Civil Liability for Nuclear damages Bill, 2010 has been passed overwhelmingly by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 25th Aug 2010. The way is clear for the government to engage in serious negotiation with international companies to procure nuclear reactors for power generation. For foreign companies, this means that $150 billion atomic energy market of India is open for business. Through this bill, India wants to initiate creation of a massive nuclear power generation sector to power its economic aspirations in a greener way.

The Bill is the final step after the 2008 atomic energy pact with the US. The pact granted India access to foreign civil nuclear technology without it adhering to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or forgoing its atomic weapons programme. The US-India accord, endorsed by the Vienna-based 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, permitted India to trade in civil nuclear fuel and equipment in return for international inspection of 14 of its 22 atomic reactors. The rem

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India suspends defence exchanges with China

In a provocative act, China has refused permission to Northern Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal to visit that country because he belongs to a "sensitive" area of Jammu and Kashmir.


Reacting strongly to this, India has put on hold visits by Chinese military officials till the matter is resolved.


The Indian government said that China must be sensitive to its concerns.


“While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each others' concerns. Our dialogue with China on these issues is ongoing,” External Affairs ministry spokesman said in a statement.


The visit by a General-rank officer to China as part of defence exchanges was agreed upon between the two countries in January during the annual defence dialogue, sources said here today.


The visit was fixed for July but it was not decided at that time as to who will be send by India, the sources said.

When India conveyed its decision to send Lt Gen Jaswal, China wrote back saying that

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Stamps on Tagore and Teresa to be released soon

Commemorative stamps would be released by the Postal Department here to mark the 150th birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore and Mother Teresa’s birth centenary.

“Tagore wrote a play ‘Dak Ghar’ (post office). As a child, he had dreamt of working in a post office,” Director of GPO, Kolkata, Anil Kumar said.

For the stamp on the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, research was underway to determine the best way to depict her life and service to the poor, Mr. Kumar said.

Besides, the stamps, First Day Covers, diaries, greetings cards and calendars on Tagore and Teresa would be released this year, he said.

There would be commemorative items too like coffee mugs which would have stamps and rare photos imprinted on them besides the messages of Tagore and Teresa.

These would be available at philatelic bureaus and could be sent to collectors by parcel, VPP on orders placed through email, fax, money order and letter, said officials of the GPO, which is the region

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Ex-policeman hijacks bus in Manila

Philippine police in helmets and flak jackets have crouched beside the bus after firing shots at the tires in a bid to end a daylong hostage standoff involving 15 Chinese tourists.

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Manila hostage crisis: Bus driver escapes, claims all hostages dead

Philippine police in helmets and flak jackets have crouched beside the bus after firing shots at the tires in a bid to end a daylong hostage standoff involving 15 Chinese tourists.

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CPI(M) supports Kashmiri protestors against India

CPI-M has favoured maximum autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and has asked the Central government to initiate unconditional dialogue with all sections in the state to resolve the Kashmir issue. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat demanded these things on behalf of the party.

The dialogue should be open and the way forward is by recognising the special status of the state and the need to assure the people of their identity. These require a new political framework in which the bedrock is maximum autonomy.

The Centre to pursue the confidence building measures with Pakistan which can widen the canvas of ties and relations across the Line of Control and criticised UPA-II government for not taking appropriate measures. Terming the situation in Kashmir as extremely serious, Karat said the Central government should stop treating the problem there as a law and order issue which can be resolved through administrative measures. Government should amend Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AF

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Two LeT militants surrender in Kashmir

Two top militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) surrendered in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said. LeT's Doda district commander Ghulam Mohammad Mangoo and his close associate Abu Maaz surrendered with arms and ammunition before Jammu Zone Inspector General of Police Ashok Gupta in Doda, 175 km from here.

The militants were involved in several terror-related activities. "They were active in Doda district since 1998," a police spokesman said.

Their surrender was seen as a result of "relentless pressure on militants by security forces" in the area, the spokesman said.

They surrendered with one AK-47 rifle and a large quantity of ammunition.

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Ex-servicemen fighting losing battle, threaten to return medals

In a major embarrassment for the government, over 5,000 ex-servicemen on Sunday threatened to return their medals over the government’s reluctance to accept their 'one-rank-one-pay' demand. They also submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil on the issue.

