Saturday, October 30, 2010

Lara Stone\'s Calvin Klein ad banned

Los Angeles : Authorities have banned supermodel Lara Stone\'s latest Calvin Klein advertisement in Australia, alleging that the photographs promoted \"violence and rape\". The Dutch beauty is pictured in her underwear lying among a group of men, with one male model straddling her suggestively while the other

pulling her hair.

After receiving complaints, officials at the country\'s Advertising Standards Bureau branded the ads \"demeaning to women\" and ruled the campaign must be scrapped, reports aceshowbiz.com.

\"The board considered that whilst the act depicted could be consensual, the overall impact and most likely takeout is that the scene is suggestive of violence and rape,\" the organisation said in a statement.

\"The board considered that the image was demeaning to women by suggesting that she is a plaything of these men. It also demeans men by implying sexualised violence against women,\" the statement added.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Akshay Kumar remains full fida on wife Twinkle

Mumbai : Akshay Kumar remains full fida on wife Twinkle: Despite several years of marriage, Akshay Kumar is still gaga over his wife Twinkle Khanna. He remains full fida on her.

The public display of his love for his wife was recently seen during the launch of a magazine called "Harper's Bazaar".

Seeing Twinkle's face on the cover page of the magazine he said that his wife is the best and he considers himself to be lucky to have been blessed with such a lovely and stunning wife.

Akki is really proud to have Twinkle as his life partner. For him Twinkle is one of the best looking star wives in Bollywood as she styles herself in an absolutely stunning manner.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Sachin’s bat fetches Rs. 42 lakh at glittering sports auction

Mohali : Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar's willow fetched the highest bid of Rs. 42 lakh at a glittering sports auction here that saw personal items donated by 25 top sportspersons from the country and overseas go under the hammer.

The champion batsman had scored an unbeaten 163 against New Zealand at Christchurch last year, his fourth highest one day score, with this bat.

Tied at second spot was the rifle used by India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, when creating history at the Beijing Games two years ago and the bat of Rahul Dravid, with which he had scored a century in each innings in the Kolkata Test of 2005 against Pakistan.

Both were successfully bid for Rs. 20 lakh.

The bat signed by all team members of the 1983 World Cup winning team and donated by former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar's willow went under the hammer for Rs. 17.5 lakh.

Anil Kumble's jersey which he wore when he equalled Jim Laker's ten-wicket in a Test innings record against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999, and his Test cap that he wore between 2004 and 2006 went for Rs. 11.5 lakh.

Among the other items auctioned off were Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer's shoes, a bat donated by 1983 World Cup winning skipper Kapil Dev with the autographs of all the team members and sports gear donated by Indian top racquet sports exponents -- Shuttler Saina Nehwal and tennis player Sania Mirza.

Doners Dravid, Kumble, tennis ace Leander Paes, national football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, 1974 hockey World Cup winning skipper Ajit Pal Singh, former hockey captain Viren Rasquinha and Bindra were present at the auction last night.

Leander's 12th Grand Slam winning racquet at Wimbledon this year in mixed doubles was the second piece to be auctioned and received a bid of Rs 7 lakhs.

Also gracing the function were world champion wrestler and Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sushil Kumar and hockey great Dhanraj Pillay.

The auction was held by Non Government Organisation 'The Foundation' founded by actor and ex-rugby international player Rahul Bose in association with Raheja Universal and the proceeds were donated to Bose's NGO.

The donors and items that went under the hammer were:

Pankaj Advani: Medal -- World Billiards Champion, 2007; Cue-International debut, 2002

Viswanathan Anand: Medal -- World Chess (Match) Champion, 2008.

Mahesh Bhupathi: Racquet -- Mixed Doubles Champion, Australian Open, 2009.

Bhaichung Bhutia: Jersey -- Signed by Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Baichung Bhutia and others worn at the International Charity Match for Haiti earthquake, 2010.

Abhinav Bindra: Rifle -- World Champion, 2006; World record, Olympic Record.

Rahul Dravid: Bat -- Century in each Test innings, v Pakistan: Kolkata, 2005.

Anil Kumble: Test Jersey -- 10 wickets in an innings, v Pakistan: New Delhi, 1999; Test cap -- 2004 to 2006.

Sania Mirza: Racquet -- Wimbledon, 2010.

Saina Nehwal: Racquet -- Singapore Open Super Series, Indonesian Open Super Series, Indian Open Grand Prix, all 2010; Gold Medal -- Indian Open, 2010.

Sachin Tendulkar: Bat -- 163 v New Zealand: Christchurch, 2009 -- Fourth highest one day score.

Virender Sehwag: Batting gloves -- 125 v New Zealand, 2009-Fastest one day hundred by an Indian.

Kapil Dev: Bat -- Signed by 1983 world cup winning squad.

Sunil Gavaskar: Bat -- Signed by 1983 world cup winning squad.

Leander Paes: Racquet -- Mixed Doubles Champion, Wimbledon 2010.

Viren Rasquinha: Hockey stick -- Bronze medal, Asian Games, Busan, 2002; India blazer, Asian Games, Busan, 2002.

Geet Sethi: World Professional Billiards trophy, 1992; Cue-World Billiards Championship, 2007, World Snooker Championship, 2008.

Prakash Padukone: Silver Medal -- Japan Open, 1981.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: Debut India blazer v England, 1961; Retiring India blazer v West Indies, 1975

Ajitpal Singh: Hockey stick -- (Exchanged with) Pakistan captain, Islahuddin, World Cup Final, 1975.

Vijay Amritraj: Tennis racquet, Tennis balls.

Roger Federer (courtesy Globosport): Tennis shoes -- Winner, Cincinnati Open 2010.

Diego Forlan: (Courtesy Mahuaa TV): Football, 2010.

Ricky Ponting (Courtesy Dhiraj Malhotra): Gold Medal, World Cup, 2007.

Maria Sharapova (Courtesy Akshay Kulkarni): Racquet, 2010

Shane Warne: (Courtesy Rahul Bose): Retiring Cricket Victoria shirt, 2008.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Indo-Pak border forces to tone down flag-lowering ceremony

Islamabad : Indian and Pakistani border officials on Saturday decided to tone down the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah land border post — an event marked by displays of aggression that has become a major draw for tourists on both sides of the frontier since 1959.

Addressing the media after five-day talks in Lahore on border issues, Border Security Force Director General Raman Shrivastava and Pakistan Rangers official Maj. Gen. Muhammad Yaqoob Khan announced that both sides had decided to end their "aggressive approach" to the flag-lowering ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Khan said both sides had decided to "cool down the process of lowering their flags."

Both border forces have also decided to exchange information on prisoners and to take steps for their release, he said.

Thousands of people attend the flag-lowering ceremony held every day before sunset at Wagah, located about 30 km from Lahore.

Border guards from India and Pakistan lower the flags while putting on a theatrical display marked by aggressive gestures and orchestrated boot-stomping.

The 40-minute ritual, which has been performed since 1959, has become a major draw for domestic and foreign tourists on both sides of the border.

Media reports in July had suggested that both sides would tone down displays of aggression, including the boot-stomping, but Pakistani officials had later denied the reports.

During their bi-annual talks, the BSF and Pakistan Rangers officials discussed incidents of unprovoked firing across the border, killing of people who mistakenly cross the frontier, illegal defence constructions and illegal border crossings and smuggling.

Besides the speedy release and repatriation of prisoners from jails, the two sides agreed to make joint efforts to control smuggling and intelligence-sharing to curb drug trafficking.

Responding to a question, Maj. Gen. Khan said most issues between the two countries could not be resolved unless the Kashmir issue and differences on sharing river waters are addressed.

BSF DG Shrivastava said the BSF and Pakistan Rangers officials could only discuss border issues in such meetings and all bigger issues were the domain of the governments.

Responding to a question, he ruled out the presence of five heroin factories in India and said heroin is smuggled into India from different countries.

He said he had arrived in Pakistan with a message of peace and love and the Pakistani government, people, media and border force had reciprocated these feelings.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

First tablet device from Samsung

New Delhi : Samsung Electronics on Friday launched its first tablet device Galaxy Tab powered by the latest Android operating system and priced at Rs.38,000. The device brings together all of Samsung\'s leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities while on the move.

"Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on 7-inch TFT-LCD display screen. Users can create and edit all office documents, while its high resolution screen delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents," said company Director (Mobile and IT) Ranjit Yadav. Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimised user interface. More than one lakh Android Market applications were accessible on the Galaxy Tab which offered consumers huge scope for customising their Galaxy Tab as per their needs, he added.

Stating that India is one of the first three markets where in the world where the Galaxy Tab is being launched, Samsung India Director B. D. Park said: "The device is set to change the lifestyle of our Indian consumers — the way they work, they play, the way they spend their time at home and the way they carry their world with them."

"We are also launching the Galaxy Tab in select IT channel along with the Samsung smartphone partner mobile channel. Leading Indian operators such as Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, Tata DOCOMO and RCom will be announcing exciting offers and data plans with the Galaxy Tab. The sale of this device begins on November 10," Mr. Yadav added.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Explosives in air parcels set off U.S. terror alert

Washington : Officials were searching for suspicious packages in the United States and other countries after two shipments containing explosives, sent from Yemen and addressed to synagogues in Chicago, were intercepted in Britain and Dubai.

The discovery on Thursday night of PETN packed in toner cartridges for computer printers, based on a tip from Saudi intelligence officials, set off a broad terrorism scare that included the scrambling of fighter jets to accompany a passenger flight as it landed safely in New York.

Cargo planes were moved to secure areas of airports in Philadelphia and Newark for searches, and a United Parcel Service truck in New York was stopped and inspected.

The packages seized contained PETN, or pentaerythritol trinitrate, the same chemical explosive contained in the bomb sewn into the underwear of a Nigerian who tried to blow up an airliner over Detroit on December 25, 2009. That plot, too, was hatched in Yemen.

