 |
Saturday,
December 1, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
|
Ukraine offers to upgrade tanks USA to gain foothold in region
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Reorient education system: Vajpayee
India extends pact with Nepal Voter cards don’t attract
Barnalas Umbrella Act for workers mooted Bihar Govt harassing my family: DGP Sonia visits Malegaon ‘India, China should work closely’
|
|
Ukraine offers to upgrade tanks New Delhi The Ukraine company’s offer follows Government of India’s approval in June of a $ 500 million plan to upgrade 300 of the T-72 tanks. In a presentation made in October in India, a Ukranian defence engineering team is understood to have offered to upgrade, to start with, 300 of the T-72 tanks over a period of five years (at the rate of 60 tanks per year) to bring about the following improvements: upgrade 125 mm guns; engine improvements to increase horsepower from 850 to 1000 and even up to 1200; better land navigation systems; nuclear, biological and chemical protection equipment; laser warning systems; thermal imaging systems; night-vision devices and frequency-hopping radios. The company’s claims for the Indian contract rests on these claims: That the T-90s would have been even more identical to the T-72s, had the designers not substantially adopted some of the advanced features of the T-80 series of tanks (designed and developed by the KMDB). These features are said to relate to the areas of defensive aid systems and the firecontrol and explosive reactive armour systems. An unspecified number of the T-72s are also to be equipped with “Arena’, a state-of-the-art Russian defensive aid suite that mounts a multi-directional millimetre wave radar system on the tank’s turret to detect incoming missiles. An official of the KMDB claimed that the modernisation package offered by Ukraine would match all the important features of the Russian T-90 tanks. The KMDB — builders of the T-34 tanks of the Second World War Vintage — have also designed and built the T-54/55 and the T-59/69 besides the T-64 tanks, the immediate predecessor of the T-72 tanks. The latest main battle tank (MBT) developed by the company is the T-84, which was accepted for service by the Ukrainian Army in 1999. For paucity of funds, the T-72 upgrade programme has been hanging fire since 1991, when the Indian Army first sought it. The upgradation has acquired an urgency following the acquisition of 320 T-80 UDs by Pakistan between 1997 and 1999. Latest reports are that Pakistan’s indigenously built ‘Al Khalid’ MBTs is also set to enter series production. India has nearly 2000 T-72s — 1,500 of which had been purchased from the erstwhile Soviet Union between 1970 and 1985. The remainder were built under licence in India. The improvements in the T-72s have been conceived to provide a new life to them, allowing the Indian Army to phase out the less capable ‘Vijayanta’ and the T-55 tanks by 2010, said a senior services official. Within the Indian Army, there is even a view that the T-72 upgrade plan ought to have taken precedence over the T-90 purchase deal, since the former would have been such a cost-effective option. |
|
USA to gain foothold in region New Delhi, November 30 There are enough indications that the USA is bent on utilising the present global mood to expand its presence in the region irrespective of the responses from other world powers. The USA has already established what is described as a bridgehead in Uzbekistan after President Karimov allowed the USA a military base in its territory. Both countries have entered into a deal to make the facility a permanent arrangement. Under the long-term deal, the USA will provide foreign investments, financial aid and special export concessions to Uzbekistan. However, within and outside the country, there is considerable opposition to Mr Karimov’s decision. They fear that such assistance will be illusory as had happened in the case of Turkey after it had extended support for Operation Desert Storm. For the USA, apart from occupying the much-needed post-Soviet era space in the region, it will help it counteract Iran, China and India who have traditional interests, including trade, in the region. This will also enable the USA to compete with the European Union and exploitation of the Central Asian country’s rich natural resources. Institutions like Woodrow Wilson Centre and Harward have produced several studies suggesting domineering US presence in the region to exploit its abundant oil reserves. They have proposed laying of pipelines avoiding Iran and Russia and mostly through the more pliable Central Asian states. This will help the USA break the ‘OPEC tentacles’. A strong US presence in the region is bound to change its security structure and upset the geopolitical balance of forces and interests in an area comprising Turkey, Iran, India and Pakistan. The NATO has already formed a special group within to analyse the situation in Central Asia. All this will have implications for countries of the region. The other aspect of the US gameplan relates to the expansion of the Afghan operation to all those who are presumed to “abet or aid” Islamic terrorism. Hawks among the US President’s advisers have been for some time clamouring for using the present global sentiment to settle score with Mr Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Now Mr George Bush himself has made such hints, first in an interview to “Newsweek” and then in a public statement. |
|
SAD leaders greet PM New Delhi, November 30 “Terrorism has brought the world to a critical juncture but I firmly believe that the menace will be defeated and people will get back their rights,” Mr Vajpayee told a gathering of Sikhs at his residence here on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. The Prime Minister, who sat through the rendering of “shabad kirtan’ along with BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State in the PMO Vijay Goel, in his inimitable style said his official residence, where the ‘samagam’ (gathering) was being held, “is like a serai (resting place)”. Earlier, a seven-member Sikh delegation led by Mr Onkar Singh Thapar, General Secretary, SAD met Mr Vajpayee and thanked him for the Rs 1,500 crore financial package for the development of Punjab. They also greeted him on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti and presented a “siropa” and a “kirpan”. Functions were organised in the Capital and several persons including Mr Didar Singh Bains, president of the World Sikh Council, was honoured in Delhi on the occasion of Gurpurab. |
|
Reorient education system: Vajpayee New Delhi, November 30 “The world is getting competitive. Stiff competition is on among people, among societies and among countries. And there is no place for those who get the second position. You have to top and that is a difficult task,” Mr Vajpayee said at the platinum jubilee celebrations of Sriram College of Commerce here. Stating that if the education system was not up to the mark, politics would also suffer, he said “It is absolutely necessary that politics is clean, it is used for the benefit of the people and to serve them”. The Prime Minister expressed concern that the number of students taking to the science stream was coming down and said the government would have to pay more stress on science in the age of information technology. He said Indian science had reached a peak with its scientists achieving the capability of launching satellites.