The ex-servicemen have been demanding implementation of the one-rank-one-pay policy for the last 26 years. Interestingly, ex-servicemen have timed their protest to the MPs pay hike demand in a clear attempt to put more pressure on the government. Yashpal Rathi, a spokesman of the group, charged the government with insensitivity. “The government doesn't care about us. They are only concerned about us when we are fighting the enemy on the battlefield. But now we are considered as junk. Our protest is futile unless our demands are discussed in Parliament,” he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a few months ago said that the demands of the ex-servicemen were being looked into. On March 5, 2010 the prime minister had

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2 Army divisions for Arunachal

The defence ministry has cleared the decks for the deployment of two additional Indian Army mountain infantry divisions in the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh besides raising two battalions of Arunachal and Sikkim Scouts to counter a possible Chinese offensive on the Sino-Indian border.

Disclosing that the state government has already allotted the land for infrastructure, security sources told this newspaper the MoD has also started the process of raising two battalions of scouts besides intensifying the construction of seven forward landing airstrips in Arunachal Pradesh. A delegation of Congress leaders from the state were informed of this by the Prime Minister when they called on him Friday.
The proposed Arunachal and Sikkim Scouts’ battalions will be raised on the pattern of the Ladakh Scouts, which played a stellar role in dislodging Pakistani intruders during the 1999 Kargil conflict. The Army intends to enrol people from high-altitude areas who are better adapted to the

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Assam villagers attacked by Arunachal militants

Panic gripped villagers in Assam after incursions and attacks by tribals from Arunchal Pradesh, backed by militants of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), during the past one week. A police spokesperson said heavily armed NSCN-IM militants accompanied by locals from Arunachal Pradesh have been continuously raiding Saraipung village in eastern Sivasagar district, about 400 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati.

“The raids have been going on for the past one week with large group of people from Arunachal Pradesh, backed by NSCN-IM militants, crossing the unfenced border and launching attacks on Assamese villagers. Several homes were set ablaze, besides the attackers assaulting locals on the Assam side,” a senior police official said.

Trouble began on Aug 16 when about 200 locals from Arunachal Pradesh descended on Saraipung and went on a rampage dismantling homes and setting ablaze a tea garden factory, besides attacking residents.

“T

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Google rectifies mistake on J&K map

The search engine Google has amended its maps to show the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India.

The correction came in response to the notice issued by minister of state for communications and IT Sachin Pilot to Google Inc for showing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of the neighbouring country.

After Pilot noticed the lapse, the ministry wrote to the website that maps available through www.google.com/insights showed certain parts of J&K as part of a different country. The notice said that wrongful depiction of Indian map could attract action under Sections 69A and 79 of the IT Act.

Sources said the website had corrected the maps in its memory though a few pages would take some time to upload.

It sets right what is a sensitive issue in the country. The showing of PoK as part of Pakistan had attracted strong comments from various sections.

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BJP to woo Christian voters in Goa

Increasing its percentage of Catholic votes is part of the state BJP's preparations for the next state assembly polls in 2012.

This was disclosed by the new BJP central incharge and national secretary Arti Mehra, who arrived in Goa on Saturday.

Mehra addressed a press conference on Sunday morning where she said that one of her primary objectives was to dispel the notion that the BJP is a communal party.

"In Goa, the Christians are important to us," Mehra told journalists after the press conference concluded.

In her first move towards achieving this objective, the new central in-charge of the BJP will visit the Fr Agnelo ashram in Verna on Monday evening.

"It's an interaction and we will also give a power-point presentation," Mehra explained.

When asked if the BJP leadership had planned a trip to the Archbishop's Palace, she replied: "Yes, that will be during my next trip here."

Journalists also posed a question on what is the cu

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'M S Visweswara Memorial' launched

Fans and followers of late Vedic scholar M S Visweswara have launched a foundation in his name aiming to teach Vedic hymns to as many youths as they can. The memorial, they say, is their way of paying tribute to Visweswara who died last year.
The foundation -- Maradihally Shivananda Sastry Visweswara Memorial -was launched in a simple function held at Jayarama Seva Mandali in 8th Block Jayanagar.
M S Visweswara was born on 3rd December 1948. He was the second son of an Ayurvedic doctor Shivananda Sastry. Visweswara was a good debater and volleyball player as well as a Vedic scholar. His interest was not limited to the Vedas and Sanskrit; he had a mission to spread the value of education and was also passionate about media and policy issues.
For children's sake, he simplified Rubik's cube solutions and prepared teaching materials for students of various disciplines such as Science, Economics, Geography (maps) and Mathematics.
He was the founding trustee of an NGO called Education I

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Ramalinga Raju gets conditional bail

Ramalinga Raju, main accused in the multi-crore accounting fraud in the erstwhile Satyam Computers Limited, was granted conditional bail by Justice Raja Elango of the Andhra Pradesh High Court here .