Both packages contained computer printer cartridges filled with the explosive; one used a cell phone as a detonator and the other had a timer.

One of the packages was found aboard a United Parcel Service cargo plane at East Midlands Airport near Nottingham, England. A second package was removed from a FedEx flight in Dubai.

Neither company has flights into or out of Yemen, but they offer shipping from Yemen and contract with other companies to move freight from there to hubs in Europe and elsewhere.

In a brief statement to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, President Barack Obama, who had been briefed on developments starting at 10-35 p.m. on Thursday, said the explosives represented a "credible terrorist threat" to the U.S. "The events of the past 24 hours underscore the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism," he said. Mr. Obama praised the work of intelligence and counterterrorism officials in foiling the plot. The plot unfolded dramatically on TV, with scenes of security teams surrounding cargo planes in several countries, military fighters accompanying a passenger plane into New York and a grim-faced U.S. President and his aides, many of whom had spent a sleepless night.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Chavan offers to resign

New Delhi : After a more than one-hour meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday afternoon, an embattled Ashok Chavan emerged from 10 Janpath, and told journalists that he had offered to resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister and left a "final view" on it to her.

A few hours later, Congress media chairperson Janardan Dwivedi announced that Ms. Gandhi had set up a high-level internal committee, consisting of Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony, to inquire into the allegations against Mr. Chavan in a real estate scam in Mumbai.

With Mr. Chavan\'s dramatic announcement in Delhi coming less than 24 hours after he addressed a press conference in Mumbai — where he had stated categorically that there was no question of his stepping down — his offer of resignation was interpreted in party circles as an indication that his days as Chief Minister were numbered.

A strong view in the party is that Mr. Chavan should remain Chief Minister till U.S. President Barack Obama\'s visit is over, as the central leadership does not want to jeopardise the security arrangements made by the Maharashtra government for Mr. Obama\'s all-important visit to Mumbai on November 6 and 7. He could be dropped thereafter, according to this view.

But two other options were being touted. A senior party leader told t2tn that while Mr. Chavan being kept on to tide over the Obama visit made sense, the Opposition parties could create an embarrassing situation for the government if he remained in office. So Mr. Chavan being asked to quit in the next few days, if a successor was found, could not be ruled out. This, however, will have to be done after November 2, as the party leadership does not want the Maharashtra crisis to overshadow the all-important AICC meeting scheduled for that day. But if the party decides to brazen it out, these sources said, and allow Mr. Chavan to remain in office during the Obama visit, he might just be allowed to continue for the foreseeable future.

Shortly after he flew in from Mumbai, Mr. Chavan, accompanied by his wife, drove to the home of Ahmed Patel, Ms. Gandhi\'s political secretary. After meeting Mr. Patel, he met Ms. Gandhi at 10 Janpath — Mr. Patel too was present at the meeting. However, before the meeting, Ms. Gandhi had discussions with Union Minister of State for Environment Jairam Ramesh, Mr. Dwivedi and Mr. Antony.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Gippy Grewal\'s new song video \"Hathiyaar\' launched

With a hotel management degree under his belt, ruling the charts of Punjabi music is something highly

unlikely to foresee for anyone. However, it was exactly the dream Gippy Grewal had nurtured since

childhood.



here is the youtube link to view.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaYfsq5Qog





Song : Huthiyar

Artist: Gippy Grewal

Featuring : Roach Killa

Music: Aman Hayer

Director/Editor/DOP/Colourist: Baljit Singh Deo.

Lyrics : Satti Samra (Loha Khera)
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Katrina banegi Kishan ki Radha!

Yeah, this English gori will transform into the mythological character of Radha!



It's said that Katrina Kaif has been considered to play that role in a film that will be based on Lord Krishna. But no! Not in a full length role, instead in a special appearance.



Titled 'Main Krishna Hoon', the film will be helmed by 'My Friend Ganesha' famed director Rajiv S Ruia. The story will include the different stages of Krishna - starting from his childhood days up to adulthood.



Psst! Hrithik Roshan is heard to be featuring here in a cameo role as well.



On reasoning as to why she gave her nod for this project, Kat quipped that she is doing this film only because it is being produced by her hairstylist Promila Hunter. "When she asked me if I would make an appearance I didn\'t even ask her what my role was. Only later did I get to know that it is a film on the life of Lord Krishna," added the actress.



Although currently Katrina is busy shooting for Yash raj project, she is utilising her free time by reading and researching on Lord Krishna's life stories.



We are waiting to see who is that lucky Kishan Kanaiya…..








News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Sanjay Dutt is an ideal husband

Mumbai: Sanjay Dutt is an ideal husband. He knows all tactics of keeping his wife Manyata happy. The reason behind his happiness at present is the arrival of his two twins.





His newly born twins are still in hospital and once they arrive Sanjay has decided to help Manyata in raising the babies.



For this he is ready to sacrifice his one hour of gaming every morning. Manyata stated "He has even agreed to learn to change nappies. I am going to need help especially because there are two of them."



She said further, "And Sanju has promised he will do whatever is necessary to make my life simpler."




News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Brand-Perry case hearing on Nov 2



JAIPUR: The petition filed by the Ranthambore Park Bachao Samiti alleging violation of wildlife, environment and civic laws by the forest and district administration officials during the celebrity wedding of Russell Brand and Katy Perry was heard by the chief judicial magistrate\'s court at Sawai Madhopur on Saturday.



The court, however, reserved its decision on the petitionin which the star couple and their friends too have been named as co-accused till November 2.



The samiti\'s president and local lawyer, Akshay Sharma filed the petition charging the couple of breaking rules against loud music after 10 pm, smoking, consuming liquor and carrying firearms in the forest area, disturbing endangered animals, changing movement routes assigned by the forest authorities and getting into a scuffle with the paparazzi inside the park and thereby risking human lives in the tigers reserve.



The forest officials, on the other hand, were accused of driving the tigers from their territories to the areas close to where the celebrities were staying so that the latter could spot the big cats easily. The petitioner alleged that this act of the forest officials was one of the main reasons behind the territorial fights among the reserve\'s tigers.



A territorial fight between tigers T-36 and T-42 had led to the death of the former just days before the couple\'s marriage. Brand and Perry were married at a resort near the Ranthambore national park on October 23.




News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Thumbs down to the Mr and Mrs Vivek Oberois\' wedding attire

One would have thought Vivek Oberoi\'s luck would change with his marriage to business management graduate Priyanka Alva. But the flop actor, sporting a clean shaven look, wasn\'t spared the critics\' digs even on his big day.



This time around, it wasn\'t his former rivals in love or film pundits or producers he disappointed, but the very unforgiving fashion police. Looking every bit the bridegroom at his wedding to Priyanka at her Bangalore residence on Friday night, the couple happily posed for the shutterbugs. While the wedding was a grand affair - with ceremonies both in Kannada and Punjabi style to be followed by a reception in Mumbai - it was the bride\'s and groom\'s wedding outfit that turned out to be an eyesore.



Designed by the czar of bridal wear Tarun Tahiliani, the overly coordinated outfits were quite a disaster. While Vivek wore a deep maroon, heavy brocade jacket with tacky embroidery top to toe, with velvet turban and jootis, his wife did not look any different. Her heavily embellished lehenga with 14 different colours on the panels and her antique jewellery were a bling overload.



The lehenga was designed keeping in mind that she was getting married to a Punjabi, Tahiliani said. But it seems when North weds South, the clothes are the biggest casualty. While the wedding was attended by a number of local politicians, the Bollywood fraternity, with the exception of Sushmita Sen and Sangeeta Bijlani, gave it a miss.



Reports suggest that fans, after having waited for more than three hours at the venue, were disappointed because almost no star turned up for the wedding. Among those guests who turned up were politician-cumactor Ambareesh and actors Sudeep and Ramya. Interestingly, Vivek had invited Abhishek Bachchan, hubby of his ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, to his Mumbai reception.



Also on the guest list was Sanjay Dutt, who is unhappy with Vivek after he reportedly made uncharitable remarks about his wife Manyata. It remains to be seen if they turn up.


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

RBI lends Rs 11k cr sought by banks under LAF

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which today opened a special window for banks to meet any shortage of funds, lent the entire Rs 11,025 crore sought by the banks at the special repo auction under its liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) window.



Banks borrowed funds at six per cent from RBI in 17 bids for two days. The central bank yesterday said it would conduct two sessions of second LAF, on Friday (October 29) and Monday (November 1).



In addition, the central bank had stepped in to ease the demand for liquidity and said banks might avail of additional liquidity under LAF to the extent of one percentage point of net time and demand liabilities. Banks would not be penalised if their statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) dropped to 24 per cent, it said yesterday.



Banks yesterday borrowed a record Rs 1,17,660 crore from RBI's repo window — the highest in two years. After the central bank announced the second LAF option, banks borrowed Rs 350 crore under the facility yesterday. Banks faced shortage of funds after the Rs 15,500-crore Coal India initial share sale was subscribed more than 15 times. Some mutual funds are also facing shortage of funds, say bankers.



RBI has been injecting funds into the system and banks have been borrowing from the repo window since September 9.


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Higher royalties, input costs tell on Maruti Suzuki\'s Q2 profit

New Delhi, Oct. 30



Increased royalty payments, rising input costs and exchange rate fluctuations have resulted in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) posting a modest 5 per cent growth in profit for the quarter ending September 30.



However, driven by booming demand, net sales rose 27 per cent, even as the car market leader recorded the highest-ever unit sales for a quarter at 3.13 lakh.



Q2 margin pressures



The company, majority owned by Japan\'s Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), anticipates margin pressures in the second half, which it would look to reduce by controlling production costs and increasing the localisation content of its products.











Mr Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, MSIL, said, "Driven by good consumer demand, we have had the strongest ever sales for a quarter, breaking the record set by the first quarter of the fiscal. There were some challenges, but we expect the demand momentum to continue with the base effect in mind."



