ‘Umrao Jaan' (2006).
Nuclear weapons: U.S. must put its house in order first: Report Even as the United States continues to exert pressure against India and other emerging powers for not falling in line with its vision for a global nuclear order, a stinging report by a major watchdog has revealed that the U.S.' own nuclear weapons are potentially unstable and critical intra-agency guidance on maintaining nuclear safety has been “vague.” In a report that sharply chastised the nodal National Nuclear Security Administration for not sufficiently briefing the Pentagon on dangers lurking within the U.S.' ageing nuclear weapons stockpile, the Government Accountability Office this week drew attention to the euphemistically- named issue of “limitations.” The GAO's investigation into whether the NNSA had helped mitigate the 52 limitations it identified revealed, worryingly, that the guidance that the NNSA had been supplying the Pentagon on this subject comprised “statements that... contain highly technical information and vague wording and may not clearly communicate a limitation's potential impact on stockpile operation, maintenance, and war planning”.
Pakistan apex court rejects Gilani's plea in contempt case The Supreme Court of Pakistan rejected the intra court appeal filed by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani against its February 2 order that asked him to appear before it on February 13 to be formally charged with contempt. Immediately after the petition was rejected, Prime Minister's lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan told reporters that Mr. Gilani would abide by the summons and appear before the court on Feb. 13. If held guilty of contempt, he could face loss of office and a maximum of six months imprisonment. Disqualification from membership of Parliament under Article 63 mandates a minimum of two years in prison. Contempt proceedings were launched against Mr. Gilani in January because the government repeatedly ignored the court's directive to reopen cases against President Asif Ali Zardari after striking down the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The NRO was promulgated by the former President, Gen. (retd.) Pervez Musharraf, after which cases against Mr. Zardari and thousands of other bureaucrats, politicians and army officers were dropped in courts within the country and overseas. An eight-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, dismissed the Prime Minister's petition after a marathon argument by Mr. Ahsan. The government has refused to write to the Swiss authorities, contending that the Constitution provided presidential immunity to Mr. Zardari. While dismissing Mr. Gilani's appeal, the court pointed out that the NRO was declared unconstitutional in 2009 and all cases thus stood reopened.
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Wen strikes a markedly different tone on Tibet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said “greater efforts” would be made by the government to protect Tibetans' cultural traditions and religious freedom, amid ongoing unrest in the north-west that has seen at least 16 self- immolation protests in recent months. Mr. Wen's comments were made during a meeting here on Friday with the 11th Panchen Lama, Gyancain Norbu, in Zhongnanhai. Norbu was appointed by Beijing in 1995 in controversial circumstances in place of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, who had earlier been selected by the Dalai Lama as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. Nyima disappeared the same year, but is still worshipped by many Tibetans in China as the 11th Panchen. Norbu, who was in 2010 appointed to the country's top legislative advisory body, has been promoted by Beijing as the leading guiding authority of Tibetan Buddhism in China. The Panchen Lama is seen as the second most influential figure in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama, who Beijing accuses of being a separatist. The Dalai Lama, who has been in exile since 1959, says he is only seeking genuine autonomy for Tibetans and the protection of their religious and cultural rights.
Ijaz permitted to record statement via video link As the Supreme Court's rejection of the Prime Minister's appeal sent Pakistan's political class and analysts into a spin came news of the judicial commission on ‘memogate' allowing Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz to record his statement via video link from London thereby reviving a matter that appeared to have eased. Mr. Ijaz has been asked to present his case on February 22 for which the judicial commission's secretary will travel to London to make all the arrangements and collect evidence that the business claims to possess. He has alleged that the former Ambassador to the U.S., Hussain Haqqani, had got him to send a memo to the then U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, asking Washington to pre-empt a coup after the American raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2 last year.