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I stick to my remarks at Lalgarh: Mamata

Asserting that she “sticks to” whatever she had said at the Lalgarh rally last week, including her remarks on the death of Maoist leader Azad, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has welcomed the Communist Party of India (Maoist) leadership's suggestion for a three-month ceasefire and peace talks.

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Power PSUs pull out of sponsorship

Already facing flak for alleged poor preparations and charges of financial wrong-doing, the Commonwealth Games 2010 received a further setback with public sector undertakings — the NTPC Limited and the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) — deciding to hold back further release of funds for sponsorship of the event.

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Bhopal gas tragedy is a closed case now: U.S.

The United States said on Friday the Bhopal gas tragedy was a closed case now.

State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley was answering reporters' questions on the issue. Later, the State Department official clarified that legally the case was closed.

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Dissatisfied with 300% pay rise, MPs hold up Lok Sabha

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Threat to relocate jobs over immigration cap

In a sign of a growing backlash against the government’s controversial move to impose an annual cap on immigration from non-European Union countries, leading British businesses on Sunday warned that they might be forced to relocate jobs abroad, including India, as a rigid immigration limit could create shortages of skilled workers at home.

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Indian companiess will counter visa fee hike: Narayana Murthy

Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy has expressed confidence that Indian software companies will counter the pressure of the recent visa fee hike by the US government with greater competitiveness, using innovation as a tool to enhance productivity.

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PM hopes Valley will move on, Omar gets a shoe bite

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PC to CWC: these protests in Valley break from the past

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today told the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that the current situation in Kashmir was different from earlier periods of unrest in its genesis and nature.

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Facing Sept 1 ban, BlackBerry offers a phased way out

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China, world’s No. 2 economy, says still a developing nation

As China overtakes Japan to become the world’s second largest economy, and the United States comes to terms with a new super power on the horizon, Beijing insists it is still a developing country.

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China building new nuke delivery system: US

China is pursuing a major military build up in a "secretive manner" developing survivable nuclear delivery system, a 1,500 km range anti-ship missile to hit aircraft carriers and has the most active land based ballistic and cruise missile programme in the world, Pentagon has said.

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British firm charged high prices from CWG OC: Report

In yet another damaging revelation, a British company reportedly charged the Delhi Commonwealth Games Organising Committee more than double of what a rival firm was offering for doing the overlays work at venues.

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Article 25 and Admissible Belief Systems

Article by Pankaj

The Constitution of India gives fundamental rights to its citizens, vide article 25 – The right to a) freedom of conscience, b) profess, practice and propagate religion.


25. (1) Subject to public order, morality and health

and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are

equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right

freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.

(2) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation

of any existing law or prevent the State from making

any law—

(a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial,

political or other secular activity which may be

associated with religious practice;

(b) providing for social welfare and reform or the

throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a

public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.


However, there are certain religions or religious systems / institutions, which do NOT give to its followers the right to their b

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PDP chief Maudany arrested

Ending eight days of suspense, People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nazir Maudany was Tuesday arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Bangalore bombings amid emotional scenes at the orphanage run by him as a large number of children wept and kissed him goodbye.

Maudany was arrested by a posse of Karnataka and Kerala police as he stepped into a Matador van to proceed to the court to surrender. He is to be flown to Bangalore in the evening.


Earlier, he called a press conference at his residence-cum-party headquarters at Anwarassery near Kollam which also houses a mosque and an orphanage, and announced that he would surrender before a court after finishing his noon prayers.


After praying for about 15 minutes, emotional scenes were seen when a large number of the children in the orphanage kissed him and bid goodbye.