On the four per cent drop in exports in the quarter to 35,718 units, he said, "European demand has dipped, but we have been able to increase the share of non-European markets to 60 per cent of exports from 20 per cent last year. We will try to meet last year\'s overall volumes, but will have to watch out for appreciation of the Japanese Yen, to which we have both direct and indirect exposure."



Royalty



Mr Ajay Seth, CFO, MSIL, said the royalty paid to SMC in the second quarter has gone up 83 per cent to Rs 471.6 crore (at 5.3 per cent of net sales). In the corresponding period last year, it paid Rs 257.9 crore at 3.7 per cent of net sales. For the first half of 2010-11, it paid Rs 949.6 crore, up from Rs 483.9 crore last year.



"The royalties went up due to a recent revision in the rates and because of a change in our product mix, where we are using more new Suzuki technology like the K-series engines. We have more or less hedged ourselves against the Yen appreciation versus the rupee, but the euro has depreciated by 100 basis points since the same quarter last year. There was also 0.5 per cent impact of raw material cost increases — steel prices rose 10 per cent over the first quarter," he said.



Stiff competition



Even as most costs have gone up with the sales, the stiff competition in the car market has prevented Maruti Suzuki from increasing prices, leading to a hard impact on the bottom line.



The company, which has now got the board approval for a third production line at Manesar at an investment of Rs 1,925 crore, hopes to increase production by 10 per cent this year. This is apart from the Rs 1,700 crore it is investing to expand the Manesar facility. At present, it has capacity to make 12 lakh units a year, but given high demand for its vehicles, it hopes to make more than 13 lakh units this year through efficient manufacturing practices. But by 2012-13, it targets a 17.5 lakh unit capacity across its facilities at Gurgaon and Manesar.




News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

RIL profit jumps 27.8 pc on higher margins, revenue





Meeting market estimates, Reliance Industries (RIL) posted a 27.8 per cent rise in net profit during the quarter ended September 2010 on rising revenues from refining and oil and gas production. Net profit for the July-September quarter was Rs 4,923 crore, up from Rs 3,852 crore in the year-ago period.







Turnover of the most valued Indian company rose 22.8 per cent Rs 59,962 crore, up from Rs 48,843 crore a year ago. Net operating margin was lower at 15.5 per cent as compared to 16.7 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year due to base effect and softer margin environment in petrochemicals partially offset by incremental share of the higher margin oil and gas business and improved refinery margins. "Other income was marginally higher at Rs 1,394 crore as against Rs 1,337 crore as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year primarily due to higher average cash balances," it said.



RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani said, "Improved refining margins and high operating rates at all our manufacturing facilities led to a record quarter. We are focused on identifying opportunities that leverage India's unique demographic and market potential."







RIL's gross refining margin (GRM) for quarter was at US$7.9 per barrel as against US$ 6.0/bbl in the corresponding period of the previous year.







"RIL GRM premium over Singapore complex margin widened primarily due to efficient global sourcing of crude and higher light-heavy differential. EBIT for the refining business was at Rs 4,227 crore ($941 million), an increase of 59.8 per cent and the EBIT margin increased marginally to 4.2 per cent as compared to 4.1 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year, due to higher refining margins partly offset by higher depreciation on account of SEZ refinery," RIL said.


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

American Alexandria Mills wins Miss World 2010 in China



A soft-spoken teen from Louisville, Kentucky beat out 114 young women around the globe for the title of Miss World on Saturday evening.



Alexandria Mills, 18, was the surprise winner in the 60th annual contest, which took place in southern China. Emma Wareus of Botswana came in second place and Adriana Vasini of Venezuela placed third.



The tall, American blonde recently graduated from high school and would like to become a teacher someday, according to her biography on the Miss World website.



It also says she's a vegetarian and she enjoys traveling, photography and playing the French horn. Her personal motto is \"The best things in life are worth waiting for, fighting for, believing in, and just never letting go of it.\"



A tearful Mills was crowned wearing a sparkling ivory-colored dress with a slit up the leg.



She takes the title from Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, who won last year in South Africa.






News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Clinton proposes China, Japan join 3-way talks with U.S. to ease tensions

CHINA - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told China on Saturday that she expects Beijing to press North Korea not to take \"provocative steps\" against South Korea. She also appealed to Chinese and Japanese officials Saturday to end their month-long spat.



Chinese officials told Clinton, for their part, that China was committed to maintaining its exports of rare-earth minerals - crucial to the manufacture of many high-technology products - despite reports that it had halted its sales to gain diplomatic leverage over Japan and the United States.



Clinton\'s demands for help dealing with North Korea underscored U.S. concern about reports indicating increased activity at nuclear sites in the reclusive state and worries about possible North Korean mischief in the run-up to the meeting of the Group of 20 major economies scheduled to begin Nov. 11 in Seoul. The United States is also alarmed by the persistence of a dispute between China and Japan over islands in the western Pacific. In an attempt to get the two sides talking again, Clinton proposed a three-way meeting among officials from Washington, Tokyo and Beijing, although the Chinese appeared cool to the idea.



Clinton met with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi while attending a summit of 18 Asian nations in Hanoi before she flew to the southern Chinese resort city of Sanya to see State Councilor Dai Bingguo, China\'s top foreign policy official. Her meetings indicated that the United States and China are still patching up relations after a string of clashes over China\'s unwillingness to significantly revalue its currency, its claims to swaths of open ocean, its increasingly close ties to North Korea and U.S. concerns that China\'s oil firms will boost their investments in Iran as Western and Japanese firms pull out in response to expanded U.N. and national sanctions on Tehran. President Obama is scheduled to host China\'s President Hu Jintao at a summit in Washington early next year.



Clinton pressed both Yang and Dai on the North Korean issue, officials said. A satellite image taken in late September by DigitalGlobe, a U.S.-based commercial satellite firm, showed new construction or excavation activity in an area surrounding a destroyed cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear site, where North Korea produced plutonium for its first bomb tests. Experts said the construction appeared to be the first sign of significant activity at Yongbyon since 2008, when the cooling tower was demolished as part of an agreement made during now-stalled negotiations over the North\'s nuclear program.



\"There have been public reports of various activities underway,\" said a senior U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity as part of briefing rules with reporters. He noted that North Korea has also just held an \"unusual\" congress of its ruling Korean Workers\' Party, during which Kim Jong Eun, a son of ruler Kim Jong Il and a virtual unknown, was elevated to senior party and military positions.



In addition, North Korea has a history of attempting to mark important South Korean events with violent attacks.



\"We\'re right on the verge of one of the most important diplomatic functions to have occurred on the Korean Peninsula,\" the official said. \"We have made it very clear to China that we expect it to weigh in on the need [for North Korea] to in no way take provocative steps.\"



Analysts expected tensions between China and Japan to ease, but it flared again in recent days. China\'s premier refused to meet with the Japanese prime minister in Hanoi, after Japan reiterated its claims to the islands known as the Senkakus in Japanese and the Diaoyu islands in Chinese.



\"We\'ve recommended to both [Japan and China] that the United States is more than willing to host a trilateral where we would bring China and Japan and their foreign ministers together to discuss a range of issues,\" Clinton said at a news conference after the Hanoi summit ended.



China\'s Foreign Ministry did not mention the U.S. proposal. In a statement, it quoted Yang, the foreign minister, as warning Clinton to \"be cautious in both wording and actions\" over the islands.



Relations between Japan and China began to deteriorate last month when Japan\'s coast guard detained a Chinese fishing boat captain after he plowed his trawler into two coast guard vessels near the Senkakus. The islands, controlled by Japan, have long been claimed by China. In response, China canceled meetings with Japanese officials and stopped exporting rare-earth minerals, crucial to Japan\'s economy. Japan then released the captain.



The escalation of the spat to include an export blockade worried Washington, especially because China has a near monopoly on rare-earth exports. Rare-earth minerals are 17 elements vital to the manufacture of high-tech products ranging from cellphones to the U.S. military\'s precision-guided munitions.



On Saturday, Clinton addressed that issue as well with Yang and Dai.



\"Foreign Minister Yang has clarified that China has no intention of withholding these minerals from the market,\" Clinton said. Still, she added, the affair had convinced her that the United States and other interested countries need to work to secure an independent supply of the minerals. China produces 97 percent of the world\'s supply of rare earths.



To some extent, the United States has profited from the recent tension between China and many Asian countries. Over the past six months, it has improved its ties with countries throughout Southeast Asia, as well as with South Korea and Japan, in part because of China\'s missteps.



But Clinton\'s push for better ties between Tokyo and Beijing indicates clearly that Washington wants the tension to subside.



\"The stakes are so high . . . we think [it\'s] right to initiate some sort of dialogue,\" the senior official said. \"Contrary to some reports that we are stoking the issue, that\'s not the case. We want very much to see a better relationship.\"






News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Cargo plane bombs were wired to explode, officials say

Reporting from Washington —



The two bombs concealed in U.S.-bound packages found on cargo planes in Britain and the United Arab Emirates were wired to explode, at least one via a cellphone detonator, and were powerful enough to bring down an aircraft, U.S. and British officials said Saturday.



A Yemeni official in Washington said a woman was arrested in Yemen in connection with sending the packages and that a relative, whom the official identified as either her mother or sister, was being interrogated.



\"The woman was arrested based on a tip from foreign intelligence,\" said the official, who asked not to be identified. \"Her name and phone number were provided.\"



Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said in a short news conference Saturday that Yemeni forces acted on a tip from U.S. officials, who had passed along a telephone trace.



The two bomb packages, addressed to Jewish organizations in Chicago, were intercepted Friday in airports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and East Midlands, England, after a detailed tip from Saudi intelligence that included package tracking numbers, U.S. officials say. The Dubai package was sent via FedEx, and the package to England went via UPS. Initial reports had said that both were UPS parcels and that both had been found late Thursday.



