Thursday, February 28, 2013

DEAN OF AGRICULTURE COLLEGE, DR D.S. CHEEMA GIVEN WARM SEND OFF

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 28:



A warm send off was given to Dr D.S. Cheema, Dean, College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), today upon his superannuation. A farewell party was organized here today wherein the University deans, directors, heads and faculty members wished Dr Cheema a happy, healthy and wealthy post-retirement life.



During the party organized earlier, the PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, lauded Dr Cheema's 30 years of significant contribution to research, teaching and extension activities. His long association with the research and development of vegetable crops, especially, in the field of vegetable breeding, speaks volumes of his dedication, devotion and earnestness, he added.



The newly appointed PAU Registrar, Dr P.K. Khanna and the deans of the four constituent colleges of PAU namely Dr H.S. Dhaliwal, newly appointed Dean, College of Agriculture; Dr PPS Lubana, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology; Dr R.S. Sidhu, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities; and Dr Neelam Grewal, Dean, College of Home Science, also shared memories of their association with Dr Cheema. They acknowledged his supportive, sympathetic, and gentle nature during his tenure as the Head of Vegetable Science Department and as the Dean of College of Agriculture, PAU.



In his welcome address, Dr M.S. Dhaliwal, Head, Department of Vegetable Science, highlighted Dr Cheema's accomplishments and said that he has played a pivotal role in the development and release of high yielding varieties and F1 hybrids of different vegetables viz. tomato, carrot, pumpkin and colocassia for commercial cultivation. He has also been instrumental in the development production technologies for off season production of vegetables, he informed. Dr Cheema, a recipient of several national and international awards and honours, has been actively involved in the teaching of under-graduate and post-graduate courses on vegetable crops and with the technology transfer programmes.



In his remarks, Dr Cheema thanked the University for recognizing his outstanding contributions and meritorious services to the PAU and the field of agriculture. "I owe my success to my teammates who have always stood by my side and given their kind cooperation in the need of the hour," he stated. He also expressed his gratitude to his team leader Dr. K.S. Nandpuri who is considered as the father of Vegetable breeding in the state.



A warm send off was also given to Shri Vishnu, Security Guard to PAU Vice-Chancellor, today upon his superannuation. A farewell party was organized and employees of the University wished Shri Vishno a happy, healthy and wealthy post-retirement life.


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

PRESS NOTE

Ludhiana -28.02.2013



United Cycle & Parts Manufacturers Association has strength of more than 2500 members of MSME units and is considered to be the largest body of single trade. The association has been requesting the Sh. Manmohan Singh, Honb'le Prime Minister of India and Sh. P. Chidambaram, Honb'le Finance Minister of India to abolish central excise on complete cycle and this industry pays 12.36% central excise on the raw material & other inputs which is not refunded any where this makes us uncompetitive in international markets but to our astonished, the central excise has been abolished on garments, which is great relief to the textile industry but the cycle industry has been totally ignored inspite of our repeated requests. This will increase the price of the cycle which will be a burden on the poor man.



We have also requested earlier that like textile industry bicycle / engineering industry should also been given privilege of TUF scheme in order to boost the industry with modernization of machinery and other production facilities but no such facilities has been given in the new budget which is very discouraging for the bicycle & engineering industry.



The association has made a program to meet the Honb'le Prime Minister of India and Honb'le Finance Minister to have some relief to the cycle industry before the final approval of the finance budget 2013-14.


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PRESS NOTE

Date: 28.02.2013





The communist Party of India (CPI) has criticized the budget as being sops to the rich both foreign and Indian and denial of any job opportunities to the poor. The budget has given tax free business to the foreign companies worth 50,000 crore rupees. On the contrary it does not give any such scheme whereby the income of the marginalized section will increase. The budget repeats the same rhetoric of liberalization and market economy. The UPA - 2 had boasted of that with the neo liberalization pursued by it more jobs will be created and economy will have inclusive growth, but all such claims have been belied in the past with growth slowing down and jobs reduced. With contractualisation of jobs the real wages of the common man have come down. With such announcements like reducing import duty on cycles, foot wears and leather products the local industry particularly the small entrepreneurs will suffer. With spending on health less than 2% in this budget and on education less than 4% how does the government expects the people to be healthy and educated. The funds allocated to provide clean drinking water and sanitation are too meager to meet the needs of 57% of population who have little access to these. While showing off that the government is concerned with uplift of women there is no talk of regularizing the ASHA workers, mid day meal workers and Aanganwadi workers. With no talk of reducing the cost of inputs for the farmers how does the government expects the production to increase and particularly the poor and marginal farmers to be benefitted. With exorbitant increase in the prices marginal benefit in the income tax will serve no purpose for the middle income group people. Indication of further increase in prices of Diesel and Petrol LPG the situation is going to get worse.


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Ziartpriya Kaur declared the Best Student for the year Session 2012-2013

Ludhiana-28/02/2013





With a view to recognize the sincere efforts put in by the students in various fields the Annual Prize Distribution Function of Govt. College for Girls, Ludhiana was held here to-day

Hon'ble S. Santa Singh Umedhpur Chairman , S.S.Board, Punjab, was the the Chief Guest. Sh. Jiwan Dhaman, Member S.S.Board ,Punjab and S. Ajmer Singh Bhagpur, Chairman Milk Plant, Ludhiana were the guest of Honour. Mrs. Gurminder Kaur, Principal of the College, accorded a warm welcome to the Chief Guest and the guest of honour. She read out the Annual Report of the session & highlighted the various achievements .

As many as 600 students from Arts, Commerce, Science , PGDCA Add-on-Course Journalism and CBA were awarded prizes for their excellent performance in academics, Sports and extra-curricular activities in the presence of glittering gathering of parents and distinguished guests.

While addressing the gathering , the worthy guest lauded the efforts put in by the students for making the college proud in various fields. He encouraged the students to work hard and advised them to excel in their exams to achieve greater heights. He extended his best wishes to the staff and students on this occasion. The Chairman announced Rs. 2,00,000/-for college development.

Mrs. Sudarshan Mehta, Vice Principal of the college proposed Vote of thanks.

The following are the Prize winners .

Ziaratpriya Kaur declared the Best Student for the year









These students were awarded certificate of merit:

Juhi,Himani Arora, Nitika Rani,Aashna,Harshita Singh,Deepali Lakhanpal,Radhika,Geetanshu,Rupinder Kaur, Jyoti rani, Gurpreet kaur, Aastha Parmar, Kamaljeet Kaur, Arshpreet kaur, Ishpuneet Kaur, Inderpreet kaur, Poonamdeep Kaur, Ramanjot Kaur, Kulwinder Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur, prabhsharan Kaur, Suchika sacher, Neha Trehan.



The following students bagged University Positions:



I Position - Kamaljit Kaur ( MA-I) Punjabi, Navpreet Kaur(Bsc-I),Ravneet (Bsc-I)

Jaswainder Kaur (BA-II),Manpreet Kaur (Diploma Course Journalism),Niaina Garg (Diploma Course Journalism), Preet Dhaliwal(certificate course in CBA),Surbhi Bhatia(Certificate course in CBA)



II Position - Garima Syal (certificate Course Journalism),



III Position - Ashima Dhingra(Cer.Course. CBA), Sakshi Gupta(certificate course in CBA), Loveena Sachdeva(Certificate course in CBA)



IV Position – Shilpa (Certificate Course in CBA)



V Position - Ankita Chawla (B.Com-II)








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PAU ALL SET TO HOLD ITS FIRST KISAN MELA AT BALLOWAL SAUNKHRI ON MARCH 1

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 28:



The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is all set to hold its first Regional Kisan Mela at Ballowal Saunkhri (District Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) on March 1, 2013. Dr G.S. Nanda, Member, Board of Management, and former Director of Research, PAU, will be the chief guest of this occasion whereas Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, will preside over the mela. Smt. Tanu Kashyap, Deputy Commissioner, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, will highlight the district development plans with special reference to Kandi area. The theme of the mela will be "Ghar di sabzi-dal ugao: sihat banao, paise bachao (Grow vegetables and pulses in your household kitchen garden: Save money and Stay healthy)." The Director of Research of PAU, Dr S.S. Gosal will present the research highlights of the University.



Giving programme overview, Dr M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education, said that the PAU subject-matter specialists will apprise the farmers of the improved varieties of different crops for Kandi area, role and importance of farm literature, insect-pest and plant disease management, vegetable production, soil problems and their management, home science management and nutrition. Besides, the experts will dwell upon the scope of horticulture/agro-horticulture, and forestry/agro-forestry in Kandi region. The Additional Director of Communication of PAU and the farm experts of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agronomy, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Vegetable Science, Soil Science, Horticulture, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Home Science Extension will share their views and respond to all the queries of the participating farmers during the question/answer session. The expert of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, will speak on livestock management during the technical session.
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Left Front poised for landslide win in Tripura

AGARTALA, February 28, 2013 PTI







The Left Front in Tripura got an absolute majority on Thursday with the CPI(M) bagging 41 seats and the CPI one in the 60-member Assembly.



The Left Front returns to power for a fifth straight term since 1993 and is headed for a two-thirds majority.



Congress has wound up with seven seats and was leading in seven constituencies while its ally INPT and NCT have drawn a blank so far.



Prominent winners of the Left Front are Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Jail Minister, Manindra Reang, Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury, Agriculture Minister Aghore Debbarma and Industries Minister Jitendra Chowdhury.



Mr. Sarkar won the Dhanpur Assembly seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Shah Alam by 6,017 votes.



Congress candidate Jitendra Sarkar has won from Barjala. Mr. Jitendra Sarkar, a former Speaker, had joined Congress.
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Naga People’s Front surging ahead in Nagaland

KOHIMA, February 28, 2013 PTI





Ruling Naga People\'s Front (NPF) is surging ahead in Nagaland with the party winning 22 seats and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio building up an unassailable lead of over 11,000 votes.