Coming out of the mosque in his wheel chair, Maundany was lifted and put inside the vehicle with his wife and two sons and some party offic

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Anti Hindu literature by PFI to divide Hindus

Modus operandi of Jihadi Terrorists in Kerala since 90's by NDF and PDP is to divide Hindu Soceity and convert SC-ST Hindus to Islam, by that they dream to Islamise the state and also can recruit more to sacrifice their life for their cause of Jihad.

Kerala Police arrested Six Popular front terrorists for distributing a highly blasmphemous book aimed at divinding Hindus in the state on caste lines.Police raided PFI office Periyar Valley in Uliyannoor and seized 320 copies of the book 'Asavarnarkku Nallathu Islam'. The 55-page book, published by Bhahujan Sahithya Academy, is printed at Geethanjaly Offset Printers Kozhikode and distributed by All-India Imams Council, Kozhikode a feeder organisation of PFI terrorists.

Police arrested Habish, 25, son of Koorikkad Patteripuram, Aluva, Anwar, 33, son of Mohemmed Velloorkodeth, Kuttamassery, Aluva, Noushad, 28, son of Mohemmed, Cheruparambil, Edathala, Abdul Gaffoor, 37, son of Kunjumohemmed, Manakkalakathoottu, Edayapuram, Afsal, 23,

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Muslim girl demands Police protection from Jihadi terrorists

A brave Muslim girl from Kasargode finally came out in Public, demanding Police protection from Jihadi Organisations.

Raihana, An Engineer by profession is threatened by Jihadi organisations and warned of dire consequences if she is not ready to wear Burqa.

Raihana filed petition in Kerala High Court demanding Police protection as she is receiving death threats from extremists in her religion for not wearing Burqa.

Islamic Scholars and Propagandists had always maintained that Muslim women wear Burqa out of their own willingness and it gives sense of pride and security to Muslim women.

Many like Raihana are forced to wear Burqa , and fearing ostracization of their family and physical abuse by Jihadi terrorists, many succumb to their pressure tactics.

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Stone pelters financial trail leads to Christian aid agencies

Security agencies suspect development aid from north European countries is being routed to Kashmir NGOs with links to militants. Some embassy officials of South Asian origin, who are first or second-generation migrants to Europe, are thought to be behind the funding and are being watched for the past few months, sources said.

“Their activities and modus operandi are suspect to say the least,” a source said, citing how the embassy officials under the scanner change their cellphones frequently.

The NGOs receiving the money claim to be working for human rights in the Valley, but youths employed with them have been involved in the ongoing street violence, sources said.

Suspicion has centred on funds from specific Christian aid agencies. But the government is treading softly because India has extremely cordial relations with the countries in question.

Security agencies are confident the mission officials of South Asian origin and not the donor country or agency are behind the fu

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Gulberg Society Riot victims want judge changed

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Maudany moves Supreme Court for anticipatory bail

People's Democratic Party chairman Abdul Nasir Maudany, an accused in the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts case, on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail.

A police team from Karnataka is already in Kerala to execute the non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Mr. Maudany.

In his special leave petition, Mr. Maudany questioned the Karnataka High Court rejecting his anticipatory bail plea on August 3. The High Court had described the blasts as a terrorist act and said it was rejecting the plea considering the seriousness of the offences committed by Mr. Maudany.

The High Court had also taken into consideration Section 43 (d) (4) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, prohibiting the grant of bail in such terrorist acts. It said the offences committed by Mr. Maudany came very much under the purview of the Unlawful Activities Act and, therefore, in view of the internal security and in the interest of the nation, the plea was being rejected.

Challenging this

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Taliban takes hold in northern Afghanistan

In squads of roaring dirt bikes and armed to the teeth, Taliban fighters are spreading like a brush fire into remote and defenseless villages across northern Afghanistan.

The fighters swarm into town, assemble the villagers and announce Taliban control, often at night and without any resistance.

With most Afghan and NATO troops stationed in the country's south and east, villagers in the path of the Taliban advance into the once-peaceful north say they are powerless and terrified, confused by the government's inability to prevail -- and ready to side with the insurgents to save their own lives.

"How did the Taliban get into every village?" Israel Arbah asked from his mud hut in the Shah Qassim village of Faryab province. "They are everywhere. And they are moving very fast. To tell you honestly, I am really, really afraid."

In the past year, security in northern Afghanistan has deteriorated rapidly as insurgents have seized new territory in provinces s

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