A search of 15 other suspicious packages from Yemen turned up no bombs, a U.S. law enforcement source said.



U.S. officials are still trying to piece together the intent of the plot, which they suspect was carried out by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist network\'s affiliate in Yemen.



It\'s unclear how the Saudis were clued in, but this month a leader of the Al Qaeda branch in Yemen, Jabir Jubran Fayfi, turned himself in to the Saudi government. Picked up by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001, he had been held at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before being turned over to Saudi Arabia. He went through a rehabilitation program for militants and was released, only to rejoin Al Qaeda in 2006.



But Fayfi contacted Saudi authorities from Yemen to express his regret and readiness to surrender, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement Oct 15.



On Saturday, authorities were investigating whether the plot sought to blow up the cargo planes in midair or upon landing — or whether the bombs were intended for the Chicago addresses on the packages.



British Home Secretary Theresa May said Saturday in London that the target of the bomb found in her country may have been an aircraft, though \"we do not believe that the perpetrators of the attack would have known the location of the device when it was planned to explode.\"



As President Obama campaigned this weekend, he kept tabs on the investigation. He discussed the plot in phone calls Saturday with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Saudi King Abdullah.



Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), after briefings from Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, said in an interview that the bombs were fashioned out of the chemical explosive PETN, the substance used in the attempt to bring down a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas Day.



\"But this was 10 times bigger,\" said a federal law enforcement official, who said the packages contained \"about a pound each\" of PETN.



\"The fact that PETN was used in this plot is worrisome,\" said a U.S. intelligence official not authorized to speak for attribution. \"PETN is hard to detect and lends itself to being concealed. It is not hard to make, but it takes some sophistication to conceal the explosives in the right way. It packs a punch. You don\'t need that much of it to blow a hole in an aircraft.\"



U.S. officials have said that the Christmas Day bomb was built by Ibrahim Hassan Asiri, who also reportedly built a PETN device in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the top Saudi counter-terrorism official last year.



One of the bombs found Friday was wired for remote detonation via cellphone, Harman said, and the other was linked to a timer but lacked a triggering device. The remote detonation setup \"leads me to speculate that … people had [detonators] on the ground somewhere in Chicago,\" she said.



At least one of the addresses in Chicago was for a church that had been used at one time by a Jewish congregation, but not for seven years. The bomb discovered in Dubai was wired to a SIM card, a portable memory chip typically used in mobile phones, said Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who serves on the intelligence and homeland security committees.



\"The bombs were made to look like ink cartridges — like for a big Xerox machine,\" he said.




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No damage to India from Arundhati Roy\'s remarks

How should the government respond to the remarks made by Arundhati Roy about Kashmir and about the behaviour of our armed forces in that state? So far, public opinion has been largely guided by two factors. The first of these is the public view of Roy. Many — if not most — educated Indians have no time for Roy. In a recent TV discussion, the actor Anupam Kher characterised her as a \'one-book wonder\', as a woman who has shot her literary bolt and now keeps herself in the news by making increasingly outrageous anti-Indian statements for the benefit of the foreign media. Her caricature of India as some sort of neo-Nazi state where minorities are routinely persecuted and the poor cheerfully exploited offers foreign journos a useful counterpoint to the \'Indian success story\' headlines and gives them a lazy way of adding dissenting notes to the usual India pieces.



Kher may have been overstating his case for the benefit of the TV cameras but his position is, broadly speaking, the view of the educated Indian middle class. Even within the liberal Left, it is getting harder to find support for Roy\'s views. Some years ago, the historian Ram Guha wrote that the problem with Roy was that she damaged the many good causes she often associated with because of her style and over-statement. At that time, Guha\'s view was controversial. Now, it is pretty much the conventional wisdom.



So, many of the public responses to Roy\'s statements have been guided less by the statements themselves and more by the public perception of Roy.



The second factor is the nature of Roy\'s speeches. Eminent lawyers argue that a case for sedition could easily be made out on the basis of her demands for Kashmiri independence. Certainly, there is much in her comments to offend most Indians: the suggestion that India is an occupying power that imposes its rule on Kashmir through torture, brutality and rape is deliberately provocative.



These two factors have been enough to cause many people — including political parties — to demand her arrest. She should be tried for sedition or treason, they say. Freedom of speech is all very well up to a point. But we all accept that there must be restraints on free speech and treason is one area where free speech can be legitimately curtailed.



Roy\'s defenders fall back on an argument suggested by Roy herself (\"pity the state that jails its writers...\"). Artists must not have their freedom curbed. The Indian State has already erred by persecuting MF Husain. The Shiv Sena is running a pointless campaign against Rohinton Mistry. So, why add a Booker Prize winner to the list?



The problem with this defence is that it casts Roy in the role of Alexander Solzhenitsyn smuggling his manuscript past Soviet censors or Nadine Gordimer battling the apartheid regime to get her fiction out.



In fact, the truth is that when she made those statements, Roy was functioning not as an artist but as a political activist. Those political activists who have written novels cannot claim greater freedom than other political activists with no best-selling fiction to their names. Political statements made in a political context must be judged on a political basis. Artistic freedom does not enter into it.



So, to return to the big question, what should the government do?



It is instructive to examine the experience of other liberal societies faced with apparently seditious statements made by photogenic celebrities. During the Vietnam War, the actress Jane Fonda visited North Vietnam, a country with which the US was at war. During her widely-publicised visit, she expressed her support for the struggle of the Vietnamese people, condemned the role of the US and even went on Vietnamese radio to ask US pilots to stop bombing Vietnam.



Or take the case of the British actress, Vanessa Redgrave, who took time off from her generalised condemnations of corporate-dominated, poor-exploiting, British society to campaign against British forces when they were battling the terrorist IRA.



In both cases, there was widespread public outrage accompanied by demands for their arrest and cries of \'treason\' and \'sedition\'.



And yet, how do you suppose the US and UK responded? Britain was run by a Conservative government and the majority of Conservative party members clearly wanted Redgrave locked up. America was run by Richard Nixon, the champion of the so-called Silent Majority.



But in both cases, the governments were content to let the actresses be. The British view was that Redgrave represented a fringe element and that by locking her up, the government would only give more publicity to those it was fighting. In America, the attorney-general said, \"Most of us in the Administration shared the view that the damage was slight and the interest in favour of free speech was very high.\"



One of the FBI agents asked to examine Fonda\'s case wrote on her file, \"There are more dangerous characters around needing our attention...The basis for investigation appears to be — pick someone you dislike and start investigating.\"



My feeling is that we would do well to follow the example of England and America. It does not matter how we feel about Roy herself. The principle of freedom of expression is far more important than any individual. It is true that free speech can be curtailed on grounds of sedition. But we should restrict such curtailment of freedom of expression to those times when there is a real threat to the unity and integrity of India.



In this case, I would argue, Roy\'s statements pose no threat to us at all. Some years ago, she wrote a very long article for The Guardian and Outlook, demanding azaadi for Kashmir. The consequences of that article were hardly damaging or dangerous. India did not collapse. Kashmir did not secede. And the piece itself was quickly forgotten.



There is no reason to believe that these statements will have consequences that are any more serious. In fact, they would have faded from the news in hours had the TV channels not continued fuelling public outrage.



Ultimately, we must be guided by the principle followed by the US in the Jane Fonda case. Is the damage to India so great that it justifies curtailing free speech?



Obviously, it isn\'t. No violence followed her statements and nor did she incite it. Moreover, there will still be an India with Kashmir as an integral part of it long after Roy herself is forgotten.



So, let\'s just cool down. We have a perfect right to dislike Roy. We are entirely justified in being angered by her statements. But the moment we compromise on the principles that make us a liberal society —especially when her remarks pose no real threat to us at all — we start playing her game.



We become the repressive, authoritarian society she suggests we already are.




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Need to reaffirm dialogue with Pakistan, China: Prime Minister

ON BOARD THE PRIME MINISTER\'S SPECIAL FLIGHT: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday reaffirmed the need for dialogue with both Pakistan and China to resolve outstanding issues, and said his meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao saw both sides concurring on the need to remove misunderstandings between each other.



One reflection of China\'s desire to narrow the areas of differences was Mr. Wen accepting Dr. Singh\'s invitation to visit India in the near future, during which they would attempt a practical, pragmatic and satisfactory solution to the border problem. Till the border issue was solved, the Hanoi interaction saw both Prime Ministers agreeing on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity on the Line of Actual Control.



The possible meeting between the two Prime Ministers in Delhi before the end of the year would be preceded by the arrival of senior Chinese leader Zhou Yong Kan on Sunday for a free and broad exchange of views. A few weeks later, special representatives of both countries would meet in Beijing to address the border issue.



Asked if it seemed that China was tempering its earlier aggression, Dr. Singh declined to be drawn into commenting on any such formulation.



He said he was unable to predict when the next round of Foreign Minister-level talks with Pakistan would be held, but pointed out the necessity of engaging with the country\'s neighbour.



"One can change friends but not neighbours. That doesn\'t mean we surrender or give up our vital interests. Therefore, we are obliged to engage with Pakistan," he said.



Following his 45-minute meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Prime Minister said India-U.S. relations have entered a new phase, with understanding and desire between the two sides to bring about a qualitative change in their relationship.



In particular, the strategic and economic interests of both countries are similar. Therefore, during U.S. President Barack Obama\'s visit to India next week, both sides will attempt to explore common ground in some areas for them to work together.



Later, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon said the U.S. was positive on easing its restrictions on high-tech trade with India. However, there was no likelihood of signing three long-pending military pacts during Mr. Obama\'s visit.



Dr. Singh avoided commenting on topical controversies such as the Supreme Court\'s observation on Union Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja continuing in office despite a CBI case against him, the flats allotment controversy involving top Maharashtra politicians and senior Army officials, and the National Advisory Council\'s (NAC) final draft on ensuring food security to the underprivileged.