India against more sanctions on Iran India and the European Union (EU) made progress on their Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement and nominated minister-level monitors to push for its early finalisation but it was discussions on regional issues, especially Iran and Syria. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy proclaimed that the EU was against a military solution to resolve the Tehran-West standoff over Iran's nuclear programme and asked India to use its leverage with Iran to “bring it back to the negotiating table.” Iran is India's second largest source of crude but the West has frequently leaned on institutions and countries, ranging from the Asian Clearing Union to Turkey, to cut off the payment route. This has forced India to constantly look for new avenues to pay Iran for approximately Rs. 5,000 crore worth of crude it imports every month from that country. While the two sides differed on Iran widely with India not in agreement with the West over its plans to impose more sanctions, which are not approved by the United Nations, they seemed to be on the same page on Syria. A joint statement released after the summit also saw both sides adopting a mild formulation on Pakistan.On Syria, the EU and India wanted the world community to back the Arab League's formula for bringing back stability in the country. This solution was brought to the U.N. Security Council but was vetoed by Russia and China, which felt that the West was trying to do another Libya in Syria, a crucial swing country in West Asia.
Shantha Biotech to double vaccine production by 2015 Shantha Biotech has plans to double its vaccine (antigen) production from the present 500 million doses per annum to one billion doses by 2015 by expanding its present manufacturing facilities. The Sanofi-Aventis owned biotech firm plans to achieve the goal by re-introducing pentavalent vaccine by 2013-end, unveiling rota vaccine by 2015 and developing HPV and hexavalent vaccines. The global demand for pentavalent and hexavalent vaccines was about 250 million doses per annum, Harish V. Iyer, MD and CEO of Shantha Biotech told on the sidelines of BioAsia in Hyderabad. He said their HPV vaccine was in the early stages of development and its clinical trials were likely to begin late this year or early next year. The first clinical trials of rota vaccine were completed already and the next phase trials would be taken up soon, he said. The company was also mulling to bring measles vaccine to India through its parent company Sanofi. The company's products in the pipeline -- the six-way hexavalent, rota that protects infants from rotaviruses leading to severe diarrhoea and HPV (human papilloma virus) associated with prevention of cervical cancer - - would go through WHO audit before they were introduced in the market.
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Lupin developing cancer treating drug The Biotechnology Division of Lupin Limited is in the advanced stage of developing a cancer treatment drug. The company plans to launch the product in a year's time if its plans go unobstructed. The president of BT Division of Lupin, Cyrus Karkaria said in Hyderabad that two clinical trials of the drug were completed already in tune with the guidelines of the Drugs Controller General of India and were awaiting permission for third trial. They had seven different molecules in the pipeline including the cancer drug and two others which were in the pre-clinical stage of development. One of the molecules was related to the treatment of osteoporosis. The development and production of drugs in India would make them more affordable. Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) has planed to develop four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
L&TMRH hands over ‘golden share' to government The L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH), the private concessionaire building the Rs.14,132 crore elevated metro rail project for the capital, has handed over the special ‘golden share' of the company to the government. L&TMRH Managing Director V.B. Gadgil handed over the requisite papers to Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi thus entailing the government to have a say in all the major decisions taken by the concessionaire. The government can nominate a Director on the board and the person would have a veto power on key matters as per the agreement. The ‘golden share' is a non-transferable special equity share with a face value of Rs.10 but gives powers to government equivalent to 26 per cent shares in the firm without investing the amount. It ensures the government rights are irrevocable and are not adversely affected in any manner.
Numeric sells UPS business to Legrand in over Rs.800-cr deal Electrical equipment major Numeric Power Systems has decided to sell its UPS (uninterrupted power system) business to Legrand Group of France for a total consideration of Rs.806.44 crore.Numeric Power has initialled a definitive agreement to this effect with the French Group. It has also entered into a deal to sell Numeric Lanka Technologies, a fully-owned subsidiary of Numeric Power Systems, to Indo-Asian Electric Pvt. Ltd., an affiliate of Legrand France, for Rs.9.36 crore. According to R. Veeramani, Chairman, Numeric Power Systems, the listed Indian company would continue to operate its other businesses comprising alloy steel foundry, iron foundry, complete solar solutions in the areas of roof-top and EPC solutions.