The Congress has won in four seats, the BJP one, NCP two, the JD(U) one and independents in three.



Education Minister Nyeiwang Konyak of the outgoing Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government was defeated by Eshak Konyak of Congress by 693 votes in Aboi.



In Pughoboto, Y Vikheho Swu of NPF defeated sitting MLA and Congress candidate Joshua Sumi by 2286 votes. In Phomching, former minister and NPF candidate Pohwang defeated five-time sitting Congress MLA K Kongam Konyak by 2437 votes.



Congress candidate Y Mankhao was drubbed in Mon Town by NPF candidate, Thongwang by 274 votes.



Rio is set to retain his Northern Angami seat for the fifth time.



Speaker Kiyanilie Peseyie too is leading over Asu Keyho of Congress by over 800 votes in Western Angami seat, while Leader of Opposition Tokheho Yepthomi is leading in Dimapur-III by 772 votes against closest rival and sitting NPF MLA Azheto.



Congress president S I Jamir is leading by 1500 votes over closest rival Savi Liegise, an independent candidate. NPF candidate Lipok is trailing in the third position.



Out of the total 60 seats, election was held in 59 follwoing the death of Congress candidate of Tuensang sadar seat P Chuba Chnag.



BJP won its maiden seat in Tizit with its candidate P Paiwang Konyak defeating NPF rival Aloh by 3076 votes.



Former chief minister and Congress candidate K L Chishi is trailing by over 1000 votes behind Tovihoto Ayemi in Dimapur—I after an initial lead.



Outgoing DAN Minister T R Zeliang is trailing by about 70 odd votes behind Iherie Ndang of Congress in Peren seat, while his colleague M C Konyak too is trailing by over 1000 votes against Independent Candidate Y M Yolow in Wakching.



T M Lotha of NCP is leading over outgoing minister Chumben Murry of NPF by about 4000 votes in Wokha.
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Budget 2013-14: Highlights

February 28, 2013







Tax credit of Rs. 2,000 for income upto Rs. 5 lakh



Surcharge of 10 per cent for taxable incomes above Rs. 1 crore, No review of tax slabs



Excise duty on SUVs to be increased to 30 per cent from 27 per cent, SUVs registered as taxis exempted



Commodities transaction tax levied on non—agriculture commodities futures contracts at 0.01 per cent



Rs 532 crore to make post offices part of core banking



Direct Taxes Code (DTC) bill to be introduced in current Parliament session



Duty-free limits raised to Rs 50000 for men and Rs 1 lakh for women



18% rise in excise duty on Cigarattes, cigars and cheerots



Service tax on all A/C restaurants



Royalty tax hiked from 10% to 25%



Tax Deducted at Source to be fixed at 1% on land deals over Rs 50 lakh



No change in peak custom, excise rates.



5 to 10 per cent surcharge on domestic companies whose taxable income exceeds Rs 10 crore



11 lakh beneficiaries have received benefit under Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme to be rolled out throughout the country during the term of UPA Government.



Modified GAAR norms to be introduced from April 1, 2016.



Administration reform commission proposed



Rs 5,87,082 crore to be transferred to states under share of taxes and non plan grants in 2013—14



\"To the women of India - we have a collective responsibility to ensure the dignity and safety of women. Recent incidents have cast a long dark shadow on our credentials. As more women enter public spaces...there are more reports of violence against them. We stand in solidarity with our girl children. We pledge to everything possible to keep them swcure. A number of measures are in the works and they will be taken up Government and Non-government sources…I will set up a fund of Rs 1000 crore to achieve this end. Minstry of Women will come up with a plan on how to use these funds.\"



Rs. 1,000 crore each for women, youth funds



Rs. 1,000 crore for Nirbhaya fund



Promise to women, youth and senior citizens



289 more cities to get private radio FM stations



Grant of Rs 100 crore each to AMU (Aligarh), BHU (Varanasi) and TISS (Guwahati) and INTACH



\"Rs 6275 crore to Ministry of Technology, Rs 5216 crore to Department of Space, Rs 5280 crore to Department of Energy. These amounts are substantial increases.\"



Rs. 2 trillion for defence sector



First home loan from a bank or housing finance corporation upto Rs. 25 lakh entitled to additional deduction of interest upto Rs. 1 lakh.



Proposal to launch Inflation Indexed Bonds or Inflation Indexed National Security Certificates to protect savings from inflation.



On oil and gas exploration policy, the Budget proposes to move from the present profit sharing mechanism to revenue sharing. Natural gas pricing policy will be reviewed.



Insurance companies can now open branches in Tier 2 cities and below without prior approval. All towns of India with a population of 10000 or more will have an LIC branch and one other public sector insurance company.



Income limit for the tax-saving Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme is raised to Rs. 12 lakh from Rs. 10 lakh



All public-sector banks have assured the Finance Minister that they will all have ATMs in their branch areas by 2014



India\'s first women\'s bank as a PSU proposed, Rs. 1,000 crore working capital announced



India Infrastructure Finance Corporation (IIFC), in partnership with ADB will help infrastructure companies to access bond market to tap long term funds.



Regulatory authority to be set up for road sector



Four Infrastructure debt funds have been registered



Rs 7 lakh crore target fixed for agri credit for 2013—14 compared to Rs 5.75 lakh crore in the current year.



Eastern Indian states to get Rs 1,000 crore allocation for improving agricultural production.



Green revolution in east India significant. Rice output increased in Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal;



Rs 500 crore allocated for programme on crop diversification



ICDS gets Rs. 17,700 crore.



Average annual growth rate of agriculture and allied services estimated at 3.6 per cent in 2012—13 when 250 MT foodgrains was produced



Rs 27,049 crore allocation to the Agriculture Ministry in 2013—14



The target for farm credit for 2013-14 has been set at Rs. 7,00,000 crore against Rs. 5,75,000 crore during the current year.



Rs 14,873 crore for JNNURM for urban transportation in 2013—14 against Rs 7,880 crore in the current fiscal



Foodgrain production in 2012—13 will be over 250 million tons



Rs 15,260 crore to be allocated to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.



Rs 80,194 crore allocation for Ministry of Rural Development in 2013—14. About Rs 33,000 crore for MGNREGA



Rs. 5,000 crore for NABARD for agri storage facilities



Godowns to be constructed with help of panchayats. Food grain productions have been raised drastically and only increase with each year.



Rs 17,700 crore to be allocated for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS): FM.



"National Food security bill is a promise of the UPA government. I hope the bill be passed as soon as possible. I have set apart Rs 10,000 crore to the expected cost of the act."



An Institute for agricultural biotechnology will be set up in Ranchi, Jharkhand.



Rs 1069 crore allocated to Department of Aryush: FM



Rs 4,727 crore to be allocated for medical education and research. Rs 1,069 crore to be given to Department of Ayush.



Medical colleges in six more AIIMS—like institutions to start functioning this year; Rs 1650 crore allocated for the purpose.



Rs 37,330 crore allocated for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.



Rs 110 crore to be allocated to the department of disability affairs, says FM.



Additional sum of Rs 200 crore to Women and Child Welfare Ministry to address issues of vulnerable women.



Rs 3511 crore allocated to Minority Affairs Ministry which is 60 per cent of the revised estimates.



Rs 13215 crore for mid-day meal programme: Chidambaram



The idea of setting up a PNGSY-2 causes uproar in the Parliament. The minister is interrupted the round of shouting, who clarifies that states that have completed PNGSY -1 will get the second version, the rest will continue under the first version



The Right to Education Act is firmly in place, says Chidambaram, while announcing Rs. 27,250 crore to Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyaan in FY14.



The Human Resources Development ministry meanwhile gets Rs. 65,867 crore, a rise of 17% from revised estimates.



\"Government committed to reconstruction of Nalanda University\" - But no specific funds for the project was announced.



Chidambaram announces additional fund allocation of Rs 200 crore to the Women and Child Development Ministry. He says women \'belonging to the most vulnerable groups must be able to live with self-esteem and dignity\'.



169 crore given for development of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (Natural medicine) and homeopathy



Rs 41,561 crore for SC plan and Rs 24,598 crore for tribal plan. The move comes with a strong statement
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Tax sops in RGESS extended to 3 years

NEW DELHI, February 28, 2013 PTI



Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday proposed liberalising the Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme to enable first time investors to park funds in MFs and listed shares and extended tax benefits to three successive years.



Also, the limit for investors wanting to invest in RGESS has been raised to Rs 12 lakh from Rs 10 lakh earlier.



The RGESS will be liberalised to enable first time retail investors to invest in mutual funds and listed shares and not in one year alone, but for three successive years, Chidambaram said while presenting the Budget 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha.



The RGESS, which was originally announced in the Budget for 2012-13, seeks to provide tax benefits to first-time investors in stock markets.



Under the scheme, an individual with an income of less than Rs. 12 lakh would get tax incentives for investing up to Rs. 50,000 in the stock market.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Fiscal deficit for 2012-13 estimated at 5.2%: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI, February 28, 2013 PTI





The fiscal deficit for the current financial year has been contained at 5.2 per cent of GDP, lower than 5.3 per cent as was targeted, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Thursday.



"The fiscal deficit for 2012-13 has been contained at 5.2 per cent. I propose to bring it down to 4.8 per cent by 2013-14," Mr. Chidambaram said while unveiling Budget 2013-14 proposals in the Lok Sabha.



Further, the Revenue Deficit has been contained at 3.9 per cent in the current fiscal and would be brought down to 3.3 per cent in 2013-14.



As per the fiscal consolidation roadmap, the government plans to reduce fiscal deficit to 3 per cent by 2016-17.