"I have not seen the Supreme Court\'s observations. I will look into them," he said on the Raja issue. Asked if Mr. Raja claimed that he submitted his explanation on the 2G spectrum controversy to the Prime Minister\'s Office, which had given him a clean chit, Dr. Singh said he did not want to comment on a sub judice case.



On the alleged usurping of flats meant for wives of Kargil War martyrs, Dr. Singh maintained that he was not familiar with the facts of the case.



Commonwealth Games



On whether he should have intervened earlier to get preparations for the Commonwealth Games on track, Dr. Singh pointed out that it would not be good for the health of the system if the Prime Minister or his office micro-managed all aspects.



"There were other Ministries and institutions who should have taken complete responsibility for the preparations," he said.



On the National Advisory Council\'s recommendations, the Prime Minister said he would try to acquaint himself with the issue after reaching Delhi before evaluating them.




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Bihar boat tragedy: 18 dead, 100 missing

Kakdwip, West Bengal: At least 18 people have drowned and over a 100 are still missing after a crowded trawler capsized in the Muriganga river near Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal yesterday.



The authorities fear the toll could rise.



The trawler was sailing from the Hijli Sharif shrine in East Midnapore district to Kakdwip when it capsized.



There were many women and children on board.



The Navy has been called in to assist rescuce operations, and fifty people have been rescued so far.




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Ludhiana Sports Welfare Association to organise 7th All India Guru Gobind Singh Hockey Champion Trophy from February 5-12, 2011.

Ludhiana, October 25: 7th All India Guru Gobind Singh Hockey Champion Trophy would be held at Padam Shri Pirthipal Singh Hockey Stadium at Punjab Agricultural University, here from February 5-12, 2011. This was announced during a press conference held here today.

This tournament would be organised under the able guidance of Olympian and Arjuna Awardee S. Surinder Singh Sodhi.

While addressing mediapersons, Pirthepal Singh Batala, President of Ludhiana Sports Welfare Association, informed that a total of 12 teams in men category and six in women category, from across the country would participate in this tournament.

Dr Kulwant Singh, General Secretary, Ludhiana Sports Welfare Association, informed that the winners in men category would be given Rs 2 lakh as prize, while the team which comes second would be given Rs 1 lakh.

"For the first time in Indian sports history, we would also be giving prizes to teams standing third and fourth. The team which comes third would be given Rs 50,000 and team coming fourth would be given Rs 25,000 as prize," Dr Kulwant Singh informed.

Olympian Hardeep Singh Grewal, chairman of organising committee informed that in women category, team coming first would be given a cash prize of Rs 75,000 and team coming second would be given Rs 40,000 as prize money.

During 7th All India Guru Gobind Singh Hockey Champion Trophy, all hockey Olympians from Ludhiana district would be honoured by Ludhiana Sports Welfare Association.

Prominent among those present during the press conference were, Amrik Singh Minhas, Chairman, Ludhiana Sports Welfare Association, Ajaypal Singh Poonia, Inder Mohan Kadian, Pavittar Singh Grewal, Jagbir Singh Grewal, Bhupinder Singh Haibowal, Olympian Balvir Singh, Olympian Gurdishpal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Bhupinder Dimple, Rajnish Dhawan, Happy, Sukhinder Singh Railways, Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, Harjeet Singh Cheema, Ranjit Singh Kaka, Baljit Ghuman, besides many others.


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Tewari seeks CBI investigation into IAY scandal

LUDHIANA, October 26: Ludhiana MP and the national spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee Manish Tewari has demanded a CBI inquiry into the financial bungling in the Indira Awas Yojana in Ludhiana. Besides, he has also sought central audit for all the centrally sponsored schemes in the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency.

Tewari, who met the Union Minister for Rural Development CP Joshi yesterday in New Delhi and submitted a letter to him, said, it was highly condemnable that Rs 1.33 crore meant for providing housing to the dalits and the downtrodden was siphoned off under an organized scandal. He regretted that the state government was not doing anything about it which only indicated its complicity in the scandal.

Demanding a special central audit for all the centrally sponsored schemes in Ludhiana, Tewari said, the financial aspect must be looked into as how much money has been received and how much has been spent and whether it has been spent properly.

Tewari reminded Joshi about his concern about the financial bungling in the IAY, during the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting which he attended personally. He said, the funds meant for constructing houses for Dalits were misappropriated by the officials and the state government failed to take any concrete action.

He pointed out, the state government had sought twenty days' time during the meeting held on September 28 to complete the investigation, but nothing had come up till now. Hence, he added, it was important that the facts be established and the culprits be brought to book and not rewarded.

The MP urged the minister for urgent action to stop the wanton loot of public money by some unscrupulous officials under the patronage of the state government.




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Sarv Dharam Conference at Ramgharia Girls College Ldh

LUDHIANA, 30th October : The Department of History of Ramgarhia Girls College, Miller Ganj, Ludhiana in collaboration with 'Swami Vivekananda Study Circle' Conducted a 'Sarv Dharam Conference' on 30 Oct, 2010 to celebrate the 117th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's world famous address in The World Parliament of Religions at Chicago, U.S.A. Sh. Manish Tewari member Parliament was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The function began with the recital of college shabad. The function commenced with the ceremonial lamp lighting performed by S. Ranjodh Singh, President, Ramgarhia Educational Council; Principal Dr. Narinder Sandhu and the worthy guests. Mr. Vishal, S. Ranjodh Singh President of Ramgarhia Educational Council welcomed the distinguished guests. Prof. Vinay Sofat acquainted the students with the institute 'Swami Vivekananda Study Circle'.

Eminent Scholars from different religions Father Rogers from Christianity, Brahmkumari Prof. Seema from Hinduism, Naib Maulavi Muhammad Usman Rehman from Islam, S. Shishpal Singh from Sikhism presented their views on the similarity between various religions and said that the biggest religion of all is- HUMANITY. They shared their views on 'APNE DHARAM MEIN DUSRE LOGON KE PRATI AADAR AUR SAMMAN KI BHAVNA'. Addressing the students they threw a flood of light on the importance of all religions. Sh. C.S. Talwar; I.A.S., Spl. Secretary Finance Punjab Government shared his views that no religion teach us to criticize other religion so we should respect all religions. Sharing his views Sh. Manish Tewari said that the ultimate aim of all religions is the attainment of God. So we should not fight on the paths to reach our God. Addressing the students S. Ranjodh Singh President Ramgarhia Educational Council said that we can find God if there would be peace on the earth. So there should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion. The function came to an end with the vote of thanks by Principal Dr. Narinder Sandhu, PPCC Gen Secy Pawan Dewan, Ramesh Joshi, Satish Sharma Showman & others.


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Pig farmers meet at GADVASU

The monthly meeting of Progressive Pig Farmers Association (PPFA) was held in the department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University on 28.10.2010. Pig farmers from different parts of Punjab participated in this meeting. The problems of pig farmers were discussed in detail. On the demand of Pig farmers, a special lecture topic "Balance and Economical feeding of Pig was delivered by Dr. Parminder Singh, Associate Professor, of the Department. He informed the farmers about various feed ingredients, composition of ration according to age of pig and about importance of balance feeding and stressed that farmers should made feed at home so that quality of various feed ingredients can be ensured. Dr. Harkirat Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology apprised the farmers about "Control of internal parasites in pig". He discussed in detail about the ill effects of worm infestation in pig and about the measures for controlling worms. Dr. H K Verma, Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education , informed that the monthly meeting for pig farmers is organized at GADVASU by PPFA on every 4th Thursday of month. PPFA has around 250 members. The project on pig farming prepared by GADVASU scientists and approved by Punjab Govt was also discussed. He also informed that thinking of farmers are changing about pig farming and now many new pig farms are coming up with large numbers of pigs. Pig farming is gaining popularity in the state and pig farmers should follow the scientific guidelines of Veterinary University for achieving maximum profit. Dr. Rajesh Kasrija, District Extension Specialist of Vety. & Animal Husbandry Extension Education, made suitable arrangement for smooth conduct of this meeting.






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GADVASU trained Vets for Modern Method of Extension Delivery System

The Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Extension Education, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana organized training programme for the Veterinarians of the Punjab State on "Extension

Delivery System" from 25-29 Oct., 2010 and 10 Vets were trained in this programme. This training was sponsored by the Punjab State Veterinary Council, Chandigarh as intimated by Dr. Simrat Sagar Singh, Dean, College of Vety Science, Ludhiana and are in context with the present scenario as well as on the strategies to uplift livestock sector of the state. Dr. H.K. Verma , Course Director told that in this training course the Veterinary doctors were apprised about farm field school, various extension tools, extension programme planning, cyber extension, farmer participatory approach in extension, institute village linkage programme and video conference was practically demonstrated to the Vet trainees. A special lecture on topic "Perspective of Extension Education in Livestock Farming" was delivered by Jancy Gupta, Head, Dairy Extension Division, National Dairy Institute, Karnal. Mr. Nalin Rai, DDM, NABARD, informed about the Role of Banking Sector in Livestock Extension.

It is important to mention that the financial assistance was provided by Dr. Darshan Singh, Registrar, Punjab State Veterinary Council, Chandigarh under Eleventh five year plan, centrally sponsored schem0e as professional efficiency development through strengthening of Punjab State Veterinary Council. The Veterinarians were deputed by Dr. H.S.Sandha, Director, Animal Husbandry, Punjab.


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Friday, October 29, 2010

Review: Watch Daayen Ya Baayen only for the Uttarakhand landscape

A realistic yet directionless film, Daayen Ya Baayen is watchable only in parts.

A story of a visionary poet Ramesh Malija (Dobriyal), the film revolves around events when he returns from Mumbai to his village Kanda in Uttarakhand. In a bid to bring about a change in the mentality of fellow villagers, Ramesh takes up the job of teaching English in the local school. He invites scorn and taunts for his unrealistic view of life. A nagging wife, an ailing mother addicted to bidi, a socially conscious son and an unmarried sister-in-law complete Ramesh's peculiar family.