Tata Motors to drive into Indonesia with Ace The next international stop for automobile giant Tata Motors is Indonesia where it plans to soon start assembly of the successful Ace range of light commercial vehicles. Ace will be the first model that the company would assemble in the Southeast Asian country. The knocked down kits of Ace meant for assembly in Indonesia will be supplied from India. Tata Motors launched the Ace branded as “Ace Super City Giant” in Thailand in November 2010. It has an assembly plant in Bangkok as a joint venture with the Thonburi Group which assembles pick-up trucks for the Thai market.
HPCL inks crude oil import deal with Iran Even as the European Union president, Herman Van Rompuy, impressed upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to come to the negotiating table, India has gone ahead and firmed up a fresh deal for importing three million tonnes of crude oil from Iran for 2012-13. Not with standing the sanctions imposed by the United States and the EU against Iran, India has made it clear that it was in no mood to give up its oil imports from Tehran. State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) said it had signed a deal with Iran to import three million tonnes of crude oil, half-a-million tonne less than year 2011. This will reduce the size of the annual deal to 60,000 barrels a day in 2012-13 instead of 70,000 barrels a day earlier, according to Director (Refineries), K. Murali.
Paperless insurance in a year: IRDA The insurance sector will be moving towards paperless model in a year, said Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Chairman J. Hari Narayan in Hyderabad. Mr. Hari Narayan said the IRDA was working on the data repositories and contractual liabilities to suit the requirements of a paperless insurance industry.
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DGH to extend search period in KG, Mahanadi basins Even as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is in the process of tying up with strategic partners for collaboration, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has agreed to extend the “exploration period” of major gas blocks, two each in the KG and Mahanadi basins, to carry out further appraisal. In the KG- DWN-98/2 in the northern discovery area (NDA), the period has been extended to 2013 and that of KG- DWN-98/2 in the south discovery area (SDA) to end of 2012 to carry out appraisal. It has also agreed to extend the exploration period of two Mahanadi blocks for carrying out appraisal in MH-OSN-200/2 and that of MN-DWN-98/3 to end of 2012.
Analjit Singh to head Vodafone India Telecom major Vodafone has appointed Max India founder Analjit Singh as the non-executive Chairman of its India operations. The appointment is effective from February 16 following formal approval from the Board of Vodafone India. Mr. Singh is the founder and Chairman of Max India as well as its subsidiaries such as Max New York Life Insurance Company, Max Healthcare Institute and Max Bupa Health Insurance Company.
Mahindra Satyam to buy stake in Dion Mahindra Satyam has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dion Global Solutions to buy a strategic stake. Dion Global has a portfolio of cutting-edge solutions for the international financial markets. Mahindra Satyam has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake through fresh issue of equity shares that would be priced in accordance with the regulations of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Mahindra Satyam CEO C. P. Gurnani said the company were impressed with Dion Global Solution's offerings and its ability to partner clients.
WSH: Gagan Ajit Singh to play for Sher-e-Punjab Former India captain and striker Gagan Ajit Singh will make his comeback with Sher-e-Punjab in the World Series Hockey, commencing on February 29. A dynamic striker with a devastating turn of speed, he made more than 200 appearances for India, including the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.
Usain Bolt to open Olympic year Sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, who are both expected to draw worldwide attention in this Olympic year, open their 2012. The Jamaican, who has been tipped by 400m World record-holder Michael Johnson as capable of breaking the US legend's longstanding mark of 43.18 and perhaps become the first man to run sub-43 has a personal best over the distance of 45.28 from May 2007. Blake, who won the 100m world title last year, has a personal best at 400m of 46.80, also done at this meeting in 2009.
Saina, Kashyap to spearhead India Saina Nehwal and P. Kashyap will lead the Indian challenge in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup premilinary round at Macau from February 14 to 19.
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