"We must redeem our promise and bring down the fiscal deficit to 3 per cent and revenue deficit to 1.9 per cent by 2016-17," Mr. Chidambaram said.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

RURAL YOUTH MUST PARTICIPATE IN FARM RELATED ACTIVITIES – DR DHILLON

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 27:



"The involvement and participation of rural youth in farm related activities such as protected cultivation and kitchen gardening is vital for producing high value crops, getting good economic returns, and for nutritional and livelihood security." This was stated by the Chief Guest, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, while expressing his views during "Innovative Farmers Interface on Protected Cultivation," organised in the University campus today. The progressive farmers from various parts of the Punjab state and the PAU deans, directors, additional directors, heads and faculty of various departments participated in the interface.



Stating that the protected cultivation is a modern technique of growing vegetables, Dr Dhillon said that it is economically rewarding and promises higher quality yield. It is a good source of income generation for small and marginal farmers. The utilization of fertigation techniques in protected farming increases water use efficiency, he added, while highlighting that the cultivation of capsicum or bell pepper under protected conditions is quite popular in the Punjab state. The PAU will be taking an initiative of conducting research and experiments on protected cultivation of vegetables, especially, capsicum in colder regions, he divulged, while laying thrust on its breeding programmes. Dr Dhillon stressed on creating awareness amongst the farmers about judicious use of pesticides, maintenance of soil health and optimal use of water for agri-growth. Referring to the farmers as scientists who carry out experiments on their farms, he said that it is essential to gather knowledge about new innovations made by them.



Welcoming the dignitaries and the participating farmers, Dr M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education, said that the protected cultivation in net-house and poly-house is a good source of income enhancement for the farmers, and can pave way for their economic upliftment. The PAU has recommended the cultivation of tomato, capsicum and brinjal under protected conditions, he told. Observing that protected cultivation prevents vegetable glut in the market, Dr Gill said that it generates good quality produce also. He called upon the farmers to keep passing on their feedback to the PAU experts for necessary reprioritization of research as well as transfer of technology programmes.



During the interface, the farmers from Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fategarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Moga, Mukatsar, Patiala, Ropar, Sangrur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar applauded PAU training programmes through poetical verses. They shared their experiences pertaining to growing vegetables under net-house, marketing with WALMART, and making of cost-effective poly-houses. Besides, they also gave presentations on nursery production of high value crops, intercropping of vegetables for higher profitability, innovative marketing strategy, growing of off season and coloured capsicum, scope of flower nursery, and gerbera production technology. On this occasion, Dr. Dhillon honoured the innovative farmers with the mementos.
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Book Exhibition Begins at Veterinary University

lUDHIANA-27/02/2013



Dr. V.K. Taneja, the Vice-Chancellor of the University inaugurated the book fair at GADVASU and said that the University faculty and students should take full advantage of this book exhibition for teaching and research. He visited various stalls and showed immense interest in the latest editions of books on the various subjects. Dr. Taneja was of the view that quality books in University Library are the face of the university and library is a treasure-house of knowledge and books are man\'s best friends in all times. Dr Taneja added that professional survival is almost impossible without latest books and expressed that University Library will soon be expanded to meet the needs of growing number of users and document collection. Dr. Taneja said the book industry is undergoing transformations and advance technology and e-books are changing the overall scenario.



Dr R S Brar, Professor-cum-University Librarian said that twenty seven leading book publishers and distributors from different parts of India are participating in this exhibition with a wide range of latest editions of books in field of veterinary sciences, fishery sciences, animal biotechnology, dairy technology and allied subjects. This is a 6th book exhibition organized by the university and organization of book exhibition is a regular feature since the inception of the university. Dr Brar added that the university encourages its faculty members to develop their personal library by purchasing books under a special subsidy scheme. This book exhibition has generated lot of interest among students and faculty members of the university. The exhibitions help to select and purchase latest editions of books on different disciplines.

"The atmosphere in the library is peaceful and scholarly and recent introduction of expensive colour atlases on anatomy, radiography, diseases of livestock and text books on various subjects in GADVASU Library are helping the students to clear International exams" said Dr H S Sandhu Dean College of Veterinary Sciences.



When asked about the GADVASU Library, a postgraduate student commented that "The furniture inside the University library is neat and clean and students maintain strict discipline, so that others are not disturbed. I update my knowledge by reading regularly in GADVASU library"

"University library is a powerful force in the lives of GADVASU students" said Dr S.S. Randhawa Director of Research of the university.

The Directorate of Extension Education also participated in this book exhibition and displayed books published by the university. Dr. Ranjodhan Singh Sahota, Director of Extension Education was seen gleefully buried in the vast number of books on display.

Dr R S Brar thanked the press for wide publicity and Heads of the Departments, Library staff, Faculty members and students for recommending the books for purchase.




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Annual Athletic Meet at GADVASU

Ludhiana 27, February, 2013



The 7th Annual Athletic meet of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) was held today on 27th, February, 2013. Students of all the three Colleges situated in the GADVASU Campus namely College of veterinary science, College of dairy science and technology, College of fisheries , School of Animal Biotechnology and affiliated College of university i.e Khalsa College of veterinary and animal sciences, Amritsar were actively participated in this athletic meet under different disciplines. Veterinary Polytechnic, Kaljharani, Bathinda also participated in this meet. Dr VK Taneja, Vice Chancellor, GADVASU was inaugurated the meet. After unfurling the flag, Dr Taneja told that GADVASU always promote the spirit of games amongst their students to keep them healthy and in high spirit. He further appreciated the various committee members' efforts in conducting the successful meet and wished the participants good luck. The sports torch was being lighted by senior athletes of the university. The meet started with the oath taking ceremony by Rohini Bhardwaj athlete of the university. After inauguration, athlete march was performed. Rajandeep ( boys ) and Ramneet Kaur (girls ) were declared best athlete. Overall trophy was won by College of veterinary science. Khalsa College of veterinary and animal sciences, Amritsar also performed very well. Its athletes Harmandeep Singh and Tanveer Kaur won Gold Medal in 5000 Mt Race and Shotput respectively. At the prize distribution function Dr. Taneja said that Sports improve the health and confidence of students. It promotes good habits and inculcates better values in a person. About 150 students participated in the meet. He gave away the prizes to the winners and told them to do more hard work to excel in their respective fields. Equestrian events were also performed by the cadets of NCC unit of GADVASU. Bhangra performers gave a colour of folk and culture to the event. The winners in various discipline were as given blow

110 Mt. Hurdles: (Men) 1. Rajandeep 2. Satinder Pal Singh 3.Subhash

Javelin Throw(Men) 1. Siddharth Gautam 2. Satinderpal Singh Saini 3. Akashdeep Singh

5,000Mt. (Men) 1. Harmandeep Singh 2. Kushmaneed Singh 3.Raunak Kesharwani

400Mt. Hurdles (Men) 1. Rajandeep 2. Ashish Pal Singh 3. Satnam singh

Hammer Throw (Men) 1.Ishab Poudal 2. Avtar Singh Brar 3.Prabhjot Singh

800Mt. (Men) 1.Yadwinder Singh 2 Satnam Singh 3.Gurinder Pal Singh

Triple Jump (Men) 1. Rajandeep 2. Sonikbir Singh 3. Jagdeep

High Jump (Men) 1.Mukhmeet Singh 2. Atinderdeep Singh 3.Harmanjot Singh

Shot Put (Men) 1. Omranjit Singh 2. Prabhjot singh 3. Amarpreet Singh

Broad Jump (Men) 1. Rajandeep 2. Sonikbir Singh 3. Suraj Tharn

Javelin Throw (women) 1. Ramneet Kaur 2.Gulgul Singh 3.Simrat Kaur

1500 Mt. (women) 1 Ramanjot Kaur 2 Karanpreet Kaur. 3. Abhineet Kaur Bhatti

800 Mt. (Women) 1. Karanpreet Kaur 2. Ramanjot Kaur 3. Mandeep Kaur

200Mt. (Women) 1. Ramneet Kaur 2. Karanpreet Kaur 3.Mandeep Kaur

Broad Jump (Women) 1. Ramneet Kaur 2. Jagmandeep 3. Gulgul Singh

Shot Put (Women) 1. Tanveer Kaur 2. Ramneet Kaur 3. Gulgul singh

On this occasion the faculty member, staff members and students of the GADVASU were there to buck up the athletes. PAU faculty and employees were also there to encourage the students. Dr SPS Sangha, Director Students Welfare, GADVASU extended thanks to the whole family of GADVASU and congratulated the winners.




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Annual Meeting of Hindi Literary Society

Ludhiana-27/02/2013



Dept of Hindi, G.C.G. Ludhiana organized elocution competition in the annual meeting of Hindi literary society. The worthy principal of the college Mrs. Gurminder Kaur was the chief guest. She was welcomed by Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Head, Dept of Hindi. The students of various classes recited couplets of Kabir, Ravidaas and Meera Bai. This event was dedicated to Rai daas ji. The students Ruksana and Prakashni of BA-III conducted the stage very nicely.

While speaking on the occasion the worthy principal applauded the achievements of Hindi dept and motivated the students to get connected with our national language Hindi. While giving away the prizes to the winners she also congratulated them. Following are the winners:

Ist Position : Manpreet

IInd Position : Lovepreet

IIIrd Position : Parul

The vote of thanks was proposed Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Head, Dept of Hindi.








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PRESS NOTE

Ludhiana-27.02.2013



The Annual Budget for the year 2013-2014 is going to be announced on 28th February 2013. In this contest the association which is the largest one in Asia in single trade has all ready requested the Honb'le Prime Minister and Honb'le Finance Minister to give relief to the MSME Sector. It is again requested that the following proposal may be consider in the budget 2013-14 :-

1. REGARDING CENTRAL EXCISE DUTY:

a. Complete Abolish of 2.06% central excise duty on bicycles.

b. The basic exemption on excise duty be increased from 1.50 crore to minimum 5 crore for smooth operation of industries.