There are many other unnecessary characters that are introduced in the course of the film. One of them is Sundar (Kaul), a good-for-nothing drunk who runs away with Ramesh's sister-in-law Deepa.

The twist in the tale comes when Ramesh's jingle in a TV contest wins him a car, making Ramesh an epitome of success overnight. What follows is a series of events (they are not even unintentionally funny), making Ramesh the object of derision yet again.

The film aims to depict the lives and materialistic ambitions (much like the recently released Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh starrer Do Dooni Chaar) of people living in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand. Writer, director and editor Bela Negi hails from the state and makes an attempt to go back to her roots through Daayen Ya Baayen. But the FTII graduate seems to have shot so much footage that she does not know how and when to use it in the film. The film appears to have been loosely scripted and shot at leisure, giving the impression of a lack of interest in keeping the varied elements tightly knit. Almost all the characters, including lead Dobriyal, overact terribly, making the film look like a bad theatre production.

Cinematographer Amlan Dutta steals the show as he captures the snow-capped mountains, dusty, kuchha roads and hilly terrain of Uttarakhand with panache. The landscape often overpowers the characters who fail to have an impact on you. The music is foot tapping but doesn't impress you much. All in all, it's a mediocre debut film by Bela Negi.
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Magical Pair

Mumbai : Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Hrithik Roshan get chatting about Sanjay Leela Bhansali\'s Guzaarish, in which they play a magician who turns quadriplaegic and his nurse respectively.

It\'s their third film together and Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan make no bones about the fact that they share a deep passion for cinema and strive for perfection. That makes them a striking couple on-screen.

Hrithik describes Aishwarya as sharp, intelligent and beautiful, while Aishwarya says that having worked together in three films (Dhoom, Jodhaa Akbar and now Guzaarish) she knows their joint rhythm and working relationship. \"We are tuned mentally and can compartmentalise every aspect while acting, so that everything looks perfect," said the actress.

Hrithik, on his part, shared that working with Aishwarya has been a most wonderful experience. "It is nice to have a co-star who shares your passion and the desire to achieve that goal of perfection."

Both, however, refer to the director of the film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a genius. It is Aishwarya\'s third film with him after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas, but it is Hrithik\'s first outing with the director.

\"I may not have worked with Sanjay before but I remember watching his Khamoshi at Chandan cinema in Mumbai. I was so mesmerised that I could not move after the film was over. And I strongly feel that he has done justice to every film he has made whether it was a success or failure and Guzaarish is his best work," smiled Hrithik.

"I was the common thread between Hrithik and Sanjay," chirped Aishwarya whose friendship with Sanjay goes back to Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas.

"In fact, Sanjay and I have a strange connect and can communicate through a look or a smile on the sets. We are sensitive to things including the way a pillow is placed or if a strand of hair is out of place. We know how it can affect a scene. Everyone on the sets thought we were cuckoo," she twinkled, while Hrithik added mischievously that when he came on the sets they became a team! "Sanjay started to love me more with each take," he quipped.

Talking about their characters and the most challenging part, Aishwarya who plays Sofia, a nurse-cum-caretaker said that she has her own way of approaching her roles. "For me the time required for wearing my make-up, doing my hair and getting into the costumes is very precious. That's when I look into the minutest of details. Once that is over, it is easy to tackle the nuances of my character, be it Sofia or Nandini of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam." said Aishwarya.

For Hrithik, Ethan was one of the most challenging parts on paper but it went on to become one of the easiest, thanks to the director and his own interaction with patients afflicted with quadriplegia. "More than the physical part of being a quadriplegic, it became my responsibility to correctly portray Ethan's dignity, courage and hope. To get under the skin of his character, I spent about six hours with quadriplegic patients and came out smiling. I couldn\'t believe that a person who could not move without help could have the power to make me smile and laugh. That not only motivated me as an actor but also affected me as a person and grounded me completely. How could I go home and complain about the AC not working or such small things?" wondered the actor.

When asked if they have delivered award-winning performances in Guzaarish, Hrithik and Aishwarya said in unison that they never take on a film or character to win an award. "If a performance fetches us one it's a bonus," they proclaimed.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Advani off to a flier

Leeds : Reigning champion Pankaj Advani remained on course for the second successive World Professional Billiards title after securing contrasting wins over compatriot Sushrat Pandia and England's Martin Goodwill on Thursday.

In his opening encounter, Advani produced four century breaks (178, 155, 172 and 125) to score a thumping 1150-167 victory over Pandia in a lop-sided encounter.

Advani, during his 42 visits to the table, was seen in his elements and hardly broke a sweat in overwhelming the lesser-known opponent.

However, the second match against Goodwill saw Advani putting all his experience on the table to score a slender 47 points victory over the Englishman.

Martin was 256 behind Pankaj's total of 659 with around 30 minutes remaining when he constructed a break of 141 to reduce the deficit to just 115 points.

Pankaj then scored nine points and broke down, followed by Martin scoring two (pot white and double baulk). Martin then, with about 9 minutes remaining, being 120 behind, made a break of 86 before sinking Advani's cue ball accidentally during a drop cannon.

The Indian then came to the table with just two minutes remaining and scored 13 crucial points without missing any shot to seal the issue.

Five-time winner Geet Sethi, making his 19th appearance at the event, scored an emphatic 781-397 win over teammate Siddharth Parikh before humbling England's Bem French 1223-186 at the Northern Snooker Centre.

Sethi, aiming his sixth world professional title, constructed three century breaks (150, 182 and 108) against Parikh, while in his second match against French, he made two century breaks including 452 in the last session.
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First BASE jump by Army skydiver

New Delhi : Morning-walkers and early birds in West Delhi on Friday witnessed seasoned sky-diver Lt. Col. Satyendra Verma, captain of the Army Adventure Skydiving team, carrying out the first BASE jump in the country.

At 6.25am, Col. Verma jumped from the Pitampura television tower, from a height of 158 metres. BASE jump is one of the activities being promoted by the Army. It is a form of freefall, where an experienced skydiver jumps from a fixed object (Building, Antenna, Span or Earth Cliff) instead of a flying machine. It involves the use of a specialised parachute which is specifically manufactured to ensure faster and more reliable openings.

Director-General of Military Training, Lt. Gen. Ramesh Halgali, under whose aegis the activity was executed, said that at present, the Army is imparting training in 17 adventure activities including mountaineering, climbing, whitewater rafting, paragliding, paramotoring, skydiving and yachting.
News From: http://www.Time2timeNews.com

Supreme Court seeks Centre\'s response on additional foodgrain supply to BPL families

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday inquired of the Centre whether foodgrain quota to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the States could be fixed according to the 2010 population.

A Bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma passed this order after senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the People\'s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), pointed out that approximately seven crore BPL families had been added on the basis of the 2010 population.

Earlier, Additional Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran submitted that Attorney-General (AG) G.E. Vahanvati would be appearing in the matter. He also said that many States had not filed their response.

The Bench, in its order, said the AG would respond on the November 11 hearing as to whether an additional quota of foodgrain could be supplied to States for the remaining seven crore BPL families.

The order said that some States had filed affidavits claiming having adopted Central government parameters, according to which, the BPL population in 2010 was much larger.

It said: "According to the census of India, the country\'s population in 2010 is estimated at 117.67 crore , whereas the population in 1991 was 99.69 crore. The foodgrains distributed in 2010 is on the basis of the 1991 census."

The court wanted to know whether the Centre could supply foodgrains, on the basis of the 2010 population, to seven crore BPL families who had been left out of the PDS.

The Bench pointed out that on August 20, 2001, the Supreme Court had passed an order that foodgrains "which are over-flowing in the storage, especially of the Food Corporation of India [FCI] godowns, and which are in abundance, should not be wasted by being dumpedinto the sea or eaten by rats. Mere schemes without any implementation are of no use. What is important is that the food must reach the hungry."

The court noted that the Centre had filed an affidavit admitting that the FCI had reported 55,121 tonnes of wheat damaged or rendered unfit for human consumption in Punjab and Haryana alone. It was further submitted that 12,418 tonnes of foodgrain in FCI godowns had been damaged as on August 1. These figures do not include the amount of foodgrain damaged in other States."

The Judges said "procurement of adequate foodgrain is essential to providing food security and to protect the interest of the farmers. All through, our anxiety has been that the procured foodgrain be properly preserved. The amount of foodgrain which cannot be preserved because of lack of storing facility, can at least be allocated to the BPL population forthwith."

The court wanted the AG to take instructions on whether the 150 poorest districts in India should also be given the same amount of foodgrain as distributed to the BPL population. The Bench directed the matter to be listed for November 11.
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China slams Japan for making islands \'hot topic\'

HANOI : Diplomatic relations between China and Japan, over a group of disputed islands, have come under a strain again, soon after a bilateral meeting.

China has accused Japan of distorting the facts over disputed islands in the East China Sea a month after a Chinese fishing trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats, sparking a major diplomatic row.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told reporters on Friday that Japan was turning the contested islands into a "hot topic" on the sidelines of an Asian regional summit.

Foreign ministers from Japan and China met earlier on Friday in an attempt to mend fences over the dispute, which plunged diplomatic relations between the two nations to their lowest point in five years.

China again asserted its sovereignty over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diayu in China.
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Amit Shah gets conditional bail

AHMEDABAD : Setting aside the special CBI court\'s order, the Gujarat High Court on Friday granted conditional bail to the former Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh-Kausar Bi murder case.

Justice R.H. Shukla also rejected the CBI plea for a three-week stay on the decision and issued orders to the jail authorities to release Mr. Shah at the earliest after completing the formalities.