PTI |
|
India extends pact with Nepal New Delhi, November 30 This is being done in view of the difficult circumstances being by Nepal, official sources
said. Mr Vajpayee told Mr Deuba that there was need for all pending issues relating to the treaty to be resolved to the mutual satisfaction in view of concern within the Indian industry about the operation of some provisions of the treaty. The Prime Minister also assured Mr Deuba that India would continue to assist that country in whatever manner possible and reiterated support for the recent action taken there to eradicate insurgency and restore political
order. Mr Vajpayee suggested that negotiators of the two countries should work sincerely in this direction during the three months of extension after December 5 The two leaders agreed that solutions should be found, and can be found, which would promote Nepal’s industrial development while at the same time protecting the interests of the Indian industry. |
|
Voter cards don’t attract
Barnalas Dehra Dun, November 30 Mr Barnala has also been asked by the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr N.Ravishankar, to deposit his previous voter I-card made in his home town Barnala in order to obtain a new voter I-card in Uttaranchal as the first citizen of the state. Mr Ravishankar visited the Governor’s house yesterday, along with officials, to include Mr Barnala’s name in the voter list from the Garhi Cantonment area of Dehra Dun as the first citizen of the state. Mr Ravishankar asked Mr Barnala to deposit his previous I-card with the election office. Talking to TNS, he said, “The new I-card will be issued only after Mr Barnala deposits the previous I-card with the election office along with and NOC from the authorities in Barnala”. Mrs Surjit Kaur, who was supposed to reach here yesterday, did not turn up to get the voter I-card. Asked why the First Lady was not interested in getting a voter I-card in Uttaranchal, Mr Barnala said she was already having a voter I-card in Barnala and it did not matter if she was not a voter in Uttaranchal. |
|
Umbrella Act for workers mooted New Delhi, November 30 Briefing newspersons about the recommendations contained in the 170-page report submitted by the study group on umbrella legislation for workers in the unorganised sector to the commission, Chairman of the group D. Bandopadhyay said, “We have tried to give an exhaustive definition of the unorganised worker”. The group has suggested that a 12-digit registration number should be provided to every worker which would go a long way to create a framework for providing them with the kind of protection and welfare available today to the workers of the organised sector, Mr Bandopa-dhyay said. The group has suggested setting up of unorganised sector workers’ board with substantial powers which would be enacted through an Act of Parliament. The board should have three-tier structure consisting of Union, state and district-level boards. At the lowest level, the group has suggested setting up of worker facilitation centres which would work in panchayats and other areas of worker concentration. One-third membership to all boards and centres should be reserved for women, the group said. The state boards shall declare vocation-specific minimum wages every two years following the necessary procedural norms. The criterion for the industry and agriculture shall be the same while fixing minimum wages and minimum prices, the recommendations said. |
|
Bihar Govt harassing my family: DGP Ranchi, November 30 Mr Sinha alleged in his letter that soon after the court of designated CBI Judge H.C. Mishra rejected the bail plea of Mr Laloo Yadav on November 26, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi reportedly rang him up and accused him of “being involved in the conspiracy that landed her husband in jail”. The DGP claimed that about 11.00 p.m. the same night, cops barged into his Kadam Kuan residence in Patna on the pretext of carrying out a security check and allegedly misbehaved and intimidated his family members, the sources said. The Bihar Chief Minister has also allegedly threatened the DGP of “consequences” after his retirement in a month’s time when he returns to Patna, the sources said. When contacted, Mr Sinha neither confirmed nor denied it. Chief Secretary V.S. Dubey confirmed that he had received information about the incident. “But I can comment on it only after I have had a look at the contents of the DGP’s letter to the Chief Minister,” he said. Meanwhile, Intelligence Department sources here said the department had conducted an inquiry on the basis of the DGP’s allegations and found them to be true. A report on this had been sent to the Union Home Ministry, the sources added.
PTI |
|
Sonia visits Malegaon Malegaon, November 30 Mrs Gandhi, also Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, MPCC chief Govindrao Adik and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora. Thirteen persons were killed and several others injured in police firing and stabbing incidents after large-scale violence erupted in the township and nearby areas when the police prevented groups from distributing pamphlets protesting the US raids on Afghanistan. Mrs Gandhi visited Nav Kiran Sizing Mill, which was reduced to ashes in arson incidents and met and condoled members of the families of Bismilla Bano (53) and Bapu Bachhav, a Shiv Sena activist, both killed in police firing at different localities in the city. The Congress President, who camped for a while at the government rest house, also gave away cheques of bank loans and insurance amounts five persons whose properties were damaged in the riots.
PTI |
|
‘India, China should work closely’ New Delhi, November 30 At a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Prof Li
Yining, Vice President of Chinese Association for International Understanding, Mr Maran said there was a need to institutionalise the bilateral cooperation to exploit the huge potential for trade between both the countries. |
|||||
MAN HANGS WIFE, POISONS 3 KIDS SADHANA ULFAT OF “NANHI DUNIYA” DEAD UDP BREAKAWAY
8 OF BANWARIYA GANG KILLED VETERAN CPM LEADER RAO DEAD 3 LAKH TAKE DIP IN GANGA |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Sikhs
celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
(