2. REGARDING FREIGHT EQUALIZATION :-

Ludhiana being hub of the manufacturing of bicycle & parts is situated far away from the sea port due to which industry has to pay excess freight on the goods and this make them costly and uncompetitive in international markets, It is requested to give freight equalization scheme to the industry in order to reduce the cost and to increase the share in Global market. Due to geographical situation of the state, the Raw Material which is Iron Ore comes from the distant state which makes the industry uncompetitive within the country. Raw material should be available at unanimous prices to everyone within the country for fair business.



3. REGARDING TECHNOLOGY UP-GRADATION FUND (TUF):

Like textile industry bicycle / engineering industry should also been given privilege of TUF scheme in order to boost the industry with modernization of Machinery and other Production facilities. 5% interest subsidy on purchase of new machinery should be available for bicycle & engineering industry also. Subsidy to below poverty line class of society for bicycle purchase was discussed.



4. REGARDING INCREASE OF IMPORT DUTY ON BICYCLE & PARTS TO 50% :

It is our humble request to increase Import duty on Bicycle & parts up to 50% as huge quantity of items are being imported in the country and are destroying the MSME sector because they are facing closure due to cheap and sub standard goods. This should be valid on SAFTA /ISAFTA countries also as they do not have any duty on import of goods and are posing threat of cheap imports.



5. REGARDING SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE FOR BICYCLE INDUSTRY:



SEZ should be developed for the bicycle industry to have proper Concentration of the industry.



6. It is further suggested that generally basic exemption limit should be increased from Rs. 2 Lac to Rs. 3 Lac.






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PAU RELEASES SIX NEW CROP VARIETIES FOR GENERAL CULTIVATION IN PUNJAB

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 27:



The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has released four new high yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and one each of maize and guar for general cultivation in the Punjab state. The varieties include "PR 121, and PR 122" of 'A' Grade paddy, "Punjab Basmati 3 and Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509" of basmati rice, "PMH 7" of maize and "HG 365" of guar. The meeting of State Variety Approval Committee, held at PAU under the chairmanship of Dr. Mangal Singh Sandhu, Director of Agriculture, Punjab, approved the release of these new crop varieties for general cultivation in the state. The representatives of millers and Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer's Affairs, Punjab, also attended the meet.



Giving details about the varieties, Dr S.S. Gosal, Director of Research, PAU, explained that PR-121 variety of paddy is a semi dwarf variety with dark green erect leaves. Its average plant height is about 98 cm and matures in about 140 days after seeding. It possesses long slender clear translucent grains with high total and head rice recoveries, he told. The variety resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the Punjab state, he highlighted. The average paddy yield of this variety is 30.5 quintal per acre.

Dr Gosal informed that the second variety PR 122 yields on average 31.5 quintals of paddy per acre. Its average plant height is 108 cm and matures in about 147 days after seeding. It also possesses long slender clear translucent grains with high total and head rice recoveries, he said. The variety also resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the Punjab state.



Among the newly released basmati varieties, Punjab Basmati 3 is an improved version of traditional tall variety Basmati 386 with respect to disease resistance and height, told Dr Gosal. It is dwarfer than Basmati 386 by about 50 cm, thus won't lodge. The variety resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the state, he said, adding that it possesses extra-long slender, translucent grains with excellent cooking and eating quality characteristics and are strongly scented. Its average paddy yield is 16.0 quintal per acre which is about 30 percent higher than Basmati 386. He highlighted that the biggest advantage of this variety is that it will be able to capture the European market.



Elaborating, Dr Gosal said that the second basmati variety Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509 has been released on adhoc basis. It is an early maturing basmati variety which matures in about 125 days after seeding and its average height is 94 cm. It possesses extra-long slender grains with excellent cooking and eating quality characteristics, he told, saying that its grains almost double upon cooking and are strongly scented. Its average paddy yield is 15.7 quintal per acre. He observed that the variety will be suitable for multiple cropping systems, which will result in higher returns to the farmers.



Dr Gosal further told that the PMH 7 is a short duration hybrid of maize which is suitable for spring season planting. It possesses attractive shiny deep orange flint grains. It is moderately tolerant to high temperature stress, post flowering stalk rot and shoot fly. He said that the variety matures in 115 days and its average grain yield is 30 quintals per acre.



Dr Gosal informed that HG 365 is an early maturing variety of guar that takes about 105 days to mature. Its average seed yield is 5.4 quintals per acre.



Dr M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education, PAU, emphasized that these varieties will prove very beneficial to the farmers. The rice varieties on account of their higher paddy yield, shorter maturity period, disease resistance, high total and head rice recoveries will add to the profits of the farmers and the traders. Dr Gill observed that the basmati varieties will prove to be a boon for the state, as a whole, since these can be transplanted late in the month of July. The varieties of maize and guar will provide new options to the farmers, he said, while informing that the PAU has produced large quantity of seed of these varieties which will be distributed to the farmers during the forthcoming Kisan Melas in March 2013.


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Realtors, brokerages free to run banks if they meet norms: RBI

MUMBAI, February 26, 2013 PTI





Reserve Bank Deputy Governor K. C. Chakrabarty on Tuesday said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is open to let realty and brokerages run banks if they meet the "fit and proper criteria" as detailed in the final guidelines.



"These are all legitimate businesses if they can demonstrate that they satisfy all the requirements, all the concerns how can you deny them. Definitely, if this is not in the guidelines, then it is open," Mr. Chakrabarty said when asked whether real estate and brokerage firms would be allowed to start banks as final guidelines were silent on the issue.



He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event and this was the first official reaction from the regulator after it released the final guidelines for new banking licences last Friday.



The final guidelines by the RBI made a climb-down from the initial stance, which in the draft norms issued in August 2011, had virtually barred Realtors and brokerages from its eligibility criteria. "There are certain activities, such as real estate and capital market activities, in particular broking activities, which apart from being inherently riskier, represent a business model and business culture which are quite misaligned with a banking model," the draft guidelines had said.



When asked about the number of licences that may be issued, the senior official said the number of new banks will depend on the eligible candidates and it is too premature to give a specific count now. "First, let's see how many people are eligible, how many are fit and proper. If no body is fit and proper, then what is the use of giving licences? This is all too premature to talk about the number of licences to be issued," Mr. Chakrabarty said.



He also said the proper guidelines are any regulator's master stroke. "It is any regulator's master stroke, why only RBI. And that is why fit and proper guidelines have been evolved...," he said.



Last Friday, the central bank released the final guidelines for new banking licences which said an applicant should be "fit and proper" for getting a licence and have a 10-year impeccable track record.



It has allowed business houses, state-run enterprises and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to apply for licences to set up banks.



Mr. Chakrabarty also said the new banks will have to find businesses in rural areas and SME space, among others, as the priority sector lending norms will be the same for them like others.



On consolidation in the banking sector, Mr. Chakrabarty said the RBI may come up with a paper addressing the concerns. "If we are talking of new banking licences, then don't talk of consolidation. These are two contradictory things. Consolidation is a defined issue. Some paper will come out that may be addressing some of these issues," he said.
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Need to demystify the budget process

February 27, 2013





Pre-budget hype is like the first day of a test match — the excitement is over once the fiscal announcements are made just like the die-down in hype once the first ball is bowled. Year-on-year the mystery shrouding the budget-making process continues unabated.



The immediate need is to rethink the budget making process and make it transparent. One of the first steps in this direction needs to be the involvement of academicians and industry experts in the budget formulating process. Why not circulate a draft of the Budget and discuss the same with the public (similar to system followed in other countries such as New Zealand)?



'Aam admi's' Budget expectations



The double whammy of rising inflation costs and limited avenues for tax planning for individuals leaves them quite vulnerable. Towards this end, the government should consider increasing the basic exemption limits for individual tax payers to factor the rising cost of living (especially the salaried-class).



On the other hand, the government should also aim to increase the quantum of deduction under tax saving avenues (for example, Section 80C Act deductions). Offering tax deductions on savings is a time-tested method of luring citizens in tax saving instruments. Therefore, the government may consider increasing the quantum of deductions under such instruments to Rs.2.50 lakh.



As a corollary to the objective of increasing the rate of savings among the middle-class, and also to directly link the savings with the primary/secondary market, the government may consider allowing exemptions from capital gains where such gains are re-invested into shares of private unlisted and public listed companies.



This would help in achieving a faster rate of corporatisation of the unorganised sector leading to greater emphasis on responsible reporting and corporate governance.



Rising medical bills



Another aspect which the government should consider is the rising medical bills and cost of hospitalisation. The current caps on tax deduction for the same should be increased to provide relief to the middle-class. The government may consider increasing the same to Rs.1 lakh, given the absence of a national health care/social security system.



While the normal tax rate applicable to an Indian company is 30 per cent, the add-ons like DDT, surcharge and the like push it close to 42 per cent. The effective tax rate compares favourably with high-tax nations such as the U.S.and Japan. One also needs to factor the impact of the minimum alternate tax (MAT) of around 20 per cent. Therefore, one of the immediate demands of the corporate sector would be to reduce the applicable tax rate to 25 per cent and doing-away with the add-on taxes.



Secondly, the rising litigation on the difference between book profits for MAT purposes and the profits considered for normal tax purposes needs to be resolved. Bringing in the much awaited/anticipated direct taxes code (DTC) (with appropriate amendments) could be considered for the same. Extension of tax holidays (which have already expired in most cases) could also be considered to improve FDI inflows.



Last year, the government introduced the concept of transfer pricing on domestic transactions. The government may also consider bringing in the concept of advance rulings in the domestic tax scenario as well. "Clarity, certainty and cost effectiveness" is what corporate India wants today. Business plans and projections are made on this basis. Unforeseen tax demands could destroy business models.



Coming back to my earlier analogy, the Finance Minister needs to treat the Budget process as a 5-day test match as against a T20 spectacle. A stable tax regime, it is said, is akin to a stable family life. Hopefully, the Budget follows the same principle as well.