He was arrested by the CBI on July 25 when he had gone to the agency\'s office in response to its summons to answer questions on his alleged role in the murder. After his arrest, he resigned from the Narendra Modi Cabinet.

The BJP legislator from Sarkhej in Ahmedabad, Mr. Shah was set free on a personal bond of Rs.1 lakh and asked to report once every week for the first three weeks and then once in a month at the CBI\'s Mumbai office.

State BJP spokesman Vijay Rupani said the order had only given credence to the party\'s charge that Mr. Shah\'s arrest was a politically motivated, Congress-CBI conspiracy, and that he was innocent.
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Japan and China leaders to hold bilteral talks

Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao were due to meet Friday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, a step expected to ease tension between Asia\'s biggest economies.



Ties between China and Japan deteriorated last month with the detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain by the Japanese coast guard after their boats collided near disputed, resource-rich islands in the East China Sea.



Speculation has swirled over whether the two leaders would hold direct talks during an Asia-Pacific summit in Hanoi, with hopes for defusing tension raised after their foreign ministers agreed to \"normalize relations\" during a meeting earlier.



Kan and Wen will meet at 1135 GMT on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Hanoi, after their foreign ministers agreed to \"normalize relations\" during a meeting earlier.



Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told reporters his hour-long meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, which overran its slated half-hour slot, was held in a \"very good atmosphere, in a calm and in a forward-looking manner.\"



The dispute over the boat captain, detained near the disputed islands, is the latest in a string of rows to strain ties between the neighbors.



A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said both sides repeated their claims to the uninhabited isles, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.



Maehara also said he had expressed Japan\'s concern about China\'s policy on rare earths, and that Yang assured him China would not use the minerals as bargaining tools.



Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, vital for the manufacture of high-tech goods and over which China has a near-monopoly on global production, have alarmed Japan and other countries around the world.



U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will join the summit of 16 Asian countries Saturday, called for China to ensure the rare earth trade would continue unabated.



Clinton, in a speech on U.S. Asia-Pacific policy in Honolulu, denied that the United States was seeking to contain China as she sought to strike a balance between the U.S. desire to work with Beijing and its concerns about some Chinese policies.[nN29143213]



Japan Foreign Ministry spokesman Satoru Satoh said the rare earths curbs had \"created difficulties\" for Japan, with moves afoot to lessen its dependence on China.



NORTH KOREA, CURRENCIES



The rift between China and Japan is one of several disputes casting a shadow on efforts to boost economic cooperation in a region, increasingly seen as the world\'s engine of growth.



China also has disputes with several neighbors over boundaries in the South China Sea, an area key for international shipping and possibly rich in oil and gas.


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sets course for treaty change, new safety net

BRUSSELS, Oct 29 (Reuters) - European Union leaders set in motion on Friday plans to amend the EU\'s main treaty to create a permanent system to ward off financial crises, and said that a summit deal on new budget rules would strengthen the euro.



They also endorsed tougher sanctions on states that do not keep debt in check and said leaders would aim to agree the steps at a meeting in December. [ID:nLDE69I1FB].



Analysts said the plans, aimed at raising confidence in the euro and preventing future financial emergencies, face a long and potentially divisive battle to be enacted but appear to be a victory for Germany\'s push for greater financial stringency.



At a Brussels summit, leaders of the 27 EU states committed the bloc to creating a permanent mechanism to replace a 440-billion euro ($611 billion) emergency safety net for indebted euro zone countries when it expires in mid-2013.



Germany and France also succeeded in overcoming initially fierce hostility to their calls for changes in the EU\'s Lisbon treaty -- but only after many countries ruled out far-reaching amendments that would have forced them to hold public referendums which would have been likely to fail. [ID:nLDE69R1FF]



\"We are doing everything to ensure that there will never be a repeat of the crisis we have had,\" German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters.



\"I think it is important to create a clear culture of stability in Europe. That is the ultimate for good cohesion in the EU. Europe makes us strong but this Europe needs rules.\"



There was no immediate reaction to the summit agreements from financial markets. Any sign that the EU is backtracking would unsettle investors already worried by debt problems in countries such as Portugal, Greece and Ireland. [ID:nLDE69R0V7]



Calls by Berlin to suspend the voting rights of countries that breach the budget rules were put on the back burner. But German officials celebrated the fact that the EU had agreed on treaty change that a few months earlier had seemed impossible. [ID:nLDE69L0UX]



Senior EU sources said European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet reiterated concerns that the budget rules were not tight enough and that drawn-out negotiations on the permanent mechanism could upset markets.



The sources quoted him as saying lengthy negotiations could be a \"problem\" when the economic crisis is still very deep and markets remain tense.




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Karnataka HC upholds disqualification of rebel BJP MLAs

Bangalore, Oct 29 (ANI): The Karnataka High Court on Friday upheld the disqualification of eleven rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, who were disqualified by the state Assembly Speaker under the anti-defection law.







Buzz up!Justice V G Sabhahit, the third judge who heard the batch of petitions filed by the rebels challenging their disqualification from Assembly membership by Speaker K G Bopaiah, delivered the judgement





The MLAs are expected to appeal against the High Court verdict in the Supreme Court.



The case was posted before Justice Sabhahit after a division bench, comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice N Kumar gave a split verdict. While Khehar upheld the Speaker\'s ruling, Kumar set aside the disqualification order.



The hearing on another plea by five independent legislators against their disqualification was referred to a new bench, which will take up the case on November 2.



The BJP government had won the vote of confidence with 106 members supporting it and the opposition logging 100 votes in a House with an effective strength of 208.



Those BJP MLAs, who were disqualified are: Balachandra Jarkiholi, Belur Gopala Krishna, Anand Asnotikar, Dr Sarvabowma Bagali, V Nagaraju, Raje Kage, Y Sampangi, Nanjundaswamy, S K Bellubbi, H S Shankara Lingegowda and Shivanagouda Naik.



Former Ministers Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Goolihatti Sekhar and M P Narendraswamy and independent MLAs were also disqualified. (ANI)
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Delhi CM says ready for CWG probe amid questions over whittled down list

NEW DELHI: With questions being raised over Delhi Government bringing down the number of Games related projects, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said her administration was \"ready\" for any probe into CWG spendings.



Dikshit, however, did not give a direct reply when asked whether her government will allow scrutiny of all 76 works marked earlier as CWG projects or only provide details about the whittled down list.



After a multi-agency probe into alleged bunglings into Games spendings was launched, Delhi government last week brought down the number of Games related projects from 76 to 25 and decided to provide details about them to the investigators.



\"What do you mean by allow...We are ready for it,\" Dikshit said in reply to queries.



The Chief Minister, earlier this week, had asked all departments involved in CWG spendings to offer full cooperation to any central agency conducting investigation.



The projects sought to be delinked from the Games include flyovers and widening of roads.



According to official figures, various Delhi government agencies, including the Public Works Department, had spent over Rs 16,000 crore to enhance city infrastructure ahead of the Games.



The estimate was made taking into account expenditure on all the 76 projects, officials said.



Sources said the PWD is now trying to show some of the projects as non-CWG projects. Earlier, the department had said it implemented 34 projects to improve city infrastructure for the Games.



They said CVC teams will study records of spending by departments including PWD, Urban Development, Transport, Environment, Power and Tourism.
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DR. MANN RETIRES AT DEAN, POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

LUDHIANA, OCTOBER 29:-----



Dr. (Mrs.) S.K.Mann, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, at PAU retired upon attaining superannuation, today. She was given a farewell in a specially arranged farewell function in the Committee Room of Vice-Chancellor, wherein Dr. Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU and the Deans, Directors, Officers, Additional Directors and Coordinators of Research participated. Dr. Kang remembered the contributions made by Dr. Mann during her stay in the university and presented a memento on behalf of PAU. Those present on the occasion shared their interactions and reminiscences held during her tenure and wished her well in the post retired life. Her husband, Dr. A.P.S.Mann, former, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities was also present.
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PAU YOUTH FESTIVAL MARKS THEATRE EVENTS, QUIZ AND SHABAD GAYAN CONTESTS

LUDHIANA, OCTOBER 29:-



The PAU Inter-College Youth Festival wore a festive look today with the holding of various competitions – one act play, mime and mimicry, shabad gayan (solo and group) and quiz. In the morning session, Dr K.S.Sandhu, Director Students\' Welfare, GADVASU, was the chief guest and Dr R.S. Sidhu, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities presided over.



Addressing the audience, Dr. Sandhu appreciated the efforts of the university in providing the students with an opportunity to display their talent and creativity and give their best, showcasing state\'s rich heritage.



Dr. Sidhu stated that along with academics, participation in extra-curricular activities help in all round development of the students personality.



In the shabad gayan competition, there were eight individual participants and four groups from each constituent college of the university. The Dean, College of Home Science, Dr. Neelam Grewal and GADVASU Dean, Dr. Simrat Sagar Singh were also the Chief Guest.



The quiz competition evoked great interest and excitement among the participants as well as the audience. There were four teams with the participation of three students in each. The questions pertaining to India, sports, entertainment and general awareness were asked. In the entertainment round, the participants were made to listen to the audio clipping which was followed by the speed round. Participants were well-prepared and prompt in replies. The ingenuity of the audience was also tested.



The theatre events captivated the audience highlighting poverty, political corruption and social evils. Some of the students enacted very well and literally lived their roles. Four events were presented, one by each college. In this session, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Toor, SSP Barnala was the chief guest. He lauded the participation of the youth in the one act plays highlighting social inequality and social evils. He expressed his concern over the increasing use of drugs among the youth. He said that corruption is eating up the system like termite and we must try to stay away from it. Dr. Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU said that Mr. Toor has stood vocally against the drug menace prevalent in rural Punjab adding that the book \'Sambhlo Punjab\' is a treatise conveying this message in clear terms. He appreciated the PAU students for their participation in cultural and curricular events.