R. Anand is Tax Partner, Ernst & Young.
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As always, spin has final say at Chepauk

CHENNAI, February 27, 2013





Sachin Tendulkar enthralled briefly and Chepauk erupted. The crowd might have been small, but the roar was big. In what could be the last glimpse of the batting legend in the famous arena, India met with success.



The host emerged victorious by eight wickets in the first Test for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday. The host now leads the four-match series 1-0, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni has drawn level with Sourav Ganguly's record of 21 for most Test wins by an Indian captain.



Even after 195 Tests, only a few days short of 40, and with a treasure trove of memories, Tendulkar can whip up surprises. For the first time in his epic career, the maestro dismissed the first two deliveries he faced — from off-spinner Nathan Lyon — for sixes.



On a turning track, the ball's lengthy flight ended beyond the wide long-on ropes. There was jubilation in the stands.



Tendulkar's feats at Chepauk — he began his Test journey in Chennai with a wonderful 165 against England in 1993 — and his spirit-lifting face-offs with Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne are now part of the city's cricketing lore.



The moment was steeped in emotion when Tendulkar arrived at the crease after a tentative Virender Sehwag (19) was held at slip off a Lyon delivery that straightened.



The loud cheers that accompanied the legend as he walked to the centre, turned into a hush when the maestro took guard. And there was celebration again when Tendulkar let go.



Nostalgia



Soon, the match concluded and Tendulkar shook hands with the Australians. Nostalgia was very much in the air as this incredible batsman was given a standing ovation on his way back.



His numbers at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium are awesome — he has 970 runs in 10 Tests at 88.18 with five centuries. Yet, the sheer joy of his batsmanship often transcends the otherwise tremendous figures.



The other wicket to fall was Murali Vijay, who miscued an ambitious drive off James Pattinson to be splendidly held at short mid-off by Moises Henriques for six, but Cheteshwar Pujara and Tendulkar nailed a simple chase of 50.



Earlier, the Australian last-wicket resistance lasted eight overs when left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja — he got the ball to grip the surface — found the edge of Lyon's (11) willow for a bat-pad verdict at short-leg.



The last-wicket pair had put on 66 before the Aussies were bowled out for 241. During that association which frustrated India, debutant all-rounder Henriques (81 n.o.) showed the heart for a battle. A dynamic and multi-dimensional cricketer, this 26-year-old New South Welshman is not daunted by adversity.



Dhoni changed match



Looking back, Man-of-the-Match Dhoni's monumental, yet thrill-a-minute 224 was the single biggest factor in India's win. "M.S. Dhoni changed the match," conceded Australian captain Michael Clarke.



Off-spinner R. Ashwin tormented the Australians with his 12-wicket match haul.



"He's got plenty of variations. That's his strength. He bowled a better length in the match than earlier in the season," said Dhoni.



The surface prepared by curator K. Parthasarathy was scarred with marks and assisted spin, but the captains were not critical of the track.



Clarke said, "To me, it was a good Test match wicket and played better than it looked. The match went into the fifth day.



No excuses



"There are no excuses for us. The pitch played well for both sides in the first innings, and then increasingly helped the spinners."



"It (the pitch) looked ugly, but seemed to play better once you spent some time in the middle," said Dhoni.



The India captain also indicated that opener Murali Vijay — he had scores of 10 and six in the Test — would retain his spot for the Hyderabad Test. "You got to give your openers a fair run, give them some time," felt Dhoni.



The nature of the team's batting — the number of left-handers in the Australian line-up — was the reason India selected two off-spinners said Dhoni. "Harbhajan bowled better in the second innings and Jadeja's left-arm spin was consistent."



Asked about playing a second paceman in these conditions, Dhoni responded, "Bhuvneshwar can bat and offers depth to the line-up. This is important when you are not playing an extra batsman."



Conceding his batsmen faltered against spin, Clarke said, "We got to find a way against the ball spinning in both directions."



Queried about the lack of depth in the Australian spin department and the composition of the attack, Clarke said, "It's not about selection. It's about how you perform."



True words, indeed.



Scoreboard



Australia — 1st innings: 380.



India — 1st innings: 572.



Australia — 2nd innings: E. Cowan lbw b Ashwin 32 (97b, 3x4), S. Watson c Sehwag b Ashwin 17 (46b, 1x4, 1x6), D. Warner lbw b Harbhajan 23 (61b, 2x4), P. Hughes c Sehwag b Jadeja 0 (3b), M. Clarke lbw b Ashwin 31 (51b, 4x4, 1x6), M. Wade b Harbhajan 8 (22b, 1x4), M. Henriques (not out) 81 (148b, 6x4, 2x6), P. Siddle b Jadeja 2 (20b), J. Pattinson c Sehwag b Ashwin 11 (26b, 1x4), M. Starc c Tendulkar b Ashwin 8 (7b, 2x4), N. Lyon c Vijay b Jadeja 11 (77b, 1x4); Extras (b-15, lb-2): 17; Total (in 93 overs): 241.



Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Watson), 2-64 (Cowan), 3-65 (Hughes), 4-101 (Warner), 5-121 (Wade), 6-131 (Clarke), 7-137 (Siddle), 8-161 (Pattinson), 9-175 (Starc).



India bowling: Ashwin 32-6-95-5, Harbhajan 27-6-55-2, Jadeja 31-8-72-3, Ishant 3-1-2-0.



India — 2nd innings: M. Vijay c Henriques b Pattinson 6 (12b, 1x6), V. Sehwag c Clarke b Lyon 19 (23b, 3x4), C. Pujara (not out) 8 (24b), S. Tendulkar (not out) 13 (10b, 2x6); Extras (b-4): 4; Total (for two wkts. in 11.3 overs): 50.



Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Vijay), 2-36 (Sehwag).



Australia bowling: Pattinson 3-1-13-1, Lyon 5.3-0-29-1, Siddle 3-2-4-0.



Man-of-the-Match: M.S. Dhoni.
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Not reading newspapers helped, Dhoni says

CHENNAI, February 27, 2013 PTI





Under attack till very recently for India's dismal shows, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons that keeping himself shut off from all the criticism that came his way has helped him concentrate on his performance.



Dhoni, who smashed 224 to play a big part in India's eight-wicket victory in the first Test against Australia, said he had not changed his playing style despite the criticism.



Asked about the pressure on him due to recent failures of the Indian team and effect of criticism on his performance, Dhoni said he mostly tried to keep himself aloof.



"What really matters is the job I'm trying to do. The best thing I've done so far is to not watch news or read newspapers, so that has really helped, frankly," Dhoni said.



"It's not that I do not read newspapers, it's just that the third page from the back is always the sports page, so you try to get rid of that. Otherwise you don't get to know what's happening in India," said Dhoni.



He said he has not changed a bit in his playing style, despite all the criticism that has come his way.



"Nothing has changed. Whatever is your speciality remains your speciality. Nothing has changed," he said.



Dhoni attributed the Test win to team effort and said it was all about executing the plans.



"I think a lot of credit goes to batsmen number three, four and five because they played long innings. OK, Sachin Tendulkar did not get a 100 or Pujara did not get a big 50, but still they played for a considerable period of time," said Dhoni.



"The humidity over here, you know Chennai gets quite humid so it helps in getting the opposition bowlers tired. And it was important that we batted for four sessions. We were able to bat for more than four sessions. Overall it was a very good effort both by bowlers and batsmen," he said.
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Chuck Hagel’s 2011 ‘anti-India’ remarks draw ire

WASHINGTON, February 27, 2013







Chuck Hagel, U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee for Defence Secretary, is facing sharp criticism after a video of him addressing Oklahoma's Cameron University emerged this week, showing the decorated Vietnam veteran making what some have described as anti-India remarks.



The video of Mr. Hagel's 2011 speech, which conservative media outlet Washington Free Beacon obtained from the university under Oklahoma's Open Records Act, clearly shows the former U.S. Senator from Nebraska saying, "India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan."



Mr. Hagel was addressing the subject of Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict and India's alleged role in it.He had said, "So there is some history where Afghanistan and Pakistan have similar interests. But mainly, they have not had similar interests. India is the other piece of this."



He went on to add that "India for sometime has always used Afghanistan as a second front and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border — and you can carry that into many dimensions."



The remarks, hinting at India's alleged role in fuelling instability along the Durand Line, were received with consternation here, and the Indian embassy in Washington issued a prompt clarification.



'Unbounded dedication'



In emailed comments to the Free Beacon, an unnamed spokesperson of the embassy was quoted as saying, "Such comments attributed to Sen. Hagel, who has been a long-standing friend of India and a prominent votary of close India-U.S. relations, are contrary to the reality of India's unbounded dedication to the welfare of the Afghan people."



The embassy added that India's commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan was unwavering, as reflected in India's significant assistance to Afghanistan in developing its economy, infrastructure and institutional capacities, and that India's "opposition to terrorism and its safe havens in our neighbourhood is firm and unshakeable".



The spokesperson further clarified that India's development assistance had been deeply appreciated by the people and the Government of Afghanistan, and by its friends around the world, including the U.S., and that it did not view its engagement with Afghanistan as a "zero sum game".



Although President Obama nominated Mr. Hagel to serve as Defence Secretary early in January, and this month the Senate Armed Services Committee approved that nomination, Senate Republicans filibustered the Democrats on this appointment by blocking 60-vote support required to end the debate and proceed to a final vote.



The Senate is expected to take up the nomination again this week. According to reports this is the first time in history that a U.S. Defence Secretary nomination has been filibustered.
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18 foreign tourists killed in Egypt balloon crash

LUXOR, February 26, 2013 AP





A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 18 foreign tourists, a security official said.



It was one of the worst crashes involving tourists in the country already struggling with a decimated tourism industry, two years after the 2011 uprising that ousted former leader Hosni Mubarak.



According to an Egyptian security official, the balloon carrying 21 tourists caught fire, which triggered an explosion in its gas canister, then plunged at least 300 meters from the sky. It crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of the city of Luxor, 510 km south of Cairo, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.



The casualties included French, British, Chinese and Japanese nationals, the official said. Three survivors of the crash were taken to a local hospital with critical injuries.



Bodies were scattered across the field around the remnants of the balloon. An Associated Press reporter at the crash site counted eight bodies as they were put into body bags and taken away.



Tourism is one of Egypt's economic pillars and main revenue of foreign currency.



The site of the accident has seen other mishaps in the past. In 2009, 16 tourists were injured when their balloon struck a cell phone transmission tower. A year earlier, seven tourists were injured in a similar crash.
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Bansal sets record, even with a prosaic speech

NEW DELHI, February 27, 2013





When Pawan Kumar Bansal rose to present his maiden Railway budget in the Lok Sabha, he became the first Congress Minister to do so in the past 17 years. For, the allies of the ruling coalition — be it the BJP-led NDA or the Congress-led UPA — held the portfolio.



Mr. Bansal, who was shifted from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to the Railway Ministry four months ago, began his speech, thanking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for giving him the opportunity.



In the past, Congress stalwarts such as Lal Bahadur Shastri, who went on to become Prime Minister, Jagjiwan Ram, Kamlapati Tripathi and Madhav Rao Scindia have held the portfolio. Shastri set an example, resigning in 1956 owning responsibility for three accidents.



Mr. Bansal, who hails from Chandigarh and represents it in the Lok Sabha, recalled that the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, had introduced him to the most sacred temple of democracy. He also pointed to Rajiv Gandhi's efforts at turning India into a giant in information technology, which also benefitted the Railways.



MPs were all ears as Mr. Bansal began his 75-minute speech, but murmurs of protest surfaced when he announced the setting up of new rail-based factories.



Members of the Opposition and even some allies of the Congress said the new initiatives focussed on the constituencies of Congress MPs. Later, noisy scenes and uproar marred Mr. Bansal's speech as members of the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Left trooped into the well, raising anti-Congress slogans.



"It is not rail budget, but Rae Bareilly budget," some BJP members shouted from their seats, referring to Ms. Gandhi's constituency.



Undisturbed, Ms. Gandhi turned aggressive at the protest.



Several members, including Bhuvaneshwar Kalita and Mukut Mithi, both of the Congress, N.K. Singh and Shivanand Tewari of the Janata Dal (United) and Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool were present in the Rajya Sabha gallery.



In the Speaker's gallery were Mr. Bansal's family members and those of Minister of State for Railway Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.



Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was seen engaged in a discussion with Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.



Describing the Railways as a "vital organisation," Mr. Bansal said its role in integrating the nation was unparalleled. "From Baramulla in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, Dwarka in the west to Ledo in the east, trains of the Indian Railways always on the move, carrying people and material, creating opportunities and fostering development, is a single most important catalyst in the growth story of our great nation," he said in the beginning.



Quoting inspirational words from the poem 'Song of the Engine' of Christine Weatherly, he drew a round of applause when he read out this stanza:



When you travel on the railway,



And the line goes up a hill,



Just listen to the engine



As it pulls you with a will.



Though it goes very slowly



It sings this little song



"I think I can, I think I can,"



And so it goes along."



In sharp contrast to the speeches of his predecessors like Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who took recourse to quotable quotes and poetry in Hindustani, Mr. Bansal's was prosaic.



Mr. Bansal's exercise also brought back memories of last year: Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool had to resign on March 18, four days after presenting the budget. His exit became clear as his proposal to increase the fares did not go down well with his Ms. Banerjee, who wrote to the Prime Minister demanding that he be replaced with Mukul Roy.



Mr. Trivedi's grandiose plans for the Railways and even many mentions in his speech of Ms. Banerjee, who had become West Bengal Chief Minister, brought him no relief.
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Subsidy should be slashed: Economic Survey

NEW DELHI, February 27, 2013 PTI



Claiming that the "downturn is more or less over", the pre-Budget Economic Survey on Wednesday projected an optimistic 6.1 to 6.7 per cent growth in the next fiscal and made a strong call for cutting subsidises.



While pegging the GDP growth at an estimated 5 per cent for the current fiscal, the Survey tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister P Chidambaram said "...the overall economy is expected to grow in the range of 6.1 to 6.7 per cent in 2013-14" as the economy is looking up.



"Controlling the expenditure on subsidies will be crucial. The domestic prices of petroleum products, particularly diesel and LPG need to be raised in line with their prices prevailing in the international market," the Survey said.



It noted that a beginning has already been made with the decision in September last to raise the price of diesel and again in January to allow oil marketing companies to increase prices in small increments at regular intervals. The number of subsidised gas cylinders has also been capped at 9 per household.



Predicting that the headline inflation will decline to between 6.2 and 6.6 per cent by next month, the Survey said that elevated food inflation would continue to remain an area of concern as it inched towards double digit in December 2012.



On subsidies\' cut



The Survey emphasised that efforts will have to be made to contain subsidies through better targeting and for reducing leakages involved in their delivery. One such initiative is direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme.



It said the government has been calibrating pricing policies to addressing the issue of burgeoning fertiliser subsidy and underlined the need for according priority to food subsidy in view of the under consumption of basic food by the poor and the extant of malnutrition.



The government has sought to correct this through National Food Security Act though concerns have been expressed that this would lead to a higher subsidy outgo.



"However, it is a part of the challenge of prioritisation to provide for this basic need even as other items of expenditure are minimised," the Survey said.



The Survey said while India's recent slowdown is partially rooted in external causes, domestic causes are also important.



The strong post-financial crisis stimulus led to stronger growth in 2009-10 and 2010-11. However, the boost to consumption, coupled with supply side constraints, led to higher inflation. Monetary policy was tightened even as external headwinds to growth increased.



The consequent slowdown, especially in 2012-13, has been across the board, with no sector of the economy unaffected.



Falling savings without a commensurate fall in aggregate investment have led to a widening current account deficit.



Wholesale price indexed inflation (WPI) has been coming down in recent month. However, food inflation, after a brief slowdown, continues to be higher than overall inflation. Given the higher weightage to food in consumer price indices, CPI inflation has remained close to double digits.



Reduced government spending



Another consequence of slowdown has been lower than targeted tax and non-tax revenues. With the subsidies bill, particularly that of petroleum products, increasing, and the danger that fiscal targets would be breached substantially became very real in the current year, the Survey said.



"The situation warranted urgent steps to reduce government spending so as to contain inflation. Also required were steps to facilitate corporate and infrastructure investment so as to ease supply.



"Several measures announced in recent months are aimed at restoring the fiscal health of the government and shrinking the CAD as also improving the growth rate. With the global economy also likely to recover somewhat in 2013, these measures should help in improving the Indian economy's outlook for 2013-14," it said.



The economy is projected to grow at 5 per cent in current fiscal, the lowest in a decade. It was 6.2 per cent in 2011-12 and 9.3 per cent a year ago.



The projections of 6.1 to 6.7 per cent growth next fiscal takes into account normal monsoon, moderation in inflation rate and mild recovery in global growth.



"While India's recent slowdown is partly rooted in external causes, domestic causes are also important," it said, adding boost to consumption coupled with supply side constraints led to higher inflation.



It said the growth story is unlikely to get support from the global economic developments and would remain tied to movement in international oil prices.



Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram G Rajan in his introduction to the Survey said: "These are difficult times, but India has navigated such times before, and with good policies it will come through stronger." Mr. Rajan prescribed shifting national spending from consumption to investment, removing the bottlenecks to investment, growth and job creation, besides making efforts to reduce cost of funds.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Market fire: Mamata seeks report, announces relief

KOLKATA, February 27, 2013 PTI





West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday directed the police, fire brigade and the municipal corporation to submit a report on the fire at a market here within three days and announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the kin of those who died.



"A compensation of Rs two lakh will be paid to the kin of those who have died in the fire and Rs 50,000 to those injured," Ms. Banerjee said after visiting the market housing a godown-cum-office complex in the Sealdah area in central Kolkata, where the inferno has already claimed 18 lives and left several others injured.



Ms. Banerjee said that the Kolkata Police, Fire Brigade and Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been asked to file a joint report on the fire within three days.



The Chief Minister urged people, who sleep in markets in the night to be more careful and take precautionary measures like not to light a fire near inflammable materials.



"They should be more careful. Mischief makers also can cause damage," she said.



"Everything will be investigated to find out the cause of the fire," she said before leaving for the Medical College morgue where the dead bodies have been taken.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

18 killed in devastating fire in Kolkata

KOLKATA, February 27, 2013







In one of the biggest fires in the city, at least 18 people are believed to have been killed when a fire broke out in the small hours of Wednesday.



They were trapped inside the building which housed shops selling inflammable materials like wedding cards and gift items.



The fire has now been brought under control. Some people were able to escape the fire which broke out around 3.00 a.m.



Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who reached the police morgue after visiting the site is personally supervising the operations.



Four bodies have already been handed over to relatives after post-mortem



Ms. Banerjee has ordered an inquiry into the incident and has asked for the report within three days.



Fire Services Minister Javed Khan said that the building was illegal with no fire control measures, but declined to answer a query whether any notice was served on the building owners.



This is the second such major incident during the rule of the present government which had to tackle the AMRI Hospital fire soon after coming to power.



The Stephen Court fire, another horrific incident which occured during the Left rule also took many lives.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Security to be stepped up at Nagarjunasagar

GUNTUR, February 27, 2013





The Superintendents of Police of Guntur and Nalgonda districts -- J. Satyanarayana and Navin Gulati -- on Tuesday reviewed the security at the Nagarjunasagar dam and suggested various measures to improve the surveillance of the nation's biggest masonry dam.



The review comes close on the heels of the twin bomb blasts at Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad in which 16 persons were killed.



Police sources said high-level reviews on security and surveillance were usually undertaken whenever there was a major terror attack in the country.