Internationally renowned playwright, Mr. Devinder Daman, film artist, Dr. Surinder Sharma and Doordarshan Producer, Mr. Puneet Sehgal constituted the panel of judges.



Dr PPS Lubana, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology - cum – Director Students\' Welfare, appreciated the enthusiasm of the students whose active participation made this festival a great success. He presented mementos to the chief guests and thanked the dignitaries and participants. Earlier, the Coordinator, Youth activities, Dr. Nirmal Singh Jaura introduced the contestants, judges and chief guests to the audience.
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STABLE PRICES OF MUSTARD EXPECTED: PAU EXPERTS

LUDHIANA, OCTOBER 29:-----



Sowing of mustard in Punjab starts from mid October onwards. It is important for the farmers to know the expected harvest prices and other relevant production and marketing information in order to allocate area under this crop. The Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre (AMIC) gathered and analyzed this information to help the farmers and other stakeholders to take adequate decisions.



Mustard oil is the third most important edible oil produced in the world after Soy oil and Palm oil, said Dr. J.S.Sidhu, Incharge of AMIC adding that the production and consumption of this oil has been growing at the rate of 4.65 and 5 %, respectively over the last one decade. The world production of rapeseed-mustard stands at 62 million tonnes (mt) in 2009 with its oil production is estimated at 20-22 mt. China and Canada are the leading producers of this crop jointly accounting for more than 40% of global production, said he adding that India, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Czech Republic are the other major producers of mustard seed.



Mustard is one of the most important oilseed crops in India and needs fewer inputs as compared to other oilseed crops and contains oil content between 36-44 %. Mustard oil contributes around 35% in total vegetable oil production of the country. Almost all the mustard production is consumed within the country for cooking, making hydrogenated fats (vanaspati) and protein rich oil meal used as livestock feed, expressed Dr. Sidhu. The Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade, the apex trade body, estimated the country's mustard seed output at 6.4 mt during 2009-10 as against 6.7 mt last year. Rajasthan is the leading mustard producing state in India contributing about 45 % of total production followed by UP (15%), Madhya Pradesh and Haryana (9% each) and Gujarat and West Bengal (6-7% each). Hapur, Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Indore, Alwar, Bharatpur and Sri Ganganagar are the major trading centres for this crop.



In Punjab, the area under rapeseed and mustard crop has declined drastically from about 66 thousand hectares in 2002-03 to about 27 thousands hectares during 2009-10. Out of this the major proportion of the area is concentrated in districts of Ferozepur, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Mansa, said Dr. Sidhu. During 2009-10, with an average yield of about 12.95 quintals per hectare its total production in the state was about 35 thousands tonnes. Most of the mustard produce is marketed through the regulated markets during the months of April and May. Traders fix the price based on oil content estimated by evaluation of the weight, color, size and moisture content of seed.

Discussing the price determining factors, Dr. Sidhu said that the price of the mustard is affected by the supply and demand of its oil, international prices of edible oils and the government import policy in respect of edible oils. Price of other domestic and global oil seeds also have significant bearing on mustard seed prices, he said. Government of India had raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 2010 sown mustard by Rs 20 per quintal from Rs 1830 per quintal. The mustard prices which peaked to around Rs 2600 per quintal during marketing season of 2008 had been ruling in the range of Rs 2000 to 2400 per quintal during 2009 and 2010 due to the government duty free edible oils import policy.



Projection of record Kharif oilseeds production due to higher acreage and favorable weather conditions is likely to put downward pressure on mustard prices. At the same time zero import tariffs on edible oils will continue to encourage sufficient imports of palm and other edible oils. According to the available information the area under mustard in Punjab during current year is expected to remain same as that of last year. Based on above information in addition to the analysis of monthly prices of mustard for past twelve years and traders' opinion, the AMIC is of the view that prices are likely to remain stable. Mustard prices are expected to prevail in the range of Rs 2200 to 2400 per quintal during the marketing season 2010-11, provided there is no significant change in the government import export policy on edible oils in coming days, said Dr. Sidhu. Farmers can use this information while taking their mustard sowing and input allocation decisions.




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YOUTH FESTIVALS HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP CREATIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT: DR. KANG

LUDHIANA, OCTOBER 28:-----



The PAU Inter-College Youth Festival 2010-11 was inaugurated today in the jam packed open-air-theatre of the University by Dr. Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU. Colourful troops of students representing the four constituent colleges of PAU started from the Museum of Rural Life of Punjab, passed through the campus roads and presented their cultural items in the open-air-theatre. College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (COA&T) troop focused on the theme of women empowerment, of College of Agriculture (COA) on global warming and eco-friendliness. The participants held placards displaying slogans on environment and the use of bi-cycles for the sake of health and environment. The troop of the College of Home Science (COHS) projected Lohri of girl child and sang songs denouncing the malpractice of female foeticide while that of College of Basic Sciences and Humanities (COBSH) focused on recently held commonwealth games and the performance of players making India proud with their medal tally. One of the placards said that in 1934 India had just one medal and in 2010 it went up to 101. The troop also emphasized that farmers should use water saving technologies developed by PAU. The formal stage presentations by students were preceded by the Invocation Shabad \'Deh Shiva Var Mohe Ihe\' and lighting of the holy lamp.



The Chief Guest, Mr. C.S.Talwar, Special Secretary Finance and Director, Treasure and Accounts, Punjab in his remarks described students as \'Young Hope of India\' and PAU as \'Pride of India\'. He said that India has made tremendous progress in diverse fields and has earned a unique legacy globally. He appreciated PAU for its contribution toward food security of the country and said that all those connected with it should share the pride. Mr. Talwar advised students to develop their personalities not forgetting the important component of good character. He recited a couplet of famous poet Surjit Patar \'Is taran hai jis taran din raat vichla fasla/merian reejhan meri aukat vichla fasla/zehar da piala mere hothan te aake ruk giya/reh giya meray te Sukraat vichla fasla\'. He inspired students to dare standing alone in the event of crisis and to say no to drugs.



In his presidential remarks, Dr. Kang said that Youth Festivals provide opportunities to students to develop creativity, self confidence, team spirit and time management. He appreciated the themes of different colleges and said that PAU is planning to start the cycle club soon. He congratulated the organizers and conveners of various committees for preparing students well for excellent participation in the Youth Festival. He presented a memento to Mr. Talwar.

In the session on folk songs, Iqbal Singh (COA) enthralled the audience with the famous Mirza while Ms Harman Mehta (COA) with \'sada chidian da chamba ve\'. Ms Arshjot Kaur (COHS) sang the famous folk song \'bol mitti deya bawia\' and Ms Sumita Bhalla, the \'lungi\'. Ms Aina Goyal (COBSH) sang \'tappe\' while Sukhpal Singh (COBSH) sang \'keema malki\'. Sumer Singh (COAE&T) sang \'bolian\' while Ms Sunanda \'kande utte meharman ve\'. The judges for this event were famous Lyricist Dev Threeke wala, T.V. Anchor, Santosh Basra and Surjit Bhullar.

In the creative dance session, Ms Priya Plaha (COHS), danced on Charkha song of wadali brothers, Ms Akanksha Grover (COBSH) on \'chheti aja ve\', Ms Kiran (COAE) on mehandi and Ms Jasmit Kaur (COA) on kach dian churian\'. The panel of judges included Ms Savita Uppal, Ms Neelam Dawar and Ms Santosh Basra.



The Director Students Welfare, Dr. P.P.S.Lubana welcomed the Chief Guest, Mr. Talwar, Dr. Kang, dignitaries, faculty members, staff and students present on the occasion. He said that despite PAU is a science University, yet its students have keen interest in cultural and extra curricular activities in which they have excelled in various contests. The Cultural Coordinator, Dr. Nirmal Singh Jaura informed that on October 29, there will be shabad gayan (solo and group) at 10.00 a.m., quiz at 11.30 a.m., one act play, mime and mimicry at 4.00 p.m. in the open-air-theatre. On October 30, skits, mono acting and folk dances will be held at 3.00 p.m. followed by prize distribution at 6.00 p.m. The PAU Board of Management Member, Mrs. Urwinder Kaur Grewal, Deans and Directors and other Officers, former Deans and Heads of the Departments, Progressive Farmers were among those present on the occasion.


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PCTE ranked 38th among private B-Schools in India by OUTLOOK 2010.

PCTE has been ranked "38th private B-school" overall in India by OUTLOOK 2010 and the best in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir for the fifth time. "This ranking is done after the first few government B-Schools in the country by Outlook 2010 on different parameters like Selection Criterion, Personality Development, Academic Excellence, Infrastructure, Facilities and Placements," said, Dr. K.N.S.Kang, Director General, PCTE Institutes. To add another feather to the cap, Dr. Kang illustrated that PCTE ranked 39th in Student\'s Job Placements all over country in both Government and Private B-Schools.



Yet, another parameter, which draws attention to PCTE is its ranking - 39th Private B-School in Academic excellence this year in the survey conducted by OUTLOOK in association with market research agency MUDRA. The aim of these surveys is quite clear as the companies are now clearer about what their newest managers should be all about. They are seeking workplace-savvy MBAs who can hit the ground running; hence these surveys are the snapshots to take decisions not only for the companies but also for the students, as MBA institutes are mushrooming.



PCTE recently received two awards namely Asia\'s Best B-school Leadership Award and Innovative Leadership Award at Suntec, Singapore on 24th July 10 . It is ranked 41st in India by Open Magazine and best B-School of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh , Jammu & Kashmir by AIMA for the last seven years. PCTE has won many awards for excellence in the field of business management like Dewang Mehta Business School award for B-School that encourages leadership as a part of curriculum. Along with it PCTE also received outstanding B-School (North) by Dainik Bhaskar B-School Leadership Awards. Apart from this he said that the Institute has been rated best B-school of Punjab, Haryana Rajasthan and J&K by leading magazines of India from the last five years consecutively.


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