The Nagarjunasagar dam and the hydro electric projects are presently manned by the Special Protection Force headed by a DSP. The APGenco hires private security personnel to man the hydro-electric project.



The police officers inspected the lift, terminal, the crest gates and the tunnel. They also visited the Nagarjuna Konda and reviewed the security arrangements .Mr. Satyanarayana said security would be stepped up in the vicinity of the dam and multi-layered armed security guard system would be put in place.



Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gurazala, R. Giridhar, DSP, SPF, Ravichandra, DSP, Miryalaguda, D. Kavitha were present.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Press Note

Ludhiana : 26.02.2013



The railways budget announced by the Honb'le Railway Minister Sh. Pawan Bansal today i.e. 26.02.2013 shows the increase in the railway freight to the tune of 5% has been considered to be very discouraging for the industry specially. The industry was expecting some concession like decrease in the railway freight or totally abolished but it has brought discontentment among the industry specially cycle & cycle parts who send their product to other state with the result the price of cycle will go up and poor man will not be able to bear this increase. The cycle industry has already requested the Honb'le Railway Minister to start a Nonstop Shatabdi Express from Ludhiana to Delhi as there is no air connectivity facility is available but instead of the assurance given him, it has not been done. With the result, the congestion of the passengers at main railway station will remain the same.

The increase in the freight will not only effect the industry but also to the public as they will have to pay more price for the purchase of cycle & cycle Parts who are far of the Punjab.

In order to give some relief to the industry we again request the Honb'le Minister to exceed to our request already submitted to him so that the industry may not suffer.











Gurmeet Singh Kular

(President)


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DELEGATES FROM KENYA, MALAWI AND LIBERIA VISIT PAU UNDER US-INDIA-AFRICA TRAINING PROGRAMME

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 26:



A 30- member delegation from Liberia, Kenya and Malawi visited the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today under the US-INDIA-AFRICA triangular international training programme on "New Dimensions in Agricultural Extension Management." The delegation comprised members working in different disciplines of agriculture such as extension, food security, animal sciences, farm management, aquaculture, etc. Dr P. Chandra Shekara, Director, Agricultural Extension, National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, led the visiting delegation.



In his remarks, Dr Chandra Shekara highly praised the PAU for its excellent linkages and closeness with the farming community, and for the cooperation amongst the administrative, academic, research and extension components of the University. He said that the two-month training programme is a regular feature of US-INDIA-AFRICA, which seeks to cater to the needs of the food security issue.



Presenting the research highlights of the PAU, Dr S.S. Gosal, Director of Research, PAU, highlighted that since inception, the PAU has recommended/released nearly 715 crop varieties and hybrids at state and national level. In addition to working on crop improvement, agricultural biotechnology, agro-forestry, beekeeping, mushroom production, farm mechanization, and precision agriculture, the PAU is focusing on secondary agriculture such as value addition and processing of food grains, he told. Informing that the Punjab state is producing more than 37% per cent of honey, Dr Gosal said that there are nearly 33,000 beekeepers in the state.



About transfer of technology mechanism, Dr M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education, PAU, said that the University is having an outstanding outreach to the farmers and was a pioneer in the organization of Kisan Melas and agricultural workshops. "For the quick dissemination of farm technologies, and to see new innovations and receive feedback, the PAU Directorate of Extension Education alongwith the 17 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and 12 Farm Advisory Service Scheme in various parts of the state, organizes trainings, campaigns, workshops, frontline demonstrations, field days, and farmers' group discussions. Dr Gill further added the University has covered about 6000 farmers under "PAU Doots" concept who act as ambassadors in disseminating farm technologies. He highlighted that the farm literature, published by the Centre for Communication and International Linkages, has gained momentum amongst the farmers.



Welcoming the dignitaries and the delegates, Dr H.S. Sehgal, Additional Director of Communication, said that PAU is a premiere agriculture institutions of the country, which has performed remarkably well in the field of education, research and transfer of technology. The PAU is a big attraction for the foreign students, he highlighted, adding that 34 students from 13 Asian and African countries have been enrolled in different academic programmes of the University. Dr Sehgal also gave the key outlines of the organizational set-up of the PAU, besides highlighting its accomplishments.



The delegation also interacted with Dr M.S. Mahal, Director of Punjab Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (PAMETI) and Dr Ramandeep Jassal, Deputy Director (Public Relations). To strengthen extension programmes in their respective countries, the delegates sought queries regarding bee-keeping, agro-forestry, functioning of KVKs, and pesticide spray application. The PAU experts responded to all the queries during interactive session.
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African delegation visits CIPHET

Ludhiana, February 26:



Around 30 researchers and scientists from African countries today visited the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) for getting first hand information regarding various activities initiated by the institute in area of post harvest sector and identifying various collaborative areas.



Dr P. Chandra Shekhra, Director (Agricultural Extension) of National Institute of Extension Management, Hyderabad, was leading the delegation of the countries from Liberia, Kenya and Malawi.



Addressing the scientists, Officiating Director Dr P.R Bhatnagar informed the delegation about contribution of the institute in post harvest sector and recent achievements. He added that CIPHET was among the 125 institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research across the country. Head Transfer of Technology Division Dr Deepak Raj Rai, said that they are conducting number of hands-on-trainings, entrepreneurship development programmes, providing consultancy and contract research for dissemination of the technologies. Dr Shekhra said that the delegation was the outcome of the treaty between United States, India and African countries for ensuring food security in African countries.

Head of Agricultural Structure and Environmental Control Division Dr S.N Jha and Head of Food Grains & Oilseed Division Dr R.K Gupta and senior members of the faculty were also present on the occasion. Senior Scientist Dr Prasoon Verma proposed a vote of thanks. A film on activities of the CIPHET was also screened on the occasion.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Annual Meeting of English Literary Society

Ludhiana-26/02/2013





Dept of English organized their annual meeting on today.The worthy Principal Mrs. Gurminder Kaur of the college was the Chief Guest. The event started with the welcome speech delivered by Mrs. Kiranjeet Brar, Head Dept of English. The event with competition of story narration. The student from various classes performed dramatically

with confidence and unparalleled skills and some students narrated self composed stories. The competition was judged by Mrs. Kirpal Kaur, Head Dept of Physics, Mrs Sumeet Brar Associate Prof, Dept of English, Dr. Jaspreet Kaur, and AssociateProf Dept of Home Science.



While speaking on the occasion the worthy Principal said that story narration is a integral part of our Culture and Heritage. Grandmothers and mothers have always used story narration as a tool to children fall asleep. She also appreciated the initiative took by English literary society to organized a story narration competition in order to highlight the value of story narration in English literature and our culture.

The Student showed great nerve on the stage and performed with great valour and bagged the following Prizes:-

I Position- Sakshi Mahajain.

II Position- Garima Syal,Surbhi Khurana.

III Position- Shivangi Sood, Harshpreet Kaur.



The event Concluded with an amazing dance performance and the vote of thanks proposed by Mrs.Rashmi Grover, President English Literary Society.






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

Railway budget 2013-14: Highlights

February 26, 2013





Railway Minister concludes his budget speech



67 new express trains to be introduced; 27 passenger trains, 8 DEMUs



Opposition disrupts Rail Budget speech over new train announcements



Operating ratio of 88.8 percent achieved



Dividend reduced from 5 to 4 percent



Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this year



72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata



An independent Rail Tariff Authority has been formalised



Dynamic fuel adjustment component to be introduced on freight rates from April one, that will result in less than five per cent increase in rates



Diesel price hike added Rs 3,300 crore to fuel bill of Railways



Railway revenues to show a balance of Rs 12,506 crore in 2013-14



Planned investment of Rs 63,363 crore for 2013-14, including Rs 600 crore from PPP route



Operating ratio expected to improve to 87.8 per cent in 2013-14 from 88.8 per cent in the current fiscal



5.2 per cent growth in passenger traffic expected in 2013-14



Railway hopes to end 2013-14 with a balance of Rs 12,506 crore



Rs.100 crore for improving stations in New Delhi



Railways to set up a Debt Service Fund



Freight earning to grow by 9 per cent to Rs 93,554 crore.



Freight target fixed at 1,047 MT for 2013-14, 40 MT over the current year



Marginal increase in cancellation, reservation charges



No fresh hike in passenger fares



Modest 5-6% hike in passenger fares will add to corpus, and translate into better amenities



Rs 3,000 crore loan from Finance Ministry re-paid with interest by Railways this financial year.



Indian Railway Institute for Financial Management to be set up at Secunderabad to train rail officers on a regular basis



Railway Energy Management Company to be set up to harness solar and wind energy



47,000 vacancies for weaker sections and physically challenged to be filled up soon



New coach manufacturing and maintenance facilities to be set up in various places including Rae Bareli, Bhilwara, Sonepat, Kalahandi, Kolar, Palakkad and Pratapgarh



Rs 9000 crore investments expected including Rs 3,800 crore in port connectivity and Rs 800 crore in iron ore mines connectivity



Allocation of Rs 1,000 crore each made for railway land development authority and railway station development authority.



Railways set to enter 1 billion ton freight club of China, Russia and US



Common rail-bus ticket to be introduced for Katra-Vaishnodevi pilgrims



New train Azadi Express to places linked with the freedom struggle to be introduced, fares to be concessional



Internet booking to be provided from 0030 hours to 2330 hours



Internet booking to be strengthened with next-generation e-ticketing system to eliminate delays



Special A/C coaches 'Anubhuti', to be introduced in select Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains to give excellent ambience with commensurate fare



Railways will use Aadhar data base for bookings and validation of passengers



SMS alert service being rolled out shortly to intimate passengers about reservation status



Free wi-fi facility to be provided in select trains



Plan to allow e-ticketing via mobile phones



Railway committed to bring marked change in passenger amenities



Seventeen bridges identified for repair



Smoke and fire detection system envisaged



Fire extinguishers to be kept in guard vans



Aim to eliminate 31,846 level crossings



Identification of 104 stations for upgradation in places with more than one million population and of religious significance



Railways to set up six more Rail Neer bottling plants



10% reservation for women in RPF



Presence of women in RPF to go up



Plan for elephant corridor safety



Corporate safety plan proposed



Railway safety fund inadequate



Fall in accidents — per million accidents down from .41 to .13



There has been significant drop in train accidents



Rs. 95,000 crore shortfall, meeting this shortfall will mean a paradigm shift



Rs 1 lakh crore to be raised from public-private partnership, Rs 1.05 lakh crore through internal resources in the 12th Plan



12th Plan railway size to be Rs 5.19 lakh crore, with gross budgetary support of Rs 1.94 lakh crore



Steep increase in input costs have been met with hike in Freight rates: Bansal



Railways powerful vehicle driving the growth of the country: Bansal



Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents his maiden budget in Parliament



Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal arrives in Parliament to present his maiden budget.



A day before presenting the budget, Mr. Bansal said that there was a demand for more trains. But he did not disclose whether he would concede it, as his predecessors did.



\"The government is for the people. You will have to see the budget from that point of view...,\" he said at an informal chat with reporters, when asked whether the budget would be people-friendly.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

States should join hands to fight terror, says Shinde

KOLKATA, February 25, 2013



Acknowledging the concerns of some Chief Ministers over certain provisions of the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday said States would have to come together to fight terrorism.



"We cannot allow terrorism in the country," he told journalists after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas district.



Asked whether he and Ms. Banerjee discussed the NCTC, Mr. Shinde said she and other Chief Ministers had expressed reservations about a "particular clause."



"The matter involves Centre-State relations. We will sit and discuss the issue," he said, adding the Chief Ministers were opposed to curtailment of the States' rights.



Mr. Shinde, who is on a two-day visit to the State to review coastal security in the Sunderbans along the Bangladesh border, said he had fruitful discussions with Ms. Banerjee on the issue.



"We also made an inspection of the Jambudwip [island]. Yesterday [on Sunday], I visited the northern side near T junction and today we discussed the security of the southern side [of the Sunderbans]."



Earlier, Mr. Shinde, flying a hovercraft along with Ms. Banerjee, reviewed costal security at Bakkhali, and visited the Sagar Island — the largest among the 100-odd islands in the Sunderbans archipelago.



"We also had positive discussions on the requirement of land for the Border Security Force outpost in the State," Mr. Shinde added.



ADG BSF (East) B.D. Sharma said Ms. Banerjee had agreed to give land for the battalion headquarters and the border outposts.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

No fresh hike in railway passenger fares

NEW DELHI, February 26, 2013 PTI



The Railway Budget for 2013-14 on Tuesday spared passengers from any further hike in fares but raised various other charges on tickets along with freight tariff of less than 5 per cent.



Presenting the Budget in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who had effected an across-the-board hike in passenger fares only last month, said he does not intend to pass on the impact of de-regulation of diesel price for now and the Railways will absorb a burden of Rs. 850 crore on account of this.



The first Congress minister to present a Railway Budget in 17 years, Mr. Bansal adopted Fuel Adjustment Component introduced by former Trinamool Minister Dinesh Trivedi which will be dynamic in nature and change in either direction with revision in fuel cost twice a year.



Railway budget 2013-14: Highlights



He said this may result in an upward revision of freight tariff, effective from April 1, this year, by less than 5 per cent.



In his 75-minute speech which was drowned in opposition slogan-shouting towards the end, Mr. Bansal said there are a number of supplementary charges which have not been revised for last several years.



"I propose to effect marginal increase in some of these.



These include supplementary charge for superfast trains, reservation fee, clerkage charge, cancellation charge and tatkal charge," he said, without specifying the quantum of these charges.



Mr. Bansal, however, proposed to abolish the concept of enhanced reservation fee with a view to simplifying the fee structure, having already discontinued development charge in January this year.



In January, the Minister effected an across-the-board hike in passenger fares that would net Rs 6,600 crore a year.



However, the subsequent hike in diesel price and electricity charges put an additional burden of Rs 3,300 crore on the railways which is projected to see a loss of Rs 24,600 crore in the current financial year, up from Rs 22,500 crore in 2011-12 in passenger traffic segment.



Mr. Bansal said the proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority has been formulated and was at the stage of inter-ministerial consultations.



New trains



The Budget proposes introduction of 67 new Express trains, 26 new passenger trains and extension of 57 others.



It also contains a slew of concessions like complimentary passes to recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Dhyan Chand awards in First Class and 2nd AC and Olympic medalists and Dronacharya awardees in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.



With regard to passenger amenities, the Budget proposes provision of free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains, progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains and induction of Next-Gen e-ticketing system capable of issuing 7,200 tickets per minute against 2,000 now.



As many as 1.2 lakh users can access tickets simultaneously under the proposed upgraded system against 40,000 now.



Touching on financial performance for 2012-13, Mr. Bansal said loading target has been revised to 1,007 million tonnes against 1,025 MT in budget estimates due to economic slowdown.



Gross Traffic Receipts have been fixed at Rs 1,25,680 crore in revised estimates, short by Rs 6,872 crores over Budget estimates.



Ordinary Working Expenses have been retained at Budget Estimate level of Rs 84,400 crores, while pension payments have increased by Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 20,000 crores.



Dividend liability to the government has been fully discharged. The Budget shows an 'excess' of Rs 10,409 crores as against the Budget amount of Rs 15,557 crores. Loan of Rs 3,000 crore taken in the current year has been fully repaid along with interest. Operating Ratio has been recorded at 88.8 per cent, as compared to 94.9 per cent in 2011-12.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

Railway budget 2013-14: Highlights

February 26, 2013







Railway Minister concludes his budget speech



67 new express trains to be introduced; 27 passenger trains, 8 DEMUs



Opposition disrupts Rail Budget speech over new train announcements



Operating ratio of 88.8 percent achieved



Dividend reduced from 5 to 4 percent



Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this year



72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata



An independent Rail Tariff Authority has been formalised



Dynamic fuel adjustment component to be introduced on freight rates from April one, that will result in less than five per cent increase in rates



Diesel price hike added Rs 3,300 crore to fuel bill of Railways



Railway revenues to show a balance of Rs 12,506 crore in 2013-14



Planned investment of Rs 63,363 crore for 2013-14, including Rs 600 crore from PPP route



Operating ratio expected to improve to 87.8 per cent in 2013-14 from 88.8 per cent in the current fiscal



5.2 per cent growth in passenger traffic expected in 2013-14



Railway hopes to end 2013-14 with a balance of Rs 12,506 crore



Rs.100 crore for improving stations in New Delhi



Railways to set up a Debt Service Fund



Freight earning to grow by 9 per cent to Rs 93,554 crore.



Freight target fixed at 1,047 MT for 2013-14, 40 MT over the current year



Marginal increase in cancellation, reservation charges



No fresh hike in passenger fares



Modest 5-6% hike in passenger fares will add to corpus, and translate into better amenities



Rs 3,000 crore loan from Finance Ministry re-paid with interest by Railways this financial year.



Indian Railway Institute for Financial Management to be set up at Secunderabad to train rail officers on a regular basis



Railway Energy Management Company to be set up to harness solar and wind energy



47,000 vacancies for weaker sections and physically challenged to be filled up soon



New coach manufacturing and maintenance facilities to be set up in various places including Rae Bareli, Bhilwara, Sonepat, Kalahandi, Kolar, Palakkad and Pratapgarh



Rs 9000 crore investments expected including Rs 3,800 crore in port connectivity and Rs 800 crore in iron ore mines connectivity



Allocation of Rs 1,000 crore each made for railway land development authority and railway station development authority.



Railways set to enter 1 billion ton freight club of China, Russia and US



Common rail-bus ticket to be introduced for Katra-Vaishnodevi pilgrims



New train Azadi Express to places linked with the freedom struggle to be introduced, fares to be concessional



Internet booking to be provided from 0030 hours to 2330 hours



Internet booking to be strengthened with next-generation e-ticketing system to eliminate delays



Special A/C coaches 'Anubhuti', to be introduced in select Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains to give excellent ambience with commensurate fare



Railways will use Aadhar data base for bookings and validation of passengers



SMS alert service being rolled out shortly to intimate passengers about reservation status



Free wi-fi facility to be provided in select trains



Plan to allow e-ticketing via mobile phones



Railway committed to bring marked change in passenger amenities



Seventeen bridges identified for repair



Smoke and fire detection system envisaged



Fire extinguishers to be kept in guard vans



Aim to eliminate 31,846 level crossings



Identification of 104 stations for upgradation in places with more than one million population and of religious significance



Railways to set up six more Rail Neer bottling plants



10% reservation for women in RPF



Presence of women in RPF to go up



Plan for elephant corridor safety



Corporate safety plan proposed



Railway safety fund inadequate



Fall in accidents — per million accidents down from .41 to .13



There has been significant drop in train accidents



Rs. 95,000 crore shortfall, meeting this shortfall will mean a paradigm shift



Rs 1 lakh crore to be raised from public-private partnership, Rs 1.05 lakh crore through internal resources in the 12th Plan



12th Plan railway size to be Rs 5.19 lakh crore, with gross budgetary support of Rs 1.94 lakh crore



Steep increase in input costs have been met with hike in Freight rates: Bansal



Railways powerful vehicle driving the growth of the country: Bansal



Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents his maiden budget in Parliament



Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal arrives in Parliament to present his maiden budget.



A day before presenting the budget, Mr. Bansal said that there was a demand for more trains. But he did not disclose whether he would concede it, as his predecessors did.



\"The government is for the people. You will have to see the budget from that point of view...,\" he said at an informal chat with reporters, when asked whether the budget would be people-friendly.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com
